2023 National Signed Card Pickups

Of course I still have stuff to post from this year's National.  In an attempt to catch up on my TTM posts, I put some National stuff on the back burner.  In cleaning up my desk and card room recently, I found this stack of random autos I picked up on the last day of the show.

I found a vendor who had boxes of IP autos at good prices.  I picked up a bunch of those autos.  As Michael and I were walking out of the show, I had a little money left to spend and came across a vendor who made me a great deal on the above Ronald Acuna signed Allen and Ginter.  The price was great, and the card is PSA authenticated.  I had to pick it up.

Among the random IP autos I got, I grabbed a bunch of old team set stuff. The above Ryan Minor is really nice.  Minor has recently entered Hospice care for his Stage IV colon cancer.  I met Minor several times and he was always a great guy.  It's super sad to hear what he's going through. 

Some other cards I picked up were an assortment of Kinston Indian signed team set cards.  I grabbed duplicates of some of these and gave them to my friend, Billy, toward the end of the season.  It's really cool to go back and see some of these old team set cards.

Finally, I got a handful of old Orioles IP autos and two other random cards.  I really enjoyed going through their box.  I probably would have gotten more, but I was sitting there until the first signing of the day.

I hope the same guy is at the 2024 National, so I can grab some more.

2023 National Pickup - 1960 Topps Jimmy Brown

There wasn't a whole lot that jumped out at me at the National.  It turned out to be a good thing, as I was able to bring a lot of my budget home.  Still, I did come home with a lot of nice stuff.  One of the cards that did jump out at me was this 1960 Topps Jimmy Brown. 

Jim Brown was one of the greatest football players of all time, and I had the chance to meet him at the National back in 2018.  I passed on spending the $300 to meet him, which I regret.  I'm not a big football fan, but I did enjoy the movies that Brown was in.  I also respect greatness, and adding him to my autograph collection would have been nice.

Anyway, I missed out.  So, I added this card to my collection as a consolation. I can't afford Brown's rookie card, so this one will do for now.  I may pick up a few of his other cards, just because.  I definitely like vintage football cards, but I'm not going too far out of my way to add any.  Just some stuff that jumps out at me.

2023 National Pickups - Vintage Set Needs

Back with a post regarding the National, I only pucked up a handful of cards for set building purposes.  I just recently srarted building the 1962 and 1964 Topps sets.  The 1962 set is farther along than the 1964.  Both sets will take me some time to complete, but it gave me something else to look for at tge show.  I picked up three 1964 Topps, imcluding the above Jim Perry. 

I picked up 23 1962 Topps, including Jim Bunning, Ken Boyer, Vern Law, Reds and Red Sox team cards.

My set needs lists have all been updated (finally).  So, now when I go to shows, I cam bring the lists up on my phone and search away.  I still keep my notebook for set needs as well, but I will probably get away from that sometime soon. It's nice to have the needs on the cloud, because I tend to forget to bring the notebook, but I always have my phone on me.

2023 Topps Free Signer - Jim Morrissey

The time has come for the final signer from the 2023 Naional, former Bear, Jim Morrissey.  He would have been a voucher I would have traded away in the past, but I didn't really make much of an effort to trade any vouchers this year.  So, I found some of Morrisey's cards and added them to my autograph album. 

Morrissey (b. 1962) played professionally from 1985 to 1993 for the Bears and Packers.  He had 9 interceptions for 52 yards in his career.  He was part of the 1985 Bears that won Super Bowl XX.

Over the next several posts, I'm going to catch up a bit on some incoming autographs from some buddies and knock a few TTMs off of the pile.  I'll circle back with a few more National posts shortly.

I've gotten a lot more comments recently than I have in a while. I read all of them and I appreciate them.  There isn't a reply feature that would notify folks if I respond to a comment, so if there are questions, just shoot me an email.  Thanks for reading.

