Strive For '65 Saturday: A Little Help From Sportlots Stores

STRIVE FOR '65 STATUS:

30 Mar 2019 Strive for '65 | 1965 Set Build | Master Want List Current card count: 294/598 (296/600) 49.2%

Here is the link to my last update from November of last year. Once again I am slipping slipping with this ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK! Procrastination is making this post closer to being a Sunday post than a Saturday, not quite though still a few hours before that happens.

I made a big jump with some purchases from Sportlots stores. But Ouch not yet at 50% but oh so much closer. I also got some 1965 OPC cards (2 Senators and 1 Orioles Rookies pair) on 25 Mar. I really need to get all the Senators from that set, as well as the Orioles (for both sets), the team cards, some of my PC players, and the World Series cards. I might as well build the OPC set also. Right now I only have 4 of those though.

 

Thursday 21 Mar 2019:

Got two packages (a large PWE and a small bubble mailer) that had a total of 16 cards 13 of which are 1965 Topps (plus the three 1965 OPCs and a 1970 OPC card). Total shipping for the two packages was $5.50 card prices ranged from 49¢ to $1.99 with most being between 75¢ and 99¢.

Here are the cards:

192 Jim Coker Reds

213 Jim Davenport Giants

223 Dan Osinski Braves

227 Bobby Klaus Mets

229 Lou Clinton Angels

230 Ray Sadecki Cardinals

235 Chuck Hinton Indians

237 Bernie Allen Twins

251 Billy Herman Red Sox Mgr

283 Fred Whitfield Indians

287 Gary Kolb Braves

288 Jack Hamilton Tigers

392 Bob Friend Pirates

Interesting the back of Bob Friend's card does not have a cartoon/comic making the back of his card look almost like a manager's card.

The Latest Additions:
Thursday 21 Mar 2019:

192 Jim Coker Reds

213 Jim Davenport Giants

223 Dan Osinski Braves

227 Bobby Klaus Mets

229 Lou Clinton Angels

230 Ray Sadecki Cardinals

235 Chuck Hinton Indians

237 Bernie Allen Twins

251 Billy Herman Red Sox Mgr

283 Fred Whitfield Indians

287 Gary Kolb Braves

288 Jack Hamilton Tigers

392 Bob Friend Pirates

Bonus 1965 OPC Cards:
I already have the Topps versions of these, even the 1965 Orioles Rookies card. These '65 OPC cards count into my Senators PC, Orioles PC and Kirk/Curt niche PC

Batting Around: Questions

QUESTIONS

A semi-recent Bat-A-Round got me to thinking about a few things. I decided not to participate in that particular Bat Around at this time maybe later, but it got me to thinking. At first I was going to ask others Why they participate in these blogiverse Bat Arounds? Then I thought about When do they participate? Well then I decided to cancel that idea since the answer(s) is(are) obvious. The reason "why" is they like the subject or idea of that particular BBA. As to the "when" it is at the time they decide to do one. Some people bloggers seem to participate in all the BAs, others only on the rare occasion. I'm somewhere in between. It depends on the subject for me, the level of difficulty, and quite frankly if I feel like making the effort to come up with a slightly entertaining response. Sometimes if the BA is just a sort of question then instead of participating by making my own post I will just make a comment of my views or thoughts on the idea on whichever BA post I saw from that question/round. Some bloggers intentionally start a Bat-Around, while others just make a post that inspires someone else to blog about the same subject or idea. Then a third person will make their own take on the idea and you have a Bat Around. So my original stupid questions I managed to answer just now.

I have another question or two about Bat-A-Rounds.

... and just because he says "I've Got Some Questions" Howie Mandel - Do The Watusi

Screen capture from end of "Do The Watusi" video by Howie Mandel

Anyone know who made the post that became the first Bat Around?

Which blogger coined the term Bat Around? - Had to be a baseball fan, as are most card bloggers especially from when it first appeared. If a football (American Football NFL) fan had coined it the title would be something like Ball Return, or the End Around, Basketball would be Rebound Around, Pass Around? (Good for almost any sport), Hockey Skate Around?

