WASTING SOME MONEY AT THE FLEA MARKET - PART 3: KID'S STUFF

HERE'S THE GRAND FINALE OF THE FLEA MARKET POSTS. PART 1: RANDOM JUNK, PART 2: BASEBALL IMMORTALS, NOW ON TO PART 3: SILLY RABBIT, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS FOR KIDS

I FEEL LIKE I SAY THIS EVERY TIME I POST SOMETHING I GOT FROM THE LAST BASEBALL CARD SELLER LEFT AT MY LOCAL FLEA MARKET, BUT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DIG DEEP, YOU CAN FIND SOME COOL DEALS AMONG THE OVERPRICED JUNK WAX. THIS LITTLE PACKAGE HERE WAS PRICED AT 6 CARDS FOR THREE BUCKS. FIFTY CENTS A CARD. WITH JESSE OWENS ON THE FRONT! NOT BAD. PLUS THERE WERE MORE THAN SIX CARDS IN THE PACK, I GUESS HE JUST KEPT PUTTING MORE IN THERE. WHILE I DO NOT SPECIFICALLY COLLECT SI FOR KIDS CARDS, I'VE ACCUMULATED A FEW THROUGH THE YEARS AND THIS SEEMED LIKE A GOOD PICKUP FOR THE PRICE OF A RETAIL PACK YOU CAN'T EVEN BUY ANYMORE THANKS TO FLIPPERS

FIRST CARD: 1990 JESSE OWENS. SI FOR KIDS SETS ARE A GREAT PLACE TO FIND CARDS OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN SPORTS OTHER THAN THE BIG TEAM SPORTS. JESSE HAS 163 CARDS PER TCDB GOING BACK TO 1936, SO IT'S NOT LIKE HE HAS NO OTHER CARDS OUT THERE, BUT OWENS IS SO ICONIC ANY CARD OF HIM IS A GOOD ONE. I WASN'T AWARE THAT SI FOR KIDS EVEN MADE CARDS BACK WHEN I WAS STILL TECHNICALLY A KID BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED BECAUSE AT THAT AGE I WANTED THE ACTUAL MAGAZINE, NOT SOME BABY STUFF EVEN IF THERE WERE CARDS IN THERE

SECOND CARD: 1991 RON GANT. GOODNESS GRACIOUS, LOOK AT THAT BORDER. WE ARE TRULY IN THE 1990S. I KNEW I WAS BUYING THE PACK WHEN I SPOTTED THIS ONE, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A DECENT CHANCE I ALREADY HAVE IT. THIS CARD IS FRESH OFF HIS 30/30 YEAR. GANT WAS SO DAMN GOOD, THAT ATV ACCIDENT IS ONE OF THE GREAT TRAGEDIES OF THE ATLANTA SPORTS CURSE

THIRD CARD: 1990 GORDIE HOWE. I'M SLOWLY BUT SURELY GETTING SOME OF MY HOCKEY CARDS SORTED OUT IN HOPES OF MAYBE UNLOADING THEM SOME TIME SOON BUT GORDIE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND I'VE BEEN PICKING OUT ANY OF HIS THAT I FIND. I SADLY HAVE NO VINTAGE ONES BUT HE'S GOT A TON OF CARDS ON INSERTS AND LEGENDS SETS FROM HIS POST-PLAYING DAYS

FOURTH CARD: 1990 WILMA RUDOLPH. THE DECEMBER 1990 ISSUE OF SI FOR KIDS HAD AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC LINEUP OF TRADING CARDS. CHECK IT OUT: BILLIE JEAN KING, JESSE OWENS, WILT CHAMBERLAIN, PELE, JACKIE ROBINSON, BABE DIDRICKSON ZAHARIAS, BABE RUTH, GORDIE HOWE AND WILMA RUDOLPH. NOT GOING TO FIND A MUCH BETTER LINEUP THAN THAT. I ALREADY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER WILMA RUDOLPH CARDS FROM OLYMPICS SETS BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE TOO MANY CARDS OUT THERE AND THIS IS A NICE LOOKING ONE WITH THAT WOOD BORDER

FIFTH CARD: 1989 OZZIE SMITH. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SHORTAGE OF OZZIE SMITH CARDS, BUT THEY'RE ALL PRETTY COOL NEVERTHELESS. THIS MIGHT BE MY OLDEST SI FOR KIDS CARD NOW AND I'M IMPRESSED THAT THEY USED THESE FUNKY BORDERS AS EARLY AS 89

