What is your favorite pickup(s) in 2021?

[Scott Garner]

What was your favorite pickup in 2021?

Mine certainly would be the game used ball from Denny McLain's 31st win in 1968.
Terrific provenance, beautifully inscribed historic baseball from the last man to ever win 30 in a season. It was also in this game that McLain famously
grooved one to his boyhood idol Mickey Mantle for his second to last career HR.

Additionally, finally finding a dated ticket to Virgil Trucks' 1st no-hitter in 1952 was amazing. It ended a search that was more than 45 years...
In 1952, Detroit Tigers pitcher Virgil "Fire" Trucks was one of only a handful of pitchers to ever toss 2 no-hitters in a single season, joining Vandermeer and Allie Reynolds. Since 1952, only 2 players have joined this elite group of no-hit pitchers: Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer

Happy holidays to everyone on net54.
I hope you all found something special to enhance your own collections

[mrreality68]

I am happy with all my pickups
but
This is my favorite pickup

[Exhibitman]

The Dr.'s 1971 team issue photo. I have been looking for this literally for years. I got the team headshot composite several years ago but it was a poor substitute for the solo photo. It amazes me that I can get a photo like this for a fraction of the cost of a card. Not that I am complaining.

Note that Dr. J is depicted driving against Wes Unseld of the NBA Bullets using an ABA ball. The photos were taken 10/3/71 at an exhibition game during the first half. Erving scored 30.

If I ever get to another National and if Dr. J is signing, this is the one to get signed.

[guy3050]

these 2 for my Expos collection, Nolan Ryan's 3509th strikeout ticket and Tony Gwynn's signed 3000th hit ticket.

Happy Holidays Scott

[bnorth]

This 1/1 All Star bat of my favorite player and the Bill Ripken card.

The bat because it is a 1/1 that was presented to Wade for participating in the 2000 All Star Game Celebrity hitting contest. It is my rarest Boggs bat and in my top 5 favorite Boggs bats that I have.

The card because one of my best long time card friends is selling every thing because of his age. It is a super rare version in a odd ball slab. I had been trying to trade him out of it for many years. It is very important keepsake of my last card deal with an amazing gentleman that I had countless buying, selling, and trading transactions with.

[Topnotchsy]

Here are a few of my highlights from across my different areas of collecting:

Lineup Cards

1) Lineup cards - I was lucky enough to be able to acquire the lineup cards from Game 4 of the 1944 World Series. The Series is the only one ever played between the 2 St Louis teams. The Cardinals lineup card was filled out by HOF manager Billy Southworth. The Cardinal won the game 5-1, and Stan Musial hit his only career World Series homerun.

Some honorable mentions (not pictured)

• Carl Yastrzemski final career HR
• Steve Carlton final career win
• 1981 WS clinching game
• Adrian Beltre 1st career HR

WWII baseball

Both items come from the 1944 Army vs Navy "World Series" played in Hawaii.

The first is a plaque that the players from the game received. As the plaque indicates, this is from William Barney McCosky.

The 2nd is a ticket from the 1st game of that series.

Integration Baseball

1) In the Integration collection, I was excited to acquire 3 tickets from the 1939 UCLA football team, featuring Jackie Robinson. I'd love to eventually acquire the full run of tickets and programs from Jackie's football career at UCLA, though I know that is a long shot.

2) Saving the best for last (for me anyways). I had been trying to acquire this item for years, and was finally successful.

In between the 1945 and 1946 seasons, the Dodgers signed 5 black players. Jackie Robinson, John Wright, Don Newcombe, Roy Campanella and Roy Partlow. Robinson, Wright and Partlow played in Montreal, while Newcombe and Campanella integrated the US, playing in Nashua, New Hampshire for the Nashua Dodgers. (Both actually first signed to play with the Danville Dodgers, and the team/league pushed back against integration and they re-signed to play in Nashua.)

I was able to acquire Campanella's Nashua (and Danville) contracts in the past, and had really wanted to pair them with Newcombe's. It took a few years, but I was finally able to do so. I'm hoping that the Newcombe Danville contract one day materializes.

Fun to look back over the year and take an inventory.

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season.