Buyback Franken-set: Heritage Trio

Can't believe it's been over a month since I made any progress on my Buyback Franken-set project.  Let's remedy that today with a trio of Topps Heritage box-topper buybacks, courtesy of COMC...

1969 Topps #384 - Larry Shepard

Grabbed this one because it was less than a buck, and features that fantastic palm tree background.  Larry Shepard's time at the helm in Pittsburgh lasted just two seasons, but at least he got a nice looking baseball card out of it.  Best of all, this is my first #384 buyback, so into the franken-set binder it goes!

1967 Topps #371 - Jim Lonborg

Here's one I'm particularly fond of as a Red Sox fan.  1967 was the famed "Impossible Dream" season for Boston, and Jim Lonborg was a big part of that team.  Certainly the most important pitcher on the staff that season, the best of his career.  He won 22 games and a Cy Young award.  The buyback from that famed season has to make the franken-set, right?

Not so fast, says Sal Bando (also featuring palm trees).  This is a nice buyback as well, and I love the Athletics uniforms of this era, but...

...it can't hold a candle to that Lonborg.  Not as far as this Red Sox fan is concerned anyway...

1969 Topps #364 - Tommie Agee

Final card for today is Tommie Agee's 1969 release.  Like the Lonborg above, this one's significant in that 1969 was one hell of a season for the Mets!  The blotched out helmet logo really annoys me, but the interesting (if a bit fuzzy) background action more than makes up for it.  A fine buyback indeed!

Agee comes up against a buzz-saw as far as this project goes though, as slot 364 is currently occupied by Claude Raymond's infamous unzipped fly!  One of the more comical and notable cards from the '67 release.

I may regret this choice down the line, and I reserve my right to change my mind at a later date, but for now I'm sticking with the adolescent humor and keeping Claude in the binder.

That's a wrap for today.  We got one of each possible outcome within this trio; a new number for the set, a card that successfully battled its way in, and another that lost out in its bid for the binder.  I'll take it!

Franken-set Progress: 653/792 (82%)
1990 Topps Buyback Set: 119/792 (15%)
"Rejected" Buybacks: 619
Total Buybacks in Collection: 1,391