tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40575108946749922372024-03-05T22:53:54.434-08:00 Scott's Sports Memorabilia Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-60615838303530625822016-06-23T06:42:00.002-07:002016-06-23T06:42:39.879-07:00Eddie Miksis PurchaseWhoever won #39 Eddie Miksis in the set break from a couple weeks ago also won a couple others and is trying to flip them on eBay. I snagged this one for the opening bid.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBEKT32gyJNVe3I-BgK9NPTXiyqgKt6qK18Ybkc4BNzPkfjBcTzToyOXLkzFCkO4onYhCKj3Yw9FLdHtgRH13TLEB-JfRljXtQGMi1-CTAgovvszi1v40boCeJB81aQdx8FXjZAFcnz4/s1600/miksis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBEKT32gyJNVe3I-BgK9NPTXiyqgKt6qK18Ybkc4BNzPkfjBcTzToyOXLkzFCkO4onYhCKj3Yw9FLdHtgRH13TLEB-JfRljXtQGMi1-CTAgovvszi1v40boCeJB81aQdx8FXjZAFcnz4/s320/miksis.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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Miksis was a member of the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, and was still with them in 1951, but was traded before they collapsed. Of the 13 Cubs in the set, he is the 10th one I've picked up. The only really tough Cub is Bob Schultz, who was murdered in 1979. I also ordered #28 Eddie Pellagrini from the same seller; when that one gets here, it will put me at 169/274 (61.68 %).</div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-74524290104802836352016-06-16T09:18:00.001-07:002016-06-23T06:42:53.473-07:00A Bunch of eBay WinsSomeone working on a signed 1953 set must have given up, because recently someone listed most of the cards (I counted ~210) in the set on eBay. Based on the condition of most of them (creases, dinged corners, paper loss, writing on the back, etc) I'm guessing that they started this collection as a kid when the cards first came out. I feel bad for the seller; for the most part, they brought in very weak prices. In particular, the Sid Gordon he auctioned off for $60 is the same one that sold as an eBay BIN for $125 a couple years ago. The only cards that seem immune from this trend are Dodgers, Yankees, and some Hall of Famers. Most of them I either already had or didn't want to get in to bidding wars over, but there were 10 I chased after. I picked up 9 of them, with Dave Madison being the only one to get away. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Vez34lxw5aGkgKKQL9a1MbXS6Y_ettk66UhUJhJYwr2rX9f0UPPfqaS8k8DmJHr5QTeryLdcAAPcmWOQsP9EWELdHRx-Nsm_H122xEowGCnWFETsMTwGOlude4hohEJ61YSoxkUI84A/s1600/koshorek.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Vez34lxw5aGkgKKQL9a1MbXS6Y_ettk66UhUJhJYwr2rX9f0UPPfqaS8k8DmJHr5QTeryLdcAAPcmWOQsP9EWELdHRx-Nsm_H122xEowGCnWFETsMTwGOlude4hohEJ61YSoxkUI84A/s320/koshorek.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>
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Clem Koshorek was the starting shortstop for the 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates, who went 42-112. No that's not a misprint; they actually were that bad.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloyMHFl6L-ez72rZHnfjkob615b9ydo6lEGAlLMV4o4mgi638ndVqNaxd5Z0A4LsWYqZ2QgnURYJOrryJLRMM649roLBdje95nFYqosFv5lw12KSqDNrr1mZVx5iSNgcrnnsuTupwXYc/s1600/vollmer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloyMHFl6L-ez72rZHnfjkob615b9ydo6lEGAlLMV4o4mgi638ndVqNaxd5Z0A4LsWYqZ2QgnURYJOrryJLRMM649roLBdje95nFYqosFv5lw12KSqDNrr1mZVx5iSNgcrnnsuTupwXYc/s320/vollmer.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div>
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Clyde Vollmer was turning in to one of my white whale cards. I was seriously starting to think he didn't like his portrait, or had a feud with artist Gerry Dvorak. This was the first Vollmer I've seen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj61WTIHsQnUjeRMzrQrNBeTWCCdeGi5YrHjaeRaSUBfx0yYldkiJpxArEPNRMDM6kss9T7DwZvLJlZkBRmf8OvHTw5DHcdVYeb2tKtxeJ6BkS49iHFTCLD9a54aQcpgchIWC54EF9NW4/s1600/bill+kennedy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj61WTIHsQnUjeRMzrQrNBeTWCCdeGi5YrHjaeRaSUBfx0yYldkiJpxArEPNRMDM6kss9T7DwZvLJlZkBRmf8OvHTw5DHcdVYeb2tKtxeJ6BkS49iHFTCLD9a54aQcpgchIWC54EF9NW4/s320/bill+kennedy.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>
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Bill Kennedy died in 1983 from stomach cancer. I couldn't find a whole lot about him, other than he lead the American League in games pitched in 1952.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vlQdeqBQ_osKiy5YZQOR6XQODjnhf5_Jnd7VEtHj9Zv8TyaqdqD4mgCS2Jk4KX0BuosYWXTuWr0RwSjoqXeEAzeVMMC2Z_0MT_kHq3hrnBEpzoRn_niPuFRs97xqlPCE2IkMXaWFeLM/s1600/wilks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vlQdeqBQ_osKiy5YZQOR6XQODjnhf5_Jnd7VEtHj9Zv8TyaqdqD4mgCS2Jk4KX0BuosYWXTuWr0RwSjoqXeEAzeVMMC2Z_0MT_kHq3hrnBEpzoRn_niPuFRs97xqlPCE2IkMXaWFeLM/s320/wilks.jpeg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Ted Wilks is another tough one; he died in 1989. He was a member of the 1944 and 1946 St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Browns and the Red Sox, respectively, in the World Series.