SIXTH CARD: 1990 SCOTTIE PIPPEN. BASKETBALL CARDS WERE STILL SOMEWHAT OUTSIDE OF THE MAINSTREAM IN 1990. THIS IS A PRETTY NICE EARLY CARD OF SCOTTIE. THAT'S THREE HALL OF FAMERS, TWO OLYMPIC LEGENDS AND A BRAVES FAVORITE IN THE SIX-CARD PACK. EVERYTHING ELSE IN HERE IS GRAVY

CARD SEVEN: 1990 MICHELLE GILMAN. THIS IS THE ONLY MICHELLE GILMAN CARD EVER CREATED BECAUSE HER TWO SUBSEQUENT SI FOR KIDS CARDS CAME OUT AFTER SHE GOT MARRIED AND BECAME MICHELLE GOULD. IF YOU WANT THE ROOKIE CARD OF THE GREATEST RAQUETBALL PLAYER EVER, YOU NEED THIS ONE. I'M A LITTLE MIFFED SHE GOT A BASKETBALL TRIVIA QUESTION ON HER CARD INSTEAD OF ONE FOR RAQUETBALL LIKE ON HER OTHER CARDS. I DON'T CARE THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO TIE IN HER HOME STATE OF OREGON, THAT STILL SEEMS A LITTLE DISRESPECTFUL. SPOILER: THIS IS MY FAVORITE CARD IN THE PACK BY FAR AND I'M NOT KIDDING

EIGHTH CARD: 1990 GEORGE BRETT. ANOTHER HALL OF FAMER FROM A MISSOURI BASED TEAM. JUST NOTICING NOW THAT SI FOR KIDS KEPT THE SAME BORDER FROM 1989 TO 1990 BUT CHANGED THE COLOR FROM BLUE TO GREEN. WHO KNEW 1991 DONRUSS WAS RIPPING OFF SI FOR KIDS?

LAST CARD: 1990 TONY HAWK. SO. UHHH. APPARENTLY THIS IS TONY HAWK'S GODDAMN ROOKIE CARD*. I JUST LOOKED AT SOME ONLINE PRICES FOR THIS THING AND HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I CAN UNDERSTAND IT THOUGH, IT IS THE FIRST CARD OF THE MICHELLE GOULD OF SKATEBOARDING AFTER ALL. MAY I REMIND YOU, THIS WAS AN EXTRA CARD ON THE BACK OF THE PACK. I KINDA FEEL A LITTLE BAD NOW BUT I DIDN'T PRICE THE THING AND THAT PACK HAD BEEN SITTING IN A CASE FOR A HOT MINUTE WHEN I FOUND IT. YOU GOTTA KEEP DIGGING AT YOUR LOCAL FLEA MARKET, KIDS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT DEALS YOU MIGHT FIND

*ROOKIE CARDS ARE FAKE AND MADE UP AND TOTALLY A MARKETING SCHEME AND I'M A JUST A LITTLE BIT GLAD THEY HAVE COMPELTELY BRAINWASHED THE POPULACE AT THE MOMENT

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 16: GILBERT PART 1

HUZZAH! MOARER BRITISH CIGARETTE CARDS! THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR IS VERY BRITISH INDEED

1926 JOHN PLAYER AND SONS STRAIGHT LINE CARICATURES MR. G. K. CHESTERTON

THIS ODD LOOKING CHARACTER IS A CARD FROM THE STRAIGHT LINE CARICATURES SET FROM PLAYER'S AND SONS CIGARETTES. IT'S A COLLECTION OF CELEBRITY PORTRAITS DRAWN IN A VERY ABSTRACT ANGULAR STYLE BY SCOTTISH ARTIST  ALICK P.F. RITCHIE. ALICK WAS A PAINTER AND ILLUSTRATOR WHO ALSO PRODUCED AN EXTREMELY EARLY EXAMPLE OF ANIMATION WHICH I WISH I COULD DISCUSS BUT I CAN'T GET THE BFI PLAYER TO WORK. ALONG WITH POSTER ART, ALICK ALSO CREATED TWO TRADING CARD SETS INCLUDING THE VERY FUN ANIMALLOYS SET. WHILE A LOT OF THE CELEBRITIES IN THIS SET AREN'T VERY WELL KNOWN ANYMORE THEY ARE ALL AT LEAST INTERESTING TO LOOK AT IN THIS GEOMETRIC STYLE CREATED WITH ALL STRAIGHT LINES. CHARLIE CHAPLIN IS IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE WHILE WINSTON CHURCHILL LOOKS A BIT LIKE THE OFFSPRING OF A TOAD AND A TROLL. THE POOR EARL OF BALFOUR LOOKS LIKE HE WAS CREATED COMPLETELY OUT OF WOODEN BLOCK TOYS. NJWV HAS A NICE WRITEUP ON THE SET IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE. THIS SET CAUGHT MY EYE AND I WAS HOPING TO FIND A COOL ONE CHEAP

