I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

While I didn't actually write any of them down, I have several collecting goals for 2007 that I've more or less completed. Complete the 2007 Topps set - check, complete the Allen & Ginter set - one card away, get the Topps stuff organized and want lists together - kinda check, work on the blog - double check. Another goal I had on the front burner was to complete some of my Braves team sets. Specifically I wanted to finish off at least one per decade. I did a pretty good job on that goal as I knocked out a bunch of 80's traded sets, 1977 Topps (with some auto'd cards no less), 1969 with Felipe Alou and I completed the 1953 set by finally tracking down a Warren Spahn. Anything more was a bonus, and that bonus arrived in the mail yesterday:

A gorgeous 1956 Topps Eddie Mathews card, the last one I needed for my '56 Topps team set. After the 1953 set, 1956 Topps is probably my next favorite set from Topps. A lot of people prefer the 1955 edition with the bright colors and the logo, but I think the action shots look much better in 1956. The photo here is spectacular, it appears that Eddie has just clobbered Pee-Wee Reese at second base. Eddie takes his base as poor Pee-Wee is sprawled out writhing on the ground while the ball is a yard away. The other two Hall of Famers have cool action pics as well. Hank has the famous Willie Mays sliding into home goof on his card, while Spahnie looks like a Greek God straddling Mount Olympus on his.

Now technically, I don't have a complete complete team set as I don't have the rare "1955" team card variety although I do have the left and center versions. I also don't have any of the 1956 Topps pins or the Warren Spahn Hocus Focus card either. It's still a team set though, I can work on the rarities and oddballs later. Here it is in all its glory (click to view a large version).