Has Supply of High Grade 71s Dried Up?

EOMINT

Is it me or has the supply of mint 1971 topps baseball totally dried up on ebay recently. Running out of raw to submit? EO

ahkmedbinladen

Maybe Ill dip into my private stash if time permits

augustaman

Several high grade sets have been broken up lately and there have been tons of PSA 9's
readily available. The problem for you is that you already have them all. The last 10%
is going to drive you crazy but I'm absolutely amazed how far and how fast you've gotten
to where you are now. Stay patient. The last few will come eventually and we will all bow
down to the undisputed '71 king.

EOMINT

No totally agree on the high grade sets, I got what I needed from those, but since that big wave it has slowed to a level I have never seen before...Im not complaining bc the fact its so tough in high grade is what makes it unique, and you are right augusta this last 9-10% gonna take a LOOOONNNNNGGGG time. Spence will continue to reign for some time at this rate!

gemint

I agree with Bill's comments. There was an unprecedented flood of high grade '71 set breaks in 2011. Most of the top sets were broken up. That brought some impossible cards to market like the 9s of Raymond and Maye. I haven't checked but I think there are still a few cards with zero population in the set. There's always a chance for some new cards to surface from the limited unopened material out there or high grade raw sets that have been locked away for years. For those I guess the choice is to remain incomplete or fill in with 8s until a 9 surfaces. The other wildcard is how PSA grades '71s. I think they're very inconsistent with how they hand out 9s. I've seen some flawless cards in 8 holders. I had a few in the set I bought and cracked them out to try for a bump. My Raymond 9 was originally in an 8 holder and came from an earlier submission where I got the grader of death who didn't give me one 9 out of 250 pristine '71s I submitted. I ended up getting a dozen or so to bump to 9s in a later sub.

Mickey71

EOMINT,
I don't know how to ask this....so here goes. 10% is about 70-80 cards. Unless you are a multi millionaire...how are you going to get them? I'm assuming Claude R is one you need. That will cost like 15K right there. This is such a popular set that the competition is just brutal and one bidder for sure can not be out bid. I have to think that you are going to have to obtain these cards other than through an auction. I'm pulling for you and hope you finish it.

Mickey71

gemint

<< <i>EOMINT,
I don't know how to ask this....so here goes. 10% is about 70-80 cards. Unless you are a multi millionaire...how are you going to get them? I'm assuming Claude R is one you need. That will cost like 15K right there. This is such a popular set that the competition is just brutal and one bidder for sure can not be out bid. I have to think that you are going to have to obtain these cards other than through an auction. I'm pulling for you and hope you finish it.

Mickey71 >>



Believe it or not, there was a Raymond 9 sold for $2200 last year and I think he got it. The Maye pop 1 went for under $1000. There were some great buy opportunities last year due to so many 9s hitting the market all at once, depleting most budgets (probably not Spence's). My Raymond went for $5000 in 2007.

Mickey71

Wow...a Raymond for $2200. I stand corrected- this maybe can be done. Now the zero pop problem. All 9's would be a heck of a set. I'm going to have to look at the pop report to see which cards have a pop of zero in a 9.

Mefer

<< <i>I agree with Bill's comments. There was an unprecedented flood of high grade '71 set breaks in 2011. Most of the top sets were broken up. That brought some impossible cards to market like the 9s of Raymond and Maye. I haven't checked but I think there are still a few cards with zero population in the set. There's always a chance for some new cards to surface from the limited unopened material out there or high grade raw sets that have been locked away for years. For those I guess the choice is to remain incomplete or fill in with 8s until a 9 surfaces. The other wildcard is how PSA grades '71s. I think they're very inconsistent with how they hand out 9s. I've seen some flawless cards in 8 holders. I had a few in the set I bought and cracked them out to try for a bump. My Raymond 9 was originally in an 8 holder and came from an earlier submission where I got the grader of death who didn't give me one 9 out of 250 pristine '71s I submitted. I ended up getting a dozen or so to bump to 9s in a later sub. >>



Well said. I had a mid-level graded set (GPA around 7.50 or so) that I sold off a few years ago. Literally years I bought and submitted a ton of raw 71s. Pulling 9s were next to impossible and my experience mimicked what is set forth above-- very inconsistent grading. It is one of the toughest issues to grade and it seems your chances of pulling a 6, compared to an 8, on any given card is always a chance. 9s are judiciously handed out. The toughness of the issue combined with my lack of patience and the sheer size of the set are some of the key reasons I just sold my set. I do however hope to pick up some nice 8s of select stars in the future.

In any event, I think you just have to remain patient. There is not much else you can do and I do not see a flood of needed cards hitting the market any time soon.

Matt

EOMINT

Well, I bought the 35 Chickle Nagurski 9 in January for $350K so I am a serious collector with resources. But also yes, I got the Raymond for $2200 and also have the Maye as well as many other pop 1s. I also have the Seaver PSA 10 which i purchased for $20K.

All of that said, I am disciplined in what I will spend on any card just like I am with anything else, you dont become wealthy making a habit of overpaying for things!

I guess I just gonna have to wait this one out and prob should feel lucky maybe I got the oppty in 2011 to take down so much of this beautiful set!

