ANTIQUE MALL DOLLAR BOX GOODIES

 A FEW WEEKENDS AGO I GOT BORED AND DECIDED TO GO TO A CARD SHOP. I FOOLISHLY LET TWITTER DECIDE WHERE I SHOULD GO AND THEY CHOSE 'SOME PLACE I HAVEN'T BEEN TO BEFORE". THIS WAS A TERRIBLE DECISION AS NOW I HAD A NEW CHOICE TO MAKE. I WAS ABOUT TO DRIVE AN HOUR TO GET TO A COUPLE PLACES THAT LOOKED BRAND NEW WITH BRAND NEW STORE PRICES AND NO CHEAPO BOXES OF CRAP AT ALL WHEN I DISCOVERED AN ANTIQUE MALL WITH A CARD SHOP INSIDE. THE DRIVE WAS MUCH SHORTER AND AS A BONUS I HAVE A NEW 5000-PHOTO POST FULL OF ANTIQUE MALL DETRITUS THAT I'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE WRITTEN BY CHRISTMAS. NOT GONNA LIE, THE CARD SHOP WAS UNDERWHELMING WITH A TON OF STAR BASE CARDS AT FIVE BUCKS A POP AND A BUNCH OF JUNK WAX BOXES PRICED FROM TWO TO FIVE BUCKS PER PACK. FUN TO LOOK AT AND THEY PROBABLY MAKE A NICE CHUNK OF CHANGE OFF IMPULSE BUYS FROM NORMIES BUT NOT FOR ME. THERE WAS A DOLLAR BOX THOUGH, AND WHILE A LOT OF THE CARDS WERE QUARTER AND EVEN DIME CARDS IN MY ESTIMATION, MY SPECIALTY IS FINDING THE HIDDEN GEMS AMONGST THE CRAP. ONCE AGAIN I SET A GOAL OF KEEPING IT TO FIVE BUCKS AND ONCE AGAIN I ENDED UP WITH SIX CARDS

2017 TOPPS MATT OLSON RC

2020 OPENING DAY SEAN MURPHY RC

UNLESS THERE IS A MAJOR TRADE, A CATASTROPHIC INJURY OR THE COLLAPSE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION, THESE TWO DUDES ARE GOING TO BE PLAYING FOR THE BRAVES THROUGH THE REST OF THE DECADE. I'M FINE WITH DROPPING A BUCK EACH JUST SO I CAN HAS THEM ROOKIE CARDS. REALLY WISH THERE WAS AN ACTUAL TOPPS MURPHY RC IN THE BOX INSTEAD OF OPENING DAY BUT OH WELL

1997 SPX KENNY LOFTON BOUND FOR GLORY 4 OF 20 #783/1500

SPX IS ONE OF THE MANY PREMIUM SETS THAT MADE THEIR DEBUTS IN THE MID 90S AND LOOKED ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. THEN AS THE YEARS PASSED AND GREAT LOOKING CARDS GAVE WAY TO SMALL BITS OF LAUNDRY AS THE MOST DESIRED THING AMONG COLLECTORS, THE SETS GOT SHITTIER AND SHITTIER UNTIL THEY WERE STRAIGHT GARBAGE BY THE 2000S. 1997 SPX IS THE APEX OF GORGEOUS UPPER DECK DESIGNS FEATURING ETCHED FOIL, HOLOFOIL WITH LITTLE UPPER DECK LOGOS, AND THE HOLOVIEW HOLOGRAM PICTURE ON EACH CARD. THIS IS THE LAST TIME UPPER DECK USED THE HOLOVIEWS ON BASE CARDS ALTHOUGH IT SORT OF SHOWED UP ON LATER INSERT SETS. THIS MAKES ME SAD AND I REALLY WISH NOW I'D PONIED UP THE 6 BUCKS A PACK FOR THESE THINGS BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE. FINDING ANY OF THEM CHEAP IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE NOWADAYS AND I WAS HONESTLY A LITTLE SHOCKED TO SEE THIS IN THE DOLLAR BOX

