2023 COMC BINGE - PART 3 AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

 THIRD UP ON THE LIST OF STUFF I NEEDED IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS THE COMC BLACK FRIDAY SALE STARTED WAS THE LAST FEW CARDS I NEEDED FOR MY 1976 TOPPS SET. 76 TOPPS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OLDER SETS I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH AS A KID THANKS TO THE COLORFUL BORDER AND TINY POSITION ILLUSTRATION. YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THE VERY LAST CARD I NEEDED FOR THE SET SO HERE'S THE PENULTIMATE ONES

1976 TOPPS JIM HUNTER

HERE IS AN INCREDIBLY BEAT UP CATFISH BUT IT COST 72 CENTS SO I DON'T MIND. I GOT THE MAJORITY OF 1976 CARDS FROM COMMON CARD BRICKS FOR A COUPLE BUCKS EACH AT MY LOCAL CARD SHOP WHEN I WAS A KID AND THE TWO THINGS YOU DID NOT SEE IN THOSE BRICKS WERE STARS AND YANKEES. NO WONDER HUNTER ELUDED ME ALL THOSE YEARS. I NEVER PROPERLY APPRECIATED ALL THE DUTCH ANGLES ON OLDER CARDS WHEN I WAS A KID AND IT'S NICE TO SEE IT HERE

ANOTHER BIG REASON I LOVED THIS SET WAS THE BACKS. THE DARK GREEN BACKS WERE VERY SOOTHING (AND EASIER TO READ THE STATS WITH YOUNGER EYES) AND THE BALL/BAT COMBO FOR THE CARD NUMBER WAS VERY APPEALING. THE BACK MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE BEAT US THAN THE FRONT AS IT'S HARD TO DECIPHER SOME OF THE STATS BUT WE HAVE BASEBALL-REFERENCE FOR THAT NOWADDAYS

THIS CARD IS GOING TO LIVE SNUGLY INSIDE ANCIENT PAGES PACKED TWO TO A POCKET FOR NOSTALGIA'S SAKE SO WE WON'T SEE ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS ANYHOO. PETE LACOCK AND BIFF POCOROBA MAY BE THE BEST POCKET NEIGHBORS OF ANY CARD IN THE SET

1976 TOPPS CHECKLIST 133-264

I THINK I AM NOW INCAPABLE OF BUYING A CHECKLIST THAT ISN'T MARKED ALL TO HELL. WHO WANTS A CLEAN UNMARKED CHECKLIST WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE DRAMA OF SOME KID'S COLLECTION JOURNEY FROM 40-SOMETHING YEARS AGO. THERE'S SOME REAL ACTION ON THIS PAGE, TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF INK AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OFF EXCEPT THAT LONE GORMAN THOMAS CARD. POOR KID, THAT'S A GREAT LOOKING CARD

MORE DRAMA ON THE BACK! THAT KID NEEDS TWO CARDS NOW! I FEEL LIKE BLYLEVEN WAS ONE OF THE LAST CARDS I NEEDED AS WELL. THE KID HAD WINFIELD, YAZ, THAT ROTTEN PETE ROSE AND ALL THE LEADER CARDS BUT NO ROY WHITE. THIS CARD EPITOMIZES THE TRUE HEARTBREAK OF SET COLLECTING. BUT AT LEAS HE HAD ALL THESE CARDS, THE POOR KID WITH THE PRISTINE CHECKLIST CARD HAD NO CARDS AT ALL!

