As complete as it'll get

 

It's getting down to the last few days of 2022. I've exhausted just about every card anniversary that has occurred in the past year.

But one thing I've never done is acknowledge my complete 1962 Topps Dodgers team set. It's still the 60th anniversary of the original wood-bordered set for another 12 days.

In fact, I don't even recall what the last card was that completed my team set for '62. I went back through the blog to see if I could pin down that triumphant day, because this blog is always about celebrating my card milestones. Still, I couldn't find it.

Then I realized why I couldn't. It's because I haven't completed it. I may never complete it. Thanks to this guy:

Bob Uecker is on one of those rookie prospects cards with Dodgers prospect Doug Camilli. I'm just not willing to pay 60 bucks or so for a tiny floating head, I don't care if Ueck did get me through a couple lonely Saturday nights watching Mr. Belvedere.

So, this team set is as complete as it's going to get. And that's more than I can say for that other "2" set that is celebrating a milestone as well this year -- 1952 Topps. I will not finish that particular Dodgers team set unless I find myself on a two-week run as a  Jeopardy contestant.

 

That's why my '62 feat should be celebrated, so here are all the 1962 Topps Dodgers in my collection, Joy Of A Team Set style:

 

 

Favorite cards runners-up: 5. Duke Snider; 4. Jim Gilliam; 3. Larry Sherry; 2. Don Drysdale.

Notable variations: The green-tint varieties. The most recent '62 Dodger card I picked up was the Lee Walls green-tint card, which is one of those versions that fantastically shows a different picture. Wally Moon is another example of that and it still boggles my mind that there are two different Moon cards with the same card number on a set from 60 years ago. I mean that's 21st century stuff!

 

Players I've talked to: I wish.

 

Players for whom I have autographed cards: Koufax, Podres, Moon and Snider, including a couple answered TTM tries. ... OK, that makes me feel better.

Another card that makes this set feel like it's not complete:

The never-issued 1962 Maury Wills card showed up once in the 1970s and twice in the 1980s yet still hasn't become a card itself. I'll bet that will be coming some day. This particular card showcases both wood-bordered sets on one card, which automatically makes it the best card in that overproduced '87 set.

Card I should upgrade: The Frank Howard card with the penned "140" written in the sky. I've just never gotten around to fixing Frank. The '62s are one of those sets known for showing edge wear but that's never bothered me with this set.

Card that doesn't belong: The Babe Ruth coaching card is fun but the Brooklyn Dodgers did not exist in 1962.

Happy Hanukkah!: On the first day of Hanukkah a special greeting to the '62 Dodgers' Jewish ballplayers, which would be Sandy Koufax, of course, as well as brothers Larry Sherry and Norm Sherry.

Another reason why this set is important to me right now: I am finally wrapping up "The Last Innocents" by Michael Leahy. The book about the 1960s Dodgers has taken me 2 to 3 years to read because I just don't read books like I did before. But finally, this week, I'll read the final page and it's been great getting to know more about Wills, Koufax, Drysdale, Tommy and Willie Davis, John Roseboro and Ron Fairly, as well as players who weren't in the '62 set but prominently mentioned, such as Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Lou Johnson, Dick Tracewski and others.

Favorite card in the set:

Obviously it's the Walt Alston card, so good I have three of them!

Someday I think I will try to pick up that Camilli-Uecker card and then maybe I can have a real '62 Topps team set celebration. But this works for now.

And that'll do it for anniversary posts for this year. Another year is on the way and, yes, please, let's talk about 1953, 1963, 1973 and 1983 Topps again and celebrate all those "8" anniversaries, too. Especially, 1988 Topps.

I better damn well see 1988 Topps tributes after what I went through in 2022.