Christmas From Max

My good friend Max has been hooking me up for a long time now.  I can't remember what it was like before he came along, but I know it wasn't nearly as fun.  We don't get to talk like we used to because he is so busy with school and sports, but he still makes time to check in and we still do 50/50s for each other quite a bit.

He hooked me up by helping me get my 1987 Topps Bo Jackson signed at a show a couple months ago.  I had to pay Bo's ridiculous fee, but Max got to meet him, and got my card taken care of.  I'm really happy to cross this one off of my list.

Max has pledged to help me as much as he can with my signed 1987 set.  For Christmas he sent me this awesome Dennis Eckersley.  Eck was someone I would have probably paid for at an upcoming National, but I probably would have waited for quite a while.  I'm happy that I don't have to wait for it any longer!

I had looked up quite a few Dave Henderson 87s, but hadn't pulled the trigger on any.  He passed away a few years ago, and I wasn't able to get him while he was living.  I have learned very quickly that once a player passes, his signed 87 Topps cards disappear from the secondary market.  I'm really happy that Max found one and sent it to me.

Thanks so much for getting Bo done for me, and also for the amazing Christmas gifts, Max!  You're one of my closest collecting friends, and you have taught me so much about 50/50s and graphing.  Merry Christmas, my friend, to you and to your family!

November 10, 2013 Trip to the Card Shop

I took a trip to the Greenville card shop on Saturday because I was bored.  I picked up a few packs of cards and also hit up the bargain bin.  In it, I found a couple Bowman Platinum cards from this year of Kevin Gausman and also some cards for a few fellow bloggers.  I also found the above 1995 Upper Deck SP Vladimir Guerrero prospect card.  It was only a dollar, so I figured it wouldn't be a bad pickup.  It looks really cool and I can't recall that I have seen it before.

The coolest part of the story, however, comes out of the $12 pack of 2013 Topps Update that I got for Chris.  He got the SP of Bo Jackson.  Since I am a fan of Jackson, I thought it might be a good idea for me to take it off of his hands.  I traded him some Tim Lincecum cards for it and have now added it to my collection.  I made sure to make a fair trade with him so he knows how to do it in the future.  He had begun to have more and more trade requests and I want to make sure he knows how to deal fairly.  I didn't take into account with him that I had purchased the pack with my money; That might have just confused him.  I hooked him up, trust me.

Thoughts on 1986 Donruss Highlights

I didn't get any mail today, so I thought I would put down some thoughts on an old box of cards I found in my collection.

I have had this box of 1986 Donruss Highlights for around 20 years.  I remember when I got it, it was worth quite a bit due to the Jose Canseco and Roger Clemens cards included.   Heh.  Little did we know...

Yes, when I bought it, I paid $14.00.  Probably worth around $5.00 now.  Oh well. 

 The first thing you see when you open the box is this Hank Aaron puzzle.  It is really cool, I think.

 Something really cool in this set is that they showed the players who were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.  I think this is something that should be featured each year.  Above is one of the best TTM signers around, Bobby Doerr.

Here is another '86 inductee, Ernie Lombardi.  I wrote a post last year on Lombardi.  You can check it out here.

The last Hall of Famer featured is Willie McCovey.  I need to get more McCovey stuff.

Bo Knows

 

So, I really like the design of the cards.  There are a bunch of good players in the set.  The set is 55 cards featuring highlights of the 1986 season.  From record setting performances to individual milestones to players of the month for AL and NL for each month of the 1986 season.  Not too bad.

Bo Knows Your Mom - Winston-Salem Card Show Part I

For the first time in something like 10 years, a card show was held in Winston-Salem, NC. This is big because just a year ago, card shows were becoming scarce around NC. I had begun to worry that they would go the way of the dinosaur and not be held anymore. I am happy to see a good number of shows popping up around the area now (time to have one in Greenville, guys!!).

A small (very small) show was held this weekend in Hanes Mall. I practically grew up in Hanes Mall. My mom worked there part time almost 20 years ago, just to get out of the house. One of my brothers and one of my sisters also worked in the mall, too during their high school days.

The show only consisted of 5 tables, with mostly junk, but Pete, P.A., Andy and I were able to come away with a few notable things...

Once again with Bo Knows Your Mom. This shot of Bo Jackson in his football pads with a bat over his shoulders is an iconic image from the 90's collecting scene. A kid I grew up with had this as a poster on his wall. This is just a bad ass shot of a player who was freaking awesome, but didn't last as long as many would have liked.

99% of the cards from the late 80's - early 90's aren't worth crap, so you have to find little things you like about them for them to have any 'value' to you. I spent $1.00 on this card and am completely satisfied with my purchase. I had discussed this shot recently and was so glad to find this in the dollar box at this show.

Words could not describe Bo back in his heyday. The reverse of the card says all that needs to be said... BO.

Trip to Raleigh II: Checking out Cardiac Cards with Max

After the baseball game, Max and I decided to try a third time to see if Cardiac Cards in Cary was open. THEY WERE! We spent some time looking at their vintage offerings (lots of stuff out of my league) and through a 30% off sale box. Here are some interesting cards we were able to snag cheaply: Bo Freaking Jackson. 1986 Topps Traded RC. Nice. Is it just me, or is Bo like the Samuel L. Jackson of Baseball? Black Dynamite anyone? I mean, really, Jackson hit a homerun one handed while he was calling time and stepping out of the batter's box. I'm not making this up. Bo was a BADASS.

I love Harold Baines. I'm not afraid to admit it. I like how I explained this card to my son... "Look Chris, this guy had round hair!!" Did you know that Baines was a former #1 overall pick in the amateur draft? I read it the other day, he is one of the more successful ones. I highly doubt he will make the HOF, but he should get more consideration that he has.

I can thank Max for this one, he told me: "They have Roberts in this box, its the Finest, but yo have that already, right?" I said, no I have the blue and green refractors, but not the base.... I do now...

Max also saw this one and said 'Oooh, look...' I saw it and quickly added it to my pile... you can't have enough O's prospect Topps Chrome Autos. This is my second Reimold Chrome Auto, the first coming from the Awesome P.A. who always hooks me up.

We ended our day having a good chat with the young man behind the counter of the shop. he looked maybe 5 minutes older than 16, but he was a nice enough kid who seemed to know his way around some cards. That is definitely what this hobby needs, lots more young blood and less of the old curmudgeonly old men who we all have seen time and again.

Actual results of the infamous 1988 Topps box break with Max...

After scanning and cropping the cards I planned on featuring in this blog post, it was beginning to look like the Ripken family christmas... So here goes, the highlights of the box break, aside from cracking our teeth on OLD gum....

Here, we have Cal, Sr. tipping his cap to all the Oriole fans out there. All 4 of us.

Here is Cal, Jr., man of 1,001 stances with batting stance # 453.
Here we have Billy grinning because someone wrote something funny on his bat... I wonder what that would be. Or maybe he just watched that Earl Weaver video on Youtube....I think everyone has a cousin Eddie, and what Ripken family christmas would be complete without cousin Eddie!!! Eddie Murray that is...


We have Eddie and Cal discussing the proper way to grow a moustache. Eddie still looks like he wants to rip someones face off....
I think this card is one of the best in the set. Not much else to say about that.

Wouldn't it have been cool if it was Kumar Fisk, instead of Carlton? Then this card would be Harold and Kumar. I'll be here all week...My guess is that Bo knew someone's mom, thats why he got invited to this party...