660ct. Storage Box of Cards

If you collected baseball cards in the 70's and 80's... then the number 660 should ring a bell.  That was the set size of Fleer's flagship sets from 1981 to 1990.  Donruss also issued sets with 660 cards from 1982 to 1989.  Before it became the norm for those two manufacturers, Topps produced 660 card baseball sets from 1973 to 1977.

I don't keep track of card set sizes anymore... like I did back then.  Maybe Topps had another 660 card flagship set after 1977... maybe it didn't.  I just know that if they did... it wasn't during the 80's.

These days seeing a 660ct. card box does one of the following things.  It either stirs up memories of my childhood and collecting cards.  Or it means I'm receiving a pretty decent sized care package from someone.

Today's post will focus on the latter.  Last week, I received a stack of PWE's from Bo (Baseball Cards Come to Life!), a small flat rate mailer from John (Johnny's Trading Spot), and the aforementioned 660ct. box from Rod (Padrographs).

I didn't have a lot of time during the work week to open these up, but as soon as I got home on Friday night... I tore into Rod's box.  I started sifting through it and sorting the cards along the way.  On Saturday, in between hanging out with one of my brothers in the morning... and grabbing lunch with my other brother in the afternoon... I started scanning cards.

Now unlike Billy over at Cardboard History, I am not a scanning machine.  Scanning one image can take anywhere from one to four minutes depending on the cropping situation.  That means you won't be seeing six hundred scans in this post.

However... it does feature twenty-five different scans and a pair of photos... which is quite higher than one of my run-of-the-mill posts.

Today I decided to use a Top 10 format to highlight some of the cards Rod sent my way.  However let's being with some honorable mentions...

Honorable Mention #1:  Love the Logo

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #NNO

When I think of 80's Fleer sets... I also think of the team logo stickers that were inserted into packs of cards.  This isn't one of those stickers, but it's still really cool.  You'll get a chance to see some of the player stickers from this product in a few minutes.

Honorable Mention #2:  Padres TTM Autographs

I have a binder dedicated to TTM and IP autographs I've acquired over the years.  It shouldn't be surprising that the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants make up a large percentage of the binder... since they were/are the two local teams.  However in recent years... the San Diego Padres have definitely made their presence felt thanks to several large donations from Rod over the years.  

This care package contained over twenty... but I narrowed it down to this nine-pocket page and this other honorable mention...

Honorable Mention #3:  My First Merrill Auto

2022 Topps Heritage Minor League #14

The Padres have been extremely quiet this offseason... which has some people worried, annoyed, or both.  But if Jackson Merrill can avoid a sophomore slump and the Padres high priced stars can live up to their contracts... I think they'll be able to hold their own (assuming they fill out the rest of their roster).

Honorable Mention #4:  Six Pack of Autographs

The next group of autographs are of the pack-pulled prospect variety:

I've heard of Snelling, Gonzalez, and Wolf... but honestly couldn't tell you much about any of them.  That being said... it'll be fun to see if any of these guys end up being household names by the end of their careers.

Honorable Mention #5:  Hockey Packs

2023 Upper Deck National Hockey Card Day

I'm in the midst of writing a hockey card post.  I'm guessing you'll see at least a pack or two of these in it.

Honorary Mention #6:  A Pair of A&G Hits

2024 Allen & Ginter Framed Autograph #MA-AA

2024 Allen & Ginter Relic #AGR-ZGA

Both of these cards were welcomed surprises.  Most of the cards in Rod's 660ct. box were for specific collections.  Unless I'm missing something... these do not.  That being said... Abbott has shown signs of stardom.  If he wins a Cy Young Award, this card can be added to my left-handed Cy Young Award winner collection.

As for Gallen, he's been a solid starter for the Diamondbacks for half a decade now.  Maybe Rod knows something we don't know... and the Padres are planning to trade for him.

Alright, let's get to the Top 10 countdown... 

