November 2025 New Arrivals

[mrmopar]

Starting out a new month. Mail has not arrived today yet, so technically these were October gains, but I want to share a big one and few read the older threads after they get replaced.

K. Mack mini Bowman auto

The big add comes shortly...

 

[mrmopar]

OK, here is a big one for me and is going to be a somewhat long read.

As some of you may have noticed, I am slowly trying to complete all of the 1975-79 Hostess sets in panel form. I bought a huge box of these from a shop many years ago, simply with the intention of selling them later, but I really love this issue and not one panel has left my collection to date. The main reason is that I also collected some of these myself in 1978-79 before they ended the run. I didn't get many. 150 cards in the set meant 50 different boxes were needed. We are talking a full box of Ding Dongs or Twinkees or Ho-Ho's. I was 9-10 years old then. I didn't have my own money and my mom wasn't going to be buying us 50 boxes of snack cakes in a season! I managed to save maybe 3-4 in a year if I was lucky. These cards, along with so many others from that same time frame just bring back memories of a much simpler collecting time.

Anyway, I have been looking for lots on ebay as a quicker, cheaper way to fill holes as I figure that is the best way to dent the want lists. I will buy single panels, but after shipping, if I can't get several or get them cheap, it's not worth the price. Lots help to spread the cost out.

This particular lot was poorly written and the photos were not the best. You could pretty much see what you were getting, but exact condition was impossible to tell on most. I saw immediately that there was a Ryan/O. Smith RC panel in the lot and that is the biggest one I still needed. These are EXPENSIVE and I figured that I'd probably have to end up completing the 79 set except for this one. i just can't stomach spending $100+ on a Hostess panel. Then I noticed a 2nd Smith panel. I could see heavy staining, so I knew that one would only be a filler, but the other panel had a ton of extra paper around the cards, but could also see that the edges were frayed pretty good too. I noticed at least a couple other panels I knew I needed, but didn't bother crosschecking all of them. I figured if I won, it was going to be for the Smith and everything else was cake and hopefully there would be several i needed still. I decided that I would go hard at this lot (for me, at least) even though I knew the cards could be in poor shape. It was worth the risk, I figured.

The lot advertised 140 cards. After reviewing the pictures, I was able to determine there were 46 complete 3 card panels and a partial 2 card panel. Most of the time, getting a panel for under $3-5 is tough now days. That is before shipping. I figured if I had to pay $5 per panel (before shipping), the lot would cost a minimum of $230. Let's just say my bid padded that quite a bit. In the end though, it went for much less than I expected. All in, shipping and tax included, the lot was $156 and change and I ended up paying $3.40 per 3 panel with the partial panel not factored into the cost. I could not have been happier at that price. Now, how did the panels look?

Package arrived earlier this week, but just did not have time to open right away, After I did open and do a quick look, I found that most of the panels were in pretty good shape, but a lot of rough edges and several poor/miscuts that ruined at least 1 card from a panel. I checked the main Smith panel and it looked pretty good. Smith and Ryan cards were looking good, but Montanez had a light corner crease. The other panel looked good too, except for the staining. Today, I finally had time to trim down the panels and clean them up as best I could.

Turns out I only needed a total of 4 panels outright as well as a 5th for my 2nd 1977 set. At that rate, I could say I paid $31.25 for each panel I needed, but the O. Smith panel alone never sells for less than $100 that I have seen, so I am still completely satisfied with this purchase. Of course, that means 41 panels were dupes. I don't mind though. Maybe one day when I am ready, I will be able to trade or sell some to help finish my sets. Irrelevant to the story, but kind of interesting given my collecting habits, not one Steve Garvey panel was not in this lot. I have them all already, of course.

Here is the main auction photo, a couple more photos with Smith showing, the title and complete description for the lot. Notice the Smith in the top corner of the main photo? You might not have if you didn't know what you were looking at. He is obscured! There is no mention of Smith at all in the listing or title and no mention that Ryan was duplicated either. I got lucky with this one for sure.

Here is the lot after I cleaned them up as well as better shots of the Smith panels. If there was a good and safe way to clean off that staining, that 2nd panel would be pretty amazing.

 

[General_Says_Tso]

Picked up a few cards to kick off the month. November here we go!

 

[mrmopar]

Couple Carew customs

 

[mrmopar]

Picked up a few cards to kick off the month. November here we go!


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Those Ensembles are great. Have a few, but usually too pricy for my blood.

 

[michaelstepper]

First mail of November.
From 2006 update. This is an un-numbered parallel.
Anyone have any idea if these ever had a stated print run? Don't recall seeing the Griffey before so I had to take a shot at it.

