1998 Pacific Online Cubs

In 1998 I upgraded my modem from 28kb to 56kb.  We were flying when we logged in to AOL.  Man was the internet great!

Pacific jump into the internet craze in 1998 with an 800 card set called Pacific Online.

Not only were there pictures of players on the cards, but a website was listed too!  If you go to the URL listed on Terry Adam's card today, this is what you get:

 I'm assuming that the site is long gone.

Among the 800 cards in the set are 25 Cubs players and Kerry Wood on a checklist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upgraded Quickly

A week ago I showed this 1970 Dunkin Donuts bumper sticker.

I mentioned how the red printing was off and that I would someday upgrade this.

Someday came quickly.

This was listed in an auction on Ebay and I won it at a very reasonable price.  It's weird that two of these have been listed within a month after a long drought with none.

Comparing the two makes it easy to see how far off the red was on my first sticker. Everything looks much better with the second.

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 16,801 Cubs cards from 198 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1977 Topps #419 Steve Swisher  Swisher and his .236 average made the All Star team in 1976.  It was a mercy selection, since each team needed at least one player and the NL needed another catcher.  His 1977 season saw his average drop to just .190.  He didn't make the All Star team.  The Cubs traded him to the Cardinals after the season, too.

1980s: 1988 Topps Traded #56 Darrin Jackson This would be the rookie card for the future White Sox broadcaster.  I am so happy that the Cubs have Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer on the radio.  They are so much better than the Sox radio duo of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson.

1990s: 1997 Pinnacle Certified #4 Ryne Sandberg  The card has a protective sheet that says "Peel Off."  I didn't.

2000s: 2001 Topps Chrome #260 Don Baylor This chrome card comes from the days when a chrome version was made for every card in the base set.  The Cubs had 23 more wins in '01 compared to '02 so kudos to Baylor for that.  But the next year they digressed and Baylor was canned after 83 games.

2010s: 2017 Topps Salute #32 Jake Arrieta I miss Jake.  That is all.

1983 Perma Graphics Cubs

Today I've got a one-Cub oddball set from 1983.  Perma-Graphics was a company that produced plastic credit cards.  They got into the baseball business and produced cards that mimicked real credit cards.  They were produced on plastic and had rounded corners like real credit cards.

The set included 36 players, with Bill Buckner being the only Cub.  Billy Buck was given the set's top spot, a rare time a Cubs player was #1.

This is what the card looks like.  It really doesn't remind me of a credit card.  I don't know of many credit cards with a vertical layout.

Because there are upgrad versions of credit cards, Perma-Graphics put out a gold version of the baseball cards.

This is a paper version of the card. I believe it was a test print or mock up, and wasn’t released to retail. I found it on a oddball card website and picked it up for a few bucks.

Jumbo California Sunflower Seeds

Ballplayers have been eating sunflower seeds and spitting out the shells for years.  It seems like a pretty nasty thing to me, but I suppose its not as bad (or unhealthy) as chewing tobacco.

Pairing sunflower seeds and baseball cards seems to make sense.  In 1990 it happened.  Jumbo California Sunflower Seeds packages contained a three-pack of baseball cards.  The entire set included 24 different players.

Ryno was one of them.  You notice that set lacked an MLB license.  It was put out by MSA, and almost all of the different MSA sets were logoless.  The set was called "Autograph Series" but you may notice something missing from the card.... autographs!

You need to flip the card over for that.

The set came out again in 1991 and this time, Ryno was out and...

....Dawson was in.  And this time the Autograph Series has an autograph on the front!

The set came out one final time in 1992, but they didn't include any Cubs.  Sets with no Cubs are dead to me!

Trying to Hit A Moving Target

A couple days ago, I mentioned that I am up to having 80% of the Cubs items on the PSA master list for Billy Williams.  The percentage should actually be a little higher, but PSA keeps adding items to the list.

I assumed that for a player that retired after the 1976 season, the PSA list should have been set years ago.  Player sets are made up of items from the playing days of the players.  Nothing modern is included.  So its not like something new popped up and needed to be added.

Instead, it is typically variations of items that get added.  That's frustrating because I've have the main version already.  Adding variations doesn't give me something new to enjoy, just something expensive.

Here's what has been added:

• 1962 Topps Stamps Panel Haywood Sullivan & BIlly Williams.

I already have the individual stamp and another panel.  I don't think I've ever seen the Sullivan panel.

1963 Jello card #172

I already have the rare and expensive 1963 Post card.  There is a miniscule difference between the ones on cereal boxes and Jello boxes.  That difference will cost me upwards of $100 to get it checked off the list.  Ouch!


1964 Rawlings glove panel.

Just getting the individual card has been impossible.  Trying to find a full panel?  No chance.

