A Little 14,000 Phillies Housekeeping

Featured Card: 1979 TCMA The ’50s (Baseball History Series) #53, Jim Konstanty; 1988 Score Rookie/Traded #45T, Bob Dernier

For the past couple months, I’ve had a placeholder page on this site titled “The Phillies Database Project.” Today, I finally started using it for its intended purpose by posting to it the current version of an Excel file I’m working on. This file, which I’ve referenced in previous posts, represents my effort to put together a database that lists every single Phillies card ever made, including all variations, parallels and inserts. I also posted four checklists to the website and updated the text on that page. Those four checklists represent another aspect of the project. From the “Phillies Database Project” page:

“an online version of the database which lists the checklists in a more user-friendly form and provides helpful information regarding each of the sets — including, but not limited to, sample scans of cards, links to data sources used to compile checklists and, where applicable, differences in how Beckett and Sports Collector Digest (SCD) refer to the set names.”

In addition to continuing my work on the Excel database, I hope to add a checklist every few days or so — posting them in place of the Phillies Filler posts I’ve made over the past couple months. With each addition, I will also update the Database Project Page, so that it will serve as a complete listing of all the checklists posted to the site. It’s my opinion that even in the Internet Age, there’s no single place where a Phillies Collector can use as his/her primary source of all collectibles. True, there are a couple sites with extensive information, but I know that I have legitimate issues from the past 20 years that do not appear in either Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, TeamSets4U, or any other baseball card reference site that I’ve encountered. I don’t know if I will be able to create that site, but I’m going to give it my best effort.

One final note: as I state on the “Phillies Database Project” page, I welcome corrections, suggestions and comments of all types. Above all, I just want to make sure the information is right, and I will give proper credit to all those whose input is reflected in the various checklists posted on this site.

Creating Virtual Pages of Phillies Card Images

Featured Cards: 2008 Topps Trading Card History #TCH34, Chase Utley; 2007 Topps ’52 Rookies Debut Flashbacks #DF13, Jimmy Rollins; 1983 Topps 1952 Reprint Series #108, Jim Konstanty

A while back, I mentioned that as part of my scanning project I put together a PDF of virtual pages of various Phillies team sets. The idea is that there are times when I want to look for certain cards, and given the size of my collection, launching a PDF is much easier than pulling out the correct binder or going through the correct 3200-count box that houses the card(s) I wish to look at. (The virtual pages are also my son’s preferred method for looking at the collection, but this is not the reason I create them.) Creating these PDFs allow me to do something else though: creating displays of the cards in a manner that differs from the way I choose to store them. Thus, I can create virtual pages based upon card design — something especially helpful given the way Topps (and to a lesser extent, Upper Deck and Fleer) recycled so many designs.

I’ve only completed a couple of these thus far — just ones for the 1992 Bowman design and the 1993 Finest design. However, there a couple I’m really looking forward to completing. For the sheer size of it, the 1989-1994 Phillies Team Issue pages should be a blast, but the one I’m itching to complete — to the point that I’m actually now making this my primary focus of my scanning for the next few days (possibly even couple weeks, depending upon the time I allocate to this) is the 1952 set. In addition to the 1952 set (in my case, I will be using the 1983 Topps Reprint Series), there is the 2001 Topps Heritage set, the 2006 & 2007 1952 Rookie sets, a few random Topps inserts (some autographed) and this year’s Black Diamond redemption cards.

Creating these pages is the primary benefit scanning my collection. When you have only one of each card (realistically, you can only afford one of each), the only way to create new displays is by constant handling of the cards, and no matter how careful you are, the inevitable accident will happen, thus damaging a card. True, that is a risk when scanning each card. However, once the scan is complete, you can create duplicates, move the images around at will and save the final product. Unfortunately, scanning thousands of baseball cards is a time consuming process, and many of the more recent issues don’t scan well. Nonetheless, it’s nice to have the ability to do this.