1993 Sporting News Conlon Bob Feller Exclusive

Like many of the cards in my collection, I have things that I own and do not recall how I came to possess. This cool piece from the 1993 Sporting News Conlon Collection is one of my favorite Bob Feller cards ever. I think it's because it is perfectly in tact and includes the the promo paper with it.

The first thing that folks may notice is that it is a Conlon card, but the border is blue! I don't recall seeing other Conlon Collection cards having a color photo and blue border (regular issue were black border with black-and-white photos). This version of the card was only available through the purchase of the Sports Collector's Digest Price Guide of 1993.

The back matches the standard Conlon Collection card, except the border is blue and the "tab" is not actually a perforation...

I tried to determine the print run on these, but I couldn't come up with anything. Apparently, there are 48 total "color" variations of Conlon cards, but the Feller is the only one available exclusively through the purchase of the price guide.

1960 Nu-Card Baseball Hi-Lites (Revisited)

I have four 1960 Nu-Card Baseball Hi-Lites cards in my collection. They are about the size of postcards and a decent card stock. I actually did a post about these back in 2009 (link at bottom of this post) which was then cross-posted to "Things Done With Cards."

So, if I already talked about these back in 2009, why bring them back out?  Well, in this post, I wanted to show all the cards I have in this set. In the other posts, I just showed off one or two.

As you can see, I have "Indians Take Bums," "Bob Feller Hurls 3rd No-Hitter of Career," "Colavito Hits Four Homers in One Game," and "Early Wynn Victory Crushes Yanks."

Here we have another example of non-Indians cards in my collection. The Early Wynn actually comes from his days with the Sox. So, why is it in my collection? To the best of my recollection, I bought the cards off eBay as a set and I believe they were sold as an Indians set. Honestly, until I scanned them in here for this post, I didn't even realize that Wynn wasn't in a Tribe uniform! Shows how observant I am, eh.

I did not show the backs of the cards in the other post. The backs feature a trivia question witht he answer printed upside down.

There were 72 cards in the whole set, and the checklist for them can be found here:
http://www.teamsets4u.com/checklist/1960s/1960nuscoops.html

(The other post I did about these is here: http://www.tribecards.net/2009/09/1960-nu-card-baseball-hi-lites.html)

Accidental Bobble Head Collection

It happens to each of us at one point or another in our collecting: someone sends you something that is related to the team/player you collect but isn't a card. I have lots of things that are Indians related yet have nothing to do with my Tribecards collection. I considered fighting it at first, but then realized that was just a waste of time and generally led to inadvertently hurting someone's feelings. So, I have a slew of non-card Indians items. Bobble heads are such things.

I don't really remember how I came about my first Indians bobbler. I can only assume it was sent to me by one of my friends, most likely in the hobby world. I know that Jack (Baseball Dad) has managed to wrangle at least a couple of these from giveaways at Tribe games. 

The funny thing about collecting is that once you start down a path, whether you meant to or not, it's often hard to quit. You see, this small collection of Indians bobble heads (is it one word or two? I never know) has led to a MUCH larger collection of bobbles in general. I will show those off at some point, but today I am focusing on just the Indians:

From left to right:

Gaylord Perry in celebration of Progressive's 75th year.
Grady Sizemore gold glove
Asdrubal Cabrera
C.C. Sabathia celebrating Cy Young Award
Asdrubal Cabrera celebrating his amazing sidearm sweep (I added the card for effect - haha!)
Retro Baseball Kid Bobble - bought when the family saw the Indians in Cleveland
Bob Feller commemorative statue - Okay, not really a bobble, but belongs here anyway.

These little guys watch over me from the top shelf above my computer desk where I do most of my blogging, gaming, writing, editing, collecting... You get the idea.

I've never had a desire to complete the set of Indians bobble heads, though I suppose that little itch (you know, the one that makes you buy packs to feed your addiction) will come to me one day. And in those moments, I will tear out to sites like eBay in search of nodding little fellas waiting to join their friends here.