#10: Obligatory Ohtani

2023 Bowman #51

When it comes to cards... Shohei Ohtani is like Michael Jordan.  If I have an opportunity to show off a card of his, I will.

#9:  Rare Leaf

1991 Leaf #140

1991 Leaf was far from being considered a rare product... but you don't see miscut cards like this come out of 90's products very often.  This is especially true when the card manufacturer was trying to compete in the premium card product market.

This card stood out like a sore thumb in Rod's 660ct. box... and I absolutely love it.

#8:  San Diego Rickey

1997 Collector's Choice #211

Sometimes we don't appreciate things until the moment is gone.  I wonder if I truly appreciated the fact that my two favorite baseball players were teammates on two separate occasions.  

#7:  Smiling Stew

1991 Upper Deck #127

When I think back on my memories of Dave Stewart... I immediately think of his stare downs on the mound.  If I were standing in the batter's box... I would be downright scared.

While flipping through a large stack of A's in this 660ct. box... I immediately stopped to appreciate Smoke's smile and the pre-Mount Davis Coliseum with grass behind the bleachers.

#6:  A Sucker for Slabs

Feast your eyes on the latest addition to my collection of graded cards:

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Autograph #GQA-RHO

Some of you might be wondering why Rod would send me an autographed rookie card of Rhys Hoskins.  I'm not a Phillies fan and I don't usually seek out this slugger's cards.

However... I do have a growing collection of slabs from different grading companies.

Although they've been in business for almost twenty years, this is the first time I've heard of or handled one of their slabs.  Regardless... it's a new addition to my Graded Card Gallery.

#5:  Not Your Ordinary Paperweight

2015 Topps First Home Run Medallions #FHRM-RJ

Not all manufactured relics are created equally.  Some of them are cool... and some of them are silly.  I'm not the biggest fan of this card's design... but I really the the actual medallion embedded in this card.


#4:  A Sayonara Signature

2023 Topps Baseball Stars Autograph #BSA-HK

Not exactly sure what the Padres goals are this off-season... but I was totally bummed to see Kim sign with the Rays.  I know that they already have Cronenworth, Bogaerts, and Machado manning the infield... but I've been a fan of Kim's defensive versatility since his arrival in 2021.  He will be missed. 

#3:  Food Issue of the GOAT

1992-93 Fleer Drake's #7

I'm one of the thousands and thousands of collectors who treasure any Michael Jordan card sent my way.  But flipping this card over and discovering that it was a food issue card that I didn't have made it extra special.

#2:  End of an Era

2024 Topps Big League Mascots #M-18

It's hard to believe that Stomper won't be parading around the Oakland Coliseum anymore.  At least this card will help me remember the good old days.  What I especially love about this card is the fact that he's rocking the kelly green alternate jersey with Oakland right on front.


#1:  Rickey Henderson Stickers

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #144

1983 Fleer Star Stickers #192

I don't remember seeing these back in the 80's, but I would have been excited to add these to my collection.  Forty-two years later... I finally did.

Thank you Rod for this generous 660ct. box of cards.  I love the variety... and all of the little holes you filled in my collection.

Bo... I'll start working on those PWE's next.  And after that... I'll rip into Johnny's flat rate box.

Until then...

Happy Sunday and sayonara!

Flea Market Finds #163: 70's Wax, Set Help, & a Starter Set

My best friend describes me as a delicate flower that wilts with the heat.  Although I don't appreciate her choice of words, she's not wrong.  I hate hot weather and right now we're in the midst of an extended heat wave.

Luckily... it cools off at night and the temperatures are within my comfort zone until around 8am.  So on Saturday, I hopped in my car and walked around the De Anza Flea Market.

I wasn't expecting large crowds due to the holiday weekend and the heat, but I was wrong.  There were tons of people and vendors.  The more the merrier, I guess.  Right off the bat, I found people with cards.

