National Chicle Amelia Earhart

First Day Issue posted this Amelia Earhart relic card last week. No doubt it is a cool looking card but is it really worth the $30.00 it's been selling for? To me this is an instance where "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" just doesn't add up. Firstly, you can pick up a copy of Era Icons #1 with the same image, for about $3.00 shipped. Secondly there seems to be some confusion about the stamp. It's an issue from 1963 and a block of six, in mint condition, sold a couple of weeks ago an Ebay for 61 cents with free shipping. The stamp on the card being canceled would presumably have little value on it's own. So is this card worth what people are paying? To each his own. I collect pieces of cardboard with pictures of ballplayers on them that a lot of people wouldn't give a penny for so who am I to say.

UPDATE: The last three of these to sell on Ebay went for $17.50, $9.01, and $8.27 so people seem to be coming to their senses.

On top is Amelia Earhart in the 1934 National Chicle SkyBirds set, #48.

1963 Air Mail Stamp

Some pictures of Miss Earhart:

This is the image used on the current card

Timeless Teams Bat Cards -- Mets vs. Orioles

Here's one more of my favorite relic sets, Upper Deck's, 2001 Vintage Timeless Teams. This set includes a good number of cards of players that you don't see in great numbers as well as your usual superstars. The design doesn't blow me away but it is clean and the bat pieces are good sized.

#NYM-EK

#BA-BP

#NYM-RS

#BA-MB

Help, I Don't Want to End Up on "Hoarders"

I'm looking for some feedback today. I have nine of these empty cereal boxes, the five above and four duplicates. Do you think I should save them or are they just overproduced packaging that I should toss?

I don't want to throw out something valuable but I don't want to end up on "Hoarders".

Category: Basketball ANSWER: HONDO

The question is:

What is my favorite autographed basketball card?

1999 UD Inkredible #JH

I don't have very many autographed basketball cards in my collection, probably less than ten. Easily, this is my favorite.

John Havlicek was an 8 time NBA champion and 13 time All-Star. In 1984 he was elected to the Hall of Fame and in 1996 was picked as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

May 9, 1966

B. A.T. Cards! -- Tinker to Evers to Chance edition

1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes are a series of 165 cards patterned on the T202 Hassan Triple Folders set of the early 20th century. Shown below are five cards that pay tribute to the Cubs HOF trio, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance.

Here's the 1910 poem that made them famous:

These are the saddest of possible words:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,

Tinker and Evers and Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

Making a Giant hit into a double –

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Card of the Day

Here's one of my favorite cards from another of my favorite relic sets, Topps' 2002 Gold Label. If you're not familiar, these cards cover several eras and commemorate specific achievements, in Yogi's case 3 MVP years. Like most shiny cards these look better in person. Two features I especially like are the rookie card in the background and the see through relic window. This card has a nice wool swatch.

I Was a Kid in the 1960's -- The Card Evidence

Most of the cards I saved from when I was a kid are still in pretty good shape. Here's one from my third year of collecting (the first two years' cards are gone) that proves I was a kid for sure.

1967 Topps #340

The evidence:

a. There's some kind of damage at the top from water or glue or maybe sweat?

b. The bat seems to have a pen mark down it's length.

c. The whites of Joe's eyes are blue as well as his teeth.

d. I must have thought he needed a batting glove because he has one now.


e. Not sure what the point was but the card number is somewhat obscured by ink.

f. At the bottom left the word DOUBLE is printed. This is obviously evidence that a makeshift game was made out of a number of these cards.

BTW I don't think this had anything to do with Yankee hating. Firstly, I was pretty young for that. Secondly, my dad was a Cubs hence National League fan.

Card of the Day -- Names

1989-90 NBA Hopps #104

From Hoopedia:

Uwe Konstantine Blab (born March 26, 1962 in Munich, West Germany) is a German former professional basketball player who had a 5-year career in the NBA.

School and College

Blab attended Effingham High School in Illinois, U.S., and played college basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers, averaging 16 points per game in his senior season. He was under constant criticism under coach Bob Knight for not being in good shape.

NBA

Drafted seventeenth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1985 NBA Draft, he never proved to be a significant contributor. His first four seasons were with the Mavericks, and he played for both the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs in his final year. He finished with career averages of 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game at the center position.

After the NBA

Blab now resides in central Texas, working as a math teacher and a substitute teacher.

Blow Out the Candles -- Mr. Cub

"Mr Cub", Ernie Banks turns 79 today. Happy Birthday, Ernie! Let's play two!

1954 Topps #94

Back in the 80's when my late Mom and Ernie were both working for New World Van Lines, Ernie was nice enough to autograph these promotional postcards for my Dad, my sister and me.

back

HOPE

FAITH

LOVE

Thanks, Ernie. Again, Happy Birthday and many more and may our beloved Cubs finally win in 2010.

Card of the Day

1996 Topps Stadium Club #53

What a great shot of Cubs pitcher Jim Bullinger on one of the rooftops on Sheffield Avenue across from the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field. The colors are terrific as well as the detail. You can even see the tarps covering the mound and plate in the left field bullpen near the wall just past the infield.

Here are a couple of shots as reference points:

The street in front of the buildings is Sheffield on the east side of Wrigley. You can see the EL tracks behind them ("This is Addison--Next stop Belmont, change for the Ravenswood"). On the left, Sheffield intersects with Waveland Avenue.

Here's a happening pre-game shot. Looks like some kind of Nascar promotion was going on that day.