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtS1CRcGbLkNfttOWjD49bmKUAlemb8hvZfthptaP6BALw2sal3VhMog_QHb_TuFN2RAPlyH0CbPLjW0EMIIsmHJJbXpDithn-BKZD3jBT2tL8Uj02eozJCqEV_fu_tQQtzAUoPWjRkA/s1600/clark.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtS1CRcGbLkNfttOWjD49bmKUAlemb8hvZfthptaP6BALw2sal3VhMog_QHb_TuFN2RAPlyH0CbPLjW0EMIIsmHJJbXpDithn-BKZD3jBT2tL8Uj02eozJCqEV_fu_tQQtzAUoPWjRkA/s320/clark.jpeg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Mike Clark played 17 seasons of professional baseball, but only spent parts of two of those seasons in the Majors; 1953 was his last. His Wikipedia entry notes that he toiled in the Cardinal's farm system from 1940 to 1959, with time out for World War II.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFVBbKWiNmPCs56c-Cy9E-UCMlRjdniGHfE1L5hM0ugEvIc-9F-o4D6YYJToYsO_xOr30if2h-sKQHrpG-rmS1kxWCn6BY276EO3ELGpJsMOpUeF3qrYdq5gTdS0wCgDdnJhvHucquRE/s1600/main.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFVBbKWiNmPCs56c-Cy9E-UCMlRjdniGHfE1L5hM0ugEvIc-9F-o4D6YYJToYsO_xOr30if2h-sKQHrpG-rmS1kxWCn6BY276EO3ELGpJsMOpUeF3qrYdq5gTdS0wCgDdnJhvHucquRE/s320/main.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div>
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Like Koshorek, Woody Main also survived the 1952 Pirates. He pitched better than his 2-12 record indicated. He threw a complete game against the New York Giants and won 6-2, and his ERA was two tenths of a point lower than the staff average of 4.65. He served with the Marines in World War II, though I couldn't find any more details than that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2EJLOoZBafEu-rbLePtHcRgm-4KT7173qHGx0AB9_0uxyuP203cYDdDzV2gGgh0k1Xu5Jnn5306jp3626lkUcMVofzx31DrVht9DLne7XqOqDg3cAebCqc8neIS4znflqWYPG21zqtU/s1600/lindell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2EJLOoZBafEu-rbLePtHcRgm-4KT7173qHGx0AB9_0uxyuP203cYDdDzV2gGgh0k1Xu5Jnn5306jp3626lkUcMVofzx31DrVht9DLne7XqOqDg3cAebCqc8neIS4znflqWYPG21zqtU/s320/lindell.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>
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Johnny Lindell was a reserve outfielder for the 1949 New York Yankees. A generation before there was Bucky F***ing Dent, there was Johnny F***ing Lindell.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-aoydwDSqbgLb6twX_QyNSSJJqcty0zftdoHVUQc1l7egyncPnM0zgj8kxR04XoiGPzfwLinONvIu4KbzsRVO4DBFfheASrB3C5y6tHt7zJeIJXRLSlpUBS4crGODVz2KpPTmSbxUO8/s1600/hudson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-aoydwDSqbgLb6twX_QyNSSJJqcty0zftdoHVUQc1l7egyncPnM0zgj8kxR04XoiGPzfwLinONvIu4KbzsRVO4DBFfheASrB3C5y6tHt7zJeIJXRLSlpUBS4crGODVz2KpPTmSbxUO8/s320/hudson.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Sid Hudson, like Vollmer, was deceptively difficult, though at least in Hudson's case I can kind of understand, since he was a high number. The only other Hudson I've seen on eBay has a very faint signature and is horrendously overpriced. Hudson had the misfortune to spend his career with lousy teams: first with the Washington Senators, from 1940-52, then the Red Sox, by then a second division team, from 1952-54.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sqqjjEtwZtaA0XCJ6D8ifuVlK0PK02fPK5x0Z4gRNykGP77WoSfBshMQj6Oiiz88KkhvInyUfN0dZqqVbmkZBF3yz5dLrp_X98nvIJx9KVamA6ceTDuVBA2AkOa_1rJZD8e58DXsFdo/s1600/mcmillan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sqqjjEtwZtaA0XCJ6D8ifuVlK0PK02fPK5x0Z4gRNykGP77WoSfBshMQj6Oiiz88KkhvInyUfN0dZqqVbmkZBF3yz5dLrp_X98nvIJx9KVamA6ceTDuVBA2AkOa_1rJZD8e58DXsFdo/s320/mcmillan.jpeg" width="224" /></a></div>
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In the run up to the 1957 All Star game, Roy McMillan was caught up in a ballot stuffing campaign by Cincinnati Reds fans. They managed to get seven Reds in to the starting lineup, prompting Commissioner Ford Frick to remove two of them and appoint Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as starters instead. </div>
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I picked up #39 Eddie Miksis yesterday. When he gets here, that will bring me up to 168 / 274 (61.31 %). There are a few others I'm watching, and I'm weighing whether or not to pull the trigger on them. My goal of getting 200 by the end of the year is looking iffy, so I came up with a secondary goal of finishing off the Red Sox in the set. There are 21, and with these recent purchases I have 17 of them. The four I still need are #44 Ellis Kinder, #49 Faye Throneberry, #63 Gus Niarhos, and #169 Dizzy Trout. Niarhos comes up every now and then, Throneberry is very scarce for someone who died in 1999, and Kinder (d. 1968) and Trout (d. 1972) are scarcer than hen's teeth.</div>
