Throwback Thursday: You Complete Me 1968

One of my collecting goals for 2015 was to complete 2 vintage team sets which you can see on my Vintage Needs.  I can now cross off almost two from the list and we are only a month into the new year.

Because of our work schedules and the hour difference between us, I didn't get a chance to see my mom on Christmas.  Instead it took us a few weeks into the new year to exchange gifts and enjoy some drinks and holiday cookies.

My mom went above all expectations and hooked me up with some vintage cards I needed to complete some team sets I was working on.  She filled in the remaining 5 cards needed for my 1968 team set by adding 4 cards sporting Hall of Famers (2 Clementes, 1 Stargell, and 1 Jim Bunning).

In addition to the 5 cards I needed for 1968, she also scored me a handful of 1962s which brings my team set needs for that year to only #10 Roberto Clemente.

Thanks so much Mom for knocking these out for me.

Throwback Thursday: I completed a 69

If this title doesn't draw you in, maybe these two sweet 1969 cards of Hall of Famers Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski will.  The former Bucs greats were the last two cards I needed to complete my 1969 Topps Pirates Team Set and it ran me just shy of $18 to do so.

Both cards are in beautiful shape and feature no major creases, chipping, or writing.  Absolutely awesome deal I got for these two at my local sports collectors show at the mall.

Throwback Thursday: The Dock is in!!!!

A few months ago I made a large purchase of over 100 cards on COMC that helped complete some vintage teamsets along with parallels and inserts of some of my favorite Pirates.

I already showed off my 1965 Topps Strikeout Leaders featuring Don Veale that completed my 1965 team set.  Today I'm going to show a card that ran me just over an Abe ($5) to complete the 1970 Topps Pirates team set.

Last card needed for the 1970 team set: Dock Ellis

Card Number: 551 (high number)
Player's most notable moment in Pirates career: threw a No Hitter on LSD

Dock Ellis recently passed away in 2008, but before his passing he would often tell a story of how he threw a no hitter on the drug LSD.  For more information of the No Hitter as told by Ellis, visit this site.

There's currently a documentary called No-No: A Dockumentary the Dock Ellis story.  The trailer can be seen below

Throwback Thursday: Tracking down the Holy Veale

I needed one card to complete my 1965 Pirates Team Set and that was a card that featured the 1964 NL Strikeout Leaders including Bob Veale.  Veale lead the National League in punchout in 1964 with 250 in 279 innings pitched.

The card which also features Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale ran me $3.20 and helped me complete 3 Topps Team sets with a recent COMC purchase.  I will show off the others as part of my Throwback Thursday segments.

It's the little things in life...

In my haste to complete and organize every Topps flagship Pirates baseball card, I didn't realize I was missing card #611 from the 1973 Topps Set.  This high number card features a rookie card of Pirates outfielder Richie Zisk. 

Zisk was a member of the Pirates famous Lumber Company in the 70s.  However Zisk's best years came after leaving the burgh.  In 1977 and 1978 Zisk was a member of the American League All-Star team when he played for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals respectively.  He finished his career batting .287 with 207 HomeRuns and nearly 792 Runs Batted In over the course of 12 seasons. 

The other players depicted on this rookie card went on to have meaningful careers as utility players and 4th outfielders.  Wohlford played 15 seasons, only getting more than 500 at bats in a season once and Coggins played 5 seasons finishing sixth in Rookie of Year voting in 1973. 

I won the above card for only 99 cents and as a bonus, the seller included these two stickers below.
He must've known that I was a big Pirates fan.  It's the little things like this that just put a smile on my face.

You Nearly Completed Me with a Play at the Plate

My Vintage Needs are decressing each month and I am getting VERY CLOSE to crossing off the 1956 Topps set.  I attended a local mall card show with my brother last week and was digging through the 50% off vintage bins.  For only $4.50 I managed to grab this 1956 Topps Dick Groat that features an awesome play at the plate (possibly with Roy Campanella?)

1956 Topps Dick Groat

The only card that remains to be added to complete my 1956 Topps Pirates team set.....
a second year card of Roberto Clemente.  Knowing that the Clemente was one of the cards and recognizing the slim possiblity that the Groat could be one of the 10 or so cards in the 1956 stack, I said to my brother "Should I even bother trying to see if Dick Groat is in here?"  The 2nd card in the pile was the excellent piece of vintage cardboard you see above.

The back is just as nice.