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A pic of my 1955 Topps set
MCMLVTopps
Posts: 4,611 ✭✭✭✭✭
Apologies for the flash, but a few folks have asked me to do this, so here it is...
All 210 cards, including the missing 4, Ford, Feller, Musial and Score. This is the 14th best set on the Registry.
Enjoy.
All 210 cards, including the missing 4, Ford, Feller, Musial and Score. This is the 14th best set on the Registry.
Enjoy.
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thank you for sharing with us
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
AAA
Very nice. Thanks for sharing that.
If anyone cares to know Al has some very hard to get cards in that set.
A true effort was taken to build that set.
Steve
I love the baseball tins on the top but what's with the rubix cube?
Currently collecting 1934 Butterfinger, 1969 Nabisco, 1991 Topps Desert Shield (in PSA 9 or 10), and 1990 Donruss Learning Series (in PSA 10).
he is also one of the true gentleman in the hobby and on these boards.
fm
Buying Vintage, all sports.
Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
What is the card on the far right of the 3rd row? It looks like it's overlapped by a '55 Topps button or something of the like.
Any goal to add the box and packs? Doubleheaders or salesman sample?
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
To those interested in the construction:
I just sat down one day and measured a card, length, width and thickness. Then I started to multiply how many in a row and how many rows. I was amazed when I discovered that 15 across times 14 rows came to a perfect 210...how lucky can you get??? So I crunched a couple of numbers, allowed for a bit of left to right sway so I could take a card out without dumping the whole row, I think I added about a half inch to the final figure.
I didn't want the cards to fall over, so I cut a dado (groove) in the row shelves about a quarter inch deep. The rows sit front to back about one and a quarter inches, with the groove one quarter inch in from the front...this allows for a nice tilt back of about maybe 5 to 10 degrees to the rear, thus the cards can't fall forward. If you look closely, you can see the back tilt of the cards as they sit in the case. I measured for the row lengths and cut them all to length with my chop saw.
It's made out of poplar, with a quarter inch plywood back. The outside dimensions are six feet ten inches left to right, and five feet top to bottom. Once I settled on the dimensions, I simply made the outside frame. I had to get two sheets of quarter inch plywood, which I cut to match the "box". I made sure the cut would be hidden by a row, which it does. I set up a few saw horses in my garage and then set the frame in a diamond pattern on the sawhorses and then screwed the frame pieces together with wood screws and ensured I was square at all corners. I then glued the plywood to the back and let it sit for a day...I weighted down and clamped the plywood to the frame.
I then measured how much allowance for my finger to reach for the top of the card to remove it if I wanted. That figure was three and one half inches between each row. I then cut a bunch of spacers from scrap wood to place between the rows as I began to glue the rows in place. I used typical yellow glue, I think it was titlebond. As the row gluing progressed, I continued to use the spacers to ensure equal spaces between the rows...worked like a champ. After another day of letting the glue set up, I just tapped the spacers out with a hammer...easy stuff. Once all the rows were in place, the spacers acted like clamps and added the perfect pressure against each row. I did use a few clamps at the beginning.
Now I turned the piece over a snapped a chalk line in the middle of each row. I then took my brad nailer and put in about 3 or 4 brads behind each row through the plywood for extra support. Gotta keep in mind that the bottom piece of the frame is also the bottom row...measuring for the dado was just a bit different.
I cut a piece of one by for the ledger board...or the bottom support piece if you will. If you look at the pic, you can see it along and underneath the case. This was screwed into the studs in the wall at about five places I think. This provides the support for the weight of the cards and case. You cannot do this without the ledger board or it is liable to crash to the floor. Before placing the case on the wall, I stained it a dark walnut...took two coats. When the drying was done, I sanded back to bare wood some spots randomly to "antique" the piece, the pic does not show this detail, but it's there.
With the help of my wife, I place the case on the ledger board and randomly screwed one and a quarter inch black drywall screws into the drywall. I think I may have used a dozen or so, totally at random. This just keeps the case safely against the wall.
Popped in the 210 cards and it is a joy to see them in all their glory. The case sits on a north facing wall, no sun touches the cards.
As for the ? about the card to the far right on the 3rd row. That's a small Red Sox hologram card a seller was kind enough to include in one of my purchases long ago. As for the Rubik's cube, it's just there for grins. Wait till I buy that vintage erector set I've been looking at. Maybe I'll get a Daisy BB gun too.
The piece of yellow above and to the left is the biggest piece of my 1973 corvette after a truck hit me. I almost met the angels that day...pic attached. A sad day, one of the sadest for me. If you look closely at the corvette pic, the piece of yellow at the bottom is the same piece above my display case. Some things you can never forget.
FWIW, the set is for sale, just go to eBay and search 1955 Topps complete set. It ain't cheap, but it can be yours...if you're close enough, come get the case too, a bonus.
Thanks again for the nice comments, much appreciated. Tis a thing a beauty, I must admit.
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
<< <i>The piece of yellow above and to the left is the biggest piece of my 1973 corvette after a truck hit me. I almost met the angels that day...pic attached. A sad day, one of the sadest for me. If you look closely at the corvette pic, the piece of yellow at the bottom is the same piece above my display case. Some things you can never forget. >>
I was wondering why you had a plaque of the state of Maine, and why it was backwards!
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
Here's what it once looked like in all it's glory...that's a NH tag...long story. But pic was taken near Westbrook, ME.
View Vintage Football Cards For Sale
Good luck on your sale and I'm sorry you are selling them...you will miss them I'm sure
Thanks for the comment about the case and to all who have made similar comments.
As for your Ripkens, I did a quick number drill...looks like 15 cards across times 12 rows = 180 cards. Don't know if all the cards are standard size, but if they are, that starting point may well work for you. So, just look at my case, that's 15 cards, take away 2 rows and you're good to go. Just keep crunching the numbers for the frame, etc. If you think your set would work in my case dimensions, just PM me and I'll provide the exact specs I used.
GL, crank up the project !! Make sure you find a north facing wall to avoid the sun, or perhaps a basement.
Al
I happen to be a draftsman, so I can lay everything out in AutoCAD when I'm ready to do it. At one point I had thought about doing it in four sections (44 cards per frame), and framing them with matte separating the cards, and putting glass on the front and back (in case I ever want to look at the backs). If I set them up 11 across, and 4 down, with 1/2" spaces between the cards, then I could make each frame using standard materials, 42" wide, by 24" high.
Here is a quick layout of one of the frames:
I would make it look similar to the one I made here (minus the orange background):
Of course, I'm probably about $2000 away from completing my set in all 10s, so I have a long way to go yet. Lots to worry about before I get into framing them.
Anyway, sorry to post this in your thread. I just enjoy talking about this type of thing. Thanks again for the tips, and inspiration!
Looks great to me...if you're a draftsman this should be a walk in the park for you!! Nice Ripken cards BTW!!
Al
Get your cards out of all those boxes, do the math, create your own cases and put them on a north facing wall. I PROMISE YOU, if I can do this, so can you. It isn't hard. The whole thing cost me way less than $50, just some time and patience.
Thanks again,
Al - mcmlvtopps, Teddy Ballgame