Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Buying Back Buybacks

A few posts ago I talked about how I'm a total sucker for the buyback cards Topps has been inserting into some products the past couple of years.  In that post, it was Allen & Ginter buybacks, but I like the vintage Topps flagship buybacks much more.  Here are 10 examples of buybacks that I picked up recently on Sportlots...

How great is this '66 Topps Curt Flood card?  I already have an original '66 in my collection, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to pick up its buyback counterpart.  This one's from the 2015 Topps set as you can see by the stamp.  It set me back $1.50, which is more than any of the other cards in this post (which were all $1 or less).

The remainder of these are from the 2014 Topps "75th Anniversary Buyback" series.  I picked up a run of 9 of these, all from the same seller, and all featuring semi-stars from the 1979 Topps set.  I always think of Vida Blue here as an Oakland Athletic, but his 1978 season with the Giants was actually one of his better campaigns.

I had to grab this Jim Kaat, just because he'd already pitched an impressive twenty MLB seasons before this card was released!

Mickey Lolich played for the Padres?!?!  I love this shot of the aging veteran and that great warm-up jacket.  I've always been fond of this style Padres cap since it contains my initials!  Also, you may have noticed that the foil stamp is much larger on this card than on the previous two.  Not sure why Topps used a couple of different sizes?

I had also forgotten that Bill Madlock spent some time with the Giants.  He'd be dealt from San Francisco to the Pirates mid-way through the '79 season, and that's the team I think most collectors readily associate him with.

I had to pick this one up just because of the historic 1978 season Ron Guidry enjoyed just before this card was printed up.  When's the next time you think we'll see a pitcher go 25-3 with a sub-2.00 ERA?  Unreal.

This might be my favorite card of the entire bunch.  Though I wasn't yet born, I'm very familiar with the 1979 "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates thanks to all the reading I did as a kid as well as some MLB network specials in the past few years.  Chuck Tanner seems like he would have been an awesome manager to play for that season.  I know these cards are cheesy gimmicks in the opinion of most, but I'm happy to have grabbed this one for just a buck.

Even though he played for just as many seasons with the Phillies, I always associate Jim Lonborg with the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Red Sox team, which was my reasoning behind adding this one to my cart.  A nice look at those baby blue retro Phillies jerseys doesn't hurt either.

Speaking of the Red Sox, you know I had to grab at least one or two for my team collection.  Usually hatless photos bug me, but this card has become somewhat iconic, and was even featured in a Topps Archives release years ago.

Last, but certainly not least, current color commentator Jerry Remy.

You'd think I'd feel silly paying money for cards I already have (which is the case for all 10 cards in this post), but for some reason that I can't explain I just like these.  If you've got any buybacks kicking around that need a new home, hit me up!

7 comments:

JediJeff said...

I am with you - I LOVE the buybacks that Topps has been putting in the past few years. I will take any and all that no one will love.

shoeboxlegends said...

Thanks Jeff, I believe you're the only other blogger I've encountered so far who actually likes these things. To each his own I guess...

Mark Hoyle said...

I'll grab some of the Topps buybacks if the price is right

arpsmith said...

I am a fan of these as well, nice pick ups. Any chance you would be willing to part with the Vida Blue one in a trade? I am guessing you bought it because you want it but I figured I would ask since I collect Vida and don't have that buyback yet. If so, drop me a note at arpsmith at aol dot com.

BobWalkthePlank said...

These don't do a whole lot for me. I like getting any Pirates I can, but other than that they really don't fit into my collection.

The Ginter Buybacks were just kind of odd.

I guess as a hole I just wish their was something else they could do to commemorate the buyback other than stamping the actual card. When Topps did buybacks of the T206 cards they just framed them and kept the actual card in its original state.

RAZ said...

I wouldn't say I hate buybacks. I kind of like them, but they don't really fit anywhere. A 1979 Topps buyback doesn't really belong in a 1979 set build, but it also doesn't really fit into a 2015 Topps set build. I guess they are a fun variation to chase, especially if you've already completed a favorite player's Topps run. You could chase their buyback run, too, or at least as many variations of it as you could find.

Fuji said...

Like the hobby in general... I've got mixed feelings about buybacks. Some I want to add to my collection. Others I'll pass on. It just depends on the individual card. I picked up a Don Mossi on COMC a few weeks ago... just because it's just a cool looking piece of cardboard.

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