Part of having a player collection, at least as far as I am concerned, is settling on your favorite card of that particular player.
As I've mentioned before, I am a set collector first and a team collector second. But I have made out a list of a few players that I collect and posted them here. One thing I have not figured out, however, is what my favorite cards are of each of those players.
I probably could come up with my favorites for two of the players pretty easily -- Ron Cey and Sandy Koufax. In fact, I'll decide it right now. The 1975 Topps Cey card is the first card of Cey's I ever saw, and since it was my first year of collecting, I'm pretty positive that's my favorite Cey card. My 1961 Topps card of Sandy Koufax is autographed by him, so I'm going to say that's my favorite Koufax card.
My Clayton Kershaw cards are so new, I don't think I could pick out a favorite. But the real problem comes with my Hideo Nomo and Orel Hershiser cards. There are just so many of them. With Nomo, there are so many creative, fantastic cards, it would be very difficult to pick out just one. The Hershiser cards are less creative, but I still like them a lot, and it's tough to pick. I do know my favorite is not this one.
But I'm going to assume that at one time I had a favorite Hershiser card -- an unspoken favorite, perhaps a favorite that had only been formed in the subconscious of my brain -- before this one came along:
_NEW.jpg)
And that unspoken favorite is no longer my favorite Hershiser card. Because THIS is my favorite Hershiser card. What an awesome card this is.
Wicked Ortega sent me this Topps Pristine card. It's a shiny, fancy, numbered item. But that doesn't matter half as much as this: it is a refractor. Do you know what happens when you put a refractor together with a guy wearing unbelievably, crazy large frames? The lenses on his glasses display all matter of wacky colors depending on which way you move the card. They shine orange, they shine blue. And if you hold it at a certain angle under the light, the whole photo recedes into darkness except for the area behind his head and the lenses on his glasses -- which glow pink and then red. TRIPPY. I could swear I heard "White Rabbit" playing in the background. Hershiser becomes a psychedelic superhero with X-ray specs! Grooooooooooooooovy, baby.
I can't think of any Hershiser card I have that can compete with this. It is my new favorite Hershiser card. Without question.
But the Don Ortega sent me some other cards, too:
_NEW.jpg)
A Ticket to Stardom insert card of Matt Kemp. These are pleasant little cards.
_NEW.jpg)
A foil variation Icons card of Russell Martin. These might be the worst inserts of the year.
_NEW.jpg)
And a 1993 Pinnacle insert card of Mike Piazza that is shiny on both the front AND the back.
He also sent a couple Goodwin cards that I already displayed on the blog. Both were featured in hopes that they would produce a Dodger victory in the playoffs. Let me tell you something: THAT DOESN'T WORK.
But I'm feeling just a little better now. Just a little. Because I have this card:_NEW.jpg)
So fantastic. Feed your head.
As I've mentioned before, I am a set collector first and a team collector second. But I have made out a list of a few players that I collect and posted them here. One thing I have not figured out, however, is what my favorite cards are of each of those players.
I probably could come up with my favorites for two of the players pretty easily -- Ron Cey and Sandy Koufax. In fact, I'll decide it right now. The 1975 Topps Cey card is the first card of Cey's I ever saw, and since it was my first year of collecting, I'm pretty positive that's my favorite Cey card. My 1961 Topps card of Sandy Koufax is autographed by him, so I'm going to say that's my favorite Koufax card.
My Clayton Kershaw cards are so new, I don't think I could pick out a favorite. But the real problem comes with my Hideo Nomo and Orel Hershiser cards. There are just so many of them. With Nomo, there are so many creative, fantastic cards, it would be very difficult to pick out just one. The Hershiser cards are less creative, but I still like them a lot, and it's tough to pick. I do know my favorite is not this one.
But I'm going to assume that at one time I had a favorite Hershiser card -- an unspoken favorite, perhaps a favorite that had only been formed in the subconscious of my brain -- before this one came along:
_NEW.jpg)
And that unspoken favorite is no longer my favorite Hershiser card. Because THIS is my favorite Hershiser card. What an awesome card this is.Wicked Ortega sent me this Topps Pristine card. It's a shiny, fancy, numbered item. But that doesn't matter half as much as this: it is a refractor. Do you know what happens when you put a refractor together with a guy wearing unbelievably, crazy large frames? The lenses on his glasses display all matter of wacky colors depending on which way you move the card. They shine orange, they shine blue. And if you hold it at a certain angle under the light, the whole photo recedes into darkness except for the area behind his head and the lenses on his glasses -- which glow pink and then red. TRIPPY. I could swear I heard "White Rabbit" playing in the background. Hershiser becomes a psychedelic superhero with X-ray specs! Grooooooooooooooovy, baby.
I can't think of any Hershiser card I have that can compete with this. It is my new favorite Hershiser card. Without question.
But the Don Ortega sent me some other cards, too:
_NEW.jpg)
A Ticket to Stardom insert card of Matt Kemp. These are pleasant little cards._NEW.jpg)
A foil variation Icons card of Russell Martin. These might be the worst inserts of the year._NEW.jpg)
And a 1993 Pinnacle insert card of Mike Piazza that is shiny on both the front AND the back.He also sent a couple Goodwin cards that I already displayed on the blog. Both were featured in hopes that they would produce a Dodger victory in the playoffs. Let me tell you something: THAT DOESN'T WORK.
But I'm feeling just a little better now. Just a little. Because I have this card:
_NEW.jpg)
So fantastic. Feed your head.
Comments