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****IT IS DONE**** My 1956 Topps Baseball set is finally complete

mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭
edited December 1, 2020 8:48PM in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

I appreciate your indulgence and allowing me to show off the progress of my 1956 Topps baseball set. My family could care less about my collection so posting here at least allows me to "show off" a little bit and after all, isn't that one of the reasons why we are here?

I have been collecting for 45+ years and attempted this set a few times but economic reasons forced me to abandon those attempts but I guess as I have been getting older I feel I may as well just go for it and go for it I did. My plan was to be looking for decently centered cards with no creases and nice corners and edges and I feel, for the most part I accomplished my goal. There are a few upgrades I want to make but overall the set is complete as is with a mixture of white and gray backs. I was looking keep the Hall of Famers graded and the remaining commons and semi stars ungraded but found some graded commons with a price that was too good to pass up.

An interesting story, at least to me is that the last two cards I needed for the set was the Dale Mitchell and Don Larsen cards. If you are not all that familiar with baseball history, Dale Mitchell is the batter Don Larsen struck out in the 1956 World Series to give him the first and only no hitter/perfect game in baseball World Series history. And yes, I said this game was from the 1956 baseball season.....just as this set was from. I found the last two cards I needed for my set to be both ironic and a fitting end to my quest.

I appreciate everyone who followed my nearly three year search for the cards in this set and indulged me with my frequent updates on this thread. Now to decide what is next!!

Thanks for looking and indulging me.

