MIGGY COUNT AT 7

 

 

                        From getting inspiration from fellow blogger named Night Owl he talked about his ever growing Clayton Kershaw collection. Now let me set the record now I am not needing people to send me bunches upon bunches of Game Used cards of Miguel Cabrera. The reason is I don't have a lot of Pro-Mold PC18II 1" Screwdowns to put them in & practically every show I go to if someone sells supplies like 9 pocket sheets(THEY"RE SLEEVES!!!!! NOT SHEETS!!!!!!) to 3200ct or 5000ct boxes. All I see when it comes to protecting just a single Game Used card are the thicker Top Loaders or 1 Touches with magnets. Now the thing is I hate 1 touches sure they are alot to simple to use pull apart slide your card in done by reclasping it. The thing is I store my Game Used cards in the fore mentioned Supply Pro-Mold PC18II 1" Screwdowns (If Someone from Pro Mold read this please send me couple cases of them cause I love your product. I also love the PC5 II Screwdowns as well.) then store them in 5000ct boxes in chronological order based on the sets I have either made or bought through the years since 2000.

                   What you see here if ya haven't viewed my site is 1 of 97 sets you possibly could make out of the single bat pieces of the 2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's. The reason I said 97 is that is the count of how many pieces of the Tug McGraw are out there (Actually there's 95 still floating around cause I own 2 of the McGraw's myself) Not many can say they could take the time to make this set.

 Hard to believe I have the set & 2 of these McGraw's.

Now this is my other Game Used Set I completed its the 2010 Upper Deck Set. There's a few players where I have 2 of the player the only difference is if the is a different type of coloring on the swatch or if it has a Pinstripe or not.  

Now just recently I made a deal with a friend of mine by name of Dave Gollnick he's a member of Sportscardforum.com he goes by his name there.

       Dave knows I am from Michigan  he's from neighboring state of Wisconsin we've met only 1 time at the 2021 National Sports Card Convention in Rosemont, Illinois. So when he bought a 2024 series II pack he pulled the Cabrera that you see at the top of my post making my Miguel Cabrera count of Game Used to a total of 7 cards. I have a mixture of Some from his days when Miguel was a Marlin to his Tiger Years as well. Now Dave is a Brewers fan in fact he's the only collector whom I met personally that only collects 1 Team 1 Company only unlike Mr. Night Owl that being Brewers are his team & the 1 Company just Topps & Topps Traded he's not into Variants,Parallels,all the bells & whistles of stuff except for a few PC guys like Christian Yelich,Robin Yount. He claims in his collection are Brewers cards from 1970 to the present. Now he asked me if I would be interested in Miggy sure I could give Miggy a nice new home & it only cost me a few singles he needed for his 2024 team set. So in the mail on Monday I received my latest Game Used of Miggy & Dave got his Brewers on Thursday. I hope someday I am able to take a trip to visit Dave in person again to see his collection & I am sure Dave would say the same about my collection if he ever came to visit me. Thanks again Dave I hope that the Brewers I sent ya enjoy being back with their teammates just as Miggy joins the others I have of his. With that all said I like to hear what you think of my trade or the sets I was able to make until then I am reminded a quote by Rogers Hornsby about signing autographs for kids "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, he's a Communist."      

REGRETFUL TRADE

                   Back in the summer July of 1983 I was at a nearby flea market outside my neighborhood is where I made 1 of the first regretful trades I made as a kid. You see I traded away the 1983 Donruss Wade Boggs RC for a 1982 Topps Steve Sax RC with a throw in Ty Waller RC. At the time I was thinking Sax was Rookie of the Year that year Boggs well....sure the Bat/Glove design is cool but he was the last out for the Dave Righetti No Hitter on July 4th a couple weeks ago & a complete unknown player as for Waller well......I liked the 3 player guys on a card & wanted to get all the 1982 cards like that & those were the only 2 that this kid had. Only if he had the Ripken trio card how different this post might have been. The kid wanted Boggs cause he didn't have any 1983 Donruss cards since Topps were only sold at the stores as for Fleer only selective stores had them.

What was I thinking eh!!!!!

