BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 30: ALL-TIMER

TIME TO SHOW OFF MY BLACK FRIDAY 2022 BINGE. IN PREVIOUS YEARS I SET MY LIMIT AT THE PRICE OF A BLASTER. LUCKILY FOR ME, BLASTERS GOT SUPER EXPENSIVE DURING THE LOCKDOWN. THIS PLUS THE CREDIT I GOT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S PURCHASES MEANT I HAD TWICE AS MUCH TO SPEND AS THE YEAR BEFORE. MY PLAN GOING IN WAS TO WORK ON SOME SETS, GET THE REQUISITE PLAYER COLLECTION PICKUPS, SNAG SOME COOL THINGS I HAD TO PASS UP THE YEAR BEFORE, AND THEN GO BARGAIN HUNTING. I HAVE TO SAY THE PLAN WAS SUCCESSFUL, EVERYTHING I GOT HIT ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES. WHILE THE 'FINISH SETS' GOAL COULD HAVE GONE A LITTLE BETTER I WAS DEFINITELY WILDLY SUCCESSFUL AT EVERYTHING ELSE. IT WAS ALSO A QUANTITY OVER QUALITY SHOPPING SPREE. I GOT FORTY-TWO POSTS FOR FIFTY-NINE CARDS QUEUED UP FOR YOU, WITH ANY LUCK I'LL HAVE THEM ALL UP BEFORE THANKSGIVING. LET'S BEGIN WITH THE FIRST CARD I PUT IN MY CART

1976 TOPPS TED WILLIAMS ALL-TIME ALL-STARS

1976 TOPPS WAS ONE OF MY VERY FIRST FAVORITE SETS. I LOVED THE COLORFUL BORDERS AND THE LITTLE ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE POSITIONS. THE BACKS WERE GREAT TOO WITH THE BAT ON THE SIDE AND CARD NUMBER IN A BASEBALL. NOT QUITE AS FUN AS THE SCOREBOARD MOTIF IN '77 OR THE GAME IN '78 BUT THE FRONTS MADE UP FOR IT. PLUS IN THE EARLY 80S, IT WAS STILL PLENTIFUL AND CHEAP. THE ALL-TIME ALL-STARS SUBSET WAS ANOTHER FUN THING ABOUT THE SET, HALL OF FAME PLAYERS ON NEW CARDS, WHAT A CONCEPT. THEY WERE PRETTY EASY TO GET TOO, OTHER THAN TED AND THE BABE. YOU CAN PROBABLY STILL FIND COCHRANE AND GROVE IN SOME COMMONS BOXES NOWADAYS. I PICKED UP MOST OF THEM PRETTY QUICKLY BUT THE WILLIAMS ELUDED ME FOR A LONG TIME. MOSTLY BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS MISSING ONE OF THE ALL-STARS BUT FORGOT WHICH ONE. PRETTY SURE I GOT CONFUSED AND BOUGHT AN EXTRA GEHRIG OR COBB ONE TIME. AT THE TIME I NEEDED SIX CARDS TO COMPLETE THE '76 SET AND THEY WERE THE FIRST THING I LOOKED FOR WHEN I STARTED MY SEARCH. THIS TED WAS SUPER CHEAP DUE TO THE MUSHY CORNER AND '205' WRITTEN ON THE BACK SO I GRABBED IT RIGHT AWAY

HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE ONLY 1976 I PICKED UP DESPITE BEING IN FULL 'I'M GONNA COMPLETE THIS SET' MODE. PETE ROSE AND HANK AARON WERE PRICY AND WOULD HAVE BLOWN THE BUDGET SO I UNDERSTAND NOT GETTING THOSE. JIM RICE WAS THREE BUCKS AND CHANGE, MORE EXPENSIVE  THAN MOST EVERYTHING ELSE I GOT BUT NOT ALL THAT BAD. I HAVE NO EXCUSES FOR NOT PICKING UP CATFISH HUNTER OR THE CHECKLIST THOUGH, BOTH WERE A BUCK OR LESS EACH AND WERE OPEN IN TABS FOR A VERY LONG TIME BEFORE I FINALLY PASSED. I GUESS I DECIDED SINCE I WASN'T COMPLETING THE SET RIGHT AWAY I'D JUST LEAVE THEM FOR ANOTHER DAY? A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING, BUT SETS WERE COMPLETED AND KNOCKING OFF TED IS A GOOD STEP TOWARD KNOCKING THIS ONE OUT