Some West Coast Treats

I recently got a thick manila envelope (TME?) from Fuji of The Chronicles of Fuji blog. He had let me know an envelope was coming but what he didn't tell me was that I'd need a front end loader to get it from the mailbox to the house.

Anyway when I opened it I found all sorts of interesting stuff. This is a good place to tell ya that Fuji and I have a very similar outlook on collecting. I don't think he'd disagree that we are both 'all over the map' when it comes to interests. We may not target the same players or teams but we both like oddball items, figurines, publications, non-sports stuff. We both have an interest in Japanese players, that sort of thing.

So anyway, here is Part One of what fell out of the TME:

He included almost 20 Americana cards. I don't know a lot about this set but if it features Presidents, I'm interested. Funny thing is I'm not very political at all. I refuse to get into debates on Facebook or even talk politics anywhere else. But I'm endlessly fascinated by politicians, particularly U.S. Presidents. I am intrigued by campaign strategy, how Presidents administer, how the job changes them, etc. Presidential Libraries are a place i could spend every free day I had.  Included in Fuji's lot were three of my favorites, Lyndon Johnson, Jack Kennedy and John Adams. If I could add the Lincoln I'd have my own personal Mt. Rushmore of Commanders in Chief.

There were baseball cards in there as well. Lots of them, all Orioles. And I don't think I already had any of them.

Here is a Nick Markakis die-cut. It's some sort of 'X' card from Upper Deck. Ana Lu is jealous.

Next up, a pair of shiny things. I was surprised to see Miguel Tejada playing for the Royals on Monday night. Every time they showed him he was chatting up an Oriole runner out at second base. Since the O's got about 17 hits there were plenty of opportunities for conversation. 

I don't think I remember seeing any of the cards that came with a film covering on the front. And if they wanted to make cards with some protection they should have had corner protectors. <shrug>  Did collectors pull off the film? Inquiring minds and all that.

A more current card here. Frank Robinson on a contemporary Topps Chasing History. I am so glad the Birds brought back that cartoon bird.

And this is an Archive reprint of one of my very favorite cards, the 1969 Topps Bird belters. Frank, Brooks, and towels hanging on the dugout wall.

Here is something cool unrelated to Fuji's slew of cards: Topps had this color negative up in their eBay store a couple of years ago. Obviously from the same photo shoot.

They got a lot of mileage out of that few minutes of picture taking.

More from Fuji is coming up before long.