"We did things the right way and we're still doing things. Whatever happened, happened.
I don't hold grudges. I'm happy to be one of the guys who has done things the right way, the clean way."
--- Frank Thomas, 2006

Aloha! And thanks for stopping by!

I'd like to introduce you to my Frank Thomas Collection.

What you'll find here is a little bit of everything, including a comprehensive Big Hurt Checklist, 1987-thru-1996. (still working on 1994-1996. Sorry, but as evidenced by the amendments and corrections page - this is stuff is complicated. <laugh>) :-D

Please note that there are (currently) 552 Pages Of Content and 511 Scans in the site. The 'top' pages are just the door openings - I encourage you to go through, explore, and follow the many linked pages.

I tried to cover a wide variety of collectibles including various non-card items and advertising material. This is not an end-all and be-all collection. I'm constantly adding to it and I'm often pleasantly surprised by the amazing and diverse products that showcase The Big Hurt. The images contained within are representative of my collection, but due to the size of this account, I'm limited to showcase only those elements which best describe any particular category.

This site may look strange or odd to browsers other than Internet Explorer, for that I apologize. I tried to debug the site as much as possible, but I noticed that several pages did not appear as designed when run through Netscape and other modern browers like Safari. If at all possible this site should be seen via IE. Also, any page that does not link back to the page you were originally looking at can be found by clicking your "back" button. I tried my best to link everything, but since many of the images/information is referenced by other pages, I know I missed some.

A quick word about the comprehensiveness of the Card Checklists - this is by no means a "list-to-end-all-lists". In fact, quite the opposite. I'm always learning of a new issue that I've never heard of, so if you notice that I'm missing something please feel free to email me. Now unless we're talking about a genuine card issue I can't guarantee that I'll use your submission, but I'm open to discuss it.

For a variety of good reasons you might notice that I've intentionally left out some issues which I do not believe should be included. Most notably you won't find any of the Star issues and the O'Connell issue listed. (see FAQs) Additionally, I did not include unlicensed cards. Other than that, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how encompassing a list it is. I'm confident you'll discover many new issues that you've never heard of, or where possible, seen before either. If you want to know what your collectible is worth click here.

I do editorialize where I think appropriate - so if you're only "after the facts" - I suggest purchasing one of the two big guides that every advanced collector should* have in his/her library: The Standard Catalog Of Baseball Cards and/or The Beckett Almanac. As of 3/29/08 - I can no longer recommend either volume. See link to Collector's Tips for an explanation.

Please note that the opinions, observations, and judgments made in the site are entirely my own. I do try to be fair and impartial - however - personal expressions of surprise, shock, and/or displeasure are freely seeded throughout and do not reflect the opinions of any other person or business.

Finally, it's my goal that this fansite will provide my fellow Big Hurt Collectors a strong(er) framework to build their own collections by providing hard-earned accurate information, dispelling misinformation, and debunking outright fraud. Where possible I've added clear scans of every card or product I mention. I hope you will find this site useful and even enjoyable.

Lance :-)
Honolulu, Hawaii
July 4, 2006

P.S. I've nearly reached the physical limit of this server. So, while I do want to hear from you regarding things like your "10 Toughest List" or "You Asked Questions" (text-only additions), pictures/images/scans to the site are not being solicited. (see FAQs)