just can't help myself

I don't know what it is about 1954 Topps that I just can't get away from. Topps' fourth baseball set ever, all vertical design is just really appealing to me.

Its been imitated:

Its been 'Heritage-ized':

Nothing comes close to the original though:

I only have around 35 cards so far, but I think I'm going to go all out and try to actually finish the set off. I can't do it immediately, like I like to do modern sets. Modern sets I need finished as soon as possible, it bothers me knowing that there is a card missing from something so easily obtainable. This is different though. This is a quest of epic proportions that I just can't get around anymore. I was on the fence before about putting this set together due to cost and scarcity. A couple of things appealing about this set are:

a) its awesome vintage
b) its small at 250 cards

(and this is the best part)

c) NO PESKY MANTLE!!

Yes 1954 was missing Mickey Mantle. Meaning that this set isn't an overblown pricing nightmare like say, 1953. This set is a reasonable set for almost the average collector to actually finish. Any set before 1964 that has a Mantle in it is just almost unreachable by regular people. That is also the sad part about this set though, is the guys that it is actually missing. Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, just to name a few. It does have 2 Ted Williams, Ernie Banks and Henry Aaron rookies, Willie Mays and Duke Snider. So its definitely not shorted as far as superstars go. Speaking of the Banks and Aaron rookies, those are the two cards that will hurt the wallet the most. Everything else I have seen (or gotten) at reasonable prices. Now is the time, now that there isn't anything to collect until February, it seems like the right time to go for it. We'll see how far I can get.