Tuesday, January 5, 2021

The Celebrity Crush Collection

For years, I was thinking that MaryAnn from Gilligan's Island was my first celebrity crush and the odds are she was.  Then a few weeks ago, I watched this:


I'm not sure if it popped up on my suggested videos or if I looked her up because one of you wrote about her... but within ten seconds of watching the opening to The Mary Tyler Moore Show... I started having flashbacks from my childhood.

2012 Press Pass Essential Elvis Signatures Gold #ES-MTM (#'d 19/90)

Most of the lyrics had slipped my mind, but I remember the tune like I remember my mother's voice.  There was also the twirl she does at the very end and her trademark smile that reminded me of just how pretty she was to this four year old boy.


Budget cutbacks or not, I went over to eBay and found this autographed card.  I utilized the best offer feature and the seller accepted my $35 (+ $5.75 shipping + $3.24 tax) offer.  I realize this isn't a cheap autograph... but Mary passed away a few years ago and she only has a few signed cards available.

A few days earlier, I added the autograph of another celebrity crush to my collection:

2013 Topps 75th Anniversary Autographs #NNO

If this looks familiar, it's because two other bloggers have added this card to their collections recently as well:  Matt and Night Owl.


When I was growing up, Three's Company was one of my favorite shows and it still ranks up there after forty years.  And while most of my friends were gawking at Chrissy (Suzanne Somers), I was into Janet.

Before we get start moving forward on the celebrity crush timeline... I don't want to forget the 70's television version of Wonder Woman...

Signed 8x10 Photo

The pattern of brunette celebrity crushes had be established and would continue through the 80's and into the 90's:

2010 Rittenhouse Heroes Archives Autographs #NNO

Don't recognize Tamlyn?  She played Daniel-san's girlfriend in Karate Kid II.  The lines are a little blurry, but she might have been my first adolescent celebrity crush.

A few years later another Japanese celebrity came along...

2009 UD Goodwin Champions Autograph #A-YA

Can athletes be celebrity crushes?  If not... luckily Kristi had a role in D2: The Mighty Ducks.

As we head into the 2000's... my attention transferred to this beautiful Cylon...

A Baseball Card Breakdown Custom

Grace Park is one of the most attractive actresses on the planet.  That's why when I won a contest over on Gavin's blog a few years ago... I chose to have him make this custom card of her.

Looks like I've established another pattern.  Let's see if it continues...

2015 Rittenhouse Agents of SHIELD Costume Cards #CC3

Can you believe Ming-Na Wen is approaching 60?  Me either.  She's recently starred in The Mandalorian... but before she was a bounty hunter in the Star Wars Universe, she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

And just in case you're wondering, I don't discriminate.  Here are a few other celebrity crushes I've had over the years:

And no, I'm not only attracted to Asians...

2016 Topps UFC Museum Collection Archival Autographs #AA-AC

Okay... so according to Wikipedia... Arianny is part Filipino.  But she's also Mexican.

2012 Topps A&G Framed Mini Relics #AGR-KU

I've seen this card pop up on several other blogs which isn't a surpriseWho doesn't find Justin Verlander's wife attractive?

But ultimately... I'll wrap things up with the woman who is most likely the original celebrity crush...

2012 Panini Golden Age Historic Signatures #DW

Well that's the collection for now.  I'm hoping one day someone will have Phoebe Cates or Constance Wu sign cards, because I'd love to add both of these women to the collection.

Until then.... 

Do you remember your first celebrity crush?

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!

Overtime


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27 comments:

Peter K Steinberg said...

Nice cards and certainly a different look than what's normally on here. First major crush was Michelle Pfeiffer.

Brett Alan said...

I think Yvonne Craig as Batgirl was my first celebrity crush when I was little. From there I went to Farrah Fawcett and then the more age-appropriate Kristy McNichol. Pretty much every guy in my age group had a crush on her.

Athletes can definitely be celebrity crushes. Olympic gymnast Julianne McNamara was my crush for much of my high school and college years. (My brother actually met her many years later and told her about it.)

Grace Park is absolutely gorgeous although we worry that she's too thin. The show she's on, A Million Little Things, got off to a bit of a slow start but it's a real favorite now. And Wen Ming-Na is all kinds of awesome. Not sure I'm allowed to have celebrity crushes now that I'm married, but they're up there.

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

Lots of beauties there, especially Lynda Carter and Grace Park. I'd have to add Marie Osmond in that group, Tina Louise, Donna Douglas, Pam Dawber, Suzanne Sommers, man we had a lot to oogle, I mean um.....to be entertained by.

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

oh yeah Vanna White

night owl said...

Pretty certain Maria from Sesame Street was my first celebrity crush.

Shlabotnik Report said...

I think it was Valerie Bertinelli from when she was on "One Day At A Time"

The Angels In Order said...

Nadia Comaneci. She was 14 and I was 12 during the '76 Olympics.

Ken said...

Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) & Barbara Feldon ( Agent 99).

Laurens said...

