I do love getting cards in the mail. Especially from other bloggers and readers. And I love send out cards in the mail. So usually I am spending money at my local big box store, my LCS, or online with postage.
Once in a while, I get things online. So here's a quick glance at cards I received that did not come from the kindness of you folks.
Before Topps got all weird with their colored parallels, Donruss did a bunch of stuff with colored foil and calling things "samples' or "proofs". Gimmick all the way, but something I need for the collection. Luckily, it was less than a quarter shipped.
Two for the double play binder. The Perez is iffy at a turn at two, but it was six cents shipped. And it's my collection anyway, so in it goes. Morris was a pickup off Listia for 500 credits or so. I snagged a few Impact cards for different binders. I'll need to give that whole set a closer look.
Impact - right? Man, I do like the images on their cards. Clark was also Listia. Belle, on the other hand, was a card that sat in my COMC shopping cart a good 6 months. I was waiting for a day with sales and free shipping to make a purchase. That day came a couple weeks back, so now it's home. But that wasn't all I picked up from COMC.
Here are three sets I completed. I needed about a dozen from Minds That Made the Future, 15 of the Endangered Animals, and that damn Heyward rookie card. But I was able to delete all three sets from my A&G want page. Now just a bunch of minis to go, before 2015 drops.
I still have short prints for 2012 & 2013 Cooperstown, plus some inserts, but the Doerr and a Cobb completed the 2013 base set. Markov completed 2014-15 UD hockey series 1 and the ANH series from Topps Illustrated is off the list as well. I was a set-completing bad ass on COMC. But the highlight of my purchase was these two cards.
Yeah - SUCK IT ARPSMITH! In all honesty, the card on the left was the only one I really wanted. But since I didn't have any copies of the card, I thought I should buy a second. I think it's pretty obvious why I bought the one on the left. There is no WAY in the world that is Ben's auto. My guess is his wife signed that one. I have see enough of his signature to know the one on the right is valid. I am surprised Best got the cards back and didn't notice this forgery. I wonder how many more like this are out there. I think it makes a hell of an oddball addition, though. Been looking at that card for a good 3 years now. And no one else bought it. It gets a center spot on the page in the Petrick binder.
Every Thursday, I post a card showing a ballplayer wearing a throwback uniform from my collection. Hopefully, he will be wearing it well, with proper pants blousing. I'll try not to duplicate a uniform. The picture may be from the front of the card, or the back. Enjoy the uniforms from years past.
Ray Durham - 2002 Fleer Tradition - Chicago White Sox
With their mounties, maple syrup, free health care and national sport, Canada seems like a pretty cool place. You have whole states provinces dedicated to a former ruling nation, the hockey hall of fame, Niagara Falls and loonies/two-nies. Canada also gave us Michael J Fox, Wayne Gretzky, Dan Aykroyd, Kids in the Hall, Fergie Jenkins, Rush, Todd McFarlane, Bronko Nagurski and a host of other wonderful and beautiful people.
Your beauty is no mystery.
Then again, Canada did release Celine Dion, Bieber and crazy anti vaxxer Jim Carrey. So you hosers owe us for those nut jobs. There are a few people I send and receive cards from in the hat of American. The most frequent packages flow back and forth from me to DJ at Sportscards from The Dollar Store. I'm jealous of some of the discount boxes he gets his hands on. Luckily, some of his purchases become part of NAFTA trading, as these two recent packages show.
Sox box entries for these three. I was so hoping when Thome arrived he would help us get back to the World Series to put a ring on his finger. It wasn't to be.
DJ is my biggest sender of Blackhawks. Dang near every package will have some, and this was no different. Stosh is always welcome at 2x3 headquarters, as is 2 time Stanley Cup champion Crow. And dig that Secord. I never realized how much Al Secord looked like one of the Sutter brothers. Duane in fact. Weird too that the number looks like a 16 when Al wore 20. Nice uncorrected error in the '90 Bowman with the wrong photo on the card.
Lastly was this sweet relic of Goulet. Michel finished out a nice career at the Chicago Stadium, though it was cut short with a nasty concussion. Still, hockey HOF'er and a number retired by the Nords.
Package #2 from DJ contained zero hockey. No biggie, though, because it was awesome like they always are.