Name

1 William Harridge

2 Warren Giles

3 Elmer Valo

4 Carlos Paula

5 Ted Williams HOF

6 Ray Boone

7 Ron Negray

8 Walter Alston HOF

9 Ruben Gomez

10 Warren Spahn HOF

11 1955 Chicago Cubs Team Card

12 Andy Carey

13 Roy Face

14 Ken Boyer

15 Ernie Banks HOF

16 Hector Lopez

17 Gene Conley

18 Dick Donovan

19 Chuck Diering

20 Al Kaline HOF

21 Joe Collins

22 Jim Finigan

23 Fred Marsh

24 Dick Groat

25 Ted Kluszewski

26 Grady Hatton

27 Nelson Burbrink

28 Bobby Hofman

29 Jack Harshman

30 Jackie Robinson HOF

31 Hank Aaron HOF

32 Frank House

33 Roberto Clemente HOF

34 Tom Brewer

35 Al Rosen HOF

36 Rudy Minarcin

37 Alex Grammas

38 Bob Kennedy

39 Don Mossi

40 Bob Turley

41 Hank Sauer

42 Sandy Amoros

43 Ray Moore

44 Windy McCall

45 Gus Zernial

46 Gene Freese

47 Art Fowler

48 Jim Hegan

49 Pedro Ramos

50 Dusty Rhodes

51 Ernie Oravetz

52 Bob Grim

53 Arnie Portocarrero

54 Bob Keegan

55 Wally Moon

56 Dale Long

57 Duke Maas

58 Ed Roebuck

59 Jose Santiago

60 Mayo Smith

61 Bill Skowron

62 Hal Smith

63 Roger Craig

64 Luis Arroyo

65 Johnny O'Brien

66 Bob Speake

67 Vic Power

68 Chuck Stobbs

69 Chuck Tanner

70 Jim Rivera

71 Frank Sullivan

72 Philadelphia Phillies Team Card

73 Wayne Terwilliger

74 Jim King

75 Roy Sievers

76 Ray Crone

77 Harvey Haddix

78 Herm Wehmeier

79 Sandy Koufax HOF

80 Gus Triandos

81 Wally Westlake

82 Bill Renna

83 Karl Spooner

84 Babe Birrer

85 1955 Cleveland Indians Team Card

86 Ray Jablonski

87 Dean Stone

88 Johnny Kucks

89 Norm Zauchin

90 1955 Cincinnati RedLegs Team Card

91 Gail Harris

92 Red Wilson

93 George Susce

94 Ron Kline

95 1955 Braves Team Card

96 Bill Tremel

97 Jerry Lynch

98 Camilo Pascual

99 Don Zimmer

100 1955 Baltimore Orioles Team Card

101 Roy Campanella HOF

102 Jim Davis

103 Willy Miranda

104 Bob Lennon

105 Al Smith

106 Joe Astroth

107 Eddie Mathews HOF

108 Laurin Pepper

109 Enos Slaughter HOF

110 Yogi Berra HOF

111 Boston Red Sox Team Card

112 Dee Fondy

113 Phil Rizzuto HOF

114 Jim Owens

115 Jackie Jensen

116 Eddie O'Brien

117 Virgil Trucks

118 Nellie Fox HOF

119 Larry Jackson

120 Richie Ashburn HOF

121 Pittsburgh Pirates Team Card

122 Willard Nixon

123 Roy McMillan

124 Don Kaiser

125 Minnie Minoso

126 Jim Brady

127 Willie Jones

128 Eddie Yost

129 Paul Martin

130 Willie Mays HOF

131 Bob Roselli

132 Bobby Avila

133 Ray Narleski

134 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card

135 Mickey Mantle HOF

136 Johnny Logan

137 Al Silvera

138 Johnny Antonelli

139 Tom Carroll

140 Herb Score

141 Joe Frazier

142 Gene Baker

143 Jimmy Piersall

144 Bob Powell

145 Gil Hodges

146 Washington Nationals Team Card

147 Earl Torgeson

148 Alvin Dark

149 Dixie Howell

150 Duke Snider HOF

151 Spook Jacobs

152 Billy Hoeft

153 Frank Thomas

154 Dave Pope

155 Harvey Kuenn

156 Wes Westrum

157 Dick Brodowski

158 Wally Post

159 Clint Courtney

160 Billy Pierce

161 Joe DeMaestri

162 Gus Bell

163 Gene Woodling

164 Harmon Killebrew HOF

165 Red Schoendienst HOF

166 Brooklyn Dodgers Team Card

167 Harry Dorish

168 Sammy White

169 Tex Nelson

170 Bill Virdon

171 Jim Wilson

172 Frank Torre

173 Johnny Podres

174 Glen Gorbous

175 Del Crandall

176 Alex Kellner

177 Hank Bauer

178 Joe Black

179 Harry Chiti

180 Robin Roberts HOF

181 Billy Martin

182 Paul Minner

183 Stan Lopata

184 Don Bessent

185 Bill Bruton

186 Ron Jackson

187 Early Wynn HOF

188 Chicago White Sox Team Card

189 Ned Garver

190 Carl Furillo

191 Frank Lary

192 Smoky Burgess

193 Vinegar Bend Mizell

194 Monte Irvin HOF

195 George Kell HOF

196 Tom Poholsky

197 Granny Hamner

198 Ed Fitz Gerald

199 Hank Thompson

200 Bob Feller HOF

201 Rip Repulski

202 Jim Hearn

203 Bill Tuttle

204 Red Swanson

205 Whitey Lockman

206 Erv Palica

207 Jim Small

208 Elston Howard

209 Max Surkont

210 Mike Garcia

211 Murry Dickson

212 Johnny Temple

213 Detroit Tigers Team Card

214 Bob Rush

215 Tommy Byrne

216 Jerry Schoonmaker

217 Billy Klaus

218 Joe Nuxhall

219 Lew Burdette

220 Del Ennis

221 Bob Friend

222 Dave Philley

223 Randy Jackson

224 Bud Podbielan

225 Gil McDougald

226 New York Giants Team Card

227 Russ Meyer

228 Mickey Vernon

229 Harry Brecheen

230 Chico Carrasquel

231 Bob Hale

232 Toby Atwell

233 Carl Erskine

234 Pete Runnels

235 Don Newcombe

236 Kansas City Athletics Team Card

237 Jose Valdivielso

238 Walt Dropo

239 Harry Simpson

240 Whitey Ford HOF

241 Don Mueller

242 Hersh Freeman

243 Sherm Lollar

244 Bob Buhl

245 Billy Goodman

