Vintage Basketball Cards (PSA, 1957 Topps. 1948 Bowman, 1961 Fleer, 1969 Topps, Scott's, Bread for Energy, Bread for Health, 1968 Topps Test, Gunther Beer, Ashland Oil, Enamaline Oil)

§ I still don't have a computer at home and, even if I did, my copy of the website got trashed when my last computer went haywire. Nevertheless, I'm going to start doing "bare minimum" type updates on my website. What a better way to start it off then posting a picture of one of the holy grails of the hobby -- a 1957 Topps Wrapper. On another note, we are having a dinner the Wednesday of the National -- be there!

§ My computer crashed a few weeks ago. When I try to start it, I get a "Primary Hard Disk Failure." As a result, I probably will not be updating the site for a few months. I am very anti-computers right now. I did figure out how to make small updates like this one, but I won't be able to make major updates until I buy a new computer and manually download my entire website infrastructure file-by-file to that computer (which will probably take a month in and upon itself). In the meantime, please use the message boards.

§ Here is something extremely rare. So rare that most of you probably have never seen one. In 1939 Wheaties released a set of 8 cereal backs ... each one had a tip from a famous coach. These are basically one of a kind items ... even major wheaties experts don't know about this set.

§ Check out the autograph section. I added something that is really really really cool (the rarity scale). Thanks W.P.!

§ I added a picture of the 1935 Wheaties Kessler card. A very hard card to find. I know of maybe 6 of them in existence.

§ Click on the above link and join the message board. Let's get a good 20-30 people in there gossiping. When I'm at work ... its the only place that I can post messages ... and I'm at work all the time.

§ Found at least 2 advertising variations for the 1899 Enameline oil cards. Really cool stuff. You can find them with different advertising backs and with different ink colors.

§ So I had a long night. I decided to stop using the message boards and chat rooms of third party websites for my site. I decided to just make my own message board and chat room. The new message board is really easy to register for. You basically just enter in a username and password and you are done. As far as the chat room goes, let us try and find a time every week or so when all of us can get together and chat it up. Anyway, it is Sunday afternoon ... which means I'm off to work.

§ I had a few seconds today and went back to my old forum. I also added a live chat link. I'll be on the chat a lot so log in and see if I'm on!!!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

§ So all of those wondering about my new years party ... wonder no more. Check it out here.

§ So I started a new project a few days ago. I am trying to get modern basketball cards with authenticated signatures of the top 50 NBA players of all time. As of now, I have been able to secure 25 of the 50 autographs for roughly $300. The last NBA top 50 lithograph sold for over $80k. I estimate that it will cost me about another $2,000 to get the other 25 signatures (you can't get a Jordan signed card for less than $700). However, I want to show people my progress. You can check it out here.