14 April 2010

nefariously zesty!

on the surface, it looks the same.  it's only when you turn it over that its true variation is revealed.  i am referring, of course, to the 1978 topps zest manny mota card which had been part of my 'nefarious 9' for quite some time.  i had purchased a copy online earlier this year, but the seller couldn't find it.  then, someone posted one for sale on sportlots and i jumped on it.
here's the back
this was a 5 card set featuring latin players with a bar of soap in an effort, i assume, to target market a certain community.  and that community was baseball card collectors.  i really like how, unlike o-pee-chee translations, these cards translated the offensive category abbreviations into spanish.  that's attention to detail.

i now own 2/5 of this set (with no desire to complete it) as there is really only one variation in it.  that's the willie montanez card, showing him in a mets uniform (he was shown as a brave in the regular topps set).
so, with this variation, coupled with all of the 1978 topps burger king variations, i believe i have all of the official 1978 topps variations.  i just need to complete my custom dodger cards...

meanwhile, i have replaced the mota card in my most wanted list with 1980 topps jerry reuss, as i realized while scanning my copy for yesterday's post that it's in pretty bad shape.

any help is appreciated!  you will be rewarded!

1 comment:

night owl said...

I know I have a 1980 Jerry Reuss dupe, but it might be in lousy shape, too. I'll have to check.

Yes, the rest of the Zest set is uninspiring. All the same photos. That was disappointing when I acquired it.