Writing on cards is not what it used to be

I received this card from Chris, creator of the very informative Vintage Sportscards and 1973 Topps Photography blogs.

Even though there is writing on the card, I jumped at the chance to obtain it because 1) it's a '56 Topps card that I didn't have; 2) it's a Dodger; 3) the writing is quite amusing.

I wonder if the person who carefully crossed out the Ed Roebuck name and printed "Don Drysdale," with an extra "Don" just in case, actually believed he had converted the card into a Drysdale card? Drysdale, as you may know, did not have a card in the 1956 Topps set. His rookie card is in the 1957 set.

I was never one for writing on cards. I did a lot of things to my cards as a kid. But writing wasn't one of them.

So, I thought I'd try it out, about 35 years after I was supposed to be doing stuff like that. And I decided to do it on a modern card, just because you NEVER see scrawling on today's cards.

Here is what I came up with:

I'm telling you, it's just not the same.

First of all, the material that they use to produce cards today is not pencil-friendly. It's like writing on linoleum. I had to discard the pencil, which was used on the '56 card, and go with the pen.

Secondly, I had to practically obliterate the George Sherrill name on the card to even show that I had crossed out the name. The foil name kept shining through the pen marking.

Thirdly, I was forced to press really, really hard, when writing in the Clayton Kershaw name, and go over the letters a couple of times because it was not showing up on the slick surface.

Lastly, I've had no trouble acquiring a Kershaw base card this year. I think I have like 12 of them. So what's the point?

So if you kids out there (or adults) STILL want to write on your cards, I recommend you pick up a nice cardboard card. Something printed before 1992. And then you can go to town. Because writing on cards just isn't what it used to be.

Not that I would know.

Oh, Chris sent a couple other cards along, too:

A welcome 1964 Topps card of a guy who played for the Dodgers on two separate occasions.

And the second-to-last Dodger card I need from the 1973 Topps set. Mike Schmidt continues to keep me from getting the other one. Jerk-face.

FYI: I won't be writing on these two cards.

(Thanks, Chris!)