1977: The Easy Way Out

A few weeks ago I read a Craigslist ad about some baseball cards for sale. I check there every so often for some good laughs.

But this ad felt like it might have some merit. Namely, a full set of 1977 cards were listed for $175. While that price was far too high for my liking, it still got my attention. Typically, on Craigslist, I wouldn't have been surprised to see such a set listed for $800. Lots of delusionary thought among card-listing Craigslisters.

So, I sent a lukewarm e-mail to the address and soon learned that the set - and some other small sets - would be included at a garage sale the following weekend.

And, so, it was on.

I thought if this 1977 set was in decent shape and I could get it for more like $100, then I'd probably bite. For one, I didn't have much in the way of '77 Topps. My first cards to collect as a youth were 1978s. I'd love to finish that set one day. A couple of years later, my grandpa brought me home a bag full of glorious '76s. Speaking of which, I'm closing in on finishing that set. Do you need some of them? Can you help me out?

But back to 1977. Long story short, I took the easy way out. I bought the set. Had a great chat with the couple selling it and ended up buying it and several mini-sets (which I'll discuss in future posts) for a grand total of $100. While I love the thrill of the chase, I kind of enjoyed taking home this full set - already in a binder - and I'm loving flipping through it every few days. Eventually, I'll select my top 10, or maybe more, cards from the set.

In any case, it's definitely not my favorite from the '70s but it's great having it in house.

And while it's my first official full set, I'm not really including it as such. 1976 will be much more rewarding for me after hunting it down and completing what my grandpa first started for me some 30 years ago.

As for the '77s, this is where you come in. My purchase left me with a smattering of dupes. Want some? I'd love help with my '76 set and '78 needs.

Click here for my 1977 available list. Click here and scroll through for my 1976 and 1978 wants.

What Are They Worth?

So, I periodically check around for "baseball cards" on Craigslist. Not much comes up but a couple of sets did pop up this week that got my interest and the seller mostly seems to know what he's advertising.

1. A 1977 Topps Baseball Complete Set (hand collated)
 - billed as "featuring Dale Murphy, Bruce Sutter + Andre Dawson's rookie"

2. A 1986 Fleer Update Baseball Set
- billed as "Barry Bonds Rookie card!!! Will Clark, Jose Canseco, John Kruk and Ruben Sierra Rookie cards."

3. A 1981 Kellogg's 3-D Baseball Super Stars set. "This is a classic set. Has tons of HOF players: Jackson, Palmer, Foster, Ryan, Schmidt, Brett, Rice, Murray, Perez, Winfield, Carew, Henderson, Morgan, Carlton, Molitor, Yastrzemski, Yount, Rose and more. You don't see sets like these too often!"

Hmmm, well, OK. My question to the more knowledgeable collector out there is what would you pay for such sets assuming they are as advertised (and in excellent condition).

(Yes, I know I could do the research myself but what fun is that?)