Buyback Franken-set: Brett Completes TWO Pages!

Today's post features buybacks that were sent to me by friend of the blog Brett.  I don't believe Brett operates a blog or has any online presence that I can link to, however he's been a frequent commentor (is that a word?  don't think so) on my buyback franken-set posts.  He let me know a while back that he had some to send my way, and as you'll see he certainly was not kidding!

In fact, Brett sent me so many new buybacks that I'm going to have to break the package down into five different posts.  Let's take a look at the first ten cards in the stack for today...

1984 Topps #502 - Joe Torre

We'll start off with an extremely off-center '84 Topps Joe Torre.  Joe's stint at the helm of the Braves was relatively short, and occurred when I was only an infant, so I have no personal recollection of it.  I do find it comical that Topps thought this was the best photograph of Torre that they had to roll with for this set!  This one is a brand new number for the project though, so Brett is off to a hot start!

1987 Topps #617 - Al Nipper

I like this Al Nipper card for a few reasons.  First, it's another new number for the project and so makes the binder by default.  Secondly, it's card #617, and 617 is one of the dialing prefixes associated with MA/Boston, so it's unique in that sense.  Lastly, there aren't exactly a million cards out there that feature parking lots as a backdrop!

1988 Topps #121 - Checklist

I'm sure there are some folks who think checklist buybacks are kind of a joke.  I can see that point of view, however when I was collecting as a kid checklists were integral parts of building a set so I don't mind seeing them included among the buyback cards.  I know checklists like this one have since been made irrelevant by the modern day super-checklist that is known as the internet, but I do think there's a place for them in my franken-set.  In fact, I'd really love to get a checklist or two into the binder, it's just that '88 Topps doesn't feature the most exciting checklist cards in my opinion.

Certainly not exciting enough to bounce this Alvis Woods out of the binder.

The checklist is off to the rejected box, our first victim of the day.

1989 Topps #211 - Mike Pagliarulo

I'm quickly becoming a Mike Pagliarulo buyback super-collector; this is the second or third time a Pagliarulo buyback has appeared on this blog in just the last couple of weeks.  The third baseman's '89 issue here makes the cut without contest as my first #211 buyback!

1987 Topps #179 - Bill Wegman

Next up we've got Bill Wegman's 1987 release.  I've shown this one before actually, only the previous one was the Bronze Foil buyback, this one is the Gold Foil version.  That's my one complaint about the 2017 Rediscover buyback promotion.  Wish they would've just stuck with a single, consistent stamp across the board like they did in 2014 and 2015 instead of messing around with this colored foil nonsense.

Unfortunately for Wegman, he's got an absolute brutal match-up when it comes to the franken-set binder...

Yup, it's Ken Griffey Jr, a buyback I debuted only recently as part of my string of posts celebrating me reaching the 1,000 total buybacks mark.  This one's almost untouchable as far as this project goes.

We all knew how that one was going to end...

1990 Topps #115 - Tony Pena

Nice!  Tony Pena got some really awesome cards during his career.  Just one of those guys that seemed to be very photogenic, obviously aided by the fact that he donned the tools of ignorance for a living.  I'd love nothing more than to slide this one into my budding 1990 Topps buyback set binder, however it's actually my first #115 buyback, so into the franken-set binder it goes for now!

Best part about it, though...

It completes a page!  Love the variety on this one.  Aside from a pair of '74 Topps buybacks, all the rest of the cards are from unique years.  The Lonborg buyback in the upper left is one of my overall favorites, so much so that a spare copy I had of it sits in the little pocket on the outside binding of the binder that's visible when it sits on the shelf.

1999 Topps #208 - Michael Barrett/Ben Davis/Robert Fick

I have to be honest with this one, 1999 Topps is not exactly my favorite flagship effort.  So, despite the fact that these three gentlemen have well over 2,000 games of MLB experience between them...

...I just can't bring myself to oust this '66 Bob Miller from the binder in order to make room.

No offense to Michael Barrett, Ben Davis and Robert Fick of course.  It's not their fault that the '66 Topps set is superior to the '99 release!

1988 Topps #560 - Tim Wallach

Here's a nice one, always happy to land a new buyback with a card number that's a multiple of ten!  Many of the holes I still have left in the binder are such cards, as a result of Topps' practice of assigning these numbers to star players for many years.  Easy to see why Tim Wallach got that treatment after his monster 123 RBI season in '87.  New number for the project, into the binder goes Wallach!

2006 Topps #254 - Luis Castillo

A neat one here, from the Rawlings Gold Glove Award subset in the 2006 Topps release.  Luis Castillo's Gold Glove in 2005 was his third consecutive, as this card indicates, and was also the final of his 15-year MLB career.  This one is yet another new number, and if I'm not mistaken this is the very first Florida Marlins buyback to enter the franken-set binder!

Once again...

...we have a completed page!  Without going back to check I'm tempted to say this is the first time I've completed two binder pages in a single post!  Could be wrong about that, but either way, great stuff!

Another solid page here too, with the only repeat set being 1958 Topps.  Easy choice here when it comes to my favorite buyback on the page; that beautiful '58 Frank Malzone!

1987 Topps #60 - Tony Pena

Last buyback for today, Tony Pena hot post!  His '87 release is just another example of what I stated above, that this guy got some fantastic cardboard in his day.  A great shot here of Pena poised to make a play at the plate, and unlike some modern Topps cards I'd argue that this photo is cropped just about perfectly.

Now, I already had this '89 Tom Brunansky in slot 60.  Can I really stick with a hat-less dugout shot though over that great Pena card?

No, I cannot!

Brett, this was a great batch, can't thank you enough for your generosity.  Especially given that this is only the tip of the iceberg!  More buybacks from Brett will be featured here soon, though I may splice some other trade packages between just to maintain some variety over the next couple of weeks.

Two completed pages, and more new numbers than conflicts, doesn't get much better than that as I climb towards 75% completion here!

Franken-set Progress:  578/792 (72%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  480
Total Buybacks in Collection:  1,058