Back in the (side) saddle... (Get it? Off centered.)
The days of getting nice cards with qualifiers at nice prices has clearly ended, so I grabbed these four guys while I still could.
The centering on the
1969 Topps Roberto Clemente #50 is usually pretty awful side-to-side, so I was happy to pick up this guy with the very-much-less-bothersome glitch in the top-to-bottom department. The
1959 Topps Bob Hale #507 (just like the Bob Gibson RC) is a high number with the image nearly always found sliding off the side of the card. The "stain" designation is a puzzler. It might refer to the gentle toning on back? Not sure, but it looks quite natural and any normal collector wouldn't give it a second thought. The
1974 Topps World Series Game 2 #473* serves as the epilogue to Willie Mays' storybook career. He got short shrift that season due to all of the hullabaloo surrounding 'Hammerin' Hank.' Too bad. Along with the
1976 Topps Reggie Jackson #500, I just felt it was a good time to pick up those sharp-cornered cards at really decent prices. Lord knows how high the dollar signs will fly tomorrow...
*So many people think back to the 1973 World Series (with lament for us Mets fans) and focus on the infamous 'out' call at home plate which forced the Say-Hey Kid to his knees. That is the game referenced on the card. What a monumental moment, as the great Mays seemingly realized his legendary time on the field would soon be over without a second championship ring. But what most fans don't seem to realize is the Mets actually won that game in 12 innings!! Here's a custom card I created a while back...
1973WSgame2customcard.jpg