I DID IT! I finally got the 1994 & 1995 Finest sets on Ebay! Yippie skippie!

Estil

1994 Topps Finest MVP set
1994 Topps Finest set
1995 Topps Finest set

Wow, you guys will not believe the story involved in getting these sets. Now, I had been watching these auctions for days, hoping to get all three of these sets to go with my 1993 set. Now as you all know, the Finest sets (at least the first few years) have always been among my favorites and are, IMO, by far the most beautiful non-insert sets of the 1990s. And I was also hoping to get these for bargain basement prices just like most other mid 1990s stuff. Unfortunately, a few other Ebayers had other ideas and wasn't going to let me have these sets without a fight (it probably didn't help that A. They were the only complete sets on Ebay I've seen in a long time, and B. All the cards were in nice penny sleeves).

In fact, I actually stayed up a couple hours after my overnight shift at work to try bid on these, but the 1994 set had already shot up to $46 with an hour left to go. Now I was originally told by my wife that $60 was my limit, so I had only bid on the 1994 set with a $52 cap as sort of a "Hail Mary pass" (at least I'd get something). But when I told my wife how disappointed I was and how I had my heart set on those sets, well, that's when she took over. She actually bid on these for me and won all three for me (as an early Christmas present), wasn't she just the sweetest? I just hope the rest of you don't think $83 (counting shipping) was too much for these sets (I'm not sure what they book for now).

Anyway, I am just so happy to have finally got these and I can't wait to put them in my binders and be able to look through pages upon pages of gorgeous shiny cards which at that time were the Porsches of the hobby.

MuckyMutt

I just hope the rest of you don't think $83 (counting shipping) was too much for these sets

Nope - sounds like you won twice. Got the cards you really wanted (and will get more than $83 worth of enjoyment), and that wife of yours is a real keeper!

Congrats!!

Bunker

Hey that is awesome! You should do something nice for your wife to let her know how much you appreciate her

Again nice pick up!

Estil

You bet she is! Anyone else here collect Finest sets also; if so, which ones? Maybe there's some really rich collectors here who can afford to do Refractor sets.

jmbkb4

<< <i>You bet she is! Anyone else here collect Finest sets also; if so, which ones? Maybe there's some really rich collectors here who can afford to do Refractor sets. >>


I collect the 1993 Finest cards. I mainly do refractors, but I do have a couple (4?) of the 1993 Finest regular sets.

P.S. Check out my latest submission to PSA (got these grades on Friday).

PSA Order Status for Submission # 603820

LINE # CERT # CARD CARD CO. CARD # CARD NAME VARIETY GRADE
......
3 06552956 1993 FINEST 61 SHANE MACK REFRACTOR 9
3 06552957 1993 FINEST 61 SHANE MACK REFRACTOR 9
4 06552958 1993 FINEST 11 JEFF BAGWELL REFRACTOR 9
4 06552959 1993 FINEST 11 JEFF BAGWELL REFRACTOR 10
4 06552960 1993 FINEST 11 JEFF BAGWELL REFRACTOR 9
4 06552961 1993 FINEST 11 JEFF BAGWELL REFRACTOR 10
5 06552962 1993 FINEST 50 HAROLD REYNOLDS REFRACTOR 9
5 06552963 1993 FINEST 50 HAROLD REYNOLDS REFRACTOR 9
6 06552964 1993 FINEST 84 ANDRE DAWSON REFRACTOR 9
6 06552965 1993 FINEST 84 ANDRE DAWSON REFRACTOR 9
6 06552966 1993 FINEST 84 ANDRE DAWSON REFRACTOR 10
7 06552967 1993 FINEST 98 DON MATTINGLY REFRACTOR 9
8 06552968 1993 FINEST 97 LARRY WALKER REFRACTOR 8
8 06552969 1993 FINEST 97 LARRY WALKER REFRACTOR 10
9 06552970 1993 FINEST 85 GREG MADDUX REFRACTOR 9
9 06552971 1993 FINEST 85 GREG MADDUX REFRACTOR 10
10 06552972 1993 FINEST 199 MIKE PIAZZA REFRACTOR 9
10 06552973 1993 FINEST 199 MIKE PIAZZA REFRACTOR 8
10 06552974 1993 FINEST 199 MIKE PIAZZA REFRACTOR 9
11 06552975 1993 FINEST 92 MARK McGWIRE REFRACTOR 10
11 06552976 1993 FINEST 92 MARK McGWIRE REFRACTOR 9
11 06552977 1993 FINEST 92 MARK McGWIRE REFRACTOR 10
12 06552978 1993 FINEST 166 JOHN SMOLTZ REFRACTOR 9

