Unique Cards

[Tim Kindler]

As many of you know, I have spent the last few years pursuing mainly one set, the E98 Master Set. I have always been a set collector at heart, not a type collector, but until the E98s I never ever saw a set through, let alone a Master Set. Now that I have accomplished this set, I was looking into new areas of card collecting. For my next pursuit, I have kicked around the ideas of type collecting, collecting great cards from the hobby- sort of a top 100 card list, tackling the Monster, various sets, etc, but nothing seems to be jumping out at me & collecting things like the Top 100 list would cost me astronomical $ just to land one card at a time.

Last night, I was reading from Lew Lipset's Encyclopedia and an idea sort of started growing in my head. I'm asking for your help in developing it and maybe it might benefit someone else as well.

So let's have a thread about just cards. I'm thinking about collecting all and any cards that just have something special about them. They can, or don't have to, be Hall of Famers. They can, or don't have to, be rare and expensive. They can, or don't have to, from specific sets. I'm just thinking of collecting cards that have a unique story or characteristic to them.

Example: I read in Lew's Encyclopedia in the E106 section that Eddie Collin's E106 is the first card to list him with the Chicago White Sox. I think it would be pretty cool and historically significant to own that card.

Any ideas on cards to collect?
Let's talk cards.
Tim Kindler

Interesting idea. I think the 1952 Parkhurst James "Jim" Gilliam is a cool card that seems to meet your criteria. Parkhurst is a Canadian brand that mainly put out hockey cards, but also put out a minor league set in 1952 which featured Jim Gilliam in the same pose as would be found next year on his 1953 Topps RC.

If you're interested in the card I have two, the one shown below in SGC 40 and also a PSA 5. There are currently none listed on ebay.

Edit: By the way, my apologies if you meant exclusively pre-war

[Bestdj777]

I like the t207 Armando Marsans--the earliest card I've seen of the first Cuban to play in the MLB.

[Zach Wheat]

How about a card of "Colby" Jack Coombs? If you want a card of this player, you pretty much have to stick to a T201 as he was left out of the major T sets. He is not found in other T sets of this era but was one of the dominant players in the 1910-ish era.

He picked up the nickname "Colby" due to his college affiliation - Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He threw a shut out in the first game he pitched - 3 weeks after graduating from college. 1910 was his best year - a year in which many of the more well know card sets of this era were designed/planned/issued/distributed - but curiously he was left out of every set except the T201 set.

In 1910 he had 31 wins and 13 shut outs. His ML single season record of 13 shutouts would stand for 103 years. He was not an accomplished hitter during the season batting in the low 200's; however, he led the Phil A's to the World Series starting & winning games 2,3 & 5 against the NL Chic Cubs - while batting 0.385.



Z Wheat

[Tim Kindler]

Zach Wheat,
I love the info on Jack Coombs and thanks for sharing it, but I believe this is also the same Jack Coombs. These are from my E98 Master Set.

Keep the ideas coming. These are some of the ideas I'm talking about

[cdn_collector]

Had to think about this one for a bit. Eventually I landed on an e107 of Deacon Phillippe in recognition of his absolutely ridiculous performance in the 1903 World Series. This to me, is a historically significant card because of that performance.

Regards,

Richard.

[z28jd]

Harry Whiteacre in the Old Judge set is a pretty interesting card. He never played in the majors or minors. He was a semi-pro player local to the A's and was trying out for the team at the time they took team pictures. He ended up in the set anyway

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Tim Kindler

So let's have a thread about just cards.

Tim Kindler

Tim,

Great sentiment...I couldn't agree more.

Best Regards,

Eric

[mrvster]

T206 freaks

[joeadcock]

Originally Posted by z28jd

Harry Whiteacre in the Old Judge set is a pretty interesting card. He never played in the majors or minors. He was a semi-pro player local to the A's and was trying out for the team at the time they took team pictures. He ended up in the set anyway

Interesting

[Leon]

You might consider making a list of cards that are visually pleasing to you, regardless of significance. We "look" at the cards visually, and admire their artwork, so I don't think having a lot of them be based on their outer appeal would be a bad thing. Just a thought....This Oakes always seems to pop up on these lists...

[ReefBlue]

Or go with some weird theme.

Only cards where the guy has his left arm in the air.

Or the person is on one knee.

Regardless of the set--card #3.

[PolarBear]

1973 Topps Luis Alvarado is one of the strangest cards of all time. I love it.

Another suggestion would be the 1953 Bowman color set. Only 160 cards and the best looking post war set hands down.

You could branch out from just baseball and do an N28 or N162 set.

T206 Polar Bear set would be nice also.

[tuckr1]

These T206 cards with teh victorian "F" stamp supposedly are from the childhood T206 collection of the author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitgerald, pretty cool

[HRBAKER]

You will also find him in M116, T204, T5 and M101-5 as well.

[Tim Kindler]

Guys,
Great ideas and thoughts on some various cards. I don't know how much I might run with some of these thoughts, but they may help out others as well. I guess if this is the worst thing about collecting....when you can't decide what to collect..... then it means life is GOOD!
Happy Collecting,
Tim Kindler

[Brian Van Horn]

My contribution(s) to the "unique" (scanner sizing issue):

[timn1]

what he said...

[Cardboard Junkie]

Interesting thread....Novelty or "parody" cards could be an interesting area to collect. (picked this up online somewhere)

[Brian Van Horn]

Yikes!

[WillowGrove]

When I was a kid at card shows every so often I would buy a card that wasn't of a HOFer and my dad would ask, "Why'd you buy him?" and my reason was usually, "dad it's such a it's cool card!"

So short of leaving it open, maybe pick your top 50, 100 players and identify the card of them you like best and collect those? Heck just composing the list would be a fun exercise!

Good luck Tim with whatever is next. Remember, collect what feels natural and that you really enjoy.

Peter

[kdixon]

That Cobb is great.