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Card identification fail


(Note from the night owl: This is an actual new post. It is not a post you have read before. Blogger is somewhat back to normal. ... We now return you to your regularly scheduled post -- scheduled to publish Thursday night, that is).

I received this "postcard" from Thorzul in a trade a week or two ago. I use postcard in quotes because although it's postcard size, the back is thoroughly blank. I don't think you can send this card through the mail in the traditional fashion, unless you want postal goons at your front door the next day.

Thorzul had no idea what the card is or when it was issued, so he thought I might be able to figure it out. You know, because I'm a Koufax fan, and a Dodger fan, and have gobs and gobs of free time on my hands.

Heh.

But I enjoy a good research project.

Besides, I didn't think it would take me much time to figure out. After all I do have this:


You might be saying that this is a book about baseball cards and what I have in my possession is a postcard. But that is where you are wrong, my contrarian friend. This book features not only baseball cards, but baseball tumblers and baseball records, among other things. It sure as heck is going to feature postcards.

My confidence was high also because almost every set featured in this book has an accompanying photo. So, even though there are dozens and dozens of postcard sets in the book, most look different in some slight way. That would help me identify the Koufax card.


And since I also have this handy little item, all I had to do was pop in the disc and do a search for Sandy Koufax, and all my wonderings would be no more.

No worries, Thorzul. I'm on it.

So I did the search.

Nothing.

I did it again.

Nothing.

I did it one more time just in case I missed something the first and second time because I do that all THE BLEEPING TIME!

Nothing.

I sure did find some OTHER great Sandy Koufax stuff. Sportscaster Sandy Koufax cards. Ooh, I love those Sportscaster cards. Union Oil 8x11 prints from 1962. A Shakey's Pizza Koufax. And a tremendous two-card postcard set of Sandy Koufax showing off the Tropicana Hotel in Hollywood that he owned in 1964.

But none of those looked like the postcard that I had. Neither did the hundred other Koufax entries.

In desperation, I logged onto ebay, even though Thorzul said he couldn't find it on there.

Entering a search for Sandy Koufax items on ebay is among the very most dangerous things that I have ever done. I'm totally shocked that I'm not typing this from the street while living in a box made out of the Koufax cards that I purchased for mere thousands upon thousands of dollars.

But I left ebay completely restrained. And not informed in the least.

A lazy-ass, two-minute Google search didn't produce anything either.

So ...

I have no idea what this card is.

My suspicion is its something from the 1970s or early 1980s. It looks TCMAish. It also looks very much like something my grandmother would have as she collected postcards back in the day. It could even be some sort of team-issue item.

But other than that, I am stumped.

I suppose if I had unrelenting, obsessive research drive like this, I might have my answer. But even with a three-day weekend upon me, I don't see myself morphing into anything like that.

So, I'm begging instead. If you have any idea what the card might be, I'd be extremely grateful. In a totally platonic way.

Meanwhile, here are two cards from Thorzul that I will be able to identify:


A Manny mini, regular-back version, from last year's 2010 Allen & Ginter. Still looking for Either and Kemp among others.


A super tricked-out 2009 UD Piece of History insert card of Rafael Furcal. The back of the card documents an actual real game in which Furcal was a participant. He had three hits, two RBIs and two runs in six at-bats against the Cubs in the NLDS in 2008. Furcal actually PLAYED. That stuff about him being perpetually injured? Just your imagination.

See what can be achieved when you put information on the back of the card?

OK, Blogger, I'm sorry I got mad at ya. Let's be friends again.

Comments

cynicalbuddha said…
It's possible that it's a team issued postcard. I was actually reading an interesting article in Sports Collector's Digest about some early collectors that specialize in post cards and my new issue showed up and had a feature on postcards, haven't read it yet, but you can find some info here..http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/article/baseball_postcards

Again I haven't read it, yet, but you never know. Maybe it'll point you in the right direction. You could always email Bob Lemke and see if he knows anything too.
ernest said…
my initial guess (without being home to do the research) is that it belongs to a team set issued in the 70's. Something about the design and photo quality points me in that direction. It could very well be a Larry Fritsch or tcma offering from the 70's. The key will be the design below Koufax's photo.

Is it of thin stock (almost paper like), or thicker?

It could also be a team issued photocard given as fan packs, or maybe even provided by Sandy himself. Then again, it could be a very early version of a Punk Rock Paint fantasy card creation.
John Bateman said…
I think this may have been a Renata Galasso issue or something that she used to sell. I checked a few of her ciculars that I have from the early 1980s but I could not find this card or set.

I am positive that I have seen this design before (Name, Baseball, Line)so it probably is hers or Fritsch issue or what they used to sell
night owl said…
I'm thinking it might be Renata Galasso or a team issue. There seems to be some Renata Galasso sets missing from the Standard Catalog.

The stock is pretty much standard postcard stock, possibly a bit thinner.

Like John, I know I've seen this design before.

But thanks for tip on Lemke, that's a good idea.
Funner Here said…
I'm determined to find you those darn Ginter minis you are looking for at the next show I got to. They can't be that hard to find, right?