BREAKDOWN OF THE FLEA MARKET JUNK BOX PART 2

BACK TO THE FLEA MARKET JUNK BOX POST WITH TOO MANY PICTURES. THIS HALF OF THE BOX HAS THE REAL HEAVY HITTER JUNK WAX ERA LEGENDS SETS

NEXT UP: SOME 1991 SWELL BASEBALL GREATS CARDS. FLEER WASN'T THE ONLY SET WITH YELLOW BORDERS! SWELL HAD A NICE THREE YEAR RUN OF LEGENDS SETS FROM 89-91. THIS 1991 SET HAS IMPEL MARKETING COPYRIGHTS ON THE BACK. IMPEL BECAME SKYBOX IN 1992 AND SADLY THERE IS NO SKYBOX BASEBALL GREATS SET. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW COOL A CARD OF BABE RUTH WITH COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND GLOWING BASKETBALLS WOULD BE? HERE'S A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BOX

MANNY MOTA IS MORE THAN THE AIRPLANE JOKE. HE BROKE IN WITH THE GIANTS, HIS ROOKIE CARD HAS HIM AS A COLT .45 AND HE WAS TRADED TO THE PIRATES BEFORE PLAYING A GAME WITH HOUSTON. MANNY THEN GOT SELECTED BY THE EXPOS IN THE EXPANSION DRAFT AND FLIPPED TO THE DODGERS EARLY IN THE SEASON. AND THEN HE BECAME A DODGER FOR LIFE AND PINCH HIT FOR PEDRO BORBON, WHO WAS A CARDINAL IN 1980. DON'T WORRY DODGER FANS, MANNY'S ONLY CARD AS A GIANT IS FROM AN OBSCURE TCMA SET

WHILE I DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE RANKING OF TEAMS LIKE NIGHT OWL* I DO KNOW THE A'S ARE IN MY TOP FIVE FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS. THEY'VE GIVEN THE BRAVES A LOTTA GOOD PLAYERS OVER THE YEARS FOR ONE THING. REGGIE WON A RING WITH THEM MY BIRTH YEAR FOR ANOTHER. AND THESE YELLOW AND GREEN UNIFORMS ARE FANTASTIC. LAS VEGAS BETTER NOT FUCK THAT UP, ASSUMING THEY EVEN END UP THERE. KEN HOLTZMAN IS A FANTASTIC PITCHER THAT EVERYONE'S FORGOTTEN ABOUT. FOUR WORLD SERIES RINGS! MOST WINS BY A JEWISH PITCHER! GIVE HOLTZMAN SOME RESPECT

ASTROS ANOTHER TEAM IN MY TOP FIVE. GO BANG YOUR TRASH CANS SOMEWHERE ELSE. CESAR CEDENO ANOTHER GREAT PLAYER FORGOTTEN. HE COULD HIT DINGERS AND STEAL BASES AND HIT FOR AVERAGE AND TAKE A WALK. GOLD GLOVE FIELDER TOO! BUT HE WASN'T LITERALLY WILLIE MAYS SO HE WAS OFF THE HALL OF FAME BALLOT AFTER ONE SHOT. PHOOEY TO HALL OF FAME VOTERS. PHOOEY I SAY!

I HAVE NO LOFTY PRAISE FOR DECINCES BUT A DUDE WHO IS AN ABOVE AVERAGE HITTER WHO CAN PLAY ALL OVER THE INFIELD IS HELLA VALUABLE. I LOVE THE CALIFORNIA ANGELS LOGO TOO. AND FLIP UP SHADES WITH EYEBLACK! STUPENDOUS. WE'RE LOOKING AT GREATNESS HERE. OOPS I DID HAVE SOME PRAISE AFTER ALL

