The 4th finest 1972 Topps set ever is now retired

NeilDowney · October 24, 2003 1:16PM

Hi Guys, I have just retired my 1972 Topps set. I'd like to thank Frank, Erik, Mike, Dale, Carlos, Dave, Steve, Mickey and most of all Ray for getting me started. If I missed anyone, I'm sorry. All of you mean a lot to me. This is a bittersweet moment. I still love this set. I will never be able to see the numbers 72 without thinking about my set and the friends that I have made because of it. Here are my future plans. I am keeping all of the standard Mets and Yankees cards along with a few choice players. These cards were my favorites from my childhood. I will try to upgrade some of the Mets that I have in a PSA 8 to a PSA 9 whenever I can. I also have a low grade raw set that includes the actual cards from my childhood. I still need about 80 cards to complete this set if anyone has any low grade/low priced raw cards available for sale. I am sad because the 1972 Topps quest is over but I feel a great sence of pride in the set that I worked so hard to create. I am very excited about my two new set adventures. The primary set is a PSA 6/7 graded 1956 Topps set and the secondary set is a PSA 7/8 graded 1965 Topps set. I believe that both of these sets are outstanding in their design and player content. I do not intend to have a fire sale of these 1972 Topps cards. However, If any of you wish to make me a fair offer for any I would be willing to work with each of you on a first come/first served basis. It would give me great pleasure to continue the friendships that I have forged with each of you in the future even if we now collect different sets. Thank you all for your friendship, advice and help with this set and perhaps with the sets that we will be working on in the future. Good Luck! Neil

KING KELLOGG · October 24, 2003 1:21PM

Good Luck on the '56 and '65 sets!!!

Best

Larry

ABBAdad · October 24, 2003 1:56PM

Congratulations Neil on a fine accomplishment with the 72 set. I hope to reach the 100% completion on the set also some day. I am currently in the top 10 current finest. Best wishes on the card sales and your 56 and 65 endeavors.

David Moss

dalew · October 24, 2003 2:07PM

Neil, fine job on the set. It was a pleasure to work with you on the set and also others like Erik, Dave and countless others that I helped and which helped me. I did this set twice to about 60 to 70% in 8's and higher, and probably will try it again, just for my satisfaction and not to try and get high on the registry.

Frank is and should always be the high end man on this set. One class guy with a wonderful set.

Good luck on the 56 and 65 sets.

dalew · October 24, 2003 2:12PM

I know its been asked and answered, but I'm getting old.

When you retire your set, do you just delete the set and in doing so at over 90% completion it stays forever?

I guess once it's retired if you sell the cards the cards can be entered by another person, is that correct?

Dale

Machodoc · October 24, 2003 3:24PM

Great job Neil, and since we were able to cooperate, it is nice to know that a very large chunk of your set will remain on the registry - just in a different set however!

Dhjacks · October 24, 2003 4:43PM

If you have a list of the raw cards you need, I'll bet most I could get to you very reasonably.

FB · October 24, 2003 10:31PM

Neil,

I logged on this morning and the first thing I did was check the 72 Registry... You're right... Its a sad time... Our original Fab Five ranks have now lost both Carlos and now you... We recently also lost Mickey's Sportscards 72 set as well. Mike Castaldi was darn near complete before the allure of the 75 set took over... After completing that bad boy, he sold it off and is clawing back through the ranks of the 72's and should soon find his rightful place back amongst the top 5. Right after the Fab Five were born, both Dave Read and Larry Emard jumped into the set. Dave finished up with a vengeance and Larry was led astray by those Kellogg's Kardz and went on to establish one of the most successful cults in the Pacific Northwest! Hopefully, we see King Kellogg with a completed 72 set sometime in 2004.

It seems like it won't be long before we see one of the "all 9" sets near completion - Probably Eric Olander's - although Brian Long (not on the registry) made a giant leap forward by purchasing Andy Montero's set at over 60% complete.

We've got some newcomers who are making great strides (Steve - Machodoc and Dave - ABBADad) and we have some longtime lower rank members who are making a push to move up (Rich - RC's 72 set as well as the Horton Set). Andy Montero is creeping back in the picture in the 20th spot again as well...

Its been a lot of fun and hopefully, I can eventualy help you procure some cards for your new endeavors.

