Something completely different

Part of the cache of 'stuff' that yielded the Fernando Valenzuela button I posted awhile back was a stack of concert ticket stubs from the early 70s. Some of these were concerts my wife attended, some were mine and some were concerts we went to together. Generally the ones from 1975 or later were shows be saw as a couple. 

I don't collect stubs as a rule and I'll toss these out in my next 'purge'. I have stubs from some baseball games I attended as a kid and some Orioles World Series and playoff games as well. I originally planned on keeping all the Houston Texans tickets but after a couple of seasons they became a pain and other than the ones from their first game I've tossed them out as well.

Lot's of good shows represented with these stubs. I used to work at Hofheinz Pavilion on the University of Houston campus and was able to see every show that came thru that venue. No stubs from those I'm afraid. But there is some great 70s music represented below.

I've always been a fan of Janis Ian. I loved her voice and she's still producing good music on a limited basis. Mostly now she's a frequent Facebook Liberal gadfly and for that I still love her. Notice that the Wings ticket was a 'general admission' entry. What a mistake that was. I remember being pinned in close to the doors waiting for them to open that evening. It got pretty crazy. The other tix are from a Rolling Stones show that I have no memory of (nor does my wife, at least that's her story) and Jose Feliciano who created the original National Anthem controversy.

For you youngsters the second set of tickets represent shows by Santana, America, Linda Ronstadt and Traffic. Some of which I actually remember.

The concerts I enjoyed the most from that terrific era of music are not here. Like Springsteen playing for three and a half hours. Billy Joel was a one record wonder playing in a tiny downtown venue. CSN&Y headlined a July all day stadium festival that saw people overcome with the heat being laid out on the concourses. One really fun night saw Isaac Hayes (one of my very favorites!) 'upstaged' by an imposter who walked right by me and onto the stage and  before the law dragged him off. Good times.

Big concerts demand big prices these days and are are much more judicious in our entertainment spending. We still love live music.

Here's a sketch card....of Billy Pierce

I haven't added much to my Pierce collection lately. In general the items I lack are very rare/costly, or in the case of a couple of eBay items, things that get relisted endlessly and not worth the asking price.

I stumbled across this sketch card in one of my eBay searches and threw in a minimal bid. I was the only bidder and took it for $4.99. I have a couple of sketch card 'prints' but this is the only 'original' art card I have of Pierce. Or of any baseball player actually.

I have another BP item on it's way and it should arrive in a few days. The thing I'm waiting for is a White Sox season ticket from the June 23 game versus the Athletics. The Sox really went out of their way to put out some nice tickets for their season ticket holders this year. I obtained an Opening Day program that has a poster insert of all the tickets but I'd love a real one. Billy's ticket looks like this:

Here is a shot of some others:

Great stuff...particularly in an era of digital and generic tickets.

A Pair of Billy Pierce somethings and a WTH?

First up is what was described to me as a White Sox blank season ticket. I'm not sure what that means exactly but it just appears to be a game ticket that hadn't yet been printed with the game info. Hey, if I can add an oddball Pierce item for 99 cents, I'm all over it.

Next is one of the umpteen different re-packaged versions of the 1956 Topps Pierce card. This one masquerades as a 2002 Heritage certified autograph card. My scanner likes to delete the white borders on Topps cards and I didn't feel it was worth re-scanning this so here it is in all it's shrunken glory.

Topps has milked this image, and the 1952, for all they are worth. Sparkly ones, shiny ones signed ones, ones with stamped gold logos on the front, ones with hologram stickers on the back. This shit makes me dizzy. I don't have a 'want list' for the repackaged pierce cards. I just keep track of what I have and pick up some I lack if I stumble across something. I don't even bother with all the 'modern' cards of my other lefty pitcher collecting subject, Sandy Koufax. It seems to me that Topps put a Koufax card into every pack of every one of their cards and sub-brands that I opened.

And finally here's one I DO NOT have, but I thought you may enjoy checking it out. You'll need to click the picture to appreciate it. The listing is for a "1957 Billy Pierce Tampon Case; ID Cash Condoms Coins". 

Better yet, check out the actual listing. And the same seller has a flask for sale that features the same image! So, a flask and a condom holder. Not sure why he doesn't combine the two and list it as a Saturday Night Billy Pierce Party Pack.

Please write your own joke and leave it in the comments. Thanks.