THE BACKS OF THE CARDS ARE PRETTY GOOD. THE BASEBALL GREATS DESIGN FROM THE FRONT IS REPEATED AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFO HERE. THE CARD NUMBER BEING IN THE MIDDLE AIN'T GREAT BUT IT'S EASY TO READ AND IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY TIME. I MAY HAVE SAID THIS THREE TIMES ALREADY BUT I WAS REALLY SURPRISED TO FIND THIS CARD WAS MADE BY IMPEL MARKETING, THE SAME GUYS WHO DID MARVEL, DISNEY AND STAR TREK CARDS IN THE EARLY 90S. I WAS EVEN MORE SUPRISED THAT IMPEL TURNED INTO SKYBOX WHEN THEY GOT THEIR BASKETBALL LICENSE. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW PHILADELPHIA GUM TURNED INTO IMPEL. 90S TRADING CARD MANUFACTURER SHENANIGANS ARE FASCINATING 

FINAL STATS FOR THE SWELL CARDS IN THE BOX:

TOTAL CARDS - 18

NEEDED - 15

DUPLICATES - 3

CURRENT VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL QUARTER CARDS: $15.50

LOTS OF 1988 PACIFIC LEGENDS CARDS IN THE BOX. I'VE LOVED THIS SET SINCE IT FIRST CAME OUT. PACKS WERE HARD TO COME BUY BECAUSE SOME DEALERS SET THE PRICE FOR THE MANTLE AT $25 AND THERE WAS A FEEDING FRENZY. THEY ARE PRETTY COMMON NOW AND I'VE BEEN PICKING THEM OFF HERE AND THERE AS I FIND THEM

THE BEST THING ABOUT THE SET IS IT'S PACKED FULL OF AWESOME PLAYERS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE HALL OF FAME. ROY FACE HERE WAS A GREAT RELIEF PITCHER BEFORE THAT ROLE CRYSTALLIZED INTO PITCHING ONLY THE NINTH INNING WITH A LEAD OF THREE OR LESS RUNS. IF ELROY PITCHED THIRTY YEARS LATER HE WOULDV'E HAD LIKE 500 SAVES. OR HE WOULD'VE PICKED UP THE SPLIT FINGER FASTBALL AND BLEW HIS ARM OUT AFTER SIX SEASONS (AFTER RACKING UP 200 SAVES)

WISH I'D TAKEN A BETTER PICTURE OF GARY BELL BUT THE ENTIRE PILOTS FRANCHISE IS A BIT BLURRY TO BE HONEST. PILOTS CARDS ARE GREAT TO FIND ANYTIME JUST SO YOU CAN CROSS REFERENCE THE PLAYERS TO BALL FOUR. DING DONG!

THESE CARDS WERE ALL FROM SERIES TWO WITH THE BLUE BACKS. THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE I NEED WAY MORE OF THEM THAN I DO SERIES ONE

PACIFIC LEGENDS HAS A BUNCH OF THESE UNCANNY COLORIZED PHOTOS THAT MAKE THE PLAYERS LOOK LIKE PHANTOMS. I LOVE THIS KIND OF WEIRD QUIRKS ON OLD TIMEY LEGENDS SETS

THERE WERE SOME HEAVY HEAVY HITTERS IN THE BOX. A GREAT LOOKING CARD OF KILLER, GAYLORD PERRY WITH THE GIANTS AND TED FRICKIN WILLIAMS. TEDDY BALLGAME DOESN'T BELONG IN QUARTER BOXES BUT I'LL TAKE IT

COMING AROUND FULL CIRCLE, WILBUR WOOD HAD AN AMAZING RUN IN THE EARLY 70S WHERE HE STARTED 224 GAMERS IN FIVE SEASONS AFTER MOVING TO THE ROTATION FROM THE BULLPEN. HIS FINAL CAREER NUMBERS GOT HIM BARELY ANY HALL OF FAME VOTES, BUT HIS WAR TOTAL IS HIGHER THAN JIM KAAT, JACK MORRIS AND CATFISH HUNTER'S. RESPECT THE KNUCKLEBALL

FINAL STATS FOR THE PACIFIC CARDS IN THE BOX:

TOTAL CARDS - 20

NEEDED - 17

DUPLICATES - 3

CURRENT VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL QUARTER CARDS: $19.75

