2018 Year in Review

2018 Year in Review

Tim Wallach returned as the Marlins Bench Coach in 2018.  While it certainly seems to be a good position, it's not one that's likely to result in any new baseball cards the way being a manager might.  The likely best hope for a new Wallach card is probably one for Chad Wallach.  Chad was picked up by the Marlins during the off season, and was actually the opening day starter due to Realmulto's injury.  Chad spent most the season in AAA, but did see a good amount of time with Marlins, and managed to hit his first home run.  Tim and Chad have now combined for 261 career home runs.

As far as cards go, 2018 was a pretty good one for me, as I was able to add over 2,000 Wallach cards.  Unfortunately there were no new Wallach cards produced, unless you count the "Rediscover Topps" stuff as "new."  I don't.  There was also some sort of digital only card produced, but I feel very strongly that a jpeg on the Internet is not a baseball card.  I guess I'm old fashioned and stubborn.  That said, there's always hope for 2019.

Current cards in the Collection: 21,892

Cards acquired in 2018: 2,372

Collection grew by: 10.8%

Top Ten Most Abundant Cards in the Collection

1. 1982 Topps .................................. 1,195

2. 1987 Topps ..................................... 918

3. 1988 Donruss ................................. 765

4. 1989 Topps ..................................... 736

5. 1988 Topps All-Star ....................... 705

6. 1988 Topps ..................................... 700

7. 1986 Topps All-Star ....................... 606

8. 1990 Topps ..................................... 503

9. 1990 Donruss ................................. 427

10. 1987 Donruss ............................... 426

For the second year in a row little change to the Top Ten.  There were no new-comers to the list, though '89 Fleer now sits just outside of it, and the only changes to the order were the '88 Topps and '88 Topps AS swapping positions, and the '90 and '87 Donruss cards swapping positions. 

Top 10 most added cards in 2017

1. 1987 Topps ................................. 100

2. 1988 Topps All-Star .................... 98

3. 1989 Fleer .................................... 97

4. 1989 Topps .................................. 91

5. 1988 Topps .................................. 75

6. 1988 Fleer .................................... 60

7. 1990 Topps .................................. 56

8. 1990 Fleer .................................... 55

9. (tie) 1991 Stadium Club .............. 53

9. (tie) 1990 Upper Deck ................. 53

After being one of the more surprising "no-shows" in 2017 (I didn't add any that year), 1991 Stadium Club made it's presence known this year with 53 new copies crossing my path.  If '87 Topps matches it's total of a 100 new cards again in 2019, it'll become the second card to cross the 1,000 copies thresh hold.

Notable No-Shows, zero acquired (pre-existing amount)

There weren't any real head scratcher's among the cards that I didn't add a single copy of in 2018.  It was for the most part the usual suspects, odd balls and inserts that I don't have many copies of to begin with, and a lot O-Pee-Chee, Tiffany and Stickers.  1989 Topps Big, 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites, 1996 Flair, and 2005 Topps Rookie Cup were among the more "surprising," though it's probably a stretch to call it a surprise.  There were no 1991 Stadium Clubs, or 1985 Fleers showing up on the list this year..

 

Top 10 All-Time Most Sent Cards

 

 

I was sent 42 envelopes of cards in 2018 containing a total of 946 cards.  That's nearly double the total number of cards I was sent in 2018.  I have now been sent 6,723 cards in the mail by readers since I started this blog.  It's a mind blowing number that I struggle to wrap my head around.

 

1. 1989 Topps .................................. 262

2. 1987 Topps .................................. 243

3. 1988 Topps All-Star .................... 242

4. 1990 Topps .................................. 213

5. 1988 Topps .................................. 209

6. 1988 Donruss............................... 193

7. 1990 Donruss .............................. 188

8. 1990 Fleer ...…….....................…  158

9. 1991 Donruss .............................. 157

10. 3 tied with 147

There wasn't a whole lot of change in the Top Ten.  1990 Fleer is the only new comer on this list with the Topps All-Star being the only card to fall off.  It's pretty clear that 1987-1991 was sweet spot for readers of this blog.

I want to thank everyone who read any post in 2018. 

Eastchester, New York

These cards were sent by "Zippy," the Luis Torren super collector of the blog "Torren up Cards." Thank you for the cards Zippy. 

As you can see, Zippy also went ahead and took care of some of my recent Topps set build needs.  I remember that Ryan Rayburn being one of the first 2013 cards I saw, and remember being annoyed that I never pulled one, and then at some point I stopped remembering it at all, until it showed up in this envelope.

