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Question for 1952 topps or advanced collectors
daywalker2029
Posts: 126 ✭
i recently came into roughly 8k and was thinking about starting a PSA 52 topps set since i can now afford the big guys ( mantle/mays/matthews/pafko etc....) - my question is this - what grade lvl should i look to put together ? im figuring around 4-6 - the mantle in psa 4 is ussually around 5k alone (???) - i realize that the higher series (311-407) are much more expensive and rare - what prices can i expect to pay for the high numbers and in what grade ? - also im not looking to get the set complete with 8k - its obviously going to be a long term project but i figured i could get a good start - ive done some pre-lim research on ebay etc.... which has provided well but i figured i would ask here as well - any advice from more advanced collectors or anoyone who have done this set or are working on this set currently would be greatly appreciated - thanks ~nick
collecting:
1990 leaf in (10)
1986 topps mets (10)
2008 ring kings cut signatures
any Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez cards in (10)
1990 leaf in (10)
1986 topps mets (10)
2008 ring kings cut signatures
any Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez cards in (10)
0
Comments
Whammo!!.......
1955 Bowman Raw complete with 90% Ex-NR or better
Now seeking 1949 Eureka Sportstamps...NM condition
Working on '78 Autographed set now 99.9% complete -
Working on '89 Topps autoed set now complete
If I were a new collector and I really wanted to find a set in mid grade to collect I would do a pre-war set. The value of a set in the 30s-40s are really a good investment. I think for resale in the future the 1952 set in mid-grade will be the same as today, not to mention that the prewar sets are small. I would look at sets in Mastro or Mile High Card Company to buy a complete or near complete set and upgrade when it is financial fisable.
I think the 1952 set would be a great set but as a new collector you might get a little frustrated by trying to build a 407 card set. It really depends on how aggressive and patient you are.
Shane
In my case I happen to collect the Bowman 1952 Large Football set which is a 144 card set and extremely difficult to put together. I dont now how it matches up as far as difficulty goes with the 52 baseball. Well getting to my point, I took on this project knowing that I may never complete the set but asked myself if I would be happy getting some HOF"s as well as nice examples of common cards and enjoying the cards that I have, because it is my favorite card to collect. If this is your favorite set and you want to get as many cards as you can without STRESSING about trying to find those high # cards and paying big bucks for names you never heard of then go for it and have fun, thats what Im doing and thought I would throw that in the thread.
Due to Tuesday being a "free listing day" on ebay, it is a good time to get a good idea of the prices for 1952 Topps PSA graded cards in various grades. There's a ton of them listed right now with ridiculously high buy-it-now prices, including several Mantles. Look at those buy-it-now prices, and figure a true auction would probably bring in 25-40% less than the buy-it-now prices.
Also, you need to be VERY careful buying any of the high dollar cards on ebay, especially the Mantle, even if the card is PSA graded, as many scams involving stolen scans appear everyday. If you're really interested in a card such as the Mantle, I'd highly recommend asking this board for opinions on the validity of the auction.
Finally, I'm personally working on a low-to-mid grade 1952 Topps set. It's strictly my opinion, but mid grade (PSA 3/4/5) 1952 Topps present some of the best deals in the hobby. A card graded PSA 5, 4, or even sometimes a 3 is really a much nicer card than people realize. You can pick up PSA 4's in the $10 or less range, which is barely more than grading fees.
Good luck in your pursuit!
-Tom
SD
1954 - great point about prewar sets being more profitable in the future - i really thinking of maybe going in that direction - also though - wouldnt the 52 topps set still be a good set to put togehter in any grade simply for its significance in the hobby ? granted future value is a factor that im considering as i dont want my $$ to be sunk into somethign that will not give me a solid return - but wouldnt a complete set in a decent grade still sell well after its complete ? ( even though if i was ever able to finsih the set i doubt i would sell it anyway )
detroitfan - also alot of great points - im a big fan of the vintage cards - the idea of a mid grade set isnt so bad and i agree that mid grade cards are prob some of the best deals - im def considering it - as for what u said about buying the high profile cards on ebay i 100% agree - ive just been using ebay as more of a general guide to give me an idea on price - i woudl most likely hit a "big" show and see what i can find there - granted i mgiht pay a little more ( or might not ) but i wouldnt worry about what im buying
all the advice is appreciated guys - keep it coming - all the serious replies help me out alot - thanks !
1990 leaf in (10)
1986 topps mets (10)
2008 ring kings cut signatures
any Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez cards in (10)
$8K won't make a dent in a 1952 Topps set unless you want to build it in crap condition. High number commons in PSA 5 generally sell for $150-200 each.
Ever consider building a master player set of one of your favorite players? It's a heck of a lot more challenging than it seems, it's a lot more rewarding acquiring a card of a player you can identify with rather than a card of a player you may never have even heard of or know next to nothing about, and it can take years to truly complete a master player set. Plus, you can spend more of your money on the cards than the grading, as grading fees alone on a 1952 Topps set will wind up costing you at least $4K (whether you buy raw or graded, you're still paying for the grading).
It seems like you enjoy the 52 Topps set, so why not pick up a couple of nice HOFers in mid grade? This may help the fix, and then see whaty you want to do. Mid grade cards can be found cheap, and there usually is a pretty decent chance of selling them back for what you paid and maybe even make a little profit.
If I had 8K to spend on cards, one card I would seriously consider getting is a 1933 Goudey Ruth. Any one of the four in PSA 3-5 has shown appreciation over the years, and plus it's a Babe Ruth!
In any event good luck!