2023 National Free Signer - Steve Trout

The next free signer at the National was Steve Trout, a guy who I had gotten as a free signer before at a National a few years ago.  I had a bunch of his cards put aside for a potential TTM at some point.  I had held off sending to him because I didn't want to pay a fee to send to someone I've already met.  I'm glad I waited, because I ended up with 6 of Trout's vouchers.

I got the above 1981 Topps signed, which turned out well 

I also got a 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988 Topps signed.

The above 1989 Topps was one I found while locking for Jim Gantner cards prior to leaving for the show, and it turned out nicely, as well.

Trout is always fun to meet.  He's very friendly and seems to enjoy doing signings. I believe I have most of his Topps run signed, so that's a plus.

2023 National Free Signer - Bob Dernier

Bob Dernier was the next free signer on the last day of the National.  By the time I got through Dernier's line, most of the people had cleared out.  Still, I had two more signers to go after Dernier, but it was a far cry from earlier in the week.

I had sent all of my Dernier cards out to my friend, Max, in the past, so I picked these three cards up from the guy selling signer cards at the show.  I liked the above 1982 Topps Traded, even though I didn't realize it was a Traded until later on.

I also got a 1985 Topps and a 1985 Fleer signer by Dernier.

Dernier (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1980 to 1989 for the Phillies and Cubs.  He had 634 hits, 23 home runs and a .255 batting average.  He finished 17th in the 1984 NL MVP race abd won a Gold Glove that year.

2023 National Paid Signer - David Justice

The last paid signer for me at the National was David Justice.  He was a last minute addition to the show and also a last minute pickup for me.  I had this 1994 Collectors Choice checklist put aside in case I saw a signing with Justice pop up, so I went ahead and got it signed.

Justice (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1989 to 2002 for the Braves, Indians, Yankees and A's.  He had 1,571 hits, 305 home runs and a .279 batting average.  He was the 1990 NL Rookie of the Year and a three-time All Star (1993, 1994 and 1997).  His best MVP finish was 3rd in 1993.  He won the World Series in 1995 with the Braves and 2000 with the Yankees.  He was the 2000 ALCS MVP. Justice appeared on the 2008 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.2% of the vote.

I had heard that Justice could be standoffish when meeting him, but he was actually really nice.  The guy photo bombing in the back had hijacked the line; talking (loudly) with Justice while we went through the line. We weren't really able to get a word in, and I think Dave realized that. He shook my hand hard and clapped his arm around me for the photo.  He is a big dude.  I'm really glad I went ahead and added the voucher to my list, as it was a good experience meeting him.

2023 National Free Signer - Jim Gantner

Jim Gantner was the next free signer at the National.  I had gotten him a while back on my 1987 Topps, so I had to dig out some other stuff for the show.  I got the above 1989 Topps Big signed, and it turned out really well.

I also got a 1988 Donruss Baseballs Best (these look so cool with the orange border), a 1988 Topps and a 1990 Topps signed.

Gantner has a really nice signature.  I kind of wish I had brought an 87, just to upgrade it with the thinner marker he was using.

2023 National Free Signer - Scott Spiezio

Scott Spiezio was the next free signer at the National.  I had a good many of his cards, so it was nice to get a few out of my boxes and into my album.  The above 1997 Flair Showcase is a really cool card, and it turned out nicely.

I also got a 1997 Bowman Chrome hometown, 1997 Finest Blue Chips and a 2005 Topps signed.

Spiezio (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1996 to 2007 for the A's, Angels, Mariners and Cardinals.  He had 996 hits, 119 home runs and a .255 batting average.  

He won the World Series with the Angels in 2002 and the Cardinals in 2006.

Spiezio was really nice.  He commented on my Frederick question mark jersey (which it the reason why I wore it).

2023 National Free Signer - Murray Bannerman

There was only one hockey player that ingot at the National, and it was former Blackhawks goalie, Murray Bannerman.  He was pretty serious about his masks, so I chose the above card to get signed.