Also included was a 2012 Jordan Pacheco.  Pacheco for many years carried the torch of being the best (and I believe only) New Mexico kid in the majors.  New Mexico isn't a huge State population wise, so like everyone else around here I felt like I had some ties to the kid.  One he was a regular at my favorite restaurant in Scottsdale that was next to my place down there (about mile from the Rockies Spring Training facility) and he grew up in the same culdesac in Albuquerque as one of the lawyers I work with.  That said I've never spoken a word to the kid, I've just rooted from afar (or occasionally from across the bar of the now defunct "The Cove" at Indian Bend and Scottsdale Road).

The New Mexico torch has now been passed to a kid named Alex Bregman, maybe you've heard of him.  There's also another guy carrying the State's yellow flag in the majors, Blake Swihart.  He was off my radar, until a few ago.  While sitting at the grill at the ski area near Farmington, Purgatory (70 miles from my garage to the lift), a couple of kids came up and hit the guys sitting next to me up for autographs.  One was Swihart, the other was some other Red Sock whose name has since escaped me.  I bit my tongue and kicked myself for leaving my Yankee cap in my car.  I tend to leave guys alone as much as I can.  I'll just be keeping an eye out for his cards going forward.

These cards, I believe, represent the last of my 2018 mailings I was behind on.  So I'll be attempting to get my "year in review" stuff up soon.  I don't feel too bad as it's still January and I'll still hear the occasional "happy new year" in the course of my days.

Thanks for the cards Zippy.

Updated Totals:

1982 Topps x2: 1,195
1988 Fleer: 288

Keizer, Oregon

I opened this package and perhaps the largest assortment of Fleer Tim Wallach cards I've ever been sent came pouring out.  They were sent by Bo of Keizer, Oregon, who is a wildly generous guy.  When it comes to "non-Topps" brands of cards,  I think at the end of the day I can safely say, that I am, and always have been a "Fleer Guy."  There was definitely a time during the 80's that I considered Fleer my favorite brand, Topps included.  I loved the stickers, I loved the crown logo, they made pretty good gum too.  Albeit, gum that didn't come with the cards.  But I also liked the designs.  The backs from '83-86 don't get nearly enough credit for their innovation in design.  And while I won't die on the hill of saying Fleer had the best run of designs in the 80's (it doesn't, Topps does), you can't convince me that it doesn't blow Donruss out of the water.  From 1981 to 1992, I'd take the Fleer design over Donruss every year but '87 and '90.  And '90 is a very close call for me.  Feel free to disagree, I won't lose sleep over it or think any less of you.

Not all of the 186 cards sent by Bo were Fleer, as you can see in the pictures.  Which is fine, I like all Wallach cards.  The K-Mart Dream team card will always be one of my favorite odd-ball cards.  Thank you so much for the cards Bo.  I'll see what I can come up with to send back your way.

Updated Totals:

1982 Fleer x3: 247
1983 Fleer x7: 123
1984 Fleer x15: 119
1984 Topps x2: 316
1985 Fleer x10: 106
1985 Topps: 300
1986 Fleer x2: 121
1986 Topps: 312
1986 Topps All-Star: 626
1987 Donruss x3: 423
1987 Fleer x17: 223
1987 Topps x2: 875
1988 Donruss: 764
1988 Fleer x16: 266
1988 Topps: 685
1988 Topps All-Star: 676
1989 Donruss x3: 382
1989 Fleer x41: 384
1989 K-Mart x3: 53
1989 Topps x10: 683
1989 Upper Deck: 190
1990 Fleer x32: 361
1990 Score: 259
1990 Topps x2: 503
1991 Donruss x2: 264
1991 Donruss MVP: 246
1991 Fleer x3: 184
1992 Donruss x2: 198
1993 Fleer x2: 57
1995 Upper Deck x2: 37

I think another reason for my affinity for Fleer back in the 80's (and today for that matter), is due in no small part to their basketball cards.  They were more or less the only game in town for basketball cards for the later part of the 1980's, which was also my peak period for buying cards.  Putting out cards for another major league gave Fleer a feel of legitimacy that Donruss lacked.  For a couple of years now I've been making a slow and steady effort to complete the first three Fleer Basketball sets.  Bo was kind enough to throw these four needs my way.  They're not just scrubs either, two of those are Clyde Drexler's.  Drexler, sadly, has somewhat fallen through the cracks of Basketball lore, but as anyone over the age of 40 can tell you, for about a 5-10 year period he in was in the conversation for best player in the world, and that period over lapped with some well known names like Dominque, Jordan, Magic, Isiah.  That '87-88 Drexler is no throw away card.  So thank you very much Bo, I'll make it up to you.

