Sunday, December 11, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 59

Generally speaking, things have been quiet on the hobby front, what with previously lamented major expenditures and the holidays nigh upon us.  So, in order to stay active, but not break the bank, I have started working on 1970 Topps baseball. I've gotten most card numbers under 339 fairly cheaply. I've done this since I am essentially down to the expensive star cards and high numbers for my 1972 set (203 cards left, 163 of which are semi-high and high numbers).

Otherwise, not much new. Except this:


This is the 59th autographed 1963 Fleer card I have, out of 66 in the set.  I nabbed this when I woke up in the middle of the night and did a quick run through of my Ebay saved searches as I was trying to get back to sleep. This had just been posted as a Buy-It-Now or Best Offer. I submitted an offer and, surprisingly, received a counter within 5 minutes. Imagine that, buyer and seller up at 3 AM!  I accepted the offer and now it is mine.  Only 7 left to go to complete this autograph quest:

5 - Willie Mays
23 - Vic Power
34 - Vada Pinson
38 - Dick Farrell
56 - Roberto Clemente
60 - Ken Boyer
62 - Gene Oliver

Anyways, that is about for new stuff around here. I am cleaning up all my extra cards and doubles and may be selling them off.  I may list them here to see if anyone is interested before I go the EBay route.  Stay tuned!

What I am listening to: Dominick the Donkey by Lou Monte



Thursday, October 27, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 58

So, there is a card show this weekend and I am not going.  With a vacation earlier this month,  I was a little light on funds. Then this happened:



The pothole from hell basically destroyed two of my cars rims.  Replacement rims were around $900 EACH.

Seriously.

This isn't some fancy car like a BMW. It is a Ford Fusion.  So, I ended up getting a full set of aftermarket rims for the same price as one factory rim. Add in two new tires as well, and my pocket is $1400 lighter. No show for me this month.  And probably not the next one in December either.

I did manage to "find" $50 for a couple of pickups:


This is the 58th autographed 1963 Fleer card in my collection (out of 66 cards in the set.) Bob Purkey died in 2008, so I snagged this from Mickey's Cards as soon as I saw it. The condition is a bit rough, but it was only $20 delivered.  I can always upgrade later.

My second pickup was inspired by a recent post at Night Owl Cards. This post.


I had previously busted a box of 1994 Ted Williams, a set I quite like. In fact, I am only three cards short of a complete set, including inserts.  After seeing NOs post, I decided to look at whether or not the 1993 boxes were available and affordable.  The answer to both questions was yes.  So, for $25 delivered, the above box is mine.

I haven't opened it yet.  Next weekend, my wife is off to a horse show in Texas.  I'll probably take that opportunity to grill up a steak, chill some of my favorite beer, and bust the box. Stay tuned.

What I am listening to:  Exodus of Venus by Elizabeth Cook



Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A Positive Development

As I mentioned in a previous post, I focus my two player collections on trading cards which actual feature an image of the player, with the possible extension into postcards.  That does exclude a fair amount of memorabilia. I've often seen Johnny Antonelli Armour coins (in 6 different colors!) come up for auction, but I just pass them on by. Pins, balls, and gloves are similarly ignored.

However, something came available on EBay recently that I had to bid on, despite it falling outside the defined scope of my player collections.  But first, let me dispense with a recent acquisition for my Paul Blair player collection:


A 1972 Milton Bradley card. I never picked this up earlier because I wasn't sure it existed.  I have had the 1969 Milton Bradley Paul Blair for a while, but never saw anything that was listed as 1972.  It isn't helped by the fact that they are identical from the front.  The back, however, is a different story:


Because I am a crappy scanner, I've got '72 on the left and '69 on the right.  The lousy cropping just adds to my shame.  This is the 112th unique card in my Paul Blair PC.

Now on to the unique item:


I know it looks a lot like a 1978 Topps trading card.  A printing error, perhaps?  Nope.  This is a film positive for the 1978 Topps trading card that was auctioned off recently by the official Topps Vault Ebay account.  I snagged it for $13 delivered.  As I understand it, film positives are used during the creation of the printing plates that are used to print the actual cards.  There are four different color plates (and thus film positives): black, cyan, magenta, and yellow.  Needless to say, I am pretty psyched about getting this little piece of history.

