Thursday, November 29, 2007

Tradeaway #2: Two Duffys and a Duncan


I have no idea why the goofy scan saved as a GIF, let alone why it is sooooo small... Yeesh. Guess that's what I get for blowing away Windows yesterday to reinstall everything... I digress.

Tradeaway #2 comes from Bart in Missouri!

Getting: 1975 Topps Frank Duffy, 1975 David Duncan, and a 1976 Frank Duffy.
Giving: Dan Uggla (Red), Aaron Rowand (Red), Ramon Hernandez (Green)

First of all, this trade adds ANOTHER "David" into the mix. I'm telling you, there are strange things afoot at the Circle K...

Frank Duffy always reminds me of Clint Eastwood in Clint's very young days. No, I have no idea why. Though, perhaps it is some other actor I'm thinking of, or perhaps just some figment of my imagination altogether! Remarkably, both Duffys come with "customization." The '75 has a "B" written in ballpoint pen in the upper left corner of the back, and the '76 has something written VERY lightly in pencil across the back.It's hard to say if some youngster was practicing forging Frank's autograph or if it just some random doodle of a yet-to-be-discovered Rembrandt. His claim to fame on the back of the '75 is that in 1972, he hit .330 in September, going 30 for 91. Is it just me, or does that not say a lot when your "fast fact" is a stat from three years ago?

Dave Duncan also sports some "customization." On the back of his card, there is a "B" but it is located mid-center on the left side at the top. When the Duffy and the Duncan sit atop each other, I envision a stack of 1975 Topps, all with "B"s on them, arranged in such a way that should the bearer of the stack flip the cards rapidly, the "B" would make its way from one side to the other in classic flip-animation form... :-) Dave's claim to fame is his '72 World Series pick-off of Joe Morgan. Again, three years earlier. How many other Tribers saw their peaks in '72?

As for the Goudeys, Rowand looks like he just might whack you with that bat he's holding. Uggla looks like he is trying so hard to pose that he comes off appearing extremely constipated. Hernandez looks like he is willing to use his bat to defend himself against Rowand's attack, but really, he'd rather talk it out first...

Sidebar: Bart's box number is 122C, which by any other count seems harmless. However, before Emergency 911 service in our area, my box number was 221C... That's kinda cool. But, add to that, Bart's city is Rich Hill, MO. Growing up in Western PA, I went to school with a guy named Rich Hill... Yeah, I know, it's a lot like the whole Kennedy/Lincoln thing - some people will the connections, while others will simply shake their heads, smile, and wait for their cards... :-)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Tribe Tradeaway #1 and a question answered




My very first Tribe Tradeaway comes from David in Ohio! Before I get into descriptions, I just wanted to say that not since the days of "Kids in the Hall" have I seen so many "Daves" in one place! David A sends cards to David H, and in return, he receives not one but TWO randomly drawn Davids... That is just weird....

Getting: 1977 Topps Jim Kern and 1977 Topps Duane Kuiper
Giving: 2007 Goudey David Wright (Red Back) and 2007 Goudey David Eckstein (Red Back)

It appears that Jim Kern could have been foreshadowing the "Billy Ripken incident," though instead of a curse word, Kern simply has his name on his glove. I am curious as to why he would feel as if he HAD to have his name on there at all... Then again, perhaps, when his Mom heard that he was in the bigs, she made him put his name on everything... "Just in case." The back of the Kern card is where things really shine, though! Get a load of that gum spot! I feel sorry for the kid that had to peel the card away from the gum, though he/she did a good job not to take any of the paper backing with the gum!

Mr. Kuiper demonstrates the "perfect" batting pose. Not "stance" mind you, but "pose." To be more honest than I need to be, I am going to admit that for the longest time, I had mispronounced Kuipe's name. My version was something not quite resembling "cue-ooper." In fact, when I finally did his hear name, it took me a while to connect that name with this player! Well, it's a funny story in MY head, anyway... As for the backs of the 1977 Topps, I kinda like the "billboard" design. It conjures up mental pictures of teams traveling along the highway, reading the signs as if they were Burma-Shave ads... "Duane tied" ... "for Tribe club record" ... "with 19 stolen bases" ... "in 90 games" ... "1975" ... Talk about your close shaves!

