Sunday, February 28, 2010

Trip to the Greenville Card Shop

I went to the card shop yesterday while my wife decided to go to Kohls to shop. Ugggh. Glad the shop was nearby. I picked up a few things:
I went through a stack of 2009 UD Signature Stars and got this Brian Roberts.

Also picked up this Nick the STICK.

Pulled this relic auto from a pack of the Signature Stars. Don't know who the kid is, but its a cool card anyway.


I also picked up a few Dodger cards out of the shop's stack of Signature Stars for... someone... Jim Thome. Yeahhhh. He's the man!
I kind of like the Signature Stars, but there really aren't enough cards in the packs. I hate having to spend $5+ for 3 cards. Lame. I bought the last 2 packs they had and still pulled the relic auto, so I think I did pretty well.
Just to let you all know, I should start having some mail coming in over the next few days, so I should have some blogs coming; however, my huge exam is on Friday... gonna be a tough week!!!

Keep me away from Ebay...

...really. I have some awesome stuff coming. I put a bid on this 1948 Bowman Stan Musial RC. I had put the bid on it and saw it get bid to my maximum amount a few days before it went off. Thinking that I would be outbid at any moment, I went ahead and spent my budgeted amount on several other items.

I kept watch on the card, waiting for the moment that I was going to be outbid, and it never came.

Ooops....


Yeah, so I now have a 1948 Bowman Stan Musial 'Rookie' card on the way. I'm in just a little trouble with the ole Wifey Poo. Had to take her out for drinks last night and I'm thinking that I'll be 'paying' for it for a while. Dang.
This isn't the first time I out a bit on a card thinking that I wouldn't get it. Remember this card? My oh-so-wonderful 1955 Phil Rizzuto? The difference between the Musial and Rizzuto is that I had not imbibed any alcohol this time. Probably one of Max's favorite stories? The time I had some beverages, bid on the Rizzuto, talked to him on AIM for a while, then "Oh shit dude, I just won that Rizzuto!!! Oops!" Hahaha. Good times.
Anyone have any other cool stories about mistakenly winning cards? Oh, by the way, don't get me wrong, I'm stoked that I won the Musial, and yes I could afford it hahaha.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Its official. I've been bipped.

I tried to avoid it. I really did. It seems like even I am not immune to this new craze that is going around the blogosphere. Chris, how could you? We have become such friends. Oh man. Its on now hahahaha.
I'm glad he sent me Pie and not someone like Ramon Hernandez. I would have cried. I actually like Pie. I was happy when he hit for the cycle last season, and I am really excited to see what he will do this year. Apparently, he is tearing the cover off the ball in spring training so far. I've been 'Pie' faced, lol.


So, if someone had to BIP me, I'm glad it was Chris. Thanks man. Watch your back though. You'll never know when I will sneak up on you and return the favor ;) .

Mail Day - On the Rocks

I received a package in the mail today from Chris over at http://oncardautos.wordpress.com/ . Chris has become one of my favorite trade partners now.
If you look reeeallly close, you can see that there is some dirt on the Relic. Pretty sweet! I hate that most relics look like they just came from the cleaners.

I also got a decent sized stack of Os cards. Awesome. I also got something else from him, which will be blogged shortly, once I come up with a fitting response......

Thanks Chris.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Mail Day - Cruise Control

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter V.
I finally added another Brooks patch for my quest to spell vacuum cleaner. Hooray for me. Now, I need 6 more letters. I found a place that has every letter I need for $15.00 each, but I'm kind of waiting to see if I can skim a few for less (much like the above letter I got for $8.00).

Once I complete the phrase, I'll be pretty happy. Maybe I will take a picture of the letters spelling the word or something. Not a bad idea.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Trip to Columbia, SC

I took this weekend off from the card shop to take a trip from Greenville, NC to Columbia, SC to see my younger brother and to take him some stuff our mom had gotten together for him.

I hadn't gone to see him in a good while, which I feel bad about. We saw each other at Christmas, and talk on the phone and facebook all the time. He and I both have had a crazy year, so it is understood why we have been so busy.

