101 Down--1955 Topps Baseball Completed in PSA 8 or Better(1954-68 Topps Run Completed)

Davalillo

In what I thought was going to be my 100th set, but thanks to my pal Mike Rakosi ended up being my 101st, I have completed the 1955 Topps Baseball set in PSA 8 or better. The final card was 1955 Ed Roebuck(pop 34) which I bought on ebay for $900. The Roebuck is one of the lower pops in the set but there are a number of cards which are difficult in PSA 8 or better and objectively Hal Newhauser(pop 27) and Sherm Lollar(pop 29) are probably the toughest cards in the set. Other tough ones include Art Fowler, Andy Carey, Joe Collins, Gene Freese and Bill Consolo. The 1955 Topps set is one of my favorite sets and has the rookie cards of Koufax and Clemente.

The set is complete at 9 PSA 8.5s(I sent the whole set in for review and 9 upraded) and 198 PSA 8s. The set ranks 10th on the PSA Set Registry with a 8.02 Set Rating behind Don Spence and a host of other well known collectors. I will let the set rest at this level.

With this set I now have a 5-year run of Topps sets complete in PSA 8 or better from 1954 through 1968. I am working on 1953 Topps and am under 20 cards from completion. I need 52 to complete the 1952 Topps set and just 1 to complete the 1951 Blue Backs(Waitkus). The 1951 Topps Red Back Set is complete. Certainly its easier to go in the other direction and I am working on 1969 Topps.

I have no goals at the present time--plan to keep trying to complete sets that I like in PSA 8 or better.

Thank you to all the collectors and dealers who have helped me along the way.

Hope to see many of you at the National. I plan to be there Wednesday, Thursday and through the PSA lunch on Friday.

Jim

Brick

Congratulations Jim. The 55 set is one of my favorites and the only one I have completed. Keep on rolling.

pdub1819

Can I just say HOLY CRAP!!!

Dboneesq

WTG Jim ... another job well done! Are you driving down to Baltimore from NJ?

SDSportsFan

Congratulations Jim!

The 1955 Topps baseball set has always been my favorite 50's set. In fact when I was in my early days as a (sort of) big-time collector (back in the late 1970s-early 1980s - I was a teenager), the '55 set was the first pre-1970 set I ever collected (and completed) Later, I worked on and finished a '53 Topps baseball set also, but something about the '55 set just draws me back to it (and still does to this day).

In fact, I still remember buying stacks of ex-mt/nr mt common 1955s from Steve Brunner at shows in Southern California for 25 cents each for low-numbers, and 75 cents each on the high-numbers. Man, those were the days!

Best wishes to you for the rest of your sets. You're no where near being finished!

Steve

RonBurgundy

You cannot stop Davalillo, you can only hope to contain him.

ahkmedbinladen

Im eagerly awaiting # 102.

qualitycards

Jim Congrats on #101, that's a helluva set to have in 8's or better

baseballfan

congrats!!!!

its been a long time coming


now on to #102

Davalillo

Thank you guys. I love the 1955 Topps set--certainly one of their very best.

I am driving down to Baltimore on Wednesday or Thursday and will stay through the PSA Set Registry lunch of Friday.

Look forward to seeing everyone there.

Jim

Stone193

Congratulations Jim - I'm in agreement that the 55T is one of the sweet sets - interestingly, Tuff Stuff in 1990 considered the 55 and 56T sets to be unpopular due to the horizontal design - I didn't agree then and don't now.

I always thought it was a good set for someone to tackle due to its size - tho in 8 - of course - quite a challenge.

Hmmm - 101 - how about 150?

Have you got the 53T set - all in 8? Great set!

Good luck.

RonBurgundy

I would like to say hi Jim in Baltimore and shake your hand on an unbelievable accomplishment!

Davalillo

Mike,

I need 16 upgrades of psa 7s and one hole to fill to complete the 1953 Topps set. Its a realistic goal going forward....but 150 yikes! I think I will take it 1 day at a time.

Ron Burgundy,

I hope I can meet you at the show. I will be there maybe on Wednesday but definately Thursday and Friaday through the PSA Set Registry lunch.

Jim

mikeschmidt

Good stuff, Jim! A very beautiful set -- and now 55 years old.

Cheers

tkd7

Congratulations Jim!

calaban7

Hi Jim , boy do I feel dumb. I didn't even see this until today. Enough.

Wow , another very nice job on this set. I felt this was going to be #100 , but # 101 it is. PM me , when you get your bearing in Baltimore , and hopefully we can finally meet. ---- Sonny