I decided that since this was the first tradeaway, I would try my best to honor the request enclosed on the accompanying note. However, since I don't have any duplicate Indians Goudey cards, I am enclosing a "surprise" card with this trade. Hopefully, it will be one David A does not already have. :-)


To answer a question posed to my last post regarding my eBay purchases:

The 1995 Classic Phone Cards were actually bought on eBay when I kinda 'stumbled' onto them. I was looking for something else (and now cannot recall just what), when I came across a seller offering three unopened, sealed boxes of the phone cards. I did a quick check in some of the guides I had, and decided that I would snag them up for the Indians I could get out of them. I held on to the other cards until they were simply taking up more space than I cared to provide for them, so I decided to sell them on eBay for whatever I could get. :-)

The other lots that I have purchased recently are about 6000 cards in each lot. Based on the listing, I have a good handle on what I'm getting, though I also realize that when I buy lots in that size, there will be commons and such, too. I am by no means a dealer myself, at least not a professional one. I would eventually like to become one, so that's probably where my random "big lot" purchases come into play. I have bid on 50,000 and 100,000 card lots as well, but those quickly grow way out of my price range... :-)

Now, because I collect Tribe cards almost exclusively, I do often buy large lots of Indians-only cards because I have found that I can usually find little nuggets in those that I cannot seem to locate by other means. Much to my wife's chagrin, though, it means I have boxes and boxes (ad infinitum) of duplicate Indians cards stacked in the closet (or next to the computer).

Now You Know... :-)

Monday, November 26, 2007

1995 Classic Phone Cards


As I mentioned earlier, I have been selling 1995 Classic Phone Cards on eBay. Some are doing/have done pretty well (Travis Fryman went for more than $40). Others don't sell at all. Oh well, nature of the beast. Aside from sales-related conversation, I think the idea of baseball card-like phone cards is pretty cool. Plus, I'm sure it gave Classic a new use for the tons of photos they WEREN'T using on their trading cards.

There are five Tribe Phone Cards, and I have three of them: Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Eddie Murray. I am missing the Carlos Baerga and Albert Belle. In all honesty, I have not put much effort lately into completing the set, but I will take up that challenge once I get through my latest purchases (a couple of "dealer went out of business" lots).

As for the cards I do have, I debated long and hard with myself (mainly because I am the only one that will listen when I start talking cards) whether or not to break the cards away from their factory hanging stock. Ultimately, I decided to open up the cards and let them join their brethren in my binders. Okay, yeah, I have pocket pages that would have accommodated the whole thing, but ever since watching "Toy Story" many moons ago, I just have an uneasy feeling about leaving things in their "original boxes" as it were... My cards are not meant to be museum pieces, necessarily. I do put them in pocket pages, and you can bet your butt I am not about to let my five year old handle my 1909 T206's, but just the fact that they aren't "all wrapped up" and that, at least for a little while, they were held "in hand" brings out what card collecting was always "supposed" to be.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Edited: In the giving spirit (The Trippin Tribe Tradeaway)


11/24/2007 - I have had a couple people email me and tell me they do not have any vintage Indians cards, nor do they have oddball Triber cards, but they would still like to participate in the Tradeaway. Well, I am not one to prevent folks from the season of sharing, so I am amending the "rules" a bit.

I am a big fan of "Tipton" cards (What's a Tipton!?). So, if you have any "Tiptons, (from ANY team/player)" I will gladly accept those in trade for 2007 Goudeys in my Tradeaway. What's that? You don't have any Tiptons either? How about ANY baseball oddball card(s)/item(s) you may have laying around?

If you are still not able to come up with a viable trade, email me and we'll figure something out! :-) After all, this is the season of giving!



In the spirit of other sites which have started giving away cards for other cards, I have decided to do the same. Yeah, I know the name is corny, but that suits me pretty well. Though, because I am more specific in what I collect, I will also be more specific in what I'm looking for.. :-) So here's the deal:

Send me your Tribe cards, and I will trade you 2007 Goudeys for 'em. I've got about 75 of the 2007 UD Goudeys up for random trading. So, what are the rules?