Purchase #1:  Three's Company Packs $10

Most of it was the usual overpriced Junk Wax Era stuff, but then I came across a guy with this small bag of packs:

He wanted $2 per pack, so I offered him $10 for the lot and he accepted.  Unfortunately when I got home, I discovered the Jaws 2 and Mork & Mindy packs were already opened.

The three Three's Company packs appeared to be sealed... but they could have been opened and resealed.  The good news is my buddy is building the 1978 Topps Mork & Mindy set, so hopefully I'll be able to help him out.

Purchase #2:  Vintage Comic Books $2

Blondie #198 (May 1972)

Beetle Bailey #106 (July 1974)

Like dime boxes at card shows, I have a hard time walking away from dollar comic boxes at flea markets.  This guy had three short boxes filled with stuff from the 90's, but there was a small section of older issues.  These two were in really nice condition, so I grabbed them.

Purchase #3:  1982 Kellogg's Lot $6

About halfway into the flea market, I came across a vendor with this display case:

The best way to describe this photo is eye candy.   I was super excited to see singles for my 1982 Kellogg's set build.

I found these nine cards in his dollar stack:

I'm too much of a bargain hunter to spend a buck on commons from this set, but he told me beforehand that he'd work with me on the price.

Now I'm down to only needing seven hall of famers and the MLB Hit King:

The vendor actually had a few of these hall of famers, but not ready to dish out $3 each for guys like Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, and Jim Palmer.

Purchase #4:  Very Cool Jersey Card $10

Jersey cards are one of those things in the hobby where you either are into them or you're not.  I used to love them, but over the years they've started to lose their luster.

1997 Press Pass Game-Used Jersey #JC-1

However... this one isn't your average memorabilia card.  It's one of those old school ones.  1996 was the first year companies started slicing up jerseys and embedding the swatches into cards.  So the concept was still fresh.

This was also from an era where memorabilia cards were still tough to pull.  Beckett lists the odds of pulling one of these jersey cards at 1:612 packs.  That's why I couldn't reach for my money any faster when the vendor told me it was ten bucks.

Purchase #5:  Star Wars Stuff $17

The next purchase came from a vendor with bunch of Star Wars and Star Trek collectibles.  She had a table with a 50% off sign.  I was tempted to buy a bunch of things, but I settled on these two items.

First up was this opened box of 1993 Topps Star Wars Galaxy with a $15 price tag:

There weren't any inserts, but the box did contain a complete set... along with a solid starter set.

Next up was this box set of trade paper backs of the original trilogy:

1996 Dark Horse Classic Star Wars TPB Box Set

This was a brand new box set, but the cellophane was starting to tear, so I ripped it off.  Here's a look at the covers of each of the comics inside of the box:

I've been wanting to read the Star Wars Marvel comics from the 70's and 80's.  This doesn't contain every issue, but they do cover the stuff from the movies.

The box set had a $20 price tag, which meant she was only charging $10. She told me I could have the cards and the comics for $17, because she didn't want to deal with change.

Purchase #6:  The Trader Speaks Lot $2

I came across a guy in the second row with a small stack of The Trader Speaks issues.  If you're not familiar with them, they were a hobby publication printed from the late 60's to the early 80's.

The bulk of each issue are want ads, advertisements, and auction listings.  Honestly, they don't pack the same level of high interest reading fodder as past issues of Beckett or Tuff Stuff.  That's why I passed on them the first time around.

But later, I went back and pulled these two:

The Trader Speaks (December 1974)

The Trader Speaks (July 1978)

At a buck a piece, they're nice additions to my Oakland A's and San Diego Padres PC's.

Normally, I'd go and walk around one more time in case I missed something.  However by the time I was done with the final purchase, it was already starting to heat up.

There's another flea market in two weeks.  Hopefully the heat wave will have ended by then.

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

My buddy in Atlanta says he's dealing with high temperatures and high humidity.  That is not a good combination.  My other friend in Oregon says it's been insanely hot up in the Pacific Northwest too.

Hope things are cooler wherever you are reading this post.  Happy Tuesday and sayonara!