42 Down-1957 Topps Baseball Completed in PSA 8 or Better

Davalillo

In most cases, the last one or two cards in a set can be next to impossible to get and I struggle to decide how much to bid for them(if they ever show up). With 1957 Topps it was different. I was fortunate to get the most difficult card in the set-Garcia #300-before the end(for around $1,000 I think) and the other tough ones such as Kellner, McCall and Surkont were gotten not too late in the process. It came down to 2 cards--Hank Bauer and Gino Cimoli. I lost out on the Bauer on ebay at around $750 and Frank Evanov(Mantlefan)--King of the 57s--e-mailed me and said it was a good miss. What do you know, the next Bauer on ebay was about $500 less. Down to Cimoli. Brian told me he thought the last one went for just under $300 on ebay. To our surprise, a Cimoli turns up with a BIN of $90--yahoo.

The 1957 Topps set is a beautiful classic set and one of my favorites.

Two people need to be thanked for their help on this set--first, Frank Evanov. What a guy. I have never actually met Frank but he has taken a tremendous interest in my 57 Topps set(along with 64 Philly FB-but thats another story). Frank has sent me multi-hundred dollar cards for free and sold me others at a nominal price. At the end he had found a raw Cimoli for me and submitted it to get an 8 for me. The other is Brian Dwyer who bought many of the last 25 or so cards and never overpaid.

The set ranks 9th on the PSA Set Registry with an 8.01 set ranking--just .001 ahead of the set owned by Joe Wilson--who has many fine vintage sets--and behind many well known set collectors. I plan on letting the set rest at that level.

This represents the 9th set in PSA 8 or better I have completed since year-end 2005--the most I have completed in a short time. I hope to have two other sets to announce in the short-term.

My goal remains 50 vintage or semi-vintage sets in PSA 8 or better by year-end 2006 and ultimately over 100.

Completed sets in psa 8 or better are as follows:

BASEBALL(24):

1936 S&S
1951 Topps Red Back
1954 Red Heart
1954 Topps
1956 Topps
1957 Topps
1959 Fleer
1960 Fleer
1960 Topps
1961 Golden Press
1961 Nu-Card Scoops
1961 Topps
1961-62 Fleer
1963 Fleer
1963 Topps
1964 Topps
1964 Topps Giants
1965 Topps
1967 Topps
1968 Topps
1969 Topps Super
1970 Kelloggs
1970 Milton Bradley
1970 Rold Gold

FOOTBALL(10):

1950 Bowman
1951 Bowman
1954 Bowman
1955 Topps All-America
1959 Topps
1960 Mayrose Cardinals
1960 Topps
1961 Nu-Card
1963 Stancraft Playing Cards
1976 Wonder Bread

BASKETBALL(6):

1948 Bowman
1961 Fleer
1969-70 Topps
1970-71 Topps
1972 Icee Bear
1976-77 Topps

HOCKEY(1):

1962-63 Parkhurst

MULTI-SPORT(1):

1933 Goudey Sport Kings

Mantlefan

Let me be the first to congratulate you.


King of the 57's

nearmint

Congrats, Jim!

Stump

Jim

Great job once again!!

soon to be 50

Dave

spacktrack

Congrats Jim. The last two cards were purchased for great prices. The Bauer, like you mentioned, for $500 less than the one we lost out on. The Cimoli was an even greater victory. Turns out the last Cimoli to be offered was a BIN for $675 that Levi put up over the Christmas holiday. The BIN was hit before I could even see that it was overpriced. Getting the Cimoli for $90 was just a great find.

mikeschmidt

Congratulations, Jim

QUIK

Jim im glad your finished with the 57 set Nice Work! Cimoli cost me 500 a while back so 90 is awesome! Im only a 57 guy so i love this set as much as anybody with just 2 or 3 cards to go for a master set myself. Great Job and thanks for shareing your special collection with us ! jeff

Davalillo

Thanks guys. One of the sets I am most proud of. I should have added that this is the first set I collected when I was a kid.

Brian,

Can't believe the price on the Cimoli--you were in the right place at the right time.

Jeff,

Good luck on completing the set--which couple of cards do you still need?

Jim

ironranger

Congratulations Jim!! Great story!

tkd7

Jim,
Congratulations on another set! Looking forward to hearing you knock off more.
Tom

WinPitcher

Good job Jim.

I need 7 more cards for the 65 set.

Steve

MurphDawg

Congrats Jim

pb19991

congrats Jim, i love the 57 set, it must be awesome to view all the 8's together. good luck with you're future efforts. Phil

QUIK

Hey Jim i still need Naragon in 8 and checklists 1/2 and 4/5 both blony. I have been in love with this set my whole life its a real pleasure to build and own . I again want to say YOUR THE MAN and thanks for shareing with us (My set is # 3 under the master sets) Continued good luck to you and all Jeff

Davalillo

Thanks to all for the congrats.

Steve--Good luck on the 65s. I've decided to let my set rest for awhile.

Tom--could you e-mail me your phone number again.

Jeff--I should have included Naragon among the toughest--it is another of the real tough ones in the set.

Jim

RonBurgundy

Jim - major congratulations to you! That is terrific. As we have discussed, the 57 set is one of Topps' all time finest issues.



Best regards,



Ron

Wondo

Jim,

Congratulations!



Best of luck,

John

flatfoot816

Holy Smoke--great sets in great condition! what the F$%#@&K do you guys do for a living--print money????!!!! Also you are either single or married to abosolute saints! Good for you guys!! Life is short--live it as you wish...and then we die

jradke4

Jim,

Congrats. You have an amazing collection. Too bad you dont have many examples scanned in (or do you). I would love to look and drool over them.

Davalillo

JRadke4,

Sorry--not very computer literate and don't know how to scan. Also there is the small issue of working 70 hours/wk, a wife and two kids and all the issues with buying cards for over 100 sets--don't see scanning in my future.

However, you are welcome to come to my house in New Jersey anytime to see the collection.

Jim

jradke4

Would love to do so some time. I will let you know if I am ever in Jersey.

dalew

You are truly incredible in the realm of collecting.

BTW, if you need someone to scan and load your cards on the Set Registry, just have UPS deliver all of your cards and I'll have it done in about three days.

Of course, after that I may be sitting in the Bahamas sipping drinks with girls with little to no clothes.

Dale

Davalillo

Dale,

Aw shucks,

Okay its a deal.

You provide the drinks and the girls with little to no clothes and I will let you come to my house and scan my cards.

Dav