59 Down--1952 Bowman Baseball Completed in PSA 8 or Better

Davalillo

With the winning on ebay of card #217 Casey Stengel--a pop 17 toughie, I have completed my 59th vintage/semi-vintage set in PSA 8 or better. While bidding on ebay and paying a big price($2,700) is not my preferred nor usual way, the Stengel is a tough card. I had passed on a psa 8 6 months ago and I did not want to miss this one.

Other tough cards in the set are the Eddie Fitzgerald(pop 21) and the lowest pop--Alex Kellner-#224(pop 11). I satrted this set with a lot of raw card purchases from Gary Moser in the mid 90s(most graded 8) and bought a large number of cards in the auctions of David Halls cards.

The set is complete with 14 psa 99s and 238 psa 8s and has a 8.05 set rating, placing it 5th on the PSA Set Registry behind collecting powerhouses Charlie Merkel(8.95), Don Spence, Vintage Corvette and the legendary Marshall Fogel. I will let it rest at this level.

My goal continues to be 100 sets in psa 8 or better with an interim goal of 70 sets complete by year-end 2007.

Completed sets in PSA 8 or better are as follows:

BASEBALL(30):

1936 S&S
1948 Bowman
1951 Topps Red Back
1952 Bowman
1954 Red Heart
1954 Topps
1955 Bowman
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
1966 Topps
1967 Topps
1967 Topps Red Sox Stickers
1968 Topps
1969 Topps Super
1970 Kelloggs
1970 Milton Bradley
1970 Rold Gold
1970 Topps Super

FOOTBALL(17):

1950 Bowman
1951 Bowman
1954 Bowman
1955 Topps All-America
1958 Topps
1959 Topps
1960 Mayrose Franks
1960 Topps
1961 Nu-Card
1961 Topps
1962 Kahn's Weiners
1963 Fleer
1963 Stancraft Playing Cards
1964 Philadelphia
1967 Topps
1969 Topps 4-in-1
1976 Wonder Bread

BASKETBALL(7):

1948 Bowman
1957 Topps
1961 Fleer
1969-70 Topps
1970-71 Topps
1972 Icee Bear
1976-77 Topps

HOCKEY(3):

1962-63 Parkhurst
1962-63 Topps
1963-64 Parkhurst

MULTI_SPORT(2):

1933 Goudey Sport Kings
1954 Sport Oddities

Wondo

Jim,

Congrats! Have you ever considered a Milk Duds set? I don't think that every box has been graded in an 8. Do you have a list of the remaining that you are working on, or do you just look for the correct opportunity?

John

tkd7

Jim,
Congratulations. '52 Bowman is a fantastic set. Good luck on the pursuit.

Tom

Downtown1974

Congrats Jim! Your collection is truly inspiring.

Rangerman

Nice accomplishment-------VERY NICE------

TONY

GOODLIEU

Dear Jim,
As a person who has visited your home and seen first hand your breath taking collection of graded cards I can only wish you the best of sucess in your endeavor to complete 100 sets.
Sincerly
Art

Davalillo

Wondo,

I have a complete set of Milk Duds Boxes bought at an auction 12 years ago advertised nrmt-mt. Does this have enough value to grade?

If you check my sets on the registry, practically every one that is not done I am working on except selected pre-war sets. Will provide an overall list of sets down to last few cards in coming days.

Tom and Downtown,

Thank you--it is a nice set.

Art,

Nice to hear from you again--hopefully you can come again to my collectors party this summer.

Jim

WinPitcher

Outstanding job!

This is my alltime favorite set. My set while raw would grade ex.

Jim did you have a problem with finding examples w/o wax stained reverses?

Steve

mikeschmidt

Congrats, Jim -- another baseball set from the 1950s completed!

Marc

Davalillo

Steve,

Interesting question--I will check how many have wax stains on the back and report back.

Marc,

Thanks--love those 50s Bowman sets--3 down, 6 to go--hopefully 54 Bowman will be next to fall with 2 missing asnd then 51 with 8. The 49,50 and the two 53 Sets are going to be tough.

Thanks also for coming to defence of Kevin--brutal bunch over there.

Jim

Wondo

Wondo,

I have a complete set of Milk Duds Boxes bought at an auction 12 years ago advertised nrmt-mt. Does this have enough value to grade?

Jim,

That's a tough one - costs about $750 to get it graded. I have had three sets graded, but that is to put together my registry set I don't sell many of the others. If you ever want to move your set, I would be interested, because I have a few upgrades needed.

John

RonBurgundy

Great set and terrific accomplishment, Jim.



Ron

WinPitcher

JIm

I ask cuz many cards have them due to the fact they came from penny packs.

examples w/o wax come from the nickel packs.

PSA does not use the ST qualifier for those that have the wax from ones I have seen.

Steve

koby

Well done. You are a serious collector and I do not think it is fair that everyone on the Network 54 calls you a baffoon.

Davalillo

Wondo,

I don't want to sell the Milk Dud boxes--is PSA tough on grading this set?

Ron,

Many thanks--appreciate it.