  1. You send me an email (davidinark -at- yahoo -dot- com) and I will send you my mailing address.
  2. Once you get my address, you send your card(s) along with a SASE.
  3. I am looking for Tribe cards from 1977 or EARLIER only (any brand) - Any condition!
  4. Exception: Send me ANY Tribe oddball card or oddball item, and I'll accept that for trade.
  5. I will send you ONE (1) randomly-selected 07 Goudey for each Tribe card you send.
  6. I am not responsible for lost cards, torn envelopes, etc.
  7. The Tradeaway will end once all my 2007 Goudeys are gone.
  8. I will post scans of trades as they happen/as I can.
  9. If you ask nicely, I may consider requested teams/players depending on availability. If I can't fulfill the request, you get a random Goudey.


So, there ya go! :-) Tribe cards for Goudeys - how can you go wrong??

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Indians sign Kobayashi

The name Kobayashi may sound familiar to you, but the Tribe did not sign THIS one:


They signed THIS one:


According to the Indians web site, Shapiro said, "The signing of Masa Kobayashi marks the first contract ever signed by a Japanese professional baseball player into the Cleveland Indians franchise and, more importantly, accomplishes one of our primary off-season goals of adding depth to the back-end of our bullpen."

Let's hope that breaking this "new" ground helps us back to the ALDS, ALCS, and ultimately, the WS! :-)

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

1994 Upper Deck American Epic Ray Chapman


In 1920, Cleveland Shortstop Ray Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch. Within hours, he was dead. He is the only player known to have been killed during an in-game play. Though I have collected Indians cards since I was a small boy, somehow, the story of Ray Chapman escaped my Tribe-al education. It was not until about two weeks ago that I learned of this fateful event. When I did, I went on a hunt for Ray Chapman cards, and this was one of the ones I found.

I like the tin-type effect of the front of the card. Having studied photography in college, it brought back many memories of studying and styles. It actually looks like it was taken in 1920 and magically transported into the moder era. Ray looks truly happy, blissfully unaware of the events to unfold in his future.

The back of the card is a half "bronze" color/half white, and reading the black text on the bronzing is tough. The stories on the back, though are short, but well-written: "The Pitch That Killed. A .300 hitter and ace shortstop, Chapman was leading the Indians to the 1920 pennant...Carl Mays, a Yankee pitcher with a menacing fastball and a submarine delivery... threw high and inside... The ball crushed (Chapman's) skull. He died the next morning." Umpires were told to remove any discolored balls following that game. Balls were often rubbed with dirt, spit, you name it, in an effort to trick the batter from seeing the ball. (This unquoted bit of info comes from my learning about the event and not the back of the card).

The white portion sums up Chapman's career. After Chapman died, Joe Sewell was called up to replace him.


So far, I've had one taker on my Tradeaway, and I look forward to seeing what he sends me! :-)

In semi-related news, I am selling a bunch of non-Indians/duplicates on eBay (list is here). There is a bunch of eTopps in-port stuff, a Pirates in-hand Master set of eTopps, a slew of 1995 Classic Phone Cards, and whatever else I threw up there...

Monday, November 19, 2007

Three for the Road

I had the day off today (okay, I get the whole week off), so when it came time to check the mail, I had several bubble mailers waiting on me. When I opened them up, I felt like I hit some kind of Tribe Jackpot!



First up, we have a 2007 Upper Deck MLB Artifacts Antiquity Artifacts card. This one is of Jhonny Peralta (why do parents do things like that to a kid?). The card itself it pretty nice except that UD opted for a brown wood grain background, then added gold lettering on top of it. How is anyone over the age of 30 supposed to read the friggin thing!? Aside form that, I like the "posed" shot on the left with the action shot on the right. The swatch inside a shield is kinda of a cool design. The back has the card number (AA-PE) and the obligatory "Congrats... you have an authentic card..blah blah..." You've heard (read) my rants about this cheap way out of a good card back, so I won't bore you here... :-)



Next up, we have a 2007 Upper Deck UD Masterpieces Captured on Canvas. Now, this is a great looking card! I am a HUGE fan of the canvas-feel cards, and this one of Sizemore ranks right up there near the top of my faves list. I love the border effect, giving the canvas card a "frame" in 3-D (okay, technically in "relief"). The cut-out effect around the swatch is different, thought I'm not quite sure what it is supposed to be. Hey, at least it is not just a square! The back ,like the previous card, has the card number (CC-GS) and a "Hey, check it out" kinda message. I forgot to mention that both cards have the UD Kids code, so I'll have to log in to my son's account and add these to his points... :-)