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<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-84287382901260483732016-05-03T10:26:00.001-07:002016-05-03T10:26:04.900-07:00Clem Labine GiftAbout a week ago, my mom noticed that I didn't yet have Clem Labine, the only Rhode Islander in the set. She picked up this one from Mickey's for me. Labine grew up in Woonsocket, as did my mom and her siblings. There is a picture floating around somewhere of a group of neighborhood boys, among them one of my uncles, getting a pitching lesson from him. I'll have to find it at some point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdaGLdU0Afq6OaTr1vIcXkh_9mw6CtueiIS52fG24tjYzxetKFolhvghGfgcBfJ97Mt-XjgUSaDuBj_cK-eDH8W5L8MaRuHmOh-BgDJFlkBl3lwYgN5pkghLmuzRfGCjv_aNaTIRj9pw/s1600/labine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdaGLdU0Afq6OaTr1vIcXkh_9mw6CtueiIS52fG24tjYzxetKFolhvghGfgcBfJ97Mt-XjgUSaDuBj_cK-eDH8W5L8MaRuHmOh-BgDJFlkBl3lwYgN5pkghLmuzRfGCjv_aNaTIRj9pw/s320/labine.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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Labine had a couple of double digit win seasons for the Dodgers in the 1950s, including 1955, when he won a game in the World Series. He died in 2007. It mentions on the back of his card that he was a paratrooper during World War II; I had forgotten that. I tried to see if he had been in combat at all, but I couldn't come up with any details about his time in the service, beyond that he entered the service in August 1944. That would have made him too late for the jumps in Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and Holland, although he potentially could have caught the Battle of the Bulge, Operation Varisty, or if he was in the Pacific, the jump on Corregidor. </div>
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Labine brings me to 158/274 (57.66 %). He also puts me past the halfway point in terms of the number of Brooklyn Dodgers; he is the 11th one I've picked up, out of 20 Dodgers in the set.</div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-58475903706069591802016-04-27T06:40:00.001-07:002016-04-27T06:40:12.693-07:00Sid Gordon PurchaseI was able to nab #117 Sid Gordon from another Net54 member for a very good price. This is only the second Gordon I've seen (he died in 1975). The other one sold for $125 about a year and a half ago. Because of the crease and some minor paper loss on the back, I was able to get this for $60 plus shipping.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFBHyW52xLEu2AgHBzhnpV8B7Dv1Mof1KtJLsdG6JFOI_REp7ePtCxwtfu6jjFx7EpMGKYnBnztwq0QOeNjphtRFSofVKTaa72l-gEqmXgoDHVU6pQBlVIiSg-6i1IXju-BysTGVledg/s1600/gordon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFBHyW52xLEu2AgHBzhnpV8B7Dv1Mof1KtJLsdG6JFOI_REp7ePtCxwtfu6jjFx7EpMGKYnBnztwq0QOeNjphtRFSofVKTaa72l-gEqmXgoDHVU6pQBlVIiSg-6i1IXju-BysTGVledg/s320/gordon.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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This makes 157/274 (57.29 %). The only Boston Braves I still need are Vern Bickford and George Crowe. Bickford is very rare (he died in 1960 from stomach cancer). For someone who died in 2011, Crowe is surprisingly difficult. I think I've seen signed copies of every Topps card he appeared on except the 1953 issue. </div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-65869733522634494452016-03-28T13:21:00.000-07:002016-03-28T13:21:13.927-07:00Harry Lowrey and Ken Raffensberger PurchasesIt's been a while, but I did manage to pick up two new cards, including one of the keys to the set; #16 Harry Lowrey, and #276 Ken Raffensberger. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_TWeB71YxS98UPz53WTq5mdWsqjgMu9T1WZhK8j3pLad0756uSL2X76OEwx-oPhqs7AWb2e5UGUWFYRFRPLZL8YF9Z-YnjM2-C6CKbqLaYl2Kplm1gS_b2wVoq82NawS659FzMWE6gQ/s1600/lowrey+and+raffensberger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_TWeB71YxS98UPz53WTq5mdWsqjgMu9T1WZhK8j3pLad0756uSL2X76OEwx-oPhqs7AWb2e5UGUWFYRFRPLZL8YF9Z-YnjM2-C6CKbqLaYl2Kplm1gS_b2wVoq82NawS659FzMWE6gQ/s320/lowrey+and+raffensberger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Lowrey died in 1986, so he is not easy to come by. Growing up, he worked as a child actor and was one of the original members of <i>Our Gang</i>. This was the first one I'd seen in the almost two years I've spent building the set. From what I've read, Stan Musial had a very tough time with Raffensberger, even calling him the toughest lefty he had ever faced. These two bring me up to 156 / 274 (56.93 %).Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-60668804827703015432016-02-21T08:55:00.001-08:002016-02-21T08:55:20.100-08:00Preston Ward PurchaseI picked up #173 Preston Ward a little while ago. He had just gotten out of the military when this card was issued; according to the back, he spent the 1951 and 1952 seasons in the service. It doesn't say if he was ever sent to Korea. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy6cTVqNKkAMNOujZRvVsTSCx52hWEhbd_vbInUABU7MPMT6I5tbuRTYJ3WgPnBQ9vqr_9_WHdpTutGbcncrDb4QyhJ5ulaXJAxDosQj5_kbX9pa4pUFQ2tHkCV4biWspl1g2mmEt0bE/s1600/ward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy6cTVqNKkAMNOujZRvVsTSCx52hWEhbd_vbInUABU7MPMT6I5tbuRTYJ3WgPnBQ9vqr_9_WHdpTutGbcncrDb4QyhJ5ulaXJAxDosQj5_kbX9pa4pUFQ2tHkCV4biWspl1g2mmEt0bE/s320/ward.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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I'm now up to 154/274 (56.20 %). I'm looking at making a couple other purchases soon, so stay tuned. Nothing earth-shattering, just a couple that I've had a moderate level of difficulty tracking down.</div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-11308405397293458002016-01-27T06:21:00.002-08:002016-02-21T08:55:36.842-08:002016 Update and GoalsI realized I haven't updated my goals in almost 8 months, since last June. Without further ado:<br />
