One card post: A Clue - Browns fan auto

In a break from posting my last COMC order, I'm going to post a card that I won on eBay.

In 1992, Pro Line had a five card Team NFL insert set that consisted of Muhammad Ali, Milton Berle, Don Mattingly, Martin Mull and Isaiah Thomas, all wearing NFL team clothing.

I was able to find a Martin Mull card at a card show pretty quickly, but had never been able to find the autographed version of the card for a price that I wanted to pay. I've noticed some lower prices in completed auctions now and then, but I either didn't see the auction, or the buy it now listing when they happened.

Only having the one card in my collection, Martin Mull was destined to show up in one of those one card posts that I am working on.

That has changed.

The other day, for fun, I typed Martin Mull's name into the eBay search bar, with no additional qualifiers, and then looked through what was listed.

There was an auction entitled "MARTIN MULL COMEDIAN AUTOGRAPHED CARD", that showed the back of the 1992 Pro Line autographed card. It had a Buy It Now price of $1.99, with $3.50 shipping.

This was way cheaper than any other copies that I had seen of the card, so I read the description and saw something that gave me a slight pause, before I decided to chance it. I mean, why show the back of the actual card if you were going to state this: "YOU ARE BIDDING ON AN AUTOGRAPHED CARD OF THE ABOVE NAMED PERSON ONLY.THIS AUTOGRAPH WAS RECEIVED AS A REQUEST THROUGH THE MAIL AND COMES WITH A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE."

(I think they like their CAPS.)

Really, for $5.49 shipped, I thought it was worth taking that chance. Especially since they had good feedback, and offered the money back guarantee - not that I would have returned it had it turned out to be a hand signed copy of the regular insert card. Not for that price. As I said, I was willing to chance it.

Well, I went to my PO Box, and found this card waiting for me:

1992 Pro Line Portraits - Team NFL Autographs - Martin Mull

Yep, that is the card from the scan. No card number, and has the crimping in the corner of the Pro Line certification.

Woo hoo! A welcome addition to my collection!

COMC order Part 3 - 1995 and 1996

Continuing on with my last COMC order, here are the Browns cards that I added to my collection from 1995, when the NFL allowed Art Modell to punch me in the stomach from a distance, and from 1996, when I might have watched a cumulative total of ten minutes of NFL football.

Top: 1995 Bowman's Best - Refractors #84

Bottom (l-r): 1995 Classic NFL Experience - Gold #21; 1995 Collector's Choice - Platinum Players Club #85

Some more parallels for my collection.

The Eric Zeier card was the last of the refractor parallels that I needed for my team set. I was happy with Zeier's first start with the Browns, when he passed for over 300 yards in a Browns win. Then, the following week, I heard the rumors on the television that the Browns would be moving to Baltimore. Art Modell's announcement came the next day. Sadly, my memories tend to associate that with Zeier's beginnings with the Browns, and needless to say, I have mixed feelings now whenever I see Zeier's cards.

I don't have really have the same feelings when I see other 1995 cards like the Pepper Johnson and Derrick Alexander cards. Johnson completed my gold parallel team set for the Classic NFL Experience set, while the Alexander card is the fourth of thirteen that I need for the Platinum Players Club team set.

Top (l-r): 1995 Collector's Edge - 22K Gold #45 (#/500); - EdgeTech 22K Gold #13

Bottom: 1995 Collector's Edge Excalibur - 22K Prism #12

Here are three Antonio Langham parallels from Collector's Edge sets. They averaged out to just over fifty cents each in my order. The 22K Gold parallel is the first I own of the eight cards for its parallel team set. The EdgeTech card is the only Brown from its set, and there is still an Eric Metcalf card to find in the Excalibur 22K Prism set.

Top (l-r): 1995 Pacific - Young Warrior #4; 1995 Pro Line - Printer's Proof #189

Bottom: 1995 Score - Red Siege Artist's Proof #175

Of course, the other player that brings negative feelings towards the 1995 Browns, and the move is Andre Rison, but I do need to collect his cards if I want to get all Browns cards.