THIS HERE IS AN INSERT CARD AND A SERIAL NUMBERED ONE AT THAT. I CAN'T FIND THE BASE CARD ONLINE FOR A BUCK AND YOU KNOW HOW PRICEY SERIAL NUMBERED 90S INSERTS CAN GET. HOW THIS ENDED UP IN A DOLLAR BOX WHEN BASE GLAVINE AND SMOLTZ ROOKIES WERE PRICED AT FIVE BUCKS IS BEYOND ME BUT I AIN'T COMPLAINING. POOR KENNY LOFTON GETS NO RESPECT AT ALL. I FRIGGIN LOVE IT AND WISH I COULD GET LUCKY ON SOME MORE 97 SPX CARDS

1993 WHATABURGER TRIAD NOLAN RYAN'S RECOLLECTIONS HORSIE CARD

I SPEND A LOT OF TIME BELLYACHING ABOUT HOW NOLAN RYAN CARDS ARE SO OVERPRICED, AND I NEED HIS CARD FOR ALMOST ALL THE SETS I'M BUILDING, AND IT'S SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS, AND HE'S NOT EVEN THAT GOOD ANYWAY. THE FOUR PEOPLE WHO READ THIS BLOG RELIGIOUSLY HAVE TO BE SICK OF MY NONSENSE BY NOW. 

BUT.

LENTICULAR THREE-DEE FOOD ISSUE FROM WHATABURGER WITH A COCA-COLA LOGO ON THE BACK OF NOLAN RIDING A GOSH-DARN HORSE

OHMYFRIGGINGODITSSOBEAUTIFULIMGONNADIE

GEORGIA GOT THEIR FIRST WHATABURGER LAST WINTER SO THIS CARD WAS NEVER ON MY RADAR AND I THINK FINDING IT IN THAT BOX MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD OF IT. THIS IS ONE OF A TEN CARD SET AND IS THE ONLY ONE WHERE HE'S IN COWBOY GEAR INSTEAD OF A BASEBALL UNIFORM. THIS OF COURSE IS PERFECTLY FINE WITH ME AS THIS CARD WILL LIKELY END UP THE CENTER POCKET OF A PAGE OF HORSEY CARDS IN MY NEXT COOL CHAOS BINDER*. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THE HELL TRIAD IS OR IF THEY EVER PRODUCED ANY OTHER TRADING CARD SETS. A GOOGLE SEARCH COMES UP WITH A TON OF RESULTS FOR A FINAL FANTASY CARD GAME AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE DIGGING THROUGH ALL THAT MESS TO RESEARCH IT. I ALSO HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE HORSE NOLAN'S RIDING IS OWNED BY DELTA AIR LINES. THIS IS JUST A STRANGE CARD ALL AROUND

1996 PINNACLE MANNY RAMIREZ PINNACLE POWER

HOO MAN THIS IS A PRETTY CARD. I BOUGHT WAY TOO MANY PACKS OF 1996 PINNACLE BACK IN THE DAY AND I LOVED PULLING THESE OUT OF PACKS. IT'S GOT A DIE CUT WINDOW FOR THE STRIPEY SHINY HOLOFOIL AND THE REST OF TEH CARD IS EMBOSSED, INCLUDING THE GOLD FOIL TEXT. THIS CARD REALLY MADE THE PACKS LUMPY. THE CHECKLIST IS FANTASTIC, A REAL WHO'S WHO OF MID 90S TATER MASHERS. MANNY'S ONE OF THE TOP GUYS ON THAT LIST DESPITE WHAT HALL VOTERS THINK

JEEZ, LOOK AT BABY MANNY ON THE BACK. PINNACLE WAS RIGHT, IT WAS SCARY HOW MUCH BETTER RAMIRÉZ GOT IN LATER YEARS. ALSO SCARY HOW LITTLE RESPECT HE GOT FOR IT. I DON'T WANNA HEAR ABOUT STERIODS, THE LAST PRESIDENT SENT A MOB AFTER HIS VICE PRESIDENT AND KEPT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS IN THE TOILET. AIN'T NOBODY CARE ABOUT STEROIDS ANYMORE. MAYBE THE VETS COMMITTEE WILL LET MANNY IN BEFORE I DIE, UNTIL THEN I'LL KEEP PICKING UP CHEAP PRETTY MANNY CARDS

