Set Building

It's been kinda dark here on the ol' Junk Wax blog.  Because, well... I'm a bad blogger.  So I'll do a quick post for now.

But I've gotten a few packages lately which have helped me with some set needs.

Robert over at $30 a week habit decided to help me out with 2014 and 2013 Topps base needs.  I got so excited to put the cards into the set that they went right in, so there's no scans.  Like I said, bad blogger.

There's the box anyway.  And it was full.  Everyone has seen the last two Topps offerings, so there probably wasn't any new ground to cover there. But suffice it to say, those cards get this set builder excited!  Thanx Robert.

Ryan over at "O" No!! Another Orioles Blog sent me a bunch of cards too.  There were some more of my 2014 needs in there, some Angels cards in there (which deserve another post) and these:

3 more cards towards my 1979 Topps set.  I'm down to 70 cards needed to complete the set.  And ordinarily a 1990 Topps card might not seem noteworthy.  But this one is.  Set Completion!!  Yup, Mr. Bloody Sock up there was the last card I needed.   Thanx Ryan.

More Progress and a bonus

I mentioned it recently, but I still find it odd that a self professed set builder like me had sets from the junk wax era that weren't complete.  Then again, most of my sets from the 80's are 60-80% complete so maybe its not ironic. 

At any rate, Bert from Swing and A Pop-Up decided to further along some set building for me.

That Tanana is another card that I actually had in a PC, so its nice to get one into my set.  I remember how big a deal the Leiter error was at the time.

Add the Lind card to the list "I didn't have that?".  Bert also sent along a Sammy Sosa card from 1990 Topps.  I'm now only one card from completing each set (along with a variation).  Nice airbrushing on the Landrum card.  Its funny how that was kinda the norm in the 80's (mostly Traded sets, but base at times too), compared to the photoshopping we get nowadays. 

As I said, I've always considered myself a set builder.  But I can see my focus shifting (hmmmm, future post?).  I just don't see the point in building any sets after say...1992 or so.  Just way too much out there to choose from.  As a result, I've become much more of an Angel collector.  And to that end, Nick dropped a PWE on me the other day (this is the "bonus" part)

The Upper Deck icons card is a pretty sharp looking card.  I remember my cousin having Kellog's cards when I was young.  And I've seen and envied plenty of them in the blogosphere.  But I've never had one.  Until now. 

Thanks to both of you generous bloggers.

Card Numbering Take 3

Okay, I have one last post in my ongoing series of posts about Topps' numbering systems.  1978-1979 was the first I noticed, then 1983-1984.  Finally we come to 1989-1990. 

team card/manager

There are a few less exact matches

pitchers

more pitchers

Through 1991

middle of lineup guys

but there are plenty of near misses to make it apparent Topps was re-using a template of sorts.  Other close ones are 17/16, 42/43, 68/65, 129/130, 190/187, 216/215, 243/244, 270/272, 332/334, 362/363, 455/458, 576/575, 602/603, 632/635, 649/650, 679/675, 708/705, and 761/762 (1989 first in all pairs).  In fact, I think there more pairs overall in 1989-1990 than in the other years.

That's all the coincidences I've found so far.  I don't know why I find that interesting, but I do.