Kobe/Perry Andrews and other numerous identities,

Go take your act somewhere else.

sayheykid54

Great accomplishment. I'm sure you'll let us all know as soon as you finish your next set.

Maybe it's just me or I'm having a bad day, but does this kind of chest pounding rub anybody else the wrong way??

Davalillo

SayHey,

People have said that they enjoy the stories of each set and following the journey to 100 sets but if there is a consensus that it is unwanted I can certainly stop posting here. I thought it was interesting and have been told by many it is, but if what you are saying represents the thinking of the majority I will gladly leave.

Jim

CGeorge

Keep posting. And ignore the riffraff.

sayheykid54

I was just brought up with a more subtle and humble approach to boasting.

Volver

Boasting could be a touchy subject, so I can only speak for myself. I also was raised to be humble and let my accomplishments speak for themselves. Some people love marketing and propaganda...to each is own I say.

I agree the quest for such quality/quanity is something to listen to, but it is interesting the only posting Jim seems to do is related to what was just purchased to complete a set.

Frankly I do not care either way, just saying I see both sides.

Vintagegolfcards

Jim,

I enjoy your updates and appreciate your willingness to share your passion for collecting. Good luck and keep the stories coming.

Peter

koby

If the man wants to boast, let him boast. Sometimes it would be nice if Davalillo shared some information about these sets, but obviously that is not the purpose here. He is more interested on the affirmation he gets from the pats on the back here.

Davalillo

Kobe/Perry Andrews,

Why don't you invent another posting name so you can have a three way conversation. Oh thats right--you already have three or is it four.

Do you think its right to be posting on the CU Boards under so many different identities?

ironranger

Congrats Jim! Please keep up the posts -- I for one enjoy reading them. I really appreciate your passion for collecting.

If other do not like these posts, they should simply move on to the next thread. How hard is it to do that?

Wondo

<< <i>Wondo,

I don't want to sell the Milk Dud boxes--is PSA tough on grading this set? >>



Jim,

PSA isn't overly tough, the boxes are - so many fold lines, flaps, oc. Spider wrinkles pl;ague this issue much like T202s. Good luck!

John

WinPitcher

Jim

Any word regarding the wax stains?

Steve

Davalillo

Steve,

Approximately 10%. This includes those with just a touch.

Jim

pandrews

<< <i>Kobe/Perry Andrews and other numerous identities >>



hilarious.. but it's not me Jim.. your posts dont bother me, i dont mind when someone completes a set and tells about it..

cardfan07

I don't think coming to this board and letting everyone know about an ambitious collecting goal being reached is boasting, bragging or unwelcome. If I finished even one of those sets, I'd post here. And I know none of you personally. I believe that boards like this, or any other, should be about collecting, trading, talking about the sport and the cards and the memories of grabbing those cards out of packs, flipping, etc.

The fact that anything other than congratulations or questions about the set, tough pop cards, etc is pretty annoying. Take your personal issues and past grievances and ignore the post or keep them to yourself.

Soapbox, dismounted.

perkdog

I dont see any problem with a guy setting a goal publicly and publicly letting people know the progress of it, regardless if someone has the funds to complete as many sets as you have and to set a goal of 100 in PSA 8 or not, I can only imagine the time and effort that would go with it, it tells me that you are a true collector and love the hobby as much as anyone.



One question though, how do you find the time? You must have a very understanding significant other, LOL,I know my Girlfriend would NOT deal with it! Good luck the rest of the way and good for you.

GOODLIEU

Folks maybe I'm missing something here. Isn't the name of this Forum The PSA Set Registry. Where we as collectors talk about are sets ,are reasons for collecting and our ups and downs in attempting to achieve those goals? Trade ideas with other PSA Registry members and support each other or give advice on Starting ,Maintaining and Upgrading our sets. Why than would anyone consider it Bravado to come on this Forum and share information that we as collectors should find important. I for one think its great when any collector comes on the threads to talk about his accomplishments and goals for future collections. Ultimatly we all gain.

Davalillo

Kobe/Perry,

Sorry--noone believes you--

Thanks to the rest of you guys--part of the fun for me on my quest for 100 is to recap the story on that particular set. Also, for the overwhelming majority of sets I finished last year it was collectors and in many cases set registry people who provided me with the final card(s). This year all but 52 Bowman, the final card or cards came from fellow collectors.

Jim

WinPitcher

Jim

10% is not that bad. Luckily PSA does not give the dreaded ST qualifier for them.

btw Kobe and perry are 2 different folks.

Steve

MantleMarisFordBerra

The only way I'd be mad is if a forum member completed the '52 Bowman set and DIDN"T post about it. Congrats!

bluemarlin

Jim,
Congrats on the accomplishment of a beautiful set.

