For Topps 75th Anniversary Set they released 3 levels of parallel for the base set:
- Rainbow Foil (unnumbered)
- Diamond Sparkle (#/75)
- Modern Gloss (#/10)

I love the Moonraker set Topps put out in 1979 so wanted to pick up the Moonraker card and parallels from this anniversary set to put with the originals.

After a few years of looking I was lucky to find Modern Gloss #7/10 in a lot of the 3 parallels for about $40 and was happy with that.

Anyway late last year I came across another listing of all 3 parallels. This lot however included Diamond #1/75 AND Modern Gloss #1/10. Obviously I had to purchase it for the $10 being asked.

When the latter came they had very light scratches/scuffs to the card surfaces and slight curvature. Obviously not bothered for the money and they are nice to have but I had bought them with the intention of shifting the ones I already had which I have not done due to the lesser condition of the #1 cards.

I've never actively chased specific serial numbers for anything and wondered what others thoughts are on stuff like this? Is it just a meaningless number? Does the condition of the cards come first?

Which would you keep? The #1's in lesser condition or the higher serial numbers in NM/Mint condition? Or just keep them all?

Incidentally, if anyone has a printing plate of the Moonraker card they'd like to move, I do need one of those!

I would keep them all of course.

If I had to choose I would keep the #1s, provided that lesser condition was not anything that actually detracted from a casual examination of the card. If the defect becomes the center of your focus, than upgrade and get rid of it, but at less than $5 a piece, what's the harm?

When it comes to numbered cards, some people care about #1s and getting lower numbers in general, and some people don't. I think most people probably don't unless its something specific to the collector or perhaps to the title. If it's a lucky number. If it's a Bond card with #007. If you are trying to match a number from other cards you have.

There used to be a premium attached to the first and last number in stamped runs, but it's not always applied and may not be enough to notice if it were. In terms of card condition, numbering should make no difference since a stamped #1 is not the same thing as the #1 card in a base set that may sustain more damage because it is stored on top.

The only argument about quality that you could possible make might be for autograph cards, assuming they got signed in number order. It is reasonable to think that lower numbered cards might have a better signature. The signer is fresh, the pen is full, the autographs should be better than later copies when they are getting tired and ink is running out. Beyond that I can't think of any real reason to consider that #25 is better than #75.

To each their own in the case of serial numbers. I don't personally care. Years ago (kinda ironic now), I was at my shop when a Lebron James autograph card was pulled that was his jersey number out of 100. The buyer said he sold it for 10x what any of the other #'s would have gone for. So, in sports cards certain numbers do carry weight.

I think something like 007/100 for a Bond card would be a yes , otherwise it's just a number.

quote:

I think most people probably don't unless its something specific to the collector or perhaps to the title. If it's a lucky number. If it's a Bond card with #007.

So many crazy perspectives in this hobby but I would think the most popular is what Raven said. I saw a seller who was pushing multiple sealed star trek card boxes numbered 1701. Weird and intriguing!

#1 in this case isn't like a first issue, it doesn't even mean it was the first card made. They grab 10 cards and number them. Why is 1 any better than 9?

The whole manufactured rarity thing seems to be a hit and miss with collectors but if I had a choice between a non-specific number or a slightly damaged card with a specific one.......I would go with the non damaged card.

Hi X,

I'm late on this but I would have to agree that you keep the #1's. Hang onto them for a while if nothing else. Part of it might depend on how you like to store or display cards them. Maybe they don't all fit together. However, dealing them out now is the kind of thing that you might regret later. I've sold/traded cards that I should have kept.

And yes, we all like NM-MT cards but light scratches and a little curvature is a lot better than a worn/creased corner especially for the price and for a rather recently-released card.

Topps 75th is one of my favorite sets of the past 10 years. I'm surprised it didn't sell out and was even discounted later but then that's what got me to buy a box. It does seem to have a lot of people hunting the parallels either to try complete a set or acquire versions of old favorite cards as in your case.

Jess