I like the Pacific Derrick Alexander insert. I hadn't seen any of the Young Warrior insert cards before. The back is pretty cool.

A funny thing about the back - it is easier to read in this scan than it is in hand. It may be because the scan is bigger, or it may be that the lighting in the room that I'm scanning in isn't good enough, or it may be because I'm getting older, and just can't pick up the writing on the card as easy. I guess it really doesn't matter.

Top (l-r): 1995 Select Certified - Gold Mirror #116; - Gold Mirror #77

Bottom (l-r): 1995 Select Certified - Gold Mirror #53; - Gold Mirror #42

These gold mirror parallels really pop in these scans. These cards completed the team set for me.

1995 Summit - Ground Zero #19 

This Leroy Hoard Ground Zero parallel is only my second of the seven that I need for the team set.

The card does a good job of featuring the player, but I like backgrounds on my cards. The base card doesn't even have a great background, just a bit of a blurred image behind him, and a white background in front of him.

That was the last of the 1995 cards that I bought. On to the 1996 cards.

I wonder why there are 1996 Cleveland Browns cards. The move was announced in November 1995. You would think that all the sets would have labelled the cards as Baltimore Ravens, even if the players were going to be shown in the previous season's Browns uniforms.

I'm glad these say Cleveland Browns. They just seem more right than seeing the Ravens name or logo on a Browns uniform card, but I always know that the Browns didn't exist for this year.

Top (l-r): 1996 Collector's Edge - Holofoil #48 (#/500); - Holofoil #49 (#/500)

Bottom (l-r): 1996 Collector's Edge - Holofoil #50 (#/500); - Holofoil #51 (#/500)

Aren't these Holofoil parallels pretty funky? I didn't own any of them before my COMC purchase. With the eight that I bought, I'm only short an Eric Zeier card to complete the team set.

Did Earnest Hunter just toss the Edge logo into the air, or is he waiting for it to drop?

Top (l-r): 1996 Collector's Edge - Holofoil #52 (#/500); - Holofoil #53 (#/500)

Bottom (l-r): 1996 Collector's Edge - Holofoil #54 (#/500); - Holofoil #55 (#/500)

I don't know if I would label that block/hold as pleasant...

1996 Score - Footsteps #8

I found this card funny. The pairing of quarterbacks is interesting, as I can't see anything that really ties them together. Does the back give us any reason?

I would say, not really. I mean, I think you would have been able to describe many quarterbacks as smart leaders and fiery competitors who prefer to stay in the pocket.

No matter, I like Drew Bledsoe, and it is a good way to have one of his cards added to my collection.

That is it for the 1996 cards that I picked up, and the last of the pre-expansion team cards that I picked up. It was nice to add so many cards to my collection from the old team. The next few COMC posts that I do will cover cards starting with the 1999 expansion team.

COMC order Part 2 - 1994

Here is the second part of my recent COMC order. These are the 1994 cards that took almost 25 years to find their way into my collection. (Isn't that scary?)

L-R: 1994 Classic NFL Draft - Draft Stars #11; 1994 Collector's Choice - Gold #373

The Antonio Langham card is mirrored and scans darker than it is in person. It is the only Browns card in the twenty card Draft Stars insert set.

The Pepper Johnson card is the first Gold parallel that I have in the Collector's Choice set. It has some damage on the top of the card but is fine for me considering that I had never seen one of these parallels.

Top: 1994 Classic Games Monster of the Gridiron Temporary Tattoo

Bottom: 1994 Collector's Edge - Boss Squad EQII #Boss 3

First of all, I showed the tattoo above along with this Vinny Testaverde insert to show its relative size.

I'll briefly talk about the Testaverde card before moving on to the tattoo.

The Boss EQII parallel is the third version of this Boss Squad card that I own, and now goes with a regular and silver version of the card. The top part is clear plastic, and the print up top is bronze foil.

As for the tattoo, I recognize the image of Bad Bone, the Monster of the Gridiron portrayed by Eric Turner, but I've never seen these tattoos before and know nothing about them.

