1979-80 Topps Basketball Complete Set AKA May The Shorts Be With You

Just wrapped this set up with Julius Erving being the final card. This is a very obtainable set. Only 132 cards. But 33 Hall of Famers. Erving and Kareem are the standouts. Alex English is the only Hall of Fame RC, hence the getabilityness. 

I remember buying the Rick Barry for a dollar at a flea market in the early 90's. I thought it was so cool to have so old of a card. I realize now that that would've been only 15 years prior. "Oh wow, a 2011 Topps card! So vintage! Grab my top loaders!" But what a great homage to the granny-style free throw. Somebody must have the guts to do this now.

Here's the whole set. The shorts are short, yet plentiful. 

mm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a peak at the rear... 

 

Go Redlegs. 

Some New Reds Autos

Always, always, always looking to bulk up the Reds auto binders. Middle relievers? Career Minor Leaguers? Players to be named later with 2 career at bats, cast off into the independent leagues? Gotta catch em all.

Hey, an actual 2026 release. First auto of Mr. Banfield, first auto from this calendar year, and possibly my first 2026 card outside of Topps flagship base. Will has only had 10 MLB at bats, all this season. Currently doing alright on our AAA team.

 

 

Chromy goodness from last year. Let's see, Kravetz pitched 2/3 of an inning in 2024, spent 2025 in AAA, and is nowhere in 2026. Career stats will remain a perfect 2 outs on 2 batters faced. Aguiar pitched 31 inauspicious innings in 2024 and is currently struggling in the Minors. And à la Banfield, Jordan has only 10 career at bats. Currently with the Nationals farm. All you chumps who spent hundreds on Chrome boxes are funneling these yuge autos to me, baby.

 

fff

 

Jeter Downs never made The Show as a Red, but has for other teams. Allen, Case, Naughton all are numbered <100, so worth the buck even though they never made the majors as a Red (though Packy has with the Angels and Cardinals). Floyd and Contreras are actually new names to the collection. Here's hoping for a couple unexpected meteoric rises out of the Minors.

 

Jose Barrero (formerly Garcia). Love these sweet spot autos. Four years of ok baseball for the Reds. Last seen with the Cardinals.

Jake Wong is a new name to the binders. Yet another Chrome auto of a dude with one big league game. 3 innings and 3 runs for Wong's career. I sold my only Rece Hinds auto for like 60 bucks when he was on fire for a bit, knowing I could get it back later for a couple bucks. Nice Bill Bray pajamas card courtesy of Leaf. And Connor Burns is not to be confused with Chase Burns. One of these names is affordable.

 

Lastly, a toss-in from a trade. Johnny Edwards signed 1962 Topps RC. My second of his, Edwards was a mainstay catcher for the Reds until the arrival of a slightly more heralded Reds catcher named Johnny. Also a Columbus native and Ohio State alum (Go Bucks).

Go Redlegs.

Single Card Post - 1963-64 York Peanut Butter Hockey #10 Billy Harris

 

 

It's an octagonal card! From a peanut butter jar! From the 60's! I had to buy it. 

 

The back throws some seriously salty shade at Mr. Harris, in TWO languages. Ouch. "He's scrawny and he can't score, but at least he shows up on time!" Hey, 126 NHL goals for Billy, you coldhearted nut butter copyeditor. And four All-Star selections. Legend.

 

Go Redlegs. 

Project Pick-Ups

What would a proper card collector be without 15 to 30 projects with no end in sight? Makes each card seem like a minor triumph, though.

 

 

 

1. Hayden Senger - First MLB player from my high school (Lakota East in Ohio)

2. Ke'Bryan Hayes - Opening Day Starting Nine Binder (2026 3B)

3. Charles Gipson, Eric Sabrowski - Columbus Clippers who made The Show

4. Deion Sanders - Completes my 1989 Fleer Update set 

5. Cole McCurry - Last name match (self-dox complete)

 

6. John Madden - NFL HoF Binder (shockingly few Madden cards, despite a billion with his name on them in some form)

7. Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard - Basketball HoF Binder (Kobe prices are nuts, kids)

8. Duane Washington Jr., Jamison Battle - Ohio State Alumni

9. MJ - biggest card needed for my 1991-92 Fleer set build 

 

10. Ickey Woods - Puts me over 100 for this PC

11. Anthony Munoz - No-License Topps makes him look like a Cleveland Brown. Barf. 

 

 

12. Gordie Howe, Guy Charbonneau, Allan Stanley - Hockey HoF Binder (Go Whalers!)

13. Max McCormick, Georgii Merkulov, Tanner Laczynski, Matt Tomkins - OSU Alumni

Go Redlegs.

