63 Down--1960 Fleer Spins and Needles Completed in PSA 8 or Better

Davalillo · October 30, 2007 6:19AM

What's this! A non-sports set?

I don't think I ever said that non-sports sets were excluded in my quest to reach 100 vintage or semi-vintage sets in PSA 8 or better and for those who think using non-sports sets to get to 100 violates the spirit of my goal....well either hang with me to about 105 but I am following the advice of "collect what you like".

About a year ago I became intrigued with non-sports sets and began a dual strategy of sending in some of my non-graded sports card sets for grading and buying partially or largely complete sets in psa 8 or better. To keep it manageable, I am following a strategy of keeping 10 sets going in non-sports at a time--each time I finish one I can start another.

This 80-card set was non-sports card collector extraordinaire Bill Bengen's second set and was largely complete and needing just a few upgrades when he sold it to me. The cards were not extremely difficult to find in psa 8 or 9 and I have finished it with a 8.09 set ranking--6th on the registry. I have a special fondness for sets around 1960(1957-66) as it is when I collected cards as a kid. Although I did not collect Spins and Needles I know a number of the artists and it is a fun set. I am also trying to complete 1957 Hit Stars and 1959 Nu-Card Rock and Roll.

My goal continues to be 100 sets in PSA 8 or better. I am malso trying to finish a few sets in mainly PSA 8 with a few 7s as an interim set to a psa 8 and better set.

Completed sets in PSA 8 or better are as follows:

BASEBALL(31):

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
1968 Topps Game
1969 Topps Super
1970 Kelloggs
1970 Milton Bradley
1970 Rold Gold
1970 Topps Super

FOOTBALL(19):

1950 Bowman
1951 Bowman
1954 Bowman
1955 Topps All-America
1958 Topps
1959 Topps
1960 Mayrose Franks
1960 Topps
1961 Fleer
1961 Nu-Card
1961 Topps
1962 Fleer
1962 Kahn's Weiners
1963 Fleer
1963 Stancraft Playing Cards
1964 Philadelphia
1967 Topps
1968 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(2):

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

MULTI-SPORT(2):

1933 Goudey Sport Kings
1954 Sport Oddities

NON-SPORT(1)

1960 Spins and Needles

mikeschmidt · October 30, 2007 6:29AM

Congrats, Jim!

nearmint · October 30, 2007 12:37PM

Congratulations, Jim! I was curious, so I did a search to see what they look like. For those who haven't seen these cards, here are a few samples.

gregm13 · October 30, 2007 12:44PM

Congrats Jim - just the other day I was wondering how you've been doing...there has been quite a lull since your last accomplishment.

Good luck...and let me know if you ever find that elusive PSA 8 Buoniconti rc.

Regards,

Greg M.

WarHoundR69 · October 30, 2007 3:26PM

OH NO!!! - More competion in NonSports!!! - Just kidding Jim, congratulations on another completed set.

Davalillo · October 30, 2007 9:20PM

Thanks guys.

Greg--3 mos. since last set completion a function of two things:

1)Spending almost my entire card budget in the first half of the year
2)Some of the cards I need to complete sets do not exist in psa 8 or are exceedingly rare.

I am keeping an eye out for the 63 Fleer Nick Buonoconti.

Jim

FB · October 30, 2007 9:49PM

Great job Jim AND great looking set! Continued good luck on your quest!!!!

Frank

Davalillo · October 31, 2007 7:26AM

Thanks Frank--hope all is well--got any sets going?

FB · October 31, 2007 9:08AM

Jim,

I've completed the 70 Topps, I'm a couple cards short of another 72 Topps (at a lower GPA) and I'm about 95% on the 71 Topps. Always plugging away at the bigger sets...

Frank

GOODLIEU · October 31, 2007 9:10AM

Jim,Congratulation on your latest completion. I saw where GregM asked you about the PSA 8 Buoniconti rc. and If you dont mind me asking how do you keep from getting frustrated when despite every effort there is a card in a particular set that you can't find a upgrade in for years(In my case 1948 bowman BBall #40 Stan Miasek) despite all your efforts and the help of others. I can just imagine with the number of sets you have that this occurs to you more often than not. Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.
Art

Davalillo · October 31, 2007 10:21AM

Frank,

Happy to hear you are still at it.

Art,

Great question. It has been unbelievable finding some of these final cards to finish my sets. I think I have 34 sets where I need 7 or fewer cards to finish them in psa 8 or better. Many of the cards either do not exist in psa 8 or they are impossible to find. I advertise on here--I offer prizes--believe me it helps but it is still very difficult to find those last couple of cards.

The only thing that I can say is that by having a large number of sets going at one time(I am probably working on 70-80) I can still feel that I am making progress.

63 Down--1960 Fleer Spins and Needles Completed in PSA 8 or Better

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