Small doings

 

Sometimes I think to myself "what's a little guy like you doing big things like that?"

I've always been a little guy. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but when teachers used to line up kids by height in the 1970s, when we were traveling to the cafeteria or gym or wherever, the small guys went in the back. I don't know why they put us in the back. Were there dragons in the hallways and they thought the tall kids could fight them better? I kind of liked being in the back.

I didn't grow a whole lot after that. And sometimes I'd fall into that trap of thinking that short guys can't do what tall guys do. There's always that reminder that some women automatically rule out dating any guy who is less than 5-10. And you're automatically disregarded in some sports if you're short. Or at least you have to prove yourself a lot more.

But I've done fairly well for a short guy. Got the family, the house, the position of responsibility and a couple of other things that a small, shy kid maybe the high school gym teacher didn't think I should be doing but there I am.

I've got a very large card collection, too. But it's often built by small purchases, a little at a time, from all different directions.

This is the definition of a small send. Just one card, but it sure was needed. This arrived from Mike of Dillard's Dugout. It's the second 2023 James Outman he's sent me!

I know you can't tell but this is the foil parallel. I still get annoyed that these are called "rainbow foil," I hardly ever see any rainbows come from these, but that's what happens when you have '90s kids working at Topps.

 

This was a small purchase from me. It's the most recent 1976 Ron Cey disc in my collection.

Although I'm a Western New York guy, I don't know Buckman's or the Ice Cream Village. Rochester is kind of a mystery to me as we Buffalo folks prefer our city and consider Rochester a tad snooty. Google Maps says that address is now an Orville's Home Appliances store.

So with this addition, these are the Cey '76 discs I have:

Buckman's

Chilly Willee

Crane Potato Chips

Dairy Isle

Isaly's/Sweet William

Orbaker's (we just ate there a couple weeks ago and didn't know they advertised on these)

 

This is what's left:

 

Carousel discs

Blank back

Red Barn (two versions)

Safelon Superstar Lunch Bags

Towne Club

 

Then I need to work on the 1977s. I know some of these are rare, but there's no rush.

 

 

This is definitely not small, but it is just one item!

I couldn't resist this entire complete Hostess box intact but now I don't know what to do with it. I don't collect the boxes, I do collect the panels and the individual cards and I definitely need that panel. It seems a shame to cut up the box, but also the box doesn't conveniently store.

Sometimes smaller is better.

 

Finally, I made another small purchase of cards from Trevor (@tec872) on Twitter. These are just my speed. The cards aren't BIG in any way -- a card-collecting slabber would recoil at the soft corners, and centering (let alone none of them being rookies or stars). But I think they're perfect additions in my small way.

 

 

These four 1969 needs also arrived with the 1967s. A great small lot. The Chico Cardenas is one of those '69 cards that I once owned and then foolishly traded away. There are still a pesky few more of those that I need to acquire.

The Salmon is another key Pilots card to add to the collection. It's notable because Salmon never played for the Pilots. He was drafted by Seattle but then traded to the Orioles before the 1969 season.

The Reggie Smith -- as you '69 fans know -- is one of the last cards in the set and the last of the Red Sox I needed!

Smith's 1969 card may have been positioned near the back of the line but we all know how important it is.