Jake

Fuzz

OK, I know this is off topic a bit since we either congratulate Jim on his incredible collection or take pot shots at him for breathing. I probably belong in the first group for full disclosure. But what do I ehar here? What this sounds like is that for the 52 Bowman cards, PSA uses a different standard for the ST qualifier than on other issues? Now I know a large proportion came in 1 cent packs and I understand but I though a qualifier, was a qualifier,......
Since I don't really collect this issue can someone enlighten me on this?
Fuzz

PS. Jim, Great job. Building a fortress in Nearmint Olympic BB that even the empire will have a very hard time cracking.

mikeschmidt

Fuzz-

PSA, I believe, has always allowed some light wax on the reverse of cards if it did not hinder the overall eye appeal. I know that I had many high-grade 1955 Bowman cards that had evidence of this, for example.

And, just to be clear, it is fully within PSA's guidlines, excerpted below:

MINT 9: Mint.

A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse , a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.
NM-MT 8: Near Mint-Mint.

A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse , slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

perkdog

I have owned a few cards with noticable wax stains and or gum stains on the back in PSA 5-7 grades that never received a ST qualifier. None in a 8 holder though.

1954

First off, I want to say that I think Jim coming on this board to "brag or discuss" his accomplishments is no more offensive than a post about a certain set. Jim has completed many different sets here on this board because of members who have help located cards that he was lacking. Many are offended by Jim because they are envious of his position in life and his collection. If you don't like him, great. Jim has been very kind to a lot of people on this board.
Secondly, this message board of PSA blows. Very rarely is quality information shared about collecting here on these boards. There are more conversations about the stupidest sh#t that drives away most of the knowledgable collectors. There are still many great collectors here that respond every once in a while, but you don't see these guys discussing/starting a thread anymore.
It is very nice to see the accomplishments of every collector here, whether that is Jim or a new collector with his $50 set. We all started from the same place and we all develop into a more seasoned collector as time passes by meeting guys like Jim or Marshall and learning about other sets from more experienced collectors. Thanks to Jim for sharing your comments and success.

Shane

GOODLIEU

1954 I could not agree with you more. There definitely should be more discussion about are hobby and less retorical sniping about meaningless agenda's.

SKINSFAN

Congrats Jim

koby get a life please and limit your bs remarks to the 54 or other boards PLEASE

sayheykid54

It just seems that he needs some sort of Ego boost to compensate for other life deficiencies. I know many other high-end collectors who keep such a low profile you would never know that they had anything special. It's nothing personal against him, just an observation.

eyebone

If anybody cares....

I don't mind if Jim posts re: his most recent set completion.

Frankly, I prefer it when he gives some detail on how he acquired the final card(s)...a juicy trade with some other collector, an expensive ebay purchase, a surprise show find courtesy of his young hobby friend who helps him out, a late night break-in to the basement of an elderly neighbour wearing a balaclava and a dark tracksuit, etc. Sometimes, however, there may be no "story to tell" or perhaps he is bound by confidentiality, so he posts briefly about the set's completion. Regardless, I am OK with it...if I wasn't I would simply move on to something else.

What would be great though Jim is a picture now and again.

Eyebone

Stump

Jim

Keep posting your progress. I think it is great to hear which sets get knocked off next. As far as the guys who post here that you are boasting they are exactly the reason I dont post here very often. If they don't like your post they should stay off it. To go on the attack is ridiculous. I can't stand people who hide behind the computor. Its not just you by the way I have seen time and time again the same people attacking what they don't like or what they don't understand.

Dave

Davalillo

Thank you to all my friends--too many nice things said to acknowledge all of you but please understand that I do appreciate all your support.

As far as SayHeyKid24 is concerned who thinks I need an ego boost to compensate for my life deficiencies, care to offer your name buddy or are you going to hide behind your anonymity and make ugly comments. So wonder you were called riffraff.

Again thanks for the kind words and help many of you have provided and continue to provide to me in finishing my sets.

Jim

WinPitcher

Gotta agree with Stump and bryon and all the others here.

Jim keep em comin....................

Steve

calleocho

pb19991

Jim, great accomplishment once again, I for one enjoy hearing about the sets/cards you aquire. I hope one day i'll be able to view you're awesome accomplishment in person. so far i've completed the 1960 Topps set twice although i ended up 8-9 cards short of all psa 8 or better on both sets so i know how hard it is to accomplish. I did do a 1973 Kellogg's Baseball in al psa 9 or better but by my count i'm still 50 + sets behind you. continued success and best wishes Jim. Phil

1954

SayHey- First off congrats on knowing highend collectors that don't want to be known. You must be a special person! I am giving you a gold star and special pat on the back to boost your ego.
Jim has an incredible collection and I am sure you fall into the envy catagory that I was referring to in a prior post. Many here are supportive of other collectors accomplishments and many here want to celebrate with the collector of what they have done. If you don't like Jim or don't care to congratulate the collector for what they have done, sobeit, but your cheap shots are not welcome here.

Hope you understand where I am coming from.

Shane Leonard

WinPitcher

It just seems that he needs some sort of Ego boost to compensate for other life deficiencies.

What a stupid thing to say. Are you a Psycologist by any chance?

Steve

stormsurge

Wow thats great! I think i'll be working on just getting 1 or 2 vintage sets finished in my lifetime lol.