The last of the 2018 birthday purchases. Wanted a 1941 Play Ball, and had a few in mind. This one was the most beautiful of the ones I had pegged as good deals. The shadow, the trees, the color, the pose. I think it's awesome. Turns out Pinky was quite the racist, though, and fought integrating baseball for much of his career, being greatly responsible for the Red Sox for being the last team to integrate when he was their Manager. I label my cards myself, and I noted a bit of this on the card. Still, just look at it...
4/26/18. SGC 45.

Hunted this for awhile. Nothing particularly special about the player -- led the league in catching appearances for two years, but I wanted a '41 Goudey and a Cub.
10/8/22. Ungraded.

As I was considering selling my 1941 Pinky Higgins because he was a terrible racist, I discovered this set and just randomly bought this card. Two great Cubs. I prefer cards with info on the back, but still a nice pickup.
4/10/23, SGC 50/4

Hunted this for awhile. I'll never get a card from every year from the 20s forward, but I try to get cards from as many years as possible. The war years are just about impossible. But I found this set and wanted one. And then I discovered Mr. Novikoff, "The Mad Russian," who thought the ivy in Wrigley Field was poisonous, so avoided colliding with the wall until a coach rubbed the ivy on his body to show Lou that it was ok. Oh, and Novikoff also once tried to steal third with the bases loaded. When the manager yelled at him, he said, "I had a great jump...."
This isn't a great set, but I love that I have one.
Delivered 2/4/22. PSA 2.

Looking for cards from every year possible. The war years are mighty tough. But this paper card fit the bill. This guy is so obscure, I can even find his date of death!
Delivered 4/29/23

Stumbled into this card a couple months before purchase when I was looking for cards of years I had no cards of. The WWII years are almost impossible, and it's not great just after, either. But Tip Top Bread made cards! And they made one of Cubs great, Smiling Stan Hack, who I knew only vaguely of, but ranks in the top 10 in virtually every stat for all-time Cubs.
The back of this card is all advertising, but it explains the concept of trading to people. Take a look.
Delivered 4/23/20. PSA 3.

More and more this list is overlapping with my list of cards of players associated with fun trivia. Oh well. This guy is one of two possible inspirations for "The Natural." I think he's the more likely candidate, as he was actually called "The Natural" at times. Of Lithuania descent, he was shot by a stalker woman and almost died. Recovered to be a star with the Phillies. This is one of only three cards he has as a Cub, but I didn't have any cards from this set. It's actually from 1947, which can be discerned by the style of the card and the fact that he's pictured with the Cubs.

Delivered 10/29/20, ungraded.

Once I got the Cuban card, I thought, I have English, French, and Spanish on my baseball cards. "What other languages could I get. The answer was obvious. This card, though lacking stats on the back, was just too beautiful to pass up. And he in the Japanese Hall of Fame!
Graded SGC 4
Delivered 5/1/23

11/13/17. And with this card, I now have at least one card from every decade of the 20th and 21st centuries -- a stupid little goal I set for myself about a year ago. You wouldn't think the 1940s would be the last decade I'd add, but it was. Pafko was the left fielder for the Shot Heard Round the World. And, of course, the famous card #1 of the 1952 Topps set. Ungraded.

5/22/18. Was looking for a 1949 Bowman, and I just gave in to the stupid nickname. He's actually a Cub, as listed on the back, but I admit that the Phillies uniform bugs me a bit. Still, a nice addition that knocked the 1988 Maddux back into the binder. Ungraded.