And if anyone is interested, here are my remaining needs for those three Fleer sets, I'm more than willing to trade and am flush with doubles from the '86-87 set:

Fleer Basketball Sets

1986-87: 9, 57

1987-88: 1, 3, 9, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 41, 42, 48, 49, 54, 56, 59, 61, 63, 68, 69, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 83, 85, 92, 95, 97, 98, 99, 106, 109, 112, 113, 118, 123, 130

1988-89: 9, 13, 14, 16, 21, 25, 31,  39, 40, 43, 45,  57, 64, 82, 85, 93, 115, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129

Victoria, Minnesota

This group of six cards represents the second time in 2018 Dan of Victoria, Minnesota sent cards my way.  The 1983 Topps is always a welcome surprise to see in an envelope.  While it's not exactly a "scarce" card in my collection, it is one a rarely receive in packages like this. 

Thanks for the cards Dan.

Updated Totals:

1983 Topps: 256
1988 Topps All-Star: 675
1991 Score: 227
1995 Topps x2: 56
1996 Pinnacle: 50

Davenprt, Iowa

These 11 cards were sent by Kevin of Davenport, Iowa.  The '96 Ultra is not one that shows up in my mailbox very often.  It's also one of only a handful of cards to show Wallach as a California Angel.

Thanks for the cards Kevin, they're greatly appreciated.  I'll see what I can do as far as the '75 Topps you asked about, and send what I have your way.

Updated Totals:

1989 Topps x3: 673
1990 Fleer: 329
1991 Donruss: 262
1992 Triple Play: 94
1993 Donruss: 99
1993 Fleer: 55
1993 Topps: 194
1994 Topps: 117
1996 Fleer Ultra: 8

Mansfield, Texas

Tom, who runs the blog "The Angels, In Order," sent these 14 cards way back in May of 2018.  Another envelope that was lost in the shuffle of my move.  It's not the first time Tom has sent cards, and they're always welcomed arrivals.  I encourage you to check out his blog by clicking the link above, or the logo at the bottom of this post.

Thanks for the cards Tom.

Updated Totals:

1986 Topps All-Star: 625
1988 Topps: 684
1990 U.S. Playing Cards: 34
1991 Donruss MVP: 245
1992 Stadium Club: 55
1993 Triple Play x4: 38
1994 Score Select x3: 24
1995 Score x2: 44

Indio, CA

Despite the description of contents written on the front of this envelope, I was still surprised when I opened it.  This card was sent by Steven of Indio, California last October.  Thank you for the card Steven.  While it is in fact a 1983 card, it happens to be Fleer and not a Donruss.  An easy enough mistake to make, and be it Donruss, Fleer, Stuart, or any other brand, I don't care so long as it says "Tim Wallach" on the front.

Updated Total:

1983 Fleer: 116

Oceanside, NY

These three cards were sent by frequent contributor Bo, way back in August.  I'm just getting to them now.  Sorry Bo.  The 1997 Collector's Choice was the only Wallach card produced in 1997, and as result serves as the only "bookend" card for Wallach with his full career stats.  So despite it's less than thrilling design, it's always been one of my sentimental favorites.

Updated Totals:

1992 Donruss: 196
1996 Pinnacle: 49
1997 Collector's Choice: 26

Saratoga Springs, NY

I moved this year.  Not far, just across town.  In the process, in addition to falling behind in posting cards that had been sent to me, I misplaced a few envelopes.  This was one of them.  As you can see from the cancelation stamp, this was sent way back in April 2018.  My bad.  It was a nice mailing from Mark of Saratoga Springs, New York.  Included with the cards was a very nice note from Mark who was lucky enough to attend a good number of Expos games before they relocated to Washington.

There were also cards.  I don't recall how many or which ones, because I misplaced them.  They weren't thrown out, they were either prematurely filed away, or inadvertently credited to a different envelope.

So Mark, I apologize for my mix up, and thank you for the cards, Saratoga Springs has been added to my map.

McKinney, Texas

McKinney, Texas is a new city for frequent contributor Nick, but his packages haven't changed from the ones he used to send from Allen, Texas.  Nick is a fellow Tim Wallach card collector, but thankfully he's happy with one of each card and more than willing to share his doubles.  This one included 135 cards.  Not bad.  I've tried to help him out with a few he may not have from time to time, but it's tough to do given how thorough his collection is.  Some of the highlights included in this lot were a 1993 Stadium Club Dodgers card, a 1993 Pacific, and a 1988 Jiffy Pop Disc.  It's only my 6th copy of the Stadium Club Dodgers card and the first one to cross my path since 2013.  The '93 Pacific and '88 Jiffy Pop Disc are only the second ones I've acquired.  There were also a couple of '83 Topps stickers, which are the first one's I've added in 2018.