One of the cool things he did right away when we got up on Saturday morning was to look and see if there were any card shops in the area. He found two actual card shops and an antique store (I need a blackberry, or some sort of smart phone and get with the year 2008). We visited the antique store first and found it to be a really cool place. They had two OLD phone booths outside, ready to be bought. I swear someone needs to buy one and put it in the bathroom. Can you imagine, sitting on the potty in an old phone booth...? Am I the only one? I probably should take some meds...

We looked around the inside of the antique store for a bit, when my brother pointed out the boxes of baseball cards that he saw. There were a BUNCH of 1987 Topps boxes for $20 each, so I was beginning to be disappointed in that we may be at a place that would only have 80s and 90s crap that would be overpriced. Uggggh...

I took a look at their display case and saw a stack of 1953 Bowman. Ironic, don't you think?

I say Ironic because on Tuesday, my best friend (you know him... Max) came over and discussed his desire to procure a 1953 Bowman Pee Wee Reese. Now, I'm at a card shop and eureka, a stack of 1953 Bowman. Out comes the cell phone. I sent Max a bunch of texts about the hopes to come across a 53 Reese, hoping that we'd get lucky. I asked the shopkeeper if I could take a look at the stack. He asked if I was looking for any card in particular, and I replied that I was hoping to get a Reese at a reasonable price.


The shopkeeper disappeared for a few minutes after I found that the stack in the case did not yield a Reese. He came back with a box of 1950s vintage cards, a whole row devoted to 1953 Bowman. We looked through that and still no Reese. I did find something that cought my eye though...

1953 Bowman Stan Musial. Yeah, so it is clearly in ROUGH shape, but I refuse to be handcuffed by condition. I saw the card. Texted Max (his reply: Ooooooooo). Found out that I could purchase the card at a VERY reasonable price, then it became mine. Take a look:
Pretty sweet, I think. I'm so dang happy with it. If I had some more money, I would have bought a few more '53s. I think it is a really beautiful set. I was glad that I could confer with my 'card partner' during the transaction (God I love texting, hahaha).
Feeling terrible that we had spent so much time in the antique store (while my son was dragging my brother around in order to show him an antigue typewriter), I decided to end my purchasing with the Musial and not ask about any other vintage stuff. Apparently, though, my brother enjoys antiques, so that made me feel better once he pointed that out. We decided to try one of the other card shops which happened to be nearby.

We stopped by the other card shop, and since it was getting close to lunch time, I kept this visit short. I bought a few packs of Topps Unique and a pack of UD Signature Series. I pulled the above Team USA Jersey... Not bad.
We went to lunch at a small hot dog stand in Columbia, and followed that up with a trip to see the University of South Carolina Gamecocks take on the Duquesne Dukes at Gamecock Stadium. Yaaay Cocks! It was a beautiful day to catch a game, as the temperatures were in the mid to upper 60s (it was 50s in Greenville) and no clouds in the sky.
The Cocks ended up winning 11-3, which was nice. I plan on catching a few college games this year (ECU and NCSU especially), so it was cool for my first one to be a SC game.
Did you know that Brian Roberts finished his college career at SC? You didn't? Well, now you know, and knowing is half the battle.


My son Chris getting ready for the game.

The view from where we were seated.
I really enjoyed my time in Columbia, expecially since it invloved me taking a minute and spending some much needed time with my brother, who I don't see near enough. I plan on making the trip a lot more, which is good. The ride is kind of long, but it isn't too bad. I hope he had as much fun as I did!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Are You Ready?

I said........... ARE YOU READY???? Pitchers and Catchers report tomorrow! I'm so excited, I can't stand it. I had Max over today, and the both of us are so excited and optimistic about the upcoming season. I think it's cool that the Dodgers and the Orioles (our respective favorite teams) are so similar... One of these days, he and I will be seated side by side at an Oriole-Dodger World Series game... Not too much to ask, is it?

This season leaves a lot for an Oriole fan to be excited about...Will Brandon Snyder make the club out of spring training? That would be awesome, but I do believe he will start the season at AAA Norfolk. Snyder is a great guy, who took time out of his day a while back and signed baseballs for me, my son and my brother. He also pointed Matt Wieters out to us, who also talked with us and signed some baseballs... I'm rooting really hard for Snyder to be called up and make a lasting impression with the club and be the first baseman for the Orioles future.
Brian Matusz makes it very easy for an Orioles fan to be excited about the upcoming season. Oh man, I have some really high hopes for matusz this year... to the tune of hopefully 15-17 wins and a Rookie of The Year award at the end of the season... From what I saw last year, this is definitely within his grasp! Gives me a lot to be excited about.

