1965 High Number Special

Took a bit of a card-blogging break the last 9 days, as one does. I even took the collecting and the ordering down a notch for a bit as well, which means I can come roaring back this weekend.

I'm trying to figure out which of the three 1960s-70s Topps baseball sets I want to go the most all-in on. My four favorite sets of the era are 1965, 1971, 1972 and 1975. Of those, I'm furthest along with 1972, but still have miles to go there. 1975 is one I haven't even started, aside from collecting all the SF Giants cards. I'll take that set up somewhere down the road. But if I have to focus - and I probably should - where should I focus? Perhaps it's on 1965. Those cards are fantastic. 

I recently picked up a few to fill in the many gaps in my set so far, and I only picked up cards #500 and above. There were 598 cards in the set, and there are some really heavy hitters in there - guys it's going to be tough to afford: Koufax, Mays, Clemente, Mantle. (I do have Frank Robinson, though). I, of course, bought some of the folks you can get for $0.50-$2 per card instead. Here are a few of the recent arrivals - some scanned pretty crookedly by me! - that got me 8/598s closer to set completion.

Maybe I'm Collecting 1965 Topps Now

I'd barely gotten my plans to collect 1971 Topps, 1972 Topps and 1976 SSPC sets off the ground when I, um, added yet another set that I think I'm going to have to try and complete someday. 1965 Topps just look great to me - the pennant, the washed-out photos (reminiscent of an Instagram filter today - call it "Civil Rights Era"), the general before-I-was-born look and feel of it all.

I'm under no illusion that this will come easy, which is why, besides my 1965 Frank Robinson card, I'm starting with amassing commons, the guys that only freaks like me and you have heard of. Of the 598 cards, I've only got - well - 18 of 'em so far, so check back in a half-decade and I'll let you know how much closer I've come.

Commons in relatively decent shape can still be had for under $1, and sometimes even better when bought in batches on eBay, as I recently did for a few Twins and Pirates guys. This Joe Morgan rookie card and this Sandy Koufax card - well, those might take a little longer. In the meantime, because I think they're so good-lookin', I scanned everything I own from this set besides the Frank Robinson card. Take a gander.