With that, I think I have caught up with my recent hobby activity. With vacation coming up and the holidays fast on it's heals, it may be quiet for a while. There will be OKC shows in October and December. I can't guarantee I won't go, but if I do, it will be with a fairly limited budget.

What I am listening to: Outlaw You by Shooter Jennings

Friday, September 9, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 57

In my last post on this project, I mentioned that there was three cards out of the 66 card 1963 Fleer set that I didn't reasonably expect I would ever find an affordable autographed version:  Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Joe Adcock.  Adcock may seem odd given the other two, but it does make some level of sense.  The 1963 Fleer Adcock was a short print, thus has a Beckett book value of $200. Given that Adcock died in 1999, I didn't expect many such autographed cards to exist and those that did would be way too rich for my wallet.

Imagine my surprise when one popped up on Ebay shortly thereafter. I guess I went a little crazy, but ended up winning with a final bid of $136.






More than I really wanted to spend, but not much more. My limit, set at a more dispassionate time, was $120.  But, being so close, I came in with a higher bid with a couple seconds to go and won.  This will pretty much kill my hobby budget through the fall.  My wife and I are taking a vacation in early October and with the holidays fast approaching, it makes sense to mostly sit on the sidelines until 2017

What I am listening to:  The Funeral by The Turnpike Troubadours.

 

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Player Collection Additions


While I haven't been super active this year as far as adding to my player collections, I have made a few pickups here and there.  I have added one really cool piece to my Paul Blair collection, I am going to save that for another post sometime in the future.Hopefully soon, but probably not.

Today, I am going to focus on additions to my Johnny Antonelli collection.  By way of review for any newcomers here, I have a player collection of Johnny Antonelli because I grew up in Rochester, NY and (at the time) he owned a chain of Firestone tire stores in town. He was something of a local celebrity.  I suppose that is a odd reason to have a player collection, but there you have it.

Additions to the collection had stopped for quite a while, but have picked up over the last 6 months or so.  so, let's get to it:


This is supposedly a 1950s George Brace postcard, although it may be a 1970s reprint. In a few minutes of googling, I found there is some discussion about how to identify which vintage it is, but I haven't dedicated enough time to actually figure it out. I just liked it and added it to my collection.

My player collections follow a fairly simple rule:  trading cards that feature an image of the player in question.  That's it.  So, all the cut auto cards that come out each year in un-licensed sets don't count.  I am starting to come around to adding post cards to the mix. I have certainly been adding post cards, but haven't fully committed myself yet.  Speaking of which:

 
1985 TCMA post card of Johnny Antonelli and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.




These look like the 1947-1966 exhibit cards, two of which feature Antonelli, but they are not. They are actually 1980 reprints and come in three colors: sepia, blue, and red.  I don't have the red one yet. There are several red on EBay, but are priced at around $6 including shipping.  These exhibit reprints, which are the same size as the originals, have a book value of less than a dollar. I'm probably being too cheap about it, but I am having a problem paying $6 for it. Especially given the cost of another recent Ebay purchase. But, I am going to wait to see if I can find the red version for $3 or less.



Earlier this year, I was looking through my player collection binder and realized that I didn't have a 1951 Bowman Antonelli. I am not sure how I managed that, given that I have been working on this collection for 4 years.  I guess I could attribute it to my approaching dotage. In any case, it took a while to find one reasonably priced, but now I have all 4 Bowman Antonellis (1950, '51, '54, and '55).

This is a card that I have been aware of for a while.  It is a 1958 San Francisco Call-Bulletin raffle ticket and Giants schedule. I have only ever seen one of these available and the seller wanted double the high book value. I wasn't going to pay that, so I just continued to keep my eye out.  Luckily, this one came up and I was able to snag it for $11.50 delivered. 

The auction was described as "Old Sport Raffle Ticket, Johnny Antonelli, Pitcher, San Francisco Giant Schedule."  I have to love auctions where the descriptions are poorly written, which allows me to buy the item at a fraction of the price I would have paid if it had been better written. If this auction had mentioned "1958 Call-Bulletin" it would have gone for a lot more.  Sucks for the seller, but I can't concern myself with that.

Coming up soon: another autographed Fleer and a odd, but historic addition to my Paul Blair collection.

