COTW: 1961 Topps Moe Thacker

1961 Topps Moe Thacker

Let The Sunshine, Let The Sunshine in...

Don't let The Sun go down on me.

This month's quick and dirty Card of The Whenever is a card I have had for a long time and an upgrade that I have also had for sometime just not as long. I don't remember when or where I got the first poor one, nor am I even sure of where I got the upgrade. Probably from Sportlots maybe from Ebay. I forget and obviously also forget for how much.

Anyway my original one  which the more I think about it I might have gotten from a repack box of some kind or not. So the card in question 1961 Topps Baseball 12 Moe Thacker Chicago Cubs:

No the colors from my scanner were not off and no your monitor colors are not off. This card is extremely sun faded on the front. There is the slightest bit of red in the Cubs "C" on the cap and where his name should be there is the very slightest indication that some printing was once there. So the fading rules out it being an ink test variant. There is also a roundish shaped bump or crease at the top as if a quarter might have spent some time putting pressure on the card. Hmm that reminds me of the gumball/card vending machine(s) they used to have many years ago at my LCS (House of Cards). They used to put common vintage cards in those machines and that is where I would often get some of my first late 1950s and early 1960s vintage cards. For a quarter (I think they also had a 50 cent machine) you would get a gumball and a card. Usually they were vintage baseball cards, but I think on occasion the cards in the machine were also non-sport cards or football. But I digress, majorly.

Here is the back of the sun faded copy of this card: Yes it is off centered/miscut toward the top edge.

I forget how long I had the faded copy before I got around to getting the upgrade:

and its back:

Finally a side by side image of the fronts just for the fun of it.

I probably should have reversed them putting the faded copy on the left and the replacement upgrade on the right. Oh well guess I was speed photo editing again.

Monthly Deadline: Card Off Line

1977 Miscut Makes The Monthly Cut

Well surprise surprise we arrive at the end of a month and I am burning the midnight bridges, OK so I'm not THAT close to this month's deadline but it feels real close. It is so close that when looking for a card or two to blog about I came across this mid to late 1970s Topps card that is really miscut in my "to be blogged" card queue in monster boxes.

The subject card is Topps 1977 Baseball card number 516 Bake McBride of the St. Louis Cardinals. I'm fairly sure I have a normally cut version of this card but I didn't look in that part of my collection. So if you look carefully at this poor card you will see they miscut it REAL GOOD. Not only can you see that the next card below is some Cubs card you can see that off to the right is the slightest sliver of the card that was on the right of this card on the sheet. I should probably research sometime which cards those were. I probably won't though as it is a bit of an effort to research that type of stuff. Also the back side miscutting shows the edge of the card on the right (since the back is landscaped it would be the card "below" from the front side point of view) and also just the slightest of a sliver of the card on the "bottom" left (or "right" if it were the front side)

1977 Topps Baseball: 516 Bake McBride Cardinals

Miscut

I know there are some collectors who go GA-GA for miscut cards and a few of them are fellow bloggers. Well Sorry this miscut isn't for trade or sale at this time. I'll still enjoy it a bit more.

Topps Now: Trump Now

In today's political madhouse drama, mostly due to Democrats fighting tooth and nail to impeach President Trump by any means possible with wild and weird ways that are by no means constitutional and some of them not entirely legal just because they hate him, it is difficult to say anything positive about President Trump without being given the third degree by somebody somewhere. If you say something negative well then you are applauded and in the running for citizen of the year.

Anyway I decided to get a couple of Topps Now cards that feature President Trump. These cards show Trump receiving a customized jersey from the World Series Champions. Sure there are two Barack Obama cards that are similar maybe more. However there have been many athletes and full teams that have declined the White House invitation to meet with the President specifically President Trump after winning their sports most prestigious trophy. No matter what they claim declining to go to the White House to be honored as a team for winning your sport's championship because of who POTUS is, is a political decision and the fact is a great majority of people hate Donald Trump. When Obama was in the White House there were a few players that were no shows but not entire teams. In basketball the Golden State Warriors made it clear they would not make the trip to the White House because of Trump so Trump uninvited them. The Warriors visited the African American Museum instead. I'll just leave that statement to say what it will. These Trump cards are proof that there are some teams that have made the annual trip to the White House during his administration and continued the tradition and honor.