THE FINAL BATCH OF CARDS IN THE BOX ARE OF THAT OLD STANDBY, THE CONLON COLLECTION. YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON FINDING AT LEAST A COUPLE OF THESE CARDS IN ANY JUNK BOX, YET COMPLETING THE ENTIRE SET IS PROBABLY AS TOUGH AS COMPLETING A VINTAGE TOPPS SET. MAYBE NOT 1966 TOUGH, BUT MAYBE 1973 TOUGH. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SERIES ONE THAT GOT PRINTED ROUGHLY IN 1991 UPPER DECK QUANTITIES, OR EVEN SERIES TWO OR THREE WHERE COMPLETE SET TINS ARE STILL PRETTY COMMON. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH SERIES IN 1994 WHERE THEY SLOWED DOWN THE PRINTING PRESSES AND THAT BIZARRE 1995 SERIES WITH THE MAROON BORDERS AND COLORIZED CARDS AND FOIL STAMPING AND SUCH. PEOPLE THINK THE CARDS ARE TRASH SO INFORMATION ONLINE IS HARD TO FIND. I'M STILL PLUGGING AWAY THOUGH

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I PULLED THE SAMPLE CARDS FOR THE PHOTOS AND I THINK I MIGHT'VE JUST PICKED THE GREATEST NAMES I COULD FIND. SKI MELILLO IS A LEGIT GREAT NAME. I WAS WONDERING WHO THIS GUY WAS UNTIL I LOOKED HIM UP AND FOUND OUT IT'S OSCAR MELLILO. I GOT A GOUDEY CARD OF THIS DUDE!

JIMMY LAVENDER SOUNDS LIKE THE NAME OF A MILTON BERLE GANGSTER CHARACTER. JIMMY THREW A SPITBALL AND GOT A NO HITTER WITH IT WHICH IS COOL. BRING BACK CHEATING! JIMMY ALSO HAS SOME VINTAGE CARDS IN T206 AND CRACKER JACK. I DON'T HAVE THOSE

BILL HUNNEFIELD. I DON'TEVEN KNOW WHY THIS NAME MAKES ME GIGGLE BUT IT DOES. BILL PLAYED SIX SEASONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT DEAD ZONE OF MAJOR TRADING CARD SETS FROM THE LATE 20S TO THE EARLY 30S SO IF YOU WANT A CARD OF THIS DUDE YOU CAN GET A CONLON OR TRACK DOWN A SUPER SCARCE ZEE-NUT OR EXHIBIT CARD. THIS IS CONLON'S GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO CARD COLLECTING IN MY OPINION. EVEN MORE VALUABLE NOW THAT CONLONS ARE CONSIDERED BORDERLINE VINTAGE!

STUFFY MCINNIS! YOU KNOW I HAD TO SHOW OFF A BRAVE NAMED STUFFY. STUFFY WAS A STAR FIRST BASEMAN WITH THE A'S AND HAS A TON OF CARDS OUT THERE VINTAGE AND OTHERWISE. HE'S EVEN GOT A LAUGHLIN CARD CELEBRATING HIS .999 FIELDING PERCENTAGE IN 1921. STUFFY IS ALSO A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE CHEAPASS BOSTON BRAVES PICKING UP OLD AND BUSTED STARS AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS. I COULD WRITE A WHOLE POST ON THAT IF I WASN'T LASER FOCUSED ON WRITING ABOUT GARBAGE COMMON CARDS AT THE MOMENT

WES FERRELL'S NAME ISN'T GOOFY BUT HE PITCHED A NO-HITTER AND BOPPED A HOME RUN IN THE SAME GAME WHICH IS SUPER COOL

GOTTA LOVE BOX SCORES ON THE BACK OF CARDS, ESPECIALLY FOR HISTORIC GAMES LIKE THIS ONE. THERE'S A BUNCH OF NO-HITTER CARDS IN CONLON IF THAT'S YOUR THING

