Battle of the Sexes

The Emma Stone, Steve Carrell film, Battle of the Sexes opens today.  Here's a trailer:

I was a teen in 1973 and a tennis fan.  I learned to play on these cement courts in Chicago.  The only change to the courts is that they weren't colored back then.  I'm pretty sure the fencing and gates are unchanged.  Many years later I played here with my wife.  In fact my parents took me to this park when I was a baby and we used to feed bread to the ducks here when I was a child.    But I digress.

I can't say exactly when I bought this book but it was probably around the time of the match.  It was released after Riggs beat Margaret Court but before the Billie Jean King match.

I suppose I watched the Riggs-Court match but I definitely remember watching the Battle of the Sexes.

Riggs vs Court


King vs Riggs

I picked up these two autographed 8"x10"s  maybe five years ago or so.   Can't recall what I paid but it couldn't have been too much.  Probably a good time to sell but I'm holding on to them.

Fan Pack Fun 2017 -- Houston Astros

It wasn't long ago when the Houston Astros were losing 100 games every year.  It wasn't even long ago that they were a National League team.  This year they have a good chance to win 100 games.

Here's the fan pack I received from the team in June.  As is my way I just opened it a few minutes ago.

It's always fun to open your mailbox and see the logo of a baseball team.

Pocket schedule featuring Dallas Keuchel

4" sticker - I love the classic logo.

4" x 6" Postcard of an excited George Springer

Good luck Astros.  Here's something.  If the Astros win the AL Pennant they could end up facing the Cubs.  I assume that would make them the only team other than the Yankees to have faced two different teams from the same city in World Series play.  Also the only team to win both AL and NL Pennants. Tell me if I'm wrong.

Do I Need Meds or What?

It's been a long time since I've looked at my pack stash all together.  Usually it's in boxes and on shelves.  It looks a lot less insane that way.  All of the loose packs fit in just a couple of flat rate boxes.  A good number of the blasters and some of the lose packs were post-Christmas purchases this past winter from an eBay seller who had free shipping and were won for generally half price or less.  Since then I don't think I've added more than 8-10 packs (insert sarcastic comment).  In fact, other than the aforementioned splurge earlier this year, I've been pretty careful about adding more things to my collections the last few years.   Hard to explain to those of you who open all your packs in the car before you get home from the store but there's something satisfying to me about my pack collection.

I'm fascinated by collecting in general.  There's such a wide spectrum, from collecting a few souvenir mugs to the kind of flat out hoarding you see on those TV shows with the horror music.  Here's a question for you.  Maybe you don't do anything extreme but do you have anything you would consider a collecting quirk, something you do collecting-wise that you think someone else would find strange?  I promise not to judge.  How could I?

Here's what the pack stash looked like four years ago.  I sold the box of 1984 Topps Football, all of the 1981 and 1983 Baseball as well as a couple of others.  I've opened a few things but obviously not much.  I do still have the 1972 Topps Football packs.

I forgot to pull these--I've had them for 41 years (now 45).

From the Disorganized Collection of Hugo Z Hackenbush

I found these four cards in the first small handful I pulled from an unmarked 200 count box I had sitting on a shelf.

This random card may be the only one I have from a pretty cool looking insert set.  I'm not a Padres fan but who doesn't like the late great Tony Gwynn.

This is one of 50 cards honoring great moments in history from Upper Deck's 2008 Piece of History set.  I think I must have opened a couple of packs at some point.  Can you believe that we went from this moment to landing on the frickin' moon in just 66 years?

Insert hot post!  Denis looks high here.  Who wouldn't be after winning the Stanley Cup!  Too bad it wasn't with the Blackhawks.  Hockey fans will know that Denis's Canadiens are still the last team from our neighbors to the north to hoist the Cup.  Denis was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, just one year after The Great One himself.

Hall of Fame hot post!  (OK, I'm lame).  This is a great card from one of my favorite sets, Upper Deck's 2007 Baseball Masterpieces.  Like Gwynn and Savard it's hard not to like Cal.  

I have no problem with being organized but sometimes it's fun to be a slob.  

Animalloys

I'm not much of a fan of modern mini cards but I do collect tobacco cards from time to time.  Here's one of my favorite sets, 1934 W.D. & H.O. Wills Animalloys.

Some examples:

This is the complete set in pages:

Play with the cards:

http://reeddesign.co.uk/animalloys/animalloys.html

Fan Pack Fun 2017 -- Atlanta Braves

I sent postcards to all 30 MLB teams around Memorial Day requesting fan packs.  So far I've received about 20 envelopes/packages.

Today we have the nice envelope I received from our friends in Georgia.  It looks like Hurricane Irma may make it's way through Atlanta on Monday.  I feel very fortunate up here in Iowa.  Hoping for all of you in the southeast to make it through the next week safely.

Not sure why the Braves are choosing to leave off their logo.

The letterhead is new to me.  Classy.

Nice postcard sized photo of Danby showing off the classic Braves uniform.

This is an unfolded schedule celebrating the Braves move to their new digs, SunTrust Park.

The bumper sticker is around 8" x 4"

2" pin

Fan Pack Fun 2017 -- Minnesota Twins

I sent postcards to all 30 MLB teams around Memorial Day requesting fan packs.  So far I've received about 20 envelopes/packages.

About a week after I sent out my requests I was surprised to find a small box on my porch.  I wasn't expecting a package.  Whoa, it was from the Minnesota Twins!  I don't think I've ever received a fan pack in a box before.  We live about 170 miles from Minneapolis which makes the Twins the nearest team to our current home.

These four blank backed pictures are 4" x 6".  Two legends and two good current players.  Very nice!

Sweet 400+ page media guide.

The nylon tote is about 13 X 19".

Winter's coming.  I can use this -- if my wife doesn't swipe it.  (I bought her a nice Cubs version.)

Great package from my neighbors to the north.  Thanks Twins!