ANOTHER TOP LEFT CORNER CARD HERE. LYMAN BOSTOCK AND WILLIE DAVIS ARE SOME PRETTY GOOD POCKET NEIGHBORS AS WELL! AND SPY THAT POPS IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT. HOT DAMN THIS SET LOOKS GOOD

1976 TOPPS JIM RICE

JIM'S CARD WAS DEFINITELY ONE THAT WAS LOCKED UP IN THE CASE WHEN I WAS A KID. MAYBE ONE IN THIS CONDITION WAS IN THE BARGAIN BOX, BUT IF IT WAS IT DIDN'T LAST LONG. THIS IS JIM'S FIRST SOLO CARD AND HAS THE COVETED ROOKIE CUP SO I HAD TO PAY MORE FOR THIS ONE THAN THE OTHER TWO COMBINED BUT IT WAS STILL UNDER TWO BUCKS AND WORTH EVERY PENNY

JIM'S FIRST FULL SEASON WAS FANTASTIC BUT MISSED OUT ON BOTH THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND MVP TO HIS TEAMMATE FRED LYNN. THANKFULLY I ALREADY HAVE RICE'S ROOKIE CARD FOR MY 1975 SET BUILD. I NEVER GOT FRED'S THOUGH, WHICH IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING AS THAT SPLOTCH OF WITE-OUT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DISTURBED  ME GREATLY AS A CHILD

JIM FITS INTO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER THIS TIME TO COMPLETE ANOTHER NICE LOOKING PAGE. IT'S ALSO GOT THE START OF THE SPORTING NEWS ALL-TIME ALL-STAR SUBSET AND THAT ICONIC BOBBY GRICH. I DO NOT PLAN ON REQUESTING SHIPPING ON THAT ROSE CARD BEFORE THIS POST GOES UP BUT REST ASSURED THE MOMENT I DO GET IT THERE'S GOING TO BE A PIC OF THAT LAST COMPLETED PAGE PLASTERED ALL OVER THE INTERNET. AT LEAST EVERYWHERE I CAN POST THAT IS

FINISHING UP 2023 BY FINISHING UP A SET

 HEPPY NOO YEER EVERYONE. AS HAPPY AS IT CAN GET WITH *WAVES ARMS AROUND* ALL THIS HAPPENING. MAYBE TURN OFF THE NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIAS AND GO TO YOUR HAPPY ROOM AND LOCK THE DOOR A LOT THIS YEAR TO INCREASE THE HAPPY. GO STARE AT A COOL BASEBALL CARD UNTIL YOUR EYES GO CROSSED AND DEFOCUS AND NOW YOU HAVE TWO BASEBALL CARDS! THAT'S SOME HAPPINESS RIGHT? DO WHAT YA GOTTA DO BUDDY, WE'LL ALL GET THROUGH THIS MADNESS TOGETHER

THIS POST ISN'T ABOUT THE NEW YEAR, IT'S ABOUT THE OLD YEAR WHICH IS DEAD, DEAD DEAD! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! SUCK IT 2023! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME BUT YOU DIDN'T! AND I HAVE MORE BASEBALL CARDS NOW! TOO MANY PROBABLY, I KEEP TRIPPING ON THEM*. MAYBE I SHOULD CLEAN UP A LITTLE. BUT FIRST! HERE'S A TALE ABOUT THE LAST BASEBALL TYPE CARD I GOT IN 2023. I WON'T GET IT IN MY ACTUAL GRUBBY HANDS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BECAUSE I'M WAITING UNTIL I HAVE MORE CARDS TO REQUEST SHIPPING. THAT'S RIGHT! I MADE A LAST MINUTE COMC PURCHASE. IT WASN'T EVEN BLACK FRIDAY!** I AM GOING TO SHOW OFF THE CARDS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE MY CARDS, THEY JUST LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE RIGHT NOW AND I CAN SIMPLY GANK THE PHOTOS OFF COMC. PLUS I ALREADY HAVE THIRTY-NINE BLACK FRIDAY COMC POSTS QUEUED UP FOR THIS YEAR AND I DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT NOVEMBER TO TALK ABOUT THESE

