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75 topps cards definitely getting harder to find.
Darin
Posts: 6,327 ✭✭✭✭✭
Quality cards for 75 baseball in PSA 9 and 10 are really drying up. It used to be you could just look at 4 sharp corners
inventory and pick out the nicely centered, fisheye free cards and buy as many as you like to fill your
set. Now they don't have near the inventory, and most are off center and overpriced.
PWCC has only about 36 or so 75 topps cards in this months auction, about average lately, not much to choose
from in top grades.
There are quite a few PSA 10's with BIN's, but they are way overpriced compared to what they would bring
at auction. Those cards set for months and months without selling, I'm getting tired of looking at them.LOL.
Is the set you collect drying up like this?
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I hadn't particularly noticed for '75s, but hadn't been directly pursuing them for awhile now. I'm not really trying for them at a difficult level anyway -- centered PSA 8's are usually in my sights vs. 9's.
My main focus is my 1978 Donruss KISS set. Though 20 zillion of these cards had to have been produced, they are relatively unpopular for submission for grading. Combine that with the fact I assume many of these cards were opened and well loved by the KISS Army as kids (I know my first set, which I proudly still own, was) and unopened is getting more expensive, it is getting more difficult for me to improve my set (also hampered by the fact I really only now need 10s). So yeah, I feel ya!
Matt
That is because one of our board members is probably hoarding them
Not surprised. The 75 set is one of the most popular sets in the hobby.
I also love the 78 Kiss set. Those are some great looking cards. They were produced when Kiss was the most popular band in the land.
IT CAN'T BE A TRUE PLAYOFF UNLESS THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONS ARE INCLUDED
I sold a ton of 9 "commons" last year. It appears many of the stars in 9 have gone down in price. Rose, Yaz, Fisk ETC. Which ones are hard to
find Mcanally? Herb Washington? Tanana? the usual?
On eBay if you search there are over 500 each for PSA 10s from 1978 and 1979. Only about 220 from 1977 and 250 from 1976. Then 1975 is under 150. 1974 about 200. 1973 less than 90. 1972 180. 1971 20 LOL! And 1970 ... 70.
IDK this all seems to make sense to me. The two years that you can still get factory unopened from have the most high grade items available.
I guess if I were “investing” in any pricey stars or rookies I’d do it along the lines of the above availability. I think it’s too early to speculate on the end part of the late 1970s. Not surprisingly those years have been taking some big loses on previously elite cards. Though as we’ve seen in other threads, other years are vulnerable as well.
good luck....i once tried that set in all 9s and 10s....fun but after awhile...ugh....but they're still out there if u have patience
I finished the 75 set in all PSA 8+ about 2 years ago. I believe the highest ranking that I ever achieved was #22 on the current set list. I've since been passed by a handful of other sets, and am now only #28, and that's even with me sporadically upgrading cards when I find them. Most of my HOFs are only 8s, but they're nice enough to satisfy me. I could really gain some ground there, if I was just willing to spend what it took to grab some HOF 9s. I'm up to having roughly 270 PSA 9s and 50 PSA 8.5s sprinkled throughout the set, and still have been dropping in the rankings. The cards are out there, but it's such a popular set with so many active collectors that the competition is fierce for the minty fresh ones. Good luck!
countdouglas- Congratulations on completing the 75 set in PSA 8 and higher. Great accomplishment!
Thanks!
Let me start by saying that this forum has a lot of collectors that post individual cards that are worth more than the entirety of my 75 PSA set, as well as items that are much more rare than anything that I've had to try to hunt down to complete it.
Having said that, it was a goal that I set out to do. I wanted to have every card in at least an 8 grade. The availability of cards in that grade, as well as the cost to acquire those cards, was the determining factor. I wasn't especially motivated to climb the registry rankings, but it was both fun and exciting to see the progress being made as I closed in on completion. As anyone that collects this set likely knows, the usual suspects were some of the last cards that I needed. They "rarely" make an appearance on the for sale list, and when they do, the competition for them is tough. Tanana, Washington and Washington, Kusick, Randle, Brock Highlights...And that's just in 8. I finally completed the set a couple years ago, so haven't followed the pricing or availability as religiously as I did while actively working on the set. I've moved on to other things. But I'll occasionally browse what's for sale, selectively picking off nice examples to upgrade my set. I've actually started a second 75 registry set comprised of all the cards I've upgraded or extras and lesser grades that came included in lots that I've purchased, etc, that is closing in on 75 percent competition. I'm ambivalent about whether or not I ever actually complete it, but maybe one day.
I mentioned that the highest I ever got was #22. I accomplished that with roughly an 8.20 GPA. Since then, I've added numerous 8.5s and 9s, getting my GPA up over 8.40, and have actually been surpassed by a number of sets, pushing me down to #28. Like I said, I'm not especially motivated by the rankings themselves, so I haven't tried to throw a bunch of money at some HOF 9s in order to just move back up a slot or 2. I'm fine with it, one way or the other, but if I find some nice specimens for a good price, then I'd likely try to upgrade some more. However, I think the popularity of the set, and the reality of how many people have passed me up, all while I've been upgrading myself, let's you know there have been plenty of high grade cards come up for sale the last few years. Again, I haven't followed prices as closely as in the past, but I'd guess they've likely been strong for high grade stars or low pop.
I don't know how far along you are, or if perhaps you're one of the collectors going for mostly 9s that has already passed, or will soon pass me, but I'd think anyone that undertakes completing a set will tell you that the first 75 percent or so is easy, it's those last few that may drag it out for several years. Keep working at it. I know the satisfaction that I felt once I got that last card was worth it. The hunting is the most fun part of the set building, for sure. Good luck!