So I made the deal fast forward 4 years later I was at one my favorite shops reading this issue of Beckett 

looking up the prices at the time that's when I saw it 1982 Topps Sax RC $2.00 1983 Donruss Wade Boggs RC $8.00 & then I said WOW!!!! my Boggs is $8 I best get that card into a screwdown. So as excited as I was only thing I didn't have it anymore instead I saw Sax staring at me that's when I realized I regret trading a card of that caliber. So don't feel bad for me I eventually got 2 copies of the Boggs RC 1 for the set & 1 for my PC. So let me ask you what is 1 trade as a kid that you made that now regret but were able to get back in either in a trade or purchased again. As always I am reminded that quote from Rogers Hornsby about signing autographs for kids "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, he's a Communist."

BALTIMORE NATIONAL SPORTS CARD CONVENTION 2010 LOOK BACK

                      Today I am going to look back at the 2010 National Sports Card Convention that took place in Baltimore, Maryland the home state of my pal Greg a blogger of  The Collective Mind. Let the truth be told that looking back to this show I have a great deal of respect that my friend Greg in how its been 14 years since he attended his very 1st National in how he hasn't killed me yet for enlarging his scope of collecting.

This card shown here was a give away during the 2010 National Convention by the Topps booth all 1 had to do was crack open any Topps Product that was purchased at the show Stephen Strasburg was the hottest card to get that summer with a limited of 999 copies being distributed people went crazy soon as the doors were opened to the those that had VIP passes (both Greg & I had them) they rushed to the Topps booth. We stayed clear thinking we had until the end of the show to get our card. Both Greg & I walked into the show me about a few steps behind cause I was awaiting to see how long it would take Greg to be amazed in how big of a show this was compared to previous card shows that he been to it took him 45 seconds to turn to me & say "......Man is Chicago anything like this I want to see what that's like there." Taking by how huge as well the sites and sounds of groups of collectors going crazy for the hobby Greg was in shock. I told him ".....Yeah I figured that you might want to check out next years show in Chicago & it took ya a long 45 seconds to tell me that." I had a small pep talk to him prior to the show what to expect & see & do there.

Needless to say Greg & I during the course of the show never got to get the Strasburg card cause of the crowds at the Topps booth were overwelming that 1st night Topps had put a hault to collectors saying they were going to limit the amount of people to get it 100 people per day 2 times during the whole 5 days & it would be announced first come first served on the announcing the giveaway so people would be like lurking hourly waiting to hear that Strasburg was going live again so they could rush over to get it. 1 of the best highlights of the show besides the Topps giveaway was we ran into an Asian-American collector his name was Michael (He never gave us his last name so if you know Michael tell him he was a legend between Greg & I by mentioning this blog LOL) but he befriended the 2 of us he said call him Mikey. Mikey would bounce all around taking it all in as well since it was his first National as well, going from table to table asking to see what all the fuss about at this dealers table or what did this guy get etc.... So near the end of the opening night Mikey was asking if we would give a ride so he could head back to where he was from via bus which we did.  

Now Greg learned 2 things during the time at show that packing a lunch and having a couple snacks come in handy especially if you don't want to spend astronomical prices of food that was sold in the convention hall that includes bottled drinks like Gatorade,water etc....the 2nd thing we both learned where to park to avoid high prices for parking in the ramps (Later the NSCC descided to offer parking passes to the VIP holders). So we ended up parking & walking 2 blocks away posing as Med Students attending nearby John Hopkins University while others had to park further. Both Greg & I now pack lunches as well snacks we even offer sandwhiches to people who watch our lunch bags mainly dealers whom we learn to become friends with. 

So looking back at this National did I enjoy myself & the answer is a resounding yes indeed I did. Now Greg & I never did get that exclusive Strasburg card not until 2011 when I was back home attending a rare local show at the time I found a guy selling Strasburg RCs & he had 2 of them available for a great reasonable price of $2.00 a piece cause Strasburg was coming off his first injury of his career & the dealer was thinking he might turn to a bust of a star. So I picked them up mailed 1 to my pal when recieved he was surprised I was able to get it so he & I can say here's a memory of the 1st National we attended together as friends (I will do a future post on how we met so stay tuned!!!!). Until then I am reminded by what Rogers Hornsby once said about giving autographs to kids '....Any ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, hes a Communist." 

A YEAR AWAY

                     Wednesday night will start the 44th annual National Sports Card Convention that will take place in Cleveland, Ohio. Now you ask me am I attending this years National not really I may have love for the entire state of Ohio but,somehow the city of Cleveland has always been a sore side to me. I guess it really struck hard for me back in the summer of 1994 I attended a show outside the Cleveland are in a suburb called Strongsville. 