1968 O-Pee-Chee #37

This was an easy one.  I had bought the card years ago, assuming that it was on the master list.  It wasn't but no is.  So good for my planning ahead.

1973 Topps Pin Up

This was on the list and I bought it.  Then it was removed from the list.  Now it is back on.  I'm so confused!

Here's a look at the entire updated list.  The 114 items in bold are in my collection.  There are 39 in regular print that I'm missing.

1947 -1966 EXHIBITS BILLY WILLIAMS
1961 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #141
1961 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #122
1961 TOPPS STAMP PANELS BILLY WILLIAMS CARL WILLEY
1961 TOPPS STAMP PANELS BILLY WILLIAMS WARREN SPAHN
1961 TOPPS STAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1962 SALADA-JUNKET COINS BILLY WILLIAMS - #207
1962 SHIRRIFF COINS BILLY WILLIAMS - #207
1962 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #288
1962 TOPPS BUCKS BILLY WILLIAMS
1962 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #552
1962 TOPPS STAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1962 TOPPS STAMP PANELS GUS TRIANDOS BILLY WILLIAMS
1962 TOPPS STMP.PANELS HAYWOOD SULLIVAN BILLY WILLIAMS
1962-1965 JAY PUBLISHING PHOTOS-TYPE 2 BILLY WILLIAMS PORTRAIT POSE TO CHEST,DARK BACKGROUND
1962-1965 JAY PUBLISHING PHOTOS-TYPE 2 BILLY WILLIAMS PORTRAIT, POSE TO WAIST, ARMS CROSSED
1962-1965 JAY PUBLISHING PHOTOS-TYPE 2 BILLY WILLIAMS PORTRAIT-POSE TO WAIST, FENCE BACKGROUND
1963 EXHIBITS STATISTIC BACK BILLY WILLIAMS
1963 JELL-O BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT - #172
1963 POST CEREAL BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT - #172
1963 SALADA-JUNKET COINS BILLY WILLIAMS - #30
1963 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #353
1963 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #222
1964 BAZOOKA BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT-KNEELING - #17
1964 BAZOOKA STAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1964 BAZOOKA STAMPS MLB PLAYERS COMPLETE PANEL - #8
1964 RAWLINGS GLOVE BOX-HAND CUT BILLY WILLIAMS
1964 RAWLINGS GLOVE BOX-HAND CUT BILLY WILLIAMS/DICK GROAT/MICKEY MANTLE/WARREN SPAHN PANEL
1964 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #175
1964 TOPPS COINS BILLY WILLIAMS - #44
1964 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #237
1964 TOPPS GIANTS BILLY WILLIAMS - #52
1964 TOPPS PHOTO TATOO BILLY WILLIAMS
1964 TOPPS ROOKIE ALL-STAR BANQUET THE 1961 TOPPS... - #10
1964 TOPPS STAND UPS BILLY WILLIAMS SP
1964 VENEZUELA TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #175
1964 VENEZUELA TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #237
1965 BAZOOKA BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT-BATTING - #17
1965 BAZOOKA PANEL HAND CUT TORRE/WILLIAMS/CHANCE
1965 OLD LONDON COINS BILLY WILLIAMS
1965 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #220
1965 O-PEE-CHEE CUBS TEAM - #91
1965 O-PEE-CHEE NL HOME RUN LEADERS - #4
1965 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #220
1965 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #91
1965 TOPPS EMBOSSED BILLY WILLIAMS - #40
1965 TOPPS MAYS/WILLIAMS/CEPEDA NL HOME RUN LEADERS - #4
1965 TOPPS TRANSFERS BILLY WILLIAMS
1966 BAZOOKA PANEL HAND CUT KALINE/FISHER/WILLIAMS
1966 CHICAGO CUBS TEAM ISSUE BILLY WILLIAMS
1966 H.F. GARDNER POSTCARD BILLY WILLIAMS
1966 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS SP - #580
1966 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #204
1966 TOPPS MAY/MCCOVEY/WILLIAMS NL HOME RUN LEADERS - #217
1966 TOPPS RUB-OFFS BILLY WILLIAMS
1966 VENEZUELA TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #204
1966/67 BAZOOKA BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT - #48
1967 BAZOOKA PANEL HAND CUT KALINE/ALOU/WILLIAMS
1967 DEXTER PRESS BILLY WILLIAMS PREMIUMS
1967 PRO'S PIZZA BILLY WILLIAMS
1967 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #315
1967 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #354
1967 TOPPS PUNCH-OUTS BILLY WILLIAMS
1967 VENEZUELA TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #337
1968 BAZOOKA BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT
1968 KAHNS WIENERS BILLY WILLIAMS
1968 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #37
1968 TOPPS ACTION ALL-STAR STICKERS BILLY WILLIAMS/ROD CAREW/TONY GONZALEZ
1968 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #37
