Card of the Day: Jefferson Burdick 2010 TRISTAR Obak Mini T212 #23

Card of the Day: Jefferson Burdick 2010 OBAK #66

PREVIEW: 2010 TRISTAR Obak

One of my favorite sets last year was TRISTAR Obak.  The main reason why I like it so much is because it contains so many people that have never been featured on a card before.  These cards can be found in the Game Changers portion of the set.

Because of its popularity, TRISTAR plans to bring Obak back for 2010.  Its due to be released on 8/11/10 and promises 11 different hits per box.  After taking a look at the checklist, I see they plan to include Jefferson Burdick within the Game Changers cards.  Burdick is the author of The American Card Catalog and was one of the first true collectors to try and put some order to The Hobby.  I know I, and Chris Harris of Stale Gum will be happy to see this.

The set will also be printed on recycled paperboard, and judging by the sales sheet, the pictures seem to be in better focus.  I can’t wait for this product to be released.  You can click on the sales sheet to enlarge.

5 Cards I Would Like To See In 2011 Allen & Ginter

The Cardboard Connection is having a contest where you can win 1 free hobby box of 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter.  All you have to do is e-mail them a list of five cards you would like to see in 2011 Allen & Ginter.  Click here for all the contest details.

There are a ton of people I would like to see in Allen & Ginter.  I found it difficult to narrow it down to just five, but here is my list:

• Jefferson Burdick – author of The American Card Catalog.

• Steve Jobs Auto – Co-Founder of Apple.

• Harry Kalas Cut Signature & Tie Relic – Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster.

• Bob Uecker Auto – “Mr. Baseball” and 2003 Ford C. Frick Award winner.

• Ball Park Franks – Hygrade Food Products won a competition in 1959 to be the exclusive supplier of hot dogs to the Detroit Tiger’s stadium. Hygrade Food Products launched a contest to its employees in order to come up with the best brand name for their Detroit Tigers stadium hot dogs.  Mary Ann Kurk, one of Hygrade Food Products sales people at the time, won the contest with the name “Ball Park Franks”.

In addition to this list, I would also like to see a card of Carl Stotz, who founded Little League Baseball.  So who or what would be on your list?

Today’s Little Card Project

This morning I awoke and had the urge to sort through some of my cards.  For awhile I’ve been wanting to pull out all the cards that pertain to individuals and events that help shape certain sports and The Hobby.  Luckily for me, I have some kind of mutant power that enables me to remember where specific cards are stored.

I created an entire new album called “Pioneers & Card History”.  Most of the cards that fill this album come from products like ’09 Obak, but there are a few Legendary Cuts floating around.  I’m only two cards shy of all the base “Game Changers” that were part of TRISTAR’s Obak set last year.  The ones I’m missing are Jack Norworth who wrote the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and William “Dummy” Hoy.  The Hoy cards from that product are extremely popular.  You can’t even find one base card up for sale.

Obak is really an underrated product.  In a lot of cases it features the first cards of people that helped shape the game of baseball.  TRISTAR plans to bring back Obak later this year.  Collectors can already find Obak update cards in 2010 Pursuit like Ernest Thayer (Casey at the Bat) and John Montgomery Ward (1st professional sports player’s union).  Other products may feature cards of people like Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, and the hottest rookies coming through the pipeline, but Obak fills in the holes of people that have very few cards.  Of all the cards in this little collection, the rarest one would have to be the Alexander Cartwright ’09 A&G Silk #’ed/10.  I would love to have seen the Lena Blackburne cut signature from ’09 Obak.

I look forward to seeing who else will be included in the 2010 Obak set.  If anyone deserves a card, its Jefferson Burdick.  Obak sure would be the set for him to appear in.

Cards On Card History?

Its not uncommon to open a pack of cards in today’s market and see significant people in history that have nothing to do with sports at all.  Hell, Topps created a whole product dedicated to historical figures with their 2009 American Heritage product.  Products like that are pretty interesting especially if your a history buff, but there is something lacking in all of these products and thats cards on the history of the card industry.  It just makes sense that they should include cards like this.  If it weren’t for the people responsible for creating the industry, trading cards wouldn’t exist in the first place.  American Card Catalog author Jefferson Burdick, T206 photographer Carl Horner, and the man credited for thinking of the idea to place cards into packs of cigarettes, James Buchanan Duke, all should have their own cards.  If manufacturers really do their research, maybe they could make a few cut signatures of them too.  So many things have been done over and over in the hobby, and I think this would be an interesting way to go.  I’m not saying create a whole product based on these pioneers, but maybe throw some cards of them in Allen & Ginter or SP Legendary Cuts.

 

Check out this photo.  Its the actual burial spot of James Buchanan Duke.  Who knew those pieces of cardboard would be so collectible?

 

Duke’s signature on a stock certificate.  I could see this in a card.