Mondays with Hoyt, Episode 19

1963 Topps #108 Hoyt Wilhelm

You may have noticed a couple changes I made to the blog recently.

I've decided to semi-retire my "Cardboard Masterpieces" theme. With my mega "Top 100" project in the works, I don't want to give away too many of the finalists. A handful of them have already made appearances within the "Masterpieces" theme.

It may return in the future, but it'll be on the back burner for the time being. 

Secondly, I've decided to add my "Mondays with Hoyt" posts to the "theme bar" at the top of the blog. All the "episodes" are now there for your convenience in case you're interested in reading any of my past Monday posts.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on to this week's episode of "Mondays with Hoyt".

As is the case with most newly-released sets, Topps Update is quickly making its rounds across the blogosphere. I was glad to hear that my take on the set helped convince a fellow blogger to delve into a hobby box of his own.

Update has always been one of those sets that I specifically mark on the proverbial "card calendar". In fact, near the beginning of the season, I remember thinking, "Before I know it, I'm going to be buying my box of Topps Update."

The baseball season goes by too darn fast, doesn't it?

As I mentioned in my review of the product, I've always had a deep desire to get those first cards of guys in their new uniforms.

At times, I've wondered why exactly I have this need. What is it about a new uniform that makes a card so much more awesome?

Judging from what my collection has showed me over the years, I'm starting to think it's one of those innate parts of every collector.

Topps' "Traded" subset made its debut in 1974. However, I currently own a few homemade "Traded" cards from before then.

My copy of Jim Bunning's 1969 Topps issue has the word "Pirates" scratched out and replaced with "Dodgers" scrawled across the bottom of the card, documenting his late-season trade to Los Angeles that year. Most likely the work of an enthusiastic, baseball-loving kid of the era.

One of my more interesting card show finds was also "updated" in a similar fashion, at least eight years after the card was originally released.

However, my favorite from the "homemade Update" series is my copy of Hoyt's 1963 Topps card. To be honest, I have no idea how or when the card fell into my hands. It had to be one of the first vintage Hoyts I ever owned.

Some kid of the '60s was apparently eager to update Wilhelm's trade to the Windy City after the 1962 season, one that would begin Hoyt's six-year tenure with the White Sox.

And maybe that kid was as big of a Hoyt fan as I am. 

This card has shown me that the need for "updating" has always been a part of the hobby. It has always been an integral part of collecting cardboard, no matter the era.

In lots of ways, maybe we're not all that different from the collectors that came before us.