1968 VENEZUELA TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #37
1969 CHICAGO CUBS PHOTOS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 DUNKIN' DONUTS CUBS BUMPER STICKERS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 GLOBE IMPORTS PLAYING CARDS BILLY WILLIAMS 7 OF CLUBS
1969 KAHNS WEINERS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 KELLY'S POTATO CHIPS PINS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 MILTON BRADLEY BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 MLB PHOTOSTAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT
1969 MLBPA PINS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 O-PEE-CHEE NL RBI LEADERS - #4
1969 SUNOCO CUBS PINS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #450
1969 TOPPS MCCOVEY/SANTO/WILLIAMS NL RBI LEADERS - #4
1969 TOPPS STAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 TOPPS STAMPS PANELS (VERTICAL)
1969 TOPPS SUPER BILLY WILLIAMS - #39
1969 TRANSOGRAM BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT
1969 TRANSOGRAM COMPLETE BOX BILLY WILLIAMS
1969 TRANSOGRAM BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT-SIDE PANEL
1970 DUNKIN' DONUTS CUBS BUMPER STICKERS BILLY WILLIAMS
1970 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS - #37
1970 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #170
1970 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #170
1970 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #593
1970 TOPPS SUPER BILLY WILLIAMS - #40
1971 BAZOOKA NO NUMBER BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT
1971 BAZOOKA NO NUMBER BILLY WILLIAMS/DAVE McNALLY/JIM FREGOSI HAND CUT-PANEL
1971 BAZOOKA NO NUMBER BILLY WILLIAMS/DAVE MCNALLY/JIM FREGOSI COMPLETE BOX
1971 BAZOOKA NUMBERED BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT - #26
1971 BAZOOKA NUMBERED BILLY WILLIAMS/DAVE McNALLY/JIM FREGOSI HAND CUT-PANEL
1971 DELL TODAY'S TEAM STAMPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1971 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS - #61
1971 MILK DUDS BILLY WILLIAMS COMPLETE BOX - #9
1971 MILK DUDS BILLY WILLIAMS HAND CUT
1971 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #350
1971 O-PEE-CHEE CUBS TEAM - #502
1971 O-PEE-CHEE N.L. RBI LEADERS BENCH/PEREZ/WILLIAMS - #64
1971 O-PEE-CHEE NL HOME RUN LEADERS BENCH/WILLIAMS/PEREZ - #66
1971 TOPPS BENCH/PEREZ/WILLIAMS NL RBI LEADERS - #64
1971 TOPPS BENCH/WILLIAMS/PEREZ NL HOME RUN LEADERS - #66
1971 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #350
1971 TOPPS COINS BILLY WILLIAMS - #75
1971 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #502
1971 TOPPS GREATEST MOMENTS BILLY WILLIAMS - #37
1971 TOPPS TATTOOS BILLY WILLIAMS PERFORATED - #100
1972 CHICAGO CUBS TEAM ISSUE BILLY WILLIAMS
1972 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS MISSED ONLY ONE LAST SEASON - #46
1972 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS PHRASE OMITTED - #46
1972 MILTON BRADLEY BILLY WILLIAMS
1972 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS IA - #439
1972 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #440
1972 O-PEE-CHEE CUBS TEAM - #192
1972 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #439
1972 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS IA - #440
1972 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #192
1973 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS - #10
1973 KELLOGGS WILLIAMS/BLASS/ MATLACK-PANEL
1973 O-PEE-CHEE BATTING LEADERS B.WILLIAMS/R.CAREW - #61
1973 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #200
1973 O-PEE-CHEE CUBS TEAM - #464
1973 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #200
1973 TOPPS CANDY LIDS BILLY WILLIAMS
1973 TOPPS COMICS BILLY WILLIAMS
1973 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #464
1973 TOPPS WILLIAMS/CAREW BATTING LEADERS - #61
1973 TOPPS PIN-UPS BILLY WILLIAMS
1974 KELLOGGS BILLY WILLIAMS - #32
1974 O-PEE-CHEE CHICAGO CUBS - #211
1974 O-PEE-CHEE ALL STAR RIGHT FIELD R.JACKSON,B.WILLIAMS - #338
1974 O-PEE-CHEE BILLY WILLIAMS - #110
1974 TOPPS BILLY WILLIAMS - #110
1974 TOPPS CUBS TEAM - #211
1974 TOPPS JACKSON/WILLIAMS ALL-STAR RIGHT FIELDERS - #338

2019 DIamond Kings Set

Panini has been putting out a Diamond Kings set since 2015.  This year's set has a checklist of 100 regular cards and 50 more short prints.  There are also twenty cards that have a photo variation.

There are four Cubs with cards in the set and three more photo variations/