Random Binder of Awesomeness - Page 1

One thing that I'm always looking to improve on is storage and display of my collection.  My collecting interests are so varied, and I have so many random cards, that it can be a challenge to keep them organized but also enjoyable and easy to view.  Towards this end I've decided to start a new random binder that showcases some of the cards from my collection that I truly enjoy, but that don't necessarily "fit" within any of my team collections or sets that I'm chasing.

I'm dubbing this new binder "The Random Binder of Awesomeness", and my plan from time to time is to highlight 9 new cards that will join the binder here on the blog.  Today we'll look at the first 9 cards to make the cut to form the first page...

Who didn't love the Topps Kids set back in 1992?  It seemed like the perfect set to lead the binder off with, as it harkens back to a simpler time when collecting was about fun and maybe building a set.  No inserts, parallels, game used or autograph cards to speak of, just a plan cardboard base set with a fun design.  The fact that Jim Abbott was such an inspiration is just the icing on the cake as far as this particular card goes.  This card also gets some bonus points due to the fact that it's actually from my childhood collection, pulled from a pack more than 20 years ago.

Here's one way outside my normal collecting boundaries.  I stay away from anything other than baseball and hockey for the most part, but I couldn't resist sneaking in this card of one of the top basketball players in the history of the NBA.  I won this card off of eBay earlier this year for $.15 with free shipping.  How the seller made a profit on this when there was a $.49 stamp affixed to the envelop it came in is beyond me.

I'm a sucker for a good mascot, and there are few in the game more entertaining or recognizable than Mr. Met.  When this card spilled out of a pack of 2013 Opening Day that I got in a repack recently I was relieved to find that my Mets collecting buddy Mark K already owned a copy.  That meant I was safe to keep this card, which is a perfect addition to this binder.

Again, I'm not a football guy per se, but this card helps fulfill the 'random' criteria.  Barry is the most exciting running back I can ever recall seeing play.  This card isn't anything special, but I picked it up in a COMC order months ago because I think the photo really does a good job of conveying the speed that Barry possessed.

Speaking of football, next up is two sport star Bo Jackson.  I'm a fan of cards that celebrate a specific event or point in time, and this one that pays tribute to Bo's 1989 All Star game MVP award fits the bill.  It's hard to tell in the scan, but this card is relatively thick and very shiny.  I grabbed it in the one and only "card draft" I've ever participated in, probably close to two years ago now...

I don't even recall where I got this card from.  Although it's from a worthless, overproduced set and features a blurry, low-quality photo, I still enjoy it quite a bit.  Earl was just one of those baseball lifers who really seemed to live for the game.  Besides, manager and coach cards aren't something you see too often anymore, sadly.

I don't think I need to explain this one much.  This has to be one of the most random cards I've come across since I got back into collecting.  As a kid I enjoyed The Wizard of Oz quite a bit, so while some may think this card is cheesy, tacky, unnecessary or over-the-top, to me it's cardboard gold.

Of course I had to fit at least one hockey card on the page.  If you're old enough to have been collecting hockey cards in the early '90s then you remember what a big deal Lindros was at the time.  In the long run, concussions took their toll on the star.  He still turned in some solid career numbers, but in 1991 when this card came out most folks thought this guy could be the next Gretzky or Crosby.

Last but not least, the award for most random item on this page goes to this sticker, from the 1975 Topps Good Times set.  I commented when I saw it posted over at A Pack to Be Named Later, and David was kind enough to mail it to me!  The show was definitely before my time (I wasn't even born until 7 years after this set came out), but the sticker just screams '70s.

Even the back has a nice moldy, nearly 40-year-old gum stain!

So there are the first 9 cards chosen for the binder, let's see what the page looks like all assembled:

I'm pretty satisfied with this, I'd say it fits both criteria of random and awesome!  Here's a look at the backs:

That's all for today, hope you enjoyed and I plan to have some more pages posted in the near future!