What Can You Do With $1,000? Buy Some Mets Cards!

Twenty-six years of Mets team sets could cost you just under $1,000.

I found this eBay auction this week that is selling every Mets team set card from 1962 - 1988. The auction appears to include the Seaver and Ryan rookies... and Ed Kranepool!

Completing a Team Set - 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans

Bill Miller completes m 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans team set.

I love the feeling of completing a page in the sports card binder - especially when it finishes the team set. I started building the '62 Fleer Texans team set a year or so ago. It didn't need to take that long, but I didn't want to over pay for cards on eBay or find some looked worn out.

The Bill Miller card looks very different than others in the set. Most of the cards have players with a odd face and different frozen actions. Miller's card actually looks like he was running a pattern to catch a pass.

Now it's on to the next team set to build. I'm one card a way from finishing my '52 Bowman Large Dallas Texans team set a few away from finishing my '87 Topps Mets set. 

Jerry Mays Key to eBay Combined Shipping

Hello.... Jerry.

This 1962 Fleer Jerry Mays card is the latest add to my Dallas Texans team set.

I really lucked out with my last four cards of this set. I found one eBay seller listing the last four Texans cards that I needed and was combining the shipping. All four cards cost $3.00 to ship. Not a bad deal.

Oh That Shifty Abner Haynes

I'm down to my final four for this completed team set.

Abner Haynes, 1962 Fleer, Dallas Texans is the latest addition. Haynes was the AFL Player-of-the-Year in 1960.

Once again, the back of the card has the great description. "Fleet, shifty Haynes sprinted 841 yards in 179 carries for an average of 4.7."

Oh that shifty Haynes.

1987 Topps Mets - New Team Set Project

I have a head start on my new team set project. Jason from The Writer's Journey sent me about 15 cards from the '87 set - all Mets!

Thanks to Jason for the great start on my new project.

I decided to go with the '87 Topps Mets set because this was a team that I watched a lot during the '87 season. I was a big fan of the WWOR crew when I was growing up in south Jersey.

Of course the '87 season was disappointing. I still blame Roger McDowell for part a good part in that.

I had a lot of the '87 Topps set during that season. Unfortunately they lined the pennant on my wall instead of a occupying a page in my binder. This set will stay in the binder.

One Card from Finishing a 1952 Team Set

James Phelan, card #122, nearly finishes my '52 Bowman Large Texans team set.

I used some eBay bucks to get this card for free. I'm a big fan of the eBay bucks now.

I really like the '52 Bowman style and the back of the card says, "He captained the 1917 Fighting Irish . . . " How many cards reference a player from the 1917 Notre Dame team?!

Now I just need to capture the elusive Jim Lansford to complete the set.

The Rabbit - Jimmy Saxton

I had a good eBay mail day this week - Jimmy Saxton!

This one goes with my '62 Fleer Dallas Texans team set I'm building. Where did they take this picture? It looks like a river bank in the background.

I have no idea why Saxton was nicknamed the "The Rabbit" when he played for Texas before jumping to the Texans. Wouldn't Jackelope be a little more fun?

A Card so Nice, I Had to Buy it Twice

Actually, this card helped me with my 2011 New Year's Resolution: Check the spreadsheet before bidding!  

I already have this '52 Bowman Large card of James Hammond. The eBay auction bid was $4 so I placed the bid. After I won it for $4, I checked my spreadsheet and had my duh moment.

Oh well, it's $4, it's a cool card... I "won" auctions far worse than this I suppose.

Try to Smack that Smile off Gino Marchetti's Face

Hey Rookie - What are you smiling at?

This is Gino Marchetti's 1952 Bowman Large rookie card (#23). I picked up this card on eBay for a fraction of the book value. Yes, add your own book value comment here.

I met Gino at an autograph show a few years ago. He didn't say much (unlike his HOF teammate Art Donovan), but he signed my item, and said thank you.

