There are few bloggers who have consistently built my collection like Bob.
In the past there was Dave from Tribe Cards, Dan from Saints From the Cheap Seats, and Eric S., whose blog name I don't remember. They would flatten your home with a few palettes of cardboard and leave snickering while you looked around the property in a stupor.
But bloggers don't have the means they once did. (Johnny's Trading Spot aside). Postage is crazy, cards are expensive and nobody has the time to blog anymore. If I'm gonna get a monster package, it's probably going to come from a reader, with a little more free time.
Bob has been the recent exception. He sent another blast, as varied as ever.
A pin from the 1988 World Series. I love the notation "Dodgers beat A's in 5" so everyone knows what happened. I don't have much knowledge about commemorative pins and there seems to be 27 versions for every event, but a few key ones are nice to have.
A couple of Bills from two of my favorite 1970s football sets. The Parker may have to go to my casual 1979 completion quest.
1982 Diamond Classics Duke Snider. These are larger than your average card, verging on mid-1950s size. But I believe I have one other from this set (or a similar one) so now it will have company. Great image. Why did we get away from showing a player with two-dozen bats?
Giant-sized Donruss Orel Hershiser!
And gianter-sized '86 Topps Fernando Valenzuela!
And here is a comparison with an average-sized card so you know it's not just camera tricks.
I do a very poor job at landing oversized Dodgers from the '80s, so this is very appreciated.
A needed 1970 Laughlin World Series card. I have one in the Dodgers binder so this will go to the set-completion quest. This card is a lot more red than the other one I have, which is basically pink. But I don't think Laughlin was doing parallels back then.
All of these came in a packet as a partial set. It's that unlicensed '91 Play Ball Darryl Strawberry set, I never knew there were this many. Thanks to these I now need just one more.
These three parallels are arranged from worst to best, left to right, in terms of parallels. Artist's Proofs are useless. Gold medallions are mildly cool if a little too plentiful. Color borders always rule and the shiny ones that Topps is doing these days are nice, if a little over-the-top.
The '93 Upper Deck BAT tri-fold cards are more fun now that I have pages for them. This just squeezes in as a Dodger card with the appearance of Joe Black.
I remember when canceled commemorative envelopes were all the collecting rage. You don't see them much anymore. Truthfully I never understood their use, but when Walter Alston signs it, suddenly there are uses all over the place!!
I am very proud of this relic now that Max Muncy has figured out how to hit again.
A couple of mid-1980s reproductions of '51 Bowman. The Hatten fills me with pride because I own the original. The Erskine just makes me want the original.
Three key inserts that I did not own! I've already professed my love for the Lights Out theme. That National Pride Chan Ho Park is the first one from that particular insert that I own. There are several Dodgers from that set. I don't know why it's so elusive.
BOOKS!
I do remember those annual Sporting News World Series records books and this is the key one issued after the Dodgers' '81 World Series title. The book on the right has to do with the Los Angeles Angels team from the first half of the 20th century. Not a lot about the Dodgers in that book, except at the very end.
Bob is always good for a few autographs and that automatically makes me look through my autograph binder to see which players are new to it!
Welcome Jonathan Broxton and Jonathan Meloan with your first appearances in the binder!
Finally, one last card from forgotten Bills kicker Joe Danelo. He's mostly known as the Giants kicker from the '70s. He kicked for Buffalo in '83 and '84. I'm not sure why Bob doesn't want the personalized message from Joe anymore, but I'll take it!
That lot just boosted my collection on the eclectic meter quite a bit.
Bob can build it, yes he can.
Comments
B. That Alston canceled commemorative envelope is really cool. I was never into stamp collecting, but I remember when these were popular too. I'll even grab one every now and then when it fits a theme in my collection.