                     Now this show was great I was able to pick up some great finds there from a factory set of the 1987 Fleer set for $10 at the time, 1981 Fleer hand collated set (the first of 2 I owned) for $15 got to meet the great Alan "Mr Mint" Rosen who well.....lets say believed in the 6 foot rule when observing his stuff as well was rude to anyone who would ask questions about his finds like he wanted to keep those secrets to himself instead of sharing them. I also was able to thank the people who were creating the infamous Charles Conlon Collection known as MegaCards in hopes they would continue to enrich some younger collectors to when the game was only 16 teams & no ESPN, no internet,No big Multi-million contracts except for maybe some guy with skinny chicken legs with a huge belly & he only got more money then the President of the United States 1 year & was quoted saying about that contract "....Hell I had a better year the Hoover."

Now back in 2014 with some twisting my arm my old pal Greg convinced me try Cleveand out & if I found 3 things wrong he'll understand why I will never attend at National in Cleveland. Afterall 3 strikes & your out at the old ball game so I said fine Ill attend it but Ill keep track of the 3 things. Sure enough the 1st strike came in April of with the 1st round 22nd player taken in the NFL Draft the Cleveland Browns select quarterback from Texas A&M Johnny Manziel who was coming off winning his Heisman Trophy 2 years prior to being drafted by the Browns. I asked Greg make sure you reserve a hotel room close by since Ill be leaving to meet up with him there since Cleveland would be almost halfway spot from our respective homes me in Michigan him in Maryland he got a hotel room alright but it was way outside of the Cleveland area by a good 45 minute drive more on that later plus we were in near Berra, Ohio where the Browns were having their preseason working out with the new rookie at quarterback.

The 2nd strike occurred in hearing that NBA star LeBron James was trying to figure out where to play after leaving the Miami Heat he decided I am going back home to play & bring a title to Cleveland. As we all know he came back & eventually won the title for the Cleveland fans. So were just weeks away from meeting up in Cleveland I ask Greg what were his plans were to find some more great finds like he found in Baltimore during his first ever National then going to Chicago the following year having a blast finding Allen & Ginther as well Gypsy Queen as well. By the time the week of the show was here I had made previous plans to meet up with a collector from Cleveland area only to have him back out at the last minute stating he couldn't have me stay with him the day before so I ended up getting dropped off to meet with Greg at the convention hall calling him & we found each other in the mass of collectors who make the journey to the event.

The final strike came after asking him where we were staying which as you read earlier is a 45 minute drive away from Cleveland due to the fact most of the hotel rooms were booked due to the show as well surrounding areas had to deal with a PGA golf outting known as the Bridgestone-Firestone Classic held in nearby Akron, Ohio which was going on that was the last major golf outing Tiger Woods was in before his melt-down. Needless to say I wasn't happy that those were the 3 things I wasn't happy about besides going broke within the first purchase I made which was 12 of the 1991 BBM Japanese Hologram cards #240. 1 card was the same number for each of the 12 teams. 

I thought I had completed my set for $200.00 after a dealer remembered me from the previous times I've attended the National in Chicago asking about them & not realizing how scarce they were. The dealer  brought him with him just for some odd chance I were to attend he could sell them to me or wait another year for me to get them in Chicago. That's when the dealer told me about the high numbered All-Star Game 50 card box set to complete my set he didn't have one so for a long time until I eventually got it in 2016 I was on the hunt for it. Well as I type this I am look at back the 1 National Sports Card Convention that I really didn't enjoy myself. I ended up getting a loan from Greg for some of my purchases great pals help out others but true to my word I haven't been to a National in Cleveland since & never will again unless somehow someway I get my arm twisted again to go but keep in mind I might be not happy attending it. I am now gearing up for next years event back in Chicago for the 45th Anniversary even though it will be the 44th actual show since in 2020 the show was postponed due to Covid 19.  I wish all that are attending this years show a great time & look forward to reading about their adventure at this years show. In my next posting I'll look back to the first time when I went to the National with Greg as well other memories I have of past Nationals until then I remind you all that famous quote from Rogers Hornsby about signing autographs for kids. "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids, ain't an American, he's a Communist." 

ONCE IN A MOONSHOT

               It was 55 years yesterday that man landed on the moon & Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry went deep for the first time in his career. The story goes that Perry's manager once was quoted ".....Man will land on the moon before Gaylord goes deep." Sure enough minutes after news was flashed across the scoreboard that Apollo 11 at Candlestick Park Gaylord launched a 1-0 count off Claude Osteen in the Bottom of the 3rd inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers making the score 3-2 (Final score with Perry being the winning pitcher 7-3) at the time. 

