What is your "Grail"?

Tedw9

Ron's thread got me thinking, his biggest desire is a 52 Mantle (Sweet choice!). What is the one card that you would LOVE to have above all others? It does not have to be the most expensive or most rare card out there, but the card that is the golden ring for your collection?

For myself I would have to say the 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams. I just love Ted and that card would be the pride of my collection. It's not the most valuable or the most talked about compared to others, but to me it is one awesome card.

Please share with us what one card you would love to have above all others.

digicat

A high quality, centered, and richly colored 1960 Topps Willie McCovey rookie in PSA 8.

Tedw9

<< <i>A high quality, centered, and richly colored 1960 Topps Willie McCovey rookie in PSA 8. >>




Nice choice! McCovey is an undervalued and underappreciated player IMO. Here is hoping that you can find that card.

puckhd27

I have several Grails

Football:
1976 Topps Walter Payton PSA 9
1966 Philadelphia Dick Butkus PSA 8
1966 Philadelphia Gale Sayers PSA 8

Hockey
1969 OPC Tony Esposito PSA 9
1986 OPC Patrick Roy PSA 9

Baseball
1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg PSA 10


Will start on these after I finish my 1973 Topps Football graded set.

jradke4

1991 Stadium Club Super Bowl Favre. I havent seen on the bay for some months.

packernut

1935 National Chicle Packers - PSA 6 or higher!

originalisbest

Interesting question! For me it might be a decent appearing, centered '51 Bowman Mantle - within the realm of reason for me, unlike the '52 T Mantle (though I'd love to have one.)

Someday I can get it, but not just right now. Unless I hit the lotto or some such, in which case all bets would be off.

Tedw9

Great replies everyone!

puckhd27, I just sold a low grade Payton rc on Ebay. It killed me to part with it, but I am shooting for something I want more.

jradke4, nice choice on the Favre! My wife is a HUGE Favre fan and I respect the hell out of him. He is one of the greatest I have ever seen play, I hope you can find one.

packernut, another Pack fan! You don't find too many old time Packer fans, great choice of cards. The Chicle set is one fantastic set, I hope you can score one soon.

originalisbest, another great choice. You can never go wrong with Mantle. Like you, I am too young to have seen him play, but every story I have read, every clip I have seen, you can't help but be in awe of his power. I hope you stumble across a sweet one at a flea market next summer.

Brian48

A 1966 Bobby Orr rookie in PSA 7 or higher.

At one time I thought I found it, but that turned out to be nightmare.

That ORR rookie was tampered with!

Downtown1974

I too would love a 52 Mantle but realistically speaking, a nice PSA 7 or 8 1955 Koufax rookie would be nice to have.

originalisbest

Tedw9, I have, in my idler moments, thought about how nice it would be to stumble upon an old sports book or some such where someone had used a nice Mantle rookie as an accidental bookmark, long ago.

markj111

I found a 73 Clemente in a library book. It had sharp corners, but was poorly centered. I used it as trade bait years ago.

ripkenintheminors

Another fun question. The funny thing about sports memorabilia is that typically when we acheive that "unattainable" status, we usually find something else to focus our collecting attention on. The other thing is that the pursuit of the "grail" can be broken down into several columns. There could be a game used grail, player award grail, trading card grail, etc. There could also be a column for attainable and unattainable grail.

For me I'm still content with my 1980 Charlotte Police Ripken, the "Holy Grail of Ripken Minor League issues". I'd enjoy having one in a higher grade, but I'm content just in having it. I'd be thrilled if I could ever get a complete set of the police set.

jfkheat

Mine would have to be a PSA 8 or higher 54 Red Heart Mantle. Second choice is a Psa 6 or better Dan Dee Mantle.
James

XanaduNow

Realistically (someday) ... a low-grade '32 US Caramel Jack Dempsey.

Unrealistically (never ever) .... PSA 9 '33 Sport Kings Jack Dempsey.

Arthur

BigDaddyBowman

My holy grail..the card(s) that I have pursued but can never get the right condition for the right price would be the Red Grange and Jim Thorpe sport kings and the Rockne and Nagurski National Chicles. It is my hope that some day...some way.... I will add these gems to my collection.

AlanAllen

I'd have to go with a Colgan's Chips Tin Tops Jim Thorpe. I've read that there are three known in the hobby, and it's his earliest card.

jradke, The Super Bowl Favre is a great card with unlimited potential. I reluctantly traded the only PSA 10 to another board member a few months ago for a PSA 9 and some cash.

Joe

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

1989 Fleer Ripken White Box.

Lothar52

id like to one day own a 52 topps mays psa 5 or 6...its affordable (compared to mantle!!), its from the 52 topps design, and for some reason i just love the purple color on the card. its highly undervalued compared to his 53 topps card.

Loth

HockeyAutoCollector

For me, I think it would be to have an autograph from every goaltender in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I have about 5 to go. Of course, if I were ever to get those, I am sure I would just keep collecting deceased Hall of Fame autographs.

originalisbest

Cool thought aa - I'd love to see a pic of a Thorpe Colgan's chips card!

And loth, good choice on the '52T Mays - it's a great card and I kind of prefer it to his '53T, myself.

Skinpinch

From the collectible fields, I would have to say a period newspaper printing of the Declaration of Indepence, followed by a Boston Newspaper report of the Boston Tea Party. I am basically dreaming on them...can't afford the Declaration paper, and there simply isn't one available of the Tea Party.