SO HOW DID MY DUMB BRAIN FINALLY FIGURE OUT I AM ALLOWED TO BUY CARDS ON COMC WHEN IT'S NOT BLACK FRIDAY? MY NEW FOCUS ON COMPLETING SETS HELPED. I WAS DOWN TO NEEDING ONE SINGLE CARD TO COMPLETE A HUGE SET FOR ME, AND A TRIP TO THE CARD SHOW CLUED ME IN TO THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO FIND THAT CARD FOR LESS MONEY THAN I COULD GET IT ONLINE. I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR MONEY TO HIT EVERY CARD SHOP IN THE STATE AND GO TO EVERY SHOW ANYMORE TO FIND THAT ELUSIVE BARGAIN. THEN SOMEONE POSTED A LINK TO SOME CHEAP 1955 TOPPS RAILS AND SAILS CARDS ON COMC. THAT IS A VINTAGE NON-SPORT SET I HAVEN'T PICKED UP A CARD FROM YET AND IT OCCURED TO ME THAT IF I HAD SOME FUNDS I COULD PICK UP A CARD OR TWO. FINALLY I SHOWED OFF SOME CARDS FROM SETS I COMPLETED IN 2023 ON TWITTER AND I GOT A COMMENT ON HOW GOOD THE STUDIO CARDS LOOKED. IN THE CONVERSATION I MENTIONED THAT STUDIO WAS ALSO AN INSERT SET IN RECENT DONRUSS SETS AND LINKED TO COMC TO SHOW THEM OFF. THAT'S WHERE I SAW THIS CARD

2015 DONRUSS JOSE ALTUVE STUDIO PRESS PROOF INSERT

I HAVE EXPRESSED MY LOVE FOR ALTUVE ON THIS SITE MANY TIMES SO THERE'S NO NEED TO GO INTO THAT AGAIN. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE JOSE WAS IN THE SET, I BOUGHT A TON OF DONRUSS THAT YEAR AND PULLED SEVERAL STUDIO INSERTS BUT I DID NOT RECALL GETTING AN ALTUVE. I WAS ALSO VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT PRESS PROOF AND SERIAL NUMBER STAMP ON THE CARD. I GOT A PRESS PROOF OUT OF A PACK (JORGE SOLER, YAY!) BACK IN THE DAY SO I RECOGNIZED THE PARALLEL RIGHT AWAY. I'VE SEEN PARALLEL CARDS GET LISTED WITH THE BASE ON COMC A FEW TIMES INCLUDING THIS AJ GRIFFIN CARD FROM MY 2022 BINGE. I GUESS PEOPLE JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT DONRUSS PARALLELS?? NOW IF IT WAS A RUSNEY CASTILLO OR MATT SHOEMAKER PRESS PROOF I WOULD HAVE JUST CHUCKLED AND MOVED ON BUT I ACTUALLY COLLECT ALTUVE! MAN, IT WOULD BE COOL TO GET THAT CARD

THEN MY BRAIN DID IT. "HEY STUPID, JUST BUY THE CARD, YOU HAVE THE MONEY". OH YEAH! I CAN JUST BUY THE CARD ON THE WEBSITE THAT EXISTS TO SELL TRADING CARDS! OR BETTER YET, ADD SOME MONEY TO MY ACCOUNT SO I CAN PICK UP COOL STUFF ON SALE WHEN I SEE IT POP UP! I ADDED TEN BUCKS TO THE ACCOUNT BECAUSE I'M A CHEAPSKATE AND BOUGHT THE CARD. NOW I HAVE A COOL CARD AND MONEY TO GET COOL CARDS IN THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE WAS ABOUT A COUPLE HOURS. IT WAS THE LAST DAY OF AN EXCRUCIATINGLY LONG WORK WEEK SO I STARTED CLICKING AROUND THE NON-SPORTS SECTION TO SEE IF I COULD FIND ANYTHING FUN. I FOUND A CHEAP CARD FROM THE 1970 DONRUSS ODDER ODD RODS SET AND TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT OTHERS THEY HAD FOR SALE. I MISSED OUT ON A SIMILAR CARD ON BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA LAST YEAR BECAUSE SOMEONE CLICKED THE BUY CARD BUTTON FASTER THAN ME AND I THOUGHT MAYBE I'D FIND A GOOD ONE CHEAP. I SAW THIS AND I HAVE NEVER HIT THE BUY BUTTON FASTER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

