Jack Billingham

Who: Pitcher Jack Billingham

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Card: 1972 Topps

Acquired: TTM 2/2 11/13/2008 (8 days)

Comments: Big Red Machine pitcher Jack Billingham was kind enough to sign two baseball cards for me. I had them back in just 8 days. Great turnaround. Thanks, Jack. I love these old 1972 designs. I can just see an artist hand-drawing each of the team names for the top of the cards. All this stuff was cut out of rubilith, photographed, layered, put on plates, and sent to the printer. It was a painstaking process. But, the crudeness that these cards have just aren't replicated in today's vintage cards. Or, at least companies aren't looking to carry over those kinds of details in the current heritage offerings. Even if these crude details did exist, collectors surely would complain. I would personally love it.