2026 National Card Show Pickup - 1955 Topps Duke Snider

My wishlist has been updated, kind of. I picked this 1955 Topps Duke Snider up at the National this year after seeing it at a table. I have known the vendor for a very long time, so I wanted to make sure I picked something up from him. I also had an upgrade to my 1955 Topps Duke Snider on my blog wishlist for something like 10 years. I figured it was a good time to actually make a change to the list, and cross this card off once and for all. I honestly can't think of anything to ADD to the list, so I may just do away with the top 10 wishlist. It is getting harder and harder for me to think of things I want, save for some set needs, which are already listed below the top 10 list. Having any kind of PC these days just leads to disappointment, it seems. Prospects get overrated, their stuff gets expensive to acquire, and then they flame out. Seemingly good players tease you with a few good years, then their feelings get hurt and they forget to hit (or field, or both). So, the only real player PC I have at the moment is former Wood Duck Cody Freeman, and once Gavin Collyer gets some mainstream cards, I probably will start a PC of him, as well.

As for sets I'm building, I probably could populate a list of cards to upgrade for the 55 set. I may do that for real at some point. This Duke wasn't cheap, but it was nice to have something different to search for at the show. I did buy a stack of 24 cards from 1964 Topps and 4 from the 2013 Topps emerald parallel set that I am still working on. I didn't make an attempt at shaving any cards off of the needs lists for 1955 Bowman, 1962 Topps or 1967 Topps. Those are going slowly, but I do work on them from time to time.

All of that being said, I do still enjoy building sets. I still haven't finished 2025 Topps and need to sort my Series 2 from 2026 to see what else I need from there. I'll get there some rainy weekend.

Oh, and I now have a rough grade 1955 Topps Duke Snider that I would sell, if anyone was interested. Stick around and check out the series of posts coming up from this year's National. I picked up a ton of autographs, but aside from the above-listed set needs, the bulk of what I bought was stuff for graphing and TTMs.

2022 National Pickup - Roy Campanella Signed Baseball

While cleaning out my backpack from the National, I realized that I forgot to post a few of the baseballs I picked up, most importantly, this one signed by Hall of Famer, Roy Campanella.  I don't know how I missed it; I really thought I had already posted it.  Anyway, I got a great deal on it and was glad it was a pre-accident signature.

Campanella (b. 1921 - d. 1993) played in the majors from 1948 until 1957 for the Dodgers.  A car accident in January 1958 left him paralyzed.  He had 1,161 hits, 242 home runs and a .276 batting average.

He was an All Star from 1949 to 1956 and a three-time NL MVP (1951, 1953 and 1955).  He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1955.

Campanella was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969 (his 7th ballot, includong two run-offs) with 79.4% of the vote.

Campanella is my 166th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

Another TTM Success From Bobby Morgan

This 2002 Topps Ticket To History pronotion insert kept popping up in my boxes, so I decided to see if I could get it signed.  I saw that Bobby Morgan played in the 1952 World Series (of which this card is a replica ticket), so I figured he would be as good a subject for the card as any.

Morgan (b. 1926) had one at bat in the '52 series, and did not collect a hit.  The Dodgers would lose the series 4-3 to the Yankees.  Morgan wasn't with the Dodgers when they finally did win the World Series in 1955.

I mailed to Morgan on May 10 and got the card back on May 20, for a 10-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Bobby Morgan

Some of these 2010 Topps Franchise History cards are really nice.  The best one might be this one for the Dodgers, which shows the legendary Ebbetts Field.  I had one of these signed already by Norman Lloyd.  I also wanted to get one signed by Bobby Morgan.

I mailed to Morgan on May 6 and got the card back on May 26, for a 20-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Carl Erskine

Lately, with all of the TTMs that I have been sending out, I have had to double up on some guys that I have sent to in the past.  Partly because I'm trying to keep the mail coming in, and also because I want to continue to add some cool cards to my albums.  The above 2005 Topps All Time Fan Favorites card turned out really well.

I also sent a 2008 Donruss Threads and a 1992 Action Packed.  I remember the Action Packed cards, and realized that I actually like them.  They're kind of odd, but look pretty cool in my album.

I mailed to Erskine on April 20 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 7-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

Christmas Gift From Kaleb

I'm still working on posts regarding various Christmas packages that came in from friends recently.  I'm trying to catch up on those, and not fall too far behind on TTM posts.  It is what it is, but I'll be way behind once the Wood Ducks season starts.  Oh well, I'll have stuff to write about for the foreseeable future, and that's ok with me.

My good friend, Kaleb, sent me a nice Christmas gift that had a stack of Orioles cards, and this Roy Campanella 2010 TOpps Peak Performance relic card.  I like Campy, and would like to add his autograph to my HOF collection at some point.  I'd prefer a pre-stroke auto, but I might have to settle for a post-stroke "autopen" one.