Vintage Tradin'

TCDB success. The vintage binders bulge. An avalanche of cardboard, held in place by three-ring binders made on assembly lines for as little money as possible, waits for a victim. Woe unto those who dare stand beside, aside, or astride the colossus.

 

Hall of Famer. And such action!

 

 

The 1960 Topps set is so close to perfect. It's the alternating colors on the letters that kills me.

 

 

Chippin' away at the 60's sets. Rookies and SPs will continue to elude. 

 

Darell Evans RC, though, very attainable.

 

Mike Schmidt '75 Mini. If I were competent, I would've scanned this next to a full size. Alas.

 

 

A couple O-Pee-Cheesers. Always happy to snag these from the North.

 

And how 'bout a Hockey Hall of Famer here. Nice. An an unchecked vintage checklist, which looks kinda sad and naked. Speaking of sad and naked...

Go Redlegs. 

Reds IP Auto Collection - D

Sticker autos? Phooey and pshaw. Dig that pen right into the meat of the cardboard. Let it scratch, stain, mar, and destroy. Let the ink ooze down onto our fingertips. Allow the deep baritones of the 'here ya go, kid' resonate in your soul.

So, uh, anyway. Here's last name D of the IP Reds auto collection. Adam Dunn is my dude. Still need to post more cards of his. Why do I have 27 Gookie Dawkins autos? The world may never know. Eric Davis, Kal Daniels, Rob Dibble, and The Big Donkey are the standouts. That '59 Walt Dropo is a poorly made custom, which is why no one else wanted to buy it.

Auto count: 92

Unique Reds: 29

Biggest name: Eric Davis

Current roster: Elly, no, but I do have a factory auto of Blake Dunn

Oldest Card: Ted Davidson - 1968 Topps

Oldest Player: Walt Dropo (Rookie Year 1958) 

Quantity champ: The Gookster (27), runner-up Adam Dunn (16 + 9 non-Reds not pictured)

Missing autos I want the most: Elly de la Cruz, Delino DeShields Jr.

Crispest sigs: Jack Daugherty, Mariano Duncan 

Go Redlegs

A Few Complete Junk Wax Insert Sets

Been about a year since I've gone after everything 1995 and earlier. Complete sets are starting to emerge. I shall travel back in time and sell these for several dollars. Several! 

1994 Collector's Choice Home Run All-Stars Exchange. These were sent to ya for an inserted redemption card of some sort. OR you could just wait 30 years, put them all on your TCDB want list, wait another year, and slowly acquire them all. Some serious 90's names here. Needs a 9th card though, to fill the page. Shame.

 

1995 Ultra All-Rookie Team. Absolutely hideous design, indicative of a stretch in the 90's when Microsoft Paint was fresh and new. Picture stretching! Sepia! Overlays! Do it all on a 2x3 inch design! Manny Ramirez is the standout, if you can even tell what's going on here. But don't sleep on Cliff Floyd, Bob Hamelin, Ryan Klesko, and Raul Mondesi. 

1988 Fleer All-Star Team. Chosen by some dude at Fleer Corp., I presume. Four Hall of Famers and Clemens in yet another hideous set. Love it. Shout-out to Eric the Red.

 

1989 Donruss Grand Slammers. Both inserted and added to factory sets. There are several gradients offered. I'm content with whichever gradients these are to consider it complete. There were 61 grand slams the previous year, so I guess Mr. Donald Russ just liked these particular dudes. Can't blame him. Gotta get those extra Franklin Stubbs cards in the checklist.

Go Redlegs.