What I am listening to:  Nearly Gone by Hank 3


Sunday, August 14, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Parts 55 and 56

The 1983 Fleer Project was one of several blogs that led me back to the hobby. I admire the ambition and focus that it takes to build an autograph set of a major flagship issue.  Having to work on a set of 500+ cards seems daunting.  I have too much going on in my real life and my collecting life to be able to take on such a challenge.  Building an autographed 1963 Fleer set, with only 66 cards, has been enough challenge for me.

I went back and looked. I started this quest when I sent some cards out to a public signing in June of 2012. So, I've been working on this for over 4 years.  While I have been moving inexorably closer to completion, it has been something of an asymptotic approach.  For those of you versed in math, you know what I mean.  For those of you who aren't, no worries. Here is an asymptotic curve:

Point being, that the closer you get to the top, the longer the time it takes to make that move.  In some asymptotic curves, you never make it there. While I believe this generally holds true for this project, I did make a fairly significant leap towards completion. I found a seller on EBay who had several autographed '63 Fleers for sale, two of which I needed. I checked around and the seller, Jim Stinson, actually has a great reputation in the hobby world, not just on EBay.  So, even though these cards weren't authenticated, I went after them.



I managed to win both (obviously.)  The Kanehl was a bit steep at $43, but there has been a signed Kanehl card on EBay periodically over the last year where the seller wanted around $125.  I tried a couple of times to talk sense into that seller, since no Kanehl autographed card has sold on Ebay for more than $55, but he stuck to his price.  So, I consider this card a bargain.  It isn't the prettiest signature, what with being ball point, but that is fine with me.

The Siebern, the first such example I have ever seen, came to me at the bargain price of $15.  So, now I have 56 signed 1963 Fleer cards from the 66 card set.  Who do I still need?

Willie Mays
Vic Power
Tom Cheney
Vada Pinson
Bob Purkey
Dick Farrell
Joe Adcock
Roberto Clemente
Ken Boyer
Gene Oliver

You can probably see what I mean about this being an  asymptotic quest. With Mays, Clemente, and Adcock (the card itself was short printed) on the list, I have no reasonable expectation that I will ever make it.  But, that is okay. I am pretty psyched how far I have made it.


Monday, August 1, 2016

Hello World with a Package from Night Owl

Gathering from how much dust is laying around here, I am guessing it has been a while since I posted.


*looks at blog home page*

Yup, 13 total posts this year and none since May 11.  While I haven't been completely inactive on the hobby front lately, I didn't have much going on.  The adult world has taken the forefront the last couple months. On the good side, I finally upgraded my commuting vehicle from a 2006 Honda Civic (with over 210,000 miles) to a 2015 Ford Fusion.

On the bad, one of our horses passed away last month. It is said, for us humans, that a large portion of our medical expenses are incurred during the last few months of our lives.  The same is apparently true for animals, as well. 


Obviously, this isn't why you are here, so I will dispense with the elegy, though I could go on for a while about my old friend, Jack.

Some time back, I sent some cards to the Dean of Baseball Card Bloggers, Night Owl. I don't often send cards to him because my collecting focus and process doesn't lead to me having a lot of duplicates. But, when I can send some I like to do so. I cannot begin to state how much pleasure I get from reading what NO writes.  Sending a meagerly filled bubble mailer his way every once in a while is what I consider small recompense for the service he provides.

That said, he asked what he could send in return.  My main collecting focus right now, such as it is, is 1972 Topps. That is a set NO is also working on and is further along than I am.  I didn't expect him to have many to send.  I am not much of a modern era collector, with most my focus on pre-1980 Topps sets. So, I offered that I also like throw-back type sets that feature old timey players.  Any modern sets that catch my fancy tend to fall into this category, like 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game and (to a lesser extent) the 2009-2011 Tristar Obak sets.

A bit over a week ago, a bubble mailer appeared in the mailbox. I wasn't expecting anything, so I was a little surprised when I saw it was from Night Owl.  As my memory isn't what it used to be, it took a moment to remember our last conversation.  Anyways, the package did not disappoint. It included a bunch of cards from the throwback sets I like.


I'm not real jazzed about the 1989 Pacific set that the above card is from.   While I do tend to favor card sets with simple designs, this set is uninspiring.  Gray (sorta) works on 1970 Topps, but '89 Pacific is a snooze-fest.  Plus, it may be just me, but that painting/picture of Lefty Grove is kinda creepy looking.  This is a set I probably won't build.