I don't know if she was the celebrity crush outright but as a kid I would occasionally hear the name Brooke Shields thrown around.

Swing And A Pop-up said...

I'm not 100 percent sure but I think it was Kristy McNichol.

Sean said...

I remember Tamlyn Tomita, I remember seeing her in Karate Kid in 1986 and thinking she was awesome. Actually she just reprised her character on the new season of Cobra Kai which I just binge watched this week. I wouldn't describe it as that great, but it was still cool to see her as that character again.

SumoMenkoMan said...

Has to be the girl from A Neverending Story. And the song was used in Stranger Things Season 3 so double epic!!

John Sharp said...

My first TV/ movie crush was Maureen McCormick, "Marsha" from The Brady Bunch.

Later one, Valerie Bertinelli was "Barbara Cooper" from One Day at a Time, and I made sure to never miss the opening credits.

Last, I was definitely a "Mary Ann" guy.

Good Job. 👍

Billy Kingsley said...

Yvonne Craig for me. From seeing the 60s Batman show being repeated in the late 80s. Athletes definitely count!

gcrl said...

I didn't watch anything featuring MTM until I was older, but she was downright adorable on the Dick Van Dyke show. My first celeb crushes were jaclyn smith and Lindsey Wagner.

The Lost Collector said...

Definitely Kelly Kapowski.

Matt said...

Wen is almost 60?!?!? Holy cow she looks fantastic for her age..I would have pegged her at late 40's. I'm guessing that my first celebrity crush was either Wonder Woman or Daisy Duke. ;)

sg488 said...

As a Vikings fan I always like during the opening of MTM show she was wearing a Tarkenton jersey washing her car.First celebrity crush had to be Angie Dickinson in Point Blank(1967) and then in Police Woman.

gregory said...

Nice collection of autographs there, Fuji!

I think my first celebrity crush might have been Janet Jackson. That smile destroyed me. And I agree with you on the Janet Wood/Chrissy Snow thing. Although when I first saw Cindy Snow I think she topped them both.

The Snorting Bull said...

I will go with Danica McKellar aka Winnie Hooper.

GCA said...

Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke, Lynda Carter and Jaclyn Smith.
Had a buddy that was ga-ga for Erin Grey on Buck Rogers.

Jongudmund said...

I don't know if it was a crush but my mum tells a story of how disappointed I was after spinning round several times that I couldn't turn into Wonder Woman.

friend11 said...

I had the poster of Farrah

gcrl said...

for what it's worth, i've been to most of the locations in that opening montage for the MTM show. when i moved to minnesota, i even threw my dodger hat up in the air on nicollet mall in front of the dayton's.

defgav said...

Ha, I just finishing watching Gremlins 2, and I was compelled to check if Phoebe Cates had any autographed cards on the market. Such a cutie!

Elliptical Man said...

Hey. I got cards from you. Thanks.

Fuji said...

peter k steinberg - i think i'm more into michelle pfeiffer now than ever before

bret alan - had to look up yvonne craig, but i remembered her as soon as i saw the photos. i definitely remember mcnichol... just can't remember what show(s) i saw her in. i've never seen a million little things, but my co-workers told me she's in it and that i should watch her. yeah... she is a little skinny... which isn't usually my thing. but in her case, i'm attracted to her face

johnnys trading spot - marie osmond and pam dawber are two that should be added to my list.

night owl - dang it owl... she could possibly be my first too now that you mention it

shlabotnik report - hmmm... i think i might have been into her older sister

the angels in order - nadia is your version of my mary lou retton

unknown - not familiar with feldon or agent 99, but i know marcia brady. excellent call. she should be on my list as well.

laurens - yeah... she was popular when i was a kid. i remember my friends and i sneaking and watching blue lagoon. can't remember anything about it though.

swing and a pop-up - seems like mcnichol is pretty popular

sean - haven't watched the 3rd season yet... but glad to hear she's in it. i was hoping that would happen.

sumomenkoman - i must have asked this question before, because i remember you mentioning her. i love that song and know a lot of the words

john sharp - valeri and maureen have popped up multiple times now. i can vaguely remember the words to the one day at a time theme song.

billy kingsley - second vote for craig. glad i'm not the only one who counts athletes as celebrities

gcrl - thanks for the mtm lesson. had no idea where that location was. and i'm looking for a jaclyn smith autograph. i have wagner's.

the lost collector - lol... i was more into elisabeth berkeley

matt - i know, right? i was shocked at her age. i watched a lot of dukes of hazzard... but i can't remember if i was super into daisy. but she does fit the profile

sg488 - wasn't familiar with angie dickinson, but she's definitely attractive

gregory - i liked janet too, but i liked her music more. i think cindy falls between janet and chrissy for me.

the snorting bull - yeah winnie was cute

gca - yup. erin grey is another one i messed up by not including. still looking to add her autograph as well.

jongudmund - lol. that's awesome.

friend11 - my brother had that farrah poster

defgav - if you ever create customs and get them signed... i hope you'll think of me ;D

elliptical man - glad they arrived safely