Saturday, March 19, 2016

Dr. J, Mr. Cub, and Pee Wee in graded form

I've let it be known in the past that I'm not a big fan of graded cards, so it seems a little odd to do a post featuring graded cards. In my defense though, I will say that these cards were not purchased because they were graded. No, the only reason I got them was because they were cheaper than what their non graded counterparts in similar conditions usually sell for on eBay.

The three cards being shown here all came from my post COMC back Friday stash that accumulated very quickly between the end of the sale to about the middle of January. This was due in large part to a few sellers having what could basically be called "going out of business" sales during that time, and me being fortunate enough to see them before they were cannibalized by the other sellers. And since I had a free shipping credit thanks to a black Friday scratch off, there wasn't any reason to wait until the free shipping that is available during the spring cleaning sale.

Until now I haven't shown any of the cards that were acquired during the above mentioned time frame, mostly just because it seems like there is always something more recent to get to. I will mention too, like I always do with anything that comes from COMC, that these were bought with credit earned from doing challenges on the site. Which over the last couple of years, has afforded me quite a few cards that I normally wouldn't have been able to get.

Alright, enough of the buildup. Let's get to these bulletproof beauties:


1972-73 Topps Julius Erving #255:
A couple of weeks ago I showed off my recently acquired Dr. J rookie. So here is what some people refer to as his second rookie card from this set, which to me has always sounded a little silly. When I came across this one I was a bit surprised to see that someone actually thought it was a good idea to get it graded considering how off center it is, which from what I have gathered seems to be the biggest flaw a card can have according to the grading overlords. I could care less about a card being off center, especially if it means I can get it at a much reduced price.


1957 Topps Ernie Banks #55:
Of the three cards in this post, this one is by far my favorite. And I couldn't even tell you why, it just is! The image on this card just seems so... I don't know, classic? I have had very good luck in finding vintage cards of Mr. Banks very cheaply on COMC over the last two years or so. A trend I hope will continue, since I still need quite a few.


1958 Topps Pee Wee Reese #375:
It's hard to believe this is my first actual vintage card of Pee Wee Reese. Although it's kind of funny, in that I have seen this card so many times over the years that it kind of feels like I've already had it for a long time before I actually got it. It is always nice to knock a big name off the '58 want list.

Since these were all bought to fill set needs, I had originally intended to free them once they arrived. Especially since I'm a binder person and these obviously aren't going to be fitting into pages. But now after having them for a couple of months, I have decided to leave them in their cases for the time being. The reason behind this change of plans is that I can't help thinking I might come across one (or all) of them cheap and in a similar or better condition, and I could then sell the graded versions for a profit (hopefully).

Thanks for taking a moment to look at my page.






6 comments:

  1. That's a great trio.. Congrats on the pickups!

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  2. Love the Dr J. The allstar cards from that set are some of my favorites

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    1. I think the main thing that makes them so great, is the fact that they are all in game action shots. Which looks a lot better than in some of the future sets, where you just have someone standing there in their all-star jersey.

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  3. Pee Wee has brilliant coloring, just a gorgeous card. I've tried the COMC challenges but can't seem to hit them at the right time of day to make much of a difference.

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    1. The '58 Topps cards with the yellow backgrounds really do stand out. As far as the challenges go, they have been on a fairly regular time schedule for a couple of months now. Although they have dropped off a little in recent weeks. I don't know if it will help you or not (or anyone else for that matter), but here is a list of the times that they have been opening (give or take a few minutes). I should probably mention before the list that I'm in the central time zone, so anyone interested would have to convert them to wherever you live. Anyway the main times for me during the week have been 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, and 8:30pm. They will also be open sporadically in the morning at various times and they have been opening occasionally around 1:30pm and 6:00pm and some time later at night. The weekend times can sometimes be all over the place. Hopefully this helps.

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