Anyway, I really appreciated the gift from Kaleb, and am excited that I might be able to catch a game with him in a little over a month.  Thanks so much, Kaleb!

Third TTM Success From Carl Erskine

I picked this Carl Erskine card up from my LCS a while back and sent it off TTM (the same time I sent one to Don Larsen) so I could have a Diamond Kings card in my album.  This was my third TTM success from Erskine, the first coming in 2011.

I mailed to Erskine on May 29 and got the card back on June 7, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Norman Lloyd

This was a really cool TTM success that came in a few days ago.  I got the idea from my buddy, Chance, to send to actor, Norman Lloyd following his appearance at the World Series this past October.  Apparently, Lloyd is the oldest living former World Series attendee, having attended the 1926 World Series in New York.  Lloyd attended that World Series as 12 years of age and watched Babe Ruth split his pants on a slide.

In 2017, at the age of 102, Lloyd witnessed a game between the Dodgers and Astros at Dodger Stadium, some 91 years later.

Lloyd (b. 1914) was a close friend of Alfred Hitchcock, having worked with him on Saboteur and Spellbound.

He is also known for roles in St. Elsewhere, Twilight Zone and Deat Poets Society.

Here is a link to the LA Times article regarding Lloyd's visit to the World Series.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-norman-lloyd-world-series-20171026-story.html

I mailed to Lloyd on November 18 and got the card back on January 23, for a 66-day TAT.

TTM Success - Don Newcombe

I was watching the opening game of the NLCS and saw that Don Newcombe threw out the first pitch.  I got to thinking about it, and checked to see if he signed TTM.  I saw that he signed at $20.00/card, so I made sure to pick up this nice 1954 Bowman.

Newcombe is one of my favorite former players to listen to when he is being interviewed.  He is a huge part of baseball history, and adding his autograph to my album is great.  This is a really nice card, and looks great signed.

Newcombe (b. 1926) played in the majors from 1949 to 1951 and 1954 to 1960 for the Dodgers (Brooklyn and LA), Reds and Indians.  He had a career record of 149-90 with 1,129 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.56.  He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1949 and the NL MVP in 1956.  Also, that season, he was the first ever Cy Young Award winner with a 27-7 record and 3.06 ERA.

He was a 4-time All Star (1949, 1950, 1951 and 1955) and won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1955.  Newcombe appeared on the NL MVP ballot 5 times.  He was a 20-game winner three times in his career.

I mailed to Newcombe on October 14 and got the card back on October 24, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $20.00/card.  The $20.00 was actually a birthday gift from my grandma, so essentially, she got me this auto!  Thanks, Grandma!

TTM Success - Tommy Brown

I added another 1953 Bowman.  The card turned out great, I think.  I have always loved 1953 Bowman, and adding a couple of them to the album has been a lot of fun.  The cards really turn out great when signed, because they essentially are mini photos.

Brown (b. 1927) played in the majors from 1944, 1945 and 1947 to 1953 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Phillies and Cubs.  He had 309 hits, 31 home runs and a .24 batting average.  He was a 16-year old when he started playing for the Dodgers in 1944.  He appeared in two games during the 1949 World Series that the Dodgers lost to the Yankees.

I mailed to Brown on March 14 and got the card back on March 23, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bobby Morgan

I love adding 1950s players to my autograph album.  There aren't many of them left, but when I get the opportunity to get autographs of them, I jump at the chance.  I saw that Bobby Morgan signed TTM, so I went on Ebay and picked up some nice cards of his that I felt like would look great.  I also wanted to make sure I added a Bowman to the album, preferably one that I didn't already have represented.  So, the above 1953 Bowman color was the one I chose.

The card turned out really nicely, I think.  I have since added a few other 1953 Bowman Color cards, but this was the first one.  I'm happy that I make myself pursue different years of different cards.  It makes every time through my albums an experience.

I did have to add a Topps card of his, so I picked the above 1953 Topps.  It also turned out really nicely.  I really enjoy 1953 Topps.  This is a set that has grown on me over the years.  If I had the money, I seriously would work on this set, but I don't have that kind of money.  Still, I like to pick up star cards from this set when I can.

Morgan (b. 1926) played in the majors from 1950 and 1952 to 1958 for the Dodgers (Brooklyn), Phillies, Cardinals and Cubs.  He had 487 hits, 53 home runs and a .233 batting average.  He appeared in two World Series with the Dodgers (1952 and 1953) , going hitless in two at bats.

I mailed to Morgan on March 8 and got the cards back on March 16, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Randy Jackson

It may not be a samurai sword, but I can now add Randy Jackson's autograph to my album.  Oh, that's a different Randy Jackson.  Anyway, I added another 1957 Topps to the album with this success from a former Brooklyn Dodger.

