The Dollar Box Grandma

As I was wrapping up at last weekend's card show, I saw one last monster box on my way to the door that piqued my interest.  It was labeled "Autographs/Game-Used/Stars - All Cards $1".  The table was actually being run by an older woman who had to have been at least 70 years old.  She was a passionate collector, in fact I even heard her get into a debate with a customer as I was scanning through the box about how she can't stand the design of 2015 Bowman.

This was quite a sight!  I started looking through the dollar box, and boy was I glad I did.  I would have to say this was hands down the most stacked dollar box I've ever encountered, period.  Had it been earlier in the show (read:  before I spent the majority of my budget), I would have considered just making her an offer on the entire two-row box.  As it was I grabbed just over 40 singles, for which she charged me an even $40.  So keep in mind that these all came in at slightly less than a dollar per card...

Obviously the autographs were not big stars, let's be reasonable here.  But as someone who enjoys an obscure player almost just as much, there were some goods to be found.  This Williams Jerez, for example.  After two years as an outfield prospect in the Red Sox system, they asked him to convert to a left-handed bullpen arm!  He's done fairly well at it so far too, and was promoted to AA for the 2015 season.  Cool story, the autograph is on-card, and this is actually a refractor serial-numbered to 500 on the back as well.

There were a couple more Red Sox autographs in the box, which of course I grabbed, but before we get to that here are some of my other picks...

I detest relic cards where the player is pictured with one team, but listed with another.  Still, Roenick was a significant enough player in my youth that I had to grab this card.  I'll probably end up trading it someday, but it was just the case, as with a few of these, that the price was too good to pass up.

This Stan Musial reprint is also a refractor, and it's serial-numbered to 299.  Beckett lists the value as something like $25, so again I had to grab it.  Not that I care about "book value", which generally speaking I find to be a joke, but I bet I will make a Cardinals fan happy with this one someday.

How about a 1975 mini relic of probably the most dominant World Series pitcher in my lifetime so far?  Yes, please!

I don't particularly care for the 2011 Goodwin Champions set.  Lack of logos nearly always kills a set for me, but as a soccer fan I thought this was a cool pickup for a buck.

Same with this one.  Probably the biggest name in women's soccer here in the US (don't hold me to that, I confess I'm not a women's soccer fan).

How about an on-card autograph of an Olympic Gold Medal winner!?!?  No, I am not a particularly focused collector.

Crosby cards, particularly less common ones, are tough to find at a bargain.  I normally only chase the full-size Champ's hockey cards, but made an exception for Sid.

The Retired Legends short print variations that Topps put out for a few years are among my favorite modern-day baseball cards.  I wish there had been more of these available, but I'm happy The Hawk was in the box.

I really, really like the Trilogy Frozen In Time or Ice Scripts cards.  They're super thick, heavy, have rounded edges, and are transparent.  This really gives them a feel as if you're holding a block of ice.  I don't typically see them for less than a couple bucks for any player, but to get one of the greatest scorers in the history of the league serial-numbered to 599 felt almost like stealing.  If you're the sort of person who cares about this sort thing, this one books for $15.

One of my favorite finds of the entire card show was this card.  Lanny McDonald is one of my favorite players of the '80s, and this is also my first "game-used boards" card.  This is a piece of the boards that were in use at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit between 1981 and 2001, according to the back of the card.  Sort of cool to think of how many players and pucks brushed up against or bounced off this in its 20 years of service.  This card is also a little older (2001), from a time before relics had really worn out their stay.  Just awesome.

I couldn't pass up this Ken Griffey Jr. Platinum Power die-cut insert from 1993 SP.  Griffey is one of those players whose cards are just very difficult to leave behind when you find them at a good deal.

Turns out I already had a copy of this Jed Lowrie relic, but that's no problem as I'll send this off in my next package for Mark Hoyle.

As I mentioned at the outset, I did grab a couple of other cheap Red Sox certified autographs as well.  Jason Place never advanced past AAA before calling it a career back in 2011.