246 Tom Gorman

247 Bill Sarni

248 Bob Porterfield

249 Johnny Klippstein

250 Larry Doby HOF

251 New York Yankees Team Card

252 Vern Law

253 Irv Noren

254 George Crowe

255 Bob Lemon HOF

256 Tom Hurd

257 Bobby Thomson

258 Art Ditmar

259 Sam Jones

260 Pee Wee Reese HOF

261 Bobby Shantz

262 Howie Pollet

263 Bob Miller

264 Ramon Monzant

265 Sandy Consuegra

266 Don Ferrarese

267 Bob Nieman

268 Dale Mitchell

269 Jack Meyer

270 Billy Loes

271 Foster Castleman

272 Danny O'Connell

273 Walker Cooper

274 Frank Baumholtz

275 Jim Greengrass

276 George Zuverink

277 Daryl Spencer

278 Chet Nichols

279 Johnny Groth

280 Jim Gilliam

281 Art Houtteman

282 Warren Hacker

283 Hal Smith

284 Ike Delock

285 Eddie Miksis

286 Bill Wight

287 Bobby Adams

288 Bob Cerv

289 Hal Jeffcoat

290 Curt Simmons

291 Frank Kellert

292 Luis Aparicio RC HOF

293 Stu Miller

294 Ernie Johnson

295 Clem Labine

296 Andy Seminick

297 Bob Skinner

298 Johnny Schmitz

299 Charlie Neal

300 Vic Wertz

301 Marv Grissom

302 Eddie Robinson

303 Jim Dyck

304 Frank Malzone

305 Brooks Lawrence

306 Curt Roberts

307 Hoyt Wilhelm HOF

308 Chuck Harmon

309 Don Blasingame

310 Steve Gromek

311 Hal Naragon

312 Andy Pafko

313 Gene Stephens

314 Hobie Landrith

315 Milt Bolling

316 Jerry Coleman

317 Al Aber

318 Fred Hatfield

319 Jack Crimian

320 Joe Adcock

321 Jim Konstanty

322 Karl Olson

323 Willard Schmidt

324 Rocky Bridges

325 Don Liddle

326 Connie Johnson

327 Bob Wiesler

328 Preston Ward

329 Lou Berberet

330 Jim Busby

331 Dick Hall

332 Don Larsen

333 Rube Walker

334 Bob Miller

335 Don Hoak

336 Ellis Kinder

337 Bobby Morgan

338 Jim Delsing

339 Rance Pless

340 Mickey McDermott

n/a Checklist 1/3

n/a Checklist 2/4

342 total cards for the set.....100% complete

I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!

Comments

  • lilmulelilmule Posts: 995 ✭✭✭✭

    I am looking forward to seeing the progress and of course pictures of your journey. Good luck!!!

    Knotty Hobby Woodworks
    Vintage Rookies
  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,515 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Beautiful. It's coming along nicely. Please continue to update your progress. I hope you complete the whole set, and don't feel bad, my wife couldn't care less about my collection, except to scold me for adding on to it!😉

  • pab1969pab1969 Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Its a great looking set. I wish you luck in your quest. Enjoy the journey!

  • ArmyManArmyMan Posts: 40 ✭✭

    Great set, last set of the "big" sized cards!

  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My family could care less about my collection

    Hiya Andy

    You're in good company buddy - show away!

    Thanx for sharing - really nice set to do - best of luck.

    Mike
  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for sharing. Really nice cards - that Roberts really looks undergraded.

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭
    edited April 27, 2019 5:20PM

    Thanks for the kind words everyone! I love hearing about everyone else's collecting endevours I thought I may as well put this one out there too!

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    @brad31 said:
    Thanks for sharing. Really nice cards - that Roberts really looks undergraded.

    Not long ago, after SGC announced they were going to new holders and flips I sent a small amount of cards to them for grading as they had a very reasonable special. The cards came back and many of them, including the Roberts looked very undergraded to my eye. It seems SGC tightened their standards once again so I do plan on taking about five cards to the National this year and dropping them off at the PSA booth just for giggles. I am not a grading fanatic but if/when it comes time to sell this set (I don't plan on it...I will let me wife do that once I am gone) I will be shorting myself if I don't at least try to let PSA give me a better grade.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,449 ✭✭✭

    great start to the set. I am down to 4 cards

    good luck

    Fred

    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

  • ElvisPElvisP Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭

    Nice partial set. If it were me I would seriously consider taking the cards out of the graded holders and having a very nice raw set since you are not planning on selling anyway. Of course if they were all 7 and 8's you wouldn't want to do it.