1998 LEAF BIP ROBERTS FRACTAL MATRIX PARALLEL CARD

SO YEAH I'M OFFICIALLY COLLECTING BIP ROBERTS CARDS NOW. I ALREADY HAVE SEVERAL DOZEN UNIQUE ONES NOT COUNTING ONES STUCK INSIDE SET BOXES. RECENTLY I'VE GONE FROM MERELY YELLING OH NOEZ! WHEN I STUMBLED ACROSS ANOTHER BIP WHILE SORTING TO ACTIVELY HUNTING OUT WEIRD BIPS. THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE WEIRDER ONES. 1998 LEAF HAD PARALLELS CALLED FRACTAL MATRIX. THE FRACTAL PART COMES FROM THE THREE DIFFERENT FOIL COLORS THE CARD COULD BE (BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD) AND THE THREE DIFFERENT DIE CUTS IT COULD HAVE (X-AXIS, Y-AXIS, Z-AXIS). IT'S ALL VERY COMPLICATED, BUT IN REALITY EACH CARD COULD ONLY HAVE ONE TYPE OF FOIL COLOR WITH ONE TYPE OF DIE CUT. BIP GOT THE MOST COMMON FOIL TYPE OF BRONZE** AND THIS ISN'T DIE CUT ANYWAY SO IT DOESN'T MATTER. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW IT ALL WORKS BASEBALLCARDPEDIA DOES A GOOD JOB EXPLAINING THE MESS

1998 LEAF IS A SNEAKY GOOD SET. IT'S GOT A NICE DESIGN, GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY, AND SOME AMAZING INSERTS. THE BASE SET IS A LITTLE SMALL WITH SOME SHORT PRINTED SUBSETS, BUT IT'S A NICE CAP TO THE ORIGINAL 1990-1998 LEAF RUN. IF THE SHORT PRINTS AND PARALLELS PUT YOU OFF THE BASE SET, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST LOOK OUT FOR THE INSERT CARDS. STATISTICAL STANDOUTS, STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND ESPECIALLY HEADING FOR THE HALL ARE THREE OF THE BEST LOOKING INSERT SETS OF THE 90S. TOP TOPS STUFF. THE BRONZE PARALLELS ARE PRETTY NICE THEMSELVES, THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING YOU'LL PROBABLY EVER GET TO A BIP ROBERTS SUPERFRACTOR

ALL IN ALL THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL WASTE OF AN AFTERNOON. ALSO PURCHASED WAS THAT PACK OF 1987 DONRUSS ALL-STARS, A JAMES BOND DVD AND AN OLD LEGENDS COLLECTABLES PRICE GUIDE WITH GRIFFEY ON THE COVER. FUN STUFF AND MUCH BETTER THAN A NEW STORE WITH A BUNCH OF SLABS

*REMIND ME TO DO A SERIES OF POSTS FOR THE CHAOS BINDERS ON HERE. THE PREVIOUS ONES WERE THREADS ON TWITTER AND WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THAT PLACE IS GONNA LAST

**MAN, THE ATLANTA OLYMPICS REALLY DID A NUMBER ON TRADING CARDS. HOW MANY LATE 90S SETS HAVE A BRONZE/SILVER/GOLD THEME WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RARITY. HOW MANY SETS STILL DO THIS NONSENSE

TOP 20 CARDS FROM 1991 PACIFIC NOLAN RYAN SERIES 2

SOMETIMES AT THE CARD SHOP YOU BUY SOMETHING EXTREMELY STUPID JUST BECAUSE IT'S FUN. I WAS AT A CARD SHOP. I BOUGHT SOMETHING EXTREMELY STUPID. A COMPLETE SET OF 1991 PACIFIC NOLAN RYAN SERIES TWO FOR A COUPLE BUCKS. I DON'T EVEN LIKE NOLAN RYAN! I ALREADY HAVE A BUNCH OF THESE CARDS AND I DON'T WANT THEM! BUT! COMPLETE SET FOR TWO BUCKS, THAT'S FUN