 

[jmc855]

Picked up a few cards to kick off the month. November here we go!


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Great clemens, smooth, schilling ensemble.... on my list of future pickups

 

[nevermore]

2012 Topps Heritage #54 Rookie Stars Error SSP -- Bit the bullet on this card, doesn't surface often. No odds listed, but a tough pull. The following year, Error SSP cards were 1:1,500 odds in retail packs. This card completes 2001-2016 Yankees Topps Heritage base sets including all SP and SSPs!

I've built just the base Yankees set with variations. I've not chased chrome, color variations, tints, gum backs, or Venezuelan which I consider as parallels. Nor have I pursued the 2009 Jeter Red Sox gimmick, as I refuse to pay four figures for a quasi-Yankee card.

For modern, 2017-2025 Heritage, I have not started on these sets save a few dime box pickups at shows. It will be a slow process, waiting for prices to cool, especially on Judge as there are a ton of Judge SP and SSPs each year. I also feel the interest in Topps Heritage is waning each year as the set design move towards the late '70s and into the '80s. The 35th Anniversary sets each year also take away from the mystique of the original Heritage release, as the designs from 1983-1990 have just recently been re-released.

Instead, I am trying to shift my focus towards the biggest gap in my flagship team set run, the cousin of this card, the 1963 Topps Pete Rose RC. I am hoping to pick up a lower grade copy at a local show or perhaps in a trade.

 

[General_Says_Tso]

I feel like my mind is projecting out to the world lol. I keep bumping into these multi auto cards that for all intensive purposes are rare. I certainly do not mind and will always make an effort to get one. This one is truly special as this combo is not often seen together in an auto ensemble. As a collector I truly feel excited when I bump into these amazing cards. A great combination of some great players: Griffey/Jeter/Cabrera.

 

[Dazed]

2012 Topps Heritage #54 Rookie Stars Error SSP -- Bit the bullet on this card, doesn't surface often. No odds listed, but a tough pull. The following year, Error SSP cards were 1:1,500 odds in retail packs. This card completes 2001-2016 Yankees Topps Heritage base sets including all SP and SSPs!

I've built just the base Yankees set with variations. I've not chased chrome, color variations, tints, gum backs, or Venezuelan which I consider as parallels. Nor have I pursued the 2009 Jeter Red Sox gimmick, as I refuse to pay four figures for a quasi-Yankee card.

For modern, 2017-2025 Heritage, I have not started on these sets save a few dime box pickups at shows. It will be a slow process, waiting for prices to cool, especially on Judge as there are a ton of Judge SP and SSPs each year. I also feel the interest in Topps Heritage is waning each year as the set design move towards the late '70s and into the '80s. The 35th Anniversary sets each year also take away from the mystique of the original Heritage release, as the designs from 1983-1990 have just recently been re-released.

Instead, I am trying to shift my focus towards the biggest gap in my flagship team set run, the cousin of this card, the 1963 Topps Pete Rose RC. I am hoping to pick up a lower grade copy at a local show or perhaps in a trade.


View attachment 367346

I agree with everything you said. I remember trying to complete my set and realizing the Pedroia card I had had the Yankees logo on it.

 

[WizardofOz1982]

2012 Topps Heritage #54 Rookie Stars Error SSP -- Bit the bullet on this card, doesn't surface often. No odds listed, but a tough pull. The following year, Error SSP cards were 1:1,500 odds in retail packs. This card completes 2001-2016 Yankees Topps Heritage base sets including all SP and SSPs!

I've built just the base Yankees set with variations. I've not chased chrome, color variations, tints, gum backs, or Venezuelan which I consider as parallels. Nor have I pursued the 2009 Jeter Red Sox gimmick, as I refuse to pay four figures for a quasi-Yankee card.

For modern, 2017-2025 Heritage, I have not started on these sets save a few dime box pickups at shows. It will be a slow process, waiting for prices to cool, especially on Judge as there are a ton of Judge SP and SSPs each year. I also feel the interest in Topps Heritage is waning each year as the set design move towards the late '70s and into the '80s. The 35th Anniversary sets each year also take away from the mystique of the original Heritage release, as the designs from 1983-1990 have just recently been re-released.

Instead, I am trying to shift my focus towards the biggest gap in my flagship team set run, the cousin of this card, the 1963 Topps Pete Rose RC. I am hoping to pick up a lower grade copy at a local show or perhaps in a trade.


View attachment 367346

Been chasing that one for my Adron Chambers collection.