Wrappers' delight

I know there are a lot of collectors who save baseball card wrappers. For a long time, I couldn't figure out why they did it. It was garbage, wasn't it?

I'm not nearly that militant in my thinking now. In fact, ever since this blog began, I have saved a wrapper from every single card product that I have purchased. One for each unique set. I stuff each one in a box as I get them. They help chart my journey through the hobby. Maybe one day I'll show them all here, and show off all the fool card sets that I've chased through the years.

I know that Ted of Crinkly Wrappers must have a wrapper collection, or why would he name his blog that? Or more probably, it's named after the piles of wrappers on the ground after opening a case of something. At least they tell me that's what it looks like after someone opens a case. I wouldn't know.

Anyway, Ted recently sent me cards from a variety of sets, including one much-appreciated set of the retro variety that has avoided me for years.

I wasn't collecting at all when American Pie hit shelves. This is just the kind of thing that would have sucked me back into the hobby. But I was a workaholic at the time and chasing around a 3-year-old. So no pie for me.

When I came back to collecting and found out about all these glorious retro sets, including ones like American Pie and Allen & Ginter that mixed in fun non-sports cards under one terrific concept, I tried to grab all I could. I did pretty damn well with the A&G. But I've had awful success with AP.

I decided a long time ago just to settle for the Dodgers in AP. But even getting those has been difficult. Who would want to give up a card of a 6-foot-7 player who could hold three bats at once like they were drinking straws?

The following year, American Pie went with Emotion-like titles like "Courage" on its cards. Not as fun as the '01 cards, but it's Kirk Gibson and a night card, so it's not like I'm showing Upper Deck Spectrum here.

Another retro set from Upper Deck's Legends of New York. I don't know what newspaper "The Times" is, but where I work you could never get away with that sideways type and reusing the same photo.

Ducky had to go and top Hondo. He's got FOUR bats instead of a pathetic three. And he's fanning himself with them on a hot summer day. Top that, Howard.

This is from a great TCMA set from the '70s, honoring the 1941 pennant-winning Dodgers.

More retro, only this time from the present. Pee Wee Reese has scored more runs than any Dodger in history.  I'm totally impressed.

I received a bunch of Chrome Dodgers from several different people all at the same time. I know that means I'm finished with the team set (parallels excluded, of course). I just don't know how many dupes I have. I'll have to shake that out during study hall.

God, I miss study halls. They need to bring back study halls for grown-ups.

If that wasn't fun enough, Ted threw in something that is always fun:

Clayton says ... "Stickers Inside"??????

Woah! STICKERS AND STICKERS AND STICKERS INSIDE!!!!!!!!

I especially like the '82 stickers that I'm going to have to get stuck. And there's a great Fernando Valenzuela sticker that I haven't seen before. That one won't be stuck at all.

Funny though, there wasn't a single wrapper in the entire card package.

That's OK. My wife would just make me throw them out anyway.