Wednesday, January 12, 2022

WALLET CARD - Some Of My Oscar Pickups In 2021

I've said this many times, but it is worth repeating...

Finding a project to build that revolves around simple fun in the chase and the acquisition of cards has been an absolute blessing for me. Collecting Oscar Gamble cards for the past seven years has been awesome. A very manageable checklist of fewer than 200 cards, most of them ringing in under a buck, but also having some tough-to-find gems in there...it's the perfect mix. Not to mention some of the fantastic era-driven photos - it has it all.

Much like my goalie mask cards, I've been patient in how I purchase my #WalletCards. I strike when I see a deal too good to pass up or when a rare bird is in sight. These are some of the pieces I've added this past year.

2019 Topps Heritage
#654 50th Anniversary Buyback 1970 RC

I really keep a close eye on the buyback cards that surface. It feels like that's been the bulk of Oscar Gamble offerings the past 5 years. To be honest, I don't really mind the chase. Most of the time, these cards don't command much of a price. 

This rookie card offering was a little more than the average buyback, but I still snagged it for well below what I thought I'd have to pay for it. It's his first RC buyback that I've seen.

Would've been nice to see the stamp on the right-hand side instead of covering up Oscar's name. But...I'll survive.

2020 Topps Heritage
#23 50th Anniversary Buyback 1971
(stamp in the lower right corner)

Speaking of selectivity with the placement of the stamp, this is my second 50th Anniversary buyback copy of this card. Why? Well, the other copy has the stamp in the upper left corner. That was a variation worth the purchase.

I know...I know...but I'm a completist, and I'll find ways to justify adding one more card to the mix.

1974 Topps
#166 Stamps

This is a great item. It's super-tiny. It's about an inch wide and an inch-and-a-half tall. My niece would say it's the cutest item in my collection.

It's a little more off-centered than I'd like, but I can always upgrade when the time comes. It was a good price, is clean on the back (never licked) and the image is iconic Oscar.

Couldn't pass it up.

2016 Topps Archives Snapshots
#AS-OG Autograph  /300

Finally able to cross this one off the list. I definitely went about this chase backwards (or maybe I did it the right way). I crossed off the rare black&white auto /10 and the negative signature /5 before pulling the trigger on this hard-signed offering /300.

It's a great image. Certainly reflective of the era, but has a crispness to it that feels current (it's the same photo used in his 1974 card...but you can tell the quality of what can be done with images on cards these days). And side note...I've really grown to enjoy Oscar's signature. 

The Archives Snapshot rainbow is complete.

2016 Topps Archives
#106 Printing Plate Black  1/1

Last, but certainly not least, This printing plate was an absolute no-brainer when I saw it pop up on COMC. For ten bucks, I couldn't hit the 'buy' button fast enough. 

It's the second printing plate from this release that I now have and the fourth 1/1 in my Oscar Gamble collection. I'm really enjoying how much progress I've made over the years.

Just sifting through the cards I have of his in my PC box (I keep my cards in toploaders), I'm at about 120ish (there are a few oversized offerings and such in the closet) and I can say I'm really proud of how the collection looks. I'd love to add a few more tougher-to-find cards of his over the next year...maybe I'll jump on more baseball-centric sites to see what can happen.

Regardless, and as I said off the top, this is a really fun project and I am enjoying every minute of it.

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