Another TTM Success From Nolan Ryan

A lot of times, what drives me to send TTM is how I think a card would look in my album once it is signed.  That is also the driving force behind when I may send to a signing subject a second or even third time.  That, or if I had forgotten to send a 1987 Topps to get signed for my set.

I have no idea where I got the above "Nolan Ryan Texas Ranger" card.  I feel like it has been in my box forever (and it probably has).  I may have picked it up somewhere because I thought it looked cool.  It sure does look cool, and I decided a while back that I really wanted to get it out of my box, get it signed, and into my album.  The card looks awesome now that it is signed, and may be one of my favorites that I have gotten back, so far.

This 1991 Topps Stadium Club is also an awesome card.  I remember this photo appeared on an issue of Beckett a while back (and I probably still have that Beckett somewhere).  I found this in a Goodwill box that Mom had found for me.  It HAD to get signed, as well.

I had some money saved up for the National back in May, and when I found out at the time that the National was being pushed back, I took the savings and paid off my car.  I still had some money left over, so I took that and spent some money on some signings.  This was one of them.

I mailed to Ryan's foundation on May 11 and paid his fee of $60/card.  I got the cards back signed on June 29, for a 49-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nolan Ryan

Because I am working on the 1987 set, it was an easy decision on what to send Nolan Ryan when I wanted to get his autograph TTM.  He's expensive, but well worth the price.  I paid $60/card to the Nolan Ryan Foundation but the card came back signed and even had an authentication sticker affixed to the back.

Ryan (b. 1947) played in the majors in 1966 and from 1968 to 1993 for the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers.  His seven no hitters are a record.  His 5,714 career strike outs are a record.  His 383 strike outs in a single season (1973) are a record.

He had a career record of 324-292 with 5,714 strike outs and a 3.19 ERA.  He won 20 or more games twice in his career (1973 and 1974) and led the league in ERA twice (1981 and 1987).  He won the World Series in 1969 with the Mets.  He was an 8-time All Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985 and 1989) and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 (first ballot) when he was named on 98.8% of the ballot.  At the time, that was the second highest percentage (to Tom Seaver) and is now third, since Ken Griffey, Jr. has the highest.

Ryan never won a Cy Young Award.  He finished second in 1973.

I mailed to Ryan on March 30 and got the card back on June 11, for a 72-day TAT.

Card Shop Pickups While I Was In Charlotte

I had to spend a few days at the end of this week at my company's corporate office in Charlotte for the open house of the new office building and our annual OSHA refresher course, among other things.  The new location of the office is a straight shot to the card shop in Matthews, NC, which I try to get to every time I'm in town.

Yesterday, I was able to make it by the shop and pick up a few supplies for some friends as well as some set needs for myself.  The highlight of which is the above 1969 Topps Nolan Ryan.  This card is his second year card and a tough one to pick up.  I had narrowly lost too many to count, so when I saw that they had one at the shop for a decent price, I had to grab it.

Something I had completely forgotten was that this card was on my Top 10 Wishlist.  With this acquisition, I now have knocked out half of the cards on the list and still have a little less than half the year to go.  I also have already met one of my goals that I set forth at the beginning of the year; to have half of the cards knocked out.

I made great strides on my 1959 Topps set by picking up 31 cards that I needed for my set.  I now need 130 cards to complete the set.  Those high number All Stars are really kicking my butt, but they can be had.  I foresee the Mantle being added to next year's Top 10 Wishlist, if I don't find a deal on it in the meantime.

In the bargain bin at the shop, I got this Earl Weaver relic card.  It has some damage around the relic, which I didn't see initially, but for $2, I wasn't going to complain.

I got this lava parallel Brooks Robinson Panini Museum Collection for $3, which I thought was fair.  I had laid my notebook down on the counter to mark off some cards, and saw this, so I had to have it.

I'm really happy with my pickups, and I had a great weekend.  I know I've dropped quite a bit recently on cards, but I really hope to have the 1959 set wrapped up soon so I can concentrate on other sets.  We'll see if I can move it along, but at this pace, I feel like I'm doing pretty well.

An After-Christmas Present From Mom

So, a while ago, I wrote a blog post about an autographed baseball that my mom had stored on a shelf for years.  It turned out that the mystery ball was of Ryan Klesko.  When we found that ball hidden amongst a bunch of old picture frames and knick knacks, there was another ball that she wasn't quite ready to part with, her Nolan Ryan signed baseball...

I had to go back to Mom's house yesterday because of a family issue and happened to ask her about the ball.  I asked if I could have it, since I still hadn't gotten Ryan yet, and he answer was "[heck] no".  After about a minute or two, she hands me the ball, smiling.  Again, Mom likes to make me sweat.  Above is what the ball holder looked like upon receipt.  I'm keeping the ball holder; I'm just going to store it in the closet and keep the ball itself in my china cabinet in a ball cube.

Here is a look at the actual ball.  It seems that the dust has created an effective barrier for UV rays, as the signature looks amazing.

If I had to guess, I would guess that the ball is from around 1992 or so.  Around this time, Mom bought me my first signed baseball (Cal Ripken) waaaay back when Sam's Club sold baseball cards and assorted memorabilia.  I remember going in there and checking out the signed baseballs thinking that I would never be lucky enough to own one until one day when Mom handed me Cal.

I'm sure she got the Ryan ball around the same time (knowing how she loves a deal, she probably pounced on it).  As I sit here and type this entry, I'm thinking to myself, chuckling, Sam's Club sold autographed baseballs....