COMC had it listed as being a "1994 Classic Pro Line Live Coca-Cola Monsters of the Gridiron - Temporary Tattoo". The Monsters of the Gridiron cards were made by Classic, but not as part of the Pro Line Live set. I haven't seen these tattoos before, and have no knowledge of them being part of either set.

Has anyone else seen these before?

Here is what is on the back in case it is of any help to anyone.

With that out of the way, I'll move on to parallel cards that I recognize.

Top (l-r): 1994 Collector's Edge - Pop Warner 22K Gold #30 and #31

Bottom (l-r): 1994 Collector's Edge - Pop Warner 22K Gold #33 and #34

I almost managed to pick up all five of the Browns in this parallel set. I still need to find card #32, Eric Metcalf.

1994 Finest - Rookie Jumbos #212

Yesterday, I read a post on the Chronicles of Fuji blog talking about oversized cards. This card is 4.25" x 6", shiny, and a great addition to my collection.

Here is the back:

The hat that Steve Everitt is wearing seems to be a very similar style to one that I had him autograph for me years ago after a game when he was playing for the Eagles.

L-R: 1994 Pacific Prisms - Team Helmets #7; 1994 Pacific Prisms - Gold #113

I've always been a fan of cards with the Browns helmet on it, so I was happy to finally get this card.

The Testaverde card is the first of the three Browns cards from the set that I have been able to get in the gold parallel.

1994 Playoff Contenders - Promo

It was great to find this promo card of Eric Metcalf. It has a different front picture, back picture, and write-up than the Metcalf card that was actually used in the set.

Here is the back of the promo card:

The following two dog tags completed the 1994 team set for me.

L-R: 1994 Pro Tags #35 and #36 

I like these tags, but don't think they are as nice as the earlier ones that I showed in my last post.

Before this purchase, I only owned one of the nineteen 1994 Stadium Club Members Only Browns cards. I added a bunch of them here.

Top: 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #31

Bottom (l-r): 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #75; - Members Only #144

Wow, the player names don't show up very well in the scans of these cards. The top card is Anthony Pleasant, while the bottom two are Vinny Testaverde and Eric Turner.

Top (l-r): 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #215; - Members Only #225

Bottom (l-r): 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #325; - Members Only #347

Top cards are Michael Dean Perry and Eric Metcalf, bottom ones are Steve Everitt and Rob Burnett.

Top (l-r): 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #370; - Members Only #429

Bottom: 1994 Stadium Club - Members Only #531

The top two cards are Michael Jackson and Mark Carrier, while the bottom one is Pepper Johnson.

I like looking at these old cards. I prefer these uniforms to the ones the Browns are wearing now.

I also picked up the Stadium Club Browns Super Team Members Only card.

1994 Stadium Club - Super Teams Members Only #6

I love this photo of Testaverde handing off to Vardell.

Look, the Browns had a better record this season (7-8-1) than in 1993!

The Browns game against Miami was on my birthday. Dan Marino suffered a season ending injury and Scott Mitchell came in to win the game for the Dolphins. I was not happy.

I was happy that the Browns were 5-2 to start the season. But it turned out to be the season where the Browns released Bernie Kosar. And the season shown above also seems to support my internal dialogue that the Browns have always sucked after bye weeks.

The following Bowman's Best insert cards were also found in the Stadium Club set:

Top: 1994 Stadium Club - Bowman's Best Refractor #11

Bottom: 1994 Stadium Club - Bowman's Best Members Only #23

I hate that the refractors are not marked as such on the back of the cards in this set, but you can really tell from the scans. I think I gave away a refractor that I still need because I didn't notice the difference once.

It is tough to see in the scan, but the Members Only is printed going down on the silver part of the card right above Donnell Woolford's shoulder.

1994 Topps - Special Effects #655

This was the last Special Effects parallel that I needed to complete the 24 card team set.

In 1994, Topps also put out two Archives sets - for 1956, and 1957. Although I have the base versions for both years' team sets, I needed a bunch of the gold parallel cards. Here are some of the missing ones.

