BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 34: WILLIAM CLAUDE DUKENFIELD

MINIS! OLD MINIS AT THAT! OLD ENGLISH CIGARETTE MINIS! AND FILMS! YEEHAW! I DON'T REMEMBER IF I SCROUNGED THIS ONE BY BEING A CHEAPSKATE OR IF IT WAS ON MY WATCHLIST FROM LAST YEAR BUT EITHER WAY I SOMEHOW GOT IT 

1936 GALLAHER FILM EPISODES - THE MEMORY EXPERT

I LOVE OLD COMEDIES AND W.C. FIELDS IS ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST. HE'S GOT SUCH A TIMELESS CHARACTER AND AMAZING COMEDIC TIMING THAT HIS STUFF IS STILL HILARIOUS TODAY. AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE SHOCKING, CHECK OUT THE SCENE FROM THE DENTIST WHERE HE'S TRYING TO EXTRACT A LADY'S TOOTH. I REALLY WANTED A FIELDS CARD AND TARGETED HIS DAVID COPPERFIELD CARD BUT FOUND THIS ONE FOR A RIDICULOUS FIFTY-FIVE CENTS AND SNAGGED IT INSTANTLY. I TRIED TO BUY IT TWICE! I ACCIDENTALLY HAD TWO TABS OPEN FOR THE CARD AND BOUGHT IT THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE BINGE, THEN GOT REALLY SAD WHEN I REFRESHED THE OTHER TAB THE NEXT MORNING AND SAW IT HAD SOLD. I EVEN COMPLAINED ON TWITTER ABOUT THE JERK WHO TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME UNTIL I REALISED THAT I WAS, IN FACT, THE JERK. I GOT THE CARD I WANTED SO I'M FINE WITH BEING A CARD-THIEVING JERK

I HAD A HECK OF A TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT MOVIE THIS WAS AS A GOOGLE SEARCH ONLY CAME UP WITH THIS TRADING CARD. I EVENTUALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THE MEMORY EXPERT IS THE BRITISH TITLE FOR W.C.'S FILM MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE. THEN I HAD JUST AS MUCH TROUBLE FINDING A COPY, BUT I SCROUNGED ONE UP. THE FILM STILL HOLDS UP, FIELDS TRIES TO TAKE OFF AN AFTERNOON OF WORK TO WATCH A WRESTLING MATCH AND EVERYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG DOES. THERE'S SOME GREAT SLAPSTICK BUT MOST OF THE HUMOR IS IN WATCHING POOR FIELDS SQUIRM. IT'S ALMOST CRINGE COMEDY - A BIT WHERE W.C. IS HASSLED BY COPS FOR FIVE STRAIGHT MINUTES IS ANXIETY INDUCING - BUT FIELDS' GOOD NATURED DEMEANOR WHERE HE KEEPS ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES KEEPS IT FUNNY. IT'S ALL WORTH IT AS THE ULTIMATE HAPPY ENDING IS VERY CATHARTIC. A GOOD MOVIE AND A GOOD TRADING CARD

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

Is there a basketball tournament going on?

I guess it's like Kansas or Duke in the finals or something? I honestly hadn't noticed. I'm just glad that Georgia State Basketball is no longer interrupting my indie college rock on Album 88 anymore. I got to post basketball stuff though, so here's the first of 4 posts featuring the contents of that 20 card vintage hoops grab bag I bought at the card show a couple of months ago for 4 bucks. I broke it up into four posts because I don't want to upload 40 images all at once.

1972-72 Dennis Awtrey

Red, red card and blue, blue eyes. The eyes would pop out even more had I not screwed up the scan. Awtrey actually had a decent career in the NBA, 12 years performing the "big white guy in the paint" role to perfection. I just like the card for that groovy font for the team name.

Topps used this design for their Basketball Heritage set a few years ago. It's probably the last vintage Topps basketball design we'll see from Topps for a long time, unless they swipe a few for their next Wrestling Heritage set.

197?? ABA Checklist

I can't remember the year and I don't feel like figuring it out right now. Topps had two checklists for the year, separated into NBA and ABA players. This is a well checked checklist.

Notice the poor sap was only missing 10 cards from his ABA set and one was Dr. J. That makes me sad for that poor collector from 20 years ago.

1973-74 Dave DeBusschere

Hall of Famer with over 14 thousand points and a couple of rings. Better known among card geeks as having a1963 Topps rookie card for his time with the White Sox. All the All-Star cards from this set had the action photo with the floating head on the corner.

1973-74 was Dave's last season, and the cartoon points out his new gig as the Nets' new GM. Gotta love the green text on a red background.

1979-80 John Drew

Yeah, a Hawk! Drew was a great scorer for Atlanta and was the guy they traded for Dominique Wilkins. Cards from this set were some of the first I ever had. I pulled them out of a penny box. I thin kI loked them because the basketball with the team name circling it reminded me of Saturn. I was a very geeky little boy.


Now this is how you use red on the back of a card. Black on red, everything's readable except for maybe the card number.

1975-76 Willie Norwood

Now that is a classic face. Rembrandt would have loved to paint that face. That face isn't even ruined by the goofy airbrushing of Willie's Detroit Pistons Jersey with, um, Pistons colors. Suns colors are blue and orange! The really stange thing is that Willie didn't play a single game with the Suns, he was with the Sonics (R.I.P) in '75-76. I have an urge to find a green Sharpie and correct this travesty.

This is one of my favorite basketball sets. The design is nice and simple, there's lots of interesting photos in the sets and it's a fairly large set packed with ABA players if I remember correctly. The back is fairly unique too with the big circle o' bio information.

I hope you enjoyed that because I have 15 more cards to show odd before the Championship game. Hooray for old basketball cards!

Conan

What ho? What is that demonry?