THERE'S A BUNCH OF CLAIMS OF 'FIRST CARDS' IN THE CONLON SET AND BACK IN THE DAY WE ERE ALL AWED TO HAVE A ROOKIE CARD OF SOME DUDE WHO PLAYED IN THE 30S. WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE WAS THE INTERNET AND A DOZEN WEBSITES CATALOGING EVERY SINGLE BASEBALL CARD IN EXISTANCE. I HAD TO DO SOME SEARCHING ON OL JOHNNY HERE SINCE HE BEGAN AND ENDED HIS CAREER WITH THE BRAVES

ACCORDING TO TCDB, THIS IS NOT ONLY NOT JOHNNY NIGGELING'S FIRST CARD, IT IS ACTUALLY HIS LAST CARD. JOHNNY HAD A ST. LOUIS BROWNS CARD IN 1941, A REPRINT OF THAT CARD IN THE 70S AND A COUPLE OTHER ODDBALLS PRINTED UP BEFORE THIS ONE. NO BRAVES CARDS THOUGH, SO IF I EVER GET LOOPY AND DECIDE TO START AN 'EVERY BRAVES PLAYER' PROJECT THIS ONE WILL HAVE TO DO

ALSO IN THE BOX, SOME TRASH! A BABE RUTH COLLECTION AD CARD. I HAVE A COUPLE OF PACKS OF CONLON AND RUTH CARDS BUT NEVER PULLED THIS OUT OF THEM. I'VE SAID IT BEFORE BUT THE GARBAGE EPHEMERA INSERTS ALWAYS END UP THE TRULY RARE STUFF IN THIS HOBBY. GO TRY TO HUNT DOWN SOME OLD GOUDEY COUPONS OR A 1958 TOPPS FELT TEAM EMBLEMS AD CARD

FINAL STATS FOR THE CONLON CARDS IN THE BOX:

TOTAL CARDS - 77

NEEDED - 34 (PLUS THE BABE RUTH AD)

DUPLICATES - 33

CURRENT VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL QUARTER CARDS: $28.25

FINAL TALLY FOR EVERYTHING

TOTAL CARDS - 242

CARDS I ACTUALLY NEEDED - 113

GOT OVER A HUNDRED CARDS KNOCKED OFF VARIOUS LEGENDS SET WANTLISTS FOR ABOUT TEN BUCKS. THAT'S A WIN! 

* REALLY HOPING THE BRAVES ARE VILLAINOUS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE BOTTOM FIVE NEXT YEAR

FIRST CARD PURCHASE OF 2023

I FINALLY GOT TO THE FLEA MARKET THIS WEEKEND WITH A LITTLE CASH IN MY POCKET. THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE TRIP WAS THIS:

   

I SPOTTED THIS BOOK ON MY PREVIOUS TRIP TO THE FLEA MARKET WHEN I GOT THE BASEBALL IMMORTALS AND TONY HAWK ROOKIE AND SAVED MY PENNIES FOR TWO MONTHS TO GET THE CASH FOR IT. THIS WILL LIKELY GET IT'S OWN POST EVENTUALLY BUT THE SHORT VERSION IS THIS IS THE PREQUEL TO THAT GIGANTIC TOPPS COFFEE TABLE BOOK WITH PICTURES OF EVERY CARD FROM 1951-1985. AS SOMEONE WHO LOOOOVES PRE-WAR CARDS BUT IS MOSTLY PRICED OUT OF THE HOBBY AT THIS POINT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET A PHYSICAL OBJECT REPRESENTING ALL THESE CLASSIC CARD SETS. SURE, YOU CAN FIND EVERY IMAGE IN THIS BOOK ON THE INTERNET, BUT IT STILL HITS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU HAVE A GIGANTIC TOME OF CARDAGE IN FRONT OF YOU. ALSO UNLIKE THE TOPPS BOOK THE VAST MAJORITY OF IMAGES ARE FULL SIZED AND NOT SQUISHED DOWN TO POSTAGE STAMP SIZE (WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS)