Date Received: 11/01/2006
Date of Grades Posted: 11/03/2006
Date Shipped: 11/03/2006

Estil

<< <i>Hey that is awesome! You should do something nice for your wife to let her know how much you appreciate her

Again nice pick up! >>



Oh you better believe she'll get some VERY nice stuff for her b-day (12/6) and then for Christmas! It's only seven weeks away you know.

Stone193

Congratulations Estil

I think ya picked up some nice sets.

It would cost ya a lot more to buy the wax and make the set - tho ya miss out on the refractor hunt that started in 93.

For me refractors don't get me that excited - now "atomic refractors?" That's a different thing! Cool.

Do you use a snipe service?
mike

Estil

Stone 193: Congratulations Estil

Thank you; I can't believe someone even PMed my congratulating me; I actually thought most of you were into only getting PSA 10s and such and wouldn't have found this buy to be a big deal (though it's one of my best finds ever).

Stone 193: I think ya picked up some nice sets.

Well, they were the best sets you could buy at that time. I'm also hoping someday to even start a Flair run perhaps (I already have the 1993 Flair set; first set I ever bought on Ebay way back in 2000), and I'm currently working 1992-95 Fleer and Ultra master sets (with all inserts)

Stone 193: It would cost ya a lot more to buy the wax and make the set - tho ya miss out on the refractor hunt that started in 93.

I know, 1993 Finest cartons still go for over $250 even now, and I remember how hobbyists back in 1993 were in an uproar over packs being $25 and driving away younger collectors. Luckily you can now buy a whole set for the cost of about four packs. And there's no way I could ever in a million years be able to afford Refractor sets (if I could, I'd be getting all the 1970s Topps sets instead), although I might someday like to get the Don Mattingly ones. I might.

Stone 193: For me refractors don't get me that excited - now "atomic refractors?" That's a different thing! Cool.

Wow, what are these "atomic refractors" and how are they different from the "regular refractors"?

Stone 193: Do you use a snipe service?

Nope, my wife did it all herself the honest way.

And as for the guy who's doing the 1993 Finest Refractor set; good going! Though for what the 1993 Finest Refractor set is worth, I'd rather have all the 1970s Topps sets in NRMT+ condition, but that's just me.

pandrews

cool stuff.. i dig the early 1990's sets.. i quit collecting around 95/96 to focus more on girls and partying, so its cool to be able to pick up some nice inserts from those years for pretty cheap now..

i dont remember the finest MVP's though, how were they distributed? i know i busted several boxes of those back in the day..

Estil

<< <i>cool stuff.. i dig the early 1990's sets.. i quit collecting around 95/96 to focus more on girls and partying, so its cool to be able to pick up some nice inserts from those years for pretty cheap now..

i dont remember the finest MVP's though, how were they distributed? i know i busted several boxes of those back in the day.. >>



They were only available as a bonus set in the 1994 Topps Traded sets. I mainly got it to fill in the eight blank spaces that the last page of my 1993 Finest set has. See, the 1993 Finest set has 199 cards, so that leaves the last card (Mike Piazza) on a page all by himself. This way I can use the 1994 Finest MVP set to fill in those spaces. The 1994 Finest set will only leave one blank space on the last page (440 cards; the 441st space thus would be blank) and the 1995 Finest set would leave the bottom row of spaces on the last page blank (330 cards; so three blank spaces).