The final package is a three-fer in and of itself! It is a 2005 Donruss Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Absolutely Ink. Dang, talk about a mouthful! This Jody Gerut card features a swatch of jersey, a piece of game-used bat, and an authentic signature! My only real complaint about the design is that the player is lost in the HUGE "Absolutely Ink" logo that takes up nearly a full third of the front of the card! I'm wondering if the fact that a player should actually appear on the card was something of an afterthought... In any case, I love multi-game-used cards. The card is numbered AI-70, and serialed 14/50. The dark blue with black scheme gives the card this dark, cool feel to it.


I now have three more cards for which I will start searching for their other Tribe counterparts. Scouring for similar-setted Tribers of the various makes and models of cards has become something of an obsession within an obsession. :-)

Not a card, but .....


So, if you're out there thinking to yourself, "Man, this guy should get something really cool for Christmas..." Well, you're in luck... How about an autographed Harley-Davidson bike? Starting bid is only $525,000... :-) (listing)

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Julio Discs


Not long ago, I posted a picture of some Holiday Inn discs I had scored from eBay. Well, at the same time, I won these two. The Master Bread (left) is in a plastic holder, which is why you see the tape. It will be removed in the next few days and placed in my binder for safekeeping. :-) The disc on the right (Fantastic Sams) is actually a square in which the disc has not been cut out yet. I don't know if Sam's handed them out this way, or if they were cut into circles for the most part. Either way, to score a couple of Julio Franco discs is always cool in my book! :-)

FYI, the photo on the right (Sams) is from 1988 and the left one is from the next year. I don't know if the Fantastic Sam's picture was the "before" he went to Sam's or the "after" he got a cut-n-curl there.. :-) Seriously though, that is some serious Jerri Curl goin on there, guy! The '89 "clean cut" look suits him much better.

Friday, November 16, 2007

1999 Pacific Photo Slides




These are some of my favorite items. They are 1999 Pacific Trading Card Company photographer slides. You can find these on eBay every once in a while, and they are worth every penny. First of all, Pacific no longer exists (which is most likely how the seller got hold of them to begin with). Second, they are the shots that could have ball cards (and some actually WERE made into cards). Third, these are one-of-a-kind items. No one else has these if they are in your collection. Even if they have the same player, they are not the same shots. In my book, it adds up to a very cool addition to any collection! :-)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Back-to-Back Awards!


Congratulations to coach Eric Wedge!! He was awarded AL Coach of the Year! Man, this really has been "Tribe Time Now!" If we had only made it to the World Series... I hope Wedge can keep the Tribe on track for next year, and maybe this time go all the way! I would love for Lofton to snag a Tribe WS ring before he retires! :-)

C.C. Gets a Cy!


CONGRATULATIONS to C.C. Sabathia who was honored with a Cy Young award! He is the first Triber in more than 30 years to win the Cy. I honestly expected Beckett to take it, but the post-season doesn't count toward the nominations or voting, and that is most likely what saved C.C.'s butt. :-)


Over at the Cardboard Junkie, dayf is showcasing "The 792" - a list of the "best" Topps cards of the 80's, determined by the card number portrayed by the players (Ex: Of all players who had card number 4, Eddie Murphy gets his spot in "The 792." The whole thing is something of a collaborative effort between dayf and Ben Henry.

In any case, dayf needed a scan for card number 13, and I was more than happy to lend a hand:

Monday, November 12, 2007

1943 MP and Co. Lou Boudreau


By now, you are probably thinking that I only collect oddball sets. I collect every kind of Indians card I can get my grubby mitts on (how's that for a little "throwback" talk?). I'm not sure that the 1943 MP & Co set would qualify as oddball, seeing as how they were one of the few companies still making cards during WWII. I guess, in a way, that is exactly why they *ARE* oddball, though, huh? :-) I wonder if an upstart card company could get away with "creating" player pictures and putting the player's bio and info on the back these days... Somehow, I think the MLB would be unhappy, but more than that, the MLBPA would have the lawyers at the door faster than the set could be printed.

I mean, no matter how hard you try, there is just no making the guy depicted on the front of this card look anything like Boudreau... This like the original "clip art" cut-and-paste or something.

