3 Years, 10 Months & 8 Days...
epatmythes
Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭
And now I can finally say I'm done collecting football cards! With Topps no longer able to produce NFL trading cards, and the only option being Panini products.. I'm done! Praise the Lord!
I received the following results on a submission yesterday:
30 1 26733626 MINT 9 1996 Topps 135 Edgar Bennett Card
30 2 26733627 GEM MINT 10 1996 Topps 135 Edgar Bennett Card
30 3 26733628 EXCELLENT 5 1996 Topps 135 Edgar Bennett Card
Mind you, I'm hardly new to grading. I legitimately thought each of these cards had strong enough merits to get a GEM MINT 10. I guess I'll find out why when I get the cards back from PSA, but that 5 has me absolutely baffled. No matter though, I got one GEM MINT 10. That's all that really mattered. Heck, I sent 3 in just to hedge my bet anyway.
A little less than 2 months shy of 4 years, that lone PSA 10 was the last card I needed to complete my 1996 Topps Green Bay Packers team set in complete PSA 10 condition. I'm on the cusp of turning 40, so I've been fortunate enough to see my Packers win 2 Super Bowl championships. Hitting this now Pop 1 PSA 10, I now have both the 1996 & 2010 team sets in total PSA 10. I was born in 1977, and while it's not fully PSA 10, I do also have the #1 1977 Topps Packers team set on the registry.
Sure, I'll probably pick up a nicely graded HOF RC or two down the road. I'll probably even be tempted to purchase already graded cards that would upgrade either my 1977 team set or my Brett Favre Basic set.
For this collector though, my days of opening new football product, buying raw football cards, sending in football cards for grading are over. Done. Finished.
God willing, I've still got enough time left on this earth to see a few more Packers Super Bowl triumphs. I honestly can't stomach the thought of commemorating such having to build a Panini-based team set for the Registry, but I guess that's a bridge I'll have to cross if/when the time comes. Here's to hoping Topps will find a way back to the football card market again in the future!
Pitchers & Catchers report this week... I'm ready for Baseball!!!
Comments
Congrats on the accomplishment!
Great job, the long journey is over!
Congratulations, and I agree, panini just isn't my thing either
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
congrats on completing your sets! Always a great feeling when it's mission accomplished.
I know the feeling on the PSA 5 - I submitted a 1986 Topps Traded Barry Bonds, thinking it was a no-brainer 10....came back a 5, because of the tiniest surface wrinkle, which I remember finding when the card came back to me. I pulled that card out the other day for the first time in 6 years, and gave up looking for the wrinkle after 10 minutes. That's how small it was, I couldn't find it - even knowing it was there somewhere!
Congrats on your completion, it must be a great feeling.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
Congrats man! Gotta be great reaching the finish line!
I am a football collector and agree with your take. 2015 will be the newest stuff in my collection. I own exactly 0 Panini cards and intend on keeping it that way. The only bright spot for me personally about Topps being out of the football game is now I have a finish line. Probably will never reach it, but at least there is an end!
Panini sucks. No more Topps or Bowman Chrome. Life is unfair.
Always looking for Vintage Yankees & NASCAR
Eric