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Getting my kicks completing a team set from '66


The cash from my most recent Beckett Vintage magazine article came in and I went right to work.

I usually devote about a third of my magazine payments to card quests and I had a few lined up as soon as I knew I would be writing that article.

One card that I had my eye on was this 1966 Topps Ron Perranoski. As you know, I don't care about graded cards, but this was the best deal I could find for this specific card in decent shape, and it accomplishes quite the job.

It is a pesky high number and now that I own it, I have completed the 1966 Topps Dodgers team set.

This is an achievement in a few different ways. Looking at the big picture, I have now completed the Topps flagship Dodgers team sets from 1964 through the current year.

There is also precious little that I need to finish off all the Topps Dodgers teams sets of the '60s, although it will take me forever to do so. The easiest will be the two high number cards from the 1960 set that I still need. And then I'll probably nab the 1961 Campanella.

Once those are out of the way, all that's left are the infernal 1962 and 1963 rookie prospects cards, a couple of which I can probably forget about getting because of rookie floating heads named Rose and Uecker.

But those are goals for another day. Right now, I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the 1966 Topps Dodgers:


A lot of familiar names there, and that's because they were the defending World Series champions.

But don't bother looking for a World Series subset here, because Topps notably shunned the Dodgers' 1965 title, as it's the only set from the '60s in which Topps did not include a World Series retrospective (Topps would continue to show its Dodgers WS disdain by ignoring the previous year's World Series in its 1982 and 1989 sets).

The only subset that includes Dodgers in '66 Topps is the league leaders.


I am missing the NL ERA leaders card, which features Koufax (as well as Marichal and Vern Law). But I've never considered league leaders as part of the team set, so I'll continue to call this set complete while still looking to pick up that card.

The '66 team set was rather pesky, not just because of the Perranoski high number but because of that evil, evil, hoarded Bart Shirley-Grant Jackson card. The image you see above is just a copy of the card I own that I don't dare crack out of its graded prison, one of the few graded cards I keep intact.

The Perranoski, however, will escape when I get a moment.

The first card I ever owned from this set was the Sandy Koufax. It's probably the most beat-up card in the bunch -- except for the Nick Willhite, man, I've got to do something about upgrading that -- but I have no interest in laying down cash for a fancier one because this Koufax reminds me of my early ventures into acquiring cards of all-timers. I was learning how to collect with the big boys.

Yup, this set includes a lot of star power with Koufax and Drysdale, the Davis duo, the first switch-hitting infield, World Series hero Lou Johnson, and future starting rotation stalwart Don Sutton. Also, please don't forget that fine relief crew of Perranoski and Brewer as well as Osteen and Singer! Damn, the Dodgers can pitch!

I spent the rest of my card money on some more 1977 Kellogg's cards, for the most part. I'll show those some other time.

It was quite an adventure putting together this team set. I can't wait to get those 1960 and 1961 ones done, too.

And if I never acquire the prospects cards from 1962 and 1963, no matter. They're just rookies.

Comments

Alex Markle said…
Congrats on completing the '66 set and more congrats for completing everything from '64 to present. I've still got a long way to go on the 1966 set (and even longer to go on to catch up to you from 64-present), and it's nice to see athe entire set laid out in one post. Check back on my blog in five years when I get it finished.
That's a beautiful team set... The red and yellow go nicely in a primary color way with the Dodger blue... and there are very few airbrushed caps, which is also nice. I'm still two away from completing a Mets team set, I may have to write my own article for Beckett to complete that. :-D :-D :-D

...and I confess, I forgot all about going out to buy that issue. I blame it on quarantine brain.
Old Cards said…
Great looking set. I just love 60's cards!! I collected cards in 66,but like so many, I quit at the end of the year. So I have Koufax and Drysdale,but no Perranoski. Too bad Maury Wills did not make his deal with Topps until the next year. He would have been a great addition.
Nick Vossbrink said…
Oh nice. Congrats. 66 is gonna kill me with the Giants. And yeah I usually prefer team colors but something about the red/yellow works for the Dodgers here.
Commishbob said…
I've thought about chasing the '66 set. The last time I mentioned that fact at the card show the dealer laughed and asked me if I've really looked at the high numbers.

Love the Dodgers in this one though. Joe S is right, the red/yellow is terrific.

Oh, and the K leaders card is a study in badassery, is it not?
I'm about 65 cards away from completing the entire 1966 set, and have been for a few years now.

60 high numbers and 5 low numbers. (Unfortunately, the low numbers are Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Banks, and the Singer/Sutton rookie card.) And it doesn't matter who the high numbers are - they're all expensive.
Nick said…
Congrats! Vintage high-numbers make me glad I'm not a team collector. Also never realized that '66 Topps doesn't have the standard World Series retrospective. Wonder how that happened.
Billy Kingsley said…
Nice song reference in the title. I don't count multiplayer cards as part of any team sets, unless they are all from the same team.
bbcardz said…
Congrats on completing the '66 Dodgers! That's really messed up that for some sets, Topps didn't have what it takes to produce Dodgers World Series subsets. That does not reflect well on them.
GCA said…
So jealous of the Grant Jackson RC. It should be illegal to hoard and price gouge random vintage cards for no reason other than gluttony.
Very strange that the Shirley/Jackson rookie card os so expensive. They were not stars.
Matt said…
I can't get past a young pre-perm Sutton...
Fuji said…
Congratulations on completing this team set! Can't wait for you to show off those 1977 Kellogg's. I finally dug out my set to see which cards I'm missing... and discovered I only need two. Hoping to finish that set up this summer.
RunForeKelloggs said…
I read this post yesterday. I woke up in the middle of the night and Match Game '74 was on some channel. Al Ferrara was on the show. He lost without matching anyone. Nice timing.
I always feel like I'm the only one on the outside when I read your posts! I had no idea that people were hoarding the Shirley/Jackson card. Weird.
Unknown said…
The strange world of being a vintage collector, where Bart Shirley is more a daunting challenge to acquire than Sandy Koufax.