If I recall, an almost complete Archives Sox team set was in the package. Alexei looks 14 in the photo.
And then these two came out. A Black Friday card of Abreu would have been the star of the package, until the on card auto of Sale showed it's face. This is my third Sale, but the other two are sticker autographs, so I am super glad to add one that is on card.
DJ, much thanks as always. I'm working a stack for you, but it's a little off from mailing just yet. And thank you for being much more like Mario Lemieux and far less like Avril Lavigne.
Not a lot of stuff comes in groups of 5. You have the Olympic rings, fingers on each hand and toes on each feet, the points on a star and the number of players on a basketball team. But really, not a lot comes grouped five at a time. Ten hotdogs, eight buns, Three Stooges, twelve eggs, four tires on a car, and six beers. Lucky number 7, nine players on a baseball team, eleven on a football/soccer team and a pair of shoes.
And just three of us. Or is it six?
So let's celebrate the number five with five images from five mailings I received from 5 different people. First up, Jaybarkerfan clone Matt from Bob Walk the Plank. Matt sent me just two cards, but oh what two cards they are.
I believe Kit's auto is from the 2013 Archives. Maybe 2012. And that gorgeous Sale Museum card is #/99. Again, I will not become a Sale supper collector. That being said - send me all your Chris Sale cards. Thanks Matt.
Hockey could be anyone. But hockey vintage points to one thing, a Holye-ing from Mark. These 4 cards bring my total of 74-75 Blackhawks cards to 4. Yup - first ones in the Hawks box. Appreciate the vintage, Mark.
Waiting 'til Next Year Tom dropped a PWE of bunts on me. I week or so back I talked about that Hudson card. I had 7 cards of the puzzle. Tom just dropped #8, and I received #9 a couple days ago (future post). So that is done. Thanks again, Tom.
The Junior Junkie TJ dropped this single Golden Age panel on me with a note there is more to come. TJ pulled it damaged (dig that crease through Christy's legs, but I love anything Golden Age. Love this in my binders. Not sure if I should be glad or scared there is more coming, TJ.
Started with two cards, and we'll end it that way, courtesy of Robert at $30 a Week Habit. The note enclosed read "I am glad someone else appreciates the 1964 set". I do, and I thank you for another card closer to completing the set (just under 50%). While I don't like this years Heritage, who am I to turn down a refractor insert? Robert is a bit out of commission on his blog. Come back soon!
Ok - so there is a good group of 5, all from the generosity of 5 different readers.
Before I get into the stack (literally - a STACK) I received recently, let me request a call to arms and mailings from the blogosphere. Chris' Old Foul Cardboard blog is slowly coming back to life. He put out a request for some cards to a couple kids he coached during a ball season. Now, I know we all would love to get some cards to some children still excited about the hobby. So please - read the post, email Chris and let's make it happen.
Ok, so now that you have cleared out your stacks to the kids, let's see the stack I recently received. I use the word in the proper literal sense and not the figurative sense.
See - that is a stack of cards. Johnny from Johnny's Trading Spot dropped a small flat rate box stuffed to overflowing with cards. But not just a mass of randomness. Every single card I received was a bunting card. In that stack is over 400 cards. Granted, a lot are dupes from what I already have in my collection, but Johnny hit me so hard I needed to start a 2nd bunting binder. Out of the 400 cards, 118 were new unique cards for my customer collection. With all the new additions, I am close to a thousand cards showing a player bunting.
Sorry Nick - hope you don't need these. At the least, you can find these for your pitcher at the plate and add them to your next Just Commons order. Lieber looks scared trying to lay one down. Or he needs to use the little boys room.
Vintage-y!!! Hubbard was a card on deck for the baker's dozen. And the Lynn....that is pure beauty.
One serialed card in the box. I really wonder if the /99 print rate on these is accurate. I rarely see these online and have pulled a grand total of one gold card from a UD product. Now I have to find the base of this card.
With such a huge stack of bunting cards, I went through to see who was represented on cardboard the most in a bunting position. This is by no means accurate, as it is only based on the stack of cards Johnny sent. I feel confident, though, the person in position #1 probably has the most bunting cards in production. But we'll get to that is time.