 CHAPLIN AND CHAMBERLAIN WERE NOT SO CHEAP BUT I WAS HAPPY TO PICK UP THIS CARD OF G.K. CHESTERTON. CHESTERTON WAS A PROLIFIC ENGLISH CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN WRITER WHO SEEMED TO INFLUENCE JUST ABOUT EVERYONE AROUND HIM WHETHER THEY AGREED WITH HIM OR NOT. HE WROTE A TON OF ESSAYS, CRITIQUES, POEMS AND CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC TEXTS BUT HIS NOVELS THAT SEEM TO STILL BE REMEMBERED ARE THE PROTO-SPY THRILLER THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY AND SURREAL SPECULATEIVE FICTION THE NAPOLEON OF NOTTING HILL. THE ONLY THING OF HIS I'VE ACTUALLY READ ARE SOME OF HIS FATHER BROWN MYSTERY SHORT STORIES. THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE THEM IS TO IMAGINE IF SHERLOCK HOLMES WAS A SMALL CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO SOLVES CRIMES LIKE COLUMBO AND THEN LECTURES LITERALLY EVERYONE INVOLVED INCLUDING THE MURDER VICTIM THAT THEY WERE NOT NEARLY PIOUS ENOUGH. THEY'RE PRETTY FUN LITTLE MYSTERIES AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FILM AND TELEVISION ADAPTATIONS. LIKE MOST CONSERVATIVES, HIS LEGACY IS SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED (THE LARGEST SECTION OF HIS WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE IS TITLED 'CHARGES OF ANTISEMITISM') BUT IN GENERAL IT SEEMS LIKE HIS HEART WAS MORE OR LESS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. THE REAL REASON I WAS EXCITED TO SNAG THIS CARD IS BECAUSE GILBERT IS KINDA SORTA A CHARACTER IN NEIL GAIMAN'S SANDMAN COMICS. FIDDLER'S GREEN, ALSO KNOWN AS GILBERT, IS HEAVILY BASED ON CHESTERTON'S APPEARANCE AND IS PORTRAYED BY STEPHEN FRY IN THE NETFLIX SERIES. THE SANDMAN GILBERT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM THE COMIC AND IS A HELLUVA RIGHTEOUS DUDE. WHILE THERE IS A FIDDLER'S GREEN CARD FROM A 1994 SANDMAN TRADING CARD SET, IT'S PRETTY SCARCE AND THIS VINTAGE GILBERT IS A NICE SUBSITUTE

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 18: OLD HOX

I LOVE OLD 1970S TOPPS BASKETBALL CARDS AND I LOVE THE ATLANTA HAWKS SO BLACK FRIDAY SALES ARE A GOOD TIME TO WORK ON DEM TEAM SETS

1973-74 TOPPS BOB CHRISTIAN

WHEN I WAS A TINY CHILD AND DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER I MADE THE FOOLISH CHOICE TO BECOME A FAN OF ALL MY LOCAL SPROTS TEAMS. ADMITTEDLY, THIS WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL FOR THE BRAVES. ON THE FLIP SIDE THIS CHOICE HAS COMPLETELY RUINED HOCKEY FOR ME FOREVER. THANK GOODNESS I AM AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN A LIFELONG PITTSBURGH STEELERS FAN AND NEVER GOT MY GUTS RIPPED OUT BY NONSTOP RIDICULOUSNESS FROM THE LOCAL NFL TEAM. THE HAWKS THOUGH... IT'S FUNNY, BEING A HAWKS FAN HASN'T BEEN ALL THAT PAINFUL BECAUSE THE HAWKS ARE SUCH A GODDAMN FUCKING TRAINWRECK THAT THERE HAVE RARELY BEEN ANY EXPECTATIONS. AT THE SAME TIME THEY'VE USUALLY BEEN PRETTY ENTERTAINING AND HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW SUPERSTARS ON THE ROSTER. DOMINIQUE WILKINS, DIKEMBE MUTOMBO, JOE JOHNSON, TRAE YOUNG. THOSE ARE ALL GREAT, SUPER FUN PLAYERS! WHO HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBER OF NBA CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS THAT I DO

