Set Registry Awards Announced!

BJ · November 16, 2004 9:43AM

Hello Everyone,

With nearly 12,000 sets registered at the time of the awards deadline, the judges had an extremely difficult time this year selecting the best sets for 2004. There are so many fantastic sets! There are collections in the Registry which are the finest ever assembled. After several days of review, the judges agreed on the winners. The awards were given to registrants based on, but not limited to the following criteria: set popularity, difficulty, grade average, completion percentage, domination, and degree of competition within the set category.

The following sets were selected to receive top honors:

Don Louchios - Best Collection of the Year
Ruby - 1956 Topps Baseball (Basic Set) - Best Set of the Year
Donald E. Spence - The Lone Star Collection - 1934-36 Diamond Stars Baseball (Basic Set) - Best Rookie Set of the Year
John Branca - 1957 Topps Baseball (Basic Set) - Most Improved Set of the Year
Don Louchios - 1909-11 T206 White Border - Best Pre-War Vintage Baseball Set of the Year
Charlie Merkel - 1952 Bowman - Best Post-War Vintage Baseball Set of the Year (1948-1959)
Vintage Corvette - 1966 Topps (Basic Set) - Best Vintage Baseball Set of the Year (1960-1971)
Tom Clark (TC Collection) - 1974 Topps Deckle Edge - Best Modern Baseball Set of the Year (1972 to present)
Michael Rakosi (More Stars Than in the Heavens) - 1961-62 Fleer - Best Vintage Basketball Set of the Year (1971 and older)
Museum of Sports History - 1972-73 Topps - Best Modern Basketball Set of the Year (1972 to present)
Sarah and Joe Verno - 1950 Bowman - Best Vintage Football Set of the Year (1971 and older)
Bill Hilsenrath (Quarterbacks Plus) - 1984 Topps - Best Modern Football Set of the Year (1972 to present)
Thomas Malito (Teemu) - 1954-55 Topps - Best Vintage Hockey Set of the Year (1971 and older)
West Coast - 1972-73 Topps - Best Modern Hockey Set of the Year (1972 to present)
Scott D. Ireland Collection - 1933 Goudey Sport Kings - Best Vintage Miscellaneous Sports Set of the Year (1971 and older)
Stephen Sutherland (SHS) - 2001 Upper Deck Golf - Best Modern Miscellaneous Sports Set of the Year (1972 to present)
Rivard Collection - Hank Aaron (Basic Set) - Best Player Set of the Year
Charles Merkel - 1968 Topps 3-D Baseball - Best Topps Specialty Set of the Year
Marshall Fogel - Hall of Fame Players - Post War Rookies - Best Overall Specialty Set of the Year
Charles Merkel - 1954 Dan-Dee Potato Chips Baseball - Best Regional Set of the Year
thegemmintman - 1970 Kellogg's Baseball - Best Oddball Set of the Year
Sarah and Joe Verno - 1959 Fleer Three Stooges - Best Non-Sports Set of the Year
The Dreier Collection - Super Bowl (1967-Present) - Best Ticket Set of the Year

This year the PSA Collector Hall of Fame inductee is Charlie Merkel.

The following are being inducted into the Hall of Fame for outstanding sets:
Wendell W. Smith - 1911 T205 Gold Border Baseball
Don Louchios - 1910-11 Sporting Life (M116) Baseball
Don Louchios - 1933 Goudey Baseball
John Branca - 1952 Topps Baseball (Basic Set)
Marshall Fogel - 1952 Topps Baseball (Basic Set)
John Branca - 1954 Wilson Franks Baseball
John Branca - Ted Williams Player Set (Basic
Michael Rakosi (Mona Lisa's Smile) - 1957-58 Topps Basketball
707 Sportscards Ltd. - 1965 Topps Tall Boy Football
Theodore Kotsiakos - 1964-65 Topps Hockey

In addition, we had 1,415 members who will receive the "Best of the Registry" certificate for being at least 65% complete and in the top spot! (If you are a "Best of the Registry" certificate winner and would like a different name printed on your certificate than name you use for your set on the website, please email bsearls@collectors.com no later than Monday, November 29th so that we can make the change for you.)

To view the list of winners for the "Best of the Registry" certificates and descriptions of the award-winning sets, click here.

To view descriptions for the 2004 Hall of Fame inductees, click here.

For information about the 2005 PSA Set Registry Awards, click here.

Congratulations to all the 2004 Set Registry Award winners! You have truly achieved excellence.

Thanks everyone for your support of the PSA Set Registry.

P.S. Please give us a week or so to get all the 2004 winners icons attached to your set name. Thank you!

koby · November 16, 2004 10:03AM

Many repeat winners.

rw2win · November 16, 2004 10:23AM

Money makes money...

Sideplate · November 16, 2004 11:44AM

Congratulations to all the award winners. These are truly some of the most outstanding sports memorabilia collections in the world. I think many of us forget how difficult and rare some of these cards really are. It doesn't just take money. It takes time, effort and a deep appreciation of the sports and players that we all have a connection with.

Hats off to all !!!!

Ken

gmoneystyles · November 16, 2004 1:25PM

I did'nt see Bill Gates name... oh well dont listen to me I just have carboard envy.

calleocho · November 16, 2004 1:25PM

Congrats to all the winners!

wonderful sets, wonderful collections!

Congrats to The Don for best coll. of the year.

and special Congrats to one of our own the one and only thegemmintman

thegemmintman · November 16, 2004 10:45PM

Hey thanks Calleocho! I'm a first time winner, and I'm quite honored!

The Kellogg's Karnival Rocker looks pleased too...

"Congratulations to all the winners!"

gtbeaker · November 17, 2004 12:26AM

Congrats to all the winners as well! I only won 3 player set awards this year (down from 6 last year), but overall I'm happier to see alot more competition and have made some great contacts over the past year.

