1969 Topps Super Don Drysdale, PSA 2!: Immensely Better Than A Blaster

Today's post features a first for my collection and is a direct result of working at a card shop. Those work perks, ya gotta love 'em and take full advantage of them when you can. My bosses have been on a buying spree recently and one particular collection brought with it a set I had never seen in-person before and had little to no knowledge of. My bosses bought a complete set of 1969 Topps Supers -- one of Topps' many test sets -- and sent in a bunch of the HOFers to be graded. After packing a bunch we sold on eBay I decided I really wanted to buy one of these rare beauts for a lot of reasons. I targeted a raw common until one particular Hall of Fame player returned from PSA.

The little paper loss along the left edge made this entire post possible as Don Drysdale fell right into my price range in that oh so gorgeous PSA 2 holder. The facsimile signature with "Donald"; the simple portrait shot that appears to place the sun directly behind Don's head, giving him somewhat of a halo; and the fact that this is his final card as an active player all combine to make this one of my favorite vintage cards in my collection.

I think that's Dodger Stadium behind Don, although I could be wrong. The shot is very similar to his standard '69 Topps issue with Don just turning to face a different direction. Thanks to my bosses for allowing me to pick up such a fantastic and cool vintage oddball, and for just $25 to boot. A deal I certainly could not pass up, and when it was offered to me at that price I immediately jumped on the offer.