Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Jim Johnson's face sez it all


With the Jim Johnson Philly Gum card landing in my mailbox on Monday I'm down to just two holes in the binder. The Mike Ditka is en-route but the Bart Starr card is proving to be a victim of my cheapskate ways. More on that in a bit.

I grin every time I look at the Johnson card. Love that expression. It's like that football isn't really a football at all but a steaming pile of horse manure that he caught as a reflex.

That's just about the same look I had when I opened the envelope the card arrived in. The seller did what other sellers have done in the past and used junk wax era cards as 'stabilizers' to protect the one he was sending. Sadly he cello taped one of the extras to the outside of the card holder. My 'free bonus'* '92 Fleer Ultra Dave Winfield card ended up like this:



Strangely he used painters tape to attach a different Winfield in a penny sleeve to the other side of the holder. So I'm the proud owner of an intact 1990 Score Dave Winfield.


Yes, these are both dime box fodder but I still feel I'm allowed to while about the fact that I wish he'd have used the painters tape on the Score and vice versa. That Fleer Ultra is was a much nicer card.

Oh, I almost forgot the Bart Starr card story. The average price for an acceptable (to me) copy of Starr's '64 Philly Gum card is in the $35-$40 range. Two copies came up on eBay within the last few weeks that were well below that and each had a 'best offer' option. I low-balled 'em both. And had the offers rejected. And I was too stubborn (stupid) to accept counter offers. Live and learn.



*=added for clarity...these Winfields were used as "protection" by the seller.

3 comments:

  1. A. In regards to the Johnson, Ithink that was the expression I had on my face the first time I held my niece.

    B. I've got great memories of 1992 Fleer Ultra. First master set I ever built (with the exception of the Gwynn autographs). Loved the design and the glossiness.

    C. I've missed out on a few '56 HOFers b/c of lowball offers. Oh well... it is what it is. Best of luck on acquiring the Starr. Hope you can find one in the price range you've established for yourself.

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  2. I hate it when sellers (or traders/collectors) use regular tape anywhere. At least that guy used it on a "cheap" card. I have had way too many sellers put vintage cards in one of those "card savers" with no penny sleeve and used the worst regular tape possible to cover the "saver" opening. Fortunately I have only had one maybe two casualties due to the tape, and of those just the top edge of the card but still it is very annoying and very risky for the cards.

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  3. That has to be one of the worst photos I've seen on a football card. I guess that is all they had....

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