THE SET FIT IN A LITTLE SNAP CASE WITH ROOM ENOUGH TO CRAM A WRAPPER IN TO KEEP THE CARDS FROM JOSTLING AROUND. WHILE I AM NOT A RYAN FAN, AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THESE GOT SO OVERPRODUCED EVEN BOOMERS THINK THEY'RE WORTHLESS, I GOTTA ADMIT THERE ARE SOME COOL CARDS IN THERE. ENOUGH TO DO A NEEDLESS TOP 20 LIST AND THEN SOME

HERE'S A PIC OF THE CRINKLY WRAPPER. ALL THE PACIFIC WRAPPERS FROM THIS YEAR WERE WEIRD SILVERY PLASTICY MESSES. HOW DID THEY GET LIKE THIS? I KNOW I OPENED A BUNCH OF 1991 PACIFIC FOOTBALL BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THE WRAPPERS BEING WRINKLED. DID THEY CRINKLE UP OVER TIME? I KNOW THEY LOOKED LIKE THIS IN THE EARLY 00'S BECAUSE I'D TAKE MY SON TO THE CARD SHOP AND HE'D PICK UP A COUPLE OF THESE PACKS BECAUSE THEY LOOKED LIKE CHOCOLATE BARS. SOME BASEBALL CARD ARCHAEOLOGIST NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS PHENOMENON

ENOUGH WITH THE TANGENT, HERE'S YOUR TOP 20:

#20 GOOSE AND NOLAN

THERE ARE A FEW CARDS WHERE NOLAN SHARES THE SPOTLIGHT IN THE SET AND THIS ONE RANKS THE LOWEST BECAUSE GOOSE HAS BECOME A MISERABLE OLD CRANK. BUT IT MAKES THE LIST BECAUSE GOOSE WAS A HELL OF A PITCHER AND HAS A COOL MUSTACHE AND WAS NAMED GOOSE. A REAL SHAME ABOUT THE MISERABLENESS THO

#19 BABBY NOLAN

I WILL BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT BABIES ARE PROBABLY NOT AN APPROPRIATE SUBJECT FOR TRADING CARDS. A WHOLE SET FULL OF BABIES WOULD BE HORRIBLY CREEPY. BUT ONE BABY IN A SET? THAT'S PRETTY CUTE. BUT DON'T OVERDO IT

#18 DRAWING A CROWD

THERE ARE TWO CARDS IN THE SET WITH A PICTURE OF NOLAN SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR THE CROWD. I CHOSE THIS ONE BECAUSE THE COMPOSITION LOOKS BETTER WITH HIM FACING RIGHT AND IT'S NUMERICALLY EARLIER IN THE SET AND I HAD PULLED THIS ONE OUT ALREADY AND COULDN'T BE ARSED TO PUT IT BACK

#17 PASSING ALONG WISDOM

THIS CARD FEATURES PITCHING COACH TOM HOUSE WHO IS THE BRAVES BULLPEN PITCHER WHO CAUGHT HANK AARON'S 715TH HOME RUN WHICH PRETTY MUCH MEANS THIS IS A BRAVES CARD 

#16 NOLAN RYAN FIELD

THIS AWKWARD POSED PHOTO OF NOLAN STANDING IN FRONT OF HIS RENAMED HIGH SCHOOL FIELD IS EXTREMELY QUAINT AND I'M SO GLAD IT'S NOT IN COLOR BECAUSE THAT MIGHT RUIN THE WHOLE VIBE

#15 SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS

I UNDERSTAND WHY THE PHOTO ON THIS CARD IS CROPPED SO STRANGELY, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO GET EVERYONE ON THE CARD OTHERWISE. BUT DOING IT LIKE THIS MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE ALL EXTRAS IN THE BIG SCENE AT JUPE'S PARK IN THE MOVIE NOPE. HERE COMES JEAN JACKET

#14 LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STAR

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO A WHOLE-ASS BASEBALL CARD SET ON JUST ONE PLAYER THERE BETTER BE A CARD OF THAT DUDE IN LITTLE LEAGUE. IT'S REQUIRED

