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1959 Topps baseball - official PSA thread

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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    The Koufax card is a very popular Hall of Famer in the set. It is not real easy to find plus he is very popular. This is another yellow card that is not easy to find centered.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    GDM67GDM67 Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭
    And it also looks really cool. One of his most aesthetically appealing cards, up there w/ the 56 and 63 (IMHO.)
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    These last 10 ncards I need in psa 8 or better are killing me.

    I just lost psa 8 Lee Walls last night at $1,481--ugh! and the card is something like a pop 28.

    I also lost Del Rice--a pop 20 for $1,250.

    Last week I lost Bill Hunter for over a $1,000.

    Undoubtedly I will lose Bobby Shantz as well.

    Usually in sets of this vintage patience is rewarded but the values keep rising here.

    Don--what is going on here?????.
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Jim, it is mind-boggling for sure. The set is very popular and I see new blood coming into the '59 Topps all the time. The new blood is not necessarily set registry folks either. I have been amazed at the sustained interest including the newbies. I think that keeps the prices strong.

    The veteran collectors and the new blood seem to have the money to spend on the cards they want too. I know I have paid my fair share of strong pricies for cards that I needed or wanted in the past.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    Dan,

    Welcome and good luck in your pursuit of the 59s. I collect that set, but am doing so very slowly and mostly in raw and submitting them myself because I'm too cheap to pay some of those graded 8 prices. I am not surprised at the $1,250 for the Rice, but I had tracked 2 prior ebay sales on the Walls for $415 and $500. Three times that much now, wow!! I recently sold an off centered PSA 7 of the Billy Pierce All Star last card for $382, which I was shocked about. This has to be the hottest of the hot sets right now, imo. That said, the RC Stevens price in an 8 seems to be coming down to about $300 (from about $800 last year). Go figure. image
    Collecting Vintage Baseball.
    My ebay listings
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    Bobby Shantz psa 8 goes for $1,725!!!!

    And its not even a strong 8.
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    The 1959 Pierce AS is now on ebay with Mark from Coop's set.....six days to go, already at $1824! I really thought this would go for about $2000, but now I think there is a shot it will go for $4000!

    1959 Topps Billy Pierce AS PSA 8
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    I wonder why he's listing the Pierce card now rather than in numerical order as he's doing with the rest of the set. Interesting. I'm going to get in on the bidding for that, but I'm not willing to go near $4k.

    I've eclipsed the 20% mark on the set so far and got my first PSA 9 the other day. Also added an 8 Koufax (COOPs) and an 8 Mays. I figured the Koufax would eclipse the $1k mark, as other recent 8 Koufax's had, but for whatever reason it didn't.

    So I still have MILES to go, but 20% from scratch isn't bad over less than 2 months I think. Plus I have around 80 cards raw that I intend to have graded, and I think (hope?) at least half will be 8's.
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Dan, congrats on getting such a good start to your set. The Koufax is huge because it is so popular.

    I think that Coop had Mark list the Pierce AS now because there are several bidders throwing big bucks at his cards and he wants to make sure the bucks are still there when the Pierce is up for auction.....his theory being that by the end of the auctions for all of his cards, the bidders money wells may be a little bit dried up. Who knows if that is true or not, but that is my story and I'm sticking to it! image
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    That makes sense. I guess it also makes sense to attempt to spread some of the higher dollar cards around, and there's a number of them there towards the end of the set. Not so much in the Pierce AS category, but there are a few there nonetheless...