Top: 1994 Topps Archives 1956 - Gold #9

Bottom: 1994 Topps Archives 1956 - Gold #45

Two great cards - a Hall of Famer in Lou Groza, and a team picture card. And of course, the gold is pretty much scanning as black.

L-R: 1994 Topps Archives 1956 - Gold #69; - Gold #117

These four gold cards bring me up to seven of the ten cards for the team set.

Top: 1994 Topps Archives 1957 - Gold #3

Bottom: 1994 Topps Archives 1957 - Gold #16

Another gold card of another Browns Hall of Famer with the McCormack card.

And for some reason I have always liked that photo of Johnson with both hands on his helmet.

Top: 1994 Topps Archives 1957 - Gold #52

Middle: 1994 Topps Archives 1957 - Gold #93

Bottom: 1994 Topps Archives 1957 - Gold #114

There are thirteen different Browns in the 1957 team set. These gold cards give me eleven of the thirteen cards that I need. Almost there.

This COMC order added 37 needed cards to the 1994 part of my Browns collection. I'm thrilled to have added so many.

COMC order Part 1

Like a lot of fellow collectors, I purchased cards from COMC during their Black Friday sale.

They joined some other cards that I had purchased throughout the year, and I received my package before Christmas. I've sorted them by year, and will show them over the next little while.

Today's post will cover the cards I bought up to 1993. Looking at the cards in this post, they look like they might add up close to the cost of a blaster, so I'm going to follow the lead from the Shoebox Legends blog and try and make this a COMC blaster.

1982 Superstars #50

COMC had this listed as a TCMA Superstars card. The Trading Card Database have it listed as both TCMA Superstars and Seckeli Superstar.

I hadn't seen this card before, so I will show the back.

I really don't think it is a TCMA card since any other TCMA card that I own has copyright information on it.

No matter what they call it, it is a Jim Brown that I needed, so I picked it up for $0.60.

This next card will look familiar - a 1989 Topps card of Bernie Kosar.

1989 Topps American/UK #3

The back, however, is different. It is brighter, and the number is different.

Unlike the 1987 Topps American/UK set, which has cards that are a little smaller than regular size, the 1989 cards are regular size. This is the only Browns card from that set, and I picked it up for $0.82.

I've slowly been picking up collegiate cards of Browns draft picks,

1990 Collegiate Collection Clemson #144

Michael Dean Perry is sharing this card with John Phillips, a guard with Clemson from 1984-87.

I still need three other cards from this set: a solo card of Michael Dean Perry, a card that Michael Dean shares with his brother William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and a solo card of Kevin Mack.

This card set me back $0.50.

And congratulations to the Tigers for winning this year's college Championship.

Okay, this next card will be a surprising need to my collection to some of you.

1990 Topps #164

Yes, a regular 1990 Topps card.

When I started recording my collection on the Trading Card Database, I discovered that there were two different versions of the 1990 Topps cards. One version had a disclaimer on the bottom of the back of the card, and the other version didn't.

Looking through my collection and doubles, I found that I had most of the cards to have team sets for both versions. I managed to find a few of the cards that I was missing, but was still short a couple of the regular cards with no disclaimers. Trying to order them online proves difficult, as a lot of listings don't seem to differentiate between the two versions. COMC does, however, and I could look at the back of the card to make sure.

It was worth the $0.65 to make sure I got one of the last two Browns cards that I needed from the 1990 Topps set. (I've since traded for the last one that I needed with someone from the TCDB. I hope that he had the right card recorded on the website.)

Next, I have the two Browns cards that comprise the team set for this 1992 release.

Top: 1992 Chris Martin Enterprises Dog Tags #5

Bottom: 1992 Chris Martin Enterprises Dog Tags #39

I really like these Dog Tags. The Cleveland Stadium photo is great! And, I'm never going to complain about adding a new Bernie Kosar to my collection.

The backs are pretty cool, especially for the team one.

The uniform is showing the number for Clay Matthews - who I was disappointed to see didn't make the finalists list for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

I was happy to see these on COMC, and to buy the Kosar for $1.75, and the team card for $1.65.

