The Final 50

I've been on a mission to complete (almost) all of my baseball, football, and hockey set builds by the end of 2023. This excludes my 1956 Topps project and a handful of hockey near-sets with too many SPs/rare singles. It kind of excludes the 1988-89 Fleer basketball set, which is not in the budget to be completed this year. But there are some lower-value singles in that set that I can afford to upgrade, so I've added it.


Here's my shopping list for the rest of the year. If I can add at least 50 of these to the collection in the next four months I'll be very pleased (and I'll be able to focus on vintage in 2024 and beyond.)

1992 Donruss Diamond Kings
11 - Jeff Bagwell
14 - Harold Baines
17 - Jay Bell

I offered a TCDB user ten singles from 2023 Topps for six 2023 Topps cards and the Baines DK. He declined 🤷

1993 Donruss Diamond Kings
17 - Darren Daulton
21 - Gary Sheffield
26 - Luis Polonia
29 - Pat Listach
30 - Eric Karros

Really hope I don't have to pay for the Polonia.

2010 Topps
100 - Albert Pujols
327 - Albert Pujols (award winner)
549 - Derek Jeter
637 - Ruth/Gehrig (checklist)

Incoming from Sportlots: 7, 8, 125, 206, 215, 361, 379, 400, 404, 476, 530, 541, 551, 559, 560, 588, 590, 623, 652, 653

2017 Topps Heritage
419 - Francisco Lindor SP
428 - Mookie Betts SP

I've given up on the Topps Game rookies inserts so adding these two 'base' SPs would close the book(s) on this set.

2023 Topps
363 - Logan O'Hoppe RC
524 - Terrin Vavra RC
550 - Mark Vientos RC
557 - Nate Eaton RC

Incoming from Sportlots/TCDB: 334, 385, 417, 425, 446, 469, 482, 526, 559, 645

1989 Pro Set
457 - Sam Clancy RC
459 - Mike Webster
460 - Bob Golic
469 - Vaughan Johnson RC
486 - Deion Sanders RC
493 - Bobby Humphrey RC
494 - Barry Sanders RC
499 - Cleveland Gary RC
505 - Brian Williams RC
511 - Tim Worley RC
526 - Jonathan Hayes RC
539 - James Jefferson RC
548 - Carnell Lake RC
555 - Gary Hogeboom

I picked up the main set (cards #1-440) on eBay for $10 dlvd. I'll have to pay about that much for just Barry and Deion.

2015 Panini Prizm
16 Joe Montana
55 Colin Kaepernick
87 Rob Gronkowski
221 Darren Waller RC
236 Eli Harold RC
237 Eric Kendricks RC
250 J.J. Nelson RC
260 Landon Collins RC
298 Tyler Lockett RC

I bought the Nelson on COMC earlier this summer but those **ckers sent me a creased card 😠

1988-89 Fleer
17 - Michael Jordan
18 - Charles Oakley
20 - Scottie Pippen RC
42 - Bill Laimbeer
43 - Dennis Rodman RC
57 - Reggie Miller RC
120 Michael Jordan ASS

I hated the '90s Bulls. So why did I decide to build this set? Because these were the first basketball cards I ever saw as a kid. Also that's not a typo; MJ is an a-hole. I will die on this hill.

1989-90 Fleer All-Star Stickers
1 - Karl Malone

Ugh.. another jerk. I actually have this card but it's more miscut than your typical All-Star Sticker from this set, and it messes with my OCD. That said, I'd rather pay 50 cents for the Polonia DK than upgrade this.

1988-89 Topps
16 Joe Nieuwendyk RC
25 Clint Malarchuk
33 Randy Burridge
55 Ray Sheppard
66 Brett Hull RC
91 Brian Mullen
105 Andrew McBain
113 Doug Halward
120 Wayne Gretzky
129 Tony Hrkac RC
134 Bob Sweeney RC
137 Petri Skriko
155 Kelly Hrudey
158 Randy Hillier
165 Brian Noonan RC
177 Rick Tocchet
178 Brad McCrimmon
186 Rejean Lemelin
195 Brian Hayward
197 Doug Crossman

Immaculate Grid tip o' the week: 700-goal scorer and Hall of Famer Brett Hull started his career with Calgary.

2022-23 Upper Deck
416 Nick Paul
425 Elias Pettersson
450 Charlie McAvoy/Moritz Seider CL

Incoming from Sportlots/TCDB: 30, 263, 264, 369, 374, 401


Have you seen what Upper Deck plans to do to their flagship hockey set in '23-24?!?? I'm glad I wrote the Young Guns chronicles this year. Between this and Topps Big League's four-tier SP garbage it's getting harder and harder to build a current year set. I can definitely see the end of my collection coming...




Thanks for reading!



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My 1956 Topps Set - Series 2

Series one of the 1956 Topps set was loaded with legends. The second series (cards #101-180) offers more quality over quantity, though there are some Hall of Famers and notable stars in this section.

