Gentlemen, We Can Rebuild Him.

I few weeks back I posted about an Archer addition that was outside of what I have usually collected over the last decade plus of my time in the hobby. While that piece is a unique item in my collection, it is not the only comic variant that has found its way to Casa Zakwin.

When this gorgeous babe popped up on eBay I knew I needed to acquire it and would do just about anything to make that happen. I don't recall if this was won at auction or scooped up as a BIN but thankfully whatever happened all those many years back led this to my loving embrace.

Archer draws heavily from The Six Million Dollar Man starting at the tail end of Season 2 when Barry Dylan is transformed into a red tracksuit wearing cyborg. For this partial blank cover variant of 2014's The Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six # 1, Sterling is used to reference Steve Austin.

The art alone from Vince Sunico was enough to make me want this piece in my Archer Collection. Sunico contributed to the Cryptozoic Sketch Card Set I so heavily chase and was a rare artist in the product....making this item very attractive.

Add in that the voice of Sterling Archer -- the incomparable H. Jon Benjamin -- also signed it and well, it became all the more imperative I secure it.

After years of owning this and finally having it on display once I was able to have a dedicated office/collection space, a thought struck me like a ton of bricks. It has led me to begin a project that one day will be showcased here. Prior to that showcasing occurring, I will be diligently working on it and in the few months of work that has thus far taken place, I have had loads of fun.

It will be a lengthy and costly venture but will be so worth it in the end!

Naugatuck, Connecticut is Calling...

Here's another fun Al Rosen pickup. It's also yet another I may keep long-term or may part with as I continue to condense my collection and assess what I still really love enough to not ever let go. Food issues from the '50s have long held a special place in my heart, and this 1954 Dairy Lids offering is no different.

I enjoy the fact that the back allows for people to get a fun "toy" by mailing in the lid and a quarter. We don't really have that any longer in the hobby, especially with everything being seen as the biggest monetary piece of one's personal puzzle. Just buy stuff you like!

These came with a wide variety of ice cream brands advertising on the reverse. I have never seen another Naugatuck Dairy ice cream company advert on any of these. I am sure another exists, but it was a cool find to get a more unique back brand with this score.

A Jackie Robinson Stadium Pin

Today's post brings forth an oddball vintage item, which is likely to end up on my collecting tombstone if I could pick one phrase to describe myself. I don't mind collectible issues that were released over the span of years. While it might be hard to pin down the exact year, just knowing it's period appropriate is enough for me.

With that in mind, here is a 1947-66 PM10 Stadium Pin of Jack Robinson. While the release did surpass Jackie's tenure in MLB I think this is probably a first half of the '50s item. The bright yellow is great and the stoic pose works very well.

The ribbons on the reverse don't always remain on the vintage pins that featured them, so it was cool that this one was still around. It reminds me of any of a number of vintage pieces that could have tabs. If given the choice, I always want the entire piece to be original even if it's in poor condition as opposed to being in better condition but missing an OG aspect.

1933 Goudey Is In The Books!

A few years back I posted about grading my 1933 Goudey Brooklyn Dodgers' team set. PSA graded everything but one card which they felt was too low-grade to slab. I assume it's because they did not think the card would survive the encapsulation process -- although the head grader at PSA once told me anything too low-grade would not be slabbed as it would damage the brand by being in a PSA holder.

That last part is pure bullshit considering some of the items I have seen PSA grade in the same timeframe. Nevertheless, I knew I could not argue the point and so I had to find a way to get Val Picinich holdered so the whole team run could be as uniform as possible. I did not want to go and buy a PSA graded Val, as I would then have to do the added task of selling my raw copy as I don't need two.

As you can see the card survived the process of being entombed in plastic. I also did not have to wait 6-12 months or pay an ungodly fee to have a common in wildly poor shape slabbed. MBA Grading also did not require me to sign forms saying if damage occurred they were not liable. They simply provided a grading service. I am now a happy camper with my entire team set protected for eternity.

1953 Northland Bread Labels: Al Rosen

I used to heavily chase Al Rosen vintage cardboard and collectible-related stuff like it was going out of style. I built a very respectable Hebrew Hammer PC but have not sought out anything new in ages. That's partly because I had acquired all the easy stuff and just needed oddball, and partly because my collecting has drastically changed over the last 6-7 years.

This 1953 Northland Bread Labels offering caught my eye. The vibrant red combined with my enjoyment of vintage food issues made it an easy pickup. I may or may not keep it long-term as I continue to refine my collection, but it's super cool all the same.

These are beyond paper thin but secure it shall forever be in its MBA home.