1970 DONRUSS ODDER ODD RODS MUSTANG

Y'ALL KNOW I LOVE THE HORSIES. THE FORD MUSTANG IS ALSO MY FAVORITE CARD TO THE POINT I BOUGHT THE SAME LIME ROCK MUSTANG CARD TWICE. AND I ALSO LOVE THE BIG DADDY ROTH STYLE OF ART WHERE FREAKS DRIVE FUNNY CARS. THIS CARD IS ALL THREE AND IT BLEW MY MIND. IT'S THE WEIRD NON-SPORTS CARD EQUIVALENT TO THE 1966 NL BATTING LEADERS CARD. THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT SERIES OF ODD RODS CARDS PLUS A COUPLE 'BEST OF' REPRINTS FROM THE EARLY 70S AND THEY'RE ALL PRETTY COOL. THE ART IS DONE BY B.K. TAYLOR WHO DID COVERS AND COMICS FOR SICK, MAD AND NATIONAL LAMPOON MAGAZINES AND CREATED OTHER TRADING CARD SETS INCLUDING 1983 DONRUSS ZERO HEROES AND 1988 LEAF BASEBALL'S GREATEST GROSSOUTS. THIS CARD IS FRIGGIN FANTASTIC AND IMMEDIATELY GOES INTO MY TOP 100 FAVORITE CARDS LIST. THE CARD IS GREAT AND NOW I HAVE A NEW NON-SPORTS SET TO OBSESS ABOUT

SO I GOT TWO GREAT CARDS AND SOME MONEY IN MY ACCOUNT TO SAVE FOR LATER. LATER WAS TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER.

SO HERE'S THIS FUCKIN' GUY. I DON'T REMEMBER MY EXACT 2023 COLLECTING GOALS BUT COMPLETING THE 1976 SET WAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. I NEEDED FOUR CARDS AND I GRABBED THREE OF THEM RIGHT AWAY WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT. PULLED UP THE CARD FROM MY WANTLIST, PICKED THE CHEAPEST AND MOVED TO THE NEXT ONE. I GOT TO PETE AND... DIDN'T CLICK. THERE WAS ONE FOR FOUR BUCKS AND I HAD FORTY IN CREDIT BUT... DIDN'T CLICK. THIS WASN'T A JAMAAL WILKES SITUATION FROM 2022 WHERE IT WASN'T ON SALE, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND FOUR BUCKS FOR A PETE ROSE CARD NO MATTER HOW MUCH I NEEDED IT. I KEPT GOING BACK TO THE TAB AND WHEN THE FOUR DOLLAR CARD GOT BOUGHT OUT FROM UNDER ME I GAVE UP AND DECIDED TO LOOK FOR HIM AT THE CARD SHOW AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THAT WASN'T HAPPENING. SO IT WAS NEW YEAR'S EVE AND I WAS BORED AND I LOOKED AGAIN AT THIS DUMB CARD. ROWS UPON ROWS OF ROSE, ALL STARING AT ME WITH THIS LOOK LIKE HE KNOWS THE FUTURE. THERE WAS A CARD ON SALE FOR $4.10. UGH. I STILL DIDN'T WANT TO BUY THIS DUMB CARD! BUT IF I DIDN'T MY 1976 SET WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE AND THAT DUMBASS WOULD KEEP STARING INTO MY SOUL EVERY TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT IT! AAARGH! BUYING CARDS SHOULD BE FUN, THIS SUCKS

