I grew up gathering Topps, Higher Deck, Fleer and different manufacturers. I acquired out of the interest in highschool, and stopped following sports activities virtually totally whereas in school. Like many, I acquired again into playing cards throughout the pandemic. Most of what I already owned was from the mid to late 2000s. The final set I purchased earlier than I took that lengthy break was 2015 Topps baseball. Going by means of my outdated playing cards for the primary time in years, I discovered a couple of gems that I picked up through the years just like the 2001 Topps Ichiro rookie, 2007 Bowman Calvin Johnson and Rating Adrian Peterson and 2012 Gerrit Cole 1st Bowman Chrome. I acquired a whole lot of playing cards as a child from flea markets and storage gross sales. I didn’t know what a neighborhood card store was then. I’m from Pittsburgh and am nonetheless an enormous Pirates and Steelers fan. I’ve a pleasant, small assortment of autographed and rookie playing cards for each groups. For this publish, nevertheless, I’d like to speak extra about my different focus, what I prefer to name the “Faculty and Locals” card assortment.
This assortment is in 4 units, for school groups I like and native gamers from the Pittsburgh space. Typically, this may be stretched into the better Western Pennsylvania area. I went to Kent State College, which has quite a few notable alumni in athletics, in addition to some lesser-known guys price mentioning. It’s the smallest of the 4 units and options highlights reminiscent of Jack Lambert’s 1976 Topps rookie, an Antonio Gates 2015 Panini Contenders card the place he’s in his basketball uniform, and a 2015 Collegiate Draft Picks refractor card of Julian Edelman when he was a quarterback. For baseball, I’ve a 1974 Topps Steve Stone and a Joe Whitman 2023 Bowman chrome auto, simply to call a couple of. There are a whole lot of names you in all probability didn’t know went to Kent State, like James Harrison, Thurman Munson and Nick Saban. I’ve playing cards of them and just about each different noteworthy baseball and soccer participant to go there.
The “Locals”, which I outlined earlier, is the biggest and consists of essentially the most obscure names. Quite a lot of them are folks you’ve by no means heard of except you’re from Pittsburgh and comply with highschool sports activities. There are such a lot of to select from right here, it’s onerous to select only a couple. My favorites, if I needed to title them, could be my 1969 Topps Joe Namath, any of the Brendan McKay playing cards I’ve, and a 2017 Rushel Shell Contenders Auto. I used to be in eighth grade at Hopewell Junior Excessive when Shell had among the best seasons for a working again in Pennsylvania highschool soccer historical past. There are nonetheless a whole lot of huge playing cards that I don’t have but, just like the Dan Marino and Joe Montana rookies, in addition to the 1952 Topps Pete Suder and something Josh Gibson. I preserve monitor of all the pieces I personal and need in separate Excel spreadsheets, as I’m positive many different collectors do. There are additionally some names on this record that don’t have any playing cards. They’re both nonetheless in school, or have been drafted however not had something printed but. A few of these guys received’t make it, however I prefer to preserve them there as a reminder of who they had been.
The following two faculties would appear a bit hypocritical to be gathering each, Pitt and Penn State. Rising up, I by no means actually had a robust choice both approach, and no person in my household went to both faculty to sway me in any path. I in all probability watched extra Pitt soccer as a child, however adopted Penn State nearer in highschool as they grew to become related once more. These are two nice applications which have storied histories and proceed to supply expertise. Once you consider Pitt, you have got Aaron Donald, Larry Fitzgerald and Darrelle Revis. For baseball, there’s Doc Medich and extra obscure gamers like Kevan Smith and T.J. Zeuch. Penn State has Franco Harris, Kerry Collins and Saquan Barkley. There’s not a whole lot of huge leaguers, Nate Bump being the one I do know of, although Jay Harry was a sixth spherical decide by the Twins in 2022 and acquired dealt to the Blue Jays this yr for Trevor Richards. Pitt and Penn State are each soccer colleges, however there are a number of current MLB draft picks for them toiling their approach by means of the minors proper now.
Considered one of my favourite components of the interest is studying about comparatively unheard-of gamers and gathering their playing cards. A few of them are enjoying now, whereas others have been forgotten after many many years. There are a couple of extra that I’d like to say, all locals. My favourite Topps set is 2006. I’ve an autographed black refractor numbered to 200 of Josh Wilson, a journeyman infielder who went to Mt. Lebanon right here in Pittsburgh. Others from close by Beaver County embody a 2011 BBM card of Clayton Hamilton when he pitched briefly with the Yokohama BayStars, a 2006 ’52 chrome Josh Sharpless refractor, who was a reliever for the Pirates, and to convey it full circle, a 2015 Topps black parallel numbered to 64 of Adam Liberatore. These sorts of playing cards largely don’t maintain a lot worth, however all of them inform a narrative. These tales are essential and should be shared.
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