Reimold!!! I really hope Reimold is fully healthy this year and blows up by snashing more than 30 homers... I know he can do it. Max and I both have Reimold shirts that we like to wear to card shows together... Its the little things in life, haha. Anyway, I really think Reimold has the potential to be a perennial all star.
I'm ready for the season to begin. I really think the Orioles have the talent in place to be more competitive this year than in years past.

Monday, February 15, 2010

2010 Topps By The Numbers

And. Here. We. Go.

After weeks of delays, my jumbo boxes of '10 Topps finally arrived at the card shop. Pete, Max and I went in together on a case + 1 box. Max, having prior school commitments, was unable to attend the box busting event. He will come and collect his 2 boxes soon. Pete also got 2 boxes, while I got 3 of them.

Here are the results of our box and pack busting. (as a teaser, Pete brought in 8 packs for me a few weeks ago, while I bought a blaster from Target shortly thereafter... The first card from the first pack in my jumbo box. Josh Hamilton. I usually like to post a completer card when I finish a set, so I thought I'd show the official 'starter card.' I don't count the ones from my Target packs, as they were only a teaser. Its my blog, my rules, hahaa.


I think there were maybe a few too many inserts in this year's offerings (Toppstown again, really?) However, anytime you can pull a Bo Jackson is a good time. Bo knows your mom.

Check it out; got another Cal I didn't already have! F yeah!! I love 2131. I cried while watching that game. I'll admit it.

I like the idea of cards of the players when they were younger, I have a Brooks Robinson from 1972 with the same theme. It was awesome to be able to get a Roberts from this, seeing as he is my favorite current player. Awesome!!

Another cool idea for this year, The Cards Your Mom Threw Out. Of course, if you know my mom (she reads this blog), you know she would NEVER throw out my cards. She actually has her own collection. However, I do get Topps' point. Love the idea. Another Cal I can add to the growing collection... Thanks Pete for this one.

Hey, look. ANOTHER Cal!! Heck yeah! Since Roberts, Reimold, and STICK weren't included in Series I, I can take comfort in that I got some Cals.

Traded Pete 2 Gold Yankee cards for this Murray Commemorative Patch. Can never have too many Eddie Murray cards.

Ok, just so you know, I freaking love the Hat Logo Relics. My first hat logo was this awesome Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals logo. Love the colors and stripes!

Hey, look. Another Dizzy Dean. I guess I need to be a Dean fan now, huh? Still pretty cool card.

Hahahaha, Grady Sizemore. I actually like Grady, even though I have seen a lot more of Grady than I normally would like. Ahem. Anyway, yeah, sweet Indians hat Logo Relic. Not too bad.

Here is the Commerative Patch I got out of my Target Blaster. Ryan Zimmerman. Yay. Uggh. Anyway, I'm still bitter that he was the North Carolina card in A&G last year, and not Roberts. Zimmerman is actually a good player. Who knows, maybe the O's will get him at some point.

Not a bad choice for a Black Border Parallel... Greinke. I'm glad he was able to overcome his personal issues and win the Cy Young Award this year. Especially on a bad team like the Royals.
Ahhh, Matt Kemp. I know someone who really likes this guy... Wonder who... Just a nice action shot. I also think Kemp is a great player.

Speaking of great players... A CYMTO Brooks '64 Topps. Awesome card, and I think you all know how I feel about Brooks.