EO

gemint

<< <i>Well, I bought the 35 Chickle Nagurski 9 in January for $350K so I am a serious collector with resources. But also yes, I got the Raymond for $2200 and also have the Maye as well as many other pop 1s. I also have the Seaver PSA 10 which i purchased for $20K.

All of that said, I am disciplined in what I will spend on any card just like I am with anything else, you dont become wealthy making a habit of overpaying for things!

I guess I just gonna have to wait this one out and prob should feel lucky maybe I got the oppty in 2011 to take down so much of this beautiful set!

EO >>



90% is certainly an accomplishment for this set. You may need to hope Spence liquidates his collection at some point as I'm sure he has a few of the low pops locked up in his set.

bobsbbcards

<< <i>I'm going to have to look at the pop report to see which cards have a pop of zero in a 9. >>



253 Bill Sudakis
351 Jim Shellenback
352 Denny Doyle
373 Tom McCraw
398 Howie Reed
530 Larry Brown
673 Gerry Janeski
725 Gary Gentry

bbuckner22

Not Spence, but you need Greg Foster to sell. He probably easily has the #1 set right now if it were registered. He bought some of my tough cards before they ever hit Ebay and I know he did with another collector who owned a high grade set. He also owns most of the pop 1 10's from 1972 and 1973.

gemint

<< <i>Not Spence, but you need Greg Foster to sell. He probably easily has the #1 set right now if it were registered. He bought some of my tough cards before they ever hit Ebay and I know he did with another collector who owned a high grade set. He also owns most of the pop 1 10's from 1972 and 1973. >>



True that. He bought two of my 1971 PSA 10s recently.

EOMINT

Yes, I bid against Greg on many 71s, he has probably amassed a good collection. You know what they call a 72 Pop 1? A pop 3 in a couple of yrs lol...I put together the 72 set in all 9s and 10s (it is registered), that is a totally different ballgame vs 71.

gemint

I wonder if pjmint still has his set. I think that was his eBay ID. He used to buy a lot of PSA 9s and I don't think he ever had his set registered.

EOMINT

That must have been before I started collecting the set, dont remember that name. I always assumed Greg Foster was buying stuff for Spence bc for a long time he was the only one bidding strongly against me. Perhaps I was wrong about that.

backbidder

I sold pjpmint a 1971 Kekich PSA 9 a year ago when it was a pop 1.

gemint

<< <i>I sold pjpmint a 1971 Kekich PSA 9 a year ago when it was a pop 1. >>



That's him. 'pjpmint'

bbuckner22

pjpmint, Rick Milsap also sold his set. It went up in a Memory Lane auction about the same time I was breaking my set. He also sold a bunch of his tougher 9's and 10's to Greg Foster before the set hit the auction block. Greg is not a buyer for Spence. Eric, you conquered the 72 set and you are close on the 71's. I think the last 10% is going to be painfully slow, you might want to think about starting a 70 set in the meantime.

EOMINT

As the kekich 9 was in my set when it was a 1/1 I'm pretty sure it was me and not Foster who bought out pjpmint's tough 9s and 10s before they hit the auction block!

I have no desire to do the 1970 set, after the 71 set if anything I'd do the 75s, always loved that set w the colors even though it isnt particularly tough. Plus I already have all the star cards.

But most likely I'll just turn back to focusing on my vintage high end collection, mostly RCs.

backbidder

If the cert on your Kekich is 17843105, then that's the one I sold to pjpmint.

If you pm me the list of 71's you need, I'd be glad to keep an eye out for you. I'm kind of addicted to 71's and keep buying raw and graded.

gregmo32

I am curious. What would you consider an attainable price for a 1/1 from this set?

ahkmedbinladen

<< Is it me or has the supply of mint 1971 topps baseball totally dried up on ebay recently. Running out of raw to submit? EO >>
Heck no...did you see the beauties Corvette picked up in Charlotte?

EOMINT

Depends on the pop 1 if it is a high #, SP, etc. But if you have one, I'll happily make u an offer.

On the other post, I have no idea who Corvette is and what he bought in Charlotte on the 1971 front. Fill me in!

EOMINT

ahkmedbinladen

He bought a set and subbed over a 100 of them that he thinks are really sharp.

EOMINT

Great, hope to see some tough 9s on ebay!

gemint

<< <i>He bought a set and subbed over a 100 of them that he thinks are really sharp. >>



Based on the scans he provided, I wouldn't hold my breath. There could be a few 9s in there but I've purchased several nicer sets over the years and I can count the 9s I've received from my own submissions on one hand. I do think he will do well on the set and get some 8s and maybe even a few 8.5s a possibly a couple of 9s. Best of luck to him.

Mickey71

<< He bought a set and subbed over a 100 of them that he thinks are really sharp. >>

Scans can be tough on 1971's.....but from what I viewed I didn't even see very many potential 8's let alone 9's.

jeff8877

Hi guys,

Thought it might be a good thread to see if anyone has an empty wax box. Looking for one to dispay in my office. Thanks all.

Jeff

gemint

<< <i>Hi guys,

Thought it might be a good thread to see if anyone has an empty wax box. Looking for one to dispay in my office. Thanks all.

Jeff >>



I have an empty cello box but it's not in great shape. The lid has separated from the box.

EOMINT

Barely a trickle on ebay of new 9s...no question supply aint what it used to be. I cant even imagine trying to start this set now given what's out there...its gonna take me a decade to finish this sucker!