               Now the reason for me retelling this legend of baseball lore is simple not only to celebrate the anniversary of this feat but to also reveal the answer to the contest that I had offered on July 17th posting. The player in questioned was TY COBB so congrats to Angels Tom from the blog "The Angels In Order" as well Red Sox Nation own Matt from the blog "Diamond Jesters" to Tigers/Rays crazed fanatic Jeremy from the blog "Topps Cards Never Were" all 3 of you were correct in identifying the Georgia Peach in the Indians uniform. However reviewing all your answers no one came up with the correct reason why he wasn't in his familiar Tigers uniform. That being no one really knows why even Cobb himself has spun 3 answers to this question in 3 separate interviews. The first he said left in Detroit & forgot to pack it. The second Cobb said to Al Stump when during his cross country travel when Stump was assisting him write his Autobiography he wore the Indians in honor of the Addie Joss who the game was being played for but unfortunately that Stump didn't mentioned that until later in life about that mystery & didn't include it in his book at the time in when he was writing it. The 3rd interview was conducted by legendary baseball announcer Ernie Harwell when Ernie asked the great Cobb about it Cobb said he couldn't recall the whereabouts of the uniform. So with 3 possible winners I need to figure out who deserves the set so I will propose another trivia question the first of the 3 gentlemen to correctly get this question will win the prize.

                Remember gentlemen no assistance from Google to help you figure out this answer please & your all 3 trying to win the 1990 Topps Major League Debut 1989 set. So here's the question. What uniform # was never issued besides the following #'s 78,79,80,82,83,84,90,92,94,95,96,97,98 by the New York Metropolitians & who was it worn by stay tuned to a future blog post to see which of these 3 gentlemen will take home the prize until then remember Rogers Hornsby when asked about signing autographs. " Any ballplayer who doesn't sign an autograph for little kids ain't an American, he's a communist."

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT CONTEST

                        This post is 2 days late then expected, for you see I was suppose to do this posting the day prior to All-Star Game so you could have something to think about. I suppose you still can but,keep in mind by the end of this piece you'll be saying ya know maybe he's right. The funny thing about All-Star Games if you think about it if you you look at every venue that has hosted the mid summer classic within 25 years either way you look at somehow that team reached some kind of post season after hosting the game.

                     There has been 2 ties in All-Star game history as of this writing the 1st was in 1961 at Fenway Park in Boston during the 2nd All-Star game that year. The first in 1961 was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco where Stu Miller was blown off the mound (CHA-CHING!!!) the reason the 2nd game ended in the tie was due to a rain storm it makes you think how nature caused 1 man to be blown away while the other can on the parade of the majors finest coming together for a 2nd interleague game of the season.  The 2nd tie occurred during the 2002 in Milwaukee which ended after 11 innings when both rosters were depleted of players but if you wanted my opinion Bud Selig was just afraid to admit that running out a players expanding rosters wasn't a great idea until the following year when they offered fans a last player pick selection to the game. 

                  Back in 1933 the very 1st All-Star game at Comiskey Park in Chicago the 1st home run was hit by Babe Ruth for the American League. Fast forward 50 years later the same venue the 1st Grand Slam was hit by Chicago native Fred Lynn also for the American League. Still fast forward to 2007 Ichiro Suzuki hits the 1st Inside the park again for the American League but this time the venue wasn't in Chicago it was in San Francisco at AT&T Park off Chris Young. Each of those 3 times the American League won those games again something to think about.

Now I bet your wondering what the contest is I am offering for a prize for the 1st person who can clearly tell me without the aide of Google who can tell me why the young man on your right of Cornelius McGillicuddy (Connie Mack's real name again CHA-CHING!!!!!!) in the front row wearing a Cleveland Indians uniform instead of his usual Tiger striped Socks & Old English D on his chest. You need to identify the young man 1st then why he was wearing the uniform. Which brings me to why doesn't Major League Baseball acknowledge this is the first All-Star game before the 1933 Classic again something to think about. The winner of the contest will win a Complete Set of the 1990 Topps Major League Debut 1989. Should the winner pass on the prize I'll hold it until I hold my next contest. Stay tuned to my blog for winner of the contest & what steps are needed for me to award the winner. Until then remember what Hall of Fame Rogers Hornsby said about giving autographs "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, he's a communist." 