As always Nick, Thanks for the cards, and my apologies for the delay in posting.

Updated Totals:

1982 Topps x2: 1,193
1983 Fleer x2: 115
1983 Topps Stickers x2: 37
1984 Topps x2: 314
1985 Topps x2: 299
1987 Topps x3: 873
1987 Topps Tiffany x2: 19
1988 Donruss x3: 763
1988 Jiffy Pop Disc: 2
1988 KayBee: 30
1988 Fleer: 250
1988 Topps x3: 683
1988 Topps All-Star x3: 674
1988 Topps Super Star x2: 29
1989 Donruss x5: 379
1989 Fleer: 343
1989 Score x4: 179
1989 Topps x5: 670
1989 Upper Deck: 189
1990 Donruss: 422
1990 Fleer x2: 328
1990 Topps x3: 501
1990 Upper Deck: 287
1991 Donruss: 261
1991 Donruss MVP x2: 244
1991 Fleer: 181
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier: 72
1991 Score x2: 226
1991 Topps x2: 241
1991 Upper Deck: 279
1992 Bowman USA x4: 58
1992 Donruss: 195
1992 Leaf: 96
1992 Pinnacle: 102
1992 Topps x8: 211
1992 Topps Gold Winner: 24
1992 Triple Play: 93
1992 Upper Deck: 273
1993 Bowman: 24
1993 Flair: 37
1993 Fleer: 54
1993 Leaf x2: 77
1993 Pacific: 2
1993 Pinnacle x2: 40
1993 Stadium Club x8: 67
1993 Stadium Club Dodgers: 6
1993 Studio: 44
1993 Topps x2: 193
1993 Upper Deck: 137
1994 Collector's Choice: 43
1994 Donruss x4: 36
1994 Fleer Ultra: 36
1994 Leaf x5: 46
1994 Pinnacle: 31
1994 Score x2: 66
1995 Bazooka: 30
1995 Collector's Choice x2: 36
1995 Collector's Choice SE x5: 43
1995 Fleer Ultra: 41
1995 Pinnacle: 31
1995 Topps: 54
1995 Upper Deck: 35
1995 Collector's Choice: 36
1996 Collector's Choice: 23
1996 Collector's Choice Ser.II: 27
1996 Fleer Ultra: 7
1996 Pinnacle x3: 48

Brooklyn, NY

This package of 36 cards is (I believe barring two Tim's a couple blocks apart) the 2nd one sent in 2018 by Tim of Brooklyn, New York.  These came way back on October 19, 2018.  I am so far behind.  I'm also determined to be caught up and get a "Year in Review" post up by the 14th.  Might not happen, but I'm confident I will be before the end of the month.

Thanks for the cards Tim, and I'm sorry for the delay in posting.

Updated Totals:

1989 Topps: 665
1990 Bowman: 101
1990 Topps: 498
1990 Upper Deck: 286
1991 Donruss x6: 260
1991 Donruss MVP x7: 242
1991 Fleer x6: 180
1991 Studio x6: 77
1991 Upper Deck Checklist: 217
1992 Donruss x2: 194
1992 Upper Deck: 272
1992 Ultra x2: 137
1993 Pinnacle: 38

Houston, Texas

These eleven Wallach cards, and roughly two dozen 2012 Topps set needs, were sent by Marc of Houston, Texas.  Marc operates the blog "Remember the Astrodome," and has become a regular contributor of Wallach cards.  Thanks for the cards Marc, and I appreciate the 2012 Topps as well, as I've been extremely neglectful to my set needs of late.

Updated Wallach Totals:

1987 Topps x2: 870
1988 Fleer: 249
1990 Topps: 497
1990 Upper Deck: 285
1991 Donruss x2: 254
1991 Upper Deck: 278
1991 Stadium Club: 123
1991 Score "The Franchise": 193
1993 Triple Play: 34

In addition to those Wallach cards, Marc sent along a cluster of 2012 Topps.  I returned to the world of card collecting back in 2008 with some random packs of Topps bought in a K-Mart.  I wasn't a set builder back then, as I was a Wallach and rookie card collector.  Since then, I've become a devout set builder focusing on vintage sets working backwards from 1991.  But at some point I decided I should catch up on what I had from 2008 to present. 