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<li><b>Reach 125 signed 1953 Topps.</b> I blew past this one, to end up at 153. I'd really like to try and hit 200 this year. That may start getting expensive on account of the tougher cards, but I'm not doing this to make a profit.</li>
<li><b>Add at least six new Hall of Famers to the set. </b>I came up short here: after picking up three in the first half of the year, I only added two (Irvin and Rizzuto) in the last half. Of the HoFers I don't have, for the most part they're pretty big name guys (Robinson, Campanella, Mantle, etc) who will be either difficult, expensive, or both.</li>
<li>My other two goals for 2015 (<b>add at least one new Phillie</b>, and <b>add two more signed 1949 Bowmans</b>) I had already met at the time of the June update. </li>
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Overall, I'm happy with the progress on the set that I made last year. I'm cautiously optimistic that I can hit 200 this year, or at least come very close. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-81748913587757670532016-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:002016-01-27T06:22:56.482-08:00Hal Rice PurchaseIt's been a while since my last post. I was in India for a few weeks as part of a school trip, and then my laptop and phone have started giving me grief whenever I try and sign in to here. As it stands, the desktops at school are the only machines I've found that don't give me trouble. <br />
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That said, I do have another big update: I won #93 Hal Rice in one of Jim Stinson's auctions last month. Although Rice lived a good, long life (he lived to be 73), he is one of the tougher cards because he was in a debilitating car accident after his career ended, which severely curtailed his signing ability. Mine was signed in the 1950s, so the signature must predate the accident. I heard a story from another collector of a guy who went to Rice's house to try and get his to sign some cards, and Rice's son turned him away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier130amwtZtzrR9opHEQYI68xa5VIVIj5TRRmpOGNyowfe3xGpUdvIwac1ieZq6NN-g15HoHR9iVE42b07wec3jkA29Wgh-vNiyUy6eywqXMSwbzslxiGytB3s7z2a4S_NhwRqq9h6jE/s1600/rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier130amwtZtzrR9opHEQYI68xa5VIVIj5TRRmpOGNyowfe3xGpUdvIwac1ieZq6NN-g15HoHR9iVE42b07wec3jkA29Wgh-vNiyUy6eywqXMSwbzslxiGytB3s7z2a4S_NhwRqq9h6jE/s320/rice.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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This brings me to 153/274 (55.84 %). I had plenty of Christmas and birthday money that I was going to plow in to cards, but life had other plans. My textbook bill for the semester was much, much higher than I expected, and there are still a couple of expensive computer programs I need to purchase as well. (Sigh) I feel like such an adult...</div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-39131276580068919972015-11-03T06:23:00.001-08:002015-11-03T06:23:42.859-08:00George Metkovich PurchaseI won #58 George "Catfish" Metkovich a few days ago, and I'm just getting around to posting it now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg065daQO7EhPgkgEnugys6B1gh0zULSIn_v4vIVkf2Gj_D-LVLKWN7uBAcTk4F_xwluvRPFM06YF6LhxqNXxCNbsuZPlOYaDioB75ahUtV4l_-HCl1VxezXBkbvHnnDT1YK9Q0cSrljGs/s1600/metkovich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg065daQO7EhPgkgEnugys6B1gh0zULSIn_v4vIVkf2Gj_D-LVLKWN7uBAcTk4F_xwluvRPFM06YF6LhxqNXxCNbsuZPlOYaDioB75ahUtV4l_-HCl1VxezXBkbvHnnDT1YK9Q0cSrljGs/s320/metkovich.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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He picked up his nickname in Spring Training as a rookie, when he went fishing, stepped on a catfish and cut his foot, causing him to miss several games. He was a reserve outfielder on the 1946 Boston Red Sox, the last Red Sox team to win 100 games. For a guy who had over 40 years to sign the card, Metkovich is very hard to find; I've only seen a couple of these since I started. </div>
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I'm now up to 152/274 (55.47 %) of the way there. </div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-44696472212213354282015-10-11T16:51:00.000-07:002015-10-11T16:51:09.555-07:00Monte Irvin, Harry Byrd, Art Schult and Andy Carey Purchases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Also picked up these four: #62 Monte Irvin, #131 Harry Byrd, #167 Art Schult and #188 Andy Carey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIZaklU_voyfuWWA1j3lc5SqKojJ22xSiJOHwneZfdyQYerCRTWtlUo56joiE3FiSOqUMs6L4qW4M_UMPGya1fGrTXc4IxRHLdvpDlfJRnYhVbB0ftxeps1e3Tt_k7U6KIHSxOmdjFhA/s1600/irvin+byrd+carey+schult.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIZaklU_voyfuWWA1j3lc5SqKojJ22xSiJOHwneZfdyQYerCRTWtlUo56joiE3FiSOqUMs6L4qW4M_UMPGya1fGrTXc4IxRHLdvpDlfJRnYhVbB0ftxeps1e3Tt_k7U6KIHSxOmdjFhA/s320/irvin+byrd+carey+schult.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
