Oddballs Are My Jam

If complete sets and player/team collections are the bread and butter of my collection... then oddballs are the jam.  They compliment both of these things and they're something I've enjoyed since the very beginning.

1982 Kellogg's #35

While most of the neighborhood had access to packs of Topps, Fleer, and Donruss... only one of my childhood friends was lucky enough to have a parent willing to order him a complete set of 1982 Kellogg's.

Back then I would have practically traded anything in my collection for the Rickey Henderson in that set, because they were so different from the average piece of cardboard.  He was smart and refused to break it up.  In fact, I'm pretty sure he still has that set in his possession to this day.

Way back in May... Bob over at The Best Bubble sent me a care package filled with some unique oddball items for my collection.  The Tony Armas was one of them.

The oldest oddball he sent me was this fantastic Bert Campaneris:

1969 Globe Imports Playing Cards #10S

According to Key Collectibles these small (1 5/8" x 2 1/4") playing cards (printed on very thin cardstock) were sold at gas stations in the southern part of the United States.  The quality of the printing isn't very good, but it's a 53 year old oddball of one of my favorite A's players from that era... so that doesn't bother me at all.

Fast forward back to the 80's... when food issues were way more prevalent than now.  Here's a brand new Steve Largent for the collection:

1986 Jeno's Pizza Rolls Action Stickers #56

Technically Corky (Pack War) sent me a copy earlier in the year.  However this one is still in the package, so my "oddball" way of thinking... considers it "different".  I attempted to put them together in the same 9-pocket page, but my OCD wouldn't allow me to leave it like this:

Steve Largent Binder: 1986 Page

So I ended up putting it into this 4-pocket page instead:

Sadly... TCDB doesn't distinguish the difference between unopened and opened singles of this oddball issue, so it didn't help me climb the rankings.  But these other two Largents did:

2018 Donruss All-Time Gridiron Kings #AGK-22

2020 Mosaic Camo Pink Prizm #182

I'm just five cards away from becoming the #1 Steve Largent collector on the site.

Right now catching up with these care packages and preparing for the upcoming card show is the highest priority, but at some point I'll start targeting some of the newer, affordable Panini parallels which should get me over the hump.

Let's shift gears to my Tony Gwynn collection.  Bob sent me a pair of Mr. Padre oddballs:

1992 Legends Sports Memorabilia Postcard

Legends was a collecting magazine produced in the early 90's.  I'd have to do a little more homework to confirm, but I'm guessing this postcard came out of one of their issues.

The other oddball was this small button:

1984 Fun Foods #28

I tried to scan the back, but it was too blurry to see anything.  Instead here's a look at how I store this button:

Last year or the year before, I bought a box of BCW coin sleeves... which are perfect for these buttons.

Rounding out Bob's care package were some things for my Japanese athlete PC.  They aren't oddballs, but these two tennis cards were new additions to the collection:

2006 Ace Heroes & Legends #66

2006 Ace Heroes & Legends #94

These ladies helped me fill up a 9-pocket page of Japanese tennis players:

He also included this envelope which is a colorful addition to the NPB collection:

Even though I don't know the history behind this envelope... this oddball is right up my alley.  It's now the front decoration for my NPB binder.  Maybe it once held cards and this unopened package of gum:

Based on the NPB teams printed on the cellophane... I think this gum is from the late 80's or early 90's.  The only Braves teams I found in the NPB were the Orix Braves (1989-90) and the Hankyu Braves (1947-88). 

Some collectors would probably toss this old gum into the trash... but not me.  I tossed it into a top loader and encased it in a Superior Fit sleeve: 

Yup.  I'm the weird guy that saves and treasures old gum.  That's exactly why oddballs are my jam.

Thank you Bob for this awesome care package!  Sorry it took me so long to open it up and write about it.  Life has been a little crazy around here.

The rest of you...

What's the bread and butter of your collection?  What represents the jam?

Looking forward to reading and responding to your comments.  Happy Monday and sayonara!