I did have someone ask me how I knew this was a '43 and not a reissued '49. My first response was, "I don't." Later, I did some research (okay, popped open a copy of the SCD Almanac) and saw that the latter version actually had card numbers on them.

Regardless, this is one of the more "conversational" pieces I have in my collection as far as age and uniqueness goes. Do you agree?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

1990 Topps Doubleheaders Joe Carter


I'm not sure how I came into possession of this particular gem, but I would venture to say it either came by way of eBay or perhaps a "shopping spree" on Beckett. What we have here are two mini cards (a 1989 and a 1990) which are placed back-to-back on a plastic holder. The holder had a little foot at the bottom so that the pair can stand vertically for display purposes. In fact, that is about the only thing you CAN do with them - display. Because of the "cute" little foot, you cannot (readily or effectively) place this item in a pocket page without seriously weirding out your binder. And, yes, I have considered "removing" the foot....

Of course, I am okay with all of that for one simple reason - it's Joe (friggin) Carter! He is (in my opinion, without a doubt) one of the best Tribers to have graced an Indians uniform. Excellent!

In case you're not familiar with the set, I wanted to go ahead and provide you with a couple tidbits: 1) The wrapper is red, blue, and yellow and features a double shot of Jose Canseco, 2) The wrapper reads, "Topps All-Stars DoubleHeaders: 2 Baseball Pictures in Holder," 3) A checklist is provided on the back: Jim Abbott, Jeff Ballard, George Bell, Wade Boggs, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Ellis Burks, Jose Canseco, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Roger Clemens, Vince Coleman, Alvin Davis, Eric Davis, Glenn Davis, Mark Davis, Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, Dennis Eckersley, Sid Fernandez, Tony Fernandez, Chuck Finley, Carlton Fisk, Julio Franco.

Why list them all? How about the fact that nearly a third of the players listed have been a Triber at one point of another! (Ellis Burks, Joe Carter, Shawon Dunston, Dennis Eckersley, Chuck Finley, and Julio Franco)

If I should find myself in possession of a duplicate of these, I will attempt to pull the holder apart and get into the "meat" of these - I am interested to see if they are actual cards or just photos... Of course, if any of you already know the answer, feel free to share! :-)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

1977 Holiday Inn Discs


I spent much of Wednesday evening putting cards into their respective 3-ring binders. You would think I might have taken some time out to post something on here! :-) Well, there were good intentions, but time got away from me, as it often does when I am putting away 250+ cards. The issues isn't how many cards, but rather that when I get into looking through the binders, I invariably get distracted by the other cards in there.

One of my favorite sellers on eBay had just listed some new stuff, and even though none of the new stuff had Indians in it, I went ahead and searched his store. Turns out he had some MSA discs that I didn't have. I don't know where my weird addiction to discs comes from, but when I see a "brand" of disc that I don't have, I snag 'em up...

These are MSA discs that were distributed by Holiday Inn to guests who stayed there in 1977. I also picked up an '88 Fantastic Sam's Julio Franco (I'll post it when it comes in), and a 1989 Master Bread disc (again, I'll post that later). In the meantime, I'm always keeping one eye open for MSA-style discs... And the other eye is looking for anything Tribe. (Makes driving a very interesting proposition!)

Monday, November 5, 2007

Packs for days and "bonus items" suck.



I am a daily visitor (often lurker) to "A Pack a Day (which should not be confused with this site!)." I've been buying packs haphazardly for a while now, but last week, I took the plunge and bought a $20 box of various baseball packs, which included a "bonus item" for kicks. Since this is 99.99% about Indians cards, I thought I would share the Tribe cards I pulled from the packs. Before I get to that, though, the "bonus item" is a 3-D motion card featuring two Florida Marlins. The card is about 5"x7" I would guess. There is no branding, so I couldn't tell you who made it, and I could not possible care any less... Well, unless there happens to be a Tribe version out there.. Then I would care! :-)

