Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Repack Haiku #308 (Jeff Musselman)

His daughter Maddie
Has twice won Olympic gold
In water polo
 
1989 Donruss #656 Jeff Musselman

 

Monday, May 29, 2023

TCDB Trade: A Relic Card From Alexandria, VA

Happy Memorial Day!
 
Last year I bought a pack of Upper Deck hockey cards  on a whim. I don't know why, I guess I had that pack opening itch. Anyway, the pack yielded nothing of interest to me, so I put them up on my TCDB trade list. There they stayed until a member named Rob proposed a trade for the insert from the pack.
 
In return, I got this relic card from the 2005 Topps Turkey Red set:
 
 
Regardless of his controversial personality, Schilling belongs in the Hall of Fame. He was a great pitcher who shined in the postseason. Maybe someday this will be the second Hall of Famer's relic I own (David Ortiz is so far the first and only!)

Thanks again for the trade Rob!

Friday, May 26, 2023

Trapped In Time: Remnants Of The 35th Trade


 
This month's remnant cards represent a bittersweet moment in the history of the project. With the 30th Time Travel Update, I announced that I was creatively tapped out from doing the little stories that had opened up previous showcases. As much fun as I had writing those little snippets of fantasy, I hit the proverbial writer's block and just couldn't do it anymore. That was three years ago, and to be honest I've had no desire to try and start them up again. With all the trades I get each month, it would just be too much.
 
It's time to look at the one trade from that update:
 
Trade #35 (Bo: Baseball Cards Come to Life)
Traded 05/07/19: 1960 Topps #118 Bob Bruce (RC,RS), 1963 Fleer #47 Roger Craig, 1964 Topps #76 Checklist 1st Series, 1968 Topps #209 Tim Cullen (ASR), 1968 Topps #222 Jim Hardin (RC), 1969 Topps #412 Checklist 426-512 (Mantle), 1970 Topps #509 Montreal Expos (TC), 1971 Topps #626 Freddie Patek,  1972 Topps #52 Harmon Killebrew (IA), 1998 SP Top Prospects #119 James Manias, 2017 Bowman #15 Buster Posey

Received 05/11/19:
  • 1998 Score #18 Rickey Henderson (See Trade #36)
  • 1998 Score #60 Carlos Delgado (See Trade #40)
  • 1998 Score #68 Scott Rolen (See Trade #142)
  • 1998 Score #74 Mark McLemore (See Trade #103)
  • 1992 Fleer Ultra #594 Dave Righetti (See Trade #97)
  • 1991 Upper Deck #778 Dave Righetti (See Trade #140)
  • 1980 Topps #2 Willie McCovey (HL) (See Trade #51)
  • 1980 Topps #605 Terry Forster (See Trade #57)  
  • 1979 Topps #25 Steve Carlton (See Trade #117)
  • 1978 Topps #424 Boston Red Sox (TC) (See Trade #160)
  • 1976 Topps #70 Roy Smalley/Roy Smalley Jr. (FS) (See Trade #146)
  • 1976 Topps #118 Boston Red Sox (TC) (See Trade #47)
  • 1976 Topps #230 Carl Yastrzemski (See Trade #36)
  • 1975 Topps #220 Don Sutton (See Trade #39)
  • 1973 Topps #230 Joe Morgan (See Trade #81)
  • 1965 Topps #27 Dick Bertell
  • 1965 Topps #86 Les Narum (See Trade #158)
  • 1965 Topps #87 Nelson Mathews (See Trade #124)
  • 1965 Topps #108 Don Mincher
  • 1965 Topps #111 Lee Thomas
  • 1965 Topps #178 Dalton Jones (See Trade #158)
  • 1965 Topps #239 Doc Edwards (See Trade #42)
  • 1965 Topps #307 Barry Latman (See Trade #191)
  • 1961 Topps #399 Cliff Cook (RC)
  • 1960 Topps #548 Don Mincher (RC) (See Trade #45)
  • 1959 Topps #298 Tex Clevenger (See Trade #85)
I remember this trade with Bo (Baseball Cards Come To Life), mainly because I couldn't believe that I was actually trading away a vintage Mickey Mantle card (granted it's a checklist, but still!) As usual, Bo sends a fantastic return, filled with Hall of Fame players and vintage galore. Surprisingly, a whopping four cards never got claimed.
 

The 1965 set in particular is one of the most popular and well-loved sets from the 60's, so I'm particularly surprised those never got claimed. Fine by me, if no one trades for them by next month, I'll gladly add them to my personal collection. He may be hat-less, but Lee Thomas would fill a Red Sox need!
 