I WENT ON DISCORD AND ASKED SOMEONE TO ORDER ME TO BUY THIS ROTTEN CARD SO I COULD FINISH THE SET. ANDY FROM ALLTIMEBREWERS REMINDED ME THAT HATE-BUYING CARDS JUST SO I DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THEM EVER AGAIN IS A VALID STRATEGY. THIS WAS STARTING TO CONVINCE ME  WHEN THE SHLABOTNIK REPORT YELLED AT ME TO FINISH THE DAMN SET ALREADY.  I KNEW I HAD TO BUY THE DAMN CARD NOW, BUT I WAS LAMENTING THE FACT I COULD BUY FOUR OTHER COOL CARDS I FOUND FOR THE SAME PRICE. THEN I REALIZED: I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR ALL FIVE CARDS! I COULD REWARD MYSELF FOR FINISHING THE 1976 SET! SO I DID

1978 SWEDISH SAMLARSAKER AGNETHA o ANNIFRID

I DON'T KNOW WHAT A SAMLARSAKAR IS BUT GOOGLE TRANSLATES IT AS COLLECTIBLES SO I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS REALLY. ALL I KNOW IS IT'S A PRETTY BIG SET OF TRADING CARDS OF LATE 70'S ROCK, FILM AND POP STARS WITH A HEAVY DOSE OF ABBA. HERE'S WHAT A PACK OF THESE THINGS LOOK LIKE, MORE LIKE SOMETHING YOU'D FIND IN A TOY STORE THAN A TRADITIONAL PACK OF CARDS. I RANDOMLY FOUND THEM LOOKING FOR BEATLES CARDS I THINK AND WAS IMPRESSED BY SIZE OF THE SET AND THE VARIETY OF CELEBRITIES. ELVIS, DOLLY PARTON, THE ROLLING STONES AND KISS? DANG RANDOM SWEDISH NOVELTY SET, WHY YOU GO SO HARD. I WAS A TINY LITTLE KID IN THE LATE 70S AND I FUCKIN LOVED ABBA. DANCING QUEEN IS MY JAM. THIS EXTREME CLOSEUP OF AGNETHA AND ANNIFRID CAUGHT MY EYE DUE TO HOW WEIRDLY HOT IT IS AND BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY FIFTY CENTS, MUCH CHEAPER THAN THE OTHER ABBA CARDS. I FLIPPED IT OVER AND FOUND THIS:

ADDED VALUE! THE ONLY WORD I CAN DECIPHER HERE IS TELEFON SO MY BEST GUESS IS CLAUS HERE TRIED TO GIVE SOME GIRL HIS DIGITS ON THE BACK OF A SEXY ABBA CARD. JUST THE MYSTERY HERE IS WELL WORTH THE 50 CENTS. CAN YOU SEE NOW WHY I'M SO HESITANT TO SPEND ACTUAL MONEY ON PETE ROSE CARDS WHEN THERE'S AMAZING STUFF LIKE THIS OUT THERE???

1984 EYDER SUPER MUSICAL GRACE JONES

HERE'S ANOTHER FOREIGN POP SET I KNOW EVEN LESS ABOUT. I THINK IT'S SPANISH?? I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AT ALL, BUT TCDB HAS A FULL GALLERY OF THE FRONTS AND HOLY SHIT, THE CHECKLIST MIGHT BE BETTER THAN THE SWEDISH SET, ESPECIALLY FOR FANS OF 80S MUSIC. THERE'S ALREADY ONE CARD IN THERE I HAVE TARGETED FOR THE NEXT TIME I ADD SOME CASH TO MY ACCOUNT. GRACE JONES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A VERY FORMATIVE EVENT IN MY LIFE WHEN I SAW THE COVER TO ISLAND LIFE AND MY EYES POPPED OUT AND TONGUE ROLLED OUT ONTO THE FLOOR LIKE A TEX AVERY CARTOON. SHE'S ALSO ONE OF MY FAVORITE JAMES BOND BAD GUYS SO THIS CARD FITS INTO MY MUSICAL COLLECTION AND MY VILLAINS AND MONSTERS COLLECTION. THIS WAS ALSO JUST FIFTY FIVE CENTS, ONE-EIGHTH OF THAT UGLY MUG UP THERE. YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN YET THO, HERE'S SOME REAL MONSTERS