So, for $20, I got 16 packs of cards and the "bonus" item. For the halibut, I will list the packs for ya (in no order):
  • 2005 Donruss Team Heroes (Michael Young, Lenny Dykstra Showdown Blue, Adam Kennedy, Al Leiter)
  • Tristar Hidden Treasures - Good heavens, I got a re-pack in a re-pack box... Jeez... (91UD Beau Allred (Triber anyway), 87Topps Tom Foley (looks like he was photoshopped onto the field), 88Topps Tony Pena, 88Score Mike Dunne, 05Bowman Luis Gonzalez)
  • 2006 UD Series 2 (Steve Kline, Geoff Geary, Khalil Greene Chacklist, Antonio Alfonseca, Robb Quinlan, Kenny Rogers, "Earn points for prizes" card, David Ross, Fernando Nieve)
  • 2003 Victory (they look like some weird TCG) (Frank Thomas, Sean Burroughs, Hideo Nomo, Jim Edmonds, Vladimir Guerrero Solid Hits, Matt Morris Green border, "How to play" card)
  • 2005 Fleer Tradition Series I (Scott Podsednik, Casey Kotchman, Mike Piazza, David Bell, Roy Halladay, Matt Lawton (Triber!), Johan Santana, The "You suck, you don't get an insert" card, Greg Aquino, Shannon Stewart, Ty Wiggington)
  • 2003 Fler Fall Classic (Joe Morgan, Ozzie Smith, Mickey Cochrane Gallery of Champions, the "You suck, you didn't get a materials" card, Jose Canseco, Babe Ruth Gallery of Champions)
  • 2005 Donruss (Craig Monroe, Bernie Williams, Tom Glavine, Richard Hidalgo, Jose Vidro, Brad Radke, Brian Tallet (Triber!), Vernon Wells, Jason Jennings, Johan Santana)
  • 2006 Fleer Tradition (Chad Tracy, Felix Hernandez, Josh Johnson, Mark Prior, Trevor Hoffman, Steve Stemle, Joe Mauer, Michael Young, Wil Nieves, Miguel Cabrera Triple Crown (how many frigging Florida cards can I get in one box of "random" packs!?))
  • 2004 Topps Total (Kevin Appier, Tony Torcato, Blaine Neal, Steve Trachsel, Anthony Acevedo, Greg Maddux Silver Border, "Topps Total Card Game" rules, "Fantasy Sluggers" ad, Darren Dreifort, Mark Hendrickson, Jon Garland, Daryle Ward)
  • 2004 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia (I need sunglasses to shield my eyes from the glare of the silver foil. These cards have alittle bit of "plain" to go with their foil - OUCH!) (Dewon Brazelton, Derek Jeter, Kerry Wood, Barry Larkin, Tim Salmon)
  • 2002 Fleer Tradition (Derek Jeter, Brent Abernathy, Carlos Garcia, Derrek Lee, Alexis Gomez, John Rocker (Do I have to claim this Triber??), Shawn Estes, Mac Suzuki, Derek Jeter Diamond Tributes (Jez, two Jeters in one pack), Jeff Shaw)
  • 2001 Fleer Ultra (Ricky Gutierrez (caught in the middle of sitting on a sliding player, dork), Ruben Sierra (caught using the bat in the follow-through as a kickstand behind him), Rondell White, Joe Kennedy, Ray Lankford, Cal Ripken Jr Glove Works die cut, Jeff Kent, Chris Stynes, Travis Lee, Jim Thome (Triber! Caught in an action shot about to catch a line drive), Trot Nixon)
  • 1994 Fleer Cigarettes, er, uh Flair Series I (These cards come in a gold foil mini ciggie pack. "Hey, Kids, smoke THESE!") (Greg Myers, John Valentin, Jamie Moyer, Dave Magadan, Armando Reynoso, Jose Rijo, Karl Rhodes, Javier Lopez, Kevin Seitzer, Chan Ho Park Wave of the Future)
  • 1989 Topps (with shattered piece of nearly 20-year old gum, which I did NOT try to eat!) (Ed Hearn, Doug Drabek, Darren Daulton, Chris Spe-i-e-i-o - uh Speier, Jeff Blauser, Tom Brookens, Craig McMurtry, Juan Castillo, Ad card for binder, Greg Minton, George Bell Record Breaker, Kirby Puckett, Keith Atherton, Mike Boddicker, Angels Leaders, John Smoltz (Rookie, maybe?))
  • Last but not least, well ,okay maybe even the least, 2005 UD 1st Pitch (Jim Thome Pennant Race (in a Phillies uni, but I'm keepin it anyway), Barry Zito, Joel Pineiro, Frickin Florida Team Leaders (Josh Beckett, Miguel Cabrera), Mike Lieberthal)
  • Hold the phone! I was wrong! Hidden beneath the Sonic Drive-in trash in the box is another pack... 2007 Topps Series One (Adam Lind, Adam LaRoche (evidently the Adam pack), Phillies Team Card, Chad Tracy, Anibal Sanchez, Rich Hill (I went to Middle School with a Rich Hill, but kid is way too young to be that same guy.. LOL), Jim Tracy Gold, Andruw Jones "NL Rawlings Gold Glove Award", Aramis Ramirez, Ben Sheets, Bengie Molina, Bill Hall)

