Define the design results

Well, I'm glad that at least some of the time we think alike. Because it didn't take you long at all to come up with the designs I was thinking of for the latest Define the Design post.

I was looking for a name for 1987 and 1988 Fleer, two of my more favorite Fleer sets. There were lots of good descriptions for 1988 Fleer, and I could see almost all of them as the perfect name for the set.

The red, white and blue design and the stripes bring to mind all kinds of patriotic descriptions. And I liked the rocket pops description a lot. But as you'll see in a bit, it would be a little repetitious with the 1987 Fleer design name.

What I had in mind was just what FanofReds said in his comment. The design looks exactly like those barber shop poles.

Some younger folks might not be familiar with the poles, although they're so iconic that they'll live on long after the last one is taken down. You don't see them as much anymore, basically because there aren't a ton of barber shops anymore. But they're still around.

So, that's what the 1988 Fleer set will be called, "the barber shop pole set." I'm already preparing some cards to send to Chris, to thank him for sending me the Kershaw auto, so I'll throw in something extra for him in exchange for the great '88 Fleer name.

Finding a name for the 1987 Fleer set is a little bit more difficult. I mean, after all, it's just blue.

But I had something particular in mind, although I couldn't put my finger on it. Captain Canuck touched on it when he said, "Gatorade." The blue Gatorade and all.

But what I was thinking of was blue raspberry frozen stuff. Kiddie frozen treat things. And then Matthew, of The #5 Baseball Type Collection, struck on exactly what was bouncing around in the back of my brain.

Freeze pops! The 1987 Fleer cards, with the gradient design, look like frozen blue freeze pops. You know how they look icy white in parts (bottom of the Fleer card) and more blue in other parts (top part of the card)?

In fact, I have some blue freeze pops in the freezer right now (got a kid in the house, you know). I'd scan one, but I kind of don't want to ruin my scanner. So this filched photo will have to suffice.

Matthew, if you email me your address, I'll rummage around in my collection for a random No. 5 card or two. I'll try to make it obscure.

So, there you go, the '87 set is the "blue freeze pop set." Cool.

I know half of you think I'm wacky that I get so excited about this stuff. Like I said before, I'm about as normal as they come. Baseball and the hobby just make me goofy. I'm sure you understand. Besides it takes my mind off the Dodgers' August collapse.