I just pulled the best card I will ever pull in my ENTIRE LIFE!! UPDATE: poppage and scan added!
baz518
Posts: 1,231 ✭✭✭✭
I posted about getting a great deal on a partial box of 80/81 Topps basketball in the September Pickup thread. The packs were absolutely beautiful... a couple of the bottom ones had some dirt, but the rest were clean and prestine. There was one pack where the seal had popped, so I planned on saving and opening it on NBA Tip-Off night with a couple other basketball packs.
Well, just about an hour ago I went through the box again to get the pack, only to discover that I now had 4 packs with popped seals. It almost looks like a couple more might pop if they're handled too much. Here's an example of one of the packs (excuse the cat hair in the scan):
You can slide that piece of paper up and down the entire seal. So with my disappointment (and building anger), I went ahead and opened one of the packs.... and BAM!!!
Best card in the set and now probably the best looking copy I own of that card (have a PSA 7 for my set)! I have probably only ripped 3 or 4 of these packs in my life, and have never even pulled one of the Bird or Magic leader cards. Such a thrill. I know it has the "cut mark" and one corner is soft, but the surface is very clean with no ink marks or snow... centering is nice as well and the tilt is minimized. Just super pumped and wanted to share... I guess I'll be sending off to PSA soon (any thoughts on the grade would be appreciated). And now my NBA Tip-Off rip is going to be very anti-climatic... but who cares now!?!?!
Just wanted to share with some that would understand... my boys are still too young to grasp the enormity this pull.
Comments
Out-f'n-standing! I have that card in a PSA 8, with that same little black line under the N on the far right. I guess that's a pretty common print defect for this card then?
Congrats. The centering looks great.
james
I bet your heart was pounding once you saw that card!
Glad for your success. Here's hoping Magic's employees and administrators have a rough night.
Great pull, congratulations!
I will say an 8. Beautiful card and congrats!
As far as the black mark, I believe it has the potential to be on half the population of the card. It was my understanding that all the cards were printed on sheets in two different spots... this card was in a spot where the cut mark is often present if not cut OC.
This is by far my favorite basketball set. I do have a PSA 8 wax pack with this card showing on back and a PSA 6 red flip signed by all three... along with a BBCE wrapped box. But those were all purchases, being able to pull one just tops it all.
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.
Wow! Awesome pull and very happy for you. So many times we get shut out on key packs and cards but looks like you did very well.
Congrats on the pull!!! The print quality is great on that card. No matter what the grade is it has outstanding eye-appeal. Keep us posted when you get it graded.
What a thrill! Great looking card.
Instagram: mattyc_collection
Thanks for posting. I am always looking for an excuse to rip! Sweet pull.
AWESOME! CONGRATS! Not sure how that line effects the grade, but it's an outstanding looking card!
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.
Excellent congrats!!
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
Thanks all. I did open one more of the popped packs, highlights below (nice but both have print/ink markings). That leaves two more for Tuesday night.
And now that my Cubbies have secured a World Series appearance, here's the signed and regular copies of this card I already had. I'll try to dig up the wax pack and box.
That's a GORGEOUS card!
"Molon Labe"
Congrats an a great pull. That must have been exciting, would of loved to see your face when you pulled it lol.
Vintage Rookies
Congrat! Had to be an amazing feeling.
IG: goatcollectibles23
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
Brad, congrats on an incredible pull. You should be on an incredible high right now. I have a hard time seeing how bad the touched corner you mentioned actually affects the card. From what I can see, it looks like a deserving 8. It will present well no matter the grade because of the clean surface absent the usual print defects.
Doug, the black line does not really affect the grade. I suppose it may disqualify it from a 10, but I know i have seen several, if not the majority of PSA 9's with the black line.
excellent pull--I have a 9 that has more print marks--so you never know
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
-George F. Will
As others have inferred, you can live with the minor flaws. The way you pulled the card is the memory that was created that really matters. That will last a lifetime. And every time you look at the card that will overshadow the flaws. That's what really matters to us collectors.
Congrats on an awesome pull!! I can't imagine the thrill that was in pulling a card like that from a pack!! It'll be great to get it holdered for the memory of it!
That is just terrific, must have been a thrill!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
That is such a great story and what a thrill! Congrats! Centering is beautiful
Reminds me of when I pulled a Bird/Magic out of a pack in the early 1990's. Grading was not yet part of the hobby, but it was absolutely perfect. No print defects, sharp corners, etc. Really think it's a 10 today. I ended up trading it for an unopened 1984 Donruss Wax Box. Ouch. Seemed like a good del in 1992
TheClockworkAngelCollection
Great pull, PSA 8 looks appropriate.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
Grade-wise...Looks pretty dang close to this one...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Topps-LARRY-BIRD-MAGIC-JOHNSON-RC-HOF-PSA-9-/192002235352?hash=item2cb4399bd8:g:JqsAAOSwFV9X0v3n
Thanks guys. I will be sending it in, hopefully this week... just getting it slabbed is priority, but I am hoping for a 7.5. I think the centering and print/surface quality warrants the half grade despite the one soft corner. I will also be subbing several of the remaining packs that are sealed, hoping one of those brings a 9... but I figure those will take 3-4 months to pop. I'll let everyone know how the card sub turns out.
Congrats on the nice pull and I'm wishing you the best of luck on the grade.
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 on the sweet pull, I think you have a shot at an 8. My only concern is the dotted lines that separate the 3 panels. Your Julius Erving and Magic are very OC, I'm sure how PSA factors that in the grading, but I know they do. I hope you land at least the grade you want.
Very happy for you! congrats!
I know someone with an unopened box and he almost sold it to me but backed out. I just couldn't get him to let it go. He is an original owner who bought it from a dealer back in 1981 or 1982
Super happy day! Sent the card off at Express Service level shortly after last post. Totally forgot to mark the outside of the box with the level/turntime, but posted and popped right on schedule (which was today). This will be staying in my personal collection for a long time...
Total Items: 1
Date Received: 11/2/2016
Date Shipped: N/A
Order Status: OK
1 1 26441032 MINT 9 1980 Topps Scoring Leader Bird,Erving,Johnson Card
Score! Congratulations!
eBay Store
Greg Maddux #1 Master SetGreg Maddux #2 Basic Set
Thanks for the update and congrats. That is one sweet card. Nothing like pulling one from an unopened pack and busting a PSA 9 on a classic rookie card.
Wow. Congrats!!
Sweet! Congrats!
Very nice! Congrats!
Also a good illustration as to how it is very difficult to accurately grade a card based on only a scan.
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.
fantabulous. can't wait to see it in a slab!
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
Great story and congrats! Don't know how I found this thread or this section...but what a score dude! Awesome
Great hit! Thanks for sharing the whole thing.
Kevin
Huge hit please show us pics in the slab! Well done!
Nice!
Told ya!!! Congrats big time