1974 YAMAKATSU GODZILLA ANTHOLOGY MECHAGODZILLA VS GODZILLA AND KING CAESAR

HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THIS CARD. THE THIRD STRAIGHT SET I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BUT IS COOL AS HELL. WHAT I DO KNOW: GODDAMN THIS LOOKS AMAZING. THIS WAS LISTED AS MECHAGODZILLA, GODZILLA AND KING CAESAR BUT MECHAGODZILLA IS THE ONLY ONE I CAN MAKE OUT ON HERE. THE ORIGINAL FIGHT SCENE IS PRETTY CHAOTIC SO THAT MIGHT BE GODZILLA AND KING CAESAR IN A PILE ON THE LEFT GETTING THEIR ASSES KICKED BY MECHAGODZILLA'S DOUBLE ZAP BEAMS. WHO CARES, THIS CARD COST UNDER A BUCK AND ALL GODZILLA CARDS NEED TO BE IN MY COLLECTION. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE NEXT CARD MIGHT BE THE BEST

1975 TOPPS REGGIE JACKSON BALTAMORE TRADED VARIATION

WHAT CAN I EVEN SAY ABOUT THIS CARD??? THIS IS STUPENDOUS. TAPED CORNERS, SCRIBBLED A'S, BALT A MORE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS GOING IN MY 1975 SET, I MIGHT FRAME IT AND HANG IT ON THE WALL. MY TWO 1975 REGGIES (THANKS FOR THE MINI NIGHTOWL) ARE NOW BOTH DELICIOUSLY TRASHY. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. MY REACTION TO MY NEW YEAR'S EVE PICKUPS:

I'M SURE I WILL BE MUCH MORE GEEKED UP FOR THAT ROSE CARD WHEN I EVENTUALLY HAVE IT SHIPPED AND PUT IT INTO THE BINDER BUT FOR NOW I'M JUST HAPPY TO NOT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT PETE GLARING AT ME ASKING WHEN THE HELL I'M GOING TO BUY HIS CARD 

STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT I'M DONE WITH YOU! GO AWAY! NOW THAT 1976 TOPPS (AND A BUNCH OF OTHER SETS) ARE FINISHED IT'S TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO FOCUS ON NEXT. JANUARY FIRST IS CARD GOALS RESET TIME! MAYBE THAT'LL BE A POST SOON SO I CAN REMEMBER WHAT THEY EVEN WERE THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. THE NUMBER ONE GOAL FOR 2024 IS DEFINITELY BUY MORE WEIRD CARDS! IT'S SUPER FUN Y'ALL!

*DON'T GET ANY IDEAS 2024, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN HAVING ME TRIP ON A BINDER OF 1977 TOPPS AND BREAKING MY NECK TO TAKE ME OUT

**ONE TELLTALE SIGN OF BAD WRITING*** IS PUTTING WAY TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS IN! YOU CAN SEE THIS A LOT IN CHEAP COMEDY MAGAZINES AND NOVELIZATIONS OF MOVIES. THE WRITER CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPICE SOMETHING UP THAT IS INCREDIBLY BORING SO JUST THROW IN A FEW !!! TO MAKE IT LOOK EXCITING! SEE HOW WELL IT WORKS! IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE BUT YOUR WRITING ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE AN ISSUE OF CRACKED FROM THE 70S!!

***ANOTHER ONE IS THROWING IN CHEAP JOKES IN FOOTNOTES. YOU'RE NOT DAVID FOSTER WALLACE YOU HACK

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

Joy of a Completed Page - 1976 Edition Part 3

This is the last of the '76s but I'll have more pages for you this week.

What, you didn't expect me to actually WRITE a decent post did you?