    Picked up a sweet #510 Yankee PSA 8 tonight. May have overpaid by a tad but the centering looks really nice, and I haven't seen too many in my short time looking around. Good stuff...
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    fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,109 ✭✭✭
    Been off the thread for a while building a 2007 Topps Heritage set.It is the only modern product I buy.Now I am done and I will probably end up selling it as i do it only for the fun of opening the packs just like in my younger days in the late 50s.
    My opinion of the 59 Topps Set is that in my opinion it was the most colorful set both front and back ever made with everything you could ask for Rookie Series,All Star Cards,Team cards,Highlights,Combo cards and the High # factor and entire career statistics on back of the card.The set also contained variations of grey and cream colored backs for cards #198 to 286 and trade/option or no trade/option on several cards.My set is currently at #9 Master set on Register completed however with the great stuff that is out there now I am sure mine is bound to slide down soon which is ok as I really could not pay some of the prices realized for many of the cards in grade 8 or better.Somsday I may upgrade some of my 6s to 7s but thats about it.I am very happy with the set as is and will stay in the family forever. To me its worth a million dollars worth of great memories.

    Tony
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Tony, the very definition of a true collector.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    couple of packs from my collection--packs are much nicer than the grades

    image

    image
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Flatfoot....those are great!!! Thanks for posting the pics.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,109 ✭✭✭
    Sweet paks.
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
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    OilCanDanOilCanDan Posts: 45 ✭✭
    Wow...really nice packs. There's no way I would be able to resist the urge to rip em. You've got more will power than me!
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    fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,109 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Wow...really nice packs. There's no way I would be able to resist the urge to rip em. You've got more will power than me! >>



    I do not think they would ever stand a chance of remaining unopned around me.
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
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    << <i>Wow...really nice packs. There's no way I would be able to resist the urge to rip em. You've got more will power than me! >>



    So true! Great cello packs. I'd have to bust them. I've busted 3 1961 cellos and it was a blast! Your willpower is amazing.
    Collecting Vintage Baseball.
    My ebay listings
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    Well the only one I won from the Makirodenko auctions of the 10 cards I need in 8 or better to finish the set was the Stu Miller which I "stole" for $510.

    I bid $2,030 but was just outbid on the Pierce AS.

    These commons are not rare but the set "suffers" from great popularity.

    Jim
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    I remember quite a while ago a Board member telling me here that he was going to wait until the high prices calmed down. If I remember correctly Mariner and I told him he was deceiving himself becuz it is such a popular set and tough to finish in high grade.

    Let's see what the final hammer price is on the Pierce.
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    A little update....there was a high bidder at $3,154 with zero feedback. I hate this Bidder 1, Bidder 2, etc. stuff by EBAY.
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    $3,600+ for the Pierce...yowza!
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    $3,618!!

    An amazing price.

    Good call Don.

    I thought $4K was ludicrous.
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Al, you have a good memory......I remember that too.

    Jim, the prices are staggering.

    So far, 295 cards have sold with a tally of $49.6K with nearly half the set to go, about 277 cards. Granted , he has put up many of the heavy hitters, but there are still some tough ones to go, not to mention HOF'ers, high numbers and high number All Stars and quite a few PSA 9's left.

    This set's final tally is going to be stunning.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    BTW, the winner of the Pierce AS card has been a heavy buyer of '59's for the last two years and he is one of those collectors that I mentioned earlier about not being on the set registry.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    Great call on the Pierce All Star,Don...............I thought $2000 or $2100 would be pushing it.I was bold enough to be in at $1600 and only missed it by 2K...WOW!!!!Selling the cards individually was a great move.......an 8.0 set sold on either Memory Lane or Mastronet last fall for around $37,000 plus the buyer's premium.I know Coop's set was at about 8.17,but he's going to get almost double that when he's done.The whole thing has been astounding.
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    What are the thoughts on the SGC 88 Shantz that ends tomorrow (eBay #110112790580)? I'm not terribly familar with SGC cards and per the description it makes no sense to me that someone would crack a PSA 8 Shantz to send off to SGC. The card, from what I can tell, looks pretty good though.

    Anyone have a thought?
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Steve, thanks......I agree that Coop is certainly maximizing his total sale by doing it the way he is doing it. The only other thing I would have done is list them myself and save the commission.