This is one of three Renata Galasso cards NO sent.  The Galasso set, issued in 6 series between 1977 and 1984, were the first non-Topps sets I completed when I re-entered the hobby back in 2011. I love this set, which borrows it's front design from 1960 Leaf. 


This is from the 1982 TCMA set Baseball's Greatest Sluggers. I haven't found much information about it in my admittedly cursory searching.  It appears that the 45 card set came in multicard sheets, as the card above has perforations around the edge.  I will definitely collect this set, along with the Hitters/Pitchers companion sets.


The All-Time Athletics set was released in 1983 by TCMA. It appears that during the 1970s and 1980s, TCMA released a whole series of All-Time team sets.  Prior to the above set being issued, TCMA has issued sets covering the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox, Tigers, NY Giants. There were four of 12 card sets in 1983: Athletics, Cardinals, and Pirates, with the Pirates having red and blue frame variations.  Then in 1986, it appears TCMA issued All-Time sets for all the extant teams not covered by the previous releases, including the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners who were only entering their 10th season of existence in 1986. It would be fun to put all those sets together and I think I will.


This card was issued by TCMA in 1985 and is a re-issue of 1947 Play Ball.


Ah, a non-TCMA issue. This is from the 1987 Hygrade All Time Greats, a 102 card set. I like this set as the painting-type images are better done than those in 1989 Pacific and the back is somewhat reminiscent of the 1960 and 1961 Fleer sets.  Hygrade appears to have only existed as a card company for that one year.



This card must have been hard for Night Owl to give up, what with his love of food issues. It appears this is a 33 card set, with 11 cards covering the Golden Era and the other two covering the Modern Era and divided equally between the AL and NL.  Another fun set I intend to complete.

That was quite the haul, but that wasn't all NO sent.


He also sent me 5 really nice 1972 Topps. I had all 5, but three of them, including this Maury Wills In Action were upgrades for me. 1972 is, or should be, my main focus right now.  The problem with it is that it is a huge set with 787 cards and was issued in series.  Series 5 and 6, 130 cards each, are the hardest to come by since they were issued in smaller quantities due to being released late in the season when attention had already turned to football cards.  Series 5 isn't horrible with $4-$6 book value on commons, but series 6 hurts with commons coming in at $12-$15 BV. 

Where am I on 1972?  I need 247 cards to complete the set, with 65 of those from Series 5 and 95 from Series 6. I generally try to target cards in EX  for 1/4 to 1/3 of book value, so it is a slow process. At this point, I am guessing that I am looking at least another year to complete the set.

As I mentioned, there has been a little hobby activity over the last few months that I will try to share in the days ahead.  But, in the mean time: Thanks Night Owl!  A great package!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 54



Let me admit up front I can be condition sensitive with my collection.  Being solely a vintage set collector that means that progress can be slow.  It took me nearly 2 years to complete 1971 Topps, even though it was my main focus during that time.   I am learning to relax my standards some, mainly due to my quest to build 1956 Topps. There is just no way I can complete that set within my budget if I maintain the same condition standards I apply to my 1970s sets.

The card above is not of a condition I would normally go for.  But, this is the first autographed Lou Clinton card I have any recollection of seeing. So, I picked it up in order to keep my progress going.  I did so with the intent of upgrading if I ever get the chance.  Until then, I now sit at 54 autographed cards out of the 66 card set.

What I am listening to:  Long I Ride by Robbie Fulks



Friday, April 29, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 53


This is one I have waited a long time for.

There are actually two others on EBay right at this very time.  But, neither were desireable.  Drysdale autographed cards go for $30 to $60 all day long on EBay.  Of the two cards, one was in the right price range at $69.99 but the card was in horrible condition.  The second card was in great condition with a bold signature, but the seller wanted $200 for it.

Earlier this week, while my wife and I were waiting to see if we needed to head for the storm shelter (we didn't, although I had to earlier today), I checked one of my saved searches on EBay and this popped up.  Naturally I jumped on it. And today it arrived.

I can't believe I've made it this far. I started this quest as a lark 3 and a half years ago and I now have 80% of the cards signed.

What I am listening to: Choctaw Bingo by Ray Wylie Hubbard (NSFW, but funny as hell.)


