Buyback Franken-set: Oldies But Goodies

I've got ten more buybacks queued up for today's post.  These are some that I've actually had kicking around for a while now, from the days before I even decided to form the franken-set in fact.  Time to absorb them into the mix and see how they fare...

1977 Topps #647 - Montreal Expos Team

First up is this great Expos team card buyback featuring the legendary Dick Williams.  This one came my way as part of a small Sportlots order.  I have no idea where this photograph was taken, but I'm intrigued.  At #647 this card has no current competition, and it's one of the highest numbered cards in the binder at this point in time.

1976 Topps #582 - Mike Kekich

I pulled this Mike Kekich buyback from the lone box of 2015 Topps Update I picked up last year.  Any time I see Kekich's name I'm reminded of the wife/family swap that took place with teammate Fritz Peterson.  Crazy stuff.  Mike here makes the cut uncontested, and we're two for two to start today's post!

1966 Topps #342 - Bob Humphreys

The next pair came from Tim at I Love the Smell of Cardboard in the Morning.  Hat-less portrait shots are probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to '60s cardboard.  Bob makes the cut for now, but for the sole reason that I don't have another #342 buyback yet.  His spot in the franken-set is tenuous to say the least...

1966 Topps #253 - Don Wert

Tim also sent along this nice Don Wert in the same package back at the very beginning of this year.  I like this one a good deal more than the Bob Humphreys.  Not only because Don is wearing proper head attire, but because I've always been intrigued by the background of this photograph.  Don here has some competition as far as the franken-set goes...

If I were judging solely based on condition Wert would be in, and Mueller would be out.  I have precious few '58s in the franken-set so far though, and I'm fascinated by the life this Don Mueller card must have led before it found itself back in Topps' hands to be stamped.

Sorry Don.

1979 Topps #618 - Jerry Remy

Next up, a pair of '79 Red Sox buybacks from 2014 Topps that I scored off of Sportlots well over a year ago now.  This was back at a time when I could find dozens and dozens of buybacks I was interested in for a buck or less, but these days the inventory on both Sportlots and COMC has been picked somewhat clean.  Glad I grabbed this Jerry Remy when I did, and he's in at #618!

1979 Topps #480 - Fred Lynn

Pairing nicely with the Rem-Dog is this Fred Lynn, which is to this day still the only Lynn buyback I've landed.  Just like his teammate Jerry Remy, Fred makes the franken-set easily.

1977 Topps #425 - Joe Torre

This Joe Torre came from the same Sportlots lot as the Expos team card I led off with.  The slugging first baseman and future manager is in at card 425!  A nice enough card, but I have an even better Torre buyback sitting in my "to be posted" stack for another day.

1976 Topps #415 - Vada Pinson

This '76 Vada Pinson came from the same seller as the Expos team and Joe Torre cards.  Unlike those two however, Vada doesn't get a free pass.  In fact he's the second card in this post to have to face off against a '58 Topps card:

If I chose to side with that last beat-to-hell '58 then I'm certainly going to go with this one, which I recently plucked from the dollar box at my LCS.

Adios Vada!

1979 Topps #446 - Jim Lonborg

Here's Jim Lonborg's final Topps release.  While there's nothing inherently wrong about this card, Jim just doesn't look right to me in anything but a Red Sox uniform.  Aside from that, there's a card standing in Lonborg's way if he hopes to make the franken-set...

Hmm...not an easy call...

...but at the end of the day I'd just rather have Jim represented with the Red Sox if and when he does make the franken-set.  Jerry Reuss prevails!

1965 Topps #147 - Dennis Bennett

Last card for today, a confused-looking Dennis Bennett courtesy of 1965 Topps (then 2014 Topps!).  As a Red Sox buyback this one should carry some extra weight, but then again there's that whole thing I mentioned about hat-less players on my baseball cards.  Slot 147 is already occupied as well, by this Heritage Lum Harris buyback:

The buyback stamp is fading a bit here (I hope this isn't a sign of things to come for my other buybacks), and there also appears to be some kind of mold or strange growth occurring just above it.  Lum's at least wearing a cap though, and I'm an admitted sucker for manager cards too.

As much as it pains me to say it, the Red Sox buyback loses out this time around.  This is the second Sox buyback that I've relegated to the franken-set rejects box so far.  Oh well...

The six new additions from this small batch pushed me over the 200 unique cards threshold for the franken-set at long last.  300, here I come!

Franken-set Progress:  202/792 (26%)