Pre-Group Break Group Break Post

I think by now you guys have figured out I’m a fan of large group breaks.  I love variety.  I love value.  I love cards, and I love seeing or opening things that would otherwise go unseen or unopened.

(What’s that you say?  I have an 11 box Topps group break currently taking sign-ups?  Why, I had no idea!  Perhaps we should go check it out together through this handy linking function I learned in html class!)

I also happen to love oddball issues.

That’s why –David from Tribe Cards‘ group break was right up my alley.  It was a boatload of cards (I think the final video ended up being around an hour, with parts sped up) across a cornucopia of craziness to be had for virtual peanuts.

I was able to snag two teams: Cubs & Padres.  I knew my chances of anything Maddux related was slim from the Cubs, but it was cheap enough for the risk.  Padres of course houses everything Gwynn and I liked my odds (& oddballs) there.

Not pictured Jerome Walton with some chin damage

How awesome are these?  You’re looking at some 1990 Topps Heads Up.  Those little “bullets” in their caps are the backsides of suction cups.  I wish you had the option of putting the suction on the front.  I’d have Dwight Smith smiling out at the world right now.

There were only 24 players in the set, and I ended up with 4 of them.  Why they picked the Cubs they did, I’ll never know.

C'mon Fergie - cheer up. Ron, you too!

I guess no one's happy.

I don’t remember what these are from and I’m too lazy to look them up.  I know that they are the same size as two cards side by side.  They have players on both sides and were part of a larger fold-out thing that was cut up to send to people.  That’s how I ended up with Rickey.  Larry Bowa is on the other side.  None of these guys fit my player collections, so if you’re interested in any, let me know.  Reggie Jackson (Angels) is one, so is Bruce Sutter.

Stickers!

Yay!  Stickers!  I got a ton of these, since I believe a whole box was opened, or pretty darn near it.  I’m leaning towards box, since that Garvey is 1/4th of the bottom.  I love box bottom cards.  I wish they would come back.  It’s not like they’re hard to produce, right?  Give the packaging some love!  This one even has a different picture.

I also decided to feature the new color man for the Cubs radio broadcasts.  Keith took over for the departed Ron Santo this year.  I need more time to make a determination, but he seems to have Ron’s lack of skills combined with a lack of a lack of professionalism that made Ron so entertaining.  You’re not seeing double, I meant to say it that way.

Cha-ching!

I wasn’t so lucky with the Topps Coins, but that’s okay. I probably have the whole set in my basement back home anyway.  I’d buy these if they existed today, too.

Do not adjust your sets

Only 2 Sportflics for me.  Can you guess the players?  Benito Santiago’s RC on the left is pretty easy.  If you said you guessed Rafael Palmeiro’s rookie card was on the right, then you’re wrong, because I didn’t give you time to guess.

Aww yeah, rub it on down

I had a ton of these things as a kid, not just baseball, either.  All sorts of cartoons and things came on these sheets back then.  For those that are unfamiliar, the rubdowns work by peeling off the protective paper, laying the player sheet on your piece of paper or other surface, and then rubbing the image with a pencil.  That action transferred it from your “card” to the surface.  Sometimes you’d mess up and only half would come off and you’d have to try to match it up with little success.  Good times.

I don’t know how Terry Kennedy was a big enough name to land me that Ozzie/Seaver/Murray card, by the way.  Anyone more deserving that would like it can let me know.  If you’re in my group break, I’ll toss it in with your loot.  See, it pays to read my ramblings!

Sweet! A Moseby/Bell!

On to my Tony Gwynn haul.  I got no Maddux items, as I suspected, but that’s okay.  Look at that uniform and tell me you don’t miss the 80s.  There’s no way this is getting rubbed down on anything.  It’s delicately resting in my binder, and that’s where it will stay.  If I had a second, I may try something.

The sticker that feels like a card

Just like the rub down, this isn’t getting stuck anywhere.  I’m surprised at the nice condition this is in.  I usually expect most things pre-1988 to naturally fray and dog-ear and crease even before human hands touch them.  This looks pretty good for a 1986 sticker.  Great addition to the few early Gwynns I have.

Up close and personal

My favorite item from the break.  I think we all need more die-cut mullets in our lives.  The only problem is where to store it.

Anyone besides Andy remember People Cards?

A big thanks goes out to this guy for the sweet cards and other randomness.  It was a lot of fun watching him go through it all and then going through all the goods in person.  I felt like a kid again, instead of a nearly 31-year old.  I hope we can do it again sometime!

3 comments to Pre-Group Break Group Break Post

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