Cropped and Colorful

There is no shortage of awesome looking Nolan Ryan trading cards.  Grab ten of his base cards and there's guaranteed to be at least one card that'll catch your eye.  Today is the 41st anniversary of Ryan's 5th no-hitter... which happened to be the only no-hitter he threw while with the Houston Astros.

I figured today would be the perfect time to show off a card that's been sitting in my draft folder for over a year now...

1982 Topps #90

The rainbow uniform is the first thing that caught my eye.  But it's the well-cropped action shot that sealed the deal for me.  I knew right away that I wanted to add it to my Classic Card Collection.

I ended up landing this card on COMC back in July of 2020 for $11.56.  I know graded cards aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it's a prerequisite for that particular collection.  These days with budget cuts and inflated prices, I don't even bother hunting down new cards for this collection.  Thankfully prices have started to settle, but as a bargain hunter... I don't have any problem waiting a little longer.

Getting back to his 5th no-hitter... he threw it against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome.  Did you know that the Dodgers have been involved with the most no-hitters in MLB history?  Their pitchers have thrown 26 no-hitters (an MLB record), while their hitters have been held hitless 20 times (another MLB record)*.

*This is a prescheduled post that was written over Spring Break a few months ago, so the no-hitter facts about the Dodgers may or may not be up to date.

Here is today's question of the day...

What are your favorite Nolan Ryan base cards?

My personal favorite is one of Ryan's classic cards from the 70's...  

1971 Topps #513 

I love the well-cropped action shot with the RC Cola ad in the background.  I don't own too many cards of his, but if I could only keep one... this would probably be it.

Looking forward to hearing about your favorites.  Happy Monday and sayonara!

Baskin-Robbins of Card Collecting

The beauty of our hobby is that there are plenty of ways to collect.  Some people enjoy opening boxes in search of a monster pull or build sets.  Others dig through dime boxes in search of their favorite players or teams.  I've discovered that I'm sort of the Baskin-Robbins of card collecting, because it feels like I collect 31 different things or ways.

Last week, I showed off a 90's insert I recently purchased of my all-time favorite athlete.  Today I'm shifting gears and highlighting a graded vintage card of a guy I've been collecting since the very beginning:

1975 Topps #185

Everyone knows Tony Gwynn is #1 on my list, but I started collecting baseball cards before 1983... so there were other favorite players before him.  One of those guys was Steve Carlton.  I became a big fan of him, because I'm a fellow lefty.

This purchase was inspired by Gregory over at Nine Pockets.  A few months ago, he wrote about the behind-the-scenes science going on within the photo of this card.  It was well-written and interesting, but that's not what sent me on a hunt to track down this card.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, I enjoy collecting in a variety of ways... and I'll use this card and the other copies I own to explain my madness.  I have one sitting in my 70's vintage binder.  There's also a copy inside of my 1975 Topps Mini set binder... which satisfies the set collector within me.  And there are two more hanging out in my Lefty PC.

But after staring at Gregory's copy, I decided to add one more to the collection.  This time I wanted to add one to my Classic Cards Collection, which contains graded cards of cool looking cardboard.  This card definitely fits the criteria.  Just look at that well-cropped photo of Carlton paired with the gorgeous 1975 Topps baseball card design.  It's my favorite Topps flagship regular issue base card of his from his playing days... and one of sweetest looking baseball cards of the 70's.

It took a little bit longer than expected to find a copy within my price range, but the wait ended when a seller accepted my best offer of $17.  After tax and shipping, this card set me back right around the price of a blaster.

The one downside is on the back.  The card is heavily off-centered.  But that kept the grade down... which made the card more affordable.  So in the end it worked out for me.

Well there you have it... my fifth copy of this 1975 Topps Steve Carlton for a 4th collection.  Hopefully this post explains why I'll sometimes chase a card that I already own multiple copies of.

If not, just remember that the beauty of our hobby is there are plenty of ways to collect... which means you can collect the way you want... and I'll collect the way I want.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!

TWiB: 70's Baseball, Red Refractors, and a 2020 BBA

February Break is just around the corner.  By next week at this time... I'll be kicking off a one week vacation and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Yesterday my friend found out that her dog has cancer.  I'm not sure what your feelings are about pets... but around here she's definitely part of the family.  We're still waiting on the full diagnosis and it's one of those things that is weighing heavily on all of our minds.  

I'm fortunate to have this hobby and blog as an outlet, so let's take a look at This Week in Blogging...

#1:  The Golden Gate Bridge

2009 UD A Piece of History #174

Let's get things rolling with one of the most famous bridges in the world and a sight that usually takes me to my happy place. 