I LOVE THE HELL OUT OF THE HAWKS BUT RIGHT NOW I'M HAVING SEVERE ANXIETY ABOUT THE POOR CHOICES OF MY YOUTH. BARELY SIX MONTHS AFTER TRADING FOR THE FINAL PIECE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP-QUALITY TEAM THE HAWKS HAVE: WRECKED THEIR BENCH TO GET UNDER THE LUXURY TAX, LET THE OWNER'S KID MEDDLE IN BASKETBALL OPERATIONS, RAN OFF THE GUY WHO BUILT THE TEAM IN THE FIRST PLACE, COMPLETELY ALIENATED THE COACH THAT GOT THEM TO THE FINALS, AND PROBABLY OVERPAID FOR THAT LAST PIECE SEEING THAT THEY ARE STILL AT BEST A PLAY-IN TEAM AT THE MOMENT. WORST OF ALL, THEY HAVE CAUGHT ATLANTA FALCONS DISEASE AND CONSISTENTLY BLOW 15 POINT LEADS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT SO GAMES AREN'T EVEN FUN TO WATCH ANYMORE. ARTIS GILMORE WAS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PLAYER THAT WASN'T A HAWK WHEN I WAS A KID AND I COULD HAVE BECOME A SPURS OR BULLS FAN AND CELEBRATED A PILE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS. AT LEAST THIS TEAM ISN'T A COMPLETE DISASTER LIKE THE 70S HAWKS

THOSE TEAMS WERE PRETTY BAD. THEY RAN OFF LENNY WILKENS IN THE MOVE FROM ST. LOUIS. THEY PICKED DAVID THOMPSON NUMBER ONE OVERALL AND THEN MANAGEMENT FOULED UP THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS SO BAD HE SIGNED WITH THE ABA. THEY COMPLETELY WASTED THE TALENT OF LOU HUDSON, PETE MARAVICH AND JOHN DREW. HEY, THEY SOUND A LOT LIKE THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT. TED FLIRTING WITH MOVING THE TEAM TO NEW ORLEANS IN THE 80S. TRADING NIQUE AND WRECKING TEAM CHEMISTRY THE SEASON THEY WERE MOST PRIMED TO MAKE THE FINALS. WHATEVER THE HELL WAS GOING ON DURING THE SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM ERA. CHOOSING DWIGHT HOWARD OVER AL HORFORD. THIS POVERTY FRANCHISE IS A NIGHTMARE. I LOVE EM THO

1970S BASKETBALL CARDS ARE ALL WONDERFUL. THE DESIGNS ARE GREAT, THERE ARE LOTS OF ABA CARDS AND TOPPS DID A LOT OF WEIRD INTERESTING STUFF TRYING TO SELL CARDS BEFORE ANYONE CARED ABOUT THE NBA. THE 73-74 SET HAS A WONDERFUL ELEGANT DESIGN AND REALLY GREAT TERRIBLE PICTURES. NINETY PERCENT OF THE PHOTOS IN THE SET ARE MUGSHOTS LIKE ON BOB'S CARD HERE OR AWKWARD POSED PHOTOS AGAINST A BLANK WALL. ONLY A SMALL HANDFUL OF CARDS ALONG WITH THE ALL STAR AND PLAYOFF SUBSETS GET AN ACTUAL GAME PHOTO. GO CHECK OUT THE GALLERY, IT'S GLORIOUS CHEESE. THE BACKS ARE AS GOOD AS THE FRONT, CHRISTMASY COLORS WITH A CARTOON, A NICE WRITEUP AND FULL CAREER STATS. IT'S A NICE BIG SET OF 264 CARDS FEATURING 29 DIFFERENT NBA AND ABA TEAMS

COLLECTING TEAM SETS FOR 70S BASKETBALL IS A BIT ODD. THE EARLER SETS WERE LARGER AND HAVE A GOOD REPRESENTATION FROM EACH TEAM, BUT THE LATE 70S SETS WERE ONLY 132 CARDS SO THE NUMBER OF CARDS PER TEAM DROPS A LOT. THE 77-78 HAWKS TEAM SET ONLY HAS FOUR CARDS, NOT EVEN ENOUGH FOR A STARTING LINEUP! THE LARGEST HAWKS TEAM SET IS FROM THE 80-81 TRIPLE PANEL SET WITH ELEVEN DIFFERENT PLAYERS, WHICH IS GOOD. BUT THEY ARE SPREAD ACROSS THIRTY DIFFERENT PANELS, WHICH IS BAD. 73-74 HAS A MANAGABLE NINE PLAYERS PLUS A PLAYOFF FAILURE CARD. THAT'S BIG ENOUGH TO INCLUDE SOME BENCH PLAYERS LIKE BOB HERE