Saturday, April 23, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 52


This is, as the post title states, the 52nd card from the 66 card 1963 Fleer set that I have autographed.  I had sent a card TTM to Rollins for signing back in January.  But, after 3 months I figured it may not be coming back, so I went ahead and picked this one up off of EBay. With this pickup, I only lack one card featuring a player who is still alive.  That player is Willie Mays and, after last years aborted signing, I don't expect that will ever get a Mays signed Fleer.  There are actually a couple other cards I need from deceased players on EBay right now, but the card condition is either poor or the price is way too high. I have really enjoyed this project and would love to keep adding to it, but I am intent on not overpaying.

What I am Listening to:  Cooler 'n Hell by Ray Wylie Hubbard


Friday, April 1, 2016

Miscellaneous March Madness - Vintage Edition

March was a semi-active month hobby-wise.  I put an order in at COMC and picked up a few things on EBay. I didn't spend much money, but I did get enough to milk three weak posts out of it. Normally, I'd save the vintage for the last post, but as I worked through the scanning and cropping, I decided I really didn't want to do everything at once.  It's a Friday night, I have an glass with two fingers of Glenmorangie, and I am in with striking distance of finishing the last season of Star Trek:Voyager.  So, since I had started with the vintage cards, that is what I am going to feature in this post.




Boom! The last three cards I needed for my 1979 set.  This is the eighth Topps set from the 1970s that I have completed.  I have finished 1971 and the entire run from 1973 through 1979.  1979 was the last year I had any cards from in my youth and will be the most current Topps set I intend to complete.



Two more cards from 1961 Fleer, leaving me only four left to complete that set. Unfortunately, two of those remaining four are Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.  Very expensive and I expect it will take me a while to find them in the right condition at the right price.

Coming up: Modern cards and some player collection additionsl

What I am listening to:  So Far Away by Carole King


Friday, March 25, 2016

February Card Show

Yes, I know it is almost April. Sue me. I've been busy.  Work has continued to fill my days, despite the precipitous drop in oil and natural gas prices recently. Spring has sprung in Oklahoma, lawn mowing season has opened, and the list of honey-dews awaits.  But, I figure I need to get this, and another post, done before the April card show.

So, without further ado:







 I picked up 45 cards for my 1972 set, many of which were high numbers.  I like the In Action cards above.  They are among some of the In Action cards that actually show action.  Don't believe me?  Look at the Thurman Munson In Action card.  I suppose it was ground breaking in it's time.  But, I cannot escape the notion that Topps was just padding out the 1972 set with whatever ideas popped into their head.  I mean, just look at the ROY award card above?  Does anyone really like them. I sure don't.  They are boring. But, alas, they are part of the set and I am set collector.





I managed to find six 1956 cards I needed in a discount bin, including the three team cards above. I've been negligent in working on the team cards in the 1956 set.  I've either been working on the high value cards or finding commons for $4 or less.  There is a vast swath of mid-value cards I have been ignoring.



I ran through my money pretty quickly.  1972 high numbers will do that to you.  However, as I was getting ready to leave I saw these on the high-end vintage dealers table.  A complete set of the 1976 Isaly's discs for only $15. I ran to a nearby ATM and got more money, so I could get them.  Impulsive, to be sure.  But I figured why not. My late father-in-law used to manage Isaly's stores in central Ohio.  Isaly's doesn't exist anymore, but it's legacy lives on as part of the Unilever brand of products.  Specifically, the Klondike Bar was created and sold by the Isaly Dairy Company of Ohio.  So, what would you do for a Klondike Bar? Or Isaly's discs?

What I am listening to: In Bloom by Sturgill Simpson (Note this is a cover of the Nirvana original)



Friday, March 4, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 50 Revisited

I suppose this is how things work sometimes.  After not seeing any signed 1963 Fleer Bill White cards in the two years I've been working on this project, a second one pops up mere weeks after I pulled the trigger on one I found that wasn't a particularly clean copy.



This is a much nicer, visually interesting version. So, I bought it and, upon receiving it, popped it out of the PSA slab and put it in the appropriate Ultrapro sheet.  The copy I bought previously will eventually go up on EBay.  If anyone is interested in it, let me know.

