Baseball season is essentially over, and football season has begun in my household. See: Sunday afternoon, when the Bills game dominated the TV and we turned over to the Guardians-Rays only after the Bills' win was done. (It was in the eighth inning).
So that means it's time for my one or two football posts out of the year.
I grabbed a couple of football cards from the Diamond Jesters Time Travel inventory last month, one from the 1980s -- Freeman McNeil there -- and one from the 1970s.
John Rowser from 1975.
This is how football cards come into my collection these days -- a card here and a card there, whether through the Time Travel Trading, something I find appealing at a card show or maybe landing a card from one of those social media selling sites.
There is very little intent behind those purchases. I'm not seeking the card out, I'm not building the set, it's just something that I enjoy, either the player or the design or something about it rings the nostalgia bell.
As far as vintage football sets that were issued when I was aware of football cards, I've completed two sets, 1977 and 1979 Topps. Each set I collected as a youngster and why I wanted to finish them. Everything else between 1975-89 was a casual interest -- either I bought 3 packs or less, or I saw the cards floating around in the neighborhood or just saw them advertised in a catalog or in the back of a baseball magazine.
But I've been accumulating those football cards more and more, mostly because all my baseball interests from that era are finished, or down to some less-available sets.
I have a binder of football cards that run from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s. I'm going to go through the 1975-89 portion right now and see how many cards I've mindlessly accumulated -- maybe it'll tell me something. (1977 and 1979 won't be covered since they're complete).
1975 Topps
Cards accumulated: 5
The first football cards I ever saw with Alan Page being the first football card I ever saw.
I believe I saw 1974 Topps football (the goal post design) around the playground, but it's nothing I remember in anyone's collection and I certainly didn't buy any of it.
I didn't buy any 1975 Topps football either. But these cards have a modest appeal, since they came out the very same year I first started collecting, with the 1975 Topps baseball set.
1976 Topps
Cards accumulated: 33
If I was being fair to 1976 football, I would try to complete it like I did with 1977 and 1979. I bought packs of '76 football -- not a lot -- but they were the first packs of football cards I ever purchased.
I've held off though because of the Walter Payton rookie, I don't feel like paying that much for a football card. But as time goes on I am drawn to these cards and I can't help but pick up a handful when I'm at a show. They just look so good. That football. So, if you see me suddenly announce I am collecting this set, don't be surprised. But definitely shake your head.
1978 Topps
Cards accumulated: 2
A set I never collected, just skipped right over it between 1977 and 1979. Without that connection, all I have is the design and I am not crazy about it. I'd be surprised if I ever get to 10 cards from this set.
1980 Topps
Cards accumulated: 24
The hot dog design is fairly primitive and not anything that interests me, but I'll add a card or two from 1980 if the mood strikes.
1981 Topps
Cards accumulated: 18
Same goes for 1981, but less so. My confusion about the first down marker or whatever that is in the design makes it less appealing.
1982 Topps
Cards accumulated: 16
Classic 1980s design, I should have more of these.
1983 Topps
Cards accumulated: 23
My favorite Topps football design of the 1980s. If there's a football set I should try to complete from the '80s it's this one.
1984 Topps
Cards accumulated: 4
These things just aren't that available, due to rookie-ness. I kind of like the look, as unorthodox as it is.
1985 Topps
Cards accumulated: 58
A few years ago I thought about going for this set and grabbed what I could when they popped up. I've pulled back from that. I still like the look but maybe too much too soon overpowered me.
1986 Topps
Cards accumulated: 16
Not so long ago I had fewer of these cards than any other Topps football set from the '80s. It's climbed steadily, I don't really know why. I still think it looks out-of-kilter with the rest of the Topps sets from this time -- every other set has a plain white (or black) border.
1987 Topps
Cards accumulated: 5
Here is the set I completely ignore. It does nothing for me, which is a shame as I was living in Buffalo in '87 and the Bills were huge at the time (basically the beginning of what you see now).
1988 Topps
Cards accumulated: 39
About three years ago I ranked the Topps 1980s football sets and this set hit the bottom. I wouldn't rank it at the bottom anymore. I kind of like how the cards look all together with the helmet and the gradient color theme at the bottom. I like the rounded corners at the top. It seems like everything that bugged me about this design then I now like.
1989 Topps
Cards accumulated: 4
Maybe even more boring than 1987 but I think I like it better. Still it's not interesting enough for me to mindlessly accumulate.
So that's what my brain told me to add when I've come across 1980s football cards. It seems that it finds 1976, 1983, 1985 and 1988 most appealing with a couple other sets gaining ground. But there is nothing here that tells me I should try to complete an NFL set right now.
Matt sent another card along with the two football cards I claimed.
There's your baseball card for those of you wondering where they were.
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