Post your favorite Raw Cards (ungraded)

Slabbed · February 10, 2008 10:25AM

Here is mine I bought about 20yrs ago.

bigreddog · February 13, 2008 4:38PM

Ahhh! Raw, to be able to touch them and smell that old bubble gum cardboard. You can't get that from a graded card. While it is exciting to play the grading game, I think it is safe for me to say that most of my collection will most likey remain raw. Cost, storage and accessabillity to viewing your "Slabbed" collection make it unreasonable to opted for grading.

I have a complete run of Topps Football Sets from 1970 to 1990. I have been obbsessed for 35 years in obtaining Perfect Mint centered cards for everyone of these sets and While I still have work to do on many of them, Im content and confident that my sets take a back seat to none, graded or not.

My 1971 and 1972 Topps Football Set are two that I have chosen to have graded and Im quite happy with how beautiful the sets can look in the slabs.

I absolutely love all of these cards and sets from my youth for what they represent to me personally and not so much as "What their worth"
While it is nice to think that your collection has some value, that has never been my main motivation in collecting.

OK! Lets see some Freaking Cards!

My main area in collecting has always been seventies football. But I picked up all kinds of stuff over the years and Ive been chomping at the bit for some time to add some 50's vintage football to my collection. I have narrowed it down to two sets.

1951 Bowman

I really like the team logos and classic color poses on this set. I also like the Vintage tobbaco sized cards. I picked these three up years ago at a estate auction for a couple bucks each.

1955 Topps All-Americans

This is the one I really want to do. The classic color poses with the B/W game footage backdrop and the Team logos and fantastic player
selection. This could be the all-time greatest football set ever. Many of the Big Legendary name cards are what worries me.
These three were picked up at the same Estate auction as the 51 Bowman's.

1966 Philadelphia

No set here. Just had to have a Sayers Rookie. Like to add the Butkus and who knows. Might make the set.

1968 Topps

I really like the design of the 68's much better than the borderless 69's. Have about 50 high grade cards from this set.

1969 Topps

Like the 68's, Ive a handfull of stars and commons, but haven,t really started in on this set yet.

1970 Topps

A nice clean design, the 70 set remains popular set. I've worked pretty hard on this set over the years. Set is complete
with the exception of the #147 Dave Osborn and #158 Mick Tingleholff. Just can't ever seem to find these two cards in Mint condition centered. A nice high grade Fred Dryer Rookie is still aluding me as well.

1970 Glossy

Complete

1970 Kelloggs 3-D

Complete. No cracks or chipping. I remember buying this set at a local card auction 15 years ago for $70
Its like they just came out of Frosted Flakes box yesterday. The Alworth pose is my favorite.

I do have the Poster set as well. Missing 4 poster though

1971 Topps

Oh the 71 Set! Those beautiful colored borders. yes a tough condition sensitive set indeed. These are all doubles I had.
The 71 set is one I choose to have graded. I have most of the Stars graded PSA 8, including the
Bradshaw Rookie. I decided to cross the 70 cards I had graded by PSA over to SGC. Im not going to pay PSA twice to "Review"
all of my 8's. Behind the 72 set, The 1971 Topps set is one of my all-time favorite sets.

1972 Topps

My AL-TIME favorite set! The king of the 70's! The 72 set was so innovatied for its time. From the first leader and Playoff cards to
the famous third series. A mix of Vertical and horizonal cards, the design boast colorful borders with big bold team names.
The set contains scores of top seventies Rookies, led by none other than my boyhood hero, ROGER STAUBACH! The "Dodger"
'Captain Comeback" !! When we were 10 years old Roger was The MAN. He is the Greatest QB Ive ever seen.
The 72 Set is the other set I choose to have graded. Right now Im closing in on 80% graded and #12 on the PSA Registry.
The cards here are high grade doubles I have. I also have some PSA 8' and 9's listed for sale in the "buy, sell, trade" area.

YES..... I do have Mint sets of the Sunoco Stamps and the Albums. Its funny that many of the most sought after cards in the 72 set
are the Dolphin's Cards, because of their undefeated season. But the Super Bowl card in the set Features Roger and Doomsday destroying
that exact same Dolphin team in the 71 Super Bowl 24-3.

Well here are the rest of my Raw sets that I have painstakingly assembled over the years in the highest nitpicking grade possible.
If it ain't pack fresh, Four Sharp Corners and centered Im probably still looking for that card. I'll break them of of PSA or SGC holders if I have to. Ive done it before for cards Ive had trouble finding raw in high grade.

1973 Topps

1974 Topps

1975 Topps

1976 Topps

1977 Topps

1978 Topps

Sure could use a better centered Dorsett Rookie

1979 Topps

1980 Topps

One of my least favorite sets. I know I have a nice one around here somewhere, Just haven't gotten around to
putting it into Ultra Pro 9-Pocket pages and a Alblum. All other sets are stored this way.

1981 Topps

1982 Topps

One of my Favorite set designs of the 80's. After all the wax boxes I opened you would think I would have found
a better center L.T. & Ronnie Lott Rookie. IM STILL LOOKING!