I BASICALLY PAID FULL PRICE FOR THIS AND IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. I AM ALSO OFFICIALLY A 'REGULAR' AT THIS FLEA MARKET BOOTH NOW SO WAS ABLE TO SNAG A COUPLE DEALS TO GO ALONG WITH THE LUXURY ITEM. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MY HASTILY THROWN TOGETHER POST WITH ALL THE SETS I'M DOWN TO FIVE CARDS OR FEWER TO COMPLETE. THE PLAN WAS TO GET THIS BOOK AND THEN DIG THROUGH HIS STUFF TO FIND AS MANY CARDS OFF THAT LIST THAT I COULD. THAT PLAN WENT SIDEWAYS IMMEDIATELY AS THE SELLER TRIED TO SELL ME BOXES OF STUFF HE WANTED TO GET RID OF. HE KNOWS I WILL BUY HIS TRASH AND I GET OFFERED JUNK BOXES EVERY TIME NOW. LUCKILY, I QUICKLY FOUND SOME GOOD TRASH

OLD TIMERS BOX IN AN OLD TIMEY CARD BOX. THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT WILL GET IT'S OWN POST AND YOU WILL GET SOME BETTER PICTURES OF IT THEN. THE BOX EVEN HAS A TED WILLIAMS AUTOGRAPH ON IT, TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT JSA AUTHENTICATION AT THE LOCAL CARD SHOP AND ENJOY THEIR PEALS OF LAUGHTER. AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SMALL BOX FULL OF SLEEVED CARDS THAT DON'T QUITE FIT. HERE'S A BETTER PIC OF THE GOODS:

LARGE PILE OF EVEN MORE PACIFIC NOLAN CARDS, SMALL PILES OF PACIFIC LEGENDS AND SWELL BASEBALL GREAT CARDS, A NEAR SET OF THE 85 TOPPS ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDER BOX SET, SOME 1993 STUDIO CARDS, AND SOME RANDOM CONLON COLLECTION CARDS WHICH IS THE BIGGEST PILE OF THE BUNCH. HE WANTED FIFTEEN FOR THE BOX WHICH MADE ME HAVE TO DO SOME MENTAL CALCULATIONS. IS IT A BETTER DEAL TO BUY THE WHOLE THING, OR JUST PICK OUT THE CARDS I ACTUALLY WANT FOR A QUARTER? THE PACIFIC AND SWELL LEGENDS CARDS I DEFINITELY WANTED AND THERE WERE LIKELY SOME CONLON CARDS I NEEDED BUT THE REST I'M SURE I HAD ALREADY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BOX CAME HOME WITH ME AND WE'LL BREAK IT DOWN IF I GOT GOOD VALUE AT A LATER DATE

I ALSO CAME HOME WITH THIS HANES HER WAY SHOEBOX HALF FILLED WITH ACTUAL CRAP PLUS A COOL DAVE HENDERSON MINOR LEAGUE CARD. THIS WAS ABOUT THREE QUARTERS JUNKWAX BASKETBALL WHICH IS FINE, BUT MOST OF THAT WAS BEAT UP 1990  HOOPS. DUDE HAD BEEN TRYING TO SELL ME THIS BOX FOR MAYBE A YEAR AND WHILE I WAS INTERESTED, IT WAS A TERRIBLE DEAL AT FIVE BUCKS AND HE USUALLY WANTED SOMETHING LIKE TWENTY FOR IT. AFTER A QUICK LOOK THROUGH IT LOOKS LIKE I NEEDED MAYBE A DOZEN OR SO BASKETBALL CARDS OUT OF HERE BUT IT WAS A HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT TO SEE THAT ALL THREE 2000-01 TOPPS CARDS IN THE BOX WERE ONES I ALREADY HAD. THAT HENDU CARD ROCKS THOUGH AND IS GOING TO END UP IN A PROMINENT PLACE IN A FUTURE COOL CARD BINDER