I sold my pre war items, but my attainable aim was to always get a perfectly centered Ted Williams rookie...in appx 7 grade. I just never found one when I was buying, and almost pulled the trigger on one within this year(even after I sold all my other cards).

Stone193

I didn't think I really had one but then thought and here it tis:



I borrowed it from a friend on the registry.

I would like to have it in a 5 - that's grail talk.

I'ld be proud to have this one!
mike

originalisbest

Oh, I guess a 5 of that would be an OK card, Mike.

bobsbbcards

I tried to pick just one, but I failed miserably. Here's a few that I'd LOVE to find:

1967 Ashland Oil Jim Maloney
1989 Donruss (or Leaf) Blue Chip Mark McGwire
1960 Fleer Pepper Martin
1969 Fleer 3-D Baseball Trophy Montreal Expos
1968 Kahn's Ron Santo (red stripes)
1969 O-Pee-Chee Baseball Wax Pack
1980 Topps/Pepsi Ron Guidry
1951 Topps Current All-Stars Roberts/Stanky/Konstanty
1961 Topps Dice Game Brooks Robinson
1963 Topps Mickey Mantle Mask
1968 Topps 3-D Brooks Robinson Prototype
1970 Topps Cloth Stickers Juan Marichal

effe

Any 1932 Walker's Cleaners Green Bay Packers or a 1933 Diamond Matchbook Arnie Herber

roastedcat

For now my Grail is this!

BigRedMachine

A '63 Rose Rookie in PSA 7 or better and a '55 Four Horsemen in PSA 7 or better.

I'd love to have those two.

shawn

MantleMarisFordBerra

While I'd love a 52T Mantle, realisticly, the Holy Grail for me would be his 56T-love it, great picture,card design & from his best year!

stown

My grail was (muwhahaha) the '55 Clemente, now it's the '56 Mantle.

After the Mantle? Hmmm..

We will save that adventure for later

koby

All this talk about the 1952 Topps Mantle. That is my grail and yes I would trade my entire collection for one.

FavreFan1971

My grail is a PSA 8 Bart Starr

I am a avid Packer collector and understand the issues the others have. good luck all.

JackWESQ

For me, it's a tough call between a 1933 Goudey Rogers Hornsby # 188 versus a 1953 Topps Willie Mays. Both can be quite expensive, but still nowhere near the 1952 Topps Mantle.

/s/ JackWESQ

theczar

1948 george mikan

ArchStanton

1) '55 Roberto Clemente
2) '53 Satchel Paige
3) '53 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese

I will eventually have all of them. It is only a matter of time and money.

RedHeart54

1951 Parkhurst PSA 8 Gordie Howe with 50-50 centering all around
1933 or '34 PSA 8 Goudey Dizzy Dean
1941 Play Ball PSA 8 Pee Wee Reese

stormsurge

A Cracker Jack Ty Cobb any grade

ColleSystem

PSA 10 - 1977 topps Star Wars sticker #7, Lord Darth Vader (none have been graded as a 10).

RipublicaninMass

Someday attainable
T205 cobb any grade
1915 CJ Joe Jackson
48 leaf page anything over a 3 will do
56 Clemente psa 8


Putting a little cap on other things as well until I get a new scanner and auctions at least loaded with pics into turbo lister. It is fun to dream! Let's revist this thread new year as well. Se if any of us hit the lottery

UN-attainable
t206 Wagner...just to say "yeah, I got one"

djspann

1888 Goodwin Champions - Beecher in VG or better

williplett

A perfect condition 1977 Randy Jones PSA 10. The card doesn't exist (yet). The 77 Toby Harrah would be a close second

benderbroeth

for me it would be a 1954 hank aaron psa-8 or better.

Boopotts

The Quaker Oats Lumley in presentable condition (PSA 3 or better).

Knuckles

Terry Sawchuk game used stick

Grant Fuhr game worn Oilers jersey

Card.. a Vezina RC I don't care what the grade is but centered and clean.

GDM67

Any of several cards from the '54 Topps set in PSA 8. Aaron, Banks, Kaline, the Williams cards, especially #1...those are all gorgeous and out of my range in that grade.

bjork73

Hmmmmmm... ok this might sound like a pathetic "grail", but a BGS 10 (or better yet, a SGC 100!) 1992-93 Upper Deck Shaquille O'Neal SP RC would do nicely

Allen

Pujols Bowman Chrome Rookie or Mantle 52 Topps. I plan to buy a low grade w/ eye appeal mantle once I get a job next year after graduation.

Stingray

A 1954 Al Kaline, my favorite Tiger of all-time!!

nightcrawler

1955-56 Quaker Oats ROCKET ROARS THROUGH CARD #72 in PSA gem mint 10 of course.

That would be my choice if money didn't really play into it. Honus Wagner PSA 10 otherwise.

Carew29

While i was collecting Carew cards, i would have to say the 1971 OPC in a PSA 10--1/1. It is currently owned by texassportscollectibles. They paid somewhere in the neighorhood of $1,200. I should have bought it when it was first listed as $1,150.

MajorDanby

Unrealistic unless I somehow strike it rich at Vegas: T206 Honus Wagner
More realistic in my lifetim: A nicely centered 1951 Bowman Mantle Rookie

Another grail would be a decent condition caramel wagner card. the prices on these cards are ridiculous.