Live, Love, Laugh(lin)...

[JollyElm]

Recently I started becoming obsessed with many things Laughlin. It all began inside the awesome '365 Days of Roberto Clemente' thread when I realized what an enigma the 1971 Fleer World Series 'update' set is. Apparently, the cards were (probably) all released during the summer of 1978 only through Good Humor ice cream trucks (net54 members laughlinfan and fleerfan are the go-to guys regarding the subject) as a supplement to the 1971 set.

After purchasing card #69 (featuring the majestic #21), which celebrates the Bucs' triumph in the '71 Series, I decided to try to put together a full set of these extension cards in high grade. The problem is, they are frickin' hard to find (read as expensive)!!!! Take a look at ebay. It's nearly impossible to locate PSA 9s (to be clear, I want to get 9s, but the card itself has to 'be' a 9, as I'm not just chasing the number) for most of these cards listed anywhere. There aren't even any 9s of the beautifully blue 1973 card (featuring my Mets getting their ass kicked...or getting kicked by an ass??) listed on the auction prices realized site. None. Well, over time and using CC rewards points whenever possible, I picked one up here and there. Today, the last piece of the puzzle finally arrived - card #75, saluting the Yanks' victory over the Dodgers in 1977. The funny thing is, when looking at that card, why in heck isn't it totally Reggied-out???? I mean, come on!!!! (Artistically, though, they did a pretty cool job with his notable absence. A lefty batter with the dark, nighttime sky looming really evokes the magical atmosphere of Game 6!!) It's my guess that these update cards ran into some legal issues with regard to the images used?? Four of the seven cards have no discernible players from the Series pictured on them. Of the other three, Clemente appears on the first one (he's the only player actually named), in my mind it could be a nebulous Catfish Hunter on the second, and Yaz coupled with perhaps a Bench/Rose amalgam appears on the 1975 card...but that's it. Too bad.

So here is the full seven card set in all of its glory. The two PSA 9 OC cards ***Edited to add: Both have been replaced by straight 9's!!*** don't look too bad at all (and came at a lower price) and the PSA 8 is really the best anyone can do...






Cool stuff!!!!!!!

On a side note, I have some doubles (PSA 8, PSA 9, PSA 9 OC) of a few of the cards, if anyone is interested.


So, if you got some Laughlin love, post 'em!!!!