My New Project

I've pretty much run out the string on collecting Billy Pierce items (although I do have a oddball one that arrived yesterday). And I've finished off a bunch of small subsets and insert sets that I had been going after for a long time. I've been looking for something more substantial. Not long ago I was going to attempt a set. I had been contemplating both the Topps baseball and football sets from 1975 because I liked them both but I've put that thought aside. I don't have the time patience or the willingness to spend that would be required to complete a vintage set. But I'm looking at doing something fun and attainable that will keep me occupied for awhile.

Recently a fellow blogger promised to send me some Baltimore Colts cards from the Topps 70's football sets and it hit me. As a companion collection to my Orioles team sets I'm going to try and pick up all the Baltimore Colts cards from their entry into the NFL thru the midnight move out of town in 1983. That will include Bowman, Fleer, Philly Gum and Topps cards from 1950 onward.

I have the most expensive card, the '57 Johnny Unitas rookie, so the rest should be attainable. There are a few cards which will take some patience to score at reasonable prices like the 1950 Bowman  Y.A. Tittle. But it's not like I need to score a '52 Mantle or anything. If I finish it the Colts collection will actually be more complete than my Orioles run of sets since I gave that up in 1990 when Upper Deck put out the phony Ben McDonald 'error rookie' and the price hit $75. Of course even if I had kept going I'd have gotten blown out of the water by the many variations and spin-offs of the Topps sets.

When I was putting those Orioles team sets together the Beckett Team Checklist book was a valuable tool. I don't think anything exists now that will help me with the vintage Colts but with the help of a couple of sites, the Trading Card Database for one (although I've found errors in just a cursory glimpse of it) and the Vintage Football Card Gallery.

My latest addition, and what I guess is my first card on my quest to complete the Baltimore Colts team sets is this 1963 Topps Lenny Moore. Just a bit off center (LOL) and not the best design Topps has ever done but it IS Lenny Moore. And he was awesome.