October Card Show - '53 Topps

Great googely moogely, it's almost December and I still have a bunch of stuff to post from the October card show! Better get on it. I have to pick up at least one 1953 Topps card for my set whenever I go to a card show. I did better than just one this time.

Vintage Yankees are such a pain in the butt. I've chased this one forever and finally picked this one up in the Uncle Dick's bargain bin for $3.50. Go away Loch Ness Monster! I don't have no three-fiddy for you! I spent it on Steady Eddie Lopat! I'm not sure what the 124 means on the top left corner as Ed's number is 87 in the set. This is also one of my favorite paintings in the set. DETERMINATION.

Billy Pierce is one of the best pitchers you've never heard of. 211 wins, one strikeout short of 2000, lifetime ERA Plus of 119. He's got the Tim Lincecum 420 look down pat too. I especially like the advertisements painted in the background. I really want to go out and buy some LL and RCE now. Hey... I wonder if the full painting showed the signs as saying BILL PIERCE. Some originals exist out there, I'll have to do some interwebs detectiving on that.

Hmmm... it does say ILL RCE. Close enough! Dang, the original painting was only 3 1/2" by 5"?? Anyone got three and a half grand, plus shipping I could borrow?

In the past 10 years Vintage Red Sox cards have become even MORE of a pain in the ass to come by than Vintage Yankees. This card of Sammy White took me forever to find. Unfortunately I'm rapidly running out of  low number commons to buy. Pretty soon I'm going to have to start budgeting a Jackson or (gulp) a Grant in my card show purchases just to knock off one card out of the set. Here's another ad in the background, this time with a W. Thank goodness I'm lazy or I'd be compelled to pull out the binder and check out all the signs in the background of the '53s looking for ones that include letters from the player's name.

Let's close this sucka out with a high number! Here's number 245, Bill Norman. In immaculate shape. Don't give me that look, brownie. This card is PERFECT. For a '53 Topps high number. Of a St. Louis Browns coach. That only cost me two bucks. PERFECT, I SAY. Ok, it's a little bit worn. Just a smidge. Slightly dinged corners. Tiiiiiiny little crease here and there. Who wants a mint vintage card anyway? I can buy some '53 Archives cards for that. I don't want no glossy cards with square corners! I want me some real nitty gritty vintage dammit! With pretty fluffy clouds in the background!

Sadly, no pages were completed with the acquisitions from this show. Maybe next show I'll pick up a '53 Jackie and knock out that first page. Lemme just find a Franklin first...