Irvin was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973, the first year that Negro Leaguers were considered. Byrd was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1952. He won 15 games that year, which was about a third of his career wins total. Considering the Philadelphia Athletics were a solidly second division team by then, they had a considerable amount of talent; Byrd, 1952 MVP Bobby Shantz, and All-Stars in Eddie Robinson, Gus Zernial and Ferris Fain. Schult and Carey were both backups on the Yankees for several years and combined won three World Series with them.<br />
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These pickups bring me to 151/274 (55.11 %). This might be it for a while, at least until I can pick up some more shifts and reload. Since August alone, I've spent almost $2,000 on this project, so I need to take a breather.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-27427836875249164872015-10-11T16:35:00.001-07:002015-11-19T14:36:18.513-08:00Johnny Wyrostek, Clint Courtney, Dixie Walker and Harvey Haddix Purchases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been a long time since my last update. Midterms start this week, and I've been chasing my tail for a lot of the last few weeks. I've also been busy with several new purchases, of #79 Johnny Wyrostek, #127 Clint Courtney, #190 Dixie Walker and #273 Harvey Haddix. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ-2uUieGZOmK7Q-_LW7qEBKrRCU9tSCP4DABHz2kA_f4955buDPPNDfiBY8uwnLXUV03j0BezBia0FPTIoo0JG6dm-1Co7VsIh0Zos6F9zxHiKp6tbSKQoYD0utXLbqt8OSe2nE1iqI/s1600/wyrostek+courtney+walker+haddix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ-2uUieGZOmK7Q-_LW7qEBKrRCU9tSCP4DABHz2kA_f4955buDPPNDfiBY8uwnLXUV03j0BezBia0FPTIoo0JG6dm-1Co7VsIh0Zos6F9zxHiKp6tbSKQoYD0utXLbqt8OSe2nE1iqI/s320/wyrostek+courtney+walker+haddix.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
Wyrostek was a two time All-Star, and one of the tougher cards. This was the second Wyrostek I've seen, and I am glad to report that I got it cheaper than the other one. Courtney had a long running feud with Billy Martin that culminated in the two of them beating the crap out of each other under the bleachers at Sportsman's Park. Walker was the ringleader of the Brooklyn Dodgers who demanded to be traded instead of playing with a black man. When not circulating racist petitions, Walker was a five time All-Star who won a batting title in 1944. He is the only man who was a teammate of both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Haddix went on to pitch a 12 inning perfect game that was ruined in the 13th inning. This was his rookie card.<br />
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Edit: Walker is the only man to be teammates with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-47139611906395769122015-09-24T08:59:00.001-07:002015-09-24T08:59:32.341-07:00Mike Garcia, Granville Hamner, Hank Edwards and Jim Waugh Purchases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been a while since my last post, but I did knock off a couple of the difficult cards. I picked up #90 Hank Edwards from another Net54 member, and #146 Granville Hamner got back from SGC a while ago. The other two, #75 Mike Garcia and #178 Jim Waugh were eBay finds that I was able to get pretty good prices on. In the year+ I've spent building the set, this was the first Edwards I've seen, and only the second Hamner. As a side note, Hamner's nickname during his career was 'Granny'. He must have been heckled something awful.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNp3kq0WsXesIji_Cd6fFh7GcPOjJrUlcsuFq-ii2lWA3PS1kQOFeUOw0nEtG-MYAt-hRuA6m_kl4wyuyUSBT49bemDYQ4lk56c23aQuWkMj9D8JZmz6Y-EvA2uhy7QwIk6yiRburK-c/s1600/garcia+hamner+edwards+waugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNp3kq0WsXesIji_Cd6fFh7GcPOjJrUlcsuFq-ii2lWA3PS1kQOFeUOw0nEtG-MYAt-hRuA6m_kl4wyuyUSBT49bemDYQ4lk56c23aQuWkMj9D8JZmz6Y-EvA2uhy7QwIk6yiRburK-c/s320/garcia+hamner+edwards+waugh.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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I have two more that are in the mail, a purchase and an auction win. They should be here within the next few days, though it may be a while before I can get home and scan them. These four bring me up to 143/274 (52.19 %). </div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-59108743257003407402015-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:002015-09-12T09:52:27.341-07:00Phil Rizzuto PurchaseI picked up #116 Phil Rizzuto last week. Rizzuto is the 12th HOFer, and 5th MVP I've added for this project. He won the MVP Award in 1950, the year the Yankees won the second of five consecutive World Series titles. He played with the Yankees until 1956, when he was unceremoniously released to make room for Enos Slaughter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDWXFnYGKRJTzxVyrinp-JEJRx5SmT11DKzf0A2uQdhyphenhyphen_mbYGjELEX06wEHq2ODThrPVl0KfzwW46RdUJQ06BGM1f_x7j4Ejp40_lv3xnrC6jPpd2Q8p4wwO9DMjvUNZCtADY6zAWD4k/s1600/rizzuto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDWXFnYGKRJTzxVyrinp-JEJRx5SmT11DKzf0A2uQdhyphenhyphen_mbYGjELEX06wEHq2ODThrPVl0KfzwW46RdUJQ06BGM1f_x7j4Ejp40_lv3xnrC6jPpd2Q8p4wwO9DMjvUNZCtADY6zAWD4k/s320/rizzuto.