My Only Buyback

I love to collect.  If you're reading this you probably do too.  I'm also fascinated by the astounding variety of  things people collect.  Even in our own community I'm intrigued by the different ways we build our collections.  I'm guessing a simple idea from Topps has gone beyond what they would have envisioned.  I'm speaking of "buybacks".  Beyond adding to player and team collections some of you are building entire single year sets, and some the aptly named, "frankensets".

All that being said, I don't really fall into any of those groups.  I've owned just two buybacks.  The first, pulled from a pack, now resides in slot 530 in Shoebox Legends' Frankenset.

This is the second.  I bought it in on ebay in 2012 for about 5 bucks.  I honestly don't recall my thinking at the time.  I have no interest in collecting all of the Ron Santo buyback versions.  I guess I wanted this one because of it's unusual nature.  Most of you are familiar with it.  Poor Don Landrum got gypped out of having his image on a card in 1963 and All-Star Ron Santo got a bonus card.  (Don does appear on a Post cereal card.)  I've never read (or have forgotten) the story behind this card.  I'm also not aware of a similar mix-up aside from the 1969 Topps #653 Aurelio Rodriguez/batboy card.  In that case no player ended up with his photo on two cards.   

 Here's Ron's official card.

What are your thoughts on buyback cards?  If you collect them, how do they fit into your collection?

Thanks for stopping by.

A $25 Ebay Gift Card Got Me ...

My sister-in-law and her husband gave me a $25 Ebay gift card as a late Christmas present.  I've been slowly making use of it.  Here is my latest purchase:

$1.87

 1963 Topps #434

Total spent so far $12.77

I posted about Johnny last fall:

  I don't know why I like Johnny Callison.  Maybe it's because he was a big name on the opposition team for the first game I ever went to as a kid at Wrigley Field.  He went 3-5 that day.  Maybe it's because he later became a Cub.  Do you have any players you like but really don't know why?

Recently I came across this 1961 Callison on Ebay and couldn't resist.

I wasn't sure what other of his cards I had but in searching my semi-organized collection I came up with these.  The first and last I bought in recent years.  The others were in my original boyhood collection.

1966

1967

1968

1969

1971

1972

2003

A $25 Ebay Gift Card Got Me ...

My sister-in-law and her husband gave me a $25 Ebay gift card as a late Christmas present.  I've been slowly making use of it.  Here is my latest purchase:

$1.99

 1963 Topps #33

Total spent so far, $10.90

I did a post last year about 1960's Jewish pitchers who threw no-hitters.

Here's the part with Bo:

Some post ideas come from opening new cards, some from the day's events.   This one actually came from my picking an old book off a bookshelf in my living room.  It's a book I've had for over 30 years and I haven't read it since the 70's.

Notice anything familiar about it?  Check out the back cover.

Yes, you got it!  1972 Topps

I kid you not,  I picked this particular 1972 card because Nolan was an Angel.  It was only after I uploaded it here that I recalled his 7 no-hitters.  

Bo Belinsky threw a 2-0 ho-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5, 1962.  It was the first Angels no-hitter and the first at Dodger Stadium. It was only Bo's fourth major league start.

Belinsky started his career winning his first five games.  It was downhill from there.  He became more well known for his off the field activities than his pitching.  Below are a few shots  taken with a young Ann Margaret.  A-Rod's got nothing on Bo.  Bo knows chicks.