1997 Topps Finest Collection Thread

[OhioLawyerF5]

I finally just picked up the one Larkin I was missing!

I can't wait until it gets here so I can post all 10.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I finally just picked up the one Larkin I was missing!

I can't wait until it gets here so I can post all 10.

Congrats that’s awesome
How long did that take ?

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Poorboy

Congrats that’s awesome

How long did that take ?

I didn't really go after the full run until I was able to track down the gold embossed refractor last year. I'd looked for that card for many years. Once I had it, the others were relatively easy. The silver embossed refractor popped up within a few months, and the gold refractor only took a few months as well. Both of those probably have a print run around 220 (Dyna correct me if I'm off), so they do show up a couple times a year. The rest of the cards are common and I could get on ebay anytime I wanted to complete the run. Once I got the gold refractor the other day, I went and finished the run. I'll post pics once ebay standard envelope finally shows up with one of the cheapos.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I didn't really go after the full run until I was able to track down the gold embossed refractor last year. I'd looked for that card for many years. Once I had it, the others were relatively easy. The silver embossed refractor popped up within a few months, and the gold refractor only took a few months as well. Both of those probably have a print run around 220 (Dyna correct me if I'm off), so they do show up a couple times a year. The rest of the cards are common and I could get on ebay anytime I wanted to complete the run. Once I got the gold refractor the other day, I went and finished the run. I'll post pics once ebay standard envelope finally shows up with one of the cheapos.

Awesome so how will you display group?

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Poorboy

Awesome so how will you display group?

Each card gets its own photo. I'll stitch them all together for a group photo afterward.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

Each card gets its own photo. I'll stitch them all together for a group photo afterward.

No I meant at home lol
Or office whatever
They on a special shelf or something ?

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Poorboy

No I meant at home lol

Or office whatever

They on a special shelf or something ?

Oh lol. I typically don't display valuable cards. Light can affect them. I take them out of the safe and look at them often, but I don't keep them out all the time. That and security purposes. I know 9 of the 10 range from a few dollars to $150. But the GER is a 4 figure card. So I personally store cards in that range in a safe.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

Oh lol. I typically don't display valuable cards. Light can affect them. I take them out of the safe and look at them often, but I don't keep them out all the time. That and security purposes. I know 9 of the 10 range from a few dollars to $150. But the GER is a 4 figure card. So I personally store cards in that range in a safe.

Ok got it
Was just wondering
Nice cards

[DrWho]

Anyone know what the card below is, what version? It's a Gold Embossed Die-Cut, not a Refractor. I can't find much online about it, and only a few other examples of similar cards (but from the 1997 Finest football set, not baseball). Is it potentially some kind of "promo" card?

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by DrWho

Anyone know what the card below is, what version? It's a Gold Embossed Die-Cut, not a Refractor. I can't find much online about it, and only a few other examples of similar cards (but from the 1997 Finest football set, not baseball). Is it potentially some kind of "promo" card?

Attachment 560355

That's really weird. Baseball didn't have that die cut. All the embossed die cuts in baseball are the same deckled edge. That is a die cut pattern from the "Impact" subset from football. I doubt it is a promo card. My guess is some baseball sheets went through the wrong die cut process. They were probably supposed to be destroyed but somehow made it out of the factory (backdoor). That is all just a guess because I've never seen a baseball card with that die cut before.

[DrWho]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

That's really weird. Baseball didn't have that die cut. All the embossed die cuts in baseball are the same deckled edge. That is a die cut pattern from the "Impact" subset from football. I doubt it is a promo card. My guess is some baseball sheets went through the wrong die cut process. They were probably supposed to be destroyed but somehow made it out of the factory (backdoor). That is all just a guess because I've never seen a baseball card with that die cut before.

That was my other thought, the card sheet went through the wrong die-cut press. Very interesting though whatever it ends up being.

[TimBuckTwo]

Dynaetch collects harder then any of us do !

Amazing collection.

[magicpapa]

Originally Posted by DrWho

Anyone know what the card below is, what version? It's a Gold Embossed Die-Cut, not a Refractor. I can't find much online about it, and only a few other examples of similar cards (but from the 1997 Finest football set, not baseball). Is it potentially some kind of "promo" card?

Attachment 560355

any numbering on the back?

[DrWho]

Originally Posted by magicpapa

any numbering on the back?

No serial numbering on the front or back.

[DynaEtch]

OhioLawyer….major congrats on the Larkin complete rainbow! Would love to see it all together once you get it. For Larkin, I still need the SER and GER. Do you think you’ll go for any of the test proofs of him (“non-refractor patterns”), or call it a day with 97 Finest now?

As for the bizarre gold die-cuts above…perplexing indeed. There is also a Nomo of a similar sort on ebay right now- it has the double 0000/0000 on back like that Clemens (listed for…sheesh, 2500).

It is one of two things:

1. An unreleased test card of some sort…maybe Topps was experimenting with die-cut options before settling on the more mild edge die-cut

2. Someone’s homemade project. The outlandish nature of the die-cuts, plus the way that Clemens totally just cuts off his name and stats at top, plus some of the rough cut edges I’ve seen on some suggests this. As does I don’t remember seeing these in the more distant past.

But this does bring up the question how the “regular edges” of these are straight and not the normal diecut you’d think they’d be, if someone really did take a normal gold embossed diecut and cut it up (unless they streamlined those edges too…they’d have to as the cards do appear to be embossed).

I’m strongly leaning towards #2, but I’ve seen weirded things come out of a testing/manufacturing.