DOES IT EXISTS OR NOT

 

             I have often wondered if anyone is like me that does a card exists or not. Case in point I have often wondered if the `90/`91 Hoops card #249 Terry Porter that shows no NBA Symbol on the back of the card exists or not. As you can see in the photo from the TCDB.com site someone was able to scan a pic of the card to show that somehow it exists but, everytime I have looked at any `90/`91 Hoops card of #249 its usually the corrected version of the card.

 

This has always baffled me as well a bunch of others that I assume also trying to make a master set with every variation that's listed on the TCDB site. 

Here's another card does it exists or not again the TCDB.com says yes it does here's photographical evidence that its real but have I seen 1 nope not yet!!!!

  

Have you seen 1 in the wild if so were you able to purchase it. 

I have 2 more cards that are M.I.A. where the TCDB.com doesn't have pictures of these cards & I have tried to see if COMC.com or even Ebay has any of them & both times nothing has appeared if anyone has any of the 2 I am about to mention please lmk if I could possibly make a deal for them. The first one is a 2003 Milwaukee Brewers Diamond Celebration I just like to find the Ernie Harwell card for my PC I went to even ask a friend who lives in Wisconsin & is my residential expert when it comes to knowing a lot about the Brew Crew and is trying to get a complete run not counting parallels or inserts just your plain Jane regular issued Topps Brewers cards that includes the traded sets from any of years that a Brewers player might me involved from 1974 Topps, 1981 Topps to the present day & he wasn't familiar with any set of that. Another set that even I asked someone who was in the set if hes see it or not & they say they havent see it even if they're a subject within it is the `95/`96 Missouri Tigers Mens Basketball set.

The reasoning behind this post is maybe casting on my line I might get a nibble on some of these Wishful Whales as well to remind anyone that is a box breaker on YouTube that if your cracking open any 1990 Topps you will never get George Bush USA card or the NNOF Frank Thomas RC out of a pack cause the George Bush USA was only given to the President back in 1990 as for the NNOF Frank Thomas hard to say if you'll ever find that card. So let me know what cards do you think you have trouble locating even if the TCDB may or may not have photos to back up your claim. Until then remember what Rogers Hornsby once said "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, he's a communist."

I'M NOT A SAVAGE!!!!!!!! AT LEAST I DON'T THINK I AM..........

                    Someone the other day asked if I was a savaged person when it came to collecting my cards. I am not a savage of any sorts except when it comes to completing my sets. I have been to where if I am at a show or a shop & I find the last card to complete a set or find the right vein in a box of singles have been known to drop words that sounds like I have a bad case of Tourette Syndrome. In some cases I usually bite my tongue when there's young individuals under the age of 13 around me during those times or I sometimes reserve myself in saying it in American Sign Language, so I don't get parents looking at my direction wondering did they hear me say what they thought I said.  

This 1985 Garbage Pail Kid card was given to me back in the day so I guess it does seem fitting in how I attack card finding. Best part of this card my name is spelled correctly on the front of it. I have had people think I spell my name S-T-E-W-A-R-T & I usually go off on them & tell them its correct spelling & tell them I am just like the "LITTLE" mouse but I am not that little anymore.

Just yesterday I was able to go to West side of Michigan to check out an antique store that my girlfriend & I like to visit whenever we're in the area I was lucky to find a few cards to get me closer to completing a couple sets then we moved on to a shop that my girlfriend & my friend Greg found when Greg visited me this last year that I have yet to visit. I noticed they didn't have much of the old school cards I mainly was looking for but I dug in finding a card that completed a set with young individuals nearby I did my sign language excited that I completed 1 set at least. I then moved on to another couple boxes having 3 boxes to rummage through I came across the last card happened to be a RC of the individual I almost let loose the words but again held back so tight it also came in the last box I was going to go through for the night. Oh yeah the price of the 2 cards I found to complete the 2 sets $.50 total a $.25 per card can't fight those prices.

So I guess I'll leave it to my readers do you think I am a savage or not I look forward to hearing what you think also sometime next week keep reading my blog & tell others about it as well. I will be giving away some cards to anyone who wants to pick through what I have available there will be a limit of 5 cards per person unless I don't have enough people then Ill run a contest to see who gets them all so keep reading until then I am reminded by what Rogers Hornsby once said......"Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, he's a communist."