    Dan, that SGC Shantz does look pretty good but the scan is smaller and it is hard to tell too much about the card other than the centering. The seller is trying to get the PSA sale price out of it. I wonder what his reserve is? I suspect it is close to his BIN. Not too sure it will sell.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    I see John Mac sneaked in to make his first post. Welcome John ! Where you been? Your expertise is appreciated especially for newbies.

    Dav: If I again remember correctly again, we had a conversation here a couple years ago about 59s. I just don't see hard commons falling. Maybe leveling off, but not crashing. The word is out with major dealers. It was that way with 61s like Houk, Repluski, etc. a while ago and then it calmed down becuz they all came out of the woodwork. I just don't see that happening with 59s. Your thoughts.

    Don: Good to see you have a tally sheet going. Interesting to see final total. Wonder what the juice is? 15%?

    Regarding pricing, it used to cost $1,000 for .1 upgrade set. So to go from 8.00 to 8.01 would set you back a grand. I think in most cases it is around $1,500 and rising fast. In fact, at NJ show last weekend, vintage card vendor had a sign "BUYING 1959 TOPPS"! *LOL*

    AZ
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Al....thanks for pointing out that John posted on this thread on April 2. I have been remiss in welcoming him.

    To all.....John McLaren is nohjmac and he made his first CU forum post on this thread as noted above. So you say, who is John? Well, let me tell you. John McLaren is the King of 1959 Topps baseball. His set is #1 on the 1959 Topps Basic registry listed as JTM's 1959 Topps. His set is also #1 on the Master Set. On the basic set, his numbers are Weighted GPA 8.82 and Set Rating 8.82. None of us wannabes will ever touch him. His set is beyond comprehension. Check it out on the registry. He has a PSA 9 Billy Hunter for God's sake! Most importantly though, I met John at Cleveland at the National 3 years ago and have had numerous dealings with him since. He stays out of the limelight but he is one of the finest collectors out there and an extremely good guy. John, we all would love to see you post more on this thread as Al says.....and welcome!

    Al.....I again agree with you that the '59 set will hold its own and the tougher cards will always do well. We have seen quite an increase in value in the last two years. A $500 card two years ago, my Hunter and Shantz for example, is a $1500 card now. Will they stay $1500, I don't think so but I still see them at very strong prices in the future.....better than $500 but maybe not $1500. Who knows though, maybe they become $2000 in a year. I mean, let's look at the Pierce AS. That was a $1000 card two years ago. Whew!

    Interesting that you say the major dealers are tuned into the '59's right now. So true, as Triple SSS and Legacy have been putting up some tough cards on ebay, some as we speak. LOL!! on that sign at the show "Buying 1959 Topps"!

    I think that a 15% commission for Coop being sold by Mark is probably a good call. With the volume and dollars involved, I don't think Mark would charge 20%.

    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    BTW, Jim's comment on April 15 got me to thinking....

    Jim said "the set 'suffers' from great popularity."

    I would be interested in everyone's comments as to why you think this is true. Jim is absolutely correct in his statement. I am sure we all have our own take on why this set is so popular and seems to have staying power.

    I will start.

    The first set I collected as a young child was the 1959 set. I was 9 years old at the time and we all know that your first love is a true love. That plays a big role as to why it is my favorite now but it is not the only reason. I love the colors and design of the set. Many of the pictures in the set are simply classic......the '59 Yogi Berra.....I rest my case. I really enjoy the card backs too. The cartoon, complete stats, write-up....it has it all. I also think that there is more scarcity in the '59's that will remain scarce (to Al's point about the tough cards maintaining their value). I think that it has been well documented that sets starting in the 1960's were produced in larger quantities. Of course, production problems and design of the card will make some 1960's sets remain tough....the 1962 Topps set is a perfect example. I am getting off topic a little bit, but these are the reasons that I love the '59 set.