  • Good luck with your quest to complete the 56 set. I recently completed the set after about 12 years of collecting. Currently, #70 on the Set Registry.

  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭

    @doubledragon said:
    Beautiful. It's coming along nicely. Please continue to update your progress. I hope you complete the whole set, and don't feel bad, my wife couldn't care less about my collection, except to scold me for adding on to it!😉

    I read in another thread where she got you with an elbow pretty good "in her sleep" recently. You sure she was asleep?
    Just messin' with ya.

    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball
  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,515 ✭✭✭✭✭

    LOL, yeah, she was asleep. If she was awake, the elbow would have landed a little lower! 😉

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    @ElvisP said:
    Nice partial set. If it were me I would seriously consider taking the cards out of the graded holders and having a very nice raw set since you are not planning on selling anyway. Of course if they were all 7 and 8's you wouldn't want to do it.

    The intention was to get all of the HOFers graded with the commons and remaining set to be raw but I have seen some picked up some commons that were graded for the price of raw so why not? I have thought about removing them all from slabs but I really havnt decided yet. as of right now I will probably leave them all in slabs but that may change.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • BishtwBishtw Posts: 181 ✭✭✭

    Great looking cards and project. I just got into collecting cards last year and this is the first set I'm working on. I have basic completed in raw but working on completing the master PSA graded. I have a couple hundred due back from PSA around the 1st of next month and I'm pretty excited. I have quite a very duplicates and triplicate raw and graded if you ever want to do some trading hmu.

    1954 Football Bowman
    1956 Topps
    1957 Topps
    Redskins HOF Rookies
    Redskins Ring of Fame Rookies
    Slinging Sammy Baugh
    Redskins Tickets (Stubs)
    Redskins Matchbooks

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    I had a few recent pick ups to this set and they were all Hall of Famers. I added the Koufax, Mathews and Ashburn which brings me to a total of 25 Hall of Famers out of 32 in the set. I still have some biggies to go after and it is obviously going to take me some time to be able to afford them but I will eventually make it.

    Thanks for looking!!

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    I think I have spent way too much money lately but my wife said I should do it so I did!!

    I recently added the Clemente and Rizzuto as well as some commons to bring my total number of cards up to 81 and my Hall of Famer count up to 27 out of 32 in this set. I still need the Mantle,Mays, Jackie Robinson, Whitey Ford and Slaughter so a few of those are going to have to wait. I had hoped to be at 100 cards by the end of 2019 so I am pretty sure I will have that plus more.

    Thanks for looking and the encouragement on completing this set.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,515 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 22, 2019 6:40PM

    Your wife said you should do it. I can only dream of such a thing. The only thing my wife says I should do, is hand her the remote.😉

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    @doubledragon said:
    Your wife said you should do it. I can only dream of such a thing. The only thing my wife says I should do, is hand her the remote.😉

    She has a whole craft room filled with crap she has purchased over the years while I never bought anything. She knows she has no leg to stand on if she told me not to go for it! LOL I keep that little nugget in my back pocket for when I really need it.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • doubledragondoubledragon Posts: 22,515 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Leverage. Absolutely brilliant! Nice collection by the way. I hope you get the rest of the cards you need.

  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭

    Great collection!! My favorite Topps set, the design rules!!

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    I added the Jackie Robinson and a number of commons. This gives me all of the Hall of Famers with the exception of Mays and Mantle. Its going to be awhile before I get those so I may as well start filling in with the commons.

    Thanks for looking guys!!

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    I thought I would bump this tonight. I am now at 114 cards and I have all of the Hall of Famers except Mantle and Mays.

    My goal for 2019 was to have 100 cards and to have 75% of the HOFers in the set so I am quite a bit ahead of schedule. My 2020 goals will be to obtain the Mantle and mays and to be at 200 cards by the end of next year.

    Thanks for looking.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Congrats on reaching your goal. You are building a nice set and doing it at a really fast clip!

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    Its been a little over a year since I started this trek to completion of this iconic Topps set and as of today I am at 75% complete. While I still need the Mantle and Mays I am blown away at how blessed I am to be able to be at this point in such short a period of time. I have used primarily money that I have made selling cards and other "stuff" we no longer need around the house to buy these cards. Since we are downsizing and looking to move within a year neither my wife nor I had any problem getting rid of things we don't need anymore so I took my portion and sunk it into this set. I was most fortunate to find a collector on the Net54 boards who cut me an awesome deal on over 50 cards, with the majority of them graded and he even graciously allowed me to put them on lay-a-way and pay him over the last five months. Those cards arrived today and they were enough to push me over the 75% mark.

