My First Strip Card and Some Other Feller

Over the past few months I've greatly enjoyed reading the articles at PreWar Cards.   Anson, the genius behind the site, is a machine, cranking out stories with solid research, flooding twitter and other social media outlets.  He's a font of knowledge and generous.  I was lucky enough to win one of his giveaways.  It was for the Exhibit card below, special tape over the face variation.  Specifically it is one of the variations in the W462 Exhibits Salutations set.

1939-46 W462 Salutation Exhibit set
Bob Feller (pitching)

I've got a 1948 Exhibit Baseball's Great Hall of Fame and a 1936 Goudey Wide Pen, both of Mickey Cochrane.  This Feller is sort of a cross between them.

I begged and pleaded for Anson to consider selling me a banged up strip card, as he mentioned that he had recently purchased a few.  I'm trying to flesh out my type card collection.  Not one from each set ever made, but one from the major types of cards (tobacco, caramel/chocolate/candy. exhibit, etc).  In my mind I keep changing what I'm trying to do.  A card from each decade.  Then a card from each half decade.  A card from each 'classic' set.  I'm not terribly picky about condition or player.

I finally wore him down and he sent along this, my first strip card, part of the W513 set.

1928 W513 Famous People Strip Card Set
George Harper - # 85

This card was cut cleanly on the right side and looks like it was torn away on the left and bottom.  I am drawn to the clean pen work making up the face, the shadow down the throat.  The red is striking in person.

Thanks, Anson. 

If you're not reading PreWar Cards on a regular basis, you're denying yourself of knowledge. 

Two cards for Christmas

Brian, from the Play at the Plate blog, offered to send out Christmas cards to those that wanted them.

I took him up on it, as most of the cards we get at the house are from family, and friends of family.  Nothing wrong with that.  I just wanted some fresh Christmas cheer.

The card was shiny and the write up was spot on.

It was even signed.  Not a numbered card, but I can live with that.

Inside that card was a "Purely Random Vintage" card.

1955 Bowman
Chico Carrasquel (card # 173)

Best two cards I got for Christmas.  I'm thankful for bloggers like Brian who share their cards and their faith.

Thank you.

Finding what makes me happy

I haven't purchased a new pack of cards in many, many months. I've been slowing adding to my 1971 Topps (Series 1) pursuit.  After the December holidays I found that I had some left over jingle in my pocket.  To ebay I went.

For less than what I would have spent on a new pack of cards (less than $5 delivered) I picked up an R318 Dodger.  Apparently he'd been moonlighting as Paul M. Longacre, but who am I to quibble?

This is my second R318.  The first one came to me as a prize from Spike several years ago.  I scanned it and then put it in a secret hiding place for protection.  So secret that I've forgotten where it is.

1934 Batter-Up (R318)
Tony Cuccinello (card # 79)

Let's see, what else makes me happy?  Doing baseball research.  I have a few other blogs that I also ignore from time to time.

I've been looking at the University of Tennessee Record Book at Old Knoxville Base Ball.  And just random baseball stuff at Baseball Nuggets.

I'm probably going to pick up a few more Tony Cuccinello cards.  I guess putting together a checklist for him would make me happy.

#WalletCard

So, it seems that the #WalletCard is all the rage these days.  I was flapping my way through the twitter late last night and I stumbled across Night Owl's tweet about his WalletCard.  I thought to myself: "Hmmm.  That sounds like a mash-up of what I did sometime back."

I looked back at Greg's blog and found his post about it.  He gave me a bit of a shout out (although he got the name of my blog wrong.  I think that it is now officially called "Mark's Only Gonna Blog When He's In Danger Of Rolling Off The Sports Card Blogroll".).

Greg says that the current fad is a variation on my experiment.  That's carrying around a bunch of cards.  Another correction for Greg.  I carry the cards around in the left front pocket of my jeans/slacks.  He said that it was my shirt pocket.  I can see where he made that assumption (based on my post), but no self respecting school aged boy is going to wear a shirt with a pocket.  My bad for not being clear about which pocket.

I'd also add the mix of WalletCard - the photos.  Five years ago I took Cy Seymour out and about.  Please note that I'm not claiming to be the father of the WalletCard phenomenon.  I just needed a post for January.

Update on the "What if" question.  I'm still carrying the cards around, all through the holidays.  Maybe they'll be my WalletCard.  Without the wallet.  And there are multiples.  But I've never been one to play by the rules.  WalletCards?  PocketCards?  PantsCards?  I'll just go with WalletCard.

John Marzano peeking out from under the sombrero
#WalletCard

On to other things.  You know.  Something where I can share some photos of semi serious cards.  When one's birthday and Christmas are just a week apart one can get cash because nobody know what to get one.  I'm a winner.

So, after some thought I headed to ebay.

1909-10 Murad T51
College Series 26-50
The University of Tennessee - Polo

As far as I know UT did not have a polo club.  I haven't checked, but I will.


From a different seller I snagged this card that I wrote about wanting just 11 months ago.  I think that this is the earliest card of a Knoxville Smokie ball player.

1933 Goudey
Walter French (card # 177)

Both came in at reasonable prices.  I still have some more jingle in my pocket.  Well, it is muffled by the WalletCard I carry there.  I'm back off to ebay.  Who knows what I'll find.  Anyone want to guess?

Returning to the Night Owl.  It still give me a lift to have my blog/name mentioned on another blog.  Thanks, Greg.

Falling In Love Again

I'm starting to love baseball cards again. I don't know that I ever fell out of love with them, but they haven't really been lighting my fire, if you know what I mean. I even snuck a peek at CardMingle.com to see if I could find a better match.

Nope. In my quest to gather type cards, I thought I'd pick one up from each decade. I didn't have one from the 1920s. Now I do. May I present Mr. Clifton Earl Heathcote.

1922 E120 American Caramel Co.
Clif Heathcote (90)

He won my heart and I won the auction.  A bit of surface wear and corner rounding, but I bet you'd have some, too, if you were 92 years old.  Two names from the back jump out at me.  Rogers Hornsby and Branch Rickey.  How would you like to have played with Rogers and played for Branch?  Sorry.  Mr. Rickey.

Not knowing much about Clif Heathcote, I looked him up at Baseball-Reference.com.  18 seasons in the majors, starting with the Cardinals, then moving to the Cubs, the Reds and finishing with the Phillies.

He got his first major league hit in his second major league game.  The Cardinals were visiting the Brooklyn Robins on June 5, 1918.  Leon Cadore gave up just four hits that day.  Clif's was one of them.  The Cardinals lost, 2-0.

His last game in the majors was on September 24, 1932, where he pinch batted in the 5th inning.  He didn't connect.

His last hit was on September 16, 1932, where he pinch hit for Ed Holley in the 9th and got a double off of Cub's pitcher Bud Tinning.  The Phillies lost that game 3-2.

The card set?  It was assigned E120 in the American Card Catalog.  According to the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards:

One of the most popular sets of the 1920s candy cards, the 1922 E120s were produced by the American Caramel Co. and distributed with sticks of caramel candy.  The unnumbered cards measure 2" x 3-1/2".  Cards depicting players from the American League are printed in brown ink on thin cream cardboard; National Leaguers are printed in green on blue-green stock. Backs carry team checklists.  Many of the E120 photos were used in other sets of the era.  A pair of 11-1/2" x 10-1/2" albums, holding 120 each and stamped American or National League were also issued.

So, happy Valentine's Day.  Fall in love with your cards again.  You'll be glad you did.