#13 NUMBER 500

GONNA BE REAL WITH YOU, LIKE 80% OF THIS SET IS GENERIC PORTRAITS OR ACTION SHOTS OF NOLAN PITCHING AND THEY ALL START TO BLUR TOGETHER AFTER A WHILE. NOT THIS ANGELS MUGSHOT THOUGH. NOTHING ELSE IN THE SET LOOKS QUITE LIKE THIS

#12 NO HITTERS ENDED IN THE NINTH

SOMETIMES THE BACKS ARE MORE AMAZING THAN THE FRONTS. THIS MICKEYFICKEY ALMOST HAD TWELVE NO HITTERS

#11 NOLAN THE COWBOY

THE WHOLE TEXAS COWBOY IMAGE NOLAN CULTIVATED IS ONE OF THE REASONS I NEVER REALLY GRAVITATED TOWARDS HIM BUT I CAN'T BEGRUDGE A GUY HAVING THIS MUCH FUN COSPLAYING ROY ROGERS

HONORABLE MENTION: THE NET CARD

A SHORT BREAK IN THE FESTIVITIES TO APPRECIATE ONE OF THE WEIRDER CARDS IN THE SET. AN ENTIRE CARD DEDICATED TO NOLAN STANDING BEHIND A NET ON THE FIELD. I LIKE THIS CARD, IT'S A UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU MOSTLY ONLY SEE ON CARDS FROM THE EARLY 90S WHERE ALL THE MANUFACTURERS WERE WILLING TO DO DAMN NEAR ANYTHING TO GET ATTENTION IN A CRAZY SATURATED MARKET. BUT THIS CARD GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND

NET PHOTOS ON THE FRONT AND THE BACK. THE ONLY OTHER TRADING CARD THAT IS MORE DEDICATED TO NETS THAT I CAN THINK OF ARE THE PACIFIC INSERTS FROM THE LATE 90S THAT HAD AN ACTUAL PIECE OF NET SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN SOME DIE-CUT CARDBOARD. PACIFIC IS TRULY THE BRAND LEADER IN NETS

OK BACK TO THE SHOW

#10 NOLAN'S FAST BALL IS JUST A BLUR

THIS CARD DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS IT DOES. THERE'S NOLAN'S FASTBALL. IT IS INDEED A BLUR. I LOVE CARDS WHERE THE BALL IS HANGING IN MIDAIR IN THE PHOTO AFTER IT IS PITCHED. YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THIS SOON

#9 ASTROS RETURN OF THE PRODIGIOUS SON

WHEN I SAID EARLIER THIS SET IS FILLED WITH ACTION SHOT OF NOLAN PITCHING THAT ALL BLUR TOGETHER I MEAN POSES LIKE THIS. WHAT MAKES THIS ONE STICK OUT ARE THOSE ADS ON THE OUTFIELD WALL OF WHAT I ASSUME IS THE ASTROS' SPRING TRAINING FACILITIES

#8 PURE SPEED

NOLAN HANGING OUT WITH ANOTHER HALL OF FAMER WHO AS FAR AS I KNOW WAS NOT A CRANK. THERE'S A WHOLE LOTTA STRIKEOUTS ON THIS CARD

#7 STRETCHING BEFORE THE GAME

THE UNIQUE POSE GOT THIS CARD ON THE LIST. THAT INCREDIBLE FACE NOLAN'S MAKING GOT THE CARD THIS HIGH ON THE LIST

#6 NOLAN RYAN JACKSONVILLE SUNS

VINTAGE MINOR LEAGUE PHOTOS ARE ALWAYS GREAT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE FROM A WELL KNOWN FRANCHISE LIKE THE SUNS. THE TEAM IS NOW KNOWN AS THE JUMBO SHRIMP, I WONDER IF PHOENIX SUED

EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS: THE WORST CARDS IN THE SET

PACIFIC HAD TO COME UP WITH 220 CARDS TO FILL UP THIS THING AND THIS IS THE SECOND SERIES, YOU KNOW THERE HAD TO BE SOME CLUNKERS. HERE'S MY PICKS FOR THE BOTTOM THREE