Last chance for any of the above four cards! 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Repack Haiku #307 (Mark McGwire)

Despite admission,
Claimed he'd still launch seventy
Without steroid help
 
1990 Donruss #185 Mark McGwire
 
We'll probably never know how much of an effect steroid use had on any player's performance. Maybe McGwire is right - like he said, he was already a proficient power hitter. He didn't need to take steroids, but the truth is he did and we'll never know for sure how much was him and how much wasn't.

Monday, May 22, 2023

Time Travel Trading Update #77

 
Welcome once again to this month's edition of "The Side Project Collection That Is Slowly Taking Over All The Time I Used To Spend On My Real Collction". Okay, not really. Maybe just a little. The Time travel Project just keeps growing and growing! With these featured cards, the collection has reached 750 cards. I started with a small box to keep them all in, and recently had to move them to something bigger. I can't help but wonder if I'll ever reach a limit where it becomes too much. Don't worry, I'm no where near that limit yet. 

On to the trades!
 
Trade #1 comes from A.J. (formerly of The Lost Collector). In addition to baseball, the hockey and basketball portions of the trade stack get a nice little boost:


Up next, we have the first of two from Greg (Night Owl Cards). Greg picked up a trio of 80's cards, including one for his near complete 1988 Donruss set. In return, I get three B's - Brye, Braun, and a Big hitter!


Chris (The Collector) chimes in with his latest Time Travel Trade! He hits all four major sports in this one:

The largest trade of the month come from none other than Bo (Baseball Cards Come To Life!). Of special note, this is the 40th Time Travel Trade Bo and I have completed! If you've done a Time Travel Trade, there's a sizable chance you have a card Bo initially sent me.
 
This time around, Bo sends a handful of 1997 Fleer:

Along with some football and wood grained bordered cards!

Jeff (Wax Pack Wonders)always sends some interesting cards, and this past trade was no different. Cards featuring Hall of Fame players are always welcome, even if they are on more "modern" cards, and a selection of Pacific Legends help round things out!

New Trade Partner alert! I made a trade through the TCDB with a guy named Walter. It was a small two card trade, but I got two great looking cards out of it!


We wrap things up with our second trade with Greg (Night Owl Cards).  Another trio of cards (one of which wasn't an 80's card!) goes to NY, with three great cards coming back to me:

Thanks again to all of my wonderful trade partners! You guys keep this project fun! 

Random thing I noticed while writing this post: There are three Athletics cards featured - one from their Philadelphia days (Roger Cramer), one from Kansas City (Bill Renna), and one from Oakland (the recently departed Vida Blue). I wonder when we'll get our first Las Vegas one?

As always, these cards are all available in exchange for an older card. You can claim your cards below, or through the TCDB (Kep75). Let's make some trades!

The Time Travel Trade Stack:

2022-23 Upper Deck (hockey)
#15 Brad Marchand
 
2022 Topps Opening Day - Opening Day Autographs
#ODA-LWJ LaMonte Wade Jr. (AU)   
 
2020-21 Panini Mosaic (basketball)
#175 Stephen Curry
 
2020 Leaf Draft - Gold (football)
#66 CeeDee Lamb (AA)
#77 Collin Johnson (TD)  
 
2019 Topps Update - Perennial All-Stars
#PAS-21 Mel Ott 

2018 Topps Chrome Update
#HMT12 Isiah Kiner-Falefa (RC)

2017-18 Donruss (basketball)
#75 Chandler Parsons
 
2017 Topps - MLB Award Winners
 
2017 Topps - Untouchables
#U-29 Whitey Ford
 
2016 Panini Diamond Kings
#84 Josh Donaldson
 
2015-16 Donruss (basketball)
#49 John Wall

 
2010-11 Score (hockey)
 
