Well, That Snuck Up On Me

My 15-year Blogoversary came and went in October, and I completely forgot about it. It was about a year or so ago that I did the calculation for the upcoming milestone, even wrote it down in a few places so I wouldn't forget. But wouldn't you know it, I forgot.

Eddie Yost, Angel #1

I started this blog on October 1, 2009 with the initial intent of going through "The Angels" all-time roster "In Order" of the players first appearance, using my Angels collection as visual candy. It wasn't too long after that that I deviated and just started showing off whatever came my way but still mostly focusing on the Angels. It went pretty strong the first ten years.

My fire went out for a little while after my son passed away in 2019, and I almost pulled the plug completely, but I came back, and since then it's been fun again and therapeutic. I think that trading on TCDB has given me, and the blog, a little new life as well.

I just want to say thank you to all my followers and readers, thank you to all those that have traded with me or sent unexpected gifts over the years, and for all the encouraging comments, you're an inspiration. So again, thanks, it all means a lot to me.

Here's to another fifteen.

Tom
angelsinorder

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

The junk mall hasn't had anything different in a while, so I just grabbed another pack of 1989 Pro Set, which by the way, will probably be the last pack I buy of Series I since they raised the price to $3.

I like the Super Bowl inserts, and it was always helpful in collecting the subset in that they were the top card you could see through the wrapper.

Always fun to pull a Brian Bosworth card which is a variation.

This one has "Seahawks" as opposed to "Seattle".

Without searching, who can name his first movie?

This Rodney Holman #60 is also a variation.

This one has "BENGALS" all caps as opposed to "Bengals".

I like this set.

I have a little less than half of it...still toying with the idea of collecting the rest.

Newly Acquired: 1959 Topps

 These are some of the 1959 Topps cards I recently acquired.

The Berra has thumbtack holes, which I kind of like seeing. It's nice to imagine the prior owner as a kid having this tacked up on the wall in his bedroom.

I made up a 9-pocket page of some of the different color combinations. 

A sheet of these is real pretty, isn't it?

This design has grown on me over the years. There are a lot of head shots, which I usually do not like, but the head shots are not so in-your-face due to the color framing and the larger-font player name on the card.

Vintage TTM Returns

 Several more returns this week for TTM autographs.

Returned in 16 days from his home in San Diego, CA.

Gene is 88 years old.

I really like the old "rookie star" Topps used to use. It's so simple.

I had gotten Gene's autograph once before on an index card sometime prior to 2004 when I began tracking my requests on SCN, and way before I had a copy of these cards for him to sign.

Returned in 15 days from his home in Tempe, AZ.

Lou is 85 years old.

I wonder why Topps went so hatless in the 1962 set. Was it to minimize the amount of airbrushing they were having to do to keep up with team changes?

Returned in 16 days from his home in Sedona, AZ.

Joe is now 90.

I knew that Joe was a long-time third base coach for the Dodgers, and I always assumed that he had a playing connection to them as well, especially since he's a Southern California guy like me. Not so, according to baseball-reference, he only played for the NY/SF Giants, the Colt 45s and the Cubs.

There was no mail on Monday due to Veterans Day (thank you fellow Veterans) and as I'm writing this on Tuesday the mailman has already come and gone, but there was nothing left in the mailbox. 

An empty mailbox always leaves me suspicious.

Scale Modeling Update

It's been about a year since my last update of my other hobby - scale modeling. Here are some of the kits I've finished in the last year.

1/72 Hasegawa, M5 High Speed Tractor with 155mm Long Tom

1/35 Peerless, 155mm Howitzer

Built for a friend who manned one in the Army in the 60's.

1/76 Airfix, Morris Tractor and 40mm Bofors Gun

1/25 Revell, '34 Ford Roadster

Built in tribute to a fellow modeler who passed away.

1/76 Airfix, AEC Matador and 5.5" Gun

1/35 Monogram, M48 Patton Tank

1/72 Heller, Republic F-84G Thunderjet

1/72 Hobby Boss, Republic F-84E Thunderjet

1/48 Arii, Scud Launcher

1/25 Revell, 1969 Chevy Nova

Another tribute build.