THIS IS BOB'S LAST CARD, ALTHOUGH HE PLAYED ONE MORE SEASON WITH PHOENIX IN 1974. HE PLAYED COLLEGE BALL AT GRAMBLING STATE BEFORE BEING DRAFTED BY THE HAWKS IN THE EIGHTH (!!!) ROUND. NBA DRAFT USED TO BE CRAZY, CHRISTIAN'S DRAFT HAD 20 ROUNDS AND THE HAWKS MADE A SELECTION IN ALL OF THEM. BOB PLAYED ONE GAME EACH FOR THE DALLAS CHAPARALLS AND NEW YORK NETS IN THE ABA BUT MADE HIS WAY BACK TO THE HAWKS AND WAS THEIR BACKUP CENTER FOR THREE YEARS, PULLING DOWN OVER A THOUSAND REBOUNDS IN HIS CAREER. AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN FIND ON BOB CHRISTIAN, HE'S KIND OF HARD TO GOOGLE AS THERE IS ALSO A BASEBALL PLAYER, FOOTBALL PLAYER AND FAILED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SHARING HIS NAME. WHICH IS A BIG REASON WHY THIS POST WENT OFF THE RAILS WITH AIRING MY BASKETBALL FANDOM GRIEVANCES. THAT AND ALL THE COFFEE I DRANK BEFORE WRITING THIS

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 17: COMPLETION

NOTE: I SKIPPED PART 16 BECAUSE I THINK THAT CARD IS COOL AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WRITE ABOUT IT BUT MY BRAIN WON'T WORDS. JUST GONNA MOVE ON AND WE'LL GET TO IT WHEN IT'S READY

I WAS A GOOD COLLECTOR AND COMPLETED A SET! SORT OF

1981 TOPPS GIANTS FUTURE STARS

1981 TOPPS WAS THE FIRST SET I COLLECTED. I HAD A COUPLE CARDS THAT I PICKED UP HERE AND THERE BUT 81 TOPPS WAS THE FIRST SET WHERE I BOUGHT A BUNCH OF PACKS AT THE CORNER MARKET AND SORTED THEM ALL OUT AND MARKED CHECKLISTS AND THEN MADE MY OWN TEAMS OUT OF THE PLAYERS AND WROTE IN NEW POSITIONS IF THE TEAM NEEDED A SHORTSTOP OR LEFT FIELDER AND GOT BORED AND CUT OFF THE HAT ON THE FRONT OF A COUPLE OF THE CARDS AND TAPED IT TO ANOTHER CARD BECAUSE NOW THEY GOT TRADED IN MY MIND AND CRUMPLED UP A RANDOM CARD AND THREW IT ACROSS THE ROOM WHEN I GOT MAD AND LOST A J.R. RICHARD CARD IN BETWEEN THE SEAT OF MY GRANDFATHER'S STATION WAGON AND WAS ASTOUNDED BY HOW CLEAN IT WAS COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER 81 TOPPS CARDS I HAD TRASHED WHEN I FOUND IT YEARS LATER. IN 1982 I DIDN'T COME ACROSS TOO MANY PACKS OF ANYTHING AND IN 1983 I FIGURED OUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A COLLECTOR AND MADE AN ATTEMPT TO BE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT CAREFUL WITH MY CARDS. THIS MEANS THAT 1981 TOPPS WAS REALLY THE ONLY SET THAT I TRULY GOT TO JUST FULLY ENJOY. EVEN THOUGH MY BINDER IS FILLED WITH A BUNCH OF CREASED CARDS WITH BAD CORNERS AND SLIGHT MANGLING IT'S A SPECIAL SET TO ME. BUT DANG WAS IT HARD TO COMPLETE

HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH 1981 TOPPS: NOBODY CONSIDERS IT VINTAGE VINTAGE, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT JUNK JUNK WAX. THE HIGH FALOOTIN' VINTAGE SELLERS WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT AND WILL SNOOT THEIR NOSE AT YOU IF YOU ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY. THE BOXES OF JUNKWAX TRASH YOU FIND EVERYWHERE ARE PACKED WITH 1987 TOPPS AND 1988 DONRUSS AND 1989 FLEER AND 1990 UPPER DECK AND WHATEVER SCORE HAPPENS TO BE LYING AROUND AND YOU'LL BE LUCKY TO FIND HALF A DOZEN 81 TOPPS CARDS IN A DOZEN MONSTER BOXES. THIS IS A REAL PAIN IN THE ASS WHEN YOU NEED ONE DANG CARD FOR THE SET AND IT'S NOT A SUPERSTAR CARD. ONE TIME AT A CARD SHOW I THOUGHT I HAD COMPLETED IT WHEN I FOUND AN 81 NOLAN RYAN ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT RYAN WAS THE LAST CARD I NEEDED FOR 1980*. THIS STUFF IS JUST WEIRDLY HARD TO FIND UNLIKE THE CRAZY OVER PRINTED FLEER AND DONRUSS FROM THAT YEAR. I FINALLY BIT THE BULLET AND VASTLY OVERPAID FOR A ROOKIE CARD FEATURING THREE GUYS WHO PLAYED 72 GAMES IN THE BIGS FOR A TOTAL OF 1.2 WAR. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, THERE IS A BIG CREASE IN THE CARD WHICH MAKES IT FIT RIGHT IN WITH THE REST OF MY SET! COMPLETE AFTER 40 YEARS! EXCEPT... IT'S NOT ACTUALLY COMPLETE SINCE THE TRADED SET CONTINUES THE NUMBERING OF THE MAIN SET. AND I TRIED AND FALED TO FIND ONE FOR SALE BACK WHEN IT COST THIRTY BUCKS AND NOW IT COSTS A HUNDO. OH WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS ONE MORE THING TO COLLECT

*THIS SET IS COMPLETE THANKS TO A GENEROUS DONATION FROM CARDBOARD ICONS. WHY IS NOLAN RYAN SUCH A PAIN EXCEPT WHEN I ALREADY HAVE THE CARD

WASTING SOME MONEY AT THE FLEA MARKET - PART 2: IMMORTALS

A BRIEF RECAP OF MY LAST WASTING MONEY AT THE FLEA MARKET POST - I FOUND SOME BOXES OF OLD HALL OF FAME CARDS, PICKED UP A VINTAGE FLEER CARD, A FEW INSERTS OUT OF FIFTY CENT BOXES AND NABBED A GINTER MINI INSERT OF A FISH. THE STAN MUSIAL INSERTS WERE NOT THE ONLY THING I GOT FROM THE FIFTY CENT HALL OF FAME BOX, I ALSO FOUND THESE:

A BIG HONKIN' PILE OF BASEBALL IMMORTALS CARDS! I LOVE THE HELL OUT OF THESE THINGS AS THEY WERE RELEASED RIGHT AS I STARTED COLLECTING AND WERE EVERYWHERE FOR A WHILE BUT THEY WERE ALSO TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO PICK UP A SET SO I HAVE TO ADMIRE THEM FROM AFAR. OTHER THAN THE RANDOM ONES I PICKED UP IN CARD COLLECTOR KITS OR RANDOM JUNK BAGS FROM TOYS R US. I FOUND THIRTEEN OF THEM AND NOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM ALL

AAWWWWW YEAAAAH ERNIE BANKS IN THE CHEAP(ish) BOX AND NOT THE EXPENSIVE BOX. I KNOW THE ENTIRE SET IS HALL OF FAMERS BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STAR STARS IN THIS PILE AND IT'S NICE TO GET THEM REASONABLY CHEAP. SO APPARENTLY THIS SET IS TECHNICALLY CALLED 1980-1987 SSPC HALL OF FAME. I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN IT AS BASEBALL IMMORTALS, THERE AIN'T NO SSPC ANYWHERE ON THAT CARD

ANOTHER CHEEP BIG SOOPASTAR IN WHITEY FORD. HE'S MAYBE NOT QUITE IN THAT TOP TOP TIER OF HALL OF FAMERS BUT BUT HE'S A YANKEE SO THAT BUMPS UP THE PRICES A SMIDGE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE BACKS. THE YELLOW IS VERY SOOTHING AND THE BIO WRITEUPS ARE GREAT. THE TRIVIA QUESTION ON THIS CARD MAKE ME THINK THAT THIS RECORD HAD TO HAVE BEEN BROKEN BY NOW WITH ALL THE DINGERS FLYING OUT THE PARKS LATELY. SURPRISIINGLY THE CURRENT RECORD IS HELD BY FELLOW HALL OF FAMER BERT BLYLEVEN WITH 50 IN 1986. PITCHERS ARE GIVING UP MORE HOME RUNS BUT THEY SURE AREN'T THROWING AS MANY INNINGS

