The unexpected

Here's a little insight into the thought process behind my want lists, for those who care. Most of my want lists are based on what other collectors have available or are willing to trade. That means the cards are relatively current, and I try to put as many modern card lists up as possible.

I also try to put up mostly lists of sets that I'm somewhat close to finishing. At least halfway anyway -- mostly because it gets tedious typing all those numbers. That explains why I say at the top of my want list that I am collecting the 1972 Topps set, but there is no '72 want list. I need lots and lots of cards for that set, so I don't feel comfortable putting it up there. Same goes for last year's Upper Deck Timeline set. I'm half-heartedly collecting it. But I probably only have a fifth of the set. Maybe I'll get to putting those two up there someday.

There is one exception to my want list "rules," and that is 1971 Topps. Although I have just over half of the set, I still need a bunch of cards, and a boatload of the high numbers. But I'm proud of what I have and I really, really want to get the rest, so the list has been up there for some time, in all of its 33-line glory.

I don't really expect to have collectors send me cards like this. Or cards like 1960s Dodgers. Or the great 1957 Dodgers Sluggers card that David of Tribe Cards sent. But they do send them, and I'm forever amazed.

Such was the case when Max sent two packages my way in the last couple of weeks. The first package was Dodgers and the second, big package was Dodgers and a bunch of set wants from the 1970s, mostly. I'll get to the Dodgers in another post soon. But I want to feature the '71s, because they make me the most giddy. Max sent almost 40 cards that I needed, and I am super stoked about that. I think that might put me close to the 60 percent completion point. I haven't calculated it yet.

Here are some of what he sent (a side note: a couple were doubles, which means I'll be sending those to Matt of Heartbreaking Cards, who is also collecting the '71 set).

I don't think any of these '71 cards here are stars, which means I can have fun with them a little. I'm showing Bart Johnson here because he's a '70s metamorphosis guy. Check out his clean-cut look.

And here is what he looks like on the 1975 card. Now that's a hatful of hair.

I don't think I've ever seen a card in which the cap takes up as much space on the photo as the player's face does. Jose Vizcaino, eat your heart out. I think Cumberland has you beat for highest hat.

Fred Gladding was 33 or 34 when this photo was taken. Amazing, isn't it? I wrote a whole post about how players back in the '60s and '70s looked older than they do now. I'm still not sure why that is. But it's definitely true.

The 1971 set is filled with cards with photos that don't exactly scream athlete. It really should be a requirement that you wear a cap on a baseball card. It should be in players' contracts.

(*say in a lilting, female voice*): "Oh, Lum, you have the bluest eyes!"

Here is the controversial Alex Johnson, who was just coming off his 1970 American League batting title. They even mention it on the back of his '71 card, which is a bit unusual for the '71 set. A lot of the '71 card bios mention what players did in American Legion ball. As if anyone reading the bio cares.

I'll end the list of '71 images with this card of Elrod Hendricks. The first card I ever owned was a 1974 Topps Tommy John card. I wrote about that here. But I believe the first baseball card I ever saw was the 1971 Elrod Hendricks. I don't know where, or who had it. But somehow it's burned in my brain that this is the first baseball card I saw. And getting that card now is very cool.

Max also sent some 1976 Topps cards as I'm getting closer to completing that set. Most of the cards were upgrades. I first collected the '76 set when I was 10, so there are a bunch of cards in the set that need updating.

However, Gaylord Perry is one of the cards that I did not have already.

Max was also very kind to hit the '76 Traded want list, too. They're just as important as the regular set you know!

And he found some of the 1983 Topps cards that I need upgrades for. Yay!

All in all, a very thorough attacking of the want list! Some fantastic vintage cards. And a lot were quite unexpected! Thanks, Max.

But I think the Dodgers you sent were even better. I'll be showing those soon.