One Page of Steve Barber

This series will highlight "one page" at a time from my binder of correspondence and autographs from former Angels and Patriots players and personnel.

   Steve Barber LHP California Angels 1972-1973

Steve Barber passed away February 4, 2007 (aged 68).

Correspondance received sometime prior to 2005.

The Clock That Keeps On Ticking

The other day I posted my Allen & Ginter Crack the Code info card set. Shortly thereafter, Topps Cards That Never Were pointed out that were variations in the clock in the background of the 2011 card. 

That was the first I had ever heard that, so being the completist that I am, realized that I need to find out what these cards were and then go about getting them for the set.

I went through my dupes and was able to pull two additional cards with different times on the clocks.

I had to use my magifier to see them, but at first I tough the times were 5:41, 8:45, 9:40. Jeremy then sent a link to a code cracker blog that explained that there were 10 different times, and that the times were used to "crack the code". The blog also pointed that the clock is in a mirror, so the image is backwards. That meant the cards I have are actually 2:21, 3:15 and 6:13 (it took several minutes for my brain to compute the backwards times).

Now I just need to find the seven other clock cards that show 1:14, 1:19, 3:14, 4:00, 7:27, and 9:42.

Who knew?

Keeping Up With Code Cracking

I received this card recently in a package from Remember The Astrodome (more on those other cards later):

2020 Allen & Ginter Crack the Code Info Card

I was glad to get this card because I collect info cards, and I had been keeping up with the A&G's pretty consistently, or so I thought. I don't buy much A&G so all of the cards I have have come via trade. The issue came when I went to put this card in the binder with the other A&G code cards. It was then that I saw that I had 2008 (the first year for these) thru 2015, but was missing 2016-2019. I thought that was odd that I would be missing so many.

A quick bit of research however, revealed that A&G didn't do the contest for those missing years, hence, no info cards. Realizing that meant that I have indeed been keeping up and so far have the complete set of these.

Its a cool, quirky little side set that I've enjoyed assembling.

I've seen a few of these signed by the guys that "cracked the code" and got featured on a card, and that's cool, but I wont try to get any signed. I also have never tried to "crack the code". I'm curious though:

Have any of you tried to Crack the Code?

I Love Discovering Rediscover Topps

 These came from Night Owl.

I love these inserts. I've said before that I think its one of the greatest Topps gimmicks ever. How awesome would it be to chase team sets of these? Awesome, but I think nearly impossible. And that would be extremely frustrating. So in the mean time, I'll gladly accept, and love, any that come my way.

2002 Topps Gallery Auction Topps Bucks

At first I thought that this card was one in a small subset of game cards. It appears that it's the only one in the subset. Too bad, would have a made a sweet little set of different ballplayers faces on paper money.

Two more for the #444 set.

And all the rest.

After I add the Ohtani to my Angels binder, 2020 Topps Scratch-Offs might be a nice set to add to my game card sets wantlist. I'm considering it.

Love the new business card.

The Details are Microscopic

I picked out a couple cards from Cards on Cards Free Cards Friday recently, but the third card Kerry included in the PWE baffled me for a few seconds. Here are the cards I picked out:

A 1992 Bowman Phil Nevin Team USA card. I like Team USA cards, that's why I picked it (and Nevin played for the Angels in 1998). I also picked out a 2020 Topps Pro Debut Contest card (still unused according to Kerry) that could (if I decide to use it) win me a chance to be an Iron Pig for the day. Still undecided on using it. I picked it out because I love contest cards.

The dilema was when I saw this third card sandwiched between the above two cards:

Why would Kerry send me a super common 1987 Urbano Lugo card?

But then it occurred to me, "Wasn't there a variation with this card?"

A quick thumb through my SCBC and I spotted the variation:

See that tiny TM to upper right of the Angels logo, that's on the regular card. Kerry sent me the "no trademark on front" variation. Sweet! I had this listed in my Angels Wantlist but had completely forgotten that I needed it, so thanks for cheking out my list Kerry!

Sometimes the details are indeed microscopic.