Currently I’ve been greedy about what to gather. I’ve some massive targets – 1958, 1962, and 1963 Topps full units – however these require the proper timing: some promoting from my assortment, a very good deal on the units in the proper situation, and each issues occurring on the similar time (or shut sufficient). I’m nonetheless wanting playing cards although, so whereas I await the massive stuff, I’m nonetheless looking for moderately priced units of any type, so long as they’re the type of units I need to have.
I’m at all times on the prowl for a deal (who isn’t?) and when an entire set of 1969 Topps albums, with 218 of 240 stamps affixed, was available for lower than $100, I used to be thrilled. Full units in albums appeared to be round $150 or so, and I figured I might fill within the need record for $50. I additionally favored the thought of getting the stamps within the albums. I’ve the 1974 Topps stamps (no albums) in sheets and so they’re unwieldy and troublesome to have a look at. So, I hardly have a look at them.
This historical past of the 1969 stamps was well covered by Mark Armour so I gained’t delve into it. As a substitute, right here’s my private journey.
The almost crammed albums arrived, and so they had been all in nice situation, with the stamps effectively positioned. No crookedness, no rips. Who did I would like to finish the set? Good query:
- Sandy Alomar
- Bobby Knoop
- Joe Azcue
- Jose Cardenal
- Jerry Adair
- Harmon Killebrew
- Mickey Mantle
- Jerry McNertny
- Ken McMullen
- Rico Petrocelli
- John Briggs
- John Bateman
- Jim Grant
- Gary Sutherland
- Adolfo Phillips
- Jerry Might
- Invoice Mazeroski
- Clete Boyer
- Jim Maloney
- Pete Rose
- Bob Rodgers
- Tommie Agee
I figured Mantle would run me $30, and Rose perhaps $10. The opposite HOFers had been gettable for $5 or much less and the commons could be low cost, $1 every. I rapidly discovered a bunch of commons on eBay and COMC. Then I set my eBay searches and waited.
Mantle got here rapidly and simply. A non-card vendor listed a partial Yankee album with Mantle for round $10. Deal! My desire would have been to pry the Mantle stamp from the album and add it to the one I had, however that made me too nervous when it was clear that Mick was caught for actual.
Rose, effectively I assumed I might get Rose for below $10 after which he needed to go die. I bought caught up a little bit within the posthumous rush. On the one hand his demise led to a flurry of listings (good), however there was extra competitors (unhealthy).
The commons are an attention-grabbing instance of a provide/demand challenge that many people have encountered. They’re laborious to come back by, however after they present up, they’re cheap. Low demand, barely increased provide. It’s changing into a little bit of a problem.
With stamps arriving each day, I used to be left to determine what to do with free stamps when all of the others had been caught on. I made an government choice that the brand new ones wanted to be caught on too. Licking 55-year-old items of paper from God is aware of the place appeared unhygienic, so I attempted to calmly moist them with a moist paper towel. The approach was reasonably efficient. One drawback was that a few of the stamps had been faraway from albums, so the adhesive was spotty.
I then made one other government choice. I’ve put 40-year-old pack gum in my mouth; how might licking these stamps be any worse? They did come out through the Summer time of Woodstock, so there was an opportunity they’d be laced with LSD. I licked first, thought later, and didn’t endure any unhealthy journeys.
I’m getting near completion – 7 extra to go – and placing out an APB for the remaining: Alomar, Knoop, McNertny, Bateman, Phillips, Might (Jerry), and Mazeroski. I’m deputizing you all to get me to the end line.
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