Introducing My Cubs FrankenSet

It's official: I have completely hashed through my entire collection and I'm ready to release the checklist for my Chicago Cubs FrankenSet.

Jaybarkerfan's Junk got me started on the idea when he sent the Wampa to attack me last fall.  It started as a binder with 10 pages completely filled (front and back) of Cubs cards placed in numerical order.  One hundred eighty cards in all, and there are probably a good hundred which still made the cut, but now the set is up to 671.

I know 671 is a different number, but I didn't know where to stop.  I knew I didn't want to stop mid page and I also knew that if I went too high the set would be dominated by Topps releases.  So, 671 it is!

I don't have too many rules for the FrankenSet, but here's what I do have:
1. The player can not be pictured in a non-Chicago Cubs affiliated uniform (minors are okay).
2. A player can not occupy more than one spot on a page.
3. No specific set may occupy more than one spot per page.

I've done well to follow #1 and #2, but I'm breaking #3 in some places.  Fleer used to place all the Cubs in a block on their checklists and I've had to dip into the Fleer well fairly often to fill some holes.

Here's page one, which is the way I try to start all of my Cubs binders.  Cubs stickers and logos!  Thanks to all who have sent me these!

Here's the first page of numbered cards: 1-9.

 It was really tough for ANY card to make the cut for the first 100 cards.  Think of how many sets have been produced!  Not every set has a checklist that reaches 300, but nearly all of them make it to triple digits.

You'll notice there is some nice variety there on the front page.  When in doubt I always took the off-brand and the bigger the name the better. I think the Cooperstown card of Harry Caray is my favorite on this page. A big thanks to Julie for that card!

There's a Sega-Gen card!  This is the first one that Zippy Zappy sent me and it is LOCKED in at number 222. It also doesn't hurt that Luis Valbuena is a personal favorite.

Cards 222-230

 Here's the first page missing a card: 231-239.

That blue chrome Eric Karros is a beauty, isn't it?  For the record, I have the Doug Dascenzo card in backwards because he's an outfielder who is pitching!

 Here's one of my homemade index cards to help keep track of the numbering. 

It's much easier locating a card with these "bookmarks" every fifty cards.  Oh, and there's that creepy Cubbie Bear from my last post.  Thanks, Jane!

The first card I'm missing is #233 and you can tell from the last picture I need #550 and #552.
In all I'm missing 32 out of the 671.  That's a 95.2% completion rate. Not bad.

The great thing about this project is even if I manage to fill all the slots I'll always be on the look out for upgrades.

For example, #556 is Will Ohman.  I am not an Ohman fan.  I thought he barked at the umpires too much and was too unreliable coming out of the pen.  I would love to throw Bobby Dernier, Matt Walbeck, or Mike Remlinger in that spot.  But that Will Ohman card is the only #556 in my collection.  So it goes.

So, with each trade package that comes in I'll inspect the cards to see if any of them can make the cut.  I've actually been doing this since December, but the set was still in its infancy back then.  The last huge package from JBF nearly killed the project!  It's time consuming but lots of fun in small doses.

If you think you can help, then please check out my list in the tool bar at the top.  If lists aren't your thing, then no worries, just send me Cubs anyways!