Nice post, Count D!
My goal is basically similar to yours, all 8's or higher, but mostly 9's.
There was an auction for a PSA 8 Claudell Washington on ebay that ended a few days ago,
and I actually forgot to bid on it. I think it went for $26-27 or so. A very nice looking PSA 8.
I know what you mean by the competition, I recently added around 15 cards to my set and
I moved up to 77th, but in a few days I was back down two spots to 79th. LOL.
I'm still behind your #2 set, but I am glad I have three of the biggies knocked out,
really nice Brett and Yount rookies along with a nice Nolan Ryan card #500.
I just need to get my scanner working because I want to at least scan the HOFers in the set.
Congrats again on your set, it'll take me a few years yet to complete mine but I'll make it.
I gave up about a year ago. Had about 250 commons and stars in 8 and 9. I really. Liked finding the nice Milbourne in 9. Perusing over the nicey centered with no print dot Niekro. Still have the Red Sox in 9 and a raw set and mini set. Just was never going to get there. No sense of accomplishment at that ratio of completeness. I would have been going for years without a budget to buy anything else. Still love the set, however I’m sure many can attest to the above with this or other sets.
Shifted my attention to 86 Fleer Basketball in 9. 132 card set, still a major challenge with centering and colored borders. A year later I need 15 cards. I can see the finish line.
Dand- I know what you mean about finding a nicely centered 75 with no print dots. They're
like rare works of art. Sorry you quit the set, but nice you still have the Red Sox and a raw and mini set.
I've actually been working on and off on a 75 graded set since 2006, a couple times I have sold some
of the cards in my set but I always come back to it. Its the only company full set I want to complete graded.
Congrats on your 86 fleer basketball set, that set like 75 baseball will always be popular, IMO.
Love the '75 set. Put it right behind the '61 Fleer basketball and '71 baseball. I've noted before i'm not a registry guy, but have quite a few PSA 9's. I try to buy these in lots, but finding lots for regular size '75's is getting tough. I'm about a year away from inventory assessment. If any of you want to unload your 9's for that year, please PM me as I'd love to make a deal.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
Darin, I only briefly scrolled through your set, but you clearly have a number of outstanding cards that would be upgrades over what I have in my own set. Nice job on many of the HOFs. Knowing the amount of work, time, and money that I put into my own, I have much respect for someone that has a GPA that high above mine.
As to your original post about 75s drying up, let me say that you still are missing quite a number of what were, for me, very tough cards (at least during the time period I was pursuing them) that would rarely become available in 8s, let alone in 9s. So, I can see why you may have become a bit frustrated, of late. For example, I only recall seeing 2 Tanana 9s come up in about 5 years, one sold well over $1,000, while the second was just a bit under $1,000 if my memory is correct. I remember throwing out some sizable bids... just in case ... but was never really in contention for those cards. You may only see a handful of Tanana 8s come up in a year's time, and those seem to run on either side of $100, depending on how nice it really is, and how many people are after it. There are many other similar examples, at not near the Tanana prices, that appeared just as tough to me. Clearly, though, people are completing their sets, and at higher overall grades than me, so they're getting the cards from somewhere. The Brock Highlights 8, which you already have, was tough for me for some reason and one of the last 5 cards that I needed. Len Randle, Frank Tanana, and Nolan Ryan were also amongst those 5. (I was just waiting out for a nice Ryan at a good price, it wasn't that cards weren't available.) My last card that I needed was Craig Kusick. I looked longingly for almost a year, as I was methodically picking off the other remaining cards on my list, at a Kusick 9 that was a BIN for roughly $300 that just kept mocking me, but eventually an 8 came up and I felt lucky to get it for roughly $40, and I could finally say I was done! I don't want to call out any other specific cards as tough, lest someone accuse me of trying to inflate their perceived scarcity, and the price along with it. Haha! I believe there's a thread on the full sized 75s buried somewhere on the set registry message board that has more details on the tougher cards, if you haven't read it already.
Good luck in your pursuits!
U don't see many vending boxes from this year. I wouldve thought such a popular year would have way more available.
Sure, I've bought my share of $4 9s, but those aren't the cards being discussed.
Wax packs in graded 7 are $400+. Drying up... Racks are around but as well going up. Someone definitely has some of this around somewhere. If we keep finding 58 football boxes and 49 Bowman baseball tell me someone does not have a hoard of this and is not selling. I know of at least one guy with two rack boxes and his next sentence is I am not selling.
Bottom line is the Brett, Yount and a small amount of others Ryan will see that sort of run ups and heavy long term desirability and pursuit. Most of the others are commodities. A bit up and a bit down.
I've always wondered why nearly 10 percent of the cards in the 75 set are top pop 9s. Now I know...People are just sitting on oodles and oodles of unopened and there just aren't enough collectors of the set to justify sending in the nice raw examples to net that first 10. Haha!...okaaaay...
I ripped a pack of 75s on my annual birthday rip last year. Recently sent in Charlie Spikes and got the 10. Pop 7. But there are 130 9s. Any idea on BiN value or should it go to auction?
Excellent! Congrats, Jim, that's a sweet pull!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Just because you're laying in a field full of clover, it doesn't mean they're all 4-leaf.
Don't forget Larry Fritsch Cards has been slow and steady releasing 1975 cello boxes and cases for years. I think they also auctioned vending cases here and there. When that supply runs dry then maybe 1975 can be considered harder to find.
I love this set and working on a mini set right now. As for the regular set...
**Coincidentally, I have a partial box of 11 cello packs available. Check out the B/S/T.