2012 is a set that was one of my more incomplete efforts.  I don't recall buying fewer packs in 2012, but that seems to have been the case.  Marc obviously took a look at my set needs page, and took a big chunk out of it.  Here's where I stand on 2008 to 2017 on Topps Base Sets:

2017: 87, 455, 513, 539

2016: Complete

2015: 616, 617

2014: ...(TBD)

2013: lots of them

2012: 7, 30, 52, 82, 89, 109, 150, 158, 159, 185, 188, 199, 213, 239, 245, 324, 330, 334, 349, 351, 353, 357, 359, 361, 362, 365, 368, 370, 371, 375, 377, 378, 381, 383, 392, 393, 395, 396, 398, 399, 400, 402, 403, 406, 410, 413, 415, 416, 420, 422, 424, 425, 426, 428, 430, 431, 434, 437, 441, 443, 444, 446, 448, 451, 452, 457, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 468, 469, 470, 471, 472, 473, 475, 479, 482, 484, 485, 487, 488, 489, 492, 493, 494, 495, 499, 500, 504, 505, 507, 512, 513, 514, 517, 518, 520, 522, 526, 528, 529, 530, 531, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 540, 541, 542, 543, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 555, 556, 557, 560, 561, 564, 567, 568, 569, 570, 571, 572, 575, 580, 582, 583, 585, 586, 588, 589, 593, 601, 605, 607, 612, 613, 614, 615, 617, 618, 619, 620, 623, 624, 625, 626, 627, 630, 631, 633, 634, 635, 638, 639, 640, 641, 643, 645, 647, 648, 649, 651, 654, 655, 656, 658, 660....and 661? (is it part of the set, or just a gimmick insert?)

2011: 100, 145

2010: 353

2009: 387, 449, 451, 643, 658

2008: 476, 518, 618, 623

Check out Marc's Blog, it's a good one:

Fishers, IN

This card was sent by Spencer of Fisher, Indiana.  Thanks for the card Spencer, I appreciate every one I get.  This actually the first Denny's Hologram card I've added since 2015, so thank you.

Updated Total:

1991 Denny's: 16

Mableton, GA

This great assortment of 27 cards and a handful of stickers was sent by Alex of Mableton, Georgia.  It's always awesome to find an '83 Topps Wallach.  That was the first Wallach card I ever owned, and while I've never declared an "All-Time Favorite," it's certainly on the short list.  This wasn't just a stray '83 mixed in with 14  copies of 1990 Fleer and a '92 Donruss, this envelope included a run of Topps base cards from '83 straight on through to '87.

The Fleer stickers are project I want to tackle one day.  I want to put together a binder of all of the stickers from the 1980's Fleer sets.  There is just something about them that I find very endearing, and feel like it would be a nice addition to my collection and entertaining endeavor.

Thanks for these cards Alex, I really appreciate them.

Updated Totals:

1983 Topps: 255
1984 Topps: 312
1985 Topps: 297
1986 Topps: 311
1987 Topps x2: 868
1988 Donruss x7: 760
1988 Fleer x2: 248
1988 Score x6: 259
1989 Bowman x3: 152
1989 Donruss: 374
1989 Fleer: 342
1989 Topps: 664

Akron, OH

These seven cards were sent by Korora of Akron, Ohio, which has put the home of The 'Zips on the map.  The 1991 Score Superstar is a somewhat unusual card to see, but a trend I'm keeping an eye on is 1989 Upper Deck.

Back in say 1991, the I had more copies of the 1989 Upper Deck card than any other Wallach card in my collection.  Today I have fewer than 200 copies, which isn't by any means a small number, but it is noticeably smaller number than what I have for other junk wax sets from the era. I had so many of them at the time because every card shop in Phoenix was busting at the seems with 1989 UD.  Yet today, people seem to be sitting on it.  I expect it will level out eventually and I'll end up with as many copies of '89 UD as say '90 Fleer, but for now, it's lagging behind.

Thank you for the cards Korora.

Updated Totals:

1987 Donruss: 420
1989 Upper Deck: 188
1990 Fleer: 326
1991 Score "The Franchise": 192
1991 Score Superstars: 14
1993 Topps: 191
1993 Topps Gold: 34

Plainview, NY

This card was sent by Corey of Plainview, NY.  That's on Long Island for those of you that are curious.  It's marked on the map now, so you can confirm this, in case you don't believe me.  Thanks for the card Corey, I really appreciate it.  Everyone counts.

Updated Total:

1988 Donruss: 753

Plainfield, IL

These ten cards were sent by Jeff, who runs the "2x3 Heroes" blog.  Thanks for the cards Jeff, they're very much appreciated.