Lothar52 · November 17, 2004 1:13AM

money money money money....MONEY!

dude · November 17, 2004 3:13AM

I agree! Kudos for the Gemmintman for his outstanding achievement!

marz · November 17, 2004 4:06AM

<< <i>Money makes money... >>

and money makes card collections!

helionaut · November 17, 2004 5:15AM

And once again I got hosed for the award for "Starting The Most Sets And Getting 3% Complete Only To Have Someone Else Come Along And Complete The Set Before I Get Around To Submitting My Own Cards." I wonder who won that one.

But seriously, there's a lot of great sets on the site now and my own collection would be a lot poorer without the hard work of the collectors and the registry team.

markmac · November 17, 2004 10:09AM

Some free gradings would be nice for us winners.

mikeschmidt · November 17, 2004 10:15AM

<< <i>Some free gradings would be nice for us winners. >>

I would say that some big, hearty claps are in order for BJ, Cosetta, and the PSA team for giving us a free registry, for making collecting fun, and for all their help, assistance and hard work over the past 3+ years.

qualitycards · November 17, 2004 12:49PM

<< <i>I would say that some big, hearty claps are in order for BJ, Cosetta, and the PSA team for giving us a free registry, for making collecting fun, and for all their help, assistance and hard work over the past 3+ years. >>

I agree! And don't forget Gayle...jay

z2345 · November 18, 2004 8:51AM

NO WAY!!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!!

Don Louchios, Charlie Merkel, John Branca and Marshall Fogel won awards this year????

THIS IS CRAZY!!!!!

jaxxr · November 18, 2004 10:36AM

Some awesome and remarkable sets out there, congrats to all winners, runner-ups, and also-rans.

My sets are crap in comparison, oh well it's still fun !

magellan · November 18, 2004 11:19AM

<< <i>My sets are crap in comparison, oh well it's still fun ! >>

exactly !

NeilDowney · November 18, 2004 1:13PM

Hi Guys, I was lucky enough to hold on and get 5 of the awards. I won for my Gary Carter basic and master sets, 1971-72 Topps Rangers team set and my 1971 Cowboys and Colts teams. Perhaps they are not the most main stream sets out there but they are near and dear to me. I suppose that my best feat is to have broken in on the front page of the 1956 Topps set registry. To have my set be one of the top 20 best sets is a real honor to me. Congrats to all of us that are still collecting and working on sets that we love (even if you don't get a registry award in the mail). Remember that thanks to the great work that BJ, Carol, Joe and all of the folks at PSA do everyday, we are all winners thoughout the year. Have a happy and safe holiday season. Neil

jerster · November 18, 2004 2:32PM

Wahooo!

I'm number 1 in the 1978 Topps Burger King Tigers Set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not that I have much competition....

downgoesfrazier · November 18, 2004 3:16PM

jerster,
I actually envy your set the most on the whole freakin' registry. I'd give my left nut to have Trammell, Whitaker, and Morris in PSA 8. I LOVE those cards. Very, very impressive. If you were my "collecting coach", how would you suggest I obtain NM/MT, clean copies of those particular cards? I have tried a couple of packs. One dealer had a complete set in the packages. One player on top of each...pretty cool, but the cards were obviously EX across the board. You're set is certainly as impressive to me as the '74 Deckle Edge that won best modern set. Very cool.

dgf

jimtb · November 19, 2004 9:23AM

Hey Jester,
Earlier this year I bought a box of BK Tigers off ebay. I'm going to send in a few. If I do well, I'll send in more. I have a Tram that may be a 9. It's the best centered BK Tram I have seen!

downgoesfrazier · November 19, 2004 3:37PM

YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME!!!! FRAZIER'S GETTING UPSET! (Your best Costanza voice) I want a centered, MINT Whitaker and I want him right now.

dgf

jimtb · November 19, 2004 8:27PM

DGF, I'll send a couple in and let you know what I get.
Jim

ajw · November 20, 2004 1:17AM

Do you have some scans of the BK cards? I'd love to see the Trammell and Whitaker if you have scans.

jimtb · November 20, 2004 7:49AM

78 BK Rookies. Centering is a nightmare!

jimtb · November 20, 2004 7:50AM

Yikes! Sorry about the size!

ajw · November 20, 2004 8:03AM

No apology necessary for me. I love the big scans. The Whitaker is a great looking card. I've got to say, he's really been screwed by the HOF voters. I'm not sure if he really deserves to get in, but the total lack of support is surprising to me.

jimtb · November 20, 2004 8:31AM

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI
Whitaker 2390 8570 1386 2369 420 65 244 1084
Joe Morgan 2649 9277 1650 2517 449 96 268 1133

Whitaker got totally screwed by the HOF writers! He was never friendly with the press. He did his job very quietly, and went home. As these numbers show, his numbers are every bit as good as Joe Morgan's. Any one who watched the Tigers knew that he was a clutch hitter and a thing of beauty at 2nd base. It's a travesty.
Jim

koby · November 20, 2004 9:00AM

Whitaker was an above-average hitter at a fielder’s position, and one of the best gloves at second, year in and year out for nearly two decades. He should definitely be in.

What is the difference between 1978 Burger King cards and regular 1978 Topps issues?

jimtb · November 20, 2004 9:08AM

The 78 Topps cards for Tram/Morris/Lou were the 4 picture Rookie cards. These are different photos and full size.

ajw · November 20, 2004 9:46AM

What are the backs like? Can you post a scan or two? What's the approximate value of the rookies from the BK set?

jimtb · November 22, 2004 12:49AM

The backs look like regular 78's, except the numbering is different. I'll try to post a scan tonight.

Set Registry Awards Announced!

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