    The Mays I am confident I will have sometime this year along with most of the remaining commons but that Mantle is going to kill me. It's probably time to have a massive garage sale!! LOL

    Thanks for looking

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Congrats on reaching the 75% mark. That is really fast work. Keep posting pictures as I have enjoyed watching you work on your set. The Mantle is a major purchase and the reason I am only working in a few HOF sets! ‘56 is at even more of a premium than many others since it is his first Topps card in 3 years. Good luck the rest of the way.

  • tulsaboytulsaboy Posts: 281 ✭✭✭

    Nice Mantle! One of the things that I really like about it is that you can see the gently rough edges on at least three sides of the card, which make it appear to be quite pack fresh. The crease doesn't, at least to me, detract that much from a solid looking card. Congrats!
    kevin

  • Sidepocket1Sidepocket1 Posts: 77 ✭✭✭

    Beautiful Mantle!

  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Congrats on the Mantle! I have enjoyed watching your progress. Good luck on getting the rest.

  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    Hey ever> @tulsaboy said:

    Nice Mantle! One of the things that I really like about it is that you can see the gently rough edges on at least three sides of the card, which make it appear to be quite pack fresh. The crease doesn't, at least to me, detract that much from a solid looking card. Congrats!
    kevin

    HI Kevin, I totally agree with you and I would not have purchased a Mantle that was not graded but looking at this card I was reasonably confident, because of the edges that you are speaking of, that this card was untainted. The centering and edges is what sold me on this one and like you said, the crease is of no bother to me.

    I appreciate your affirming my thoughts!!

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭

    Just a quick bump to show off the finished set! Thanks everyone for following along.

    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • bobbybakerivbobbybakeriv Posts: 2,186 ✭✭✭✭

    Absolutely Brilliant! Congrats and hats off to you!!!!!

  • CWCW Posts: 1,197 ✭✭✭

    Congratulations! What a fantastic set, and it was fun to browse through each card, almost like flipping through a virtual binder.

  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 720 ✭✭✭✭

    What an awesome and rewarding sense of accomplishment you must feel, congratulations!

    Thanks for posting each card as I’m not a vintage guy so had never really looked through the full set before. It looks like you really spent considerable time looking for those examples with great eye appeal.

    John

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • kingnascarkingnascar Posts: 636 ✭✭✭

    Congrats, that is an awesome set! <3

  • brad31brad31 Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great job! You put together a really nice set and did it fairly quickly. It was fun to watch.

  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭

    Congratulations. Great set you put together

    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,508 ✭✭✭✭

    Congrats.

    One of the nicest sets ever. Its a ton of work to scan the cards yet collect all of them.

    Posting here gets appreciation for sure.

    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
  • Congratulations! 1956 is an awesome set.

  • mexpo75mexpo75 Posts: 1,912 ✭✭✭

    Congrats! Yu must be proud. Thanks for sharing.

    PackManInNC
  • royalbrettroyalbrett Posts: 620 ✭✭✭

    Very cool indeed.

    Yeah, I uploaded that KC icon in 2001
  • I personally consider the 1956 Topps set the most beautiful cards of all time. I love the profile combined with the action shot in the background. And the flourish and colors the Topps artist added to the original black & white photos really bring them to life. Congrats on completing the set and thanks for the scans.

    Love it!!

  • I'm torn between the '55 and '56 sets....they are BOTH spectacular.

    I do have one BURNING question....WHO is the Dodger on the ground at Mathews feet on this '56 Mathews?

    Some say PeeWee....some say Zimmer....does anyone really know for sure?

  • Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,310 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Now you should collect the 56’ Pins.

    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
  • Awesome job!!! Big Kudos!

  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,938 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Your dedication has been rewarded. Enjoy the set.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • Absolutely STUNNING collection, MCcardguy. I have a few cards from this set, but seeing the entire collection truly highlights how beautiful the set it. Congratulations.

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