Joy of a Completed Page - 1976 Edition Part 2

I really need to become a Rowland Office Supercollector.

Joy of a Completed Page - 1976 Edition Part 1

It's '76 day here on the blog, mostly because I don't want to post anything about the Giants. You can haz compleet pagiz.

Every page should have a Yaz in the middle.

Deep

Captain Canuck wants to look at my backside

Actually, I could have just posted the card numbers he needed but where's the fun in that? Here's the back of my 1976 Topps Braves Team set.

Oh yeah, I found a card I could use to fill out the page.

What the heck is that? #662? That's from a post I should have written about a month ago. I might write it eventually.

1976 Topps Ron Paul

Once I saw this I couldn't not do this:

I even used Cesar Cedeno's card for the template since they look so much alike.

(my pledge to avoid politics this year has really gone all to crap, hasn't it??)

Transmogrified into being: 1973-1980

 Here comes another one...

At one of the very first Braves games I ever went to, Claudell was patrolling the outfield. Up on the scoreboard/jumbotron/buncha lights/whatever they had back in the early '80s was an animation of Claudell as George Washington on a dollar bill with the caption "In Claudell We Trust". Big Mike remembers it too so I'm not crazy.

.

Don't be mad at Troll...

... for Bipping me - and Bipping me in a mindblowingly sneaky fashion - because this card was also in that package:

There is no word in the English language that adequately describes how super that card is.

Quick, someone make up a word to describe that card.

I need to yell it really loud at 3AM while drunk.

I'll start drinkin', you all start wordin'.

The joy of a completed page #10

Page completed with help from gcrl, whose cards are finally going out today because I'm slow.

1976 Topps Wantlist

YEAAAAAAAAHHHHH

I HAVE 85% OF THIS SET

10 Lou Brock
19 George Brett
20 Bob Watson
46 Walter Alston50 Fred Lynn
55 Gaylord Perry
68 Joe/Joe Jr. Coleman
70 Roy/Roy Jr. Smalley
80 Jim Kaat100 Jim Hunter
118 Darrell Johnson
120 Rusty Staub
172 Frank Lucchesi
179 George Foster
180 Rich Gossage
185 Dave Parker
196 Lynn/Mayberry/Scoot
205 Gossage/Hrabosky
240 Pete Rose262 Checklist 133
321 Jose Cruz
340 Jim Rice341 Lou Gehrig AS
342 Rogers Hornsby AS
345 Babe Ruth AS
347 Ted Williams AS
362 Will McEnaney
421 A's Team427 Kurt Bevacqua
441 Gary Carter
443 Giants Team
462 1975 World Series
477 Frank Robinson
481 Rudy May
500 Reggie Jackson
504 Danny Murtaugh
519 Steve Brye
531 Joe Frazier
542 Keith Hernandez
550 Hank Aaron
556 Gene Mauch
564 Kurt Bevacqua Gum
573 Bill Travers
593 Andrsn/Crsby/Ltl/Mtz
650 Thurman Munson
659 Ben Oglivie


612/660 - 92.5%

Thanks to: gcrl, Slangon, some guy, That 70's Card, Chris Mays, Captain Canuck

'70s cards for a quarter

Atlanta Sports Cards now has a Quarter box. Life is beautiful. There's a pretty nice mix of newer stuff and inserts from all the major sports in there, but you know what I scrounged for: vintage. Here is a quarter card from each year of the '70s.

1970 - Rod Carew All Star

(insert Beastie Boys lyrics here) Rod's bustin' right through the Sporting News to take his place as the AL's starting second baseman.

1971 - 1970 American League Batting Leaders

Poor Yaz loses the batting title to Alex Johnson by a thousandth of a point and he gets stuck on the bottom row with Tony Oliva. Poor Carl.

1972 - 1971 American League ERA Leaders

Click here. Look at the earned run averages for these three dudes.
Contemplate what an American League starting pitcher would have to do in order to post an ERA like that in today's game. Try to think of a way not involving land mines in the batter's box. What hath the DH wrought?