I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM TO AGREE ON A ULYSSES S. GRANT FOR THE BOOK AND BOXES, WHICH I BROKE DOWN IN MY MIND AS FULL PRICE FOR THE BOOK, TEN BUX FOR THE OLD TIMERS, AND THE SHOEBOX JUNK FOR FREE. I FELT THIS WAS EXCELLENT VALUE FOR EACH ITEM. THIS WAS ALL WORKED OUT WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES HOWEVER, AND I STILL WANTED TO DIG THROUGH A BUNCH OF CARDS TO KILL THE AFTERNOON SO I ASKED IF I COULD THROW IN A COUPLE MORE CHEAPO CARDS AS WELL AND THESE TERMS WERE ACCEPTABLE. HERE'S WHAT I FOUND THROUGH DIGGING:

1992 TOPPS CAL RIPKEN JR.

AM NOW DOWN TO ONE SINGLE CARD TO COMPLETE MY 1992 TOPPS SET. NOT COUNTING THE WHOLE-ASS FACTORY SET I'VE HAD FOR DECADES. THIS IS LEGIT A GREAT CARD AND I'M NOT SURE HOW IT ELUDED ME FOR SO LONG. ACTUALLY, I DO KNOW, IT'S A LEGIT GREAT CARD THAT NO ONE IS THROWING IN A JUNK BOX AND I DON'T GO OUT OF MY WAY TO BUY RIPKEN CARDS

1990 DONRUSS RICKEY HENDERSON

I KNOW I HAVE THIS FUCKIN' CARD SOMEWHERE, IF NOT SEVERAL, BUT IT'S THE LAST CARD REMAINING ON MY WANTLIST SO I HAD TO GET IT. I COLLECT RICKEYS THOUGH SO EVEN IF IT ULTIMATELY IS A DOUBLE I'M FINE WITH HAVING ANOTHER OF THEM. SO NOW TECHNICALLY MY 1990 DONRUSS SET IS COMPLETE BUT NOW I HAVE TO ACTUALLY DRAG IT OUT, PUT THIS CARD IN, AND SEE JUST HOW MANY OTHER CARDS ARE REALLY MISSING. AND THEN I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DID WITH THEM BECAUSE I AM 1000% CERTAIN THEY ARE SOMEWHERE IN MY HOUSE. HONESTLY I PROBABLY HAVE THREE COMPLETE SETS OF THIS NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK GETTING JUST THE ONE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE. I STILL HAVENT DONE IT FOUR DAYS LATER AND I'M HONESTLY DREADING IT A BIT

1995 STADIUM CLUB RICKEY HENDERSON RING LEADERS INSERT

SO BY NOW I HAD FOUND THE AGREED-UPON COUPLE EXTRA CARDS BUT THIS GORGEOUS MONSTROSITY SHOWED UP IN THE RICKEY HENDERSON BOX AND I COULDN'T PASS IT UP. THESE ARE A ONE PER BOX INSERT FROM 95 STADIUM CLUB. THEY ARE NOT EXACLY RARE, BUT THEY'RE NOT EASY EITHER. I WAS WILLING TO COUGH UP A COUPLE MORE BUCKS FOR THIS ONE, BUT THE DUDE ALREADY HAD MY MONEY AND WAS FINE WITH THROWING IT IN THE DEAL. I ALSO FOUND A RICKEY DENNY'S HOLOGRAM CARD IN THE BOX BUT LEFT IT ONCE I SAW THIS ONE. THIS IS HOW THINGS USUALLY GO ON MY FLEA MARKET RUNS, THERE IS ALWAYS ONE MORE THING I WANT THAT I LEAVE BEHIND FOR NEXT TIME

1993 UPPER DECK DAVE WINFIELD SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

ANOTHER GUY I COLLECT ON AN INSERT FOR A SET I COLLECT. WHILE I THINK I HAVE FINALLY COMPLETED THE 1993 UPPER DECK BASE SET, I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN COMPLETING THE INSERT SETS. I HAVE A FEW INSERT SETS KNOCKED OUT, BUT THE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS SET IS LEGIT SCARCE AS THEY WERE ONLY INSERTED IN SPECIAL SERIES TWO BOXES. I COME ACROSS THEM VERY RARELY AND WHEN I SEE 'EM I GET 'EM. THIS ONE HAS A GREAT BIG DOINK ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER BUT THAT DON'T MATTER TO ME NONE. I AM A LITTLE SAD THIS HIGHLIGHT IS FOR THE BLUE JAYS WORLD SERIES WIN, BUT THERE ARE ALSO FRANCISCO CABRERA AND BIP ROBERTS CARDS FROM THIS SET FOR ME TO CHASE

