I can think of about four things that are going on in the hobby right now that I could address. But a couple aren't worth my time and aggravation.
One is discussing the 2017 Topps flagship design released today, yet what they've come up with is not worth its own blog post. I'll fold it into a post in a couple of days. If you're dying to know right now, Twitter is where you go for my simple thoughts.
Instead I'll stay with what I had intended to write. Actually, this is what I intended to write Monday before I wandered into some Topps Chrome. Like I said, there's a bunch of stuff happening.
Last week was the National Sports Collectors Convention, held in another place I don't feel like traveling to, Atlantic City. I've yet to attend a National, and although I know I will get to one someday (right now the objective is 2018, but nobody's holding their breath), I won't be broken up if I never get there.
Part of that reason is the cards just keep coming to my house whether I go to the the National or not. In fact, I've developed a little tradition over the years. When people head to the National, I hit "ship" on my COMC cart and -- pow! -- instant cards to look at while people show off their National goodies.
I managed to select items from several different collecting objectives this time out. I'm splitting this post into three parts, and I don't want any whining. You'll see why I did it when you see all three posts.
Today's post is kind of a catch-all. These cards don't have a theme running through them except that "this is what I got when I wasn't at the National."
I need to start somewhere, so let's start here:
Yup! More 1975 Topps buybacks!
I'm being serious here. I want to get as close as I can to completing the buyback set, and this brings me up to 82 cards, or 12 percent of the set.
I already know this quest is doomed to fail. Putting aside the probability of finding a Robin Yount rookie card buyback, some joker will get wind of my project and withhold certain cards. There's already that dark soul on COMC selling buybacks for $40.
This is a happy project. I won't let cynicism ruin it. Look at those glorious '75 colors! It's impossible to ruin!
You'll see more colorfulness in a minute, but I'm returning to modern times for just a moment.
I had no idea what a "bubble refractor" was until I saw this card for sale. They're kind of cool and Kenley Jansen cards are waaaay too cheap, so I now can get bubbly about a bubble refractor in my collection!
Happier times for Yasiel Puig. This is my 99th different Puig card. Who knows how many more there will be with him as a Dodger? Probably not many. But 100 cards in three years is just nuts.
Veering wildly into another direction, this is the latest card for my '70s/'80s movie/TV binder page. I'm up to the eighth slot now and I selected this Grease card. I wasn't much of a fan of Grease, but it's a tribute to a friend I had back then, plus it's a cheerleader night card! Those don't come around much.
There's a whole lot of pressure now on what will fill that ninth-and-final slot.
Now, get a load of these:
I've written about them before.
These are Perma-Graphics cards from the early 1980s, 1981 to be specific. Thanks to nonstop advertising in each Baseball Digest issue, these became my No. 1 baseball card craving at the time. I really wanted to order them, but Topps, Donruss and Fleer were eating up my newspaper carrier budget!
The Baker and Garvey, which you may have noticed feature the players' photos from their 1981 Topps cards, are from one of two Perma-Graphics sets issued in 1981. These ones were called "Super Star Credit Cards" and the ones I wanted the most.
Each Perma-Graphic card is laminated and presented just like a credit card from that time.
The backs even look like the credit card backs from that period.
I wanted those cards so much back then that I ordered up a few more:
Those are from the 1982 and 1983 sets. (Perma-Graphic was a good card set and put the year out front).
The look of the main sets is very ornate and not too appealing to me, but there weren't many cards that weren't Topps flagship at the time, so I wanted them all.
Finally, here are four cards for the main set completion task:
These, except for the Marichal, are super high-numbered 1972s. And Marichal is Marichal, so it's not the easiest to snag.
Particularly when Joe Torre's mug is on the back.
Those cards bring me down to 22 for the entire set. I'm starting to think that I won't get it done before the year is up, but I won't give up hope for 2016 until I go to the fall card show.
So, I felt like I got a lot accomplished with my "Not at the National" COMC haul. And I'm still not done with what I landed.
Next up, we travel all the way back to the year ... 2015.
Comments
Me? I can only get into the mediocre platoon player fan club. Good job, Greg!
PS: Quite a collection of words with no punctuation at all.
1972 TOPPS
#402, #527, #550, #559, #560, #660, #661, #666, #668, #674, #686, #692, #708, #710, #712, #722, #731, #735, #745, #751, #752, #778
I thought this was funny because if I ever get to the National I will be broke.
2. I'm glad that I'm not the only paranoid guy out there who thinks people purposely price gauge fellow collectors when they know you need a card from them.
3. I wish I could have seen Marichal pitch in person. His delivery is so awesome... and so it that 1972 Topps In-Action card of him.
I've been collecting for 40+ years, and I don't have any Perma-Graphics cards. You've guilted me into signing on to COMC and buying my first, and I will try to remember to give you "guilt credit" in early January when I finally get the card shipped and write about it. :-)