1973 - Rookie Outfielders

HOW THE HECK DID I JUST BUY A DEWEY ROOKIE CARD FOR A BLEEDING QUARTER?! Shoot, maybe I should just build the '73 set...

1974 - Steve Garvey

If the Louvre were to take exactly one baseball card to exhibit in the Modern Art wing, this one here would have to be given serious consideration. This is a masterpiece.

1975 - Bert Blyleven

Look how calmly Bert blows bubbles while waiting in a midaeval torture chamber for the BBWAA to poke and prod him with 287 wins. Now sit on... THE COMFY CHAIR.

1976 - 1975 American League ERA leaders

Why cheapskate vintage collectors love League Leader cards: Three Hall of Famers for two bits.

1977 - Rookies - Outfielders

Hey, Tony Armas hit 43 homers in 1984. Don't be hatin' on Tony.

1978 - Andre Dawson

Hawk with a rookie cup brings joy to my soul.

1979 - Bump Wills Blue Jays error

When I first started collecting this error card was like some rare magical legend... strange and alien... not fit for this world. Now it's in a quarter box. Good thing I'm a scrounger and not an investor! Some poor schlub out there has ten thousand of these cards locked up in a safe deposit box, you just know it.

70's set poll

The deadline on the poll on the right requesting your assistance in helping me choose which set to focus on next is almost up. I have no real preference on which one I choose so whatever you all say is what I'll build next. While I plan to get all my wantlists in order over the next few months, the selected set will be getting the binder treatment, so choose wisely. The local card shop seems to have a whole lot more commons for sale from '74-'76 but you never know when or where '70s cards will pop up out of nowhere.

It looks like it's coming down to a fight between 1974 and 1976 so here's some pros and cons for each set to help you decide which to vote for. Hey, it's 2am and I can't sleep so just humor me.

1974 Topps:

Pros:

• The first set released by Topps in one series. Which means...
• NO IMPOSSIBLE HIGH NUMBERS
• The design is quite attractive.
• Hank Aaron's tribute set.
• The San Diego/Washington variations are neat.

Cons:

• Dave Winfield is the only big rookie in the set and I don't have it.
• I need about 300 card for the set which is 100 or so more than I need to finish off 1976.
• According to Beckett these cards are slightly more expensive than 1976 cards and a couple of sources I'd use to build these sets pay attention to such things.

1976 Topps:

Pros:

• I need less than 200 cards to complete the thing.
• The only decent rookie at all is Eck and I've got it.
• Other than the second year Brett, I'm pretty sure I have most if not all of the big names in the set.
• Hank Aaron's last card.
• This would be by far the easiest '70s set for me to finish.
  

Cons:

• While it has grown on me in the past few years, the '76 design was one of my least favorite when I was a kid.
• The rookies in this set are really dreadful. '74 at least has Winfield, Griffey and Cobra, after Eck, we're looking at Ron Guidry and... who, Jerry Remy?
• This set will be easier to complete, but I'm not sure it would be as satisfying to finish as that '74 set.

You guys go vote away while I ponder the situation some more. I still have votes of my own I can cast. If you have already voted for '75, '77 or '78, feel free to change your vote because those are pretty much out of the running at this point.

Before you post in the comments "Why don't you just try to build both of them?" the answer is: Because I'm also going to be choosing a '60's set to tackle, silly.

Things can be taken too far however

Speaking of tight cropping, maybe the extrEEEEEEME close up shot isn't the best one to use.

But wait! What is this I see?

Oh yeah, this is TOTALLY the 1976 Upper Deck Vintage set. Why wait 'till 2025 Heritage is released? No wonder Topps is all pissy about this.

Man, I'm really starting to fall hard for this set. It wouldn't kill ya to smile though!

MUCH BETTER.

(apologies to Hal McRae for putting your enthusiastic expression onto such a sourpuss)