I FEEL LIKE THE FIRST PURCHASE OF THE YEAR WAS WORTH THE WAIT AND HONESTLY JANUARY SUCKED SO HARD I'M OK WITH HIBERNATING THROUGH IT. THIS IS BEING POSTED ON 2023 TOPPS RELEASE DAY AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU OUT THERE RIPPING HOBBY BOXES AND RAIDING TARGET FOR BLASTERS HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS I DID WITH THESE CARDS. I WON'T BE JOINING YOU AS I'M BROKE AS HELL NOW

Saving Braves - part 1

A whole lot of Braves were saved from the landfill by Captain Canuck and myself. I received my rescued cards yesterday and spent all day scanning them. Mark sent a lot of stuff! Supposedly Canuck got an even bigger package than I did, so many Braves were spared. I'm going to have to break up this post into two parts, there's so much to go over. Let's begin with the best card in the universe:

1983 Dale Murphy

Mark said he had a 1983 Fleer card that was "Mangled-you are getting this one whether you want it or not" in an e-mail a while back. Well, this was the only 1983 Fleer card in the box and it's in gem mint 11 shape. I'm kind of disappointed, I would love to have a mangled Murph.

1970 #413 Sonny Jackson

Woot! A card off my 1970-1985 Braves wantlist that isn't finished and I told everyone to ignore! Hooray! Why does no one ever listen to me.... Surprisingly this is not the only Sonny Jackson card I got from Mark.

1975 #105 Buzz Capra
1975 #367 Craig Robinson
1975 #633 Paul Casanova

I'm not 100% sure, but I think if I combine my 1975 regular size and mini Braves cards I have a complete set. Of course if I were to do that all life as you know it would stop instantaneously and every molecule in your body would explode at the speed of light.

Pete Smith Autograph
George Lombard autograph

Two can't miss players who just sort of... did. Lombard is especially hard to swallow since he had committed to the Georgia Bulldogs as a running back before the Braves drafted him. Appropriate that this card be from a minor league set because now we have

A TON OF MINOR LEAGUE CARDS!

1988 Richmond Braves

Three cards from this set including ol' Blausey. These cards are slightly larger than normal, almost the size of Topps cards from the '50s.

1988 Durham Bulls

I have gotten a ton of Bulls cards recently... I'm posting another trade tomorrow that will make you moo from all the Bulls. Fielder's Choice must be jealous. For some reason Paul Marak's card was in a penny sleeve, so I'll show off him.

1989 Durham Bulls

The backs of these cards are all different colors for some reason. White with orange print, pink with blue print and white with blue print. Strange.

1990 Idaho Falls Braves

How'd you like to get drafted by a big league club and then be shipped off to Idaho?

1992 Richmond Braves

I told you there would be another Sonny Jackson popping up. That's all for the minor leaguers, it's time for some old timers!

1991 Conlon Collection

11 beautiful black & white Conlon cards of old Braves. Danny MacFayden shows off his specs in this card, also included are Pinky Whitney, Shanty Hogan, Stuffy McInnis and Heinie Meuller. Why don't we have nicknames like that anymore? Imagine Whiffy Francoeur, Jingle Bells Jurrjens, Bubsy McCann and Kumquats Kotchman playing for the Braves. It would make a 90-loss season more entertaining at least. Ok, last card before cutting off part 1.

1990-91 Skybox Doc Rivers

My favorite player in one of my favorite sets. I went berserk over these cards when they first came out, a condition that was exacerbated by the fact that I was a completely broke ass high school student. I didn't have a dime to my name the winter of '91. I only ended up shoplifting a couple of packs... three or five at the most. What, you thought Mario was the only card obsessed criminal around? Au contraire, mon frere! Gotta have my Skybox.

Up next, a whole lotta Braves who got a reprieve from the landfill!