A WISHFUL WHALE TALE

              As I mentioned a while back I am in the midst of completing my 1967 Topps set. All I need is 3 cards This Ed Spiezio card #128, Bill Denehy/Tom Seaver aka Mets Rookies #581 Brooks Robinson #600. I just wish everytime I go through the common boxes or vintage binders of `67's I can find that Spiezio or even find it in a box of unknown cards at a garage sale or Flea Market or an antique store or even at The National Sports Card Convention. But those are just wishful whale thoughts. 

       
 I recall during 2020 I was in a Flea Market outside of the Toledo, Ohio area & I stumbled upon this card for my friend Greg of The Collective Mind blog.

I recalled that Greg needed this card from his wantlists but I skipped passed it rather quickly after realizing that it wasn't a 1991 Fleer,1990 Topps & 1988 Donruss card in the batch of junk wax commons. I went through the pile again just to get a closer look at Mr. Loes card cause I wanted to make sure it was 1 he needed after seeing it was Billy Loes I kept talking to myself why does this Billy Loes sound familiar its the right year cause at the time Greg was building a 1959 set so I quickly put Billy to the side brought out my phone brought up Greg's list after what seemed a long time cause Greg lists his needs in reverse chronological order compared to me doing it in chronological order. I read he needed #336A Billy Loes No trade line well......not knowing what to look for I went to TCDB.com site click on 1959 Topps Errors/Variations scrolled through until I saw Billy's name looked closely at the picture looked at the card I had on hand do they match yes they match now how much does it say these cards in this box say they are $0.05 per card. Quickly I kept it to the side continued looking through the box rummaging to see if perhaps I could find this bad boy for him. 

 

After all I did find Billy maybe He'll luck out & get the final 2 off his list. Well......he didn't luck out so I continued to look at other stuff that I might find at this flea market. I found 2 books that I needed at the time for my Time/Life series Mysteries of the Unknown. So I paid for my purchases the books were $4 a piece & then I handed the clerk Billy told the lady which booth it was from she then asked was this in the box that was $0.05 per card I told her it was my total was $8 cause she why charge you for a card so I gave the money walked out to my waiting girlfriend was in the car ready to head to our next destination I told her I needed to call Greg tell him the good news about Billy. 

Greg finally picked up the phone & I did my best Jack Buck impression Saying "......I don't believe what I just saw & tell me on your phone is this your card....." with that I sent him a text picture of Billy he was was shocked he was like "Yes that's one I needed its a wishful whale to find & you were able to find it eh!!!! How much was Billy." when I told him the cost he was stunned I even told him I tried to find Ralphie Boy in my best Ed Norton voice (I eventually found Ralphie Boy for him but that's for another post.) But finding whale's for others is sometimes what I do when I am not able find anything on my lists.

I can only sit in my man cave looking through my 1967 Topps set & wonder if I ever will find that Wishful Whale as well find a descent cost for the other 2 missing in action. So my question is for my readers have you ever located another persons Wishful Whale or has anyone sent you a Wishful Whale that you thought you never would get & were overwhelmed from their thoughtfulness to you let me hear what you have to say in the comments. Believe me if anyone should find me the Spiezio I definitely would honor them in my blog.  Until then I am reminded that quote from Rogers Hornsby "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."   

CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY!!!!!

               I really don't understand why certain people have to do what they consider right. What I am referring about is what took place over this last weekend at a show outside of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. These crooks stealing high-priced graded cards from a dealer as the show was winding down. First off to the crooks who did this act why did you do it did this dealer not want to purchase your comp cry me a river if that's the answer. Understand your holding onto 2.5" x 3.5"Rogers Horne cardboard that someone thought it might deserve a certain grade in their opinion. 

               If you think you will be able to resell these cards you gotta be even more stupid than seeing the Navy adding screen doors to the submarines or watching a clown making balloon animals with lead balloons. Lately I have seen way too many people at one of my jobs make this claim  "......I steal products cause I'm entitled to it cause I've had a rough life."  Give me a Flumpy Break. I hope that they can capture these worthless people. 