Who made the graphic that has become the BBA logo?

Has anyone thought about keeping track of the Bat Arounds and making a Bat Around Blog? - I think if one is started, it should be sort of an all hands style like "A Pack to be Named Later" so it would live beyond the person who starts it up. I don't blog often enough and have 3 blogs to begin with so I'm not volunteering to tackle that monumental task.

Life is just filled with little mysteries ain't it?

I probably should show a card shouldn't I?

1992 Upper Deck Baseball: 250 Billy Ripken Orioles

Catching A White Whale: 1968 Style

Well "Thar She Blows" I snagged a White Whale for my vintage PC on Wednesday 26 September 2018. [OK this post has been sitting in the queue a while]

The Classic Tale of a White Whale

This particular Ivory sea monster is the rookie card of a huge superstar and a childhood hero. When I was in elementary school from about 3rd grade to 6th grade the school principal had a yearly school-wide "write a book" project. Long story short my first year of that project my book had a cameo of this childhood hero. A children's book written by a child that reads like a child wrote it. Maybe one day I'll blog about it on my regular blog ( I started a draft for the post). One year, I think it was that same year, a kid wrote a story about "Charlie's Angels" but misspelled "Angels" as "Angles" so it might have been a math book.  but I digress...

This featured card is a card that easily starts over priced at over $50 at beginning bid on Ebay with BIN fixed rate prices of $100, $200 or more depending on condition and occasionally which variant it is. Yes this card has an Error version and a Corrected version. I got the corrected version. It would be nice to one day get the error version but I'm not going to hold my breath on it as it goes for at least twice what this version goes for.

I got my reasonably good conditioned copy for a nice price, not quite a steal but hovering around the high end of my comfort range. Not quite to my Maximum but getting close around the starting to sweat zone. I got it from Ebay at the opening bid price of $29.95 with $2.95 shipping. Around the same time I won this copy looking at completed/sold auctions I saw a miscut copy (listed as being "mint") that went for $18.51 with only 2 bids. Some reprints have gone for $2 to $12. So I didn't too to bad.

Smart collectors can tell that I am delaying the identification of the card for dramatic reasons. If this were an episode of Pawn Stars we would cut to a commercial break for even more suspense.

The White Whale Card I harpooned back in September of 2018 is:

1968 Topps Baseball: 247 Cincinnati Red 1968 Rookie Stars:

Johnny Bench and Ron Tompkins

I mentioned I had the corrected version. Some may wonder what the "error" of this card is. On the back the mini bio for Johnny starts off  "Johnny impressed the Reds..." the error misspells the word "the" as "tne" using an "n" instead of an "h". As I said I have the corrected version.

BTW: I still have another White Whale post in my draft queue that has been sitting there for years. My biggest procrastination delay for it of course has been not scanning stuff (The white whale plus some related cards from it's set). That White Whale was a more determined to catch it than this one was. Sort of. I had been watching this card off and on for several years at Ebay. I also had it as number 3 on my Capt K's Coveted 10 list and forgot it was on it til around 10 Jan of this year 2019.

Secret Santa: 2018 Haul

Several of the Trading Card Blogging Brethern participated in a Secret Santa Gift Exchange this holiday season. A big thank you to Jon of A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts for managing the misfit gang o' traders this year. To see my pirate booty from last year you can follow this link. Any how for this year I had shipped out my Secret Santa package of Bo Soax to Shane of Off The Wall early in the month on Saturday 08 December. Then the next Monday 10 December I received my S. Santa package.

Secret Santa package showing inside note and team bags.

I opened the package carefully, trying not to see the cardboard goodies inside, in search of a note or card that ID'd my S. Santa.

Secret Santa Note

I caught a glimpse of some of the front and back cards of the two team bags that were waiting inside. I waited until Christmas Eve before I opened the team bags to see Exactly what was inside. What was inside? A Rock! NO NO NO WRONG HOLIDAY CHARLIE BROWN! Right there were two team bags one Filled with Some B'More O's and the other filled with a Mix of Washington Teams with a Sweet Walter Johnson card showing on the top.

