My First, Second, and Third Topps Venezuelan

I've always wanted a Topps Venezuelan Red. I'd never come across one outside of COMC, where they are expensive. I came across one in the wild at a card show, so I was so excited, I overpaid anyway.

If you aren't aware, Topps made a parallel set of the first couple hundred cards in their flagships for Venezuela, an up-and-coming baseball country with a newly popular league, from '59-'68. Well most of those years. 1961, 1963, and 1965 got poo-pooed. 1967 was special because it featured players actually in that Venezuelan league, plus current major leaguers, plus retired legends. This one, of major leaguer Tommy Harper, is the same photo as the flagship set, but a different number and much different back. Es magnifico.

I took 3 total years of Spanish in high school and college. I haven't spoken any in earnest since a Mexican vacation in 2008. Let's see how much I can translate:

A king on the bases, the outfield player from Cincinnati has become an aficionado of leadership(?) since he became(?) a professional in 1960 with Topeka. Thus, he was the leader in triples with 11 and in stolen bases with 31, while being named(?) Most Valuable Player of the League. With the Reds in 1966, Harper was the best stealer(?) of the club with 29 stolen bases.

Perfecto.

The card stock for these is flimsy. They are cut poorly. And what little gloss was used way back then was certainly not used for the Venezuelans. So it's tough to find good conditioned cards. No matter for me, though. Damaged is better.

After years of not having one of these, I went less than a month before snagging two more. This time, for a song on eBay.

These are your standard parallels. Again, thinner stock, no gloss, cut poorly. But with a sweet black back instead of the standard Creamsicle orange. Bonus, a clear-as-day cartoon on the back, instead of the fading/damaged scratch-off cartoons from the '64 flagship. These are fantastic.

My lazy research has concluded there are 111 total Reds Venezuelans. 108 to go, baby!

Go Reds.