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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I'm now up to 139/274 (50.73 %). I bought a couple more cards, one from eBay, another from a Net54 member, that should be arriving around midweek. </div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-45609888532316200152015-09-04T14:53:00.002-07:002015-09-04T14:53:52.414-07:00Frank Campos, Don Hoak and Milt Bolling PurchaseThe cards I bought from another Net54 member arrived today. All of them are difficult, in varying degrees of toughness. Bolling was the last card in the set, so he is very expensive, Campos is just tough to find, and Hoak died in 1969 and was a notoriously bad signer during his lifetime. I'm glad to see that the Bolling looks like it is in fountain pen; I'm a sucker for fountain pen signatures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUqxaw6IqYtZAnTc-7tSPQJtpm_9d8z2wV1eoEows7aYhNf7k2PpmmtCX1elYi6G542HH_xXt7VA17Qjpt-G_zwjHQny49Y9pUQXmuXtpq_VuXFHttOTVmDbymgqsTiV-igcFvl14Lwk/s1600/campos+hoak+bolling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUqxaw6IqYtZAnTc-7tSPQJtpm_9d8z2wV1eoEows7aYhNf7k2PpmmtCX1elYi6G542HH_xXt7VA17Qjpt-G_zwjHQny49Y9pUQXmuXtpq_VuXFHttOTVmDbymgqsTiV-igcFvl14Lwk/s320/campos+hoak+bolling.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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The PSA grades on the top two are for the cards, not the signatures. With these three and the Smith, I'm up to 138/274 (50.36 %), just over the half way mark.</div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-2919323011704679582015-09-04T14:47:00.000-07:002015-09-04T14:47:02.092-07:00Frank Smith PurchaseI purchased #116 Frank Smith a few weeks ago. For a guy who lived to be 77, he is very difficult to find. This is only the second Smith I've seen in the year-plus I've spent building the set, and on the other one the signature looks like crap. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30IsVZSGEm1KO1ONBMPa-vO3LQ2jk-cLhcZDMhXchd7dGkKsbP4M4IcQcoPKu2FWC2EZkKudVNNJmNFKWn0dh9QsAgnfm8HQcMGYgBheQjyv51uEmZVeepLOxySH39JKmcgNnO4304yU/s1600/smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30IsVZSGEm1KO1ONBMPa-vO3LQ2jk-cLhcZDMhXchd7dGkKsbP4M4IcQcoPKu2FWC2EZkKudVNNJmNFKWn0dh9QsAgnfm8HQcMGYgBheQjyv51uEmZVeepLOxySH39JKmcgNnO4304yU/s320/smith.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-1467067651091279532015-09-03T13:47:00.003-07:002015-09-03T13:47:52.724-07:00Vern Benson PurchaseI picked up #205 Vern Benson earlier this week, and it arrived today. Benson spent most of his playing career in the minors, but spent several decades in the majors as a coach and scout, and even managed the Braves for one game when Ted Turner and Bowie Kuhn were having a spat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeQK9qmh5XTx_TyHQeW9I3j1xpgsTXL8nS_LOttR5wMDqVKOTzivolDGgmi-OMUxlWE_YV178Cfij4UUt_iw87JK2AX3lFPiz3MYAVbjNyIshyphenhyphenCc1zCgxQ5RQvROlnqlfH8i0q2_RnpU/s1600/benson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeQK9qmh5XTx_TyHQeW9I3j1xpgsTXL8nS_LOttR5wMDqVKOTzivolDGgmi-OMUxlWE_YV178Cfij4UUt_iw87JK2AX3lFPiz3MYAVbjNyIshyphenhyphenCc1zCgxQ5RQvROlnqlfH8i0q2_RnpU/s320/benson.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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I'm now up to 134/274 (48.91 %). I'm headed back to school next week, so I expect my pace of acquisitions and posts to slow. I'll probably do an end-of-summer update before I leave.</div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-2687349960017157952015-08-30T16:51:00.000-07:002015-08-30T16:51:25.344-07:00Sam Mele Return, Sammy White and Rip Repulski PurchasesI've been working a crapton the last couple weeks and haven't had time to post. I have another Sam Mele return to report, this one on his 1964 Topps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8ooxpOodYgeHsY60jbhzXVo0rP1aCuaKLy17r1dXmjuMUUwrU7W6jCEALKMyVlfiDHxrIo_sROPEdSADbdsjq3ve-SzOrTfT0xcDtYhIQWXtL8IokIWdiZnn52KIdzuo7sCMSUlxDa8/s1600/mele+64T.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8ooxpOodYgeHsY60jbhzXVo0rP1aCuaKLy17r1dXmjuMUUwrU7W6jCEALKMyVlfiDHxrIo_sROPEdSADbdsjq3ve-SzOrTfT0xcDtYhIQWXtL8IokIWdiZnn52KIdzuo7sCMSUlxDa8/s320/mele+64T.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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I mailed this on July 25th, and it came back on August 3rd. The year after this card came out, he managed the Twins to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.</div>
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I won a pair of auctions for my 1953 Topps project, bringing in #139 Sammy White and #172 Rip Repulski. White was an All-Star this year, and caught Mel Parnell's no-hitter a few years later. Repulski was an All-Star in 1956 and won a World Series with the 1959 LA Dodgers. They both are not easy to find signed, so I was pleasantly surprised to get them pretty close to the opening bids.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySHm2XcJFUIsJ2CF4t8LJWzlzC0ggiqnYpdDsmD2n80YmSlsXY32hjdF-t8okL0qYaR7FG985gg3MG-LKXK78r8qv-QG0Ur5lK3znbS6gSx3l6sWJK-qdeqtUERjlebAf-dLAl6vRA4I/s1600/white+ripulski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySHm2XcJFUIsJ2CF4t8LJWzlzC0ggiqnYpdDsmD2n80YmSlsXY32hjdF-t8okL0qYaR7FG985gg3MG-LKXK78r8qv-QG0Ur5lK3znbS6gSx3l6sWJK-qdeqtUERjlebAf-dLAl6vRA4I/s320/white+ripulski.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm now up to 133/274 (48.54 %). I have a deal in the works with another Net54 member for some other cards, and hopefully they'll be here before I leave for school, on the 7th. Stay tuned...</div>