A slew of cool Indians cards from @GypsyOak! Thanks to @MDAubrey!

A friend of mine many of you may know, Mark Aubrey (of Mark's Ephemera fame), shared some very cool pieces of art on Twitter with me. I suppose the proper vernacular would be something akin to: @mdaubrey tagged me in a Tweet showcasing some #Indians items made by @GypsyOak.

I reached out to Jeff at Gypsy Oak to see what Tribers they had and to inquire about purchasing some. Well, some turned to a "slew" and the slew turned into a whole freaking bunch! Now, in the name of full disclosure, I did not pay for all of the items you see here. Many, many were actually marked "FREE GIFT" and were thrown in for nothing! How great is that!?

I'm not even sure where to begin, so I'll start with the Artist's Proofs. These are 4x6 prints of some of the amazing work produced by Gypsy Oak. Each one has a label on the back indicating the player pictured and the Artist Proof Number out of 10. Yeap, there are only 10 Proofs of each player! Just. Wow!

Joe Wood (#07/10)	Ray Chapman (#07/10)
Tris Speaker (#05/10)	Addie Joss (#04/10)
Cy Young (#03/10)	Joe Jackson (#03/10)

In addition to these incredible player depictions, I received a wood-burned "card" about the size of a T206. The one I received features Bob Feller, which I found a bit ironic (though, I am probably not using that word correctly in this context) since it was on his birthday that I had previously retired from writing here.

A set of cards that I did purchase in addition to the Proofs above: Helmar Brewing Art Stamps. In my correspondence with Jeff, I learned there were 20 Indians in the set, so I bought them all. I'm not exactly sure how the "sets" work because I received an additional 9 cards (29 total):

The backs of the cards have either a "2015" or a "MMXVI" (2016) in addition to some text. The thing is, there are 18 of the "2015" and 11 of the "MMXVI" cards. I'm sure someone somewhere can explain - or perhaps Jeff just misspoke about the number. Either way, I am not complaining one bit!!

Now, you are probably thinking, "DANG! That's a lot of stuff, there, man!" And, you'd be right. But, that's not the end! In fact, in terms of "types" of cards, we're only halfway there (cue the Bon Jovi music...)

The next three cards are thick. I don't points of thickness from a hole in the wall, so I can only say they are about as thick as a standard relic card. These are also T206-sized. The Chapman is dated 2005 while the other two are dated 2014.

The back of the Chapman has a rubbed off coupon for Helmar Brewing while the other two feature an "ad" for Colgan's Chips:

Those are some seriously cool cards! I have not done any research into the make/model/pricing of these nor do I know if they are considered "fan art" or collectibles. I don't really care. As far as I'm concerned, these go into my personal collection and add the value of "those are freakin' cool!"

Gypsy Oak also included two custom cards with pennies in them! The cards are the same thickness of the ones I just mentioned, which makes sense since these actually DO have relics in them!

The Feller has a 1952 penny and the LaJoie has a 1933 penny in it. These are great cards! 

Rounding out the incredible package I got, there were three MICRO Indians cards plus an entire strip of 12 micro cards featuring all kinds of players!

Now, when I say MICRO, these little babies measure 3/4" x 1" each. Yes, you read that correctly. These things are tiny and are oh-so-good! 

First of all, I want to thank MARK for hooking me up with the incredible talent of Gypsy Oak! And, I want to thank Jeff for not only sending what I ordered, but for also surprising me with an INCREDIBLE array of Indians cards greatness! 

Time Flies.. Ouch

I did not realize how long it had been since I posted something here on Tribecards!