Eventually you'll have to pony up for some of the tough cards. The high numbers alone in psa 4 - 6 range not including the stars will run you 15-20 k , if you spread that out over a couple of years it's not really that big of a hit. When the time comes to get the Mantle, Robinson, Campy, Mathews, Mays you can expect to spend another 15-20k, that's a significant sum for only a handful of cards.
For 8 grand you could probably put together a nice set from 1-310 in the psa 4 -6 range.
As it was previously mentioned, if your looking to invest pre-war is where it's at, you could probably get all four t-206 cobbs in a decent grade (psa 4-5) for around 8k
So for your $8K, you could have a PSA 1 set of 1952 Topps baseball cards.
I will leave it to you to decide if that would be a good investment.
Of course, I have the "easy" ones out of the way, so I'm sure the final value for a 1952 set with an average value of PSA 3 will be more in the $13000 - $15000 range.
Patience is the key!
Good luck,
Tom
I think the 1952 set is an awesome set, so don't think that I am trying to lead you away from that. Here is what I think from what someone said after my last response. Someone mentioned that you can find PSA 4/5 for $10. That is true but what is the value of that card going to be 5 years from now? You can't know for sure but I can tell you I see a trend going down. I am making a 1953 Topps set in PSA 5/6/7 and I know that regardless of the future value I am collecting it because I like the set. If appreciation is an important issue in building a set you either need to go high grade post 1952 or mid for prewar set. I like the idea of the Babe Ruth buy in a PSA 5 holder. You can't go wrong there.
Shane
"I have a split personality, and he is a regular SOB"
<< <i>Daywalker,
I think the 1952 set is an awesome set, so don't think that I am trying to lead you away from that. Here is what I think from what someone said after my last response. Someone mentioned that you can find PSA 4/5 for $10. That is true but what is the value of that card going to be 5 years from now? You can't know for sure but I can tell you I see a trend going down. I am making a 1953 Topps set in PSA 5/6/7 and I know that regardless of the future value I am collecting it because I like the set. If appreciation is an important issue in building a set you either need to go high grade post 1952 or mid for prewar set. I like the idea of the Babe Ruth buy in a PSA 5 holder. You can't go wrong there.
Shane >>
im not thinking at all that ur trying to steer me away -i asked for opinions and u gave it and i thank u - i appreciate all the advice, thats why i asked - im new to the whole PSA set thing so u guys that build the big stuff have the info and learned the hard way on thigns so i figured i can maybe benefit form ur experience - i picked the 52 set b/c i figured itll retain a good value - plus how many complete PSA sets can there be - 20 ?? i figure there is a complete set un-registered for each 100% set on the registry - plus im not looking for somethign to give me a 200% return in 5 years, but the idea is something to keep in mind - im really considering the ruth - its a good solid investment - but i was thinkign the same about the 52 mantle ( was that card as a kid i always looked at and said "i will never own one of those " - nows kinda my chance ) but i wont get into the set to satisfy a childhood fantasy - i want to be smart about it
i was thinkign the set woudl be a fun project to play with over time ( i never expected to have it done with 8k all in one shot ) - plus its an obviously significant set in the hobby - i definatly see ur point about the pre-war sets being easier and also more room for growth $$$ wise - bottom line - im listening to what ppl advise and will not be rushing into anything - im going to look at all angles and consider all possibilities
again i appreciate all the advice guys - it really does help - thanks -nick
1990 leaf in (10)
1986 topps mets (10)
2008 ring kings cut signatures
any Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez cards in (10)
As with Shane - I am working on the 1953 Topps set and have been for several years. Goal was 3 years in the beginning and I think I am in my fifth year now. Another 5 years may not be out of the question. I don't get in a hurry on much of anything. My original goal (my son and I) was to do the set in PSA 8. That set now is PSA 8 and PSA 7 with the hope of upgrading some of the 7's to 8's later. I also now have a couple of other 53 sets started out of my leftovers and stuff I pick up just for fun. May sell those some day to finance the main set. The other two sets are anywhere from PSA 2 up to PSA 8 - some really nice cards and some not. But like someone said earlier: "some of the PSA 3's are a lot nicer cards than people realize and a set in PSA 4 and 5 can be a nice set." (not word for word but about it) - I enjoy it when I get to add a card or two to one of my lower grade sets almost as much as my best set. I enjoy sending the raw cards in to get graded and see how close I am on my grading. The older ones are tough. More than a lot of people think especially if they are always getting 8's and 9's on their 70's and up raw send ins.
Buying them off Ebay or trading with guys on the message board is fun but I don't think it gets the excitement up like sending in raw cards. May just be me.
The pre-war stuff may be the way to go - I don't know about that. You keep talking about the 52 set and sounds like that is where your interest really is. If you build it in mid grade you can always upgrade later or even as you go. There are a lot of decent raw 52's out there that will grade 5' and 6's and can be found fairly reasonable. I don't see much raw 52's that I feel have a great shot at an 8 but I live out where a good show is 300 miles away at best. They may be out there yet.
As far as an investment - I don't plan to ever sell the higher grade set but I think most if not all of my money plus maybe some extra would be sitting there if I wanted to. I still get my cards out and look at them and really enjoy them when I want to.
I have been to Vegas several times and I enjoyed that or at least some of it at the time. BUT - most of what I put in those machines is gone. I don't have jack to show for the money I spent even though I did have some fun for a while. I buy a few nice cards along and a few years later I can still get those out and get the enjoyment of reading the backs or comparing them to others.
I think if you do it for the fun and a small investment - not trying to hit a jackpot - you will not regret it. Have fun. Rick
Always looking for 53 Topps Baseball and "stuff"