Here's a look at the cards in my collection to date:

Series 2

101. Roy Campanella - Brooklyn Dodgers

102. Jim Davis - Chicago Cubs

 

 
103. Willy Miranda - Baltimore Orioles

104. Bob Lennon - New York Giants

105. Al Smith - Cleveland Indians

106. Joe Astroth - Kansas City Athletics

107. Eddie Mathews - Milwaukee Braves

108. Laurin Pepper - Pittsburgh Pirates

109. Enos Slaughter - Kansas City Athletics

110. Yogi Berra - New York Yankees

111. Boston Red Sox Team

112. Dee Fondy - Chicago Cubs



113. Phil Rizzuto - New York Yankees

It all started with Scooter...


114. Jim Owens - Philadelphia Phillies

115. Jackie Jensen - Boston Red Sox

116. Eddie O'Brien - Pittsburgh Pirates

117. Virgil Trucks - Detroit Tigers

118. Nellie Fox - Chicago White Sox

119. Larry Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals RC

120. Richie Ashburn - Philadelphia Phillies

121. Pittsburgh Pirates Team

122. Willard Nixon - Boston Red Sox

123. Roy McMillan - Cincinnati Redlegs

124. Don Kaiser - Chicago Cubs

125. Minnie Minoso - Chicago White Sox

126. Jim Brady - Detroit Tigers RC



127. Willie Jones - Philadelphia Phillies

128. Eddie Yost - Washington Senators

129. Jake Martin - Pittsburgh Pirates RC

130. Willie Mays - New York Giants

131. Bob Roselli - Milwaukee Braves RC

132. Bobby Avila - Cleveland Indians



133. Ray Narleski - Cleveland Indians

134. St. Louis Cardinals Team

 

 135. Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees

Can't even think about completing the set without this bad boy. I managed to acquire it for three figures but it's still the most I've ever paid for a single sports card.

136. Johnny Logan - Milwaukee Braves

137. Al Silvera - Cincinnati Redlegs RC

138. Johnny Antonelli - New York Giants

139. Tommy Carroll - New York Yankees

140. Herb Score - Cleveland Indians RC

It's odd to me that Sport Magazine named Score a '58 All-Star when he made just five starts in both '57 and '58.

141. Joe Frazier - St. Louis Cardinals

142. Gene Baker - Chicago Cubs

This might be the most common/affordable card in this set that I still need.

 
143. Jim Piersall - Boston Red Sox

144. Leroy Powell - Chicago White Sox RC

145. Gil Hodges - Brooklyn Dodgers

146. Washington Senators Team

147. Earl Torgeson - Detroit Tigers

148. Alvin Dark - New York Giants



149. Dixie Howell - Chicago White Sox

The Pale Hose are this week's nickname All-Stars: Nelson Fox and Orestes Minoso are Hall of Famers whose names you know. "Dixie" here was born Millard Fillmore Howell in the northernmost 'southern' state of Kentucky.

  150. Duke Snider - Brooklyn Dodgers

Willie, Mickey, and the Duke can all be found in this series.

151. Spook Jacobs - Kansas City Athletics

Spook's given name was Forrest. Run, Forrest, Run!

152. Billy Hoeft - Detroit Tigers

153. Frank Thomas - Pittsburgh Pirates

This COMC purchase had no condition notes - but three very visible creases across the front. I'll have to upgrade it.

154. Dave Pope - Baltimore Orioles

155. Harvey Kuenn - Detroit Tigers

156. Wes Westrum - New York Giants



157. Dick Brodowski - Washington Senators

158. Wally Post - Cincinnati Redlegs

159. Clint Courtney - Washington Senators

160. Billy Pierce - Chicago White Sox

161. Joe DeMaestri - Kansas City Athletics

162. Gus Bell - Cincinnati Redlegs

Born David Russell Bell, his son "Buddy" was born David Gus Bell and his son was also named David Bell.

163. Gene Woodling - Cleveland Indians

164. Harmon Killebrew - Washington Senators

165. Red Schoendienst - St. Louis Cardinals

Anyone know Red's given name without looking it up?

166. Brooklyn Dodgers Team

Would have been cool if they posed with the 1955 World Series Champions banner on this card, although the back does mention the '55 series.

167. Harry Dorish - Baltimore Orioles

168. Sammy White - Boston Red Sox



169. Bob Nelson - Baltimore Orioles RC

170. Bill Virdon - St. Louis Cardinals

171. Jim Wilson - Baltimore Orioles

172. Frank Torre - Milwaukee Braves RC

173. Johnny Podres - Brooklyn Dodgers

 

174. Glen Gorbous - Philadelphia Phillies RC

175. Del Crandall - Milwaukee Braves

176. Alex Kellner - Kansas City Athletics

177. Hank Bauer - New York Yankees

178. Joe Black - Cincinnati Redlegs

179. Harry Chiti - Chicago Cubs

180. Robin Roberts - Philadelphia Phillies

I'll see you back here next Friday for Series Three. 

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

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