Oddities

 

I spend a lot of time on this blog pointing out what I find odd about cards or in life.

But if I'm keeping it real, I'm not so normal myself.

Other people would think me odd and probably do. I'm not social, I don't engage in the mindless pleasantries that were determined ages ago (probably by extroverts) as signs of being a well-adjusted and all-around groovy guy. Most of my neighbors and co-workers know little about me. I prefer it that way, but they likely think it's odd.

I drive the speed limit, or slightly above. The countless drivers who whiz past me think that's odd, maybe even infuriating. I like anchovies, coconut and blue cheese. I've known people who think that's odd.

 

I have odd tastes in music. Four of my all-time favorite female singers are: Bjork, Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux and Fiona Apple. Their music has been called odd. They have been called odd. What can I say? I like odd.

I like being in the house alone. This would terrify half the population. They think it's odd. I love it.

Then there's my hobby. Many, many folks think it's odd. It's so odd that I don't publicize it in real life. Some people know. Close family members know. Co-workers who know the sports world know. My mail carrier likely suspects something. But that's it. There's no point in explaining it to everyone. They'd say it's odd.

 

Some of the cards I like would be considered odd by certain collectors.

 

These are so odd that they are generally known as "oddballs," cards that did not conform to the regulation format of being issued 2 1/2-by-3 1/2 and in packs, without being cut off a box or associated with a food product or hardware store or gas station.

Hostess cards -- these four and the one at the top of the post I received from Mark Hoyle -- are so odd that no one card is the same size as the next. As I've mentioned before, they are trimmed with scissors, a practice that would be both odd and horrifying for any number of "regular" cards.

The cards are subject to stains (see the Tenace card again) and in an odd break from my usual habit of banning cards with stains, I accept them (but probably will look to upgrade).

Mark sent me the Willie Montanez 1975 Hostess card as a throw-in because it was in such ragged shape, wrinkled and with a top corner torn. In another odd break from tradition, I don't mind it. Sure, I could upgrade, but I'm not in a yank about it as I might be with a Topps card.

 

Oh, and some sellers would consider it odd behavior for someone selling cards to throw one in for free.

 

I received these two cards from Steven of the baseballcardstore.ca. They arrived unannounced and were completely free. This is odd, I think the general public would say, for someone running a business of selling cards to send inventory out for free. I notice and appreciate it. Go find something to buy on the baseballcardstore site now!

Steven sent the two cards in a Christmas card. It wasn't Christmas then. It still isn't. Odd.

I received this card from reader Sam. He noticed that I needed it and now I'm down to just one Dodger card for completing the whole 2022 Archives team set.

This card, and the others in the subset, are modeled after the mid-1950s "Topps Scoop" set, which was a 150-plus card set that pictured various historical moments, including some baseball feats. TCDB lists it as a 1954 set, so I find it odd that various sites call the Archives cards "1955 Topps Scoop" tributes.

This card is pretty cool. It recognizes Chris Taylor's three home runs during Game 5 of the 2021 NLCS against the Braves. Talk about odd, check out some of the expressions on people's faces in the background.

But to return to my traditional schtick of pointing out what's odd about a card, we must turn the card over.

Let's get the Nerding Over Newspapers portion out of the way first.

The headline is ... odd. That spacing between "Chris" and "Taylor." The headline itself is odd, "Chris Taylor Three Homers," it reads like Topps is just listing random words. There's a word missing. Chris Taylor likes three homers? Chris Taylor hates three homers? Chris Taylor eats three homers? Oh, Chris Taylor HITS three homers! Well, you have enough space left over, squeeze some of those letters together and get "hits" in there!

 

The other odd part -- aside from the dumb trademark symbol next to "Dodgers," which you would never see in any reputable newspaper's headline anywhere ever -- is that there is no mention at all of the Dodgers' opponent. Nothing on the front, nothing on the back. No "Braves" anywhere. This is very odd. Why would Topps leave out a basic piece of information? Is MLB requiring Topps not to mention losing teams in copy?

That sure would be odd.

As you know, I'm not above accepting oddities like this or plain odd cards like the Hostess, Kellogg's, K-Mart, Kraft and Post cards that I love so much. And I will accept your free cards, no matter how odd the act might be.

Because, life, and everything in it, all the people in it, are odd in some way to somebody.

 

Some other widely accepted things that I find odd include: boat cruises, recreational golfing, gambling on sports, wasting time waiting in line when a new restaurant opens, egg nog, Christmas songs on Nov. 9th, wearing pajamas during the day in public, NFTs, TikTok, I could go on.

But that's because, let's face it, every last one of us is an oddity.