1982 Topps Traded Tony Gwynn custom card . . . but I digress

I really hadn't intended to create this 1982 Topps Traded-style Tony Gwynn custom card.

There are already a lot of other cards on my to-do list that I've been trying to find time for.

However, Gwynn's recent death got me to poking around his career and cards and it occurred to me that -- at least theoretically -- Topps could have included Gwynn in its Traded set.

I don't know what Topps' cutoff for inclusion was, but I did note that the back of Cal Ripken's 82TT card mentions his April 5, 1982, home run. While I expect Gwynn's July 19 call-up from Hawaii was too late to make the set's deadline, I gave myself the benefit of the doubt.

I see that I'm not the only custom card guy who's done a 1982 Topps-style Tony Gwynn card. Most of the other creators don't do the card backs, so I can't tell if their are the Traded format.

Using that logic, a 1981 Traded Cal Ripken, Jr. card is possible in my universe. So is an 81TT of Ryne Sandberg as a Phillie, or an 82TT Don Mattingly. I'm going to try to stick to working on customs that appeal more to my personal interest in players and cards of pre-1980 vintage, but you never know when the urge might strike to try something more modern.