1/25 AMT, Ford Econoline Van

1/76 Airfix, Scammell Transporter with Matilda Tank.

Two From Pennsylvania

Two quick TCDB trades from PennsylvaniaTiger: a Tigers fan in Pennsylvania, like I'm an Angels fan in Texas.

I initiated the first trade based on getting this card:

...one that I need towards the team set.

I'm down to needing just four SPs now: Gary Matthews (black ink), Figgins, Guerrero, and the team card.

The rest of the cards in the trade were a scattering of other interests:

Michael is a reader of the blog, but didn't realize it was me until he saw that I was requesting three checklists, then he put two-and-two together. I guess I'm kinda the checklist guy.

The Nokes is there because I'm working the '87 Fleer Update set.

Michael proposed the second trade, hitting me up for more Tigers while sending a bunch of Angels my way.

Parallels, refractors, update, Nolan Ryan, lots of good stuff.

I'm most excited to get this Livan Soto autograph. I'm always happy to add to the All-Time Angels Autograph collection.

Good trades Michael, thanks!

Vintage TTM Returns

I wouldn't say I'm back at regularly sending out TTM requests after taking basically the last few years off, but I did recently send out a batch of a dozen or so requests and got the first several back.

Returned in 11 days from his home in California.

Chuck is 93.

Returned in 11 days from his home in Arizona.

Gary is almost 88.

Returned in 11 days from his home in Arizona.

Jim is 93.

Returned in 11 days from his home in Florida.

Danny is 82.

I don't ask questions of the older guys anymore, but Mr. Murphy was nice enough to also sign the back of the letter I enclosed.

One Page of Mike Easler

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

   Mike Easler LF/DH

Houston Astros (1973–1975)

California Angels (1976)

Pittsburgh Pirates (1977, 1979–1983)

Boston Red Sox (1984–1985)

New York Yankees (1986)

Philadelphia Phillies (1987)

New York Yankees (1987)

Nippon-Ham Fighters (1988–1989)

Mike included his nickname "The Hit Man" to my custom card.

Mike added that little Peanuts cartoon himself!

Correspondence received November 14, 2005 and May 3, 2011.

 

Happy Nap-oween

 Celebrating Mike Napoli's 43rd birthday today!

Y, It Probably Doesn't Exist

You might know that I'm a big collector of Special Offer, Redemption, Sweepstakes, Mail-In, Informational, Ad, etc. cards. But only for baseball. Years ago though I pulled this card below from a 1997 SkyBox Premium football pack and I was so blown away by the color and graphics that I decided I would try to collect all six cards.

That's a beauty.

The cards would spell out SKYBOX and if you got all six you could send them in for a prize.

Notice that I'm missing the "Y" as I've never been able to track one down.

Since this was a contest where you needed to collect all six letters, I have to assume that only one Y card exists, and chances are good that I will never find it to complete the set.

The winner would have gotten (or got) a complete 1997 SkyBox Autographics Football card set.

The back doesn't mention how many winners there could be for redeeming the six cards, so again, I have to assume there was only one "Y" available.

Anybody out there got the Y card?

Newly Acquired: 1958 Topps

 Here are some of the 1958 Topps I recently came into.

I'll have to get a nicer copy of this Pafko at some point, it's such a beautiful card.

It's a good pose, and not a head shot, and the colors are great.

Not a fan of the big head shot, but it is an Aaron card.

Most of the cards in the lot were Dodgers (19) and Braves (26) for some reason.

I'm going to assume that the prior owner traded for those two teams in particular.

That Bobby Richardson is a nice-looking card as well.

Completed Entry Form Set

 2000 Upper Deck - Upper Deck Collection Entry Forms

These cards (10 different) were inserted one per pack.

You could win a pretty cool piece of memorabilia.

Note that I have 2 cards each. That's because there is a variation for each card. 

One variation has Pee Wee Reese "1958 Brooklyn Dodgers Jersey" while the other has "1958 L A Dodgers Jersey" in the side bar, and also as the photo label on the specific Reese jersey card:

If it's the '58 jersey to win, then the Los Angeles card is the correct one since 1958 was the Dodgers first year in California.

Interesting that the hologram is situated to match the horizontal front and not the vertical back.

Anyone remember entering this contest?