This particular set was a 1988 team issue sponsored by Dominos Pizza, or should I say, the Tigers, seeing as how the owner of the team was also the owner of the pizza giant at the time. This set came to me in mint, factory-sealed condition, and to be honest, there was a moment there where I thought, "I should keep these wrapped up, to preserve their value" before slapping myself back to consciousness, remembering that I was a collector who liked looking at cards and tearing off the cellophane.
What I found was great: A 27 card set commemorating the 1968 World Champion Tigers. The players are captured on a design that feels 80's without being ostentatious, and the black and white pictures harken back to days of yore and filled with a bunch of surprisingly good shots. The checklist is big, checking in at 27 cards (when you count the Noid), including a bunch of obscure-ish players that I was not particularly familiar with.
Still, the set wasn't without it's drawbacks. The card stock is oh, so thin--like an index card or slightly stronger. Also, while I actually like the utilitarian design of the back--I think the red stamped title is cool, and the one-line stats space is appropriate for a 1968 commemorative issue--each card features the same write-up of the season. Disappointment. Here's one for you, and if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all.
But those disappointments aside, I think that this set stacks up favorably to any oddball set out there. Big checklist, unique design, team logos--all good things. It's just too bad that you don't really see stuff like this out there nowadays. Also disappointing, the fact that the back of my Noid is a coupon that just barely expired:
Here's your 1968 team, circa 1988. Oh also, the cards are not numbered and are listed in the order in which I pulled them out of the package. I assume that is the order, even though it is not alphabetical and anyone who saw these cards outside of their original wrapping would have no idea what order they go in. Well, this is it folks:
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Al Kaline |
Don McMahon |
Daryl Patterson |
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Bill Freehan |
Dick McAuliffe |
Ed Mathews |
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Denny McLain |
Jim Northrup |
Gates Brown |
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Ray Oyler |
Mickey Lolich |
Jim Price |
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Joe Sparma |
Wayne Comer |
Earl Wilson |
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John Hiller |
Jon Warden |
Don Wert |
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Fred Lasher |
Dick Tracewski |
Pat Dobson |
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Ernie Harwell |
Mickey Stanley |
Tom Matchick |
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Willie Horton |
Norm Cash |
The Noid |