Mmm. Look! Another Cal. Ahhh, nice, especially in the retro jersey. Very nice. I like the Turkey Red inserts.
I GOT A SP! I know one person who will not get this card.... Pretty sweet Jackie card. I'm glad my best friend is a Dodger fan, that makes me appreciate Dodger cards even more. Especially Dodgers of the past.
So, my thoughts? I was very pleased with my results. I was displeased with the few cards that were mis-stamped, I ended up losing about 50-100 cards total out of 2 of the boxes. I did some thinking about it, and figured, this is much like off-centered cards of the past and will probably send some out to player collectors as throw ins and give some to Chris for his card album. He doesn't care that the names don't match up perfectly...
Ok, so here is my breakdown from opening 30 jumbo packs and 18 Target packs (8 from Pete, 10 from the blaster)
2 - Complete Sets of Series I
1 - Commerative Patch (Zimmerman)
4 - Target Red Backs
10 - Target Retros
31 - Million Card Giveaway Redemption Cards (love this btw)
7 - Topps Attax Code Cards (Why??????)
34 - Legendary Lineage
1 - SP (Jackie Robinson)
49 - ToppsTown (ugggh)
35 - Turkey Red (Yaaaaay!!!!)
2 - Black Border Parallel
36 - CYMTO
5 - CYMTO with stats on the back
3 - Hat Logo Relics
31 - Gold Parallel
37 - Peak Performance
34 - History of The Game
33 - Tales of The Game
16 - When They Were Younger
4 - Relics (Asdrubal Cabrera, Tommy Hanson, Fukudome, Cole Hamels)
2 - Autos (Bobby Parnell and Josh Johnson)
Not too bad... Thoughts??

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Picked up some 2010 Upper Deck

Since Upper Deck is quickly becoming the WCW of the card universe, I figured I see what the big fuss was about... Would their cards look good? What about logos? Do I care? Did I leave the oven on? What a good card to use to display the 2010 UD design. Ken Griffey, Jr. This is a very nice shot of Griffey possibly going yard. A closer look reveals that this was during an interleague game vs the Padres. I like little details like that.

Nice Joe Mauer card. Doesn't take anything away that you don't see a Twins logo anywhere... Don't worry, there were logos a-plenty... I neglected to scan any, though. Sorry. You'll be ok.

I'm really liking the ballpark cards. This is an amazing shot of Safeco Field. I love the sunset in the background. I can't wait to get my hands on the one for Camden Yards.

Here is an Upper Deck Portraits insert of Cole Hamels. Hmmm, is the A PHILLIES LOGO? Say it ain't so... I don't care, really. The card looks good though.

Now, this card looks good. The Pure Heat Tulowitzki. Very nice. Looks even better in person.
My opinion? I am and always will be a fan of Topps. However, I think competition is a good thing. I'm happy UD released a baseball set this year. I think the 'leaving logos on cards' is a ploy to generate publicity. No publicity is bad publicity. I haven't liked an Upper Deck design in years, maybe since 2002. I do feel like this year's offering is very nice. Good job UD. Now, quit effing up and get your house in order. I just want good cards, really.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Got some cards at work!

So, nowadays, most people who know me, know that I have a good knowledge of baseball cards and can give them an idea if they are sitting on anything that has any value. Last week was no exception.

A lady I work with asked me if she could bring some cards in for me to look at and if I would let her know if they were worth anything. I said, 'sure'. So, she came in the next day with a little cigar box full of 1983 and 1985 Topps cards. Not bad. I took a look and there were 2 1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg RCs, as well as a couple of other stars. She asked me if they had any value, and I told her she had a couple bucks worth, based on condition, so she sold them to me. Pretty nice. I was glad she got some money out of them, and I was glad to pick up a couple Sandberg RCs.
I also got a Nolan Ryan. Those were the biggest name cards in the box. It would have been sweet had there been a Gwynn RC or two, of course I would have definitely offered her more money. I'm definitely not in the business of screwing anyone when it comes to looking at their cards.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Mail Day - When Nature Calls

I got some mail today from Rhubarb_Runner over at: http://mmmrhubarb.wordpress.com/ . I sent him some Twins cards in exchange for the cards below, and more!!! Ooooh, a Cal i didn't have before... that I know of. I've lost count of all the Cal's I have. I have a good-size stack that needs to be listed on Zistle. I'll get to it eventually.
Yaay, a Bergy that I didn't have. I'm really looking forward to a full season from Bergesen this year. I'm hoping he can win 15 games or so... I don't think that's asking for too much...

Finally, Rhubarb_Runner sent me 10 1970 Topps cards I needed for my set. I really appreciate it, dude. I'll be finding you more Twins cards soon.

Boy, was I wrong...

Ok, so I totally didn't think Edge would return from injury AND win the Rumble last night, but I was mistaken. Oh well, I'm now 8-3 in my Royal Rumble predictions, however, I would like to point out that the 3 I missed all ended up being the last guy thrown out... Oh well. Its not like WWE is going to be calling me to write for them anytime soon.

So, that's all for now on wrestling, I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress....