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The re-emergence of the night card and other card doings on my "day off"


I didn't blog yesterday and often times that means I have no time for cards that day.

And while there was less time for cards than usual yesterday -- push back that day when I was going to send out the next round of giveaway cards again -- there were quite a few card happenings.

For example, when I came home from work I found a box of cards on my porch. I'm not talking about a box with an address mailed to my residence and sticking out of my mailbox. No, I'm talking about an unmarked box left on my porch -- full of baseball cards.

If I didn't put two-and-two together that would freak me right out. Few people around here know I collect cards and the ones that do certainly don't have cards for me.

No, these were cards from Jeff -- who some of you know as "turrdog" -- who happens to have relatives in the area. You'll see those goodies another time, but I wanted to mention how cool it was to get cards on your porch like it was a tin of Christmas cookies or some flowers from the neighbors. At last, something for me.

Another thing that happened yesterday was my discovery that the above card was a night card.

I've had this card for quite awhile. I think Dave, who is a Pirates fan, sent it to me. I was instantly impressed that it was a 1966 Topps card and that it was of Harry "The Hat" Walker, a well-known hitter and manager of the mid-1900s.

But stupid me, I missed the lights overhead and the darkness behind.

A 1966 night card! Taken in the Astrodome! Too cool!

It is now one of my older night cards (it might be in the top 10 or 15 oldest) and it went instantly into the night card binder, booting this card ...


... which is a fine night card in itself. But, come on, it's no 1966 card of The Hat.

The '66 Walker card is so impressive that it caused a few collectors on Twitter to realize that I was a collector of night cards. How it escaped them for so long I don't know, since I've only been babbling about them for a decade. But it kind of regenerated my appreciation for those cards again. You may even see the Awesome Night Card posts happening a little more frequently.

Another cardboard happening yesterday:

I was filing some more cards to one of my many card boxes, a daily ritual. One of the boxes contains just about all of the Score and Pinnacle cards I own, as well as most Bowman cards and several Sportflics cards and minor league cards. I don't know the reason for the mish-mash, but it's been that way forever.

In fact, the box that houses those cards, is the second oldest card-holder in my home, second only to the Giant Box of Dodger Dupes. That Score box is an old Montgomery Ward shoe box that was as sturdy as a pair of work boots, giving me a feeling of security any time I put a card in there.

Welp ...


There was an incident.

One side of the box, already in a weakened state, gave way, causing the other sides to break away and fall off my lap, spilling the contents onto the floor.

There, all the Score cards mixed with the Bowman and oddballs in a bizarre concoction that -- after the shock wore off of knowing I'd have to stop my reorganization for another reorganization -- I knew was not right.

Score and Bowman together? We can't have that.

Clearly Score is the better product and should have space to itself.

So, last night, I went about making sure that would happen.


Introducing the debut of my box of nothing except Score and Pinnacle (Oh and a few Pacific cards in the back).

This will come in handy as I assuredly add more Score cards in my collection. I see completing the 1991 Score set as a future endeavor since I already have so many. And since I like 1993 and 1994 Score quite a bit and really like '93 Select, who knows what will happen after that? This box better be as sturdy as that Montgomery Ward model.

Meanwhile, I stashed all my Bowman cards in a small box marked "1992 Donruss." That seems about right.

So those were all the card happenings on a day I didn't write about cards.

I'll leave you with one last card that I received recently from Max of Starting Nine.


This is a very cool although mystifying card of Roy Campanella. It was put out by the Baseball Card News, a well-known hobby publication from the '70s and '80s.

Apparently it was part of a set, according to the back:


There's some interesting card-back reading for ya.

The Trading Card Database lists 20 cards for the 1982 Baseball Card News set. There are three other Dodger cards in the '82 set and two Dodgers in what TCD lists as a six-card 1983 Baseball Card News set.

I have some work to do.

Comments

Old Cards said…
Organizing cards is such a great pastime. Really like seeing a card from the sixties front and center.
Apparently, Harry "The Hat" was the reason that Donn Clendenon refused to be sent to the Astros from the Expos before the 1969 season. (Walker had managed him in Pittsburgh, and Donn had had enough of The Hat.)

So then Clendenon was traded to the Mets, and wound up as the World Series MVP in 1969. A great move by Clendenon (going from expansion team draft pick to Series MVP), and Mets' fans everywhere can be thankful that Donn and Harry didn't get along!

(I forgot to clarify that Walker was the Astros' manager in 1969.)
CrazieJoe said…
Organizing cards is an activity on par with meditation - a nice zen like activity bringing order, peace and organization to a little bit of my world.
Chris said…
That's a great Night Card, and while it might be a little surprising you hadn't noticed it (in your defense, it's inside a dome) I'm a lot more surprised that some folks on your Twitter feed didn't know you collect Night Cards. Perhaps they don't read anything over 140 characters?

The Campy card is superb. I've seen a few cards from that set pop up in COMC challenges.
Fuji said…
I'm sure you've shown your Top 10/15 oldest night cards before... but how about a revised edition? Interested in seeing where a 1966 Topps card ranks on your list and what card is technically your oldest.