1982 K-Mart #21 - Rich AllenA recently acquired card of mine, this K-Mart baseball card features the entire 1972 Topps card of Rich Allen, complete with faux shadow lifting the original card off of the new card. Could K-Mart have been on to something? How would a picture of another card on a card do in today's market? Would collectors scream about fraud and the saturation of the market or would they embrace a card like this?
So many thing could go wrong with this type of card. The potential backlash could be fatal to the set's success. I'm not sure how I would react to something like this released today. I'd probably dismiss it as a cheap knockoff designed to suck more money out of the already financially strapped collector.
Back in 1982 would be a different story. It would be another year before I would receive my first baseball card. When I started collecting, I engrossed myself in the past releases and taught myself what to look out for and what to avoid. I probably knew more then, than I know now. I had to reteach myself everything, when I reentered the world of cards last year.
This card is a reminder of those innocent days spent looking up different sets in these huge books filled with pictures of cards. I used to dream of owning every single card. Back then, it was not totally impossible to believe that you could obtain every single card. There were only three major card companies and a handful of regional releases.
This was before I found out about things like minor league cards. This was before the internet was available to most people as an information tool. This was when my knowledge of card releases was limited to the drug store and whatever information I could find in books.
I guess this week has been a reflection back. The season is drawing to a close with the World Series looming large on the horizon. I have been finishing up projects started during the season. I have resurrected some other regular features that have fallen by the wayside in favor of more current topics. With my birthday rapidly approaching next week, it is the perfect time to reflect back. This card fits that theme perfectly.
Last year when I was out in Chicago for a vacation I spotted the 1972 version of the Dick Allen card on display with other cards insdide a tableside jukebox while on a pub crawl. As a Phils fan it brought a smile to my face. As does this reprint.
ReplyDeleteI remember my brother picking up a full set of those Kmart cards in our local Kmart back in 1982. It's surprising to look at a price guide and see how worthless the set is. I think the biggest stars in the set go for like 10 cents, and everything else is 3 cents. Kmart apparently flooded the market.
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