The Valley of the 6 for 5 Bin
March 25th, 2010 by slangon

Here we go again.

1983 Topps Traded #101T Tom Seaver

I wish I was a little older and more aware of things in 1983. I’m sure it was a joyous day in Metsville when they welcomed The Franchise back into the fold. I just don’t remember. I’m sure my Dad was psyched. I was actually just recently looking at Seavers Wikipedia page, and I read something that I was not aware of that bummed me out a little. Apparently, once he made his way back to the Mets, he had every intention of finishing out his career where he started it. From the Wikipedia page:

Seaver and the Mets were stunned on January 20, 1984 when he was claimed in a free-agent compensation draft by the Chicago White Sox. The team (especially GM Frank Cashen) had incorrectly assumed that no one would pursue a high-salaried, 39-year-old starting pitcher, and left him off the protected list. Faced with either reporting to the White Sox or retiring, Seaver chose the former.

I’m not savvy enough to know what all that compensation draft and protected list mumbo jumbo is, but it made me a little sad to think that old Tom could’ve been part of both the Mets first and last World Series wins. Oh well.

1985 Topps #620 Dwight Gooden

One of the problems that I would often run into when buying cards for sets that I’m trying to collect is being in a position to get some cards but not having my checklist with me. I don’t know how many cards I inadvertently bought doubles of, thinking I needed it but ending up having it. I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s run into that wall. Once I got a fancy new cell phone with an interweb browser, I had set up a no frills web page that listed the cards that I needed so that wouldn’t happen any more. It worked out really well. Of course it only works if you actually take the time to look at the page as you’re browsing cards. For whatever reason, I was so convinced that I needed this Gooden card I didn’t even bother to take my phone out. Guess who’s got 2 copies of this card now. In my defense, a few days before I was trolling around for his ’84 Topps Traded card, which I do need. I guess I got his really rookie card mixed up with his not-so-much rookie card. Dope.

1977 Topps #640 Carlton Fisk

It seems to me that there are certain cards from throughout the years that have kind of become iconic. The 1971 Thurman Munson card. The 1952 Mickey Mantle. The Honus Wagner T206. The 1977 Reggie Jackson. I guess really thats the basic premise behind the Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert set. To me, this ’77 Carlton Fisk card should be on that list. Very often when I’m looking at cards, in the back of my head I’m running through things that I might have done differently had I been designing them. I can’t think of one thing I would change about this card.

1964 Philadelphia Football #56 Tom Landry

I think this is the third of these Philadelphia Gum coaches cards that I’ve pulled out of the 6 for 5 box. Out of the three, two have been plays that were run against the Giants. What does that mean? Nothing. When my son gets a little older and starts to get involved in sports, I want to coach his Pop Warner football team and just use these cards to run plays.

1973 Topps #130 Pete Rose

You remember a couple of seconds ago when I was saying that a lot of times when I’m looking at cards I think of what I would do differently? Well if I were making a card of a hitter of Pete Rose’s caliber, I probably wouldn’t use a photograph of him popping up. Or maybe I would. You know, just so he doesn’t get all big headed.

1977 Wiffle Ball Discs Johnny Bench

I guess I discovered the 6 for 5 bin sometime in January or so. Since then I’ve made quite a few purchases from it. I’m pretty sure this card, or disc or whatever you want to call it, has been in there since then. Every time I start digging through the box I always mean to pick it up. Invariably I end up finding too many cards and having to put some back. This one has always gotten put back. Until now. A bit of a strange thing is that the copyright info on the right side lists this as 1976, but the Standard Card Catalog lists it as 1977. Go figure. As you could probably guess they were inserted in Wiffle Ball boxes. This is probably one of the odder item found in the 6 for 5 bin to date.

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