Bannerman (b. 1957) played from 1977 to 1987 for the Canucks and Blackhawks.  He had a 116-125 record as a goalie in his career with an 88% save percentage on shots on goal.  

I thought the above card would look cool in my album, so that's the one I picked up from the vendor who was selling the cards of the free signers.

2023 National Free Signer - Doug Plank

The next free signer at the National was former Chicago Bear, Doug Plank.  I had zero cards of him, so I had to take advantage of the ones a dealer had for sale at $5/card. A definite overpay, until once realizes how hard it would have been to get into a table and search for Plank's cards at the show. My time was worth $5/card for sure.

I went through the line for Plank with my brother's buddy, Nick, who had come to the show for the day.  Nick had the platinum pass that gets you to the front of the line, so he let me use it with him.  He went with me to see several of the Saturday signers, and I helped him get one of his.  I'll probably post that later.  Had my brother come to the show, he probably would still be talking to Plank.  Plank was very personable and animated while telling stories.  I enjoyed meeting him.

Plank (b. 1953) played professionally from 1975 to 1982 for the Bears.  He had 15 interceptions across 101 games in his career.

2023 National Free Signer - Larry Hisle

The next free signer at this year's National was Larry Hisle.  I had cards put aside to try him TTM, but I had kept putting it off.  I was happy to see that he was on the list this year and get my cards signed.  The above 1970 Topps turned out great.

Hisle was really nice.  He looked up at me and said "Young man, what advice would you give a 77-year old on slowing down the aging process?" I said "Umm, that's a tough one, let me think." He replied "I'm just kidding" and I said "You could start counting in reverse." He laughed and said "actually, I feel pretty good for 77, almost 78. I'm doing fine."  I really liked talking with him.

Hisle (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1968 to 1971 and 1973 to 1982 for the Phillies, Twins and Brewers.  He had 1,146 hits, 166 home runs and a .273 batting average.  He let the AL in RBIs with 119 in 1977 and was an All Star in 1977 and 1978. He finished 3rd in the AL MVP race in 1978. He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1988, but received no votes.

2023 National Paid Signer - Pedro Martinez

The next paid signer at the National for me was the big one I had planned for when the lineup was released.  I had an old Topps Finest Pedro Martinez that I really wanted to get signed... until I pulled the above insert from 2023 Topps.

This Aces insert turned out so great.  I'm glad I went with this card. 

My stance is odd because I wanted to get the picture done quickly and then get out of the way.  The awkward posture is what resulted.  Oof.  Anyway, Pedro was great and I added an amazing card to the album. 

2023 National Paid Signer - Jim Thome

Jim Thome was the next paid signer insaw at this year's National. I had found this 2003 Stadium Club in the boxes I got from the old card shop and thought it would look cool in my album.  It turned out pretty nicely.

Thome was really nice.  We talked about his time in Kinston, which was really cool.  I had actually gotten to him when the line was about done, so that gave me a little more time to talk with him.

My friend, Michael went through the line with me and took some pictures while I talked with Thome.  Above is Thome's reaction when I told him I have season tickets in Kinston.  He also thanked me for coming out and shook my hand.

2023 National Paid Signer - Jerry Rice

The next paid signing for me was a big one that I added at the last minute.  I had signed up for Jerry Rice and found the above 2004 Topps Chrome in a random box.  I thought it would look cool in my album, so I went with the card.  I know everyone would rather have a 49ers card signed, but I just thought this one looked cool.  It turned out great, and meeting Rice was cool.

Rice (b. 1962) played professionally from 1985 to 2004 for the 49ers, Raiders and Seahawks.  He had 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns.  He was the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1993.  He finished 2nd in the MVP race twice (1987 and 1995) and 3rd twice (1993 and 1994).  He won the Super Bowl 3 times with the 49ers (1989, 1990 and 1995).

Believe it or not, when Starter jackets were big, I had a 49ers one.  I didn't know a lot about football, but I knew who Jerry Rice was (and Joe Montana and Steve Young).  I don't know that I'd had called myself a 49ers fan, but it was a cool jacket.  Not sure if I still have it, though.