Best of luck and I'm sure that we'll be talking!

Edited because I forgot an esteemed member of the 72 clan!

Machodoc · October 24, 2003 11:23PM

Help from Neil and other registry members such as Erik Jarvi has been a big factor in helping me build my 1972 set and is a great illustration of the value of this board and the relationships you can create. In addition to helping new set builders like myself, it also is a big help to the sellers by providing them an alternative "market" and to put their proceeds back into the registry through new sets. By the time the dust settles on the transaction with Neil, I will be approximately 92% complete with an average grade of around 8.02. I began this set in August and the ability to get large lots sure has saved much on shipping, among other things.

Something tells me however that the last 60 cards will be a lot tougher than the first 720....

EOMINT · October 25, 2003 12:14AM

I resent being called an "all 9 set"...i do have a few 10s in there

FB · October 25, 2003 1:35AM

EO,

I stand corrected... I guess that 9+ set would be more appropriate!

And hey - is is just me, or does it seem like someone turned off the faucet on 72 PSA 9's lately???

Machodoc,

I wouldn't say last 60, but last 40 or 30 are going to be a booger... last 10 are going to be a downright nightmare!! And it seems that each 72 collector has had different toughies... Mine were #2 Culp and #176 Haller IA. EJ had trouble finding #612 Joe Decker. Neil's nemesis was the #409 Frank Baker and #655 Jerry Grote and I seem to remember Dave Read getting run up on the Wills In Action as well as the Mays and Aaron in action.

Machodoc · October 25, 2003 2:06AM

Frank - Of the ones you listed I have all except the #409 and 655, and 300 - Aaron IA. I might have an eaiser time of it since I am going pretty much only for 8's, but the Aaron IA is a real toughie, and most nice 8's I have seen run around $200- $250. I know the Schaal IA was Mike Castaldi's bete noir, so I'll see how it goes!

RayBShotz · October 25, 2003 3:30AM

Congratulations, my friend, on retirement!
With the resources Neil had to work with it was nothing short of amazing that he was able to complete this set in the 3-4 year window it took him to do so. The bulk of his lifelong acquired collectibles all got the "For Sale" sign on them over that time period. Neil would often scuttle aside his lunch money just to put the funds aside for that next valued PSA 8 - 72'. Trust me, because I know first hand, it's tough to build a quality set this way.
In turn, he built one of the most impressive 1972 PSA 8+ sets you were likely to see. There were not many leaners in that Downey collection and I think FB could back me up on that one. Neil was the discriminating type when it came to his beloved 72's.

I was fortunate enough to work with Neil a number of years back, and it came to a pretty great shock to both of us that we unearthed our mutual love for this great hobby of baseball card collecting. We chatted regularly about the hobby, our collections as kids, and got jazzed up about eBay and PSA grading at about the time that whole thing was taking off.

Although our employment took us in different directions the seeds for a lifelong friendship and virtual addiction to the collection of these slabbed cardboard heroes was born.
I take no credit for Neil's monumental achievement, I just provided a little kerosene, that's all.

You can be sure his future set endeavors will exhibit the same quality, and exude the same spirit that he poured into his 72' set. It's also good to know we can expect him to be active in the hobby and still be a valued member of our Set Registry Board community.

Best of Luck, Neil.

RayB69Topps

EOMINT · October 25, 2003 4:19AM

Yeah, the 9s have dried up a bit lately, very frustrating...we need DSL to come back w/ a few more megalots. I know a second Aaron IA 9 was graded recently, hoping it pops up somewhere for sale!

EO

carkim · October 25, 2003 5:34AM

Neil,

We had a great run!!!

Just like the original FAB FIVE from Michigan you and I will be the two (Jimmy King & Ray Jackson) no one remembers in 10 years.

As Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, and Chris Webber (Frank Bakka, Mike Castaldi, and Erik Jarvi) continue their careers, you and I will seek other interest in obscurity.

Best of luck.

Carlos

FB · October 25, 2003 6:27AM

Don't worry Carlos,

We won't forget you guys!!!

Just like the guy who leaves the work group... You will get blamed for everything that goes wrong in the 72 market from here on forward, but you and Neil will NOT be forgotten!

The 4th finest 1972 Topps set ever is now retired

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