You can't beat experience

 

I have probably mentioned a couple times that I feel like my era of collecting is underrepresented on social media.

That's likely because folks who collected as kids in the '70s are less likely to be appearing on Twitter/X or Instagram. And I don't do cards on Facebook, which probably has a better chance of showing card stuff from my era.

But it's difficult for me to match the glee for late '80s and '90s cards that I see constantly on those other social media sites. Like I've said before, it seems like every collector online began collecting in 1987. There's probably a book in there somewhere because it's definitely a thing.

But I don't want to collect stuff from that time. I see pack-openings of 1990 Donruss a lot. I already know what's in those packs, they do, too. I don't have any desire to be trapped in a 1990 time loop. Also, and this is the key thing, I like cards issued earlier a whole lot more.

Folks who collected those cards from the '70s and '60s and '50s have experience, a lot of card experience. They have a lot of stories and many impressive cards. Thank goodness some of those people read my blog -- maybe because I'm not opening 1987 Topps all the time.

 

One of those with a lot of card collecting experience is Paul, who I mentioned in my previous post. He sent me a big box of stuff and I showed just the '80s portion of it. I have the rest for you now and I can't say this more loudly: You cannot beat experience.

 

Starting quietly with a few '90s cards that are all needs (or an upgrade as those 1996 Topps Lazer cards are perpetual upgrades). There were several Nomo cards in the box -- the 2003 Chrome one is about the only one I needed and it's super-great.

 

So that's enough of that, we're now going back more than 40 years, because experience.

 

Paul demonstrated that he is an attentive reader with many of these cards. I mentioned that Calvin Murphy is the most noted player from the Niagara basketball program, which I used to cover. The John Shumate Buffalo Braves card is from the 1976-77 Topps set that is like the tallest mass-produce set ever. I remember seeing these back then and being baffled by them.

Also, you may remember I had the entire set of these sitting in my house once.

 

 

Moving on to 1970s Sabres content. These are the two Sabres in the Glossy Inserts set in 1976-77 Topps, Gil Perrault and Richard Martin, two members of the French Connection line. Pretty cool.

 

 

This threw me because I don't have much experience with 1970s hockey cards. It looked like Paul took a photograph of a 1970s team card and printed it out -- on flimsy paper. But it's actually a Team Pin-Up item from that weird 1980-81 set. The more I see of this set the more I want to collect it because of its weirdness.

Various Sabres notables from various '70s sets, nobody protecting their noggins at all. 

 

Wooo, early 1970s Sabres (and one Brave!). The 1971-72 set is unbeatable (and Gil Perrault!). I like to call the 1970-71 Topps set the Blinding Lights set because of the background effect and a number of skaters staring into space. Howie Menard also appears to be vibrating.

We're traveling back in time in order here so this is a short detour to a non-card item, once of the RC Cola cans that I love. I've owned the Ron Cey one for a long time. Garv has seen some wear, as a soda can from the 1970s should -- it seems like he has a dental issue, which is totally out of character for Garvey -- but I'm finally happy to add this one. Still need that Don Sutton.

All right, objective collectors may not consider this the best part of what was in the box (more coming) but it's my favorite part and what I was most eager to get.

I finished the 1976 Hostess set a couple years ago and the unexpected challenge made me slow on restarting my chase of the other Hostess sets. 1977 was next and now I have all but 16 of the cards thanks to Paul sending me his old collection! So cool. And good cutting skills!

I am very familiar with Paul's Tigers rooting by now, so it's natural he would have some 1970 Topps Tigers extras for my set completion! Almost all high numbers! The only one here that wouldn't be considered a high number is the McLain All-Star, which has been a collecting thorn for me with this set. It was the last All-Star subset card I needed and I was starting to think it was short-printed. Cheers to Paul!

The 1967 Pat Corrales at the top of the post was about the only '60s card in the bunch, but one of many random items in the box was this 1964 Topps coin of Brooks Robinson. It's my first non-Dodger 1964 coin. 

All right, I showed a 1955 Clem Labine card (signed) a few posts ago and referenced a return of the Labine card then. Here it is!

Both Labine and Bert Hamric are high numbers in the 1955 Topps set. I've set out to find them at card shows in the recent past and then immediately put them back due to the prices. NOW THEY ARE MINE, DEALERS! This means I am down to 3 cards left for the '55 Dodgers set. Two of them are Gil Hodges and Duke Snider. Oof.

This is an upgrade to my 1953 Topps Preacher Roe card, as if I have to tell you that -- many of my '50s cards are almost in tatters.

I'll show you:

The one on the right is what I gratefully accepted about a decade ago. It didn't bother me in the least, but I'm happy to put it in the past (for reasons I won't get into here). The new Roe comes along at the right time.

1952 Brooklyn Bum goodies! The Johnny Schmitz is signed! The Erskine is a dupe, which is so cool.

I probably should have saved this for last, but I'm stuck in chronological order here. There were several emails back-and-forth about the 1952 Topps cards, I'm very honored that I was sent these. And I didn't expect the 1953 Bowman San Jethroe card at all.

This '52 trio starts me thinking of what I have left for the Dodgers from this set. Obviously there are all the high numbers that I'll never get, but there are just a handful of non-highs remaining (Hodges and Snider again) where I could focus my energies.

I thought I had a lot of 1951 Bowman Brooklyn Dodgers already. Apparently I had no idea. These were all needs!

I really like the '51 Bowman set and I now have just 5 Dodgers to go -- yeah, they're all big names, but I never even dreamed of getting close.

1950 Bowmans are fun, too. Only Bobby Cox is new to me but I'll take as many copies of '50 Bowman as I can get! The Carl Furillo card takes me back to the first month of blogging when I received that card (in much more beat-up shape) in my first care package from another blogger. So cool people are still sending that card just because.

Finally, my first two 1949 Bowman cards.

I have never seen a '49 Bowman card in person. I had no idea they were so tiny! They're the same size as 1950 Bowman but for some reason I thought they were larger! These make me want to run right out and get all the Dodgers but then I'd be broke and I'd have to sell all my digital devices and cards and this blog would sit dormant for who knows how long.

So instead I'll just go at my usual slow pace of buying a card here or there in my budget. It's what makes getting packages like this so fun, I get to experience stuff I probably couldn't afford.

 

This was pretty great of Paul. For his trouble, I have a big box of Tigers to send back to him, hopefully this coming week.

It's nice that there are collectors with that kind of experience and who remember the '70s and earlier and how cool they were. Those are my cards and I guess those are my people, too. I'm glad they're out their enjoying those cards still.

It'd be kind of nice to open packs of 1976 Topps over and over on the socials but that ain't happening either.