Trade: Early Blue Jays and a completed set

After a couple of lengthy hockey-focused posts, this seems like a good time to post the contents of a baseball-heavy trade with Zistle user BucCollector. Out the door the other way were a bunch of Pittsburgh Penguin stars and a handful of doubles I had from 1979-80 Topps hockey, a set that he's also collecting.

As far as the cards I received go, this was the star of the bunch. It's a rookie card of near-Hall of Famer Lou Whitaker. But more importantly (to me), it completes my Toronto Blue Jays team set from 1978 Topps. I've been slowly working on building Blue Jay sets from the '70's and '80's. I've already completed their inaugural year (1977 Topps) and now I'm done with their second year. You're next, 1979. 

 

 

There weren't any 1979 Topps cards in the package, but there were half a dozen from 1980. If Zistle can be believed, these leave just four cards shot of the team set. 

Next up, from 1981 Topps, is a rookie card of Lloyd Moseby, who was part of a fantastic trio of outfielders who patrolled the old Exhibition Stadium for most of the 1980's. Moseby played center, between Jesse Barfield on the right and George Bell on the left.  

Two more from 1981 Topps. Looks like I'm about three cards from the set (five, if you count Traded.)

I can now strike five cards of my wantlist for 1982 Topps. Stieb is the big star here. It's between him and Roy Halladay for title of best pitcher in Blue Jay history. 

Nothing from 1983 or 1984 (which is my second-favorite set of the decade, after 1987). But a pretty good one from 1985 Topps in a rookie card of leftie starter Jimmy Key. 1985 is probably the hole in my vintage Blue Jays collection. 

And here are four from 1986 Topps. The Cecil Fielder card is a rookie. Fielder struggled to find playing time on the Jays, first behind Willie Upshaw and then behind Fred McGriff. The Jays traded him away a couple of years later to the Tigers, where he promptly hit 50 home runs. I remember when this card was suddenly -- and briefly, it turned out -- a hot commodity. 

Wrapping up the '80's portion of the package was a single card from 1988 Topps. This is a set I actually collected some myself as a kid. I found a bunch of them when I was last home and digging through my old cards, though of course most were pretty badly beat up. 

The last Blue Jay in the package was Bob MacDonald, from Topps' inaugural Stadium Club release in 1991. This is another team set I'd like to put together. I may even try and collate the whole set at some point, since this ultimately turned out to be an influential set. 

Finally, there were three hockey cards in the package, all from 1990-91 Upper Deck. The Fetisov is technically a rookie card, I believe, but generally speaking, all three are basic commons. Their significance? They were the last three I needed to complete Upper Deck's inaugural hockey release, which is one of the most important hockey sets of all time. I had found a near set in my old card collection that was about 20 cards or so short. A couple of Zistle trades and a Sportlots order later and it's done. I'll probably have a post soon looking back on the set, which still holds up well a quarter of a century later.