The Mother Lode

Guess what?  I'm sick again.  What the heck?  I can't remember the last time I was sick twice in such a short period of time.  Anyways... it's during times of illness when I have the deepest appreciation for everything my mother has done for me.

She's one of the kindest people I know and always puts other peoples' needs in front of her own.  When I was little, she'd make this concoction of chicken noodle soup and rice that instantly made me feel better.  I made it this weekend, but I don't think it'll ever taste as good as I remember it from my childhood.

Speaking of my childhood, I read a few posts on Mother's Cookies trading cards last month and decided to track down some more for my collection.  When it comes to 80's oddball issues, these cards rank right up there with Kellogg's as my favorites.  While Kellogg's would receive points for design, Mother's Cookies evens the score with sentimentality.

Back in the day, my brother would take me to Giants and A's games and we'd always try our best to attend the game when these sets were passed out.

I already have a handful of Oakland A's sets, along with one or two San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners sets.  But I really wanted to add some San Diego Padres sets to the collection and grab a few more A's sets as well.

After searching I found an eBay auction offering up fifteen mid 80's Mother's Cookies sets:

At first, I though I might win this auction for under $10, but last second bids ended the auction at $20.50 (+ $7.99 shipping).  That might seem a little pricey, but that's still under $2 per set.  I can live with that.

Within the lot were the following sets:  1984 Houston Astros, 1985 Houston Astros, 1986 Houston Astros, 1984 Oakland A's, 1985 Oakland A's, 1986 Oakland A's, 1984 San Diego Padres, 1985 San Diego Padres, 1983 San Francisco Giants, 1984 San Francisco Giants, 1985 San Francisco Giants, 1986 San Francisco Giants, 1984 Seattle Mariners, 1985 Seattle Mariners, and 1986 Seattle Mariners.

With this many sets out of the way, I'm actually thinking about putting together a master collection of 80's Mother's Cookies sets.  The problem is finding the rest of them for $2 per set shipped.

I'm sure you could care less about that.  You probably want to see the cards.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to go Night Owl or Dime Box Nick on you and show off twenty to thirty cards.  I picked my favorite five plus and threw in an honorary mention, so without further adieu...


Honorary Mention: 1984 Mother's Cookies Astros #1

After Nolan Ryan threw his 7th no-hitter in the early 90's, Mother's Cookies flooded the hobby with his cards.  Here's a look at his first Mother's Cookies card.

#5: 1986 Mother's Cookies Athletics #9

Love him or hate him, Jose Canseco was once upon a time the king of the hobby.  And this card was passed out the year his rookie cards were inserted into packs.  I don't think I was there the day this set was passed out, because this card would have been a highly treasured item in my PC during the late 80's.  It's nice to finally pick one up thirty-two years later.

#4:  1984 Mother's Cookies Mariners #13

I'm a San Jose State alumni, which isn't exactly known for producing Major League Baseball players.  There are only two players who have a career WAR higher than 3.0.  Ken Caminiti is one of them.  Mark Langston is the other.  Like the Canseco... this is one of those unofficial rookie cards.

#3:  1984 Mother's Cookies Padres #9

One of my middle school PE teachers let us watch the 1984 World Series and most of the kids in my class were rooting for the Detroit Tigers.  I was the kid who liked to go against the grain, so I rooted for the Padres.  I don't think I officially became a San Diego Padres fan until the next season.  But this card reminds me of where it all started.  It also features my favorite player wearing my favorite Padres jersey.

#2:  1984 Mother's Cookies Athletics #2

When I was a kid, two of my favorite cards were the 1981 Fleer Rickey Hendersons where he's kneeling with a bat.  This card reminds me of them.  Great pose.  Wristbands.  Stirrups.  Eye black.  And the Oakland Coliseum in the background.  This is a classic card.

#1:  1986 Mother's Cookies Giants #7

You're probably wondering how did a San Francisco Giant secure the #1 spot on an Oakland A's fan's list.  Well... sometimes nostalgia trumps favorite teams and favorite players.  When I sold off the bulk of my collection back in the early 2000's, there was only one Mother's Cookies card that I kept and you're looking at it.  Will Clark is kinda like Derek Jeter or Clayton Kershaw.  I can't stand the teams they play(ed) for, but I admire the heck out of the way they play(ed).

Well that's it for now.  You know the routine...

Are there any notable cards in your collection that you kept from your childhood?

I look forward to reading your responses while I'm laying in bed sipping on Robitussin cough syrup.

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!