Mantelpiece Stories: When a junk‐wax binder turned into vintage gold

Last month, collector, reseller and Mantel user Chris B., who goes by AllSet24 online, swung by a client’s attic on a real‐estate referral — and in just a few frantic minutes, he walked away with one of the most surprising vintage hauls we’ve ever seen. Here’s how a seemingly ordinary binder, bought blind, revealed Hall of Famers and prospect gems from the golden age of cardboard.

“I almost didn’t go in,” Chris said. His mother‐in‐law, a real‐estate agent, had sent over a handful of blurry photos, and they all looked like mid‐’90s junk wax. But when he stepped inside the nearly empty house, he spotted two binders tucked behind a dusty workbench. “I saw a Mantle All Stars page and a couple of low‐grade Willie Mays cards, made a quick offer, and then hurried back to the car, my kids were ready to melt down.”

A few days later, Chris spread the binder on his dining room table and flipped through page after page of 1950s and 1960s treasures. “My first thought was, ‘Wow, there was better stuff in here than I expected,’” he says. He then posted the finds on Mantel. Among the low‐grade commons lay a 1958 Topps Mantle All Stars card, a 1971 Hank Aaron, a crisp 1968 Topps trio featuring Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Harmon Killebrew, and even a 1976 Kareem Abdul Jabbar. For a modern‐card guy, this was a crash course in vintage history.

Though he’s not planning to build a vintage set, Chris has a soft spot for the binder’s standouts. His top three cards? “Definitely the Mantle All Stars, the Mays-Mantle-Killebrew card, and that ‘The Catch’ Mays. I’ll probably never handle another Mantle in person.”

Chris funds his hobby by reselling, and this blind buy was pure upside, proof that even seasoned collectors can still stumble onto a forgotten stash. These days, his focus has shifted back to modern parallels: “I’m chasing every unique Stevie Johnson card, 44.4 percent of his print run so far. Reach out if you spot any extras!”

Above all, the binder reminded Chris why collecting is as much about the thrill of discovery as it is about the cards themselves. “Blind buys are a one-off for me,” he said. “But this one sure paid off.”

Have you ever found something incredible at an estate sale or have a unique collecting story that you think would be perfect for Mantelpiece Stories? Post it on Mantel — we’d love to see it!