This is not a 1967 Topps high number. Nope, it's just Terry Francona's dad at card No. 443, creased four ways to Sunday by some demented kid on the playground 50 years ago.
And this is exactly the point. I haven't accumulated many '67 high numbers and even the '67s that aren't highs arrive in need of a shave, shower and place to sleep for the night.
I continue to say I'm attempting to complete the 1967 Topps set. But I still don't believe I'm doing it. It seems like a dead end. Unrealistic. Totally impractical. I know there are other card chases much more quixotic than trying to finish the '67 set, but I often ignore card chases that I know will be exceedingly difficult. Yet, I'm doing THIS.
Just the other day a very impressive collector reminded me of exactly how impossible this set chase is. He often displays on Twitter a "carpet o' cards" and his carpet the other day was the 1967 high number series, cards 534-609.
That is the picture. Here is the tweet and the glorious thread. Are you as awestruck as I was?
Tell me that isn't the most impossible task you've ever seen.
There are a whole bunch of challenging cards in this seventh series and they are very well-known.
The Tom Seaver and Rod Carew rookie cards are the most challenging, most expensive and, unlike other set pursuits where I'm not really sure what will be the last card I obtain, I'm almost positive my last card -- if I ever get there -- for the '67 set will be the Seaver rookie.
Those star cards, along with the Brooks Robinson on the bottom row, are outlined in blue. There are other difficult cards -- well, more difficult, they're all difficult -- if you care about condition, which are outlined in purple.
This makes things extra sticky for me because I just can't have my cards looking like the devil child in the neighborhood got ahold of it. I've always been like that. While other kids were tossing their cards casually against the wall in a bid to win cards from other kids, I was standing there appalled: "Why are you tossing your cards around????"
But I have made several concessions for set pursuits like this. First of all, card sets that are more than 50 years old need to be given a little slack. Perfect-looking cards from 70 years ago are pretty freakish. Nobody 70 years old looks mint. Cards that age probably shouldn't either.
Secondly, these are all cards from either before I was born or way before I knew what baseball was. I never saw the players play, in most cases, they don't mean a whole lot to me. I'm basically collecting the design and a bit of history, I can live with well-worn corners and a little creasing.
I damn well better, because I'm going to have to make many, many, many compromises if I want those high numbers. Because this is what I have so far:
Yeah, six cards.
I probably should have started this project when I was 21.
(I also own the Dodgers cards that are displayed here but they aren't leaving the Dodgers binders, so that's another obstacle I've positioned in front of me).
Collectors much more experienced and older than me -- at least I hope they're older -- have assured me that completing this set can be done. Just work on buying a high-numbered card every month until it's done, they say. That's reassuring. I can do that. One card a month? Sure. It's not like I'm blowing money at the card aisle anymore.
But we'll see how easy it is when I've finished off the first six series and am staring at 42 high-numbered cards to go.
That's a long way from now though. For now, I'm finding my '67 reassurance in the cards that periodically arrive in my mailbox. Most recently I completed another trade with Bo of Baseball Cards Come To Life! and my side of the deal was getting a few 1967 needs.
None of the cards were high numbers. But there were some nice ones in there, and most in good enough shape that I can cross them off the list forever.
Bo is not as bent out of shape with condition as I am, quite the opposite actually. He graciously made sure I received the better-conditioned cards of his dupes. I'm not a grading freak or anything but this is a big step for me. All of these cards are in acceptable condition for my quest with the exception of Bob Allen, who is just a bit too baked.
I'm very happy to get the Nuxhall (great windbreaker action!) and the Gardner, who grew up where I did.
I certainly will accept 53-year-old gum stains into my set. The Alston looks a bit worse in the scan than in person. And I suppose I have to accept crew cuts, too.
The Beauchamp card shows why I consider this set the best of the '60s, just nudging out 1965. The minimalist design opens up the background of '67 cards to all kinds of delightful scenes. And that's why it's an all-time top five set for me.
Cesar Tovar was glued into a scrapbook at one point. That's quite OK. I have high numbers to blow money on, I can't be worrying about the fanciness of card No. 317.
Corner creases? Yeah, sure.