Usually on these trips the team presents the President with a customized jersey with his name on the back and the number one, or the number President he is (45 in Trump's case), or in the case of the card with the Astros the last two digits of the championship year.

On to the cards for this post. Both are Topps Now cards I got them from Ebay on Monday 23 Apr 2018.

The first is from 2017 and celebrates the Chicago Cubs historic 2016 World Series win. They presented President trump with a customized Cubs jersey with the number 45.The card is number 308 I got it for $5.99 plus $4.49 shipping.

The second card is a 2018 Topps Now number ST-9 and celebrates the Houston Astros 2017 World Series win they presented Trump with an Astros number 17 jersey. I got this card for $6.25 plus $1.35 shipping. The Astros card is an odd one since it doesn't say anything about the event on the back.

For further reading on the tradition of a championship team visiting the White House:
Why White House visits by champions are a U.S. tradition - ESPN (6 Mar 2016)
How Did Athletes Visiting the President at the White House Become a Tradition? - Rolling Stone (9 Feb 2017)
The traditional White House visit began with the 1924 Washington Senators - Washington Post (28 Feb 2018)

Strive For '65 Saturday: The One Where I Keep Procrastinating.

STRIVE FOR '65 STATUS:

30 Dec 2017 Strive for '65 | 1965 Set Build | Master Want List Current card count: 270/598 (272/600) 45.5%
Here is the link to my last update. I'm not sure if I've been consistent on these posts but I think from now on I'll try to keep the posting order of newest arrivals to oldest.

Well procrastination granted me a few more cards to add on this post. Originally I just had the two from the same seller back in mid November. Later in November I won two more cards from Sportlots auctions from two different dealers both shipped with other cards so individual shipping looks great but since Sportlots Auctions don't combine the total shipping stinks. I really need to stop doing the auctions there and have started an effort to avoid checking them. The Sportlots stores you don't get as burned with the shipping. Needless to say I won't list the shipping since they weren't the only cards shipped. Then just when I thought I was going to put this post to bed, a little more procrastination and boom I got another card from a Sportlots Store with some other cards.

Saturday 16 Dec 2017:  Or Sunday 17?
On Sunday evening 17 Dec 2017 I noticed I had a flat mailer envelope from USPS at my door. I'm thinking a neighbor had gotten it by mistake. Saturday morning 16 Dec I heard the delivery person knock on my door. I had a medium flat rate priority box from one the SCF Football Team Traders loaded with mostly Rams and a few Redskins cards (about 90% to 10%), but I don't recall this envelope being there at that time. I don't recall the flat mailer being there Saturday night when I went out to get something for dinner. Last year around this time (actually between Oct and mid Dec) I had a couple of packages (probably boxes) that I think were stolen by neighbors, there are a lot of teenagers in the development. One was a trade I never got any shipping info on and the other an order(from a Sportlots auction) had tracking and when I checked the status on a Thursday it said it had been shipped that Monday. Garden style apartment a big box in front of my door can easily be seen from the mail boxes porch.

This card came from a Sportlots Store along with a couple of Roman Gabriel Football cards, one I think I already had but wanted to make sure I had it. Oh and the final piece to put into my Bloggers Secret Santa package hosted by Matt at Bob Walk The Plank blog. Now I can package that puppy up and ship out. Got it for $4.50 - I did ship that out on last Saturday 23 December.

295 Dick Radatz Red Sox

Thursday 30 Nov 2017:
Another card from a Sportlots Auction. Now this one I have tried to get before a few times but got outbid due to its popularity and often too high prices. I managed to find this one for $5.50.