#218 HARD WORK PAYS OFF

NORMALLY I WOULD APPRECIATE A UNIQUE PHOTO LIKE THIS OF AN ATHLETE TRAINING BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A CHEESY PHOTO FROM SOME ADVERTISING PAMPHLET. AND EVEN WORSE I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK IT'S TRYING TO PROMOTE. IS IT AN AD FOR NIKE? THE EXERCISE EQUIPMENT? THE CAYMAN ISLANDS? THE COMPANY WHO INSTALLED THE WOOD PANELING? WHATEVER IT IS SOME PR COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PHOTO. YECCH

#219 NOLAN PASSES NIEKRO

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PHIL STRUCK OUT ALL THOSE GUYS WITH A KNUCKLEBALL! AND BARELY PITCHED IN THE BIGS BEFORE HE WAS THIRTY! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

#220 NOLAN RYAN BANKER

IMAGINE OPENING A PACK OF CARDS DEDICATED TO YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER AND SEEING THIS NIGHTMARE. HOW HORRIFYING. SOME KID SAW THIS CARD IN 1991 AND REJECTED SPORTS IMMEDIATELY AND STARTED A LIFE OF CRIME

#5 "DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS"

ANYBODY JUMPING IN THE COMMENTS TO COMPLAIN THAT I PUT THE CARDS WITH GOOSE GOSSAGE AND BOB FELLER ON THE LIST BUT NOT THE ONE WITH ROGER CLEMENS CAN HUSH BECAUSE THIS IS THAT CARD. EVEN WITH ROCKET ON THE FRONT THE BACK OF THE CARD WHERE NOLAN IS IN A BUGS BUNNY WINDUP POSE IS SO MUCH COOLER. NOLAN'S ABOUT TO STRIKE OUT 27 GASHOUSE GORILLAS IN A ROW

#4 NOLAN BREAKS JOHNSON'S RECORD

NOLAN BREAKING A LONG HELD STRIKEOUT RECORD (AND IMMEDIATELY GETTING IT POACHED BY STEVE CARLTON, HEH) IS COOL BUT EXPOS UNIFORMS AND 123 METERS ON THE OUTFIELD WALL IS COOLER. ALSO: FLOATING BASEBALL #2

#4 NOLAN IN MOTION

IN THE EARLY 90S THERE WERE A TON OF THESE MULTI-IMAGE PHOTOS ON BASEBALL CARDS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THEN THEY SUDDENLY VANISHED, NEVER TO RETURN. MAYBE MANUFACTURERS MOVED THEIR BUDGET FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS TO AUTOGRAPHS AND RELIC CARDS BUT WE NEED THESE PICTURES TO MAKE A COMEBACK

#2 300TH WIN

300 WINS IS AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT THAT WE LIKELY WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN. BUT THIS CARD IS #2 BECAUSE OF THAT PHOTO. NOLAN FOLLOWING THROUGH, FLOATY BALL, BATTER READY TO STRIKE, OUTFIELDER POISED FOR ACTION. PERFECT PHOTO. ALSO THE FLAMING BASEBALL IS LINED UP PERFECTLY WITH NOLAN'S ARM AND IT AMUSES ME

THE BEST CARD IN 1991 PACIFIC NOLAN RYAN SERIES TWO:

NOLAN LOVES ANIMALS

WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT? LOOKIT THAT DOGGO. WHO'S A GOOD BOY? YOU ARE! YOU'RE A GOOD GOOD BOY. UNLESS THAT DOG'S A GIRL. WHAT A GOOD GOOD GIRL YOU ARE! PUPPER CARDS ALWAYS WIN

These cards don't belong in a quarter box

That's where I found them though. It's a travesty that such brilliant cards as these languish in a quarter box while glossy stickered autographs of limp-armed pitchers that have never advanced past Double-A get to live in the case. I rescued these beauts recently and now shall show them off.

1972 Topps Harmon Killebrew

 It astounds me how little respect Killer gets in hobby circles. He's the '60s version of Jim Thome. This card here is an absolute classic and is one that made me really fall in love with the 1972 Topps set. Of course, I have several of this card already, so the first person to comment here and e-mail me your address will get this sent to them in a plain white envelope. Gotta be quick now...