Dave Giusti is another upstate New York native. The Dick Dietz card reminds me that Keith Hernandez made a Dietz reference during a Mets-Phillies game over the weekend. All I could think of is: Nobody knows what you're talking about, Keith. Even I am too young to know much about Dick Dietz.
But collecting cards from when I was a toddler or before I was born allows me to learn more about these guys. Since I'm not worried about them being super-pristine, I can turn the cards over at my leisure -- even drop them on the hardwood floor without freaking out -- and gain some knowledge.
Tony Cloninger's card will tell you that he hit two grand slams in a single game, which had just happened the previous year and is basically the only thing I know about Cloninger. But I turned over that card and discovered he won 24 games in 1965.
These are the two highest numbers of the lot, cards No. 500 and 510. Not actual high numbers but I'm sure happy to get them.
That is my second Marichal vintage card in two weeks! That's crazy!
I wish I could handle writing on cards and rips and folded cards like some bloggers can but that's just never going to be me.
It's partly why I still think this chase is so unrealistic. Me? Owning an absolutely annihilated Seaver rookie card just to say I have it? I'll believe it when I see it.
But that's gonna be what it will take.
So let's get this done. Come hell or high numbers.
Comments
And thanks for bringing the whole high number and Rod Carew rookie card thing to my attention. A few years ago, I started buying Carew cards here and there and was blown away by how expensive his rookie cards close for, but never took the time to put the puzzle pieces together.
I like to dabble in the high numbers, at least in the '60s cards. The 66's have some of the most beautiful photos on cards. Even the five-year old headshot of Roger Craig looks so much better. The 67's are no execption. That Dave Ricketts card, the close-up of the Cardinals back-up catcher captures that old-school essence of baseball. He also has an awesome photo on his 1970 high number with the Pirates.
Best of luck in completing your set. One a month should be good. If you're patient enough to wait six years to complete it, you'll be fine.
1967 Topps:
544-Indians Team
552-Ted Savage
568-John Sullivan
573-White Sox Team
580-Rocky Colavito
581-Mets Rookies (T.Seaver)
595-Cookie Rojas
597-Ted Abernathy
600-Brooks Robinson
I am 45 years old but I still like to see this set complete to show my mother that her set as she puts it is complete. The only other good things that came out of that trashcan even though they weren't the best shape but I still kept them in my personal collection were a 1957 Al Kaline & a 1958 Billy Martin. 30 years in counting in trying to get this done Mr. Owl sir we both can continue to work & someday we will finally get this set complete for us to look forward to flipping the pages in the binder on our accomplishment in completing our 1967 Topps baseball set.
Supposedly the Brooks Robinson card was overhyped in the '70s and '80s and is more plentiful than was once feared, though the persistent rumors keep the price so high.
My easy out may be my distant cousin that moved into my grandmother's house who has a complete set. One day I might convince him to sell!
Don't let the high numbers issue scare you away from the set. Even collecting 6 series' worth of the cards will be satisfying. (I say that as someone who first followed baseball when these 490 guys (the number of single-player cards) were playing. Those of you whose "idols" (as it were) played in later decades may not get as much enjoyment from this set as I have.
Although I didn't start buying cards until May 1967 (only the 2nd or 3rd series was in stores by then), I was able to get the cards I missed by trading or shooting with friends. By the end of the summer, I had every card in the 1st 6 series except the Cardinals team card. Stores in my area did not sell the 7th series.
I was content with that, and figured I'd never get the missing cards. Then in the 1980s, card shows and card stores in the mall became a thing, and I was able to get all but 5 of the 7th series cards, and the Cardinals team.
"Completing" the set was never a priority for me. Over the years I got sidetracked by collecting all the Phillies cards from 1960-1993, and starting the '63, '64, '65, '66, and '70 sets.
Since starting my blogs 10 years ago, I also got the 1967 Maury Wills and Brooks Robinson cards, so now I am down to needing Tommy John, Rod Carew, and Tom Seaver. I have seen and contemplated picking up the Carew card at a local store, but it was very noticably off-center so I resisted.
I guess the point I wanted to make was, having some 1967 cards is better than no 1967 cards, so you shouldn't get hung up on whether or not completing rhe set is practical.
Also, today I learned I own exactly two '67 high numbers: Steve Blass & Jimmy Piersall.