Today's card show buys- Hi-grade complete sets.....

CDsNuts

Just thought I'd share...... I went to the big show in Chantilly, VA today. Nothing too spectacular, although Mark Rypien was there signing autographs. Yes, theeeee MARK RYPIEN!!! I bought a few things from two different dealers.

- I know little about vintage hockey, but thought the 73-74 Topps set in overall NM to NM-MT condition was a good buy at $125. I think I can make a few bucks on it.
- I also bought a crazy sharp 79-80 Topps basketball set at $50. Several potential 10s in this set, including an Alex English RC.
- Also picked up a really nice '78 Topps FB set in NM-MT- I overpaid a little for it but I think I can get it back through grading and selling. A handful of potential 10s, and a few stars that are probable 9s.
- Last but not least, I bought an '85 USFL set for my collection, and two '90 Topps Tiffany FB sets that have a bunch of potential 10s of stars. I plan on breaking them up and selling as team sets. If anyone needs anything, let me know.











Lee

XanaduNow

Lee,

I would be interested in the Patriots team set when you break those up (if you're still planning on doing it).

Nice finds!

Arthur

packman

That 1979 BB set is tough. If those scans are representative of the set, then you did great. How is the Gervin card? I found that card to be the toughest to find centered.

David

MorrellMan

Lee - nice scores. I don't know why, but $50 seems to be the magic number for those hi grade late 70s basketball sets. I bought one about 6 years ago on ebay, for 50 dollars, held it for 5 and sold it last year on ebay - for $50. Different story if you get the 9s you're hoping for, though. Good luck.

CDsNuts

The Gervin is 65-35 LR and 50/50 TB. Outside shot at a 9, but most likely an 8. Do low pop 9s from this set ever command a premium?

Lee

packman

My experience with grading commons from the late 70s basketball sets is that you will probably break-even (if that) unless there is a team collector involved. Take a look at the current PSA team sets. I would focus on their needs rather then the complete set registry. Good luck. It is a tough underappreciated set.

David

Bosox1976

Nice Hockey set. Always loved that shot of Orr.

Morgoth

great finds man, I would love to pay that for those older sets. I don't know what is in the 1990 FB Tiffany but it looks cool in the box . I am currently completing all 70's football sets and that one looks great.

CDsNuts

The 90 Tiffany sets have always been cool in my mind because they're the only FB set Topps made a Tiffany version of. Too bad there aren't more big RCs but the cards look really good with the gloss on white stock.

I've gotten to the point where when I go to shows I don't even stop at the big dealers tables, assuming everything they have has been cherry-picked by them or their customers for grading. I like the guys who have random assortments of crap thrown everywhere like they're doing a Flea Market. Like the guy I bought the 78 FB and 79 BK sets from also had an 80/81 BK set that was nice overall, and said he had a few different Bird/Magic/Dr.J's that I could choose from. I say I'll take a look and he goes digging for 5 minutes and pulls a stack of a dozen of that card out. Unfortunately none were 8 or better quality, but this guy has 12 Bird/Magic RCs and god knows what else buried in boxes under his table, while K-Mart and Toys R Us sets from the late 80s are on display?!

Lee

williplett

Good pick ups. $50 for the 79BB seems like a good deal at a show. How does the 78 Rolland Lawrence look? That is the one 78 I am missing for my all pros.

digicat

I might be interested in a 49er team set from your 90 Tiffany set. Let me know what you'd want for one.

Estil

Ouch, I don't like the looks of that one Tiffany set with the smashed corner which probably means smashed corners

CDsNuts

Yeah, there was a run of about 100 cards that had a dinged corner in the one set. Still pulled many possible tens out of the rest of that set, and the box is thick so the corners didn't get hurt too bad.

Lee

Estil

I guess the moral of the story is never to buy (or for online order, send back) any sealed sets with smashed corners. Cuz if you buy them from anyone but Steve, most dealers will not refund/exchange if you broke the set's seal.