Updated Totals:

1984 Topps x3: 311
1988 Donruss All-Star: 47
1988 Topps: 680
1990 Upper Deck: 284
1991 Fleer: 174
1991 Topps: 239
1992 Ultra: 135
1993 Donruss: 98

Lake Barrington, IL

These eleven cards were sent by frequent contributor, John, of Lake Barrington, IL.  He sent them in August.  My bad.  You may notice the photo is different than my standard photo for these post.  The reason for that is my scanner died on me.  I had every intent of buying a new one when it did.  I was just busy, and as I became less busy, it occurred to me that I hadn't needed a scanner for a single thing other than my card blogs.  This thought made the idea of shelling out money that could be spent on other things (like cards) for a scanner seem less than enticing.  So I put it off, and I put it off, and here we are in November, and I'm posting cards I was sent back in August, and doing so without a scanner.  At some point, I'll decide I need a scanner at home, but for now, the photos of cards are going to look like this.  I actually kind of like it.  Also, I have a massive backlog of cards I've been sent that I need to get to.  So thank you everyone for the cards and your patience.  They're both appreciated.

And thank you John for these cards.  John mentioned in a note that he is a fan of the '88 Donruss All-Star, in no small part due to the old NL Logo on the card.  I am a hard line supporter of the old AL/NL logos and feel the consolidation of the umpire uniforms across MLB is a greater crime against the game than this interleague play and wild card nonsense that as been polluting our sport for more than two decades now.

Also, as much as I like the '88 Donruss All-Star Wallach, I feel like had the '86 Donruss All-Star Wallach been standard sized, it would be one of my Top 5 all-time favorite cards.  But instead, that set is an oversized mess.

Here are the updated totals:

1984 Topps: 308
1988 Donruss x4: 752
1988 Donruss All-Star: 46
1989 Fleer: 341
1992 Fleer x2: 116
1992 Pinnacle: 101
1993 Topps: 190

eBay pickup

Recently eBay hasn't been yielding much as far as large lots of Wallach cards go.  There's been a few decent size lots that pop up, but sellers seem to be confusing their junk wax Wallach commons, for hi-grade 1960's Topps commons.  This lot of 106 cards came to me under my 10¢ a card (shipped) price limit I impose on these things.  If I could unload all my unwanted junk wax from say 1991-1995 at 5¢ a card shipped, I would do so in a heartbeat, so I'm not sure what these sellers are holding out for.  Perhaps my ego is growing too large for my own good, but I sort of feel like I'm in a position to set the market price for Wallach cards, given as I'm the only person on the planet actively buying them in bulk.

This lot was a nice a little assortment, and as always, I'll be keeping an eye out for more.

Updated Totals:

1985 Topps: 296
1986 O-Pee-Chee: 12
1986 Topps: 310
1986 Topps All-Star x2: 624
1987 Donruss: 419
1987 Fleer x2: 206
1987 Sportfilics: 49
1987 Topps x2: 866
1988 Donruss: 748
1988 Donruss Baseball's Best: 33
1988 Kay-Bee: 29
1988 Fleer: 246
1988 Fleer MVP: 18
1988 Fleer Star Stickers: 80
1988 Nestle: 6
1988 Score: 253
1988 Topps x2: 679
1988 Topps All-Star: 671
1988 Topps Glossy Send-In: 18
1989 Donruss x2: 373
1989 Fleer x2: 340
1989 K-Mart: 50
1989 Score x2: 175
1989 Topps: 663
1989 Upper Deck: 187
1990 Bowman x2: 100
1990 Donruss: 421
1990 Fleer x2: 325
1990 Leaf: 96
1990 Score x2: 258
1990 Topps: 496
1990 U.S. Playing Cards x4: 33
1990 Upper Deck: 283
1991 Bowman: 59
1991 Donruss: 252
1991 Donruss MVP: 235
1991 Fleer x2: 173
1991 Leaf: 119
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier: 71
1991 Score: 224
1991 Score The Franchise: 191
1991 Score Super Star x2: 13
1991 Stadium Club: 122
1991 Studio: 71
1991 Topps: 238
1991 Ultra x2: 83
1991 Upper Deck: 277
1991 Upper Deck Checklist: 216
1992 Donruss x3: 192
1992 Fleer x3: 114
1992 Leaf x4: 95
1992 Panini: 7
1992 Pinnacle x2: 100
1992 Score: 81
1992 Stadium Club: 54
1992 Studio: 60
1992 Topps: 203
1992 Triple Play x2: 92
1992 Ultra: 134
1992 Upper Deck x2: 271
1993 Bowman: 23
1993 Donruss: 97
1993 Fleer x2: 53
1993 Leaf: 75
1993 Pinnacle x3: 37
1993 Score Select x2: 46
1993 Stadium Club x3: 59
1993 Topps: 189
1993 Topps Traded: 29
1993 Triple Play: 33
1993 Ultra: 41
1994 Pacific: 12
1994 Topps: 116
1995 Collector's Choice: 34
1995 Stadium Club: 22

