A Most Delightful Surprise
I mentioned in my last post that Mark Armour had sent me some cards recently. We’ll get to that one soon, but first I need to post about the package which he sent me back in January. As someone who was baseball-starved at the time, this power-packed package was a welcome sight.
Mark is a fantastic person, and one of my favorite people on Twitter with whom to discuss baseball and cards. He’s the founder of the SABR BioProject, Co-Chair of the SABR Baseball Cards Committee (and the face behind their Twitter account), and shortly will be the next President of SABR. I can say that with confidence because not only is he a great person, but also he is running unopposed, so he’s a lock for the position.
Mark’s package wasted no time in getting right to the tasty portion: a 1970 Kellogg’s Don Wilson and a 1988 Nestle Nolan Ryan card provided some delicious food-issue treats to toss in the Astros binders.
Among the other cards, however, was this delightful duo of inserts featuring the Toy Cannon. I checked and had a copy of the Scratch Off already, but my other copy was entirely scratched inside – this one was pristine! The 1969 decal was hands-down my favorite item in the envelope, though. I’d yet to see one in person. I mean, I’ve probably glanced over them in dealers cases at some show here or there, but I’d certainly never held one, much less owned an Astro. I was over the moon when it emerged from the package.
![](http://marcbrubaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WiggintonT_09Heritage_AdvertisingPanel.jpg)
Here, let me just…
Hold on,
Wait for it,
Ah, that’s better. One Houston Astros Ty Wigginton (error!) card! Oh, but wait – this isn’t a normal 2009 Heritage, no sir. Au contraire, it’s an advertising panel box topper. Now that’s a fun piece, even if it’s of a guy who only spent a season and a half with my favorite ballclub. Honestly, things like this fit into that category of “rare, so if I ever stumble across one I’m more than happy to own it.” Well I certainly am happy to own it!
Thanks for the stupendous package, Mark!
Love 69T Decals! The 70T Scratch Off is cool too.
Cool decal! I too am a big fan of those, even though I don't own any of them yet, someday…