a card that brought a smile to my face

times are tough. i don't know anyone who isn't suffering at some level - financially, socially, mentally, professionally, and the list goes on. i include myself in that group, so it was great to see an email from friend of the blogosphere mr. haverkamp show up a few weeks ago.

he asked if i had any information on this card

a card which comc's inventory calls a "1978 los angeles dodgers dental health" card. i had no idea and was of no help. i've searched comc for non-dodger dusty baker cards, but i figured i had all (or at least knew of ) all of the dodger issues i needed. this was a new one to me.

a week or so later, an envelope shows up with that card inside! awesome!  here's the back:

it's pretty flimsy, and i can't find any additional information on it. i assume that the inset cartoon is showing "sugar" striking out.  it's a glorious oddball, whatever it is.

johnnie b didn't travel alone, either.  there were a few 1982 fleer stamps that i needed as well

including a couple of fernandos. there's some good footage out there of tommy lasorda standing in as fernando's interpreter in some interviews wherein tommy seems to generously expand on some of fernando's responses. good times.

the pwe also included some 2003 topps 205 mini cards of brian jordan and shawn green

the jordan and one of the greens were "brooklyn" backs, and the other green was a piedmont back:

not sure which is more rare, but all were needed and welcome in my collection.

thanks jim! this brought a smile to my face!

turning on a dime

dimebox nick, who has a thing for cards showing the double play turn just as much as i do, sent me a great trade package recently. it was, as one would expect, heavy with twin killing cards, such as these 2020 topps dansby swanson

and fernando tatis jr

specimens. 

seeing the tatis jr card reminded me that topps featured him on a factory set exclusive card last year while turning two, and i finally went and added a copy to my collection

shenanigans for sure on the part of topps, but at least they didn't reuse the "exclusive" photo in 2020 flagship.

back to the cards that nick sent, here are some more double plays that were new to my collection

the 2014 topps rickie weeks walmart blue parallel is especially nice.  the other card here that stands out to me is the 1994 score jeff kent gold rush parallel. you can't see it very well, but the player sliding in is dodger eric davis, and the play is taking place in dodger stadium. that means that the card fits in my lurker, dodger stadium, and double play mini-collections. davis is also wearing the tim crews memorial patch, so it could conceivably fit in that one, too! very happy that nick turned me on to that card.

here's another card nick sent that crosses mini-collection boundaries:

that's a 1996 donruss jose oquendo card. i already had one for my dp collection, so this one goes in to the lurker collection (hello, mitch webster). i could use another for my dodger stadium collection, too.

nick also included a healthy dose of dodgers, including kiké!

his 2020 topps heritage card is a bit more subdued than his flagship card, that's for sure.

2019 topps chrome update will smith

helping me complete a team set!

2018 topps fire kenley jansen flamethrowers insert

solar flare action!

2017 topps andrew toles 1987 insert

not sure what is happening with andrew toles these days, but i hope he's doing alright.

1977 dover classic reprints 1914 cracker jack zach wheat

i had the dover reprint booklets as a kid in 1978, and i remember being fascinated by the old card designs and at the same time disappointed at the lack of dodgers included in the reprints.

2003 topps kanebo brian jordan (back)

such a cool card! 

nick and i also share an affection for vladimir guerrero cards, and he sent me a bunch of new ones for my collection:

including a kanebo and some other offbeat releases.

thanks as always nick! it's a pleasure to trade with you!