  
2010 Bowman - Prospects Black
#BP51 Chase D'Arnaud
#BP56 Rolando Gomez

2010 Bowman Platinum - Prospects
#PP38 Brian Johnson     
 
2010 Topps Chrome (football)
#C141 T.J. Houshmandzadeh
 
2010 Topps Magic (football)
#104 Brandon Jacobs 
 
2009 Bowman - Chrome WBC Prospects
#BCW18 Tao Bu      
 
2009 Topps Updates & Highlights - Legends Of The Game
#LGU23 Rogers Hornsby

2007 Playoff Prestige (football) 
 
2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia
#44 Shawn Green
 
2004 Fleer Legacy
#15 Chipper Jones
 
2004 Just Rookies - 05 Preview Autographs
 
2002 Fleer Maximum
 
2002 Upper Deck World Series Heroes
#88 Andy Petitte
 
2001 Topps Archives
#17 Warren Spahn
#20 Gaylord Perry
#38 Ron Santo
 
 
1999-00 Topps (basketball)
#12 Juwan Howard
#16 Eric William 
 
1999 SkyBox Metal Universe (football)
#116 Tiki Barber
 
1999 Stadium Club
#214 Tony Saunders 
 
1998 Pinnacle Performers
#14 Hideo Nomo
 
1997 Collector's Choice
#215 Glenallen Hill  
 
1997 Fleer
#83 Jose Mesa (AS)
#84 Charles Nagy (AS)
#88 Kevin Seitzer
#91 Jose Vizcaino
#94 Kimera Bartee
#265 Greg McMichael (WS)
#281 Jaime Navarro
#283 Scott Servais
#289 Turk Wendell
#304 Pete Schourek
#312 Quinton McCracken
#317 Kevin Ritz
#325 Kevin Brown (AS, LL)
#328 Jeff Conine
#331 Al Leiter (AS)
#340 Derek Bell
 
1997 Pinnacle Inside
#111 Matt Williams

1997 Pinnacle X-Press
#64 Craig Biggio   
 
1997 Upper Deck
#13 Mark Lemke
 
1996-97 SPx (hockey)
#16 Chris Osgood 

1996 Leaf
 
1996 SP
 
 
1995 Finest (football)
#124 Trent Dilfer     
 
1995 Skybox Jumanji (non-sport)
#31 Help Us Finish
 
1994-95 Finest (basketball)
#43 Rex Chapman 
 
 
1994 Score
#13 Robin Yount
#384 Ozzie Smith 
 
 
1994 Topps Archives 1954
 
1993 Leaf
 
1993 Redstone Dinosaurs Mesozoic Era (non-sport)
#40 Daspletosaurus 
 
1993-94 Ultra - Inside Outside (basketball)
#5 Dan Majerle 

1992-93 Stadium Club (basketball)
#367 Scottie Pippen
 
 
1992 Front Row Draft Picks
#46 Ed Christian   
 
1992 Leaf - Gold Rookies
#BC-10 David Nied
 
1992 Pinnacle
 
1992 Post Cereal
 
1992 Upper Deck
#723 Sammy Sosa 
 
1991 Post Cereal
 
1991 Score

1991 U.S. Playing Card Co.
#2Spades Eddie Murray
 
1991 Fleer (football)
 
1991 Pro Set (football)
 
1991 Pro Set Platinum (football)
#81 Lawrence Taylor
 
 
1991 Topps Desert Storm (non-sport)
#147 Working Together  
 
1990-91 Pro Set Super Bowl XXV Silver Anniversary (football)
#88 Nick Buoniconti
 

1990 Fleer

1990 Post Cereal
#22 Pedro Guerrero 
 
 
1990 Score (football)
#436 Chet Brooks (RC)
 
1990 Topps Traded (football)
#102T Howard Cross (RC)
 
1989-92 Racing Champions Stock Car (racing)
 
1989-90 Fleer (basketball)
 
1989 Fleer
#299 Roberto Alomar    
 
1989 Pacific Legends II
#181 Doc Cramer
#187 Elmer Valo
#205 Mel Harder
 
 
1988 Card Collectors T-206 Reprint
#NNO Matty McIntyre
 
1988 Donruss 
 
1988 Pacific Legends I
#66 Jerry Koosman
#78 Bob Friend
 
 
1988 Topps Toys "R" Us Rookies
#30 Terry Steinbach  
 
1988 Topps Traded

1987 O-Pee-Chee
#28 Rick Dempsey
#260 Vida Blue
#371 Dave Schmidt
 
 
1986 Donruss
 
1986 Fleer
#117 Andre Robertson
 
1986 Fleer Baseball's Best Sluggers vs. Pitchers
 
1986 O-Pee-Chee
#58 Leon Durham 
 
 
1985 Topps
#497 Gary Pettis  
 
1985 Topps Drake's Big Hitters
#18 Gary Matthews
 
1984 Donruss

1984 Fleer
 
1984 O-Pee-Chee 
 
 

1983 Topps Drake's Big Hitters
#14 Dave Kingman
 
1982-85 Galasso Baseball Hobby Card Report T-206 Reprints
 
1982 Dover Publications Reprints National League
#15 Robin Roberts 
 
1982 Topps
#101 Mike Schmidt (IA) 
 
1982 Topps (football) 
 
1981-82 Topps (hockey)
#51 Dale McCourt (TL)
 