OUT OF ALL THE CARDS IN THIS LOT THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE I ALREADY HAD. WELL ALMOST. THERE WERE TWO OTHER CARDS THAT WERE DOUBLES BUT NOT QUITE THE SAME. IF YOU INSIST ON MASTER SETS, THIS ONE IS A NIGHTMARE. EVERY ORIGINAL SERIES BASE CARD HAS THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS: 1ST PRINTING WITH A MLB LOGO NEXT TO THE CARD NUMBER, 1ST PRINTING WITH NO MLB LOGO, AND NO FIRST PRINTING OR MLB LOGO ON THE BACK. THEN THERE'S SOME EXTRA ERROR CARDS FOR SOME PLAYERS AND THE HIGH NUMBERED UPDATE CARDS HAVE THEIR OWN WEIRDNESS. BUT THIS DUKE IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS MY OTHER DUKE 

THIS IS ONE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGH NUMBERS AND YES, THERE IS WEIRDNESS. FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS ANOTHER DOUBLE. I HAD BROCK ALREADY - BUT WITH A YELLOW AND GREEN BORDER. THIS IS HOW I FOUND OUT THERE WERE COLOR VARIATIONS ALONG WITH THE 1ST PRINTING AND LOGO NONSENSE. NOT EVEN COUNTING THE HANDFUL OF ERRORS FROM THE ORIGINAL SET, THAT IS WAY TOO MANY VARIATIONS. LUCKILY, THE ONLY COLOR VARIATIONS ARE IN THE SECOND UPDATE OF HALL OF FAMERS ELECTED IN 1985 AND 1986. IF YOU LOOK AT THE NAME AND DATE TEXT ON THE FRONT YOU'LL NOTICE IT IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE TEXT ON THE ORIGINAL SERIES CARDS. DIFFERENT TEXT ON THE UPDATE SERIES CARDS IS GOING TO BE A THEME, SO PREPARE YOURSELF. ALSO WHILE THE REST OF THE SET IS MORE OR LESS ORDERED BY THE YEAR OF INDUCTION TO THE HALL OF FAME, THIS SECOND SERIES HAS THE 1986 INDUCTEES BEFORE THE 1985 INDUCTEES. AND JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE THE YEAR IS WAY OFF CENTER IN THE PENNANT ON THIS CARD. SO MUCH WEIRDNESS

ALSO SOMETHING I JUST NOTICED WHILE TYPING THIS UP - SSPC DITCHED THE TRIVIA QUESTION FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD UPDATES. I WAS WONDERING WHY THE BACKS LOOKED SO BARREN

CY FREAKIN YOUNG. SO HALL OF FAMERY HE'S GOT AN AWARD NAMED AFTER HIM. THIS PHOTO'S GOTTA BE THE ONE USED ON HIS T206 PORTRAIT CARD, RIGHT? IT'S EVEN GOT THE SAME GREEN BACKGROUND

ALL RIGHTY, HERE WE GO. OUR FIRST CARD FROM THE FIRST UPDATE SERIES FEATURING PLAYERS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME FROM 1981-1984. DO YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE? ARE YOUR EYES BLEEDING YET? YEP, THAT'S RIGHT, THEY USED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FONT FOR THE TEXT ON THE UPDATE CARDS. EXCEPT SERIES TWO, WHICH WENT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FONT, JUST SMALLER. EVEN THE 1ST PRINTING LINE IS DIFFERENT! IT'S IN UPPER AND LOWERCASE NOW. NEXT TIME YOU SEE A TOPPS REPRINT OR ARCHIVES CARD WITH HORRIBLY BUTCHERED TEXT REMEMBER THE SSPC HALL OF FAME UPDATES AND SHED A SINGLE TEAR 

RAJAH IS THE SECOND BRAVES PLAYER IN THIS LOT ALONG WITH CY YOUNG. THIRD IF YOU COUNT KING KELLY WHO IS THE TRIVIA ANSWER ON CY'S CARD. HE'S ANOTHER INNER CIRCLE HALL OF FAMER KINDA GUY BUT DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE? OR MOST OF THE PRE-INTEGRATION GUYS FOR THAT MATTER

300 WINS, TWO WORLD SERIES RINGS, TWO TRIPLE CROWNS, AN MVP AWARD AND PROBABLY WOULDA HAD A FEW CY YOUNGS IF THEY EXISTED WHEN HE PITCHED. DAMN GOOD PITCHER. I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A SNARKY JOKE ABOUT HOW NOWADAYS HE WOULDN'T GET ELECTED UNTIL LIKE THE 6TH BALLOT BUT I CHECKED THE ACTUAL VOTE TOTALS AND IT DID TAKE HIM FOUR BALLOTS TO GET IN. AND THEN HE GOT SIX MORE VOTES IN 1960 FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT'S REALLY HARD TO SNARK ON A PROCESS THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO FUCKED UP

