Coming Back Around...Slowly...

So taking a week away from all things card-related (all things computer related too for that matter) was really nice.  In fact, it was so nice that when I got back from Ireland I decided to take another week away from cards.  No blog posts, no card purchases, no browsing eBay, nothing.  It was long overdue.  I think the fact that the Red Sox totally suck, combined with what seems like a certain lengthy delay (at best) to the start of the 2012-13 NHL season, has made this break relatively easy to bear.

Plenty happened while I was gone, though.  One of my favorite Red Sox personalities of all-time, Johnny Pesky, passed away.  The team also shed more than $250 million in payroll in one of the more remarkable "trades" I've seen pulled off in my lifetime.  I'm starting to feel my interest towards the hobby slowly creep back, but I'm still not all the way there yet, so for today I'm going to wade back into the blogging waters with a simple, one card post.  Continuing my recent trend of acquiring 1964 Topps baseball cards, here's the latest addition to my collection from that set:

This card is one that has been on my most wanted list for quite a while.  I've wanted a copy since I first laid eyes on the card this past winter.  Aside from my love of 1964 Topps, this one filled a longtime want for my collection; a vintage Berra card.  The 1963 season was Berra's final year playing for the Yankees, so this is a manager card, but I like it nonetheless.  I think the portrait that Topps selected is just perfect.  Weathered face, sweat-stained cap, bat resting on his shoulder...classic.  Besides, it fits quite nicely with my Johnny Pesky manager card from the same set.

After months of searching I decided on this copy, which I am really happy with.  Any vintage baseball card collection worth its weight in salt should have a Yogi Berra.  After all, he is one of the greatest (some say the greatest) catchers to ever play the game.  If his personality and one-liners aren't enough to get you to appreciate him, his 10 World Series titles as a player should be.

At some point I'd like to add a vintage Berra from his playing days.  1953 Topps would be the obvious choice since I'm working on that set, but I've seen a couple of other great ones as well, most notably 1950 Bowman.  Any suggestions?

Vacation from the Shoebox

Posting is going to be non-existent here for the next 10 days or so, as I'm out the door on my way to Ireland.  This trip's been on the bucket list for quite some time, especially given that such a large percentage of my family's ancestry called (and calls!) the country home.  I'll be back soon enough, but in the meantime this seemed like the most appropriate "card" from my collection to leave atop the blog...have a great week everyone!

Red Sox Collection - 1949 Bowman Johnny Pesky

After straying completely off-base with a random non-sport post a week or so ago, today I'll go with something that's a bit more in my collecting wheelhouse; my Red Sox collection.  I'm not sure what it is, time of year maybe, but I've been focusing quite a bit on Red Sox cards lately.  A month or so back I scored a card that instantly became one of my oldest and most prized Sox cards:

This 1949 Bowman Johnny Pesky is a great reminder to myself that this hobby is a journey, not a race.  I've wanted a copy of this card for a few years now.  It fits into my collection on a few different levels.  Besides being a new Red Sox card, it's also the fourth card in my very modest Johnny Pesky collection.  This is the oldest of the four Peskys I own, and it's likely the oldest I'll ever own (there's a '48 Leaf Pesky that's way outside my price range).  Add to that the fact that I'm a huge fan of vintage Bowman baseball cards and this one was a must have.  The thing is, this card just doesn't pop up very often, at least not in a condition I'm satisfied with for a price I'm willing to pay.

Finally, after a couple of years of waiting patiently I decided on this one, and for $35 shipped I'm more than satisfied with the condition.  This is the first '49 Bowman I've ever owned.  I have to say that I like the '50 and '52 sets a bit more, but adding a card that's now more than 60 years old to my collection is pretty cool nonetheless.

Here's a look at the back.  Not a lot of difference here between the '49 set and the later Bowman sets of the 1950s.

What's your oldest card of your favorite team, baseball, hockey or otherwise?