1981 Donruss  
 
1981 Fleer
#427 Steve Braun

1981 Topps
 
1981 Topps (football)
 
1980 Topps 
#65 Al Bumbry
 
#191 Mario Clark
#199 Louie Giammona (RC)
#212 Bill Thompson
 

1979 Topps 
#350 Garry Templeton
 
1979 Topps (football)
#12 Bernard Jackson

1978-79 Topps (basketball)
#118 Kevin Porter 

1978 Topps  
#21 Steve Kemp
#673 Steve Brye
 
 
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee (hockey)
#252 Nelson Pyatt

1977-78 Topps - Glossy Inserts (Rounded Corners) (hockey)
 
1977-78 Topps - White Backs (basketball)
#78 Richard Washington (RC) 
 
1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints
#10 Lefty O'Doul
#18 Jimmie Dykes
#99 Hal Chase
#NNO Melvin Harder
#NNO Fred Merkle
 
1977 Topps
 
1977 Topps (football)
 
1976 Funky Sales Corp Funky Facts Baseball
#2 In A Trance
#3 Fans Vs Players
#5 Baseballeese
 
1976 SSPC
#7 Elias Sosa 

1976 Topps

1976 Topps (football)
#74 Bryant Salter

1975 Topps
 
 
1974 Topps  
#84 Rick Wise
 
1974 Topps - Traded
#43T Jim Wynn
 

1973 Topps
#32 Fred Norman
 
1972 Topps  
 
1972 Topps (football)
#52 Bobby Maples
#154 Bob Anderson 
 
1971 Topps
 
1971 Topps (football)
#8 Walt Garrison (RC)
 
1970 Topps
#2 Diego Segui
#287 Fred Talbot   #390 Willie Davis    
 
1970 Topps (football) 
 
1969 Globe Imports Playing Cards Gas Station Issue
#8Hearts Jim Wynn
 
 
1969 Topps - Four-in-One Singles (football)
#NNO Ralph Baker
#NNO John Bramlett
#NNO Billy Martin
#NNO Bob Talamini 
 
1968 Topps
#292 Art Shamsky  
#449 Gene Oliver

1967 Topps
 
#149 Wayne Schurr

1964 Topps 
 
1963 Topps
#227 Jim Grant

1962 Topps
1961 Topps
 
1960 Topps
 
1960 Topps (football)
#28 Jim Ray Smith 

1959 Topps
 
1958 JCM 30a Doyusha Team Name Back (solid front w/o borders)
 
1958 Topps (football)
#3 Joe Schmidt 

1957 Topps
 
1956 Topps (football)
#42 Tom Fears
#51 Ted Marchibroda
 
1955 Bowman
 
1955 Topps
#121 Bill Renna
 
1955 Bowman (football)
#9 Don Stonesifer

1955 Topps All-American (football)
#46 Arnie Lassman
 
1954 Topps
#215 Ed McGhee

1954 Bowman Power For Peace (non-sport)
#91 USS Coral Sea (CVB43)

1953 Topps
 
 
1939 Wills's Garden Flowers by Richard Sudell (non-sport)
#46 Sweet Sultan 

1938 Church & Dwight Useful Birds Of America Tenth Series (J9-6) (non-sport)
#2 Black-throated Green Warbler
 
1938 Churchman's Boxing Personalities (boxing)
#45 Ted Broadribb
#48 Arthur J. Elvin 

1937-38  Diamond Matchbooks Tan 6 (hockey)
#NNO Glenn Brydson
 
1935 Church & Dwight Useful Birds of America Eighth Series (J9-4) (non-sport)
#10 California Jay

1933 Church & Dwight Useful Birds of America Fifth Series (J9-1) (non-sport)
#5 Indigo Bunting 
 
1925 Sports Records (multi-sport)
 
1924 Imperial Tobacco Co. of Canada (ITC) Dogs Series (non-sport)
#4 Otter-Hound

1922 Church & Dwight Useful Birds Of America Third Series (J7) (non-sport)
#7 Prothonotary Warbler

1915 Church & Dwight Useful Birds Of America First Series (J5) (non-sport)
#1 Quail
 
1910 Champions (T218) (multi-sport)
 
1890 N245 Sweet Caporal Actors & Actresses (non-sport)
#NNO Frankie Raymond

The Time Travel Trading Project is simple in concept. I started out with a random pack of 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards. My aim was to trade every card in that pack for something older. Each card I receive in turn is then made available for trade, with the goal to get the oldest card I can get.

Number of trades completed: 252
Unique trading partners: 71

Number of cards mailed out: 1,330
Year of oldest card mailed out: 1910-11

Number of cards received: 1,981
Year of oldest card received: 1890