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<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-10306919798706412862015-08-16T11:15:00.001-07:002015-08-16T11:15:27.620-07:00Jim Wilson PurchaseI picked up #208 Jim Wilson last week, it's just taken a few days to get it scanned and uploaded. Wilson threw a no-hitter on June 12, 1954, against the Philadelphia Phillies. Robin Roberts was the losing pitcher in that game. He later became an executive with the Orioles, Astros and Brewers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TP_Sh9l4N_Cqq1QzbHgbspNRrCsbHEvwHiSg7Ud9ZSwyxlZ61TP_ZDqR0FVAcUXBe5OxUHShIZaYEoSRf0ynXQkc2tHAys3_oiXhwASN6a5IbvNFUspHo_tSYDrGEcs0I_ofVo1RYAg/s1600/wilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TP_Sh9l4N_Cqq1QzbHgbspNRrCsbHEvwHiSg7Ud9ZSwyxlZ61TP_ZDqR0FVAcUXBe5OxUHShIZaYEoSRf0ynXQkc2tHAys3_oiXhwASN6a5IbvNFUspHo_tSYDrGEcs0I_ofVo1RYAg/s320/wilson.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
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I have a few more purchases coming in soon, and have an auction ending on Monday, so there will be a few more additions this week.</div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-9078994923397994292015-08-10T15:21:00.000-07:002015-08-10T15:21:25.417-07:00Joe Black, George Spencer and Don Lund PurchasesOver the past week I've picked up #81 Joe Black, #115 George Spencer and from the high numbers, #277 Don Lund. Black was the 1952 N.L. Rookie of the Year, when he won 15 games and saved 15 more. He never had another good year after that due to arm troubles, but managed to hang around as a player until 1957, then for a few more years as a scout. Spencer was a member of the 1951 Giants, for who he won 10 games. Don Lund played for the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, and I remember reading somewhere that before his death he served as a consultant for the producers of <i>42</i>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-sjmwpQgFUx3_Gwdi3XQrdu0cDJ2Zwv84E6KnNhmqnOOvBYGoU5t3rzZ6cW5dxx47HbHy-e8dpp6ZLMJFJ_wV8nHQ5nUoVBCVYn2xTWpQcY5Ua8yGJ6lPTZzfnKgXXOL_jP__IF2wBU/s1600/black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-sjmwpQgFUx3_Gwdi3XQrdu0cDJ2Zwv84E6KnNhmqnOOvBYGoU5t3rzZ6cW5dxx47HbHy-e8dpp6ZLMJFJ_wV8nHQ5nUoVBCVYn2xTWpQcY5Ua8yGJ6lPTZzfnKgXXOL_jP__IF2wBU/s320/black.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqWfPpFP9sJfYlIE-2qJdJ3jmsfMIXqyZGPmd7GgO0HGkeFKLeq5Ste0yO3q45pO3iKRTYtIdxhxUgIpIkmy_tE_iuqM_KDJSCqhQmxoAS_SkJcfYcuLt3720A5E84aKicn0KwwzDiMI/s1600/spencer+lund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqWfPpFP9sJfYlIE-2qJdJ3jmsfMIXqyZGPmd7GgO0HGkeFKLeq5Ste0yO3q45pO3iKRTYtIdxhxUgIpIkmy_tE_iuqM_KDJSCqhQmxoAS_SkJcfYcuLt3720A5E84aKicn0KwwzDiMI/s320/spencer+lund.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This brings me to 130/274 (47.45 %). </div>
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<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-30539927402151871082015-08-03T16:15:00.003-07:002015-08-03T16:15:43.179-07:00Johnny Antonelli PurchaseI won this a while ago, but I'm just getting around to posting it now: #106 Johnny Antonelli. He's one of the last living members of the 1948 Boston Braves and the 1954 New York Giants. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lBzSg33I7zXvdjoeZEee2Avo1uF4OfPvm3gUIw3Y6eZzKpHO9tvYC7a8dyX2cBFcR8Zh0JAR_Ie_-v5LGlyrccO4ZynRSZ2PwGTMPKBGwNrNskJMxvokXah1EtfI9E21g2sXE_tg6M4/s1600/antonelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lBzSg33I7zXvdjoeZEee2Avo1uF4OfPvm3gUIw3Y6eZzKpHO9tvYC7a8dyX2cBFcR8Zh0JAR_Ie_-v5LGlyrccO4ZynRSZ2PwGTMPKBGwNrNskJMxvokXah1EtfI9E21g2sXE_tg6M4/s320/antonelli.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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This brings me to 127/274 (46.35 %). My goal was to reach 125 by year's end, which I have now done. I'm hesitant to set a new number goal because I'm trying to knock out the tougher cards first, and by definition those are hard to find. Reaching 50 % completion would mean getting to 137 signed cards, so I think I'll go with a new goal of 138, or 50 % +1. </div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-42871617252227953662015-07-20T19:08:00.001-07:002015-07-20T19:08:36.256-07:00Jim Hegan and Harry Simpson PurchasesI also picked up two more tough ones recently; #80 Jim Hegan and #150 Harry Simpson. Simpson died in 1979, and Hegan in 1984, so they both are pretty difficult to find. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrf26LVbAkgt2iOryaWspLLiNLhxFmWqtkM3QKFvaT0R7eRZrN8RrNTw1S8wTfoy3bk4jN1vYp-asTO_tqWEkabL6XUTpISFiKIJcsR1zDakRSmoe90NMI7xqZsiXZkTYL2MMakpC02Hk/s1600/hegan+simpson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrf26LVbAkgt2iOryaWspLLiNLhxFmWqtkM3QKFvaT0R7eRZrN8RrNTw1S8wTfoy3bk4jN1vYp-asTO_tqWEkabL6XUTpISFiKIJcsR1zDakRSmoe90NMI7xqZsiXZkTYL2MMakpC02Hk/s320/hegan+simpson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Chalk this up to 'a sign of the times' but I'm noticing that the biographies on the card backs omit references to the Negro Leagues. Case in point, Simpson's bio says that his first year in organized baseball was 1949, when that was actually his first year in the integrated minor leagues; he had gotten started professionally with the 1946 Philadelphia Stars, and played with them through 1948.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-55518385893494690862015-07-20T18:52:00.000-07:002015-07-20T18:52:10.135-07:00Bubba Church PurchaseAfter much searching, I finally found a bold signature of #47 Bubba Church. For some reason, the Church's that I've seen all were either faint or badly blurred. From the scans it looked like it was signed in fountain pen, but it's actually signed in Sharpie. A bit of a disappointment, but for the price I got I'm not complaining.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AuDeUaYUHviW_KutlMR_J10CPxXwWx2y2JiRACP-j_1Zf3PAYPCpj8QdsK-NZbdxEXIniSYEENgxAcim3fD4sqruK_Xy0B0ot-8kWjgNFR5gijrPhUZFqG4C5BYsg-L30QqhRos4jaU/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AuDeUaYUHviW_KutlMR_J10CPxXwWx2y2JiRACP-j_1Zf3PAYPCpj8QdsK-NZbdxEXIniSYEENgxAcim3fD4sqruK_Xy0B0ot-8kWjgNFR5gijrPhUZFqG4C5BYsg-L30QqhRos4jaU/s320/church.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-22135479637175324552015-07-17T09:46:00.001-07:002015-07-17T09:46:43.846-07:00Al Zarilla, Ed McGhee and Harry PerkowskiA purchase from Mickey's also arrived today: #181 Al Zarilla, #195 Ed McGhee and #236 Harry Perkowski. I've noticed that I've been able to pick up a lot of the tougher signatures cheaply due to them being personalized, recently with McGhee and McDermott, and a few months ago with Bob Hooper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl3AtMEY9YTdH9yVQdHN_Ue914sXzBVKmLicDeojsYsARIRKEz-v-kEj2cqfzExhfcAI8FULdNLEuNqH3Dp-G5Bv-r1xlbNx3H2yYEh1llLDBXjSmur3cFs0FG0RRqOAH8jmxnGQTvII/s1600/mcghee+zarilla+perkowski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl3AtMEY9YTdH9yVQdHN_Ue914sXzBVKmLicDeojsYsARIRKEz-v-kEj2cqfzExhfcAI8FULdNLEuNqH3Dp-G5Bv-r1xlbNx3H2yYEh1llLDBXjSmur3cFs0FG0RRqOAH8jmxnGQTvII/s320/mcghee+zarilla+perkowski.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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I have a couple more eBay purchases that should arrive over the next few days. I'll do an update then and see if I've reached my goal of 125 signed 1953 Topps.</div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-42043701385605684572015-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:002015-07-17T09:33:01.643-07:00Karl DrewsI picked up one of the toughest cards in the set in an auction a few days back: #59 Karl Drews. He's tough because he was hit and killed by a drunk driver in 1963, 10 years after the set came out. For some reason, all the Phillies in the set are hard to find; I have yet to see a Howie Fox, and I've only seen one each of Johnny Wyrostek, Willie Jones, Drews, Ken Heintzelman and Granville Hamner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAw9itGamPB-MHZZwTpXRcwutsnuK2Mtl9DFP7dcN9EXCeT5K7u2aBn1IWFIZtCquFGafb_HX7gzLNcbTj2wtq_DOevhMxD4b2WL-qsLM-NM1hdFCkoGiEznEKG2bPjV9Gmp1Repnr6k/s1600/drews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAw9itGamPB-MHZZwTpXRcwutsnuK2Mtl9DFP7dcN9EXCeT5K7u2aBn1IWFIZtCquFGafb_HX7gzLNcbTj2wtq_DOevhMxD4b2WL-qsLM-NM1hdFCkoGiEznEKG2bPjV9Gmp1Repnr6k/s320/drews.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057510894674992237.post-39655719747160075982015-07-09T10:21:00.002-07:002015-07-09T10:21:51.420-07:00Several Auction WinsOver the past few months there has been a collection of signed 1953 Topps that is being broken up and sold on eBay. I picked up a few of them in the spring, and added a half dozen more earlier this week. Five of them arrived today; #55 Mickey McDermott, #221 Bob Milliken, #240 Freddie Marsh, #241 Al Sima, and #256 Les Peden. For some reason none of those five come up for sale very often. I only know of one McDermott and Milliken for sale, and had never seen any of the other three outside of personal collections.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8KlAbQcNsf3-GlrgkLd2lEszuldjbUf0dQFXO78_b7llSUUpz2y4bpyy2h8wDgHcj0QK7R5VbjOkc70ArAbs1L_wtfB9hACUltiApSh8ru4LPDIsNNCoSmK_0xFkILYS1nXgQJsq-Jo/s1600/mcdermott+milliken+marsh+sima+peden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8KlAbQcNsf3-GlrgkLd2lEszuldjbUf0dQFXO78_b7llSUUpz2y4bpyy2h8wDgHcj0QK7R5VbjOkc70ArAbs1L_wtfB9hACUltiApSh8ru4LPDIsNNCoSmK_0xFkILYS1nXgQJsq-Jo/s320/mcdermott+milliken+marsh+sima+peden.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
Some of the signatures look pretty faint in the scans, but they are much bolder in person. I'm now up to 118/274 (43.07%). My goal was to get to 125 by the end of the year, which is looking very doable. If I'm lucky I may even get to 137, which is the halfway point.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13769352332641832928noreply@blogger.com0