Sets I am working on: PSA 1 or 2 Topps Mantle set, NBA Best 50 Autographs.

AnkurJ

Anyone do either of these sets? I have a 1952 Topps Mantle PSA 1 on layaway. Have a 1953 and a few others.

With the NBA Best 50 Player Autographs, I think the most expensive ones will be Jordan (I have a signed baseball), and Pete Maravich. Some players are very cheap, some are around the $50 range.

Thoughts? Concerns? Advise? Complaints?

72skywalker

I have been working on a raw Mantle set for a few years now. I am only missing the 52 topps, 53 topps and Bowman. My 51 Bowman is PSA 3.5 and I will also look for the 53 Topps and Bowman in PSA 3.5. ( I am a little anal that I need all of them the same grade) Since I will never sell them (I will let my kids sell them after I give them to them) I dont mind them in raw condition. I look them all over very carefully with a loupe and measure each one so that they are not trimmed. Only one of them has been trimmed and it is one with Mantle and Aaron on it. I picked it up very cheap so I don't mind so much.

DrJ

I am currently finishing up my NBA 50 greatest autograph set with only 5 left (Wilt, Maravich, Pippen, Bing, Malone). I am doing a mix of certified autographs from the manufacturer and PSA/DNA certified cards. If you want to go the certified from the manuafacturer route, you will be spending big bucks as Wilt only had a couple of certified autos in 1999 from UD which now go for more than 1K and closer to 2K when they show up for sale. Maravich is only available via cut signature cards and they also go for greater than 1K and closer to 2K as of late. My strategy with Maravich may end up being to buy a signed check, commissioning a custom cut card and getting it PSA/DNA certified.

Other Tough ones to get:

Patrick Ewing -- Does not sign TTM or in person and only has a handful of certified cards released around 2004. His autos will run you north of $125.
Charles Barkley -- Only a few certified autos around 1999 which usually go for ~$500. Best bet with him is tracking down a PSA/DNA auto.
Karl Malone -- More plentiful autographs, but nothing recently. ~100 for a certifed manufacturer sig but less if you go PSA/DNA.
George Mikan -- Has a fair number of certified autographs but value seems to be trending up. Expect to spend $150 for one of his cards. Deceased.
Dave Debusschere -- Has a few certified autos, ~$125 for a signature. Deceased
Jordan -- Plentiful Certified autographs but pricey. Cheap ones go for $300, and more desireable releases will easily push $500 or more.
Bill Russell -- Plentiful autos as of late but still demands a premium. ~$125 a signature
Pippen -- Has a nice amount of autos out there but these tend to still push north of $100
Dave Bing -- Only a few certified autos which typically go for ~$100 but cheaper in PSA/DNA.

Outside of these guys most of the other signers are plentiful via ceritifed autos and will run you from ~$10 a signature up to the $50 range.

I just picked up this Jordan last year because with UD losing the NBA license future cards will not be in a Bulls Uniform and UD is in major legal trouble over counterfeit Anime cards so their general future is shaky.