Bailey Howell Swatch Card

Regular readers know I'm not a fan of basketball, and outside of the legends of the 1980s and 1990s (say, the 1992 Dream Team and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony) and a couple of present-day players, my knowledge of those who have played it is pretty much non-existent.

Bailey Howell certainly falls into that category, despite his inclusion in the Naismith Hall Of Fame. Apparently, he was a power forward and two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics; standing at 6'7" in the 1960s, his name is now synonymous with an award given to the best basketball player in Mississippi. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and held 12 records at Mississippi State University.

I only learned of him because I pulled this card of his back in 2010:

It's card #29 from Panini's Century Collection, from Donruss' 2010 Americana set and Sports sub-set, featuring a U.S. "Naismith" postage stamp and a red swatch from an item worn by Howell.

Pat Lafontaine Stamp And Swatch Card

I mentioned a Tony Gwynn card from the same 2010 Donruss Americana Century Collection and Souvenir Stamps sub-set by Panini a few years back, and my opinion hasn't changed. This one (#42 in the set, numbered 227/250, featuring a dark blue swatch that could have come from a shirt, a sock or a game-worn jersey from any number of teams or occasions) may well feature Pat Lafontaine - which is why I traded for it - it is still too vague in its description of what you're getting:

Unless you're clear that you're getting a stamp card, first and foremost, and one that has nothing to do with the former member of the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres, except for the fact that he's an American:

The stamp takes up more room than he does! Also, the Hall Of Famer deserves more than a four-cent flag stamp.