I think I mentioned that I have picked up the rest of the '68 Topps Game card set. But I'm still waiting for the last batch for arrive. Meanwhile......
That Mantle! I don't know of many vintage Mantle items that can be picked up for just a few dollars. The prices on eBay are all over the map but there are a couple up as I type this on Tuesday night that are well below $10. They pop up on COMC in that range from time to time as well.
This set was issued begining with the 3rd Series of the Topps '68 set, the same series that contains Mantle's regular card. The '69 Mantle came out in in first year of retirement so the Game card is among the last Mantle items Topps produced during his playing days.
This next group contains a couple more of the cap-less player cards (including Tommy Davis' Eddie Munster look) and two more good but not-great pitchers, Steve Hargan and Jim Lonborg.
And then there is Roberto Clemente. Like the Mantle card Clemente can be had for very little. Not quite like owning the regular card but the Game card is a nice alternative.
The back of the 3rd Series checklist in the regular Topps set had a promo across the bottom. "Loading up your deck" seems like a good idea in Vegas, too!
To increase the length of your game, remove all of the outs from your deck!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know that the Mantle & Clemente can be found well under $10, because I leaning towards making a run at this set if I can get it in my budget.
Blogger ate my replies... :-(
DeleteAnyway, there are certainly cheap ones to be had. If I was going do it again I would dig around for some of the very reasonable 'lots' that pop up on eBay that contain multiple stars.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye on eBay.
DeleteLook what Jim has!!
DeleteHow do you play this game!? With a board or simply playing cards!? Like a Magic: The Gathering thing?
ReplyDeleteBut as oddballs they look amazing.
I don't know for sure but I suspect you just turned cards over and follow along with the results until you get three outs than your opponent shuffles the deck and does the same thing.
DeleteI've never seen anything to indicate there was a game 'board'. My friends and I would have drawn bases on the sidewalk with chalk and used stones to be the baserunners. We were cool that way.
Ana,
DeleteOf the 33 cards in the deck, 22 were some kind of out (including 1 double-play card), leaving only 11 "good" cards (3 single, 2 double, 2 walks, and 1 each of triple, homerun, hit by pitch, and base on error).
Cool.
DeleteThe game was always different everytime you'd play.
I can picture the addiction to it..
And thanks for all the info =)
So is this game more fun or less fun than the one from the backs of 1978? :)
ReplyDelete