Night Owl Cards

  I hate to be the blog known for bringing up the deaths of past ballplayers. Part of me wishes the blog could be happy and light all the time. But whenever I hear about one of the players from my younger days moving on, I feel like I need to recognize it as a form of respect from a longtime baseball fan. Today I heard that Bill Plummer passed away. He's known as the backup catcher to Johnny Bench during the 1970s. I've mentioned before that I almost had the chance to interview Plummer. He was managing a minor league team in California at the time and a player from our area was playing for the team. But the interview with the player fell through (he wasn't keen on talking) and I never talked to Plummer. Plummer is the 181st player or manager featured in the 1975 Topps set who has died -- yes, I keep track of that, too. It's alarming that so many of those people who I collected in my first year of buying cards are no longer with us. So, I decided to put a positive spin o...

(Greetings, one day before vacation. I have never taken a week off in February. The mid-winter break staple of school-age kids and teachers was never a thing for me as a kid and never a possibility as an adult. But, for the first time ever, thanks to no high school playoffs, I can experience a full week off in sub-freezing temperatures! The pandemic taketh and giveth, as well. Time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 298th in a series): I've often praised 1967 Topps for its ability to set the scene for what baseball was like in 1966-67. It's a clean design with an open presentation that gives the best glimpse of Major League Baseball on the field at that time. The '60s sets are actually pretty good at this, as there are other minimalist designs that don't intrude much on the photo, such as 1961, 1966 and 1969. Contrast that with 2021 Topps: The photo interference and the close-cropping of images in 2021 Topps is quite evident. The photos aren't necessarily as zo...

A few days ago I started seeing collectors showing off their redemption arrivals from 2018 Archives. I began to wonder when my Jim Perry redemption autograph would show up. But I needn't have worried. Just yesterday I received a friendly announcement from Topps saying that my 2018 Fan Favorites Autograph 1971 Silver Parallel Jim Perry (boy, that's a mouthful) was on its way. Keep an eye out! This afternoon it showed up in the mailbox. I admit it's rather pretty. It resembles 1971 Topps about as much as I resemble a mountain man, but let's not quibble with a card that shows a scoreboard listing the Mets vs. the Padres and the Pirates vs. the Reds! I also appreciate the action picture, as '71 Topps was known for that. There is the back in all its 1971-like splendor. The stamping is difficult to read but it's numbered 68/99. As I mentioned when I pulled the redemption card, Jim Perry is a little before my time. His last card issued during his care...

Let me tell you, the Walmart closest to me is STOCKED UP this year in the card department. I don't know what came over it. For years -- as long as this blog has been around -- Target has beaten Walmart senseless when it comes to card stocking. It's been no contest. But this year is different. Out of habit, I go to Target first, because it's the big box with the latest cards. But more often than not this year, I leave with nothing, which used to be the pattern at Walmart. Now, I'm going to Walmart, and finding what I need! Around 6:30 p.m. Friday (a terrific time to be at Walmart when you want to avoid crowds, by the way), I found a card shelf filled with 2018 product. Boxes and boxes of Allen and Ginter and Series 2 everywhere. To a lesser degree, Stadium Club and Big League and Opening Day. Some monster boxes of Chrome for $39.99. I almost missed the Archives rack packs stashed over to the side on the middle shelf. I grabbed four of them and headed for the c...