Checking out of this year's Redbirds and looking at vintage Topps team set needs.

As I have begun to tune out the Redbirds this year as we are several weeks in to the season and Matheny’s managing flaws are apparent and they aren’t fun to watch-they are neither good nor bad. So I have been tuning out. So it is a good time to look at Redbirds of Old.

There comes a time when you hit a bump in the road and you either proceed over it the best you can, or you are derailed and it isn’t possible to do so. I would like to think that we will be in the former position as we try to complete Redbirds’ vintage Topps team sets. This is in large part because I do care about the condition cards we add to our collection-I am condition sensitive. Which of course means this isn’t going to be cheap and will take some time, several years perhaps. I guess in a nutshell I believe that I endeavor to make a solid collection that one day, when needed, I can dispose of and which holds its value. Plus a card in beautiful condition is remarkable when one thinks what must have transpired to be in near mint condition 40-60 years later. A caveat to all of this is pre-war cards-I am a little more forgiving but still try to get the best copy we can get for the right $$. The two big Redbirds of the early to late ‘50s were Stan Musial (1958-1963) and Red Schoendienst (1945-56, 1961-1963). Then the middle period were Bob Gibson (1959-1975), Ken Boyer (1955-1965), Wally Moon (1955-1958), and 1966 Joe Hoerner, George Kernek, Jimmy Williams (try finding a high grade copy of this high number card for less than $40) rookie card. The late vintage period gives us Steve Carlton (1965-1971) and Lou Brock (1964-1979). Also, we have NO 1952 and a few 1953 Topps-these years will be a project in of itself. The key card needs are show below for 1954-1969. I have chosen the card to showcase based on what  a PSA 7 NM Graded card is valued at.So here are the Topps’ cards that will be a challenge.

1954 #158 Peanuts Lowrey, #194 Bill Sarni, and #249 Vinegar Bend Mizell (these three complete this team set).

1955 #125 Ken Boyer (RC), # 183 Tony Jacobs, #191 Eddie Stanky, and #204 Frank Smith.

1956 #55 Wally Moon, #134 Team Photo.

1957 #122Ken Boyer, #243 Team Photo.

1958 #210 Wally Moon, #14 350 Ken Boyer, and #464 Curt Flood(RC) (these three complete team set).

1959 #514 Bob Gibson (Rookie Card).

1960 #28 Rival All-Stars (Mantle and Boyer) can’t imagine why this is a tough pick up?  A tie with Stan the Man #250.

1961 #211 Bob Gibson, #290 Stan Musial, #505 Red Schoendienst.

1962 #50 Stan Musial, #530 Bob Gibson, #575 Red Schoendienst.

1963 #1 Stan Musial and Bill White 1962 NL Batting Leaders, #5 Bob Gibson 1962 NL ERA Leaders, #9Bob Gibson 1962 NL Strike Out Leader, #250 Stan Musial (his last),

1964 #460 Bob Gibson, #543 Bob Uecker (very popular player).

1965 #12 Bob Gibson NL League Leaders Strikeouts, #320 Bob Gibson, #477 Steve Carlton (RC), #519 Bob Uecker.

1966 Though I am down to three cards for us to complete the team set they are big fish, #125 Lou Brock, #471 Bob Skinner, then this beauty #544 Joe Hoerner, George Kernek, Jimmy Williams.

1967 #146 Steve Carlton, #210 Bob Gibson, #236 Bob Gibson, #285 Lou Brock, and #605 Mike Shannon, #330 Roger Maris, #372 Lou Brock, #378  Bob Gibson, #408 Steve Carlton, #445 Mike Shannon, #497 Team Photo, and #520 Lou Brock, and #592 Ron Willis.

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1968 #3 Orlando Cepeda, #100 Bob Gibson, #200 Orlando Cepeda, #330 Roger Maris, #372 Lou Brock, #378 Bob Gibson, #408 Steve Carlton, and #520 Lou Brock

1969 #85 Lou Brock, #166 World Series Game 5, #200 Bob Gibson, #255  Steve Carlton, #428 Lou Brock, and #432 Bob Gibson.