What I am listening to:  You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt



Saturday, February 27, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part 51

  I've been trying to broaden my search for autographed 1963 Fleer cards.  I've had decent luck with organized signings and TTM, however I have most of the living players (Rich Rollins and Willie Mays are the only living players I don't have.  EBay is a decent resource, but most of the signed cards out there I already have.  So, every few weeks I sit down and do a general Google search for these cards.

This Leon Wagner came from Hall of Fame Memorabilia, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (although this card shipped from California.)   Wagner passed away in 2004 and represents the 13th deceased player featured in the 1963 Fleer set for which I have an autograph.


What I am Listening to: Embraceable You by Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Alternate Collection Update

About three and a half years ago, San Jose Fuji asked if the sportscard bloggers collected anything other than sportscards.

This post was my answer.
Update #1
Update #2

Since then, there has been a few changes.  We sold the grey thoroughbred in the 6th picture in the first post, leased out the pony in the next picture down to a friend to use as a lesson horse, and sold the Welsh Pony three more pictures down.  Additionally, we lost Star, one of the barn cats in Update #2 to a predator.

Last weekend, we drove up to Wichita and bought Traeh, a 4 year old Irish Sport Horse.


Traeh is going to be my wife's up and coming show horse. Her main show mount, Clyde, is pushing 20 years old, which is roughly 63 in human years.  He is still healthy and loves to compete, but we cannot ask him to do higher level competing without risking injury. So, she'll still do lower level events with him and start bringing Traeh along over the next few years.

What I am listening to:  If Wishes Were Horses by Star Anna


Sunday, January 31, 2016

Fleer Autograph Project - Part Never Gonna Happen

I watch EBay rather closely as part of my project to get an autographed 1963 Fleer set. This popped up other day.



Yeah. That doesn't fit into my middle class budget. Not by a long shot.

What I am listening to:  Turtles All the Way Down by Sturgill Simpson
For context, see here.


Friday, January 29, 2016

Stickers

I try to remain focused with my collecting.  Because I am mostly a vintage collector, I try to preserve my cash because bargains are few and far between.  However, I do try to leave a little room for serendipity.  One such serendi[pitous diversion was the 1974-75 Loblaw's hockey sticker album a couple years ago.  You can read more about this set here. Along the way, I picked up the Acme SuperSaver version of the book and mostly completed that.  I still needed about a half dozen stickers to finish it.


I keep two EBay searches active in order to keep an eye on what is out there and be ready, should I decide to finish the second book. But, I've been generally focusing on other areas of my collection over the last year.  However, recently I saw an auction for what was clearly these hockey stickers, but was mistitled as being from 1972.  The lot consisted of 75 - 8 sticker panels and 50 - 7 stamp panels (I am not aware of 7 stamp panels ever being issued, so I have to assume it had one stamp removed. I haven't really looked into who was missing from the panels to see what the deal was.)  The lot also claimed to include around a thousand loose single stickers.

I ended up winning at the starting price, which meant I got all these stickers for about $20 delivered.




For context, around same time someone auctioned a lot of 134 (correctly identified) panels with a final price of $260 or $2 each panel.  So, conservatively, I won my lot for less than a tenth of what it should have gone for. I figured that the lot would mainly be devoid of stars, but I was wrong.  The Bobby Orr sticker can sell individually for up to $25. I felt lucky when I won a panel including Orr for around $15.    As it turned out this lot had 6 Bobby Orr individual stickers and 2 complete panels that included Orr.


There were precious few Flyers stickers. Oddly few. Until I looked at the return address.



I did manage to complete the ACME album with stickers from this group.  But that wasn't all.  The lot also included football stickers!


So, naturally, I went out and found the corresponding album, which was distributed by Sunoco and DX gas stations.  I'll probably do research on this sticker set and post about it in the future.





Now I have a larger task ahead of me.  The album includes 144 stickers. However, it covers all 28 26 teams, with 32 24 player stickers per team.  That adds up to 896 624 stickers.  So, this will probably end up being a long term project. I haven't really done any research on how much the stickers cost yet. I don't expect them to be expensive, since the album in pristine condition only cost $15.  But, we'll see.

P.S. I also found another Loblaw's hockey sticker album for fairly cheap. It is coming from Canada, so it will be a while before it arrives, but, I'll get to work on that (again) too.

Added in Edit:  There were only 26 NFL teams in 1972, so I have updated the math.