Here's someone who definitely made the team.  He played in 89 games with Boston between 2010 and 2012, and then a few more with the Cubs in 2014.  Does not appear to have caught on with any club for 2015.

I'll close it out with one of the more high-end pulls of the lot.  This Craig Hansen rookie is from 2006 Topps Triple Threads.  Autographed, dual-relic, manufactured pin, serial-numbered to 125.

I'd say those were some unreal pick-ups for the price.  I've only posted 16 cards here, which means many more than this are destined for folks I trade with.  I'll be spreading the good fortune of the "dollar box grandma" around the community in the weeks to come...

Vintage Goods from Commishbob

I've been enjoying the work of Commishbob over at The Five Tool Collector for a long time now, but until recently we'd never interacted personally.  Well, that all changed when Bob dropped an impressive array of vintage Red Sox cards in the mail destined for my address!

With just a dozen total cards Bob packed quite a punch!  He must have looked over my collection on Zistle, or else gotten incredibly lucky, as all 12 cards were new to my collection.

Not only that, but 11 of the 12 were '50s and '60s Red Sox cards.  On the list of things that will make me appreciate a trade package, '50s and '60s cards of my favorite team that I didn't have are really high up there!

The other thing that really struck me is what tremendous shape these are in for the most part, despite their age.  I slotted the '59 Topps cards into their binder already, and let's just say they are putting their "page-mates" to shame.

Speaking of the '59s, this package really re-fueled my desire to complete a low grade set.  Staying focused on any one thing is a challenge for me as far as collecting goes, but I'm over the 10% threshold at this point.  May not sound like much, and I don't have any of the big stars yet, but at least some pages in the binder are starting to get multiple cards on them at this point...

This is an interesting card, as Jerry Zimmerman never actually played a single MLB game for the Red Sox.  He was released by the Red Sox, and the Orioles, before catching on and making his big-league debut with Cincinnati in 1961.

There were a couple of '64 Topps cards to be found as well, a set that is sorely lacking in my vintage boxes.

And a nice, well-loved copy of Galen Cisco's 1962 Topps card.  Looks like Galen was maybe having a rough day when they snapped this photograph.  At least he's wearing his hat, which is more than you can say for many of the players in this set.

Frank Malzone's '64 Topps release is probably the most visually appealing card in the package.  I just love the classic pose on this one, combined with the stadium backdrop.  The way Frank's cap extends past the upper border of the photo really makes him seem to pop.

Ditto with this Gary Geiger.  Gary came to Boston in the trade that sent Jim Piersall to the Indians.  Though I've heard the name, I don't know much about Gary.  In reading about him for this post, it seems he led somewhat of a sad life.  Ultimately, he never reached 60, and it seems like alcohol may have been the culprit.

In 5 MLB seasons, Ed Sadowski barely hit above the Mendoza Line (career .202 hitter).  This sure is a minty fresh '59 Topps card though, looks amazing!

We round out the baseball portion of this package with yet another '59, Mike Fornieles.  The righty from Cuba is probably most well-known for throwing a one-hitter in his MLB debut back in 1952.

There was a lone hockey card to be found in this package, and it was this fantastic 1990-91 Upper Deck promotional card of Patrick Roy.  Upper Deck released Roy and Gretzky promos for their inaugural hockey set.  When I picked up the Gretzky last month, I put out the call to anyone with an extra Roy, and Bob answered quickly!

Bob, it was truly a pleasure receiving these unexpected and awesome cards.  Each and every one was a perfect fit for my collection, and all were honestly cards I would have picked out for myself eventually at a shop or a show.  You really hit the nail on the head, thank you!  I hope the small grouping of O's I sent back your way brings you even a fraction of the enjoyment that these brought me...

Card Show Recap - I Love the '70s

This past weekend I had the good fortune to attend a local sports card show, which is a rarity for me. I would say this is probably the third one I've made it to in the past year, and before those three it had been a good long time.  The show was medium-sized, not quite the same scale as the large one I attended back in April, but a decently-sized hotel ballroom show nonetheless.