    So what about you? Let's hear your reasons and why you think the '59 set is so popular........and do you think it will stay popular versus fading later on?
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    Don,

    I believe they will remain very popular although I think the prices will come down a bit in time. I think some of the biggest reasons the 59s are so popular are the beautiful colors, interesting designs and subsets within the set. I never get tired of looking at them...

    image
    image
    image
    Collecting Vintage Baseball.
    My ebay listings
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    GDM67GDM67 Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭
    That's about the nicest Aaron All Star I've seen. Usually focus and centering are a problem.
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    JohnMac--Let me add my welcome--you have an absolutely incredible set!

    Al,

    Your recollection is correct. I have operated over the past couple of years that it did not make sense to chase the low pop psa 8 commons 1955 and after as the pops would grow faster than the demand. I think in many cases this has been right but not here. I still need 9 cards in PSA 8 and they are probably the toughest 9 cards in the set.
    From here I think pops will grow and I expect to get the cards I need at lower prices but I have been wrong on this set before.

    Don,

    Wow--15% to me seems like a high price. I guess I am spoiled by certain dealer friends doing it as a courtesy.

    In my opinion, the key to the popularity of the set is the beauty of the cards themselves. I love all the sets but I think they are more attractive than the years around it such as 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962.

    A PSA 8 Hunter just sold at $1200 with a BIN of 1399 or Best Offer. I bid $1,100 and am surprised the seller did not sell it to me given my former relationship with him but once in a while relationships mean little and the seller pushes for the highest dollar he can get.

    Jim
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    OilCanDanOilCanDan Posts: 45 ✭✭
    There's not a specific reason I like this set so much. I wasn't born until '71 so it's not my "first set" or anything. I guess it goes back to what I wrote awhile back about how I had collected the 1960 set then chose the 1959 set to go after next. I had collected many of the high numbers but then lost interest as I moved on to college. Only recently did I decide to get back into it and it's been a blast. One of the funnest aspects for me is trying to find raw cards that'll grade out in 8, but I realize this is probably a lost cause at this point in time. I found a Stu Miller at a local card shop for $4. I thought it had a shot at an 8 so I submitted it and the grade popped yesterday - only a 7. I'll have to look at it again when I get it back and I might resubmit, but I still realize that a Stu Miller for $4 + $7 grading fee is a good thing.

    As to whether or not some of the low pop commons will drop, I have no idea as I have no background to form an opinion. I hope so, but so long as there's limited supply and a lot of demand then I doubt any sort of bottom is going to fall out. I feel fortunate to have picked up the R.C. Stevens for under $200 as I understand it was going for a lot more a year or so ago, so maybe the prices will decline on an individual level as the population grows...

    In any event I very much enjoy collecting this set and I enjoy reading this thread on a daily basis...I hope it remains as active as it's been!
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    << <i>I feel fortunate to have picked up the R.C. Stevens for under $200 as I understand it was going for a lot more a year or so ago, so maybe the prices will decline on an individual level as the population grows...q]

    Dan, Congrats on the Stevens. I was the underbidder and I was surprised that there was only 1 bid higher than my "lowball" bid. That card has gone from $800 about a year ago to now under $200. image
    Collecting Vintage Baseball.
    My ebay listings
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    fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,109 ✭✭✭
    59 TOPPS RULES SEZ 59er!!!!
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
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    gemintgemint Posts: 6,069 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What's the going rate for a PSA 9 1959 Mantle #10 these days?
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    John, I would say there could be a broad range depending on the number of buyers. I would say anywhere between $8K and $11K.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    1959 was the first set that I seriously collected. The first card that I remember getting in a 1959 pack was Don Buddin. It came from the corner store near my aunt's house and I was 9 years old also. I had nice cards back to 1952 that I traded "flipped Cards" for with guys who opened candy store found backroom backs left over that didn't sell when FB season started. I'd trade them 25 "flipped cards" for one real nice Mantle or other Yankee.