519 Bob Uecker Cardinals

Monday 27 Nov 2017:
This one I got from a Sportlots auction for the opening 25¢ bid. He is part of the same name club. This is a card I thought I already had, but I apparently didn't. I might be thinking of one of his other cards I might or might not have.

298 Jim Stewart Cubs

Monday 13 Nov 2017:
Went on a mini Sportlots spending splurge I got two cards from one seller two auctions, both I got for the opening 25¢ bid shipping for both cards was $3.00.

The first card is from a childhood fave PC guy 193 Gaylord Perry Giants. I remember Gaylord from his Indians days. His 1975 Topps card is iconic for me it may have been the first and for a while only? card I had of him. I might have had his '74 card as well til sometime between 81-83 when I got more of his cards.

193 Gaylord Perry Giants

Next is card 380 Rocky Colavito Indians. Him I have no idea about. Interesting he started with the Indians in 1955 then spent some time with the Tigers and Athletics then back to the Indians in '65. It appears that the picture on this card is a cropped version of the picture on his 1964 Topps Giant card when he was with the A's. The KC logo was airbrushed off.

380 Rocky Colavito Indians

The Latest Additions:
Sat/Sun 16/17 Dec 2017:
295 Dick Radatz Red Sox

Thursday 30 Nov 2017:
519 Bob Uecker Cardinals

Monday 27 Nov 2017:
298 Jim Stewart Cubs

Monday 13 Nov 2017:
193 Gaylord Perry Giants
380 Rocky Colavito Indians

Strive For '65 Saturday: A Major Catch-Up

STRIVE FOR '65 STATUS:

18 Feb 2017
Strive for '65 | 1965 Set Build | Master Want List

 Current card count: 258/598 (260/600) 43.5%

Man I really suck at this set build. The last update was way back in August last year. It has been a few months since any of these latest cards came in, but I failed to mention them anywhere other than in my mail day posts on the few card forums I still haunt. I didn't even update my need lists here on this ding dang blog. To say I NEED to get ORGANIZED is a huge understatement.

Monday 05 Dec 2016: Sportlots Auction 1 card $1.25 + $3.60 shipping

588 Lenny Green Red Sox

Monday 12 Dec 2016: 2 Sportlots Auctions $4.80? shipping

455 Norm Siebern Orioles $1.50
514 Joe Azcue Indians $1.75 for all 3
584 Harry Bright Cubs
594 Joe Gaines Astros

The Latest Additions:
Monday 12 Dec 2016:
455 Norm Siebern Orioles
514 Joe Azcue Indians
584 Harry Bright Cubs
594 Joe Gaines Astros

Monday 05 Dec 2016:
588 Lenny Green Red Sox

Accompanying A Strive Set Build 69 Style

As a life-long collector it is odd that there are many many (read most of the damn things) Topps Flagship sets that I still need to complete. Now days with the very short printed super high number cards even base set collecting has become impossible. Many collectors seem to start a set build and then wham bamm they are finished in a year or two with little effort. No matter how much it costs to complete or how many high value cards are in the set. Even if there are a bunch of super short printed cards. Well that is what it seems like to me anyway.

One of my big goals, as readers of this blog may know, is to complete the 1965 Topps Baseball set for my Strive for '65 set build. I'm already over a year and a half behind in that goal. Update to the set build. One of the common themes other than purchasing the cards from a Sportlots auction was that I also got some 1969 Topps Baseball cards to help with that set from yet more Sportlots auctions. I had three packages that had the 1965 and 1969 combo, one had some bonus stuff. Well not technically bonus since they were auctions also, they just hitched a ride on the Hippie '60s Trip. Now the cards in no particular order.