Third most player with bunting cards in the stack was Brady Anderson with 7.
The two cards on the left look identical, but the top one is die cut.
Runner up was Steve Finley with 8.
Sportflics sighting in the top right. But the king of this package in Brett Butler.
Butler laid down a lot of bunts.
An insane amount of bunting cards. In fact, I have 21 cards of Butler in the bunting binders. Was he really that fast down the first base line? Dodger collectors - answer? Many seem to be drag bunts.
Thanks a ton for the cards, Johnny. If anyone wants to start their own bunting binder, send me an email. Seriously, I have a ton of cards I would be more than happy to send you.
As you know, Topps Archives this year is only three years - 1957, 1976 & 1983. As I did in the past, let's look at those years in the music scene. Now, I know there are insert sets that honor 1968 and 1990 - I'm ignoring those. We are simply looking at the three main sets used for base. Also, this is not an opinion on the design, how true it is to the original or any of that. More than enough blogs have looked into those factors far more eloquently than I ever will. We are only hitting the airwaves with the three card designs.
1957.
Topps reached way back for the first year, hitting a design only 8 years into it's run. The radio in 1957 had been getting competition from television with many stars of the radio getting comedy shows on the tube. Rock and roll was still in diapers, so it was common to find so older music on the radio while the adults of the decade dealt with this hoodlums. Pat Boone was still a heart throb, Andy Williams was 5 years from having a show on television, Mel Tormè was singing Irish tunes, and Dick Haymes was....well, being Dick Haymes. Frank Sinatra had a classic from a movie soundtrack, Nat King Cole was still releasing hit after hit and Johnny Mathis was getting some recognition from his sophomore effort.
There was plenty of other good stuff to be found on the AM dial. Little Richard was confusing the masses, Chuck Berry recorded a classic in Chicago in May and Elvis went to prison (on the silver screen). Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong had a 2nd successful partnership on vinyl while Patsy Cline sung sorrowfully on the country charts. The biggest deal for 1957 may be some of the music super stars that debuted that year. You have Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Ricky Nelson and the smooth voice of Sam Cooke. But probably the biggest star to put out his first album in this year was the man in black, Johnny Cash.
1976.
The radio in 1976 was a mess. Rock and roll was a shell of itself after morphing out of the psychedelic phase into ....whatever the early 70's were. Disco was coming on strong as well. So we were stuck listening to stuff like solo Diana Ross, a dancing Leo Sayer and former bath house musician Barry Manilow. I am also putting the 2nd release from this jagoff in the crap pile because he is a right wing nutjob and I frankly don't like him, even if a couple of his songs are not too bad.
Thankfully, other stuff saved the airwaves. Peter Frampton asked how we felt from the biggest selling live album while Boston said it was more than just a feeling. My home city of Chicago got some props on the dial with releases from Styx, REO Speedwagon and Chicago. The Eagles were staying in Hotel California while Thin Lizzy was trying to be anywhere but where they were. Queen was into bondage, KISS was vocal about something and Rose Royce just wanted to clean your car. The fantastic 2112 album from Rush came out in 1976. And say what you want about these two groups, but I have a secret love of ABBA and the wonderful voice of The Carpenters. Artists that had their first albums released in 1976 include Heart, Tom Petty and the pioneers, The Ramones. And as amazing as The Ramones are, I am going to give the video posting the the great Stevie Wonder, who released his super album Songs In the Key of Life with this huge hit and personal favorite.
1983.
Hey - 1983. It's the year I graduated high school. What you kids call "alternative" was "new wave" when I was a teenager. FM radio was hitting it's stride. That's not to say '83 was great. Still had to deal with Spandau Ballet, and debuts from Wham! and Kajagoogoo. Know who else debuted in 1983? The queen of "look at me - no, look at ME", Madonna. Plus Night Ranger tagged themselves with a song they probably wished they never recorded.