2017 "Rediscover Topps" 1993 Topps #370

Card Review: 9.0  I like this 1993 Topps design.  It just has that inherent "baseball card feel" to it.  The superfluous blue "rediscover Topps" stamping along the side does nothing but slightly detract from the original, thankfully, it's somewhat difficult to see in blue foil.  Hopefully any kid that may have pulled one of these and was seeing 1993 Topps for the first time, wouldn't get to bad of an impression.

Number in my Collection 

Blue: 1

Ramsey, NJ

These cards were sent by regular contributor Max, of Ramsey, NJ.  The 1985 Topps Wallach is on my extremely short list for my All-Time favorite Wallach card.  It is without question in the Top 5, almost certainly Top 3, and depending on my mood and the lighting, it wouldn't take much arm twisting for me to call it my favorite.  If I ever do a list, it'll probably come down to the '85 or '83 Topps, but I'm not ready to commit to anything yet.

Like so many sets from the 1980's, ink levels varied so much from card to card, that how I feel about a card can really change depending on the particular sample in front of me.  Sometimes it's like looking at two different photos.  The 1984 Donruss Wallach for instance, can look like it was taken during a cloudless sunny July afternoon in Wrigley, or an overcast, rain delayed game.  With the 1985 Topps Wallach, I prefer the more sun bleached variations.

Thanks for the cards Max!

Updated Totals:

1985 Topps x5: 295
1988 Revco: 40

Watertown, NY

I suspect Watertown, NY, has become somewhat of a national distribution hub for Dodger cards.  Similar to how airlines choose a city, such as Denver, to route all the flights through then have everyone change planes and make their way to another destination.  I see only a small sample of the surplus Dodger cards that make their way through Watertown.  In particular, I see the duplicates of one player whose been retired for over two decades and spent a mere three and a half seasons on the hot corner for the Dodgers.  Small as that sample size is, I still see a lot of them.

The sheer volume of Dodger cards that go in and out of Watertown must be somewhat spectacular.  My current hope is that The Nightowl ends up needing a Wallach as one of the final cards in one of the 1980's Fleer sets he's working on, and he gets flooded with 200 copies of an '83 Fleer Wallach or something.

This latest batch of ten Wallach cards from Watertown includes a trio of inserts.  Looking at them, I can't help but notice that these early inserts were aimed at set builders.  They weren't particularly scarce at one to a pack, but building a full set of six hundred Silver Signatures Collector's Choice would be a monumental task.  And I think they hold up relatively well.  A Mike Trout signed insert card numbered to five with a piece of bat on it may be extremely rare, but will hold it up?  Especially since there are seemingly fifty different cards numbered and signed each year and each of them in various print runs based on ink and border colors and twenty other trivial differences.  I just see them as a novelty.  And over the course of twenty year a career, how many tens of thousands of signed and numbered cards is a guy going to end up having?

If I mention the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey, 1984 Donruss Mattingly, or 1975 Brett, most of us can probably immediately picture the card in our mind.  The 1968 Ryan isn't valuable because it was all that scarce, or is all that scarce today even.  These cards were part of a shared experience for people who collected them at the time.  That shared experience, and immediate recognition is what makes them iconic and desirable.  Will some 2009 insert of a Hall of Famer numbered to five, or even one of one, really have much of a shelf life?

Why do I care?  "Just collect what you like."  Ultimately, I agree, but... I can't help but wonder if the Topps base set designs have suffered over the last decade as a result of all the time and effort spent on putting together a hundred different insert sets.  People like "hits."  To me a "hit" is one of those things Pete Rose did 4,256 times.  To other's, they're a rare card in a pack and a chance to make money on the secondary market.  Topps should help those collector's skip the ebay middle man.  In a joint effort with MLB, and State Lotteries, they should put out baseball card style scratch off lottery tickets.  Have some fun with the designs, and the games, I'd buy them.  Even the tickets themselves could become collector's items.

