Fun during a blizzard

I knew it was going to happen eventually.

 

It's barely snowed all winter yet here in Chicago.

But that's ending today. It's snowed non-stop since about 9 or 10 this morning. I can finally say that it genuinely feels like winter.

I started digging through my closet this afternoon for no apparent reason and came across an old box full of reprints that I traded for a while back. I pulled the ones that would go in my binders after I first received the box (who goes in the binders and who doesn't is a long story), but there were still some awesome cards left over.

All I had to give up for the box was a small assortment of Cincinnati Reds cards. Opening that box of reprints for the first time was among the most fun I've ever had in my time collecting baseball cards. There's just so much variety with these reprints.

 

The cards you see at the top of the post are some various reprints of turn-of-the-century tobacco cards. I still don't own a real tobacco card, but obtaining one is in my future collecting plans.

I have no idea what set these are originally from. Whatever they are, they're pretty neat.

I love these old-timey "action" shots. Take a look at Wally Schang's catcher's mitt (bottom-left). It looks like he's getting ready to take a pot roast out of the oven.

In my opinion, these "Turkey Red" cards have the greatest artistry of any of the old cigarette cards. I'd love to own a real one of these as well.

Another reason I love the old-time action shots is that they tell a lot about the era they were released in. Take a look at the "Chief Myers At Bat" card at the bottom. The catchers used to be further back from the hitter, and they weren't crouching behind the plate yet.

I'm not sure what set this is, either.

These are obviously supposed to be used for some sort of card game. Could this be the first instance of a baseball card-related game?

The box also had a bunch of '40s and '50s Bowman reprints.

On top from left to right: Phil Masi, "Whitey" Lockman, and Sam Jethroe.

I think I'm going to have nightmares about Floyd Baker tonight. Are we sure he's not a ghost?

"Hippity" Hopp. They don't make nicknames like they used to.

More 1950's Bowman reprints.

Gene Mauch played for a lot longer than I thought he did. He played for nine years in the majors in the '40s and '50s before becoming a well-known manager.

A few of these old Bowman reprints have great action shots, like the "Chico" Carrasquel card on the right.

These are easily my favorite of the bunch. 

They're reprints of the 1911 Mecca Cigarettes "Double Folders" set. The top-right one has some gunk on the front of it. 

Top: Christy Mathewson and "Hooks" Wiltse. Bottom: Nap Lajoie and Eddie Collins

The paintings that grace the fronts of these are simply amazing. And that's not all...

There's more on the backs of these cards. I think they were originally intended to be folded over and have a front-and-back baseball card with two different guys.

Top: Al Bridwell and Fred Merkle. Bottom: Fred Falkenberg and "Home Run" Baker.

I'd like to see more cards of Merkle today, but I'll settle for this beauty for now.


One of my favorite things to do is sift through my baseball cards on a sloppy day.

It beats the hell out of playing video games.