           The latest theft reminds me of when I was walking around soaking the excitement of a National Sports Card Convention in Chicago in 2005 I over heard a customer bragged how he duped a dealer in selling a custom made autographed baseball supposedly signed by Chick Gandil on the sweet spot that was supposedly found in this persons Grandparents house & given to them upon their passing. Those wondering who is Chick Gandil well........ he was 1 of 8 that played 1st base of infamous Chicago White Sox of the 1919 team known Black Sox that gambled on the series that year against Cincinnati. The guy even bragged how he learned how to doctor a cheap $3 baseball you can find at any sporting goods store by another guy & thankfully they took the videos down on YouTube how to make counterfeit vintage cards out of reprints as well to making a baseball older than it should be. Yes I reported this guy to local authority figures to put this schuzz-bucket behind bars. Needless to say if I saw happen again I would report it all over again. So I leave you with this thought before I sign off what kind of punishment would you hand down if you were the judge on this case. Until then remember Rogers Hornsby once said "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, he's a communist."

INDEPEDENCE DAY CHA-CHING PART I

             It was on this date in 1939 during baseballs Centennial season that Lou Gehrig had his number 4 retired by the New York Yankees. It was due to the fact that Lou was diagnosed in having ALS later due to popularity of Lou it was renamed in his honor.  We have all known the clip of the speech see the entire speech forementioned below. 

       "Fans for the past 2 weeks you been reading about the bad bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years & have never received anything but kindness & encouragement from you fans.
       Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't you consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor just to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent 6 years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next 9 years with outstanding leader,that smart student of psychology,the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure I'm lucky.
       When the New York Giants , a team you give your right arm to beat, & vice versa,sends you a gift-That's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers & those boys in white coats remember you with trophies-that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter-that's something. When you have a father & a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education & build your body- it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength & shown more courage than you dreamed existed-that's the finest I know.
        So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

       With Lou's words please keep in mind ALS still remains a disease that has no cure. Scientists as well researchers I hope can find cures like this 1 as well cancer. As writer of this blog I hope you join me in countless others in honoring Lou Gehrig with this special tribute to him.

NEVER WILL I EVER...... Part I

           Never will I ever try to attempt making a set that's nearly impossible to make with cards. A colleague of mine asked me once has there ever been a set request that seem so outrageously stupid to do. I told him there's been countless of sets through the years that would seem impossible to do or make due to the restrictions I have as a set builder. 

           I started making sets back in 1990 when set building was easy to make or try to make if it was a set prior to 1979. I would make sets with the intentions of accomplishments to show my father who well.....kinda didn't understand why was his middle son so into collecting these things called baseball cards while his elder brother was into comic book collecting. Growing up with 2 brothers & being the only sports crazed child who could rattle off stats like a human baseball encyclopedia my father kinda wondered how I could remember that in 1964 was the last time that Mickey Mantle appeared in the fall classic but at the same time couldn't get decent grades in 9th grade English. 

         The very first set I ever made was the 1983 Fleer set I always liked the simple design plus the b&w photo of the player featured on the back. My mother said I should also try to really get my set building a challenge is to make a set of cards that she located once back in 1985 in Royal Oak,Michigan at a Comic/Sports show in a trash can. Yes!!!! you read that correctly someone tossed out a bunch of cards into a trash bin. Not the best shape but pretty much salvageable to a novice collector as myself would say now about myself. The cards I found that day were over abundance of the 1967 Topps set mainly some of the local team the Detroit Tigers names that both my parents heard during those years when they courting each other guys like Bill Freehan, Denny McClain, Mickey Lolich, as well others unfortunately there wasn't a 1967 Topps Al Kaline in the trash but there was a 1957 card of him again not best shape but you could still identify Mr. Tiger really well wearing that famous #6 on his back.

            I finished the 1983 Fleer set that fall after saving my allowance of $5 each week for 2 months to purchase the card that I would show my father card collecting was about that being card #507 Ryne Sandberg. As for the 1967 Topps set well......I still am on the hunt to completing that set I still need 3 cards to complete it they are as follows according to the tcdb.com checklist.

1967 Topps wantlist

128a-Ed Speizio where his named is rubbed out almost

581-New York Mets Rookies Bill Denehy/T.Seaver 

600-Brooks Robinson

        I like to find these 3 cards raw, ungraded, all at a reasonable prices. Every year since 1990 my mother calls it her set & wonders how the process goes in completing it. I keep her updated everytime I go to a show on the process my goal is to have it completed before I say goodbye to her. 

Anyways that's just the beginning of this series. I'll talk more about the process of the NEVER WILL I EVER.........as a set builder for future dates so I hope you stay tuned for them plus any updates on the progress of the 1967 set. Until then remember the famous Rogers Hornsby quote "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign an autograph for little kids ain't an American, he's Communist."