But 1983 was a good year tune wise. As I mentioned new wave, you had Eurythmics and their dreams, Oingo Boingo waking them up and The Fixx saying they were both connected somehow. Donna Summer needed money, and may have used a body part ZZ Top appreciated to obtain it. It was a Big Country, and even bigger when the wall fell down around John Cougar Mellencamp. Huey Lewis wanted a different way to alter his mind. David Bowie wanted to get down, but Re-Flex tried to make it political. Duran Duran indirectly supported David, or the other side. The newest music stars to release their first album in 1983 ranged from the Violent Femmes to Weird Al. College radio favorite R.E.M also released their first album (or cassette). And before they passed the mantle of rock gods to U2, The Police left the industry with easily the greatest album ever made. It's one of the three discs I would want with me on a deserted island.
So there you have it. I am sure I missed a lot of songs, but you can't link to everything.
When I started blogging a little over 3 years ago, I did it to become a part of this community. I had stumbled on a few videos from Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius, and from the links on his blog, found there we so many more people out there that not only collected, but shared what they had. It was fun to peek into the collecting world, and other people's collections. Finding all the blog is what helped me become not just a better collector, but a smarter collector. Instead of picking away here and there, I could focus on what I wanted and felt more secure in giving up the things that I didn't feel attached to.
I remember those first cautious steps in the blog world, wanting to be accepted, not understanding the whole "trade" thing. It wasn't until I blogged that I completed my first baseball card trade. I mean that. I didn't collect with my brothers. I just had a couple friends that were into cards, and that was only during the junk wax era. There was never any trading, so I just stored everything I had. When I first traded, I was so worried I would upset someone, or do something wrong.
Now, screw it. I just send cards willy nilly. I know the moment I rip a pack if I even want to keep a rectangle. I don't worry about the cards I send, that is until I get a package in return. Then I feel like I need to step up my game.
That statement is very true based on two recent mailings from Brian at HSCA (get this post name?). Brian doesn't seem to have any of the fears I had when I started my blog. He jumped in with incredible mailings and a calm demeanor. Maybe it's an age thing. Or a Minnesota thing. Let's look at the 2nd package first, that arrived a couple days ago.
We've all seen enough 2015 Topps. What these show is the last card I needed for series one, in the McCann, and one of many cards that knocked me to needing 14 for series two.
Dig the silver borders! Brian included a nice amount of cards for the Sox box.
And a few for the binders as well. Will the Thrill cameo on the Cora DP cards. Those great 1911/12 throwbacks the Cubs wore in the early 90's (and again about 10 or so years ago for a Crosstown Classic). I have no idea what Jaha is smiling about, unless he is goofing with a REALLY bad bunting position.
The highlight of this mailing were these two great cards, each for different reasons. For the Mudcat, it's obvious - B-E-A-Utiful '59 miscut. For the Thomas, just wow. The shop job on that card is painful. So painful I think Topps hired the guy. But dig those crappy Twizzlers logos. UD had a license at this time, but maybe since Y&S Candies doesn't have the license, they could not use MLB logos. Yet, this is a card that is so bad, it's amazing.
Ok - package 2. Errr.....1. Brian did a road trip about a month ago and ran a contest one day. Identify the location of a picture posted and he would get you something. Luckily, with the scant bit of info he gave, and a little Google Mapping, I choose wisely with Cooperstown. Brian emailed me and asked who my favorite HOFer was. My reply: any White Sox, and even the ones that didn't make it in.
Brian then choose wisely in my prize pack.
A sweet '58 for the Aparicio project. Billy is a nice upgrade, and that meant the card that moved from the Pierce collection could go to the Sox team set. Win-win!
Recently deceased Minnie filled out the rest of the mailing, with a nice '58 and a hand signed TCMA. Minnie was always going to be a player project in the future, but his will be tough, with the extra years he played. Still should be fun.
Now just four cards. So why would Brian mail winnings in an envelope this large?
Luckily, that fiber board meant my postman had to walk up to the door because he couldn't jam the mail into the mailbox. And that was so thankful because this remained mint.
It's a matted 8x10 of Minnie. A could days after Minnie passed, I snagged a 3x5 index card autograph from him off ebay. I placed in it a card sleeve and into a box. Now, I just need to grab a 11x14 frame for this, and I'll work the auto in somehow. It will make for a great addition to my autograph wall.
Brian, you have more than outdone yourself. Not sure how to make this up, but I will try. And for those without a blog, get in the game, would ya? Trust me - we want to read what you have to say. When you put us all together, we make some mighty fine music.
