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Minnesota Twins Collection

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Holy Grail

With any collection, there is one feature card that you feel would make your collection so much better. When I started my Twins collection, that card was 1984 Fleer Update Kirby Puckett.

Not only was this card much sought after for my Twins collection... it was much sought after well before I started a Twins collection. Kirby Puckett was my favorite player as a young Twins fan. As a young collector, I had tried to get every Puckett card I could, but this card always alluded me. I called it my "Holy Grail". The card always seemed to be rare to me... at least moreso than regular 1984 Fleer cards. Mostly, the cost of the card was well out of my reach.

Of course, there was no eBay when I was a kid. eBay made me realize that the card is not as rare as I thought. Of course, the price of the card was still pretty high, but, as an adult, I have much more money at my disposal. I still wanted to find the card at a good value.

Last year, I found my "Holy Grail":



This was an eBay find and I decided it was time to add the card finally to my collection. I chose a PSA graded card for a couple of reasons:

First, with the various cards on eBay and the varying degrees of the photos, it can be difficult to tell the exact condition of a card. At least a PSA grade gives me a standardized grade and then I can compare the costs between grades. I am not necessarily a stickler about grading, but when you are spending a lot for a card you want to be sure you are getting the best value.

Second, a PSA graded card at least assures me the card is authentic. With some cards in the 1984 Fleer Update set, especially the Roger Clemens card, there are a large number of counterfeits. Up close, it's easy to tell if you have an authentic 1984 Fleer Update card. However, you cannot tell from looking at someone else's photographs... and many collectors do not notice the differences in an authentic card and a counterfeit. At least with a PSA graded card, I know that a reputable source has verified it as being authentic. Although, 'reputable' is still a matter of opinion. Some people would argue that PSA, or any grading company, is not reputable at all, but that's a discussion for another time.

Now that I have the 1984 Fleer Update Kirby Puckett as part of my collection, which card becomes the next "Holy Grail"?

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