A small silver set! 2020 Topps Archives

I didn't open a lot this year but I was able to pick up some nice singles to make my collection even nicer! I probably paid market rate which thankfully isn't too crazy. I really liked the looks of the silver borders with the on-card autos. The Phillies only had 2 cards on the checklist so it made collecting the team set very easy. I'm only counting the regular sized cards for this case. There is a Rhys Hoskins boxloader that I have yet to acquire. I opened a lot of archives in 2012. I have the base set and most of the insert sets complete. I should probably complete it since I'm pretty close to having a master set. Missing some SPs, some reprints and some of the retail insert sets. I like the idea of the set even though it is a bit of a re-hash of heritage. The on-card autos of subjects that tend to not get a million autos is appealing. 

This was my first Charlie Manuel auto. Will always be the one who managed the team to the World Series in 2008. Really wish they would've beat the Yankees the next year in 2009. They were really great again in 2010 but the season ended on Ryan Howard's achilles in the playoffs and it's been mostly downhill from there. 

These are sharp looking cards. Definitely recommend grabbing for your favorite team. 

Thanks for reading!

 

Couple of Trades with Oren

Over the last month or 2 I completed a couple trades with Oren. I sent him a few of the cards off my trade bait page. Despite me being lazy and not adding much to it even though I do have a bunch of other cards, I did an ok job of keeping track of what was added. I am not 100% that I have it all but it's pretty close. So far I've been able to find everything he has wanted. 

He sent me all Philly sports!

A nice subsection of of the 4 sports. My Eagles/Flyers/Sixers collection is not very big but I have some cool things. Phillies obviously trumps them all by a good margin. 

Thanks for the trades and thanks for reading!

An Atomic Hoskins!

Glancing at my post history, I have already surpassed the number of posts I did all of last year this year. Three months ahead of schedule! I still plan on posting throughout the end of the year and beyond. I should probably write posts in advance but I rarely do that. 

This card I had been after for a while. I lost out on several auctions and that's ok, I had a price limit I wasn't willing to exceed. Finally, caught an auction ending at an odd time so I got lucky and no one sniped at the end. 

This is a very pretty card in person. I remember when I first saw the atomic technology in 2011 Topps Chrome, back then the base were numbered out of 225. Then in 2012 they made them super rare and numbered them out of 10 (I have the Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard from that year) 

This one is numbered out of 100 but the shininess is all the same! 

I don't care that its graded but I do like the protection the case provides. I now have the atomic and the blue from 2018 Bowman Chrome. I don't think I've ever actually opened a box of Bowman Chrome so it's nice to have 2 semi rare cards from it. 

I traded for the blue above a year or so ago. My scanner was dirty at that time as well. 

Phillies bullpen still stinks. I hope they make the playoffs. Even if they lose to a better team at least get in when 8 teams get in. It would be sad if they don't. 

Thanks for reading!

A Red Masterpiece!

Thanks for all the views and support on the Koufax craziness. We are moving back to more regularly scheduled Phillies types cards that I typically collect. I was able to grab this card on ebay from an offer from the seller that I thought was fair. I like when you put an item on the watch list it gives the seller an option to offer a percentage off of the buy it now. I now add anything even if I feel its overpriced cause you never know if the deal will come to a more palatable level. 

This card really pops in person. The red works. 

That line is something from the scanner, the card doesn't have that. This card is from 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces. I wouldn't mind if Topps developed a similar set. These cards look really nice in hand with the matte finish and the nice borders. Something not shiny and that may not cost a fortune? Who am I kidding it would have 2 guaranteed autos a box and cost 300 to open cause that's what 2020 is. There is actually 6 base ones of ones. If I see another one I'll grab it but I won't go crazy searching. 

Thanks for reading!

The Koufax Gallery!

   Now that I posted each one, here they are all together! 

 

Thanks for reading!

A Bonus Koufax!

I know all of you really wanted to see another Koufax card. I am proud to be a card carrying member of the Koufax basic print run club. It was fun to chase the cards down and besides the rookie weren't outrageously expensive. Any suggestions on another player of his ilk to do that which won't cost a minor fortune? I had considered Mays, but his 51 Bowman and 52 Topps are a bit out of reach at the moment. Would love to get them but don't have it in the budget. Unless I sell my wife's car..

Here is the bonus card.

Pretty cool card from 1964. I need to find a good way to display it since it s a bit giant. Bad pun intended.

Thanks for reading!

The Koufax Countdown! 1955 Topps

The big enchilada! This card has been on the proverbial want list for a long time. I know I told the story before (back in 2016) but I came extremely close to buying one at the National in Atlantic City. While my main target was the Frank Thomas NNOF, I wasn't able to find one from any dealer and I was waiting patiently to look at some Koufax rookies when the person I purchased the NNOF from pulled them out. If that person wasn't there I would've bought one of those Koufax's a few years ago. My collecting trajectory would've been changed forever. Alas, I now have both cards and the collection grows beautifully!

A very nice copy of the rookie. The PSA 5s and above were a bit out of the price range. This still wasn't cheap by any means but it's one of those iconic cards that needs to be appreciated by all baseball card collectors.

Thanks for reading!

The Koufax Countdown! 1956 Topps

This set is quite the beauty. The cards look really nice in hand and I was very happy to add the Koufax. This is one of those dream sets if I ever tried to complete it. I would love to own the Clemente someday. It is quite pricey.

This is a pretty nice copy.

Archives this year copied this design. The full body image along with the headshot. A very nice looking PSA 5. Not surprisingly this was the second most expensive Koufax. The first being the 55 of course. One more card to go!

Thanks for reading!

The Koufax Countdown! 1957 Topps

We have made it to 57! This set is highly collectible and widely regarded as a good set. Lots of Hall of Famers and nice cards. I personally have the Koufax, the Phillies team set and the Mantle (albeit a very beat up Mantle)

I was able to pick up a pretty nice copy of the Koufax:

Not that off-center and really nice color. It's one of those good eye appeal copies that won't cost a thousand dollars. Before the 1957 season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to get some reps in winter ball. Interesting that was so young early in his career that he didn't quite get his footing right away. In today's society his Bowman Chrome auto would've plummeted! Then everyone invested in him later would've done well.

Thanks for reading!

The Koufax Countdown! 1958 Topps

Onto the next year. Nearing the end of the Koufax run. This was a lot of fun to put together amidst the corona quarantine.

A pretty nice copy of 58 Topps Koufax! He is staring up something up in the sky, just don't know what.

Only a few more left and then I'll show them all at once! Then I promise to post other cards, I have picked up other stuff over the last month or so.

Thanks for reading!