Some of you know my NS collection is basically from the '50's, due to the fact I had saved & stored my boyhood collection carefully away & my good Mother never threw them out on me.

I had a near-set of Who-Z-At Star (missing 4 commons) in the mix, and decided to have the whole set graded, remitting them just as they came from wax packs at the local drug store back in 1953--not a single upgrade except 4 commons I picked up on EBay--(still missing #50 Walter Pidgeon because I can't find where I put it!)

Here are a few of the Key cards as returned by SGC---Thought you might enjoy seeing them and at the same time I'm trying to contribute by making a post instead of just reading the Board! LOL!

NOTE: Almost every card that graded below 7 (5-5.5 & 6) were similar to the #69 Nelsons--lowered because of centering issues due to the poor quality control on the cutting method back then.

The set is listed on the SGC Registry--if anyone would like to see pics of any particular card in this set I will be glad to scan & post for you.

Fred,
Those are truly beautiful cards, what makes it more impressive is the fact that you've held on to them all these years and still look pack fresh. And the the look of the cards in the SGC holders doesn't hurt either, congrats!

Fred---those are beautiful cards all right--thx for showing! Even if I could have all my old original cards from the 50's they wouldn't look that nice-=--too beat up to even bother grading!

Dear Fred,

You dog you (kidding, of course). I have been struggling to collect this series for almost 10 years, and here you come up with a set which puts mine to shame. Congratulations, that is a wonderful set! It's like going to the Valley of the Kings and finding King Tut's tomb undisturbed. I am happy for you, but really jealous.

Best in collecting,

Bill Bengen

PS if you ever decide to sell the set, don't forget me. But I wouldn't sell that set to anyone!

Thanks for the nice responses. I was from a small town & altho a few of my friends traded cards w/ me we didn't do any flipping & very few ever made the bicycle spokes--us country boys didn't know you could even do that with cards!

My 1st cards ever were the 1949 Bowman Wild West and those are a different story (I was 9 yrs old)---I have about 1/2 a set & most of them are are around VG. I guess at age 9 I wasn't as careful & I certainly manhandled that issue! I don't think SGC will see many of those!

--You posted while I was typing and your comments are very kind, but in truth there are many cards in my set that only graded in that 5-5.5 & 6 range! 41 of my 79 cards graded 7 or better, so that leaves 38 that didn't!

But it certainly IS a very condition sensitive set in several ways---poor centering, print spots, color& ink smearing on solid color backgrounds & chipping on the edges of the solid blue reverses.

After carefully looking over YOUR set & all the others on the PSA Registry I have determined that I have around 25 to 30 or so that are equal to or higher than the highest graded, so I guess I can't complain about some of the lower grades I got when all is considered.

BUT--it still makes me mad that a card that looks as nice as my Liz Taylor, for example, w/ sharp corners & all the attributes of NRMT-MT, gets a 5.5 because Topps cut the darn thing so badly!

You have a beautiful set yourself, w/ some of the highest graded PSA's, so you take a back seat to no-one!

Never persued this set to completion..but always wanted to. There were a few nice lots on ebay and at auction houses the last year or so....but Fred...these are SWEET!

Thanks for sharing.

Fred et al,

This series is typical of early 1950's series- a brute in high grade. The sensitive borders contribute to that. Just look at the top line summary of the PSA Pop Report for this series:

6 6.5 7Q 7 7.5 8Q 8 8.5 9Q 9 10 Total
356 6 8 222 5 17 58 0 0 0 0 850

Less than 7% of all cards graded at 8 or above- but there are no "aboves" no 9's, no 10's. My set is on the cusp of 7.0, one upgrade will do it, but that's the best I can do after 10 years. That makes Fred's set all them oare remarkable.

Fred, you are doing the hobby a great service by encapsulating those gorgeous cards, in order to protect them for posterity. Otherwise, how will anyone know a hundred years from now what pack-fresh specimens looked like? Magical!

Best in collecting, Bill Bengen

Mark---love seeing that old artwork---the solid background colors really make the image "pop"---

house must be like the Louvre........he has artwork from so many series! Great pictures Fred. Haven't collected these but love the front/back combinations. Bet the backs are sensitive too with the blue coloring.

Very nice grouping of cards sir.

Dick, Charley & Tom--

Glad you enjoyed seeing them!

Mark--

Are those last 2--Chandler & the other-- from the British issue?

Tom--

Those blue backs ARE very sensitive & chip just by looking crooked at them!

Bill---

Thanks for posting that PSA info---no 8.5's either--AMAZING! I had no idea the set was so difficult in High Grade.

Fred, am I missing something on your Liz Taylor? She grades as an 88 which is NM or better and you're saying it is a 5.5! Did you change from PSA to SGC?
This set is easily one of the hardest 1950 sets to find in top shape (as proven by Bill Bengen's pop report). I've been looking for four upgrades for close to least five years. The grey fronts ding somewhat easy but the blue backs are almost never found without some kind of discoloring or problem.
I'm happy to have this set completed but after looking at your cards, I'd be lucky to have a few grade out in the high 80's (SGC) or at or above PSA7.

Hi Bill---

What I was saying, or meant, is that I have several cards that LOOK as nice as my Liz Taylor, but because of the poor cutting by Topps (resulting in bad centering) they got downgraded to the 5.5 range.

The gloss, razor sharp corners, no print defects and no blue chipping were not enough to overcome the faulty cut, but the cards are still beautiful to look at, even in 5 & 5.5!

No, I have never used PSA for my grading & don't have a single one in my collection from purchase either.