CHECKING ON FRIENDS

                     Last week Tuesday I had a rarity I was lucky to only have my school job once I dropped off a coworker I made my way back to a shop that I only had limited time for on the previous Friday. On that Friday I picked up a nice little gem of a card that completed my `72/`73 Topps Hockey set it was sold to me for a great price of $.05 so my readers did I overpay for my Tony 'O' let me know in the comments section.

Not back for a nickel eh!!!

So I went back to find some more great singles which I found a couple more of my 2023 Topps Pro Debut thinking I would have to have someone that only dabbled in minor league cards since I got a nice starter a while back so I wanted to get closer in completing my set so for a $.25 per card I got a few including the Albuquerque Dukes 1967 design insert of Paul Konerko card giving me 6 of the 19 Minor League Legends cards. 

               As I was on my way back from the shop I reached out to a couple friends on my phone especially to a good Canadian guy who I sometime will cross the Windsor bridge come to Michigan for a visit take back with him some great cards from me & 3 cases of RC Cola as long he brings me 2 cases of Labatt Blue or some Yukon Jack to indulge in Mr Mike Matson. He was telling me how he was looking forward to when Toronto would play in the playoffs as well some concerts down the road as well telling me to wait for him to tell me that the CANADIAN POSTAL SERVICE was back in running before I send him another batch of Blue Jays stuff to him. 
                      After I checked in with him I reached out to my friend former GM of the Padres & a great guy to discuss trades he made & other things he did while working for them Joe McIlvaine who was currently in Florida at the moment looking at some prospects  

His RC hopefully he will sit down do a post with me about life as a GM.

We were discussing the Guardian & Tigers series briefly as well what sets he was trying to complete since trading cards has been on hold at the moment cause everytime Joe tries to help on others lists they want stuff he doesn't have but he was extremely happy about my find in the 1967 Set when I was in Chicago for the NSCC. We didn't talk long cause he usually busy during the post season talking to other GMs about things & advice he may have if a GM might want to pull a blockbuster of a deal during the Winter Meetings or such.

                       Then later in the week I got a couple of blasters of the 2025 Heritage at BJ Wholesalers mainly for the SPs cards from 401 through 500 got a couple of them as well some inserts for others I trade with that might want them as well my friends that collect certain teams one of them was an autograph of an Angels player that I am not familiar with so with that I sought out another friend by checking his site ya might know him Angels Tom. Unbeknownst to me Tom took down his blog along with his list of needs that I had tried to help out in finding for him so I shot Tom an email he responded since its been 17 years & he was getting tired of trying to come up with content but hasn't given up on collecting so I asked if he would be interested in my dupes of the heritage he replied sure so I then mentioned I have an autograph then I get crickets from him on that so I sent another email asking what about the autograph he replied I am not worthy of a trader when it comes to finding others needs & he'll continue to help in my search as a thank you for the autograph card. 

One of the few highlights was pulling this card but its already en route to its new home soon.

What more can I say I don't mind helping my friends in the collecting world with their needs in hopes they can help me with mine. As well when I don't hear from you in sometime don't be surprised if someone like me checks on you cause after all I haven't stopped looking for you if you don't stop looking for me with that I am reminded of the great Rogers Hornsby once said "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist." 

IT'S NOT A FAKE

        Back in 1988 a young pitcher called up from the minors to help out a weak pitching staff for a last place team. This pitcher was traded as a prospect the year before at the trade deadline for a veteran of a pitcher who was undefeated going a 9-0 (14-10 Overall) to help that team reach the post season. This same pitcher later came back home to a card show that was hosted by a rival during his High School years. The first card you see is how he signed back in 1988 the weirdness I can & maybe Bo would agree that the picture might have been taken on his Major League Debut game. That's right I am calling ya out Bo see if I am right or not please comment if I have a steak dinner riding on my thoughts. The second autograph as you can see is on his 1989 Upper Deck card I got it signed at this again in his Hometown at a different venue back in 1991 a year after going to his 1st trip to the World Series. More like where he honed his craft of a pitcher when he was attending a Catholic school which also in back to back years he brought his teammates to join him for this venue the first was a former #1 Draft Pick 3rd overall from 1988 then a year later a teammate who was identified as this pitcher I wasn't able to obtain those 2 times to get his teammates autographs cause I was busy helping a fellow dealer by running his table for him while he needed an extra set of hands to watch over his 2 cases of `80/`81 Topps Basketball & `86/`97 Fleer Basketball that he acquired in 1988. Now most people say that the autograph from 1988 is fake well sorry to burst your bubble its real & if you ask him he will clearly say yes that's how I used to sign now its more like the 1989 Upper Deck card. So I like to hear what you think have ya gotten an autograph from a player more than 1 time on different occasions & it looked different from the previous one or not & speaking of autographs I am reminded of the great Rogers Hornsby once saying "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."