On Thursday Hackenbush showed off a very cool postcard dating back to the early 1900's that depicted the Golden Gate before the world famous bridge was built.  If you're into history or postcards, head over to his blog and check it out:  Can't Have Too Many Cards.

#2:  The Sensational Seventies

1976 Topps #564

Another thing that normally brings a smile to my face are 70's baseball cards.  Last Saturday gcrl over at cards as i see them showed his 70's sampler set where he chose one card to represent each year from the decade.  I really like his idea and plan on building one myself... but for now I'll just share a contender for the 1976 slot.

#3:  Seeing Red

The Cincinnati Reds owned the 70's.  They went to the playoffs six times, the World Series four times, and walked away as champions twice.

1968 Atlantic Oil Play Ball Contest #3

On Monday, Bill over at Bill's Baseball Card Blog wrote about the Big Red Machine and the jersey numbers the Reds have retired.  He asked his readers who would be next.  Chris over at The 1993 mentioned Vada Pinson.  Can't argue with his pick.

2008 Topps Chrome Refractor #196

Joey Votto was the first guy that popped into my head.  Whether or not he'll end up getting the call from Cooperstown, he's truly one of the most entertaining players in the game.

#4:  Seeing More Red

Collecting Cutch is king when it comes to bloggers collecting Andrew McCutchen.  He also does a great job of spreading awareness for breast cancer each year with his popular "pink" posts and contest.  Yesterday he informed his readers that the first Friday in February is Wear Red and Give Day.  It's a day to raise awareness for women's heart health.

2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Red Refractor #BCP282 (#'d 2/5)

He showed off some red parallels of Cutch.  I don't have any myself... but his post reminded me of this red refractor I pulled from a pack a few years ago.

#5:  Blast from the Past

Last year one of the more popular BBA's involved people listing things they didn't like that others did.  Some bloggers even flipped the script and wrote about things they liked that other didn't.  I had a lot of fun putting together my own lists and of course reading all of yours.

Last week Jay over at Card Hemorrhage revisited the idea by listing items he liked and things he doesn't like within the hobby.  It was nice to see the similarities and differences between a fellow Bay Area collector and blogger.

I'm gonna go ahead and close out this post.  I realize it's shorter than usual, but my mind is on other things right now.  Before I do, I want to acknowledge a few other posts I read this week that I originally planned on highlighting in more detail:

#6: The Tube Sox Set 

1989 Topps #183

A closer look at the 1989 Topps football set by Gregory at Nine Pockets.

#7:  Early 90's Art 

1991 Fleer Pro-Vision #4

A closer look at the Fleer Pro-Vision cards by Daniel at It's like having my very own Card Shop.

#8:  Waiting for the Bubble to Pop 

1963 Post #12

The Commish over at The Five Tool Collector talks about his vintage set builds and how he's willing to wait to finish them if he has to.

#9:  Best of the Bucs 

2000 Fleer Tradition Autographics #NNO

Trevor P over at Bump and Run Football Card Blog shows off nine of the best players in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two days before they try to win their second Lombardi Trophy.

#10:  A New Super Bowl Contest 

Elliptical Man is running a contest on his blog for regulars and past trade partners, but you better hurry up.  Time is running out.

Now for a few questions for you to ponder...

When you think of 70's baseball cards, what is the first card that pops into your head?

Do you think when Votto hangs up his cleats, he will have done enough to get inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame?

Are there any set builds you've had to put on hold for now due to rising prices from the recent hobby boom?

Who's going to win the Super Bowl?

Well that wraps up another week of This Week in Blogging.  Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this post.

Happy Saturday and sayonara!

Early Bird Gets the Walrus

Sundays are normally my day to sleep in. I'll usually force myself to stay in bed until around 7am.  Unfortunately, I woke up at around 3:15am a couple of Sundays ago and couldn't fall back asleep.  Instead of tossing and turning, I went downstairs and started catching up on blogs.

That's when I stumbled across Josh's post (over at Royals and Randoms) advertising a $25 coupon on eBay.  I immediately headed over there to see if the code still worked and as luck would have it... it did.

Here's the newest addition to my Classic Cards Collection:

1973 Topps #142

This card might not be as iconic as Munson's 1971 play at the plate card or as valuable as his 1970 Topps rookie card.  But it's still pretty awesome.  I love how The Walrus is perfectly centered in this photo and the fans behind him have this "ghostly" blurred feel to them.

