The ‘38-‘39 Reds team issue (W711-1) may be the perfect set: Relatively rare, relatively affordable, beautiful design, challenging checklist, and one ultra-rare white whale. Here we have one of the best eligible pitchers not in the HOF, William 'Bucky' Walters, who in 1935, at age 25, switched from 3B to pitcher - just four years later he won the NL MVP and pitching Triple Crown. His complete game shutout in Game 6 of the 1940 World Series (in which he also hit a home run) got the Reds to Game 7, which they won at home...

“Big, important games never fazed him, and he seemed to get better as the game went on. We could count on him. He had a good fastball, a decent curve and a sinker that bore in on right-handed batters. As a former infielder, he could field his position as well as anyone in the game. Best of all, he had good control and an excellent knowledge of the batters’ weaknesses… Bucky was a quiet fellow, not given to much conversation, but he was a fierce competitor.” - Bill Werber

The ‘38-‘39 W711-1 Reds team issue sets are perfect - pennant winning team, beautiful design, puzzling checklist, relatively rare, relatively inexpensive, and one absolutely impossible chase card…