CDsNuts

For whatever reason, 94 Finest never really had any appeal to collectors, even when they came out. It's kind of funny that now it brings almost $50 which seems like a lot for an early 90s base set, most likely because they show up every so often for sale. I think you got a deal on the 95 set. Nice pickups. Are you going to go for the other sports as well, or just stick with baseball? I've always liked the 94 FB set for some reason, and I'm not really sure why collectors don't value that set much. The basketball sets are nice too because they actually have the rookies (Webber and Penny in 93/94, Kidd and Grant Hill in 94/95, Garnett and Rasheed Wallace in 95/96). Not to mention some really cool Jordan cards.

Lee

Estil

No, I'm only into baseball and occassionally non-sport sets (such as 1991 Topps Desert Storm; I have all three series with stickers). No other sports.

jradke4

I like the finest sets too. I have a few baseball. I am almost 100% football complete. The guy who said that you could pick up a full 1996 set for $50 must be seeing things. With only one gold card per box, no one would sell a set for that price. You would have to open caes(probably 3-4) and hope you dont get any dups on the gold cards. I put together a 97 Finest football set. I bought a few boxes of each series. Got the bronze set easy. Only needed a few silvers. I needed many golds. It took me over a year on Ebay to find the golds that I needed at a price that I was willing to pay. I was able to pick up off Ebay a 96 football gold set for around $75 I think about 2 years ago, but I think it was only series 1 or 2 not both. Now I need to go back and get a few boxes so I can finish up that set.

Then I need a few more 94 and 95 singles, two autos from 2002, a whole 2001 set, parts of 2000 and then some auto's left from this years set. Then I should be up to date with the football.

Estil

Not bad! But I think they were refering to the 1994 set (not the 1996 set) for $50. I bet you also collect Packers cards, right?

Stone193

Estil

The Sexon is a refractor and the Reese is Atomic - this is from the 1996 Bowman BB inserts.

After a 6-pack of Bud and a black light - you see Reeses ball buzzing right at your head!

mike

Estil

<< <i>Nope - sounds like you won twice. Got the cards you really wanted (and will get more than $83 worth of enjoyment), and that wife of yours is a real keeper! >>



I told my wife (Denise) you guys said that and she was quite flattered to say the least.



<< <i>For whatever reason, 94 Finest never really had any appeal to collectors, even when they came out. It's kind of funny that now it brings almost $50 which seems like a lot for an early 90s base set, most likely because they show up every so often for sale. I think you got a deal on the 95 set. Nice pickups. Are you going to go for the other sports as well, or just stick with baseball? >>



Perhaps the 1994 Finest set fell victim to the "sophomore jinx"? I guess it being two series didn't help either. And yes, I did indeed do pretty good on the 1995 Finest set, considering I had to pay over twice as much for a regular 1995 Topps set a few years ago. And as I said before, I do baseball only; I've already got at least 60-70 binders full of baseball complete sets (and still have to pick up another case at some point once I get around to getting the 1993-94 Fleer and 1991, 1993-95 Ultra sets), keeping up with one sport is hard enough!

And yes, those Atomic Refractors do look very nice indeed, they look kinda like those 1995 Score Platinum team sets. Can you imagine finding a complete 1995 Score Platinum set on Ebay (I don't think there's even any Gold Rush compete sets up on Ebay right now).

jradke4

A little, but mainly Favre.

Estil

<< <i>A little, but mainly Favre. >>



So I guess you're more of a single player collector rather than team collector. I used to do Don Mattingly (my boyhood idol) but now my focus is on complete sets; of course, you end up getting Mr. Mattingly on any complete sets from 1984-95 anyway.

And how's your Robin Yount collection doing? Any other players from your local Packers/Brewers/Bucks in your collection?

jradke4

Well my Yount cards are still sitting waiting to be graded. All my focus has been on the Favre set, a new set I am working on (Auto'd cards of Players that have caught TD's from him, Favre ticket stubs, FB HOF auto set, and now finishing up this years Finest FB set (only a handful of Auto's to go).

Estil

Okay, seller got my MO and sent my cards on Tues. I'll make a new topic when I get them to let everyone know how they (along with the 1992 Ultra master set coming up anyday now) turn out!