I'd like to see odds disappear from the back of wrappers and be replaced with offers for T-Shirts and contest to go to the All-Star Game.  Leave the gambling out of the packs, and the qwest for "hits" to the poor guys standing 60 feet and down hill from Clayton Kershaw.  In any event, that was a long enough "get of my yard," rant.  The Nightowl was also nice to enough to help me out with a few cards I need from one of my many ongoing set building efforts,  2011 Topps.

Thanks for the cards.  As always, they're greatly appreciated.

Updated Totals:

1988 Topps: 677
1988 Topps All-Star x2: 670
1993 Stadium Club: 56
1994 Flair: 10
1994 Topps Gold: 26
1994 Triple Play: 30
1995 Collector's Choice Silver Signature: 4
1995 Score Gold Rush: 14
1996 Pinnacle: 45

Allen, Texas

This box of 175 cards was sent by Nick of Allen, Texas.  Nick is by, at least by my estimation, the only other devoted Wallach collector out there.  I've ran into a good number of other Wallach fans, but most aren't card collectors. Thankfully, he's a collector of the more reasonable variety, and only needs one of each card.  So I've sent a few odd-balls his way that he was in need of (I know it goes against my stated mission, but there's enough to go around), and in return he has been wildly generous in sending me duplicates.

A couple of odd things jumped out in the process of adding up these cards.  Some how the 1989 Topps Sticker is the first new one I've picked up since 2012.  The 1988 Fleer Award Winner also ends a multi-year drought without adding any.  It's strange the cards that seem to end up being scarce.  I don't know if it's actually a by product of low print runs, or just a statistical anomaly, but either way I find it interesting.

As always, thank you for the cards Nick.

Updated Totals:

1982 Topps x2: 1,191
1983 Fleer: 113
1985 O-Pee-Chee: 23
1986 Donruss: 143
1986 Donruss All-Star: 28
1986 Fleer Mini: 38
1986 Leaf: 27
1986 Topps: 309
1986 Topps All-Star: 622
1987 Donruss: 418
1987 Sportflics Tri-Stars x2: 13
1987 Topps x2: 864
1988 Donruss x8: 747
1988 Donruss All-Star x2: 45
1988 Fleer: 245
1988 Fleer Award Winners: 19
1988 Leaf Canadian Greats x2: 31
1988 O-Pee-Chee: 15
1988 Score: 252
1988 Topps x3: 676
1988 Topps All-Star x5: 668
1988 Topps Big: 62
1988 Topps Mini Leaders: 33
1988 Topps Stickers: 25
1989 Bowman: 149
1989 Donruss x3: 371
1989 Fleer x2: 338
1989 K-Mart x2: 49
1989 Topps x4: 662
1989 Topps Stickers: 5
1989 Upper Deck: 186
1990 Bowman x4: 98
1990 Donruss Baseball's Best: 10
1990 Fleer: 323
1990 Leaf x2: 95
1990 Topps x9: 495
1990 Topps Coins: 9
1990 Topps Mini Leaders x2: 15
1990 Topps Super Star: 21
1990 Upper Deck x2: 282
1990 U.S. Playing Cards: 29
1991 Donruss x3: 251
1991 Donruss MVP x3: 234
1991 Fleer x3: 171
1991 Leaf x2: 118
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier: 70
1991 Post: 14
1991 Stadium Club x5: 121
1991 Studio: 70
1991 Topps x6: 237
1991 Ultra x3: 81
1991 Upper Deck x3: 276
1991 Upper Deck Checklist x7: 215
1992 Bowman: 51
1992 Donruss: 189
1992 Leaf: 91
1992 Leaf Black Gold: 14
1992 Pinnacle: 98
1992 Stadium Club x4: 53
1992 Studio: 59
1992 Topps x2: 202
1992 Topps Kids x2: 41
1992 Triple Play x2: 90
1992 Ultra: 133
1992 Upper Deck x3: 269
1993 Bowman: 22
1993 Fleer Final Edition: 12
1993 Leaf: 74
1993 Studio: 43
1993 Topps x3: 188
1993 Topps Traded: 28
1993 Ultra: 40
1993 Upper Deck x4: 136
1994 Collector's Choice Silver Sig: 4
1994 Pacific: 11
1994 Pinnacle: 30
1994 Stadium Club x2: 41
1994 Topps x5: 115
1994 Upper Deck: 76
1995 Collector's Choice SE: 38
1995 Donruss x2: 46
1995 Stadium Club x2: 21
1995 Topps x4: 53
1996 Collector's Choice Ser.II: 26
1996 Pinnacle: 44
1997 Collector's Choice x2: 25