The Strangest Trade In the One Million Cubs Project
This is a 41-year old stick of gum...
Stuck to the back of a 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band trading card. It looks disgusting. So disgusting in fact that I shared a photo of this sickly piece of gum stuck to a card on Twitter.
It didn't take long for someone to express interest in trading for this card...with the gum attached. In fact the gum was the attraction and basis for today's trade.
Jonathan in New Jersey collects old pieces of gum, assuming not chewed, because he told me he tried a piece of gum from 1979 and does not recommend others to try. Now he wants to add a piece from 1978 to his collection. I'm game...because had he not reached out to me as fast as he did this card (or gum...I'm confused on how to label this transaction) would have been in the trash.
A small flat rate box of Cubs arrived Saturday with a cool hand written....with all the zeroes...note on the box.
Inside was great, and honestly a piece of gross-looking gum isn't worthy of a trade such as this. He sent some autographs! Paul Blackburn was a top prospect for the Cubs before he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. Now, he's in the Oakland Athletics organization and has big league experience.
The other is former top prospect Brett Jackson. I saw him a few times when he was in the Midwest League with the Peoria Chiefs and thought he was going to be a superstar. He wasn't, unfortunately.
Vintage Cubbies. This trio of 1968 RBI Leaders featured a pair of Cubs in Ron Santo and Billy Williams.
Another legend that was on that team with Santo and Williams was Ernie Banks. I'm a big fan of these 2019 Topps cards that flip from front to back. Ernie on the front of this Team Uniform Evolution card.
And Kris Bryant on the reverse modeling the modern uniform for the Chicago Cubs.
Slowly, I'm building up my National Baseball Card Day Cubs cards. I was lucky a couple years ago to get the Kris Bryant in a one-snap holder for buying a hobby box on National Baseball Card Day. The past two years I was shut out of Cubs in the packs I received. Through trades, I'm getting caught up like this Kyle Schwarber rookie card from 2016.
Another 2016 new addition is the Anthony Rizzo from the set.
Ben Zobrist! This is another new card added to my collection....AND I'll be meeting Zo in two nights at Club 400. Zobrist will be there along with Fergie Jenkins, Randy Hundley, Gary Matthews, Bob Dernier, and Ray Burris. Make sure to follow me along on Twitter Thursday night as I share my evening.
Finally, another 2019 Topps Evolution card. This features Javier Baez sporting the modern sunglasses. A new Javy for my collection.
Not only did Jonathan send 126 Cubs cards, many of which are new to my collection...he sent some Juan Soto cards, a Ronald Acuna, some Gary Sanchez, among other non-Cubs to help me with trades!
One Million Cubs Project Stats
Saturday's (4/27/2019) Cards: 126
Saturday's (4/27/2019) Packages: 1
January's Cubs Count: 9,343
February's Cubs Count: 8,980
March's Cubs Count: 15,704
April's Cubs Count: 11,651
Total Trades/Donations: 111
Trade States of Origin: Arizona Alabama
Arkansas California (6) Connecticut (8)
Florida (5)
Georgia (3)
Idaho Illinois (13) Indiana (3)
Kansas
Kentucky Maryland (6) Massachusetts (3)
Michigan Minnesota (2)
New Hampshire New Jersey (8) New York (9) North Carolina (4) Ohio (4)
Oregon (2) Pennsylvania (3)
Rhode Island
South Carolina Tennessee (4) Texas (4)
Virginia Washington (3)
West Virginia Wisconsin (9)