Anyway, Mom knows that I will cherish the ball along with all of my other signed baseballs.  Ryan has become my 59th Hall of Famer.  I've still got a long ways to go if I ever want to try to own as many Hall of Famers as possible, but this year has made a nice dent in the list.

Thanks again Mom!

**I'm not sure if any of you have noticed, but my mom actually reads this blog.  Sometimes she comments.  it is always nice when a parent shows interest in what their child is interested in.  I hope that when Chris is my age that he is just as passionate about something as I am.  I know that I will always thank my mom for supporting my baseball fixation from an early age.

Oh yeah...  Sam's Club used to sell autographed baseballs....

Random Card Pickup at the Shop

While working at the shop yesterday, a lady came in looking to get back into cards. We talked for a while about the hobby (she is focusing more on football) and looked over a few of the albums she brought in. It is always nice when people come into the card shop who will actually listen to you when it comes to collecting, etc. Usually, I get the people who come in thinking they know everything about cards and that the 1990 Donruss Ben McDonald that they have is worth THOUSANDS of dollars. Usually, that leaves me as the one who has to break it to them that their late 80s - early 90s stuff is pretty much kindling...
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It was refreshing to have a woman come in who 1. knew about sports and 2. was interested in cards. I am lucky to have a good friend (Babe) who seriously knows sports. Trust me, you don't want to play her in any fantasy league, because she will OWN you... Growing up, my mom had a big interest in sports (yeah, ok, it was mostly because she thought Don Mattingly was cute, but hey, thats a start), so that helped me along in building my interest.
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I'm glad to see that the hobby and the blogs are a diverse bunch; I believe this is a good sign that the hobby will be ok, even in this world of exclusive licensing, etc. I hope the lady who came in keeps her enthusiasm, even if she focuses on football, because any new or returning collectors we can maintain makes it better for all of us.
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I noticed that I didn't talk about the card at all, haha. She had the above 1993 Conlon Collection Walter Johnson/Nolan Ryan in her album and I asked her if she'd part with it. She gave it to me for free, which was unnecessary, but a nice gesture from her. I think the card looks pretty sweet. I was never a fan of the Conlon stuff, but this card is pretty sharp and I like the novelty photo of the Big Train and the Ryan Express. What do you guys think?

Another Ebay Steal - 1971 Topps Nolan Ryan

Drew sent me a link to a ebay auction last week after I told him I was looking for the 71 Ryan. I bid on the card and got it really cheap (an ongoing theme around here).
As you can see, the card is a bit off center, but otherwise, it looks pretty good. I now have Ryan's 70 and 71 and both of them came really cheap. I think I'm going to knock out his 1969 Topps next.

As you can see, the back of the card is a bit off center too, but once again, I'm still happy with it. Funny to see that he had 19 career wins and 366 strikeouts at this point in time. I've always thought it was kinda cool to look at some hall of famer's cards from early in their career.

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.

Lots of new stuff and lots going on

Hi Guys. I know it's been a while. I have been pretty busy, didn't work at the shop last week beacuse we had company in town. I did go this week though and busted half a box of 2009 Topps Update & Highlights with Pete. I also bought a few packs of SP authentic as well. The scans that follow are some of the highlights...

This first card is a reprint, but was a very nice gesture from one of the kids that comes in regularly named Braxton. He's a Yankee fan (but I don't hold that against him). He messaged me online saying he picked up this card. I thought it was really cool of him to think of me, it didn't matter that the card was a reprint or not... I don't think i would have let him give it to me if it were the actual card....

Next up is the SWEET Walter Johnson commemorative patch card. I love these things. Its also cool that my dad went to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda Maryland...Check out the 1/1 Platinum Matt Holliday. Pretty sweet, it's my first platinum card (that I can remember...).

I also pulled this really nice Andrew McCutchen RC Auto. If he pans out, I'll be one happy camper.... This was a much better auto than some tht were in Series I or Series II.

Pete and I did a pretty good job of assembling the Orioles rotation as well, nabbing David Hernandez, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen RCs. We also got the Nolan Reimold RC. If there is a Wieters in this set, we didn't pull it. If anyone has it, please let me know... I WANT it!!!

Pete brought this 2004 Bazooka Nick Markakis in with him when he arrived at the shop. Pretty sweet card, also...

I got this Nick Markakis Victory card from another guy who shops regularly at the shop... Definitely took advantage of the fact that he isn't an O's fan... I really really like the design to the Victory cards... Very sharp!!!

Finally, I ended up with some new Roberts for my collection. This icons card, the 2009 Topps Turkey Red (Can't go wrong with those EVER) and the 2009 SP Authentic...

So, yes it has been a very productive past few weeks. The big event, however, comes tomorrow. I can't wait... I'm not going to spill it yet, but I will say that my younger brother Andy and I will be making a 5 and a half hour drive from Greenville, NC to Baltimore... After that, well, you just have to keep checking back for updates, now, don't you???

Favorite card in my collection...???

Hmmm... I do wonder what my favorite card in my collection is... thats an easy one actually, because its the first one i show anyone that comes to the house and gives a crap about my cards:

My 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson Rookie Card. I got it pretty cheap off of ebay (I guess because it was off centered, I didn't care). It is by far my most favorite card.

Honorable mention would have to go to:

My awesome 1970 Topps Nolan Ryan- I wasn't even taking building this set seriously until i saw this card listed on Ebay for around $40.00. I ended up getting it for $61.00 (after Mallory convinced me to bid on it). Now I am getting closer to finishing the 70 set... AWESOME!