THIS IS THE SECOND ONE THAT I KINDA ALREADY HAD BUT ALSO SORTA DIDN'T. NO DIFFERENCE ON THE FRONT THIS TIME BUT MY OTHER STAN MUSIAL HAS A SMALL MLB LOGO TO THE LEFT OF THE CARD NUMBER. THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I HAVE WITH THE MLB LOGO, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY ARE SCARCE OR NOT AND I DON'T REALLY EVEN WANT TO KNOW. IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO OF THE SAME CARD, YOU CAN DO WORSE THAN STAN THE MAN

ANOTHER 1ST UPDATE DODGER CARD. GREAT CARD BUT THE PLAYER NAME WEIRDS ME OUT

 P E E   W E E   R E E S E

I LIKE THAT THE TRIVIA QUESTIONS FOR THE UPDATE CARDS ARE ABOUT THE PLAYER ON THE CARD. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS ARE THE SAME AND AM TOO LAZY TO FIND OUT. CHECK YOURSELF AND LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS*

EARLY WYNN IS GREAT BECAUSE HE'S A HALL OF FAMER BUT EVEN THE GREEDIEST SELLERS KINDA FORGET HE IS ONE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE SO IT'S EASY TO PICK UP HIS CARDS CHEAP. HE'S GOT SOME GOOD LOOKING CARDS TOO, I'M ESPECIALLY FOND OF HIS 1960 TOPPS #1 CARD. LIKE LEFTY, HE WON EXACTLY 300 GAMES IN HIS CAREER. THAT LAST SEASON WITH CLEVELAND WASN'T IN VAIN

"CATFISH" HALL OF FAME CARD FROM THE THIRD AND LAST UPDATE IN 1987. THE FONT CHANGES YET AGAIN, BACK TO THE SERIFS FROM THE FIRST UPDATE, JUST SLIGHTLY SMALLER. IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING THEY STOPPED MAKING UPDATES, IF THEY KEPT ON SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN STYLES AND MAKING THE TEXT SLIGHTLY SMALLER EACH TIME IMAGINE HOW TINY THE LETTERS WOULD BE BY THE LATE 90S

IT'S STILL MAKES ME LAUGH THAT BASEBALL OWNERS USED TO HAVE SO MUCH DAMN CONTROL OVER THEIR PLAYERS THEY COULD LITERALLY GO UP TO A PLAYER AND SAY FUCK YOU, YOUR NAME IS "CATFISH" NOW. GOD BLESS MARVIN MILLER

START WITH A CUB, END WITH A CUB. MAYBE THE MOST DISAPPOINTING THING ABOUT THIS SET IS THE FACT IT IS COMPLETE AT 199 CARDS, MEANING THE LAST PAGE IN A BINDER WOULD BE POOR RAY DANDRIDGE ALL BY HIMSELF.  IF I GET TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE ENOUGH OF THESE CARDS TO PUT IN PAGES I WILL PROBABLY FILL OUT THAT LAST PAGE WITH SOME BIG LEAGUE CHEW HOME RUN LEGENDS CARDS, WHICH HAS AN ALMOST IDENTICAL DESIGN. I HAVE SIX OF THEM INCLUDING A HANK AARON I ACTUALLY PULLED FROM A POUCH MYSELF! IT GOT KINDA MOOSHED INSIDE THE POUCH BUT A FIRST PACK-PULLED HANK CARD IS NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT. IF I SOMEHOW COMPLETE THAT SET I'LL HAVE TO IMPROVISE. MAYBE SOME ACTUAL 1975 CARDS, PERHAPS?

THIS POST TOOK A WHILE TO FINISH AND IN THE MEANTIME I GOT MY ACT TOGETHER AND ADDED MY NEEDS TO A WANTLIST. PLEASE NOTE I ALREADY HAVE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE OFFERING ME CARDS NOW THAT I AM BACK TO POSTING  AND UNFORTUNATELY I AM BUSY AND LAZY AND IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER DOLDRUMS SO IT MIGHT BE A BIT BEFORE I RESPOND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

*LOOK AT ME, DRIVING ENGAGEMENT. IT'S LIKE I'M A REAL INTERNET INFLUENCER