I made purchases at four tables in the end, and will make each into its own small post.  First up today are the 10 cards I bought from a friendly gentleman to help me fill some holes in my early '70s hockey sets...

Thanks to a big push in the form of a generous package from Mark Hoyle a few months ago, I've been steadily chipping away at the 1973-74 Topps set.  Since getting the chunk of cards from Mark, I've knocked off some of the bigger names myself, including Bobby Orr and Ken Dryden.  This particular vendor had four that were still on my ever-shrinking needs list for the set, including this awesome Guy LaPointe All-Star subset card.

Here's another great one, from the Stanley Cup playoffs subset at the very end of the checklist.  I love these because it's somewhat rare to get in-game action photos on hockey cards this old.  This set came out almost 10 years before I was even born, and the 'Hawks were winning playoff series' even back then...

Probably the most boring of the cards from this table, but a need is a need, and the card was priced at just 50 cents.  It's got a gum stain on the back, but it's still far from the worst looking card in my set binder.

The last of the '73s is this Jacques Lemaire.  According to my online want list I needed it, but it looks like I already had a copy.  Whoops, there goes $1!  I don't think I'll have trouble finding a home for whichever copy loses out in the condition battle...

Since I'm getting so close on the '73 set, I decided to pick off a few cards from the next set I'll be working on once that's complete, 1972-73 Topps.  Horrific airbrushing here, but the card is in great shape and the price was right.

A few wrinkles here on Lou Nanne's card, but again it was cheap, and this guy is a US Hockey HOFer.

Here's a real HOFer, New York Ranger Rod Gilbert!

Can't say I knew anything at all about Greg Polis prior to this pickup.  He was taken 7th overall by the Pens, and had a couple of solid seasons with them, and a couple more with the Rangers mid-decade, before he started to decline.  I've always been a fan of those baby blue Penguins uniforms.

Another HOFer, and my second Jacques Lemaire card of this post!  Lemaire had arguably his best year personally in '72-73, with a career high 44 goals, and 51 assists to accompany them.  He also recorded 20 points in just 17 playoff games in 1973.

Lastly, my favorite card in the lot, and one I've been after for a looong time, Keith Magnuson!  This is one of the more visually unique and interesting hockey cards I've ever seen, and was certainly well ahead of it's time given that it's now over 40 years old.  The Madison Square Garden ceiling is the perfect backdrop for a shot like this, what a great artistic approach by the photographer.  I'm sure it's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of card, but personally I'd rank it among my favorites of the entire decade.

Well, there you have it, 10 new '70s hockey cards, including some HOFers, for the reasonable price of $7.  At this rate I might finish off the decade of Topps sets sooner than I ever thought I would.  All the cards from both 1971-72 and 1972-73 Topps hockey that I still need are now on my Want List, if you have any to spare drop me a line!

Happy Father's Day!

On this Father's Day I'd like to take a moment to thank my own Dad...

When I came home from 2nd grade with a flyer for a local hockey league begging to play, he let my brothers and I give it a shot.  That developed into well over a decade of sacrificed weekends, 5am ice time in non-heated arenas, and a whole lot of time and money invested, as anyone with a child who plays ice hockey can attest.  Never once do I recall he or my Mom complaining about any of it. 

It wasn't just my youth league games though, my parents encouraged my passion in so many ways.  I was a loyal member of the Junior Whalers club, and I can still remember driving to Hartford once a year to meet all the players and get autographs.  We'd watch as many games as we could get on cable TV at home (with Rick Peckham and Gerry Cheevers calling the action!), and once or twice a season I'd get to see the team in live action at the Hartford Civic Center.  My youngest brother even got to skate as a goaltender during one of those quick kid league games they play during intermission, and I recall seeing some of the all-time best play up close and in person (Gretzky and Brett Hull stick out in particular).

As a kid I also got to attend summer camp and get advice from real, live NHL players like Doug Roberts.  These experiences were only made possible by my parents, and I will forever be grateful for that.