My Secret Santa was Adam of Cardboard Clubhouse and he sent a nice batch of Washington and B'More cards. In total there were 44 cards and one card sized book. The team breakdown is 22 Orioles (1 was a logo), 23 Washington cards of Baseball, Football and Hockey: 4 Senators, 2 Redskins, 2 Capitals and 15 Nationals (1 in team USA uniform, 1 Notre Dame Uniform?).

Lets see the cards shall we? Starting with the Orioles stuff.

Top Row: 1982 Topps 232 Terry Crowley
1986 Topps 365 Mike Flanagan
1987 Topps 120 Eddie Murray
Middle Row: 1989 Topps 757 Brady Anderson
2016 Topps Heritage (1967 Topps Design) 669 Mychal Givens
2016 Topps Heritage (1967 Topps Design) 125 Zach Britton
Bottom Row: 2017 Topps Heritage (1968 Topps Design) 159 J.J. Hardy
2015 Panini Donruss: The Rookies: 13 Christian Walker
2012 Topps Archives: (1954 Topps Design) 32 Adam Jones

Top Row: 1989 Sportflics 134 Craig Worthington
2012 Topps 125 Adam Jones
Bottom Row: 1990 Fleer: Sticker: Baltimore Orioles Team Logo
2015 Topps Update: All Star Game: US159 Darren O'Day

2018 Topps Big League: 44 Trey Mancini - This is my first Big League card a big thanks to Adam for it.
2018 Topps 587 Chris Davis
2016 Topps Update US182 Hyun-Soo Kim

Front and back of Collect-A-Book

1991 Impell JBC Collect-A-Books 9 Ben Mcdonald

A Winning Hand of Cal Ripken Jr.s

1994 Topps Team Stadium Club Finest: 8 of 12
1991 Topps: 150
2016 Panini Donruss: 181
2015 Topps: Highlight of the Year: H-27 Final Season Appearance 2001
1989 Topps: Big: 286

Now we get into the Washington Stuff:

REDSKINS

1988 Topps 8 Doug Williams
2018 Panini Classics: 190 Clinton Portis

CAPITALS

1991 Pro Set: 511 Peter Bondra
1993 Stadium Club 234 Keith Jones

SENATORS
A few reprints and retro cards.

2010 Topps Update (Thank God for TCDB never would have known it was from the update set): Vintage Legends Collection: VLC-50 Walter Johnson - Front 1951 Topps Design.
2011 Topps 1916 Sporting News CMGR Reprint CMGR-19 Walter Johnson
1911 Turkey Red T3 Reprints (reprint date unknown argh 1982 Renata Galasso?):
99? Walter Johnson with Turkey Red Add on back
No 15 Norman Arthur "Kid" Elberfield

NATIONALS

Top Row: 2015 Topps: 207 Bryce Harper
2018 Donruss: 192 Bryce Harper "Mondo" variant
2018 Topps Heritage: 1969 Design: 230 Ryan Zimmerman
Middle Row: 2016 Topps Heritage: 1967 Design: 73 Jonathan Papelbon
2016 Topps Heritage: 1967 Design: 518 Jayson Werth
2016 Topps Bowman: BP140 Chris Bostick
Bottom Row: 2015 Donruss: 178 Jordan Zimmermann
2016 Topps: Washington Nationals Team Set: WN-15 Matt Den Dekker
2009 Upper Deck Baseball Series 2: 947 Shairon Martis RC

Top Row: 2017 Topps: 327 Danny Espinosa
2018 Topps: 355 Joe Ross
Middle Row: 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter: 106 Yunel Escobar
2015 Topps Allen & Ginter: 266 Drew Storen
Bottm Row: 2011 Contenders: Draft Ticket: DT88 Brian Dupra in Notre dame Uniform?
2015 Panini Donruss: USA Collegiate National Team: 13 Nicholas Banks USA team Uniform