LAST SHOW I FOUND A NEW SELLER TUCKED AWAY IN THE BACK BOARDROOM WHO HAD TONS OF CHEAP VINTAGE. THE BOARDROOM WAS CLOSED THIS TIME SO HE WAS STUCK OUT IN THE LOBBY. I PLANNED TO CHECK OUT THE LOBBY TABLES ON MY WAY OUT IF UI HAD ANY CASH LEFT FROM MY VINTAGE/DIMEBOX PLANS AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THIS SELLER WAS ONE OF THE EXILED. THERE WAS SOME DIFFERENT STUFF THIS TIME AS THE DOLLAR JUNK PACKS WERE NOW TWO DOLLARS, BUT IN CLEAR PACKS SO YOU COULD SEE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLE CARDS. THERE WAS ALSO A LINE OF NEW THREE FOR A DOLLAR BOXES AND YOU KNOW I HIT THOSE HARD. I PICKED UP FIVE BUCKS WORTH AND COULD HAVE EASILY SPENT A TWENTY AS THERE WERE A TON OF COOL INSERTS AND SUCH FROM THE 90S IN THE BOXES. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN FOCUS HOWEVER AND RAIDED THE VINTAGE INSTEAD
I FOUND ONE MORE 1975 TOPPS CARD TO GO ALONG WITH DICK POLE. I WAS A FAN OF THE BULL WHEN I WAS A KID AS HE PLAYED FOR TWO TEAMS I LIKED, THE PHILLIES AND THE WHITE SOX. HE ALSO HIT DINGERS, WHICH IS ALWAYS GOOD. I WISH I COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH THIS PHOTO. IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE PLOPPED A HARDWARE STORE OUT IN RIGHT FIELD. I'M SURE SOME SABR MEMBER HAS WRITTEN TWO ARTICLES ABOUT THE TRUE VALUE AT THE PHILLIES SPRING TRAINING FACILITY BUT I'VE SQUINTED AT THE THING THROUGH A MAGNIFYING GLASS FOR LONGER THAN I SHOULD'VE AND MY FEELBLE MIND STILL CAN'T COMPREHEND IT
ONCE AGAIN IT WAS WAY EASIER TO FIND 77S I NEEDED. PARTLY BECAUSE I NEED WAY MORE FROM THAT SET AND BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE COMMONS BECAUSE I REFUSED TO BUY THEM FOR A QUARTER EACH A DECADE AGO THINKING I COULD PICK THEM OUT OF DIME OR EVEN NICKEL BOXES. GOOD LORD I'M A DOPE. IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY LIST I WOULD'VE SWORN I HAD ALL THESE CARDS EXCEPT THE MEDICH. THE CARTOON FROM GEORGE'S 1981 TOPPS CARD IMPRINTED IN MY MIND AT A YOUNG AGE AND I KNOW WHEN I HAVE A DOC MEDICH CARD. THE BURLESON I COULD STILL SWEAR I HAVE A FEW COPIES OF SOMEWHERE, MY OLD BRAINS ARE GETTING MORE SCRAMBLED EVERY DAY. AFTER THESE PICKUPS I'M DOWN TO NEEDING 39 CARDS FOR 1975 AND 62 FOR 1977. I GOTTA HIT ANOTHER SHOW SOON TO GET DOWN TO UNDER A HUNDRED COMBINED
I HAD BASKETBALL ON THE BRAIN FROM THE LAST SET OF BOXES AND MADE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE SMALL BUT EXCELLENT PILE OF VINTAGE HOOPS CARDS. THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT 1971-72 CARD. DID YOU KNOW PITTSBURGH HAD A BASKETBALL TEAM? DID YOU KNOW THEY WERE CALLED THE CONDORS? NO ONE TALKS ABOUT HIM NOW BUT STEW JOHNSON IS A LEGEND. HE BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER AT MURRAY STATE AND RECENTLY GOT HIS NUMBER 40 RETIRED BY THE PROGRAM. HIS CAREER LINED UP PERFECTLY WITH THE EXISTENCE OF THE ABA AND HE PLAYED FOR TEN DIFFERNT TEAMS: THE KENTUCKY COLONELS, NEW JERSEY AMERICANS, HOUSTON MAVERICKS, PITTSBURGH PIPERS, PITTSBURGH CONDORS, CAROLINA COUGARS, SAN DIEGO CONQUISTADORS, MEMPHIS SOUNDS, SAN DIEGO SAILS AND SAN ANTONIO SPURS. HE ALSO PLAYED FOR THE BALTIMORE CLAWS BEFORE THEY FOLDED IN PRESEASON! SURE SOME OF THOSE WERE THE SAME FRANCHISE WITH BRANDING CHANGES BUT I DOUBT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WHO WORE ELEVEN DIFFERENT ABA JERSEYS. STEW WAS ALSO A THREE TIME ALL-STAR AND IS IN THE TOP TEN ALL TIME FOR MULTIPLE ABA STATS. BIG RESPECT TO STEW
LIKE STEW, BOB PLAYED HIS ENTIRE CAREER IN THE ABA. UNLIKE STEW HE WAS ON THE INDIANA PACERS THE WHOLE TIME EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE YEARS WITH THE DALLAS CHAPARRALS/SAN ANTONIO SPURS. BOB WON A COUPLE ABA TITLES WITH INDIANA AND WAS A FOUR TIME ALL STAR. I LEARNED ABOUT BOB FROM THE SUPER 70S SPORTS PODCAST AND I'D STILL LIKE TO TRACK DOWN HIS BOOK SOME DAY. WHILE I TECHNICALLY PREFER THIS 1972-73 CARD DESIGN OVER 71-72 YOU REALLY CAN'T GO WRONG WITH EITHER ONE