Jackson (b. 1926) played in the majors from 1950 to 1959 for the Cubs, Dodgers (Brooklyn and LA) and Indians.  He had 835 hits, 103 home runs and a .261 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1954 and 1955 for the Cubs.

I mailed to Jackson on February 13 and got the card back on February 28, for a 15-day TAT.

Ebay Pickup - 1949 World Series Game 3 Ticket

Recently, I used some of the Christmas money that I got from my grandma to pick up something that she has some ties to.  I was able to find a used ticket stub to Game 3 of the 1949 World Series.  A while back, I posted on here about how Grandma had dropped a bombshell on me when she told me that she had attended a World Series game.  You can read the story here.

Since Grandma didn't keep her ticket, I figured I would see about finding one that would go with the story.  I know it's not her original ticket, but I still think it is cool to be able to have a ticket from that World Series and be able to tell folks that she was there.

This ticket stub is in pretty rough shape, but I got a nice deal on it.  I tried to get the guy who had it for sale to accept a BIN price, but even though it failed to sell at his opening bid price three times, he still re-listed it for me in auction style, for that price.  Unsurprisingly, no one but me bid on it, so I came away with the ticket at the guy's opening bid.  Oh well.  BIN would have been quicker.

I now have two World Series tickets.  This one, and the one I for from Mr. McNair for the 1930 World Series.  I don't believe I will be starting a World Series ticket collection, I just think they are cool.  I may pick up some Orioles ones, but I haven't decided yet.  I'm still excited to finally have a ticket from the World Series that Grandma attended.

TTM Success - Wayne Terwilliger

I got some more cards signed that had been picked up from the Columbia antique shop.  I got this awesome 1952 Topps, and the signature turned out great.  All of the 1952s that I got have all turned out really well.  I'm glad, since I paid a premium to pick them up!

 This 1955 also turned out nicely.  The real signature is the one across his shoulder.

He also included this signed post card from when he was a coach with the Twins.  This was a nice addition from Mr. Terwilliger.

Wayne Terwilliger (b. 1925) played in the majors from 1949 to 1951, 1953 to 1956 and 1959-60 for the Cubs, Dodgers, Senators, Giants and A's.  He had 501 hits, 22 home runs and a .240 batting average.  He played so long ago, four of the five teams he played for are in new cities!  I thought that was interesting.

I mailed to Terwilliger on April 23 and got the cards back on May 3, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Carl Erskine 2nd Success

I have said before, but when I started this Topps Autograph Project, there were a few guys that I have gotten TTM before that I really wanted to try again.  Carl Erskine was one of my best TTM successes back when I was sending out baseballs.  He loaded a ball with inscriptions for me, which was awesome.

This time around, the only inscription I got was #17, but it fits nicely on both of the cards I sent.  The above 1956 Topps really looks nice.

I was able to get a 1957 Topps signed as well.  I didn't have a lot of them to start with, so I had to resort to Ebay to pick a few up to send out.  I have since picked up some more guys, and sent them out, so you should be seeing some more 50s cards coming in soon.

Erskine also wrote me a note on the letter that I sent, and signed it as well.  Here is his response:

William,
Thanks for writing and for the $5.00 donation to Special Olympics.

Carl Erskine #17
'48 Dodgers '59

Erskine (b. 1926) played his entire career for the Brooklyn and L. A. Dodgers.  He went 122-78 with an ERA of 4.00 with 981 strike outs.  He finished 9th in the 1953 NL MVP voting after going 20-6 with an ERA of 3.54 and 187 strike outs.  He was an All Star in 1954.  He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1955.  The Dodgers also won the World Series in 1959, but Erskine didn't appear in that Series, having thrown his last game on June 14 of that season.  Erskine also threw two no hitters in his career.

I mailed to him on March 24 and got the cards back on April 4, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rachel Robinson

Today is Jackie Robinson Day.  All across MLB, teams will wear number 42 in honor of Jackie breaking the color barrier 69 years ago today.  What better time to show a recent TTM success that I received.

Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, is 93 years old and is still active in the Jackie Robinson Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides educational and leadership opportunities for minority students.  The former nurse has received twelve honorary doctorates, and countless medals and awards for her contribution to furthering racial equality, and also her work in the nursing and medical fields.

Rachel Robinson was married to Jackie Robinson from 1946 until his death from a heart attack following numerous complications from heart disease and diabetes in 1972.

Jackie Robinson (b. 1919 - d. 1972) played in the majors from 1947 to 1956 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He had 1,518 hits, 137 home runs and a career batting average of .311.  He was the inaugural Rookie of the Year award winner in 1947, was the 1949 NL batting champ and also the 1949 NL MVP.  He won the World Series with Brooklyn in 1955.  He was a 6-time All Star and played in 6 World Series.  Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first ballot, after being named on 77.5% of the ballot.