I've been looking for a graded copy for this collection for a few months now, but I refused to spend over $30.  Budget cuts have also killed my motivation to check my daily eBay saved searches which has caused me to miss out on a few auctions.

I happened to notice this card and the reasonable centering.  Unfortunately it had a high BIN price of $49.99.  But I added it to my watch list in hopes that the seller would lower his/her price.  Fast forward to the $25 coupon and the $24.99 (+ $4.62 shipping) price tag was something I could live with.

At the time I wasn't sure why eBay offered up such a generous coupon.  The next morning I received an email thanking me for being with them from the beginning.

I'd like to pass the thanks along to Josh for sharing the coupon code.  It definitely turned my inability to fall back asleep into a positive collecting moment.

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!

The Pride of the Yankees

There are tons of classic baseball movies that I've watched and enjoyed over the years... but one stands out more than the others:  The Pride of the Yankees.  It's about some guy named Lou Gehrig.

I can't remember the first time I watched this film, but it was definitely during the 70's when I was a little kid.  It would pop up on the television every now and then and I never grew bored with the story.  And as much as I dislike the New York Yankees, I couldn't help but grow up admiring The Iron Horse.

Today I'll be showing off some of my favorite Gehrig cards as part of a contest entry.  Brian over at Collecting Cutch has asked his readers to write about one of our favorite sports movies, while connecting them to baseball cards in our collection.  If you're interested in participating, click here for details.

Okay, let's check out some cards...

#1:  2007 UD Masterpieces Box Topper #MP-6

If you've never seen one of these framed and matted box toppers, you're missing out.  They're gorgeous.

This card happens to capture Gehrig standing in front of his teammates and a sold out Yankees Stadium on the day he delivered his famous "Luckiest Man" speech back on July 4th, 1939.  After watching The Pride of the Yankees and listening to his humble speech, I can't imagine any baseball fan not having a soft spot for Mr. Gehrig.

#2:  1976 Topps #341

This is probably my favorite card of Gehrig.  Well... at least out of the ones I own.  I love the black and white action shot combined with the red, white, and blue The Sporting News subset design.

As a bonus, Topps gave collectors Gehrig's entire career stats on the back.


#3:  1989 Topps LJN Baseball Talk #21

Before I added the actual 1976 Topps card of Gehrig, I bought this oddball issue.  If you're not familiar with these cards, they were made to be used with a handheld record player produced by LJN back in the late 80's.

Collectors who owned both the record player and this card... could listen to Mel Allen, Lefty Gomez, and Hank Greenberg talk about Gehrig.  Here's a YouTube video posted by DaClyde which captures the audio:

If you listen to the entire video, you're treated to a clip of Gehrig's famous speech.


#4:  2004 Topps Clubhouse Collection Career Legends Relics #CL-LG2

This is hands down my most valuable Lou Gehrig card.  Last year, I entered one of Colbey's group breaks and was fortunate to walk away with this card and a few other cool Yankees relics.

The card features a piece of a game-used bat used in a MLB game.  However the way Topps wrote up the COA on the back doesn't guarantee that the bat was used by Gehrig.


#5:  1972 Kellogg's All-Time Baseball Greats

This is my second favorite Gehrig card sitting within my collection.  It's hard not to love the combination of 70's Kellogg's lenticular cards and baseball legends.

The card back lists some of Lou's career highlights which includes his special day at Yankees Stadium.

This post wouldn't seem complete without featuring at least one Cal Ripken Jr. card, since the two will forever be associated with each other.  Here's a relic card featuring soil used at Oriole Park at Camden Yards during the season Ripken broke Gehrig's 2,130 consecutive games played streak record:

1996 Fleer Ultra Diamond Dust #NNO

I think it's interesting that collectors often talk about the 1997 Upper Deck Game Jerseys as baseball's first memorabilia cards.  However if you consider game-used dirt to be a form of memorabilia, these technically came first.

I'll wrap things up with a card that I don't own...

2009 Panini Americana Movie Posters Memorabilia #64

I've recently updated my wantlist and have included this card, since it's definitely one of those cards that stirs up fond memories of my childhood.

Thank you Brian for motivating me to write this post and for offering another contest on your blog.  Now I think I'll go and watch The Pride of the Yankees for the umpteenth time.

Happy Saturday and sayonara!

Extra Innings

2018 WTHBALLS Stars of 1940 #NNO 5x7 Box Topper

I found this card sitting in one of my folders and had to include it into this post.  It was a gift from a fellow blogger who preferred to remain anonymous and it came with a bunch of other really cool cards that doubled as a board game.  If interested, you can read more about it here.