This next card is the only Browns card from its set.

1992 Classic NFL Game #60

This Touchdown Tommy card cost me $0.67.

The following two cards were the most expensive cards from my order.

Top: 1992 Pro Line Profiles - Autographs - Bernie Kosar 3 of 9

Bottom: 1992 Pro Line Profiles - Autographs - Michael Dean Perry 8 of 9

The 1992 Pro Line Profiles set has nine card subsets of players, and the only two Browns represented are Bernie Kosar and Michael Dean Perry.

The autographed parallels are embossed in a corner (you can see it on the bottom right of Kosar's card, and the bottom left of Perry's), and consist of autographs of all nine cards in each player's subset.

The autographed Kosar card cost me $5.50, and is the second of the nine that I own, while the autographed Perry card cost me $3.85, and is the fourth of the nine.

1992 Wild Card - 50 Stripes #171

It seems that I'll be chasing Wild Card stripe cards for a long time, but I don't mind, especially if I can find them at this price. This 50 Stripe card cost me a whopping $0.67. I never would have believed that when I was trying to find stripe cards in the early 1990s.

Speaking of cards that I would have liked to have found in the early 1990s, and especially at these prices, here are some 1993 Stadium Club parallels.

Top (l-r): 1993 Stadium Club - Members Only #189; - First Day Cards #189

Bottom (l-r): 1993 Stadium Club - First Day Cards #4; - First Day Cards #394

I'm still working on these parallels - the Mack Members Only card brings my wantlist down to one card. The three First Day Cards bring my total up to seven of the twenty Browns cards in the set.

The Members Only card cost me $1.05, while the First Day cards cost me $0.75 for Mack, $0.67 for Johnson, and $0.62 for Jackson.

Finally, I finished with two gold parallels from 1993 Pro Set Power.

(L-R): 1993 Pro Set Power - Gold #92; - Power Moves Gold #PM 3

The Gold parallel Perry card is only my third of the eight Browns found in the base set, while the Testaverde Power Moves Gold parallel card is my first of the two Browns found in that insert set.

Each of these cards cost me $0.70.

So lets see, the total for these cards totaled $21.15, which is pretty close to the cost of a blaster.

Instead of buying a blaster of cards that would mostly not fit into my collection, I added 16 needed cards to my collection, and they included two autograph "hits".

Players with only one card in my collection - 7

Another in a series showing cards of five players with only one card in my collection, and using images from The Trading Card Database. I'm using their sorting tools to look through my collection listed on their site to see who only has one card, and then finding the first five names that I haven't posted yet.

Here we go!

1995 Pacific #95

After being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1989, as can be seen on the card above, Frank Stams played three seasons with the Rams. Where the card is wrong, however, is that he was traded to the Browns in 1992.

Frank Stams played in four games with the Browns in 1995, before finishing his career with one game with the Chiefs in 1995.

In a way it is a bit of a cheat to say that I only have one Frank Stams card in my collection. I only have one of his cards in my Browns collection, which is what this series is about. I have other cards of his in a small collection of Notre Dame cards that I keep as well. This card, along with two parallels, are his only cards with the Browns.

1964 Philadelphia #39

Charley Scales, as seen above, originally entered the NFL as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played with the Steelers in 1960 and 1961 before being traded to the Browns for a 1963 fifth round pick. He played four years with the Browns before finishing his career with Atlanta in 1966.

This appears to be Scales' only football card, although he also had a Coca-Cola bottle cap with the Browns in 1964.

1991 Score Supplemental #32T

Lee Rouson played his final NFL season with the Browns in 1991, carrying the ball three times, and catching two passes.

Rouson had three football cards during his career listed in the database. This was his only Browns card.

1978 Topps #184

Larry Poole played four seasons in the NFL, the three listed above on the back of the card, and then the 1978 season with the Houston Oilers.

This is his only football card listed in the database.

1981 Topps #478

As Keith Wright's only listed card on the database, this card also serves as his sunset card as Wright's NFL career spanned the three seasons with the Browns listed on the back of the card.