1983 Topps

1983 Topps Sticker Set

Many of the 80's sets had Stickers sets issued as well as the 1000 yard Club Cards. I done master sets and If they had stickers
or 1000 Yard Club inserts. I have them as well in the sets. The 83 Stickers are some of my favorites.

1984 Topps

1985 Topps

1986 Topps

I just wonder how bad the 85 Bear Defense would have crushed the Modern day Pats?

1987 Topps

1988 Topps

1989 Topps

1990 Topps

After 1989 the card explosion and premium card sets started to turn me off with the sheer volume and all the tricks and gimmicks companies
used to try and sell cards. The Base set cards were looked at as throwaways and with two, three, four rookie cards for players I all but quit all new cards. While I collected almost every card every Issued of Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman up until about 96.
Its been over ten years or so since I last purchased any new released stuff. too many cards and gimmick chase cards.

Some of my favorite All-Time Emmitt Cards. I think my favorite is the 1991 Upperdeck. That was upperdecks first venture on the football
scene. To this date I think it is the Nicest Football card set they have ever done.

There you have it! 20 Years of Football card Sets.

shouldabeena10 · February 13, 2008 10:47PM

Fantastic post John! It's great to see all of those football sets listed together like that.

I've also been working on high grade raw set runs for the past few years, and it's become my favorite part of the hobby. There's something liberating about searching through raw cards, cracking slabs and using binders again. Although, I did opt to keep my raw cards in cardsavers, and use the 4-up binder pages (instead of the 9 pocket pages) ... so I guess I'm still a bit of a sissy, and not fullly liberated yet. ;-)

I'm sure I'll always play with a few graded sets as I do enjoy the set registry too, but my long term goal is to just keep upgrading each football set, card by card, year by year ... until one day, when I can flip through the entire binder and not find a single card that needs upgrading.

I'm not sure if I'll ever live to see it all completed .... but I'm going to have fun trying!

Mike

Kurtman9 · February 14, 2008 8:29AM

WOW just WOW. Incredible cards. Those 1970s look pristine. Thanks for sharing!

ArnyVee · February 14, 2008 11:36AM

I love all of those RAW football cards, thanks for sharing!

I can't seem to take my eyes off of the Fouts and Staubach '75s though! Those are nearly perfect!

Slabbed · February 14, 2008 4:01PM

Great post with all Those raw football cards, The Mantle is the only raw card I have left and bought it off a collector about 20 Yrs ago and I love it knowing its all there wear and all. Keep the posts coming guys.

jamesgotpoorman · February 14, 2008 6:08PM

baseballfan · February 14, 2008 11:23PM

very nice

that was cool to see all the football sets laid out like that.

i would go with the 55 topps all-americans, that's a great set!!!

bigreddog · February 15, 2008 12:04PM

Thanks for the thumbs up guys!

<< <i>:

Fantastic post John! It's great to see all of those football sets listed together like that.

I've also been working on high grade raw set runs for the past few years, and it's become my favorite part of the hobby. There's something liberating about searching through raw cards, cracking slabs and using binders again. Although, I did opt to keep my raw cards in cardsavers, and use the 4-up binder pages (instead of the 9 pocket pages) ... so I guess I'm still a bit of a sissy, and not fullly liberated yet. ;-)

I'm sure I'll always play with a few graded sets as I do enjoy the set registry too, but my long term goal is to just keep upgrading each football set, card by card, year by year ... until one day, when I can flip through the entire binder and not find a single card that needs upgrading.

I'm not sure if I'll ever live to see it all completed .... but I'm going to have fun trying!

Mike >>

Mike
Ive been flipping through them binders for what seems like my entire life with the exact same goal you described. Though Im sure I will always be able to find cards in there somewhere that I want to upgrade, Like you Im not sure I will ever live to see it all completed as well. But Yes! It sure is alot of fun trying. Thanks for the kind words!

ArnyVee

As with most 70's sets centering is tough, The 75 set is no exception. While I still have much work to do on my 75 set, The Fouts and Roger are for sure crossed off my want list. To tell you the truth I can't even remember where I got those two Gems.
Beings I had made all these scan I started a Raw set review on the SGC board as well. Its alot of fun to be able to share your collection with others.

Baseballfan

The 55 Topps All-American set is the one I really want to do. Im still undecided if I want to brave trying to make a PSA 7 or better set or just be content making a nice mid-Grade Raw set. I will first need to educate myself with the set a bit more to get a feel for what mid-grade Raw commons and Stars realistically go for vs PSA/SGC NM7's. I saw a PSA 8 Jim Thorpe listed for $1,500. Thats pretty much out of my price range. Any advice on when, where, how to start a set like this will be much appricated. What could a guy realistically expect to pay to obtain the Star cards in PSA/SGC NM7? Thorpe, Baugh, Luckman, Four Horseman? It also looks like some of the Short Prints can get Pretty Pricey. I would most likely be better off going for some of the Stars cards first. Even if I never complete the set at least you would have the desirable cards.

Slabbed
Thanks for starting the Raw Post and the Fantastic Mantle Card!