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1957 Topps Bill Russell: A 2 year exercise in patience
RynoandBo
Posts: 393 ✭✭
Hi everyone,
Like many of you, I have a list of cards that I would one day love to own. My collection is quite modest, but I enjoy every card, even those not of high grade or value. To be quite honest, I get the most enjoyment of low grade, strong eye appeal vintage cards that fit my collecting budget.
One card that has been an absolute beast to meet my collecting criteria has been the 1957 Topps Bill Russell rookie. There have been quite a few examples for sale, but not quite met the eye appeal criteria in low grade I have searched for. Ebay often has 3-4 lower graded available, but the one thing that always seemed to make me pass was the centering. I am by no means an expert in 1957 Topps Basketball, but I would feel comfortable saying that less than 5% of all Russell rookies are even close to 60/40 centering, let alone 50/50. They really are all over the map. So finding a low grade, near perfect centered example was starting to seem like a dream.
I had resigned my fate to a low grade example with centering issues, probably 70/30 at best. There was a pretty clean PSA 4 that was in auction format on eBay that ended last Sunday. It was a nice card, but was off top to bottom and left to right. It wasn't severe, but still, it was noticeable. I placed a snipe, and was quickly blown out of the water. Lost the auction. Didn't lose any sleep. Maybe it's just not meant to be.
Well, on Tuesday morning, I woke up at 6am to get ready for work. As habit, I always check my phone for work emails and also eBay to see if any of my saved searched had new listings overnight. They usually don't, but hey, it never hurts to try. Low and behold, a listing pops for the Russell rookie. Still blurry eyed and with no glasses on, I check it out. Wow, this card looks nice. Centering looks real nice. PSA 3, just as I like them. So I had to fire up the PC to get a better look, put the glasses on and really scrutinize. Looks fantastic, nice soft corners as a PSA 3 should have. Clean border. It's a buy it now. I pull the trigger.
Wasn't too productive at work as I kept looking at the scans. I was trying to see if I missed something on the centering. Still looked great!
Fast forward to this evening. I get home from work and I have a padded mailer awaiting on the kitchen table. Wow, I wasn't expecting delivery until Friday. It's at my house in Chicago in just 2 days from Arizona. Fast!!! I open the envelope, and it looks amazing. Even the surface snow, as you will see in the scan below, almost disappears with the card in hand.
It's days like today, that I remember just how awesome of a hobby this is, and to never stop chasing down the cards we desire so much. Patience is not one of my strengths, but in this situation, it really paid off. So without further ado, I present my 1957 Topps Bill Russel Rookie Card in PSA 3!
Like many of you, I have a list of cards that I would one day love to own. My collection is quite modest, but I enjoy every card, even those not of high grade or value. To be quite honest, I get the most enjoyment of low grade, strong eye appeal vintage cards that fit my collecting budget.
One card that has been an absolute beast to meet my collecting criteria has been the 1957 Topps Bill Russell rookie. There have been quite a few examples for sale, but not quite met the eye appeal criteria in low grade I have searched for. Ebay often has 3-4 lower graded available, but the one thing that always seemed to make me pass was the centering. I am by no means an expert in 1957 Topps Basketball, but I would feel comfortable saying that less than 5% of all Russell rookies are even close to 60/40 centering, let alone 50/50. They really are all over the map. So finding a low grade, near perfect centered example was starting to seem like a dream.
I had resigned my fate to a low grade example with centering issues, probably 70/30 at best. There was a pretty clean PSA 4 that was in auction format on eBay that ended last Sunday. It was a nice card, but was off top to bottom and left to right. It wasn't severe, but still, it was noticeable. I placed a snipe, and was quickly blown out of the water. Lost the auction. Didn't lose any sleep. Maybe it's just not meant to be.
Well, on Tuesday morning, I woke up at 6am to get ready for work. As habit, I always check my phone for work emails and also eBay to see if any of my saved searched had new listings overnight. They usually don't, but hey, it never hurts to try. Low and behold, a listing pops for the Russell rookie. Still blurry eyed and with no glasses on, I check it out. Wow, this card looks nice. Centering looks real nice. PSA 3, just as I like them. So I had to fire up the PC to get a better look, put the glasses on and really scrutinize. Looks fantastic, nice soft corners as a PSA 3 should have. Clean border. It's a buy it now. I pull the trigger.
Wasn't too productive at work as I kept looking at the scans. I was trying to see if I missed something on the centering. Still looked great!
Fast forward to this evening. I get home from work and I have a padded mailer awaiting on the kitchen table. Wow, I wasn't expecting delivery until Friday. It's at my house in Chicago in just 2 days from Arizona. Fast!!! I open the envelope, and it looks amazing. Even the surface snow, as you will see in the scan below, almost disappears with the card in hand.
It's days like today, that I remember just how awesome of a hobby this is, and to never stop chasing down the cards we desire so much. Patience is not one of my strengths, but in this situation, it really paid off. So without further ado, I present my 1957 Topps Bill Russel Rookie Card in PSA 3!
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Comments
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
In the course of every human endeavor since the dawn of time the risk of human error has always been a factor. Including but not limited to field goals, 4th down attempts, or multiple paragraph ramblings on a sports forum authored by someone who shall remain anonymous.
I've got two of them, a 6 and a 7 and your 3 almost looks as nice as my 6!!
Now go for the other 79 cards; its a nice small set of 80 cards and you've already got the toughest one so it's all gravy from here!!!!
<< <i>That is a beautiful card! The Russell rookie is an absolute bear to find with anything resembling decent centering. Congrats!
I collect: 80’s Rookies and 86 Fleer Basketball
<< <i>Congrats on a real beauty! >>
+1, not really a BkB fan, but loved the writeup and card. Shipping from AZ is always fast, receiving packages here, not so much
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
My #2 Ranked Michael Jordan PSA Basic Set
Instagram: mattyc_collection
Congrats on a great P U.
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
please be more productive at work next week.