2023 National Paid Signer - Scott Rolen

The next paid signer I got at the National added the 170th Hall of Famer on a ball to my collection.  Scott Rolen was recently inducted to the Hall, so when he was added to the autograph lineup, I went ahead and crossed him off of my list.

Rolen (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1996 to 2012 for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds.  He had 2,077 hits, 316 home runs and a .281 batting average.  He was a 7-time All Star (2002 through 2006, 2010.and 2011) and an 8-time Gold Glove Award winner.  He was the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year.  He won the World Series in 2006 with the Cardinals.  

Rolen was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023, on his 6th ballot with 76.3% of the vote.

2023 National Paid Signer - Jeff Bagwell

Jeff Bagwell was my next paid signer, and I had been waiting since last year's National to get the above 1992 Donruss Diamond King card signed.  I had gotten a Topps Finest insert signed by Bagwell last year; the decision came down to the wire.  Thankfully, Bagwell was there again this year, so I added this awesome card to the album.

I didn't get to say much to Bagwell, since I was being shuffled through his line and had to move on to my next signing, but he was nice enough. 

The card turned out great.  I've got one more Bagwell card put aside that I may get signed another time. We'll see how next year shakes out. 

2023 National Free Signer - Brian Urlacher

The next free signer I got was Brian Urlacher, but I may not have gotten him had I not read the flyers given to me in my VIP package.  Urlacher was scheduled to sign in the VIP lounge on Friday.  I didn't know it but he was only supposed to be signing event-provided 8 x 10s and no personal items.  Because I didn't know that, I went through the first football dime box I saw at the show and found the above 2000 Hit football card.

When I got to the handler, I saw that they had run out of photos, so they were allowing folks to pick from a pile of pre-signed cards.  I told the handler that I had brought my card not knowing you couldn't get personal items signed and to add it to the pile for someone else to have later.  She said "No, it's yours, don't you want him to sign it?"  So, I got to Urlacher for the photo-op, and I again offered the card.  He said "Nah man, I've got plenty. Here, I'll sign it for you. Go ahead and take one of those from the table, too."  So, I ended up with two cards from the signing.  Urlacher signed mine with a blue paint pen, and it looks awesome.

Urlacher is a big dude.  He was really nice.  Someone had brought a mini helmet to be signed for charity, and he signed that.  One of the handlers said something to him about not signing personal items and he said "it's ok, it was for charity. Mind your own business."  I think that may be why I ended up with my card signed, as well.

Urlacher (b. 1978) played professionally from 2000 to 2012 for the Bears.  He had 22 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 4 defensive touchdowns.  He was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000.

Urlacher was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

2023 National Paid Signer - Chipper Jones

My next paid signer was Chipper Jones.  I had pulled this nice insert out of 2022 Topps Heritage Minors showing Jones in a Durham Bulls uniform.  The card looks amazing. 

Jones liked the card. He thought it was older, but that's ok.

I had met him before, but I really wanted to get that card signed, so I added him to my list this year. I'm glad I did.

2023 National Paid Signer - Torii Hunter

My first paid signer for this year's National was Torii Hunter.  I got the above 2013 Bowman Chrome insert in a 5,000-count box of cards that my friend, Trevor, gave me a couple years ago. I always liked the card, and when I saw that Hunter would be at the National, he was one of the first signers that I decided to get.  The card turned out awesome. 

Hunter (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1997 to 2015 for the Twins, Angels and Tigers.  He had 2,452 hits, 353 home runs and a .277 batting average.  He was a 5-time All Star (2002, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013).  His best MVP finish was 6th (AL, 2002) and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

Hunter was so nice.  He talked about my Bean Suppah jersey and hat, which he liked.  We also talked about how he used to put his glove in the microwave to punish it when he'd make an error.  I always loved that story.  He really is a great guy.  I hope he comes back to the National.  I'd pay to meet him again.