Well, I am working on a post about "Cardboard Treasure" that will appear this weekend, but in the meantime, here's something for Tribe fans to watch for:

Watch the Bob Feller Memorial Service live on SportsTimeOhio and Indians.com tomorrow at 11am. (I assume EST)

Indians 2011 Media Guide cover

On Friday, the 2011 Media Guide cover was posted to Nick Pietravoia's Tumblr account, revealing the tribute to Bob Feller.  It is a very cool design, which should come as no surprise to Indians fans.  You see, Mr. Pietravoia has been working with the Tribe on several projects and has created some very cool graphics.  One such item that has been spotted on Spring Training uniforms is the Feller Tribute patch:

I have to say, this is one of the best "In Memorium" patches I've seen on a jersey. The use of Feller's iconic pitching stance evokes the images of yesteryear.  I wasn't even born when Feller pitched, nor was I born when he was inducted into the Hall.  Yet, as part of the history and lore of the Indians, I instantly recognize the person behind the silhouette.



I'm generally not a "patch collector," though I have a couple.  This is one I hope to add to my Indians collection some day.

If you check out the link below, you can find other murals, banners, etc that have been designed by Mr. Pietravoia.  

*Images from http://tribedesigner.tumblr.com/

One of baseball's greatest pitchers passes away. So long, Mr. Feller.

On December 15, 2010, "Rapid Rob" Bob Feller passed away at the age of 92 after battling leukemia.  Bob Feller is one of Cleveland's most beloved baseball heroes.  To the baseball world at large, he was one of the sports greatest ambassadors.  He loved the game, loved the fans.  And, we loved him right back.

Bob Feller was one of those players I have always wanted to meet in person and shake his hand.  Ever since I was a child, first learning just who the Indians were and building my love for the team, Bob Feller was a name I always connected with anything related to the Tribe.  Though I never did get to meet him, I feel as though I have have lost a long-time friend.  

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

1982 Cracker Jack and 1982 Cramer Baseball Legends

I've got cards #1 and #2 in the 1982 Cracker Jack set.  I love these.  Know why?  The borders are Cracker Jacks!  That is sheer marketing brilliance to a kid in '82.  These were commissioned from Topps for the Borden company and were made to promote the first-ever "Old Timers Baseball Classic."  There are 9 cards plus one card of the Cracker Jack box.  The players included: Doby, Feller, Whitey Ford, Al Kaline, Killebrew, Mantle, Tony Olivia, and Brooks Robinson.  The images make look familiar (as in "retro" from previous sets!).

The next card is from the 1982 Cramer Sports Productions set of "Baseball Legends." These were actually produced from 1980-1983 in a series of sets.  The whole shebang has continuous numbering, so when complete, the three-year deal appears as one set.  I think that's a pretty cool idea.  In all, there were 124 cards:

1 Babe Ruth 3.00
2 Heinie Manush .25
3 Rabbit Maranville .25
4 Earl Averill .25
5 Joe DiMaggio 2.00
6 Mickey Mantle 3.00
7 Hank Aaron 1.50
8 Stan Musial 1.25
9 Bill Terry .25
10 Sandy Koufax 1.50
11 Ernie Lombardi .25
12 Dizzy Dean .25
13 Lou Gehrig 2.00
14 Walter Alston .25
15a Jackie Robinson/
Portrait 4.00
15b Jackie Robinson/Btg 1.00
16 Jimmie Foxx .25
17 Billy Southworth .25
18 Honus Wagner .50
19 Duke Snider .25
20 Rogers Hornsby .25
21 Paul Waner .25
22 Luke Appling .25
23 Billy Herman .25
24 Lloyd Waner .25
25 Fred Hutchinson .25
26 Eddie Collins .25
27 Lefty Grove .25
28 Chuck Connors .25
29 Lefty O’Doul .25
30 Hank Greenberg .25
1981
31 Ty Cobb 2.50
32 Enos Slaughter .25
33 Ernie Banks .45
34 Christy Mathewson .35
35 Mel Ott .25
36 Pie Traynor .25
37 Clark Griffith .25
38 Mickey Cochrane .25
39 Joe Cronin .25
40 Leo Durocher .25
41 Frank Baker .25
42 Joe Tinker .25
43 John McGraw .25
44 Bill Dickey .25
45 Walter Johnson .35
46 Frankie Frisch .25
47 Casey Stengel .25
48 Willie Mays 2.00
49 Johnny Mize .25
50 Roberto Clemente 4.00
51 Burleigh Grimes .25
52 Pee Wee Reese .25
53 Bob Feller .25
54 Brooks Robinson .25
55 Sam Crawford .25
56 Robin Roberts .25
57 Warren Spahn .25
58 Joe McCarthy .25
59 Jocko Conlan .25
60 Satchel Paige .75
1982
61 Ted Williams 3.00
62 George Kelly .25
63 Gil Hodges .25
64 Jim Bottomley .25
65 Al Kaline .25
66 Harvey Kuenn .25
67 Yogi Berra .25
68 Nellie Fox .25
69 Harmon Killebrew .25
70 Edd Roush .25
71 Mordecai Brown .25
72 Gabby Hartnett .25
73 Early Wynn .25
74 Nap Lajoie .25
75 Charlie Grimm .25
76 Joe Garagiola .25
77 Ted Lyons .25
78 Mickey Vernon .25
79 Lou Bourdreau .25
80 Al Dark .25
81 Ralph Kiner .25
82 Phil Rizzuto .25
83 Stan Hack .25
84 Frank Chance .25
85 Ray Schalk .25
86 Bill McKechnie .25
87 Travis Jackson .25
88 Pete Reiser .25
89 Carl Hubbell .25
90 Roy Campanella .25
1983
91 Cy Young .25
92 Kiki Cuyler .25
93 Chief Bender .25
94 Richie Ashburn .25
95 Riggs Stephenson .25
96 Minnie Minoso .25
97 Hack Wilson .25
98 Al Lopez .25
99 Willie Keeler .25
100 Fred Lindstrom .25
101 Roger Maris .25
102 Roger Bresnahan .25
103 Monty Stratton .25
104 Goose Goslin .25
105 Earle Combs .25
106 Pepper Martin .25
107 Joe Jackson 3.00
108 George Sisler .25
109 Red Ruffing .25
110 Johnny Vander Meer .25
111 Herb Pennock .25
112 Chuck Klein .25
113 Paul Derringer .25
114 Addie Joss .25
115 Bobby Thomson .25
116 Chick Hafey .25
117 Lefty Gomez .25
118 George Kell .25
119 Al Simmons .25
120 Bob Lemon .25
121 Hoyt Wilhelm 1.00
122 Arky Vaughan 1.00
123 Frank Robinson 1.50
124 Grover Alexander 1.50
(checklist from Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, 2009)

1982 Davco Hall of Famers

These bright blue babies came out in 1982, issued by Davco.  They feature painted artwork representing 25 Hall of Fame players.  Some of the pictures feature team logos and insignia, while others do not.  The backs are blank, and the stock is almost like that of a cereal box. Pretty heavy stock.

I found a checklist here: http://www.deliafamily.net/www.oldbaseball.com/MegaChecklists/ChecklistSet.php?setname=Davco~Hall~of~Fame~Boxes&year=1982

eTopps T206 Tribute: Bob Feller

eTopps has released two Indians tribute cards.  The latest is the Bob Feller you see above.  I enjoy the eTopps cards, and had been a VERY active member of the community for many years before selling off just about everything in my portfolios.  At one point, I has a complete set of the 2002 series, though given the pricing on that, it was not hard to do.  What I finally did was get the cards in my portfolio sent to me, and then I dumped those into the giveaways I did recently.  Share the love, ya know?

Does anyone else collect eTopps?  Nowadays, I like to wait until football season comes around and pick up the cards I want a whole lot cheaper than IPO or at higher pricing during the baseball season.

I have to admit, though, I am VERY tempted to put myself down in the lottery for a couple of these...