First a three card package the '65 was Marty Keough Reds. The two 1969 cards were 25¢ each:

4 NL RBI Leaders: Willie McCovey Giants, Ron Santo Cubs and Billy Williams Cubs

164 World Series 1968 Game 3: (Tim) McCarver's Homer Puts St. Louis (Cardinals) Ahead

Package two contained eight cards from 5 sportlots 25¢ auctions. [First picture at top of this post] I don't recall the distribution by auction of the seven '65 cards, but it resulted in getting one card duplicated. I also got one card I already had (the previous one of course is in better condition). I think it was a case of the needs of more cards outweighing not needing one card. The lone '69 card in this case is:

6 NL Home Run Leaders: Willie McCovey Giants, Richie Allen Phillies and Ernie Banks Cubs.

The final package only had one lone '65 card the Dave Vineyard (at 25¢) it contained a total of 19 cards from 7 different auctions (but yes the same seller) the shipping costs varied but came to $6.73 the auction prices ranged from 25¢ to $4.75. The grand total was $15.98.

The 1969 Topps Baseball: 8 cards 3 auctions two were for multiple cards at 25¢ each auction A's team lot and 2 Yankees, 2 Mets and the third auction was for card #12 at $1.25

12 NL Strike Out Leaders: Bob Gibson Cardinals, Fergie Jenkins Cubs, and Bill Singer Yankees

46 Fritz Peterson Yankees
72 Ron Taylor Mets
127 Kevin Collins Mets
143 Joe Mossek Athletics
195 John Odom Athletics
217 John Donaldson Athletics
313 Bill Robinson Yankees

BONUS CARDS: AKA Not '65 nor '69

1967 Philadelphia Gum Football: 1 card $2.25

120 New York Giants Team Card - Team Logo on front.

1982 Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars Baseball: 9 cards 2 auctions one of 4 cards at 25¢ and one 5 cards $4.75 (includes Parker and Cey). All in excellent condition with only a little bent warping.

9 Fernando Valenzuela Dodgers
25 Carlton Fisk White Sox
28 Robin Yount Brewers
46 Ron Cey Dodgers
48 Dave Parker Pirates
52 Chris Chambliss Dodgers
57 Dwayne Murphy Athletics
63 Vida Blue Giants
64 Eddie Murray Orioles

Strive For '65 Status Saturday: A Lone B'Bird

STRIVE FOR '65 STATUS:

20 Aug 2016
Strive for '65 | 1965 Set Build | Master Want List

 Current card count: 254/598 (256/600) 42.8%

ACK! I think my scan is a bit bright.

Lets see it has been a few months since I've added to this set build. The last update was in January it was one card only. This update is for one card only also. OK now I have to rewrite this thing because a second lone bunch of cards came in. Now the post title doesn't make any sense. So what? I'm too lazy to do too much changing. The first card came in late April I got it from Sportlots in an auction for only 25¢ + 59¢ shipping. The second lone card came in early June also from a Sportlots auction, but it had some companion cards from 2 other auctions so no so lonely. Come think about it and to double check the April card was with a couple of other cards as well. Lets see this latest not-so-lonely card was 75¢ plus 69¢ shipping. Hey cool it pushes my set build percentage up to the Ultimate 42%

So some more cards came so once again I need to recalculate the route set build percentage complete. Eight cards (1 was a 1969 card so I won't mention it here) came from Sportlots in 5 auctions at 25¢ each I haven't bothered to double check the shipping it was so long ago. One card was duplicated (490) and one I already had (471). This happens from time to time buying from auctions piecemeal. One of the duplicates is creased but it is inked slightly darker.

The Latest Additions:
Friday 01 Jul 2016: 7 cards (1 duplicated)
108 Don Mincher Twins
163 John Briggs Phillies
222 Bob Tillman Red Sox
420 Larry Jackson Cubs
471 Billy Hoeft Tigers
490 Earl Battey Twins (2)

Thursday 02 Jun 2016: One card only.
263 Marty Keough Reds

Wednesday 27 Apr 2016: One card only.
169 Dave Vineyard Orioles