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Monday, June 8, 2015

Card Show Part Two: A New Challenge

Flag of Venezuela in 1964
If you've been reading the blog, you know that I've been working on finishing the 1965 OPC set, which is just like the 1965 Topps set. But it's smaller, rarer and just a little bit different. Just a little bit different is good, at least in my book.

Looks pretty run of the mill, right? just a bunch of Twins from 1964 Topps, some of them in pretty rough shape.

Not so fast!
These are the 1964 Twins as sold and distributed in Venezuela!

This one is my favorite back:

The vendor I bought these from always has interesting things for people to look at. I don't know that he was even thinking that I would buy one of these, but he knows that I like alternate / parallel / oddball sets. I surprised myself when I blurted out - how much for the whole lot?

Well... I guess I'm working on building this set now, too! It is a 370 card set, with the same numbering as the Topps version. Unlike 1965 OPC, this set does include Harmon Killebrew, Sandy Koufax, and Mickey Mantle's base cards. I've got my work cut out for me on this one... but hey, I'm 3% done already!

Part Three of the card show is coming up... I ran into a guy that didn't have a table set up, but was holding some pretty cool stuff for me.
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10 comments:

  1. NickJune 8, 2015 at 11:16 AM

    Wow, I've never even seen one of those Topps Venezuelan cards in-person and you found a whole stack of them! Best of luck on chasing the rest of the set.

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    1. BrianJune 8, 2015 at 12:47 PM

      Thanks! I've got my eye on a few auctions ending soon, I'm hoping to be able to get a good foundation going and then slowly peck away at it. Worked out well for OPC!

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  2. BobWalkthePlankJune 8, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    Good luck! That will be a cool accomplishment once you get it finished.

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    1. BrianJune 8, 2015 at 12:46 PM

      I may have to leave this task to future generations to continue my work - apparently there's only one complete set out there so far (at least, only one on the PSA registry, for whatever that is worth). Should be a ton of fun to chase, though!

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  3. Johnnys Trading SpotJune 8, 2015 at 1:08 PM

    You like em tough, huh. LOL. How can you tell the difference (on the Venezuelan cards?)

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    1. BrianJune 8, 2015 at 1:30 PM

      The back of the cards are done in black ink instead of orange ink. Most of them have T.C.G. printed on the back without the additional "Printed in the U.S.A." (some do say printed in the U.S.A., though, not sure if they actually were printed here or not). The section that you rub off to reveal with a coin on the U.S. version is already visible in red on the Venezuelan version, no rubbing needed.
      The other thing is that getting one above "good" condition is really hard. Saying that the card has a "clean back" is a big selling point because at the time they were released the cards were sold alongside paper albums and collectors were encouraged to paste/glue the cards down into the album. Lots and lots of cards are glued heavily on the back and what's left is a big scar and paper loss.

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  4. night owlJune 8, 2015 at 3:51 PM

    That's very cool. I never find cool stuff like that at the big show I go to and it's pretty big, too.

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    1. BrianJune 8, 2015 at 6:33 PM

      I have to give all credit to the Vintage dealer at the shows I go to in MN - he sells/buys at various places throughout the Midwest, I think he found these in a different state and then brought them to MN...

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  5. Mark HoyleJune 8, 2015 at 5:51 PM

    Good luck. These are super tough and most are in rough shape. Good eye spotting the black back. Mother only 64 Venz I have is the Tony C. Rookie

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    1. BrianJune 8, 2015 at 6:32 PM

      Thanks - just thinking about the guys on the checklist, I fear the cost it will take to acquire some of these - Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Rose 2nd Year card... assuming I can even find copies in acceptable shape.

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