This is card almost finishes my 52 Bowman Large Texans team set. Two more to go!

You Say Weiner, I Say Weiner

Now this is a cool vintage card. I've noticed some of the 1952 Bowman cards are landscape instead of portrait - not all, but a handful are designed this way.

This is another one for my Dallas Texans team set. This is card #114, Art Weiner from the 1952 Bowman Large series.

1952 Bowman Large Design Fail

For the most part, the 1952 Bowman football series (large and small) looks outstanding. I've been working on a '52 Texans set for both.

There are some great action shots like Zollie Toth and Art Weiner.

And then the series has the John Wozniak card here.

Does this Dallas Texan Look "Sneaky Fast?"

The back of this card describes Chris Burford as "Sneaky Fast!"

In 1961, Burford averaged 16.7 yards per reception and 51 catches for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns.

This 1962 Fleer is the latest Dallas Texans card I've picked up on eBay. I only have five more before completing the team set.

Great Action Shots from Dallas Texan E.J. Holub

The 1962 Fleer set I'm collecting is entertaining if nothing else.

I'm focusing on the Dallas Texans and some of these cards are pretty hilarious. This is E.J. Holub, a linebacker from Texas Tech.

As David commented on my previous blog post about the 1962 Texans, "Part of the reason for so many local collegiate guys was to help create an interest in the team by having the fans recognize the players. They were referred to as "Territorial Picks."

Great comment and thanks for the contribution.

Dallas Texans 1962 - Hometown Signings

This is another 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans card I picked up. Once again, the posed action shot of Sherrill Headrick is classic.

The stats on the back indicate that Headrick is from TCU. So far, 3 of the 4 '62 Texans that I've put on the blog came from Texas or Louisiana colleges.

Did they get local players due to easier scouting, public relations, lack of scouting budgets, or all of the above?

Spikes! Put Two Hands on that Football

The faux action shots of this 1962 Fleer set are pretty cool. This is full-back Jack Spikes demonstrating the proper technique to have two hands on the football.

If only I had this picture to show the football team I coached this fall!

Mel Branch 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans

My latest 1962 Fleer Dallas Texan is Mel Branch. It's another card from this fun set that looks Mel is dancing instead of playing football.

Branch was a defensive end for the Texans.

The Texans logo in the bottom right corner is pretty awesome too.

Dancing with the Dallas Texans Stars

I started a new team set this week. In addition to the '52 Dallas Texans, I'm now collecting the 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans. This is the Texans team that ended up moving to Kansas City.

I think the Fleer cards pretty hilarious. They have coloration issues, centering is always a struggle, but you an find some cheap, nice ones on eBay.

This is Paul Rochester doing his best Dancing with the Stars. Is he doing the cha-cha?

When Football Players Had Off-Season Jobs

The backs of vintage cards bring more than the stats.

I picked up this 1952 Bowman Large card of Dallas Texan Brad "Whitie" Ecklund. The best part of his card was the listing of his four years in the Marines seeing action at Okinawa.

I really thought it the last two sentences of the card were interesting:
"Works as a salesman during the off-season. Plans career in coaching and selling."

Sounds like the first steps to product endorsements?

A New Card Can Make it All Good

It's been a long week at work. It's going to be a long month actually, but there's something about getting a new card in the mail that just helps you get through it all.

Today I added to my '52 Bowman Large Dallas Texans team set with this Buddy Young card. I have the '52 Bowman Small set, and now I'm going large.

Buddy was a 5'4" running back for the Texans and Yanks prior to that. I paid around $8 for this card on eBay.

Now, back to work.

Mail Bag Delivers: Barney Poole 1952 Bowman Large

I added to my 1952 Bowman Large collection. I picked up Dallas Texan Barney Poole for a good price on eBay. It's not perfectly centered, but that isn't a big deal to me.

Poole began his pro football career with the New York Yankees in 1949. The Yankees moved to Dallas for the 1952 season - their only season as the Texans.