I mailed these three cards (two of which came from my good friend, Max) to the Jackie Robinson Foundation on March 12 and received them signed by Rachel Robinson on April 5.  This was one of the TTMs that I have received that I was really the most excited to get back.  Rachel Robinson, herself, has done a lot in her long life, and I am really grateful that she signed my cards for me.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day, everyone!

Pickup From Michael - 2006 UD Legendary Cuts Pee Wee Reese Plate

My friend Michael has been raising money for whatever venture he is getting into these days.  I'm not sure what type of card or memorabilia is intriguing him at this moment, but I was able to benefit from one of his sales recently when I picked up this 2006 UD Legendary Cuts Pee Wee Reese.  He, as always, had a real good price on the card, and I wanted to help him out.

I think Michael has kind of abandoned his Reese PC, which, I don't blame him.  Not a lot of new stuff is being issued for Reese and a lot of his vintage stuff carries a premium since he was a Brooklyn Dodger.  Still, I figured I would take this card since he is a Hall of Famer, and it is a printing plate.  I might be able to flip it later on for something interesting.

Thanks for the quick and easy deal, Michael!

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 6

You don't often hear baseball cards referred to as works of art.  However, before 1957, most baseball cards looked more like painted images rather than actual photographs.  Cards like ones from the 1953 Topps set are a prime example, and they remain some of the most aesthetically pleasing of all-time.  When fashioning my Top Ten list, one of the first cards I thought of is one I have had for several years and it remains one of my favorite cards to look at, and show off.

It is placed well within my Top Ten, and would be high on anyone's list, so, here it is:

Card No. 6 is my 1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese.  As you can see, the card is far from mint.  There are surface creases in the top left and bottom right of the card.  However, it still catches the eye right off the bat.  It is a "Turn Two" card, and probably one of the best of all-time.

I picked this card up back in 2009 or 2010, back when I was close friends with someone who was a huge Dodgers fan.  I was looking for a nice vintage card to get him and I discovered this one.  I liked the card so much, I wanted one, too!  I was able to find one for $50 and another for $55, so I ended up buying both.  This card has, like I said above, been one of my favorite cards in my collection since then, and it doesn't take much to wonder why.

Upon further review after I purchased the two cards, I found that I got major steals both times.  It is very difficult to find any versions of this for under $100, let alone two of them.  This card, while it represents one of the better-looking cards in my collection, it also is a prime example of the luck I have had in "sniping" cards off of EBay.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 10

Lately, I haven't had a lot to blog about, so I got to thinking.  Then, I thought some more.  Then, I went to the bank and pulled my baseball cards out of my safety deposit box and went through my collection to try to determine my Top Ten baseball cards.  It wasn't easy, but I think I got a pretty good list together.  My intention is to blog each of the Top Ten, even though all of them have been featured on this blog in the past.  Each card got a new scan, especially since some of them came before I got my new scanner, and way before I learned how to properly crop them as well.

Without further ado, here is card number 10:

Card No. 10 in my Top Ten (as of November 14, 2015) is this 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson.  This card beat out a good many "honorable mentions" like my 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle, my 1953 Topps Satchel Paige, my graded 1967 Topps Brooks Robinson and countless others.

I got this card back in May when I visited the Columbia antique shop with my mom.  She picked this up for me, along with the '60 Mantle to cover for a couple birthday gifts and Christmas presents.  I couldn't choose between the Mantle and Robinson, so she was awesome enough to get both.  Thanks Mom!

I only have two Jackie Robinson cards in my collection, this one, and the 1955 in my set.  I intend to do the 1954 set at some point, but I still need a bunch of the higher end cards like the Aaron and Kaline rookies.

The card itself is in pretty good shape, and is very aesthetically pleasing.  I always enjoy the 50s sets like this one, and 1959, with their bold colors.  I always find that they scan well.

Jackie helps to make this list not only because he is a Hall of Famer, but also because he is a cultural icon.  Having broken the color barrier and being a huge factor in the Civil Rights movement makes this a huge piece in my collection.

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Pee Wee Reese

I have added several Hall of Fame signed baseballs to my collection through the first day at The National.  Like I said in last night's post, I went well above what I had budgeted for the day, but I knocked out so much of what I had set out to get, it makes the next few days more of an opportunity to just pick up random things.

This is my 111th Hall of Fame signed baseball.  Reese (b. 1918 - d. 1999) played in the majors from 1940 to 1942 and 1946 to 1958 (interrupted by World War II) for the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

The unassuming captain and heart and soul of the Brooklyn teams of that era, Reese played in seven World Series (1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956), winning one (1955).  He retired after the Dodgers first season in LA with 2,170 hits, 126 home runs and a .269 batting average.  Reese was an All Star in 10 seasons and finished as high as 5th in the NL MVP voting (1949).

Reese was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 by the Veterans Committee.