[DynaEtch]

Some frustration from the perspective of a set collector: I saw this and thought hey, I can finally get this gold refractor with peel I needed for so long. And then I was outbid and look what it went for-



…for a Brady Anderson regular gold refractor. What am I missing here? The bids are legit and nothing shady looking about them. Is there a fan cult following for his semi-rare 90s inserts I don’t know about, or maybe someone else out there collecting this set?

It’s extra ironic because the seller clearly was expecting this to not go for much considering the $1.25 ESE shipping. Common gold refractors usually go for $5-10. Sigh…the nuances of collecting 90s parallel sets.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Beautiful Posey gold ref fabiani! The superfractor must look amazing.

The uncertainty of whether or not we're going to have a Finest Flashback release with the 1997 designs motivated me to finally post this card -- hey, Topps, is FF '24 coming or not? Dyna and I need to know:

[mouschi]

1997 Finest is a bit of a bummer for me. They didn't release a fancy gold die-cut for Canseco, so I had to make my own.

I also have a 1/1 Red Sox refractor buyback auto (the only playing days refractor buyback I've seen of Jose) - this card survived my sell-off(s). I used to have over 100 buybacks, and only kept this one.

Finally, I have the A's embossed refractor version. I finally picked one back up a few months back, though I was dismayed to find the prices went up like crazy since the last time I checked!



Back in the day, I had the rainbow of them all, along with "proofs" that weren't embossed, as well as pictures Topps used, and I think the slides, too.

[DynaEtch]

I would love to know too fabiani…seems to be no definite answers out there on the 24FF…but one thing’s for sure, thats a beautiful looking superfractor!

With how much they have used this design in modern sets, you can tell it’s a very popular design. Would be make little sense for Topps to stop the FF line at this popular set.

[hatchd]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Some frustration from the perspective of a set collector: I saw this and thought hey, I can finally get this gold refractor with peel I needed for so long. And then I was outbid and look what it went for-



…for a Brady Anderson regular gold refractor. What am I missing here? The bids are legit and nothing shady looking about them. Is there a fan cult following for his semi-rare 90s inserts I don’t know about, or maybe someone else out there collecting this set?

It’s extra ironic because the seller clearly was expecting this to not go for much considering the $1.25 ESE shipping. Common gold refractors usually go for $5-10. Sigh…the nuances of collecting 90s parallel sets.

This seems like the classic "well I haven't seen one of these in a while so I'll throw in a guaranteed to win it bid" situation and two people did it. The last few Frank's barely cleared that amount so there's no way it's market price. I bet you'll pick one up for $25-40.


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[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by mouschi

1997 Finest is a bit of a bummer for me. They didn't release a fancy gold die-cut for Canseco, so I had to make my own.

I also have a 1/1 Red Sox refractor buyback auto (the only playing days refractor buyback I've seen of Jose) - this card survived my sell-off(s). I used to have over 100 buybacks, and only kept this one.

Finally, I have the A's embossed refractor version. I finally picked one back up a few months back, though I was dismayed to find the prices went up like crazy since the last time I checked!

Back in the day, I had the rainbow of them all, along with "proofs" that weren't embossed, as well as pictures Topps used, and I think the slides, too.

I’d say you sure made do despite there not being an official Canseco GER, nice!!

That is a very cool custom GER…would convince me and could be the real thing. It is rather curious he has two silvers in the set and not a single gold (because the trade I know…but still Topps make one of them a gold). Canseco does have a 1996 Finest gold at least- another set I have MAJOR nostalgia for but decided to go nuts on the 97 instead (partly because a slight preference for the design, but also because it’s a more interesting set with more variants- 96 in some ways is too “finite”).

Edit: do you have any thoughts on what those bizarre gold die-cuts 0000/0000 might be above? Test issue or homemade project? I know you have a lot of experience with the rare 90s insert scene and custom cards, so thought I’d ask

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by hatchd

This seems like the classic "well I haven't seen one of these in a while so I'll throw in a guaranteed to win it bid" situation and two people did it. The last few Frank's barely cleared that amount so there's no way it's market price. I bet you'll pick one up for $25-40.


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This is my silver lining…in the distant future I think I’ll pick it up for less, probably much less. I’ve seen Frank, Maddux, Chipper Jones, even Jeter near that amount in the gold refractor…makes no sense.

Heck I threw in my own “guarantee to win bid” on that Brady…and didn’t win it lol. Guess I should have just put like a crazy $500 bid on it, but that’s getting into nuts territory. I’ve learned I gotta have patience with these.

[hatchd]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

This is my silver lining…in the distant future I think I’ll pick it up for less, probably much less. I’ve seen Frank, Maddux, Chipper Jones, even Jeter near that amount in the gold refractor…makes no sense.

Heck I threw in my own “guarantee to win bid” on that Brady…and didn’t win it lol. Guess I should have just put like a crazy $500 bid on it, but that’s getting into nuts territory. I’ve learned I gotta have patience with these.

No sense at all. I've found that unless something is truly rare, and these aren't, there's no point in going crazy bidding. They'll always pop up again and you'll be able to pick one up easily. I feel like every non-serial numbered card I've ever gone crazy on for Frank I've been burned and could have saved money waiting.

And trust me, you would have kicked yourself putting in that $500 bid. When you get done with this I'd throw up if my GR list went 1. Griffey, 2. Jeter, 3. Brady Freaking Anderson.


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[magicpapa]

Originally Posted by DrWho

Anyone know what the card below is, what version? It's a Gold Embossed Die-Cut, not a Refractor. I can't find much online about it, and only a few other examples of similar cards (but from the 1997 Finest football set, not baseball). Is it potentially some kind of "promo" card?

Attachment 560355

heres one on ebay like yours, but 0000/0000 numbering

[DynaEtch]

Does anyone have thoughts if those are homemade customs or test issues of some sort from the manufacturer?