Another blog series that I haven’t tackled in a while. It’s been a little over a year since I wrote a “Card Numbers for Commons” post. I should definitely do this more often. The messages are not time-consuming and I always find them interesting.
This is the series where I look for the top five cards in my collection with a certain card number and then look at five other cards that I don’t have, with that same number, that I would like to have. The title of the series is based on the Topps practice of my younger years, in which it would attach a card number ending in a “0” or a “5” to star players and then devote all other numbers to the so-called commons.
Today’s number is 412. No reason. It was just the first song that came into my head when I knew I was going to write one. “412” is often associated with Pittsburgh because it is the city’s main area code. That’s why Bob Bailey runs the post. Will there be another Pirate card on this post? Hmmm.
My favorite 412s appear to be cards I already own. It seems like 412 is one of the more “common” common numbers. It was hard to find something I didn’t have that was interesting. On the other hand, I should have left out some good 412s from my collection.
Let’s take a look at some cool ones I have:
1977 NLCS, 1978 Topps
This card immediately came to mind. I have remembered the card number. It’s the first time I’ve seen a card focused on my team from any playoff series I watched. It became an instant favorite. Davey Lopes runs out of the box.
1976 World Series, 1977 Topps
The year before, Topps also dedicated the number 412, and the card numbers surrounding it, to the postseason, specifically the World Series. This is the middle card ending, just before the party card. As I’ve said many times, this is the first World Series I remember.
Dodgers’ Big Three, 1963 Topps
My favorite Dodgers card at #412. And I’m sure by now you’re wondering if we’re going to get to an everyday card of one person yet. The answer: yes, but not really.
5th Series Checklist with Mickey Mantle, 1969 Topps
Here’s a single player in checklist form. This is the first “playing days” Mantel card I owned and it remained the only one for many, many years. Now I have three more, although one of the others is also a checklist. Mantel prices are still stupid.
Bo Jackson, 1991 Score Rifleman subset
I’m not nearly the Bo Jackson fan that many collectors are, but I know there’s just something about his cards. Of all the ‘Rifleman’ cards in this particular subset, the one with Jackson is the most suitable.
Okay, that’s the end of the stuff I own. Apologies again to the 1984 Fleer Carl Yastrzemski (one of his last career cards) and a 1959 Stan Lopata card that I love.
Okay, now for a few cards that I don’t have that are interesting enough that I might buy one day. This was quite tough. I’ve gone through a lot of boring cards.
Jamie McAndrew, 1993 Topps
What’s going on here? Posing with a tree branch is certainly a choice. Jamie McAndrew was the Dodgers’ No. 1 draft pick, who was then selected by the Marlins in the expansion draft.
Fred Holdsworth, 1980 TCMA
Andre Dawson, collector’s choice from 1994
Dawson always knows how to strike a pose. This card looks particularly good on the gold-framed parallel.
Doug Davis, 2006 Topps Turkey Red
What’s Going On Here, Part 2? Davis appears to be looking at a blast off his pitch that went wrong, although given his arm position, that would be an awfully fast bat.
Jermaine Allensworth, 1998 Ultra, gold medallion
Here we go, there’s the pirate! Let’s hope that bat didn’t kill anyone.
So that’s the best I could do for 412. Not the most inspiring lot for guys who are not in my collection. When I started this exercise, I hoped it would help me add some cards to my collection, but I don’t think it will. I think I’ll investigate that next time. And I hope it will be sooner than December 2026.
#Card #numbers #commons