    For those of you who are old enough, I wore Captain Kangaroo's friend Mr. Greenjeans pants when I flipped cards. They had huge pockets front and rear in which you could stuff 100 flipped cards easily each pocket. I knew I had a good day when all the pockets were bulging. We played "knocksies", "leaner" and "top it". Boy, I wish I could go back in the time machine. *LOL*

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    goose3goose3 Posts: 11,471 ✭✭✭
    do any of you think prices may spike around this time next year when the 2008 Heritage set is released?
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Al, I didn't realize we are the same age. Yes, if we could go back in a time machine.....very fond memories.

    Goose, I have not thought about that......I assume then the 2008 Heritage will be '59 look-alikes. I don't keep up with Heritage so I don't know. It's possible is could cause a spike again but right now they are pretty hot.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    fiveninerfiveniner Posts: 4,109 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Al, I didn't realize we are the same age. Yes, if we could go back in a time machine.....very fond memories.

    Goose, I have not thought about that......I assume then the 2008 Heritage will be '59 look-alikes. I don't keep up with Heritage so I don't know. It's possible is could cause a spike again but right now they are pretty hot. >>




    Me Too was 9 yrs old also.My first pak had Red Wilson and Murray Dickson for sure.
    Tony(AN ANGEL WATCHES OVER ME)
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    DavalilloDavalillo Posts: 1,846 ✭✭
    I was 6 years old when I collected this set. However it was my third year of collecting cards so I was a card collecting veteran by then.

    I was clever enough to write in pencil on the cards or have my Mom write in pencil if the players were sent to the minors or if they were traded.

    I would sort my 59s by team, by position, by batting average or era, homers, triples, doubles, wins, by height, by weight, by number etc.. At 6, I knew every player in the major leagues.

    My interests at age 6 have had an immeasureable affect on my collecting habits today.

    Jim
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Tony, amazing, isn't it, that we can remember cards from our first pack. Mine had a Mantle in it.

    Jim, wow...collecting starting at 3 and collecting the '59s at 6....outstanding. I wrote my name on the backs of certain cards I wanted to keep at that age. LOL! I still have some of those cards, especially in 1963 Topps. I had stacks and stacks with rubber bands around them. I devoured the stats and the cartoons on the backs of the '59's. Those were the days.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    So the latest tally on Coop's set sale by card for this week is $11,671 raising the grand total to a staggering $61.3K with 200 cards still left to auction on ebay.

    My prediction now is that the final tally, when all is sold, will be $90K. Stay tuned.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    Don..........don't know if Coop will realize $90K or not.Will be amazed if he gets that much,but he does have a lot of PSA 9's coming up and the 500 series won't be cheap.You've been right on the mark so far.
    I feel like the old man of the group.....I was 10 when I first collected 59's.I always had them sorted by team and they were tightly secured by rubber bands.I think I had every stat memorized,and I'm pretty sure I never had a complete set,but I was close. Two thing that struck me at the time were that Mantle and Musial were impossible to get in a pack (you had to trade your life away to get one of their cards) and that there must have been a zillion cards depicting Virgil Trucks because he was in every pack I opened.Obviously my corner market sold out of the first series early in the season and we kept on buying thinking that the Mick would be in the next pack.
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    Steve, the '59 Mick has to be one of the best looking cards ever, doesn't it?

    Also, I love the Berra in this set. There are others that I love the picture or poses on........Blasingame, Kubek, Frank Robinson, Dotterer,
    Banks, Ford, Bunning, Walls.....the list goes on and on.
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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    marinermariner Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    For post #300, I will introduce a little spam here.....I have some beautiful 1959's on ebay ending Sunday night, April 29. Here is the link.

    1959 Topps PSA 8's

    If you are interested, please take a look. thanks!
    Don

    Collect primarily 1959-1963 Topps Baseball
    set registry id Don Johnson Collection
    ebay id truecollector14
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