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I have to imagine this will be the only time I add two checklist cards back-to-back while collecting our 1969 Topps set. The action will pick back up in the upcoming posts as there are several multi-player Rookie Stars cards coming up.
December 3, 2022 from The Philly Show (Huggins & Scott Auctions)
At the outset of The Philly Show, more formally known as the Philadelphia Sports Collectors Show, held within the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, we needed just four cards to complete our 1965 Topps set. I wrote a full summary of the show in this post over at The Phillies Room.
The show so far had been an all-timer. Major purchases were made (1965 and 1969 Topps Mickey Mantle, 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson rookie card, Diamond Stars Rogers Hornsby), our 1965 Topps set was completed and I admittedly wasn't ready to leave just yet. With a little more cash in hand, I decided to find a few more cards for our now newly-collecting 1969 Topps set.
I found a box of vintage semi-star cards at the table of Higgins & Scott Auctions from Silver Spring, Maryland, with a "50% Off" sign attached to it. It was truly a hodge podge of minor stars, checklists, multi-player Rookie Stars cards and other assorted randomness. After confirming the cards were indeed 50% off the sticker prices, I found eight interesting cards needed for our set and parted with my final $50 of the day. This checklist card, featuring the recently retired Mickey Mantle, was $10 and the priciest of the bunch.
I'm just now realizing Topps uses the star cameo on these checklists to highlight the biggest star to be found within the cards featured. Bob Gibson (#200) is featured on the set's second series checklist card (#107) and his base card can be found on the back of that checklist. Similarly, Mantle is featured here and collectors could see he's card #500 by flipping to the back. This is the first of two appearances by Mantle in the 1969 Topps set, and his next flagship set appearance wouldn't come until 1975 as part of the wonderful league MVP subset.
The second half of The Sporting News All-Stars get highlighted on the front of the checklist and Topps added "SPECIAL!" in case you hadn't already noticed the white background for these cards.
For a long time this was the only Mantle card I owned from his playing career. Now I have three. One's another checklist, the other cost me a fortune ('56 Topps).
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember even this checklist card was pricey back in the mid-'90s/early-'00s when everyone wanted a Mantle card. I was surprised to get this for just $10. I have the '56 Mantle, his appearances in the '65 set and now both his cards from '69 Topps.
ReplyDeleteA friend of ours needed the Mantle AS card to complete his '59 Topps set. He got so fed up last year trying to find a reasonably priced version he ultimately settled for a reprint of the card and called it a day. (I don't think I could do that.)