The gift that keeps on giving

So, I recently completed my Corey Alston collection, which for a while I figured would be my first complete master set, depending on John Clifford.  See, Alston has 14 cards to his name, which were all fairly findable.  Clifford only has three, which would seemingly be easier to complete (since I already had one in hand), but is also trickier since they're all minor league cards only available on the Beckett Marketplace, where I rarely shop.

I typically ask for those Marketplace cards at birthdays and Christmas, and I did so with Clifford's 1997 Salem Avalanches card on my birthday.  I got some cool stuff, but not the Avalanches card, so I asked for it again this Christmas.  And I got it - huzzah!

Funny thing is, my Dad actually bought it for me on my birthday - but then forgot about the package. He found it a month or two later, and was like okay...guess that's a Christmas gift now.  So when I asked for it again, it was all too perfect.  And now, after Christmas, Clifford's card is finally home!

I love the coloration - you can definitely tell the Avalanche were a Rockies minor league team at the time.  I also dig that the cards are sponsored by Kroger, since that's the grocery chain I know and love now that I live in Ohio.  Growing up it was all Stop and Shop and Julio's and Shaws, but that ish is long gone now.  Final thing I love?  THAT FONT ON THE JERSEY!  Just look at it - that is so nineties-tastic...so glorious.  Love this card.

Here's the back, which likely features the longest write-up on Clifford in cardboard form since the other card I have has less writing on it:

Sad news about the Salem Avalanche.  After being a Rockies affiliate from 1996-2002 and an Astros affiliate from 2003-2008, they became the Salem Red Sox, and now have a way more boring logo.  But I guess they've actually been around forever in various forms - as the Salem Buccaneers, Redbirds, Pirates, and Rebels way back in 1955.  They've rostered dudes from Moises Alou to Tim Wakefield to Larry Walker to Orlando Cepeda to Mookie Betts.  And John Clifford.  That's quite the history!