1976 Topps Willie Stargell

You ain't getting this one though. No one touches my Willie. I need to check the binder to see if I need this one or not. When you find cards this fabulous in a quarter box, you gotta go for it, doubles be damned.

1978 Topps Nolan Ryan Highlights

I swear I've got this card already. Or at least 12 of the reprints. Topps trained me to believe that all Nolan cards are made of pure platinum fibers that can one day be formed into an artificial heart that will pump life-giving blood through my veins for eternity, making me immortal through the Power of Nolan. Pretty sure this is actually reject cardboard from the cereal box factory, but I can't shake the early-'90s propaganda so I got it. I might give this one away too in a separate post once I can confirm that I have it already.

1975 Topps No Hitter Highlights

Honestly, I can kinda see why this one was in the quarter box. But it's Nolan, and the platinum fibers and all, and my cholesterol ain't all that good, so... you know.  Here's the most ridiculous find in the quarter box:

1951 Topps Red Back Dale Mitchell and Gus Zernial

1951 Topps in the quarter box? Preposterous, you say? Actually, since that large cache of unopened '51 Red back wax was found back in the '70s, no one wants crummy looking Red Backs since so many pristine ones are out on the market.

WELL EFF THAT NOISE!

I WANT THE CRUMMY ONES!

I LOVES THE CRUMMY!

I mean, come on... now when I play a game with my redbacks, I instantly know where the 'fly out' card is! Let's see you PSA8 people do THAT!

Catching up on trades - A fair swap

This here is an original Allen & Ginter card.

It's an N22 Racing Colors of the World card of William Hendrie. Well, not of William Hendrie himself, but of a girl wearing the racing silks of his stable. After posting about it, I stuck it in a binder with the rest of my Allen & Ginter cards and forgot about it. A little over a year later I got an e-mail asking about the card. The person who e-mailed me turned out to be William Hendrie's great great granddaughter. She wanted a copy of the card for her father, so I traded it to her. That's right, I traded a 120 year old card, just like that. What a heartwarming story! So what did I get in return, you ask?

PURE AWESOMENESS!

Nolan Ryan saves the day! Hooray! Check out that card. 1970 Topps (or is it?). Playoff game! Ryan in mid pitch. A chomp out of the bottom corner of the card. How perfect is that? So who was Ryan pitching against anyway?

Wh- Whaaaa?

Eliminatoires? That doesn't sound good...

Mets 7, Braves 4??? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Aaaaaah! The Mets beat the Braves! That's not good at all! The pain! The horror! The - Oh, cool! It's an O-Pee -Chee card! I don't think I have any 1970 O-Pee-Chees. And hey, it's the Ryan Express. I can overlook a Braves loss for an early Ryan card.

There were also a few hockey cards along with the Ryan including this beaut:

Jaques LaPerriere second team All-Star. This is the first card I have from this set and it's pretty cool looking. I think I did pretty well for myself, if I say so myself. Thanks for the cards great great granddaughter of William Hendrie!

Note: I misspelled Mets up above as Mats and didn't catch it because the spell checker passed it by. I changed it to Mets and the red line of mistake came up under the word because Mets is inherently wrong. That's my kind of spell checker!

I Found One!

Way back here, I lamented the loss of Mother's Cookies, their baseball cards and those weird pink and white animal cookies. At the time, I knew I had one of their cards floating around, I just couldn't remember what I had done with it. Well, last night while looking for an old price guide for my contest, I found it just sitting on top of a couple of old Tuff Stuff magazines. I had actually pulled it to write a post on it, set it down and forgot about it. I have it now, three months later so why not show it off?

This card is from their 1994 Nolan Ryan farewell set. The set could be found individually wrapped in packs of cookies like this one or as a set through the mail. As you can see it's a pretty nice looking card. Fairly simple with a good photo, minimal design and no corners to ding.

The back has some real oddball cred. Two color printing, a big honking logo, even a line for an autograph. This card has his 1985 stats on the back. 10-12 with 209 strikeouts and a 3.80 ERA. Not a great year for the Express, but a lot of pitchers would be quite happy with those numbers. If you're a fan of one of the West coast teams they produced cards for or just a fan of nice '80s oddballs, Mother's is a pretty decent little set.