Checking the Box on a Mickey Mantle 1967 Topps Checklist

I was surprised that the person who marked on this 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle checklist didn’t bother to use a color that offered higher contrast against the white. The fact that a pink marker was used leads me to only one conclusion, it was the only writing tool available at the time and the act of defacing a once valuable checklist featuring baseball legend, Mickey Mantle, wasn’t worth the hassle of finding something better. I love the color pink; it’s one of my favorites in the entire spectrum. However, had I been the one guy to make the horrific choice of defacing this card, I would have gone with a ballpoint pen with either blue or black ink, preferably black. It’s strange to see various colors used to indicate checklist progress on this card.

I can remember finding this card in the $1 bin at a shop in the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley called, Valley Sports Cards. I used to frequent the shop whenever I was in the area and they always had a few good finds in their bargain bins. I’d hop in and go through the boxes. Sometimes nothing would be added, other times, stuff like this 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle checklist were found there. As awful condition this card is in, I actually quite like its character. It includes tons of marks in illogical locations, various checked boxes done in a variety of ways, and the typical bent corners common with many vintage cards. It’s a total eyesore but I dig it.

I have this card penny sleeved and stored in a box with my other vintage cards and I will say this – unless you have other 1967 Topps baseball cards, you may not know immediately from which set this card hails. Granted, a simple Google search will reveal the necessary information but who has time for that? Ok, so we all have time for that. I can just remember flipping the card over and seeing the lime green that’s signature to 1967 Topps Baseball but since the card didn’t specifically indicate the production year, I had to do a tiny bit of research. Alas, it sits in with the rest of my ’67s.

What’s one non-obvious name you recognize from the names shown on this checklist?

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