THIS CARD IS THE BEST HOOPS PICKUP OF THE DAY THOUGH AS IT'S A STEALTH JULIUS ERVING CARD. I JUST WISH HE HADN'T BEAT MY FAVORITE TEAM THE KENTUCKY COLONELS. THERE'S ALSO A GEORGE MCGINNIS CAMEO ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CARD. GEORGE NEVER GOT ON A SPALDING AD IN COMIC BOOKS BUT HE'S STILL A HALL OF FAMER. OH WAIT, NEVER MIND, HE DID
I AM IN LOVE WITH EVERY CRAPPY MARKED UP SCRIBBLED ON VINTAGE CHECKLIST I CAN FIND NOWADAYS. THIS ISN'T EVEN THE BEST ONE I FOUND TODAY AND IT'S PRETTY GREAT. THIS KID MARKED OFF HIS CARDS WITH VERY NEAT X'S EXCEPT FOR THIS VERY CHECKLIST CARD WHERE HE SEEMED TO MOCK THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL WITH A SMILE. I FEEL BAD THAT HE WAS MISSING DUKE SNIDER AND EARLY WYNN BUT HE DID HAVE MAZEROSKI, ORLANDO CEPEDA AND LUIS APARCIO SO IT'S NOT ALL BAD. 61 TOPPS PUT THE MOST RANDOM ACTION PLAYS POSSIBLE ON THEIR CHECKLISTS AND THIS ONE PARTICULARLY LOOKS LIKE AN ACCIDENTAL RENAISSANCE PAINTING. EVERYBODY INVOLVED IS DOING SOMETHING WEIRD IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY THAN EVERYONE ELSE. I ESPECIALLY ENJOY THE UMP'S "GET A LOAD OF THESE GUYS" BODY LANGUAGE
THE BACK IS EXTRA GOOD AND NOT JUST BECAUSE THE KID HAD THE HANK AARON MVP CARD. TOPPS GOOFED THE NUMBERING ON THE MILWAUKEE BRAVES TEAM CARD AND THIS IS NOTED PROPERLY ON THE BACK. MOSTLY PROPERLY, THE CARD NUMBER IS CORRECT AND MILKWQUK TEQM IS CLOSE ENOUGH
IT HAD BEEN A VERY LONG TIME SINCE I HAD PICKED UP A 1963 TOPPS CARD WHICH IS A SHAME BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES. THIS IS A NICE LOOKING MANAGER CARD OF BILLY HITCHCOCK WHO WOULD MANAGE THE BRAVES A FEW YEARS LATER IN ATLANTA. I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE 1963 MANAGER CARDS BECAUSE THEY USE THE COOL OUTLINED LOGOS LAST SEEN IN THE 1960 TOPPS SET. LOOKIT THAT LITTLE BOID
I PICKED UP ALMOST A THIRD OF THE 1964 TOPPS SET CHEAP WHEN I WAS A KID BUT I DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHEAP COMMONS WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE SO I DON'T EVEN HAVE HALF THE SET NOW. MY CHANCE TO BUILD THE THING HAS PASSED BUT IT'S STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE 60S SETS SO I'LL HAPPILY TAKE WHAT I CAN GET. I FOUND A TRIO OF A ROOKIE CUP WINNER, A BRAVES LEGEND AND SOME GUY NAMED JIM
THE PETE WARD CARD ALSO HAS A SECRET AUTOGRAPH ON THE BACK! SOME CALL ME... TIM?
I'M PRETTY SURE I HAVE THIS 1966 CARD OF DENNIS MENKE IN MY TEAM SET BUT HOW COULD I PASS UP THAT FLAT TOP. THE 1966 SET MIGHT HAVE THE GREATEST PORTRAIT PHOTOS IN ANY TRADING CARD SET. BONUS FACT: MY GRANDFATHER CONSTANTLY CALLED MARK LEMKE DENNIS MENKE WHEN HE WAS WATCHING BRAVES BASEBALL IN THE 90S. I AM 100% CONVINCED HE DID IT ON PURPOSE TO BE FUNNY
THE LAST CARD OF THE BUNCH IS MAYBE THE BEST. AN EVEN MORE MARKED UP 1968 CHECKLIST WITH THE HEAD OF ORLANDO CEPEDA. NO NEAT X'S THIS TIME, EACH BOX IS AGRESSIVELY MARKED IN PENCIL, THEN PEN, THEN MOST OF THE NUMBERS ARE CROSSED OUT IN RED PEN FOR GOOD MEASURE. I THEORIZE THIS IS SOME SORT OF DOUBLES TRACKER OR WAY TO USE ONE CHECKLIST FOR MORE THAN ONE SET. OR MAYBE THE KID JUST HATED NUMBERS. GET THOSE DANG THINGS OUT OF HERE *SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE*
THUS ENDETH THE APRIL CARD SHOW. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE TOMORROW, MAYBE I'LL GO AND GET SOME MORE POSTS
2 comments:
Excellent pickups all around! Funny how you found the same 1961 Topps checklist that made me spend hours researching what on earth could be happening in their photo choices.
My hunch for that picture is Bobby Richardson protecting his head from a throw behind him on August 9, 1960, Yanks/White Sox: https://www.number5typecollection.com/2013/08/topps-baseball-checklists-and-1961.html
oh jeez i didn't realize there was a second Braves checklist i need to track down
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