Legends, legends everywhere

 

An immediately apparent observation since starting my chase of the late '80s/early '90s Pacific Legends and Swell Greats sets is how available they are.

I shouldn't have been surprised -- they came from the late '80s/early '90s -- but as someone who collected fairly frequently at that time, I never saw these cards for sale. Pacific Legends cards were issued mostly as part of "Collectors boxed sets," which were popular at the time. I'm guessing a little bit here as I was a little too old for that stuff at the time (or believed I was). Swell cards, I don't know how they were issued.

I started coming across these cards in my early blogging days, from blogger swaps and through repack boxes.

The sets are delightful, especially the Swell cards, mostly due to the set checklist, which runs the gamut. You could pull a Honus Wagner, you could pull an Eric Soderholm.

Anyway, these cards have been traveling a constant flow to my home from everywhere. TCDB trades, other trades, casual pick-ups on my part, and there's some cross-pollination because I can't keep up with the checklist updates.

Recently, Dennis from Too Many Verlanders sent me some Pacific/Swell cards -- well, one Pacific card, the rest were Swell -- off my want lists. He's been sending out some good stuff lately. Let's see the awesome results.

All of the cards he sent were from 1990 and 1991 Swell. I'll do 1990 first. Swell is well-known for showing players in uniforms you don't expect. Steve Stone is mostly known as a Cub (and couple other teams), but he's shown as a Giant. Robin Roberts is well-known as a Phillie, he's shown as a Cub.

There's Honus now, posing next to Ken Brett. That's a 60-plus year span there. Larry Doby is a good example of the duplication happening. I just received another 1990 Swell Doby today in a TCDB trade.

A few more all-time great names to finish off the 1990 portion.

Moving on to my favorite Swell set, the 1991s. Seems like Swell is throwing out an apology a year later with showing Roberts again but in his Phillies uniform. Then they go show Tiant as a Yankee.

Several more with those great 1960s A's vest unis plus the semi-rare Padre Podres.

The lone Pacific card, plus a couple Swells that didn't fit neatly into my four-column set-up.

Dennis also sent a small stack of Dodgers that he guessed I might already have, which is correct for the most part.

The Frank Howard card is appropriate (RIP). You don't see early era Kershaws much and I have nostalgic feelings for 2009 Upper Deck.

Coincidentally I'm in the middle of my once-a-year massive Dodgers dupes boxes update and these shall be incorporated.

That's 1997 through 2017 in those stacks. It seems only about 80 percent are Kevin Brown cards. So no one should be concerned if cards don't fill holes, I get that it could be difficult. (P.S.: These are all available).

Dennis did find a few that I needed, oddly all James Loneys. What a welcome obscure addition!

With this generous Legends bomb I am down to needing just nine cards to finish the 1990 Swell set and three cards to finish the 1989 Pacific set. More work to do for 1991 Swell as I've got just under 60 cards from the set, but overall I've carved through this pursuit pretty quickly!

It's nice to find legends cards that are affordable and still look great. I think these sets are way undervalued and honestly I hope they always stay that way.