Well, I went 6 Tribe cards for 16 packs... 6 for 16... Somehow, I think that is still better than the Tribe's avg in the last four games of the ALCS....

Friday, November 2, 2007

2007 eTopps In-Hand

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Today's mailbox yielded the two 2007 eTopps cards from this year's offerings. The scan does not do the cards any justice. These cards are DARK in-hand. So much so ,that I thought for sure I had mistakenly left my sunglasses on when I opened them. Alas, even breaking them out of their "protective shell," they are VERY dark pictures.

I'm sure I've talked about this before, but I really do NOT like the 80's throwback look of these cards. The fronts are okay, I guess, but the backs really look lie something out of the 80's, though I'm not sure they quite had this color green back then... UGH... And, I know a lot of people hated the "stick-on" badges that eTopps used to use on the fronts of their cards, but I liked them. It was one of the things that made the eTopps cards unique. Now, they just as well stick a UD logo up there, or heck, leave the thing off and only use the one on the back of the card (which I am predicting now will be the future incarnation of the eTopps brand - "brandless fronts").

Well, as has bee said time and again, the important thing is that I needed/wanted them in-hand for my collection, and now I've got 'em. They'll be ready for pocket pages this weekend. :-)

1967 Topps Pinups - McDowell


I received the McDowell that I needed for my '67 Pinups/Mini-poster Tribe collection. Maybe it's just me, but calling anything that has anything to do with baseball a "pinup" just seems wrong... I mean, I am old enough that a "pinup" to me is a scantily-clad woman sitting on the nose of a cool 'Vette or standing next to a WWII fighter (No, I was not around for WWII, I was born in the late 60's). I think Mini-Poster is the way to go with these...

The McDowell has a weird anomaly: The upper left corner appears to be burned or melted. As I was looking around for this 'card' before I bought it, I saw that corner and thought, "Man, someone sure didn't take care of that one." But then I realized, ALL of his mini-posters look like that. I am very curious to know a couple things: 1) What happened to it, 2) Could they not take/use another picture, 3) Did someone at Topps look at this and think, "No one will notice..it's just a little melted..." I may have to do some poking around to see if I can find the answer.... Then again, my Internet ADD may kick in, and I'll forget all about it as I discover other cards I need for my collection... :-)

Thursday, November 1, 2007

1917 E135 Collins-McCarthy


I admit it... I am a sucker for the old cards. And, the older I get, the more I enjoy looking at (and adding to my collection) cards produced around the turn of the century. I mean, these are from a time when the baseball card industry was barely kicking, let alone walking or running.

The only specimen I own (as of the time of this writing) of the E135's is this Ivan Howard card that barely qualifies as a card anymore. This is one of those "Tipton" cards that you hear collectors talk about - the kind that is beaten, torn, folded, etc, yet remains in the collection because you "need" it! :-) Unlike many of today's photos where the players all try to look tough, Howard is smiling as he plays catch with an off-frame teammate (most likely). The card is simple - a photo occupies nearly the entire front of the card, with the player's name, position, team, and card number below the picture on the front. The back tells how many cards are in the series (200), and lists distributor info and an "ad" for Zee nuts and candies. A nice sized "Collins" logo fills the bottom third of the card.

This particular card is fragile, as if it would disintegrate should it be held too long in the open air. In fact, I'm sure if I took it out of its card-sleeve, it would flop in the breeze... As I said before though, I love old cards, and I don't care what condition they're in - all that matters to me is that it's in my collection and I get to enjoy it anytime I feel like taking a trip down a memory lane which I wasn't alive to have traveled....