Am I building the 1959 Topps set?!?!?!?!
I didn't mean to start. I can't afford to, can I? How could I ever be so....so, bold?
EH, to heck with it. I'm a collector and a set-builder at that. It may take me 40 years, I may never finish it....but nothing can stop me from starting a list, right? Right. Let's add this one to my short, but growing stack!
I picked up this card for less than $8 if I remember correctly. A deal, if you ask me! It's got the all too frequent snow of the 1958 and 1959 Topps sets, but when that snow gently surrounds the gathering of two Hall of Fame players like Mathews and Aaron - you just don't care!
"Fence Busters" indeed, this card pays homage to the HR and RBI category totals for the two sluggers during their 1958 campaign. 30 and 95 for Hank......31 and 77 for Edie. The blazing yellow sun centered between the two players keeps the design consistent with the rest of the set, though this disk was where the player's photograph was inserted for the base cards. For card #212, it creates a slightly bizarre, almost spaghetti-western kind of sunset effect....but this intimate portrait of two great ballplayers and teammates bests any grievances from the design or background color department.
The card is in fairly decent shape, too! Centering can be tough for '59's, but the white border is shared well by all four sides of the card. The corners aren't too badly rounded either. Here's a glance at the back:
The back is in great shape, with no stains or marks to impede appreciation of another gem of a vintage card back from Topps:
"...a terror to opponents when World Series time rolls around..." Ha! Until the Yanks in '58!
"...belted a torrid .393 with 3 homers and 7 Runs Batted In..." - I need to use "torrid" more often!
"...last year...posted a .333 against the Yanks..." - wait, WHAT? :)
"Eddie is the best bunter on the Braves." - (sad trombone sound)
Not the best highlight for a "Fence Busters" card but, hey. We're all about reporting the facts. Mathews did more fence busting in '58 than Aaron, but is clear where the majority of the hobby and fandom zeal was aimed. No problem! It is at is always will be....Interestingly, as a side note, the cartoon baseball player at the bottom of the card doesn't depict any fence-busting, either.
Nerd-details aside, this is a great card and I am thrilled to add it to my HOF collection as well as my infant 1959 Topps set. Keep your eyes peeled for a NEEDS List, my friends!
Thanks for reading and keep collecting!
Ryan
Fence Busters is an awesome, iconic card.
ReplyDeleteI've had that one on my radar since I first saw it.
$8 seems like a good deal for that one. Nice get.
Awesome! Looks like a giant sun rising over Wrigley. Between them they smacked 86 home runs at the Friendly Confines.
ReplyDeleteI love this card. Build the set. Do it!
ReplyDelete