I even had a chance to meet and get an autograph from Gordie Howe once at a card show with my Dad.  I want to say it was a show being held at a local high school the same weekend as our youth hockey league post-season awards ceremony, but my memory is a little foggy there.  Nevertheless, I got to meet arguably the greatest player in the history of the game, and I shook his hand thanks to my Dad.  Still have the autographed puck.

My Dad has always encouraged my collecting, in fact it was the packs of 1989-90 O-Pee-Chee hockey that he'd pick up on his way home from work and surprise my brothers and I with that planted the seed in me for a hobby that I still enjoy to this day.  I can still recall sitting around the kitchen table, ripping packs and trading with my brothers, sorting them into my cheap 3-ring binder my Dad had brought home from work, by team rather than by card number.  In fact I still have that original binder, with those original cards in it to this day.

My Dad was with me the day I got my very first truly vintage card as well, a 1950 Bowman Maurice McDermott picked up at an antiques store in Putnam, CT.  The amusement that it refers to him as a "stringbean" on the back is something that I've always remembered for some odd reason.

Even now, as an adult, my Dad still supports my hobbies and interests.  He's a regular reader of this blog for starters, and this past year for Christmas he even made me a custom baseball card!

In the past couple of years, my Dad has even passed down to me the majority of his sports card collection.  Some of it I've passed along to others to enjoy (you can only have so many unopened boxes of '90-91 Pro Set around before your wife starts making comments).  Other stuff, like this awesome Dad's Cookies (tell me that's not a fitting card for today) Ed Giacomin, I will cherish in my collection forever.

I have many more great cards like this one that I've inherited from him, and I plan to do a better job about posting some of them in the near future.  In the meantime, what I cherish most are the memories of growing up and the collecting experiences as a kid, with my Dad, that fueled a fire that still burns in me to this day.

Were it not for my Dad, I wouldn't have ever played hockey, come to love sports, and I would probably be a totally different person than I am today.  Well, I'm pretty glad that things broke the way they did!

Dad, thanks for all of your dedication and sacrifice over the years.  I don't always get a chance to say it, but I really appreciate all you've done for me in helping me become the man that I am today.  I look forward to many more years of reminiscing about obscure hockey players, and talking about the Patriots games on Sunday.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Plying My Trade for Cards

In my working life, I'm an IT guy. That means that in my personal life I'm asked quite often for advice, favors and help with computer problems.  Most recently, I was able to help out the owner of my favorite local hobby shop after a laptop crash, and in return he was generous enough to give me a nice chunk of store credit!

I had some time to stop by yesterday evening after work to redeem some credit.  Here's what I picked out...

I don't usually buy much unopened product, and when I do it's almost always retail.  Since I was basically getting free cards though, I decided to take a stab at the recently-released 2015 Topps Series 2 in the form of a jumbo pack.  The shop owner, John, had a brand new, unopened jumbo box and I chose the very top pack on the left after he removed the shrink wrap.  For $12 and change it was a nice way to get a good sampling of base cards.

There are 50 cards in the pack, and even after accounting for inserts you still end up with 40+ base cards.  Love the retro jersey on this Jed Lowrie.

In the interest of brevity I'm not going to show you all the cards.  Besides, I'm sure you've seen them on 20 other blogs by now.  This was probably my favorite photograph in the entire pack though, what a shot!

I'd give the runner-up prize to this Andrelton Simmons, who is not in contact with the ground in any way here...

I was fortunate enough to pull two Red Sox cards; aging closer Koji Uehara...

...and Justin Masterson, who was the very last card in the brick.  Although he's been atrocious this year, it was kind of cool to pull my first Justin Masterson Red Sox card in years.

The inserts/parallels were lacking, but I totally expected this.  My gold parallel was a pitcher I've never heard of, and I can't recall ever enjoying the inserts from a Topps flagship set unfortunately.  I did get one I'll be sending out in a trade soon, and the rest are off to my Zistle trade list.

