Christmas in March

Last week I received a Christmas card from Angus (Dawg Day Cards), postmarked March 14.

I guess he's running a little late this year, but in reality, it's never too late to send a Christmas card.

When I opened it up, out fell a couple baseball cards, and after I read the warm greeting, was very pleased to see some O-Pee-Chee stuff.

1978 OPC #233

I've seen the "NOW WITH" on cards before, but I don't think I've seen one with "AS OF...." before. Or at least I never really noticed it. Cool card regardless.

He also sent this 1986 OPC Tattoos with Angels Brian Downing

Only, it was the whole sheet he had sent:

And was too long to fit on my scanner (Bill Buckner not shown)

I love opening envelopes, but I especially love opening envelopes with baseball cards inside!

Thanks Angus, and Merry Christmas (in March)!

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

Ripping a random pack of junk wax from the local junk mall.

Pack of 15 cards with no inserts.

Randy Johnson rookie, nice pull.

Fred McGriff, always good.

Julio Franco: I recently saw a clip of his final grand slam.

And a lovely Topps Company Store card.

One Page Of Jerry Coleman

 This series highlights "one page" at a time from my binder of correspondence and autographs from former players and personnel.

   Jerry Coleman

New York Yankees (1949-1957)

Angels Connection: California Angels Broadcaster (1970-1971)

"My fondest memory was the last game of the 1949 season - Yanks against Boston - Final score Yanks 5 Boston 3 and the American League Pennant went to N.Y."

Marine Corps Combat Pilot in WWII and Korea.

All-Star (1950)

4× World Series champion (1949–1951, 1956)

Ford C. Frick Award (2005)

Correspondence received February 2004.

Coleman passed away on January 5, 2014, at the age of 89.

Completed Set - 2010 Topps Million Card Giveaway

The last card needed to complete this insert set came from a TCDB trade with Nippy Jones.

This 30-card insert set was distributed in 1:6 packs.

The player cards depicted would be really nice to have in a personal collection.

The backs are all the same, each with different code however, that allowed you to win a random (?) Topps card, and not necessarily the one pictured.

For fun, if I could choose any original card of the ones depicted, I'd pick this one:

How about you?

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

Ripping a random pack of junk wax from the local junk mall.

Whoever originally bought this pack bought it from a military base exchange (AAFES). I'm very familiar with these price stickers from my time spent in the Air Force.

Pack of 15 with no inserts to pull.

There's Smiley again. Just showed his XRC card in the 1987 Topps Traded set I completed.

Angels hot pack!

Not much more to say about it.

Still looking for a couple of the "Cards Not Included" arrow variations of this card.

Unboxing The Angels

I had been enjoying following Padrographs 21 days of unboxing blasters he had received for Christmas (every card collectors dream) when near the end I received a message from Rod asking for my address, he had some Angels to send me. I was excited to say the least and looking forward to a PWE coming in the mail. Well, more than a PWE came, and out of the fat Priority Mail envelope came four 9-pocket pages full of cards.

Thats not nine cards per page there, more like 27-36 cards per page! I'm assuming he sent me just about all the Angels he had pulled in the 21 days. So nice, and most of which I needed. I selected some of my favorites to show.

2023 Bowman Scouts Top 100 #BTP-89

Looking forward to this young guy this season.

2023 Bowman Platinum base and Ice Foil parallel.

And my new favorite second only to Trout.

2023 Topps Chrome Pink Refractor.

I love the pink refractors.

2023 Topps Flagship Collection Companion to Oversize Cards CTCSP-1

That's a mouthful, but a very awesome card.

2024 Topps Holiday Parallel

Took me a while to figure out what this was, but again, a really cool card.

2023 Topps Update All Aces

2020 Topps Holiday Garland Variation HW123

You have to look close to see that garland.

2021 Topps 1952 Topps Redux Chrome TC52-43

Chrome cards have come a long way from when they used to be dark and hard to see.

Rod posted a picture of a Topps Update Target Big Box that included what looked like an oversized foil wrapper for the oversized card included in the box. I asked if the wrapper was available, and he sent it. Only it turned out to be a photo of a foil pack, on thin cardstock. Very cool either way, and still a sweet Trout collectible.

Blessed and thankful Rod.

One Page Of Ransom Jackson

This series highlights "one page" at a time from my binder of correspondence and autographs from former players and personnel.

   Ransom "Randy" Jackson

Chicago Cubs (1950–1955)

Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1956–1958)

Cleveland Indians (1958–1959)

Chicago Cubs (1959)

Angels Connection: PCL Los Angeles Angels (1949)

Custom card I made from a signed IC.

2× All-Star (1954, 1955)

Correspondence received circa 2004.

Jackson passed away on March 20, 2019, at the age of 93.

Completed Set - 1987 Topps Traded

I recently finished this set by adding the last two cards I needed through a TCDB trade with jsteved.

From back when it was still called "Traded" and they still had XRCs (do they do XRC any more?)

Nice 132-card set, no notable cards really, there are a few minor stars rookie cards like Matt Williams and Ellis Burks. Below is a selection of some of the cards I like in the set.

In his 16th season, this veteran deserved to take a knee for the photo shoot.

Only a coincidence that it's another A's player, Jackson returned to the A's for the '87 season and here he is revisiting Anaheim where he spent the previous five seasons.

How can you NOT like a Fred McGriff Blue Jays card.

Fringe "Someday PC" guy.

Always makes me laugh when he's not.

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

Ripping a random pack of junk wax from the local junk mall.

Pack of 17 cards with no inserts.

Garvey has been in the political news lately.

And Jay Howell gets the gum stain (and a pretty nice one at that).