Touching on another blog series that I haven't tackled for a bit. It's been just over a year since I wrote a "Card Numbers for Commons" post. I definitely should do these more often. The posts aren't time-consuming and I always find them interesting.
This is the series where I look for the five best cards in my collection with a certain card number and then review five other cards that I don't have, with that same number, that I wouldn't mind having. The series title is based on that Topps practice from my younger days in which it would attach a card number ending in a "0" or a "5" to star players and then all the other numbers would be devoted toward the so-called commons.
Today's number is 412. No reason. It was just the first number that popped in my head when I knew I was going to write one of these. "412" is often associated with Pittsburgh as it's the main area code for the city. That's why Bob Bailey is leading off the post. Will there be another Pirates card on this post? Hmmm.
My favorite 412s turn out to be cards I already own. It seems like 412 is one of the more "common" common numbers. It was difficult to find anything I didn't have that was interesting. On the other had I had to omit some good 412s from my collection.
Let's look at some cool ones that I have:
1977 NLCS, 1978 Topps
This card sprung to mind right away. I have the card number memorized. It is the first time I saw a card that focused on my team from a playoff series that I saw. It became an immediate favorite. Davey Lopes running out the box.
1976 World Series, 1977 Topps
The year prior, Topps also devoted the number 412, and the card numbers surrounding it, to the postseason, specifically the World Series. This is the middle card wrap-up, just before the celebration card. As I've mentioned many times, this is the first World Series I remember watching.
Dodgers' Big Three, 1963 Topps
My favorite Dodgers card at No. 412. And I'm sure you're asking by now whether we're going to get to an everyday card of a single person yet. The answer: yes, but not really.
5th Series Checklist featuring Mickey Mantle, 1969 Topps
Here is a single player in checklist form. This is the first "playing days" Mantle card I owned and it remained the only one for many, many years. Now I have three others, though one of the other ones is a checklist, too. Mantle prices are still stupid.
Bo Jackson, 1991 Score Rifleman subset
I'm not nearly the Bo Jackson fan that a lot of collectors are, but I know that there is just something about his cards. Out of all the "Rifleman" cards in this particular subset the one with Jackson is the most apt.
OK, that's the end of stuff I own. Again, apologies to the 1984 Fleer Carl Yastrzemski (one of his final career cards) and a 1959 Stan Lopata card that I love.
All right, now for some cards that I don't have that are interesting enough to purchase maybe someday. This was kind of tough. I looked through a lot of boring cards.
Jamie McAndrew, 1993 Topps
What is going on here? Posing with a tree branch is certainly a choice. Jamie McAndrew was a No. 1 draft pick of the Dodgers who was then selected by the Marlins in the expansion draft.
Fred Holdsworth, 1980 TCMA
I love all the 1980 TCMA cards and the Vancouver Canadians uniforms from this time period are outstanding. Plus you get a bonus tractor. This is much more interesting that the card I usually associate with Holdsworth, which is his 1975 Topps card.
Andre Dawson, 1994 Collector's Choice
Dawson always knows how to strike a pose. This card looks particularly good on the gold-framed parallel.
Doug Davis, 2006 Topps Turkey Red
What is going on here, part 2? Davis seems to be looking at a blast off his pitch that went foul, although looking at his arm positioning that would be an awfully quick bat.
Jermaine Allensworth, 1998 Ultra, gold medallion
Here we go, there's the Pirate! Let's hope that bat didn't kill anyone.
So that's the best I could do for 412. Not the most inspiring lot for guys not in my collection. When I started this exercise I hoped it would help me add some cards to my collection, but I don't think it has. I think I'll investigate that the next time. And I hope it'll be sooner than December 2026.
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