The one insert I'll actually be keeping is this Stan Lee First Pitch.  I was never much of a comic guy (baseball cards have always appealed to me more), but I like this card nonetheless for some reason.  Maybe from watching Mallrats about 1,000 times as a teenager?

Obviously I picked the right pack from the box, as you only get one autograph per jumbo box, and it happened to be a Red Sox card!  The most random thing is that when I was at the shop I spent about 10 minutes talking about Matt Barnes with the owner, as he had just purchased a large Barnes collection.  Half an hour later I opened my pack at home, and out spilled this card.  What a coincidence.

That was a successful peek at Series 2, really glad I decided to grab a pack.  I'll probably buy a little more of this via retail since the price may be cheaper per card, then try trading for the rest of the set.

Since I was at the shop and had some time, of course I picked out some singles for myself and some others I trade with as well.  Here are a few keepers for me from the quarter box...

I definitely had quite a bit of '93 Fleer Ultra in my childhood collection, but I honestly did not recall this Dennis Eckersley insert set.

I grabbed both of the cards from the shop that featured him with Boston, and it looks like I have one more to chase down at some point.

Here's another insert set I don't recall having seen before, 1993-94 Pinnacle Super Rookies.  I've mentioned it before, but I was always a big Renberg fan as a kid so I grab his cards whenever I can.  I wasn't leaving this one behind for a quarter.

I grabbed this Marc-Andre Fleury Retro parallel from 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee just because it seemed like a great deal for 25 cents.  At some point I'll probably end up trading it away.

I've been picking away at the 1994-95 Parkhurst Missing Link set for a long time now.  I was relatively certain I didn't have this Jacques Plante, and it turns out I was correct.  Nice to land one of the bigger names from the checklist on the cheap.

I'm not entirely sure why this Taylor Hall card ended up in my stack.  Maybe I subconsciously believe the Bruins will trade for him in the off-season.

I'm considering starting a collection or binder of cards that feature photos of players with the Stanley Cup, the greatest trophy in sports.

To that end, these two Cup Celebrations inserts from 2006-07 Upper Deck Power Play were easy choices.

Here's probably my favorite quarter box pick-up of the day.  While it's not the right Whalers (Detroit Whalers, not Hartford), it's close.  Also, Bryan Berard hails from the tiny little state I call home, Rhode Island!

I picked up five cards that were slightly more expensive, probably $1.50 each if you average it out.  The first was this Torey Krug rookie from 2012-13 O-Pee-Chee.  I've opened a lot of this stuff in re-packs, but was never fortunate enough to land this one.  Glad to finally have a copy.

I've talked many times about how I'm a bit of a parallel junkie, so I didn't hesitate to snag this Mike Napoli yellow parallel from last year's Bowman set.  Though Napoli is having a terrible season, like many of his teammates, I still like this card which is serial numbered to 99.

Here's a nice purple prospects parallel of a guy who's really been hot at the plate the last couple of weeks.  In fact, Mookie Betts just launched one into the left field seats to start tonight's game against the Royals as I type this post.  I still view Mookie as one of the best young players in the league.

Going back in time, here's a much earlier parallel, an Artist's Proof card from 1995 Pinnacle.  These came one-per-box, and feature silver foil rather than gold.  That is one hell of a stretch there from Otis Nixon.

Last, but certainly not least, an Orange Refractor of pitcher Jamie Callahan from 2013 Bowman Chrome.  I've never heard of this guy, and he's having a rough season at single-A ball (0-5 with an ERA of 7.00+, ouch!), so why did I buy this card?  Well, it's numbered to just 25 copies, so it seemed like a worthwhile pickup based on scarcity alone.

I'd call that a successful trip to the hobby shop.  Especially since everything in this post, with the 2015 Topps Series 2 jumbo pack included, set me back around the price of a retail blaster with tax.  Even more successful given that it didn't really cost me anything, and I've still got plenty of store credit left to go.  Maybe I need to make myself a t-shirt with a picture of a laptop on it that says "WILL WORK FOR CARDS"...