Variation....not my thang

Here we are again, two plus months after my last rendition.  I hope nobody has been on pins and needles waiting for the pining of a random collector.  Aside from the constant time consumers of kids, new job, travel, honey-do lists, etc, there are few things that give me peace when I have time to myself as do baseball cards.  With this post, I thought I'd switch things up a bit.  I've written about trades with fellow collectors that continue to this day, what I'd like to collect and finish and the "keeper" collection in my few posts.  I figured let's get into something that I have but don't need or a better term want in my collection. 

As I may have mentioned previously, I have a obsessive compulsive problem with my collection.  Or at least, so I'm told.  I don't stray into jerseys, bats, balls, or other memorabilia as there is only so much room I can dedicate to this hobby.  I'm fortunate enough to currently have a 12'x25' room where I store all of the stuff I've collected over the past 4+ decades.  Two eight foot tables filled on top with the unsorted and out going items; underneath the 100,000 card hockey collection that has collected nothing but dust for a decade.  Then there is the three wall shelving that holds the ever growing baseball card collection.  As I look to the future, I see some room for growth in the last couple of shelves.  Part of this space is filled with the random cards and other things that I really should look to pass on to someone that has an interest in such things.  I have over 5,000 of such cards filling space so if you have any desire for these, feel free to reach out and I can spend an hour going through them for some specific player or team.  This post is dedicated to those types of cards.

Let's start with the Say Hey Kid himself.  A card from the long ago decade of the 80's.  Card #24 of "The Willie Mays Story" first printing, mind you, from some company that goes by RGI.  They were so kind to include the names of the others pictured.  Whitey Ford and Tom Thresh of the NY Yankees from 1962.  Yes, it says Thresh.  Apparently, editors were too much for this company so they went about their business with reckless abandon.

Next up....the Wizard.  This 2"x2" piece of cardboard is from our friends at Fantastic Sam's.  There is an entry form to the superstar sweepstakes that has a grand prize of 4 tickets to a 1988 championship game.  It doesn't really say in what sport.  Maybe a 1988 high school wrestling championship within 20 miles of the winners home.  Not that there's anything wrong with wrestling.  What I find even more humorous is first prize.  Win a Pro player for a day.  Yes, your very own pro player for a day.  Again, I'm sure the word "Pro" is used liberally in this contest so one never knows who you would win.  But in any form or fashion, you have them for the entire day.  Maybe you could have used them to help with the laundry or mow the lawn. 

Now joining the parade, Mr October.  Nothing better than the than the thought of a Quaker Chewy Granola Bar and Reggie.  This was a few years past the REGGIE bar craze, but still...a granola bar?  The late 80's brought out anyone willing to buy some paper and plaster a picture of a baseball player on it to make a buck.  It only made sense as everything produced in those years were somehow tied to baseball cards.  You can't go 50 feet in any direction and not find a late 80's baseball card, can you?  And speaking of an 80's baseball card from those that really speak to the baseball world.....

Yes, the "You look Mahvelous"....ooops sorry, wrong Fernando.  But a True Value, it surely is.  I love the MLB logo and name of the Los Angeles Dodgers but please, don't use the logo on the hat.  That's just not acceptable.  Let's just make it airbrush blue.  He does look marvelous though, doesn't he?  Just for the sake of time and space, here are a few more gems from the magical era of the 80's; pre-steroids of course.  No MLB logo to be found, but the team emblems are there for all to see.  I wonder if any lawsuits came of this?  I'm not talking about the Clemens posterior injection kind either. 

I did go back a few years for this next one.  But still I wonder what market they really thought would buy their product for the cards.

Lefty as we knew and loved him, just squeaking in his 300th win to finish the 1983 season.  He also squeaked in his 200th loss, in case you're not paying attention at home.  Ralston Purina???  Pure marketing genius.  Puppy Chow and baseball cards.  It just rolls off the tongue.  Hand in hand.  Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Robin, Lennon and McCartney.  At least Topps had their name sprawled across the front of this one to give some credence.

As we wind down, at least we're getting back into the realm of baseball.  Bazooka, yes thank you.  Baseball and bubble gum.  George "Pine Tar" Brett.  He was a hitting machine back in the day and he did chew gum for a good portion of his career.  Maybe had we not moved into the tobacco era, things would have been different.  Yeah, probably not.  I guy can dream can't he?  And now....drum-roll please.....the finale.....

Did you notice the name of this blog?  This is the name sake of the little guy in the picture with me.  No collection would be complete without the Ryan Express.  However, Donruss tried to join in with the Coca-Cola company in 1992 with a set 26 cards that highlighted the career of this legendary player.  Problem was, he was still on the mound.  Did I miss the update version set of 4 that completed the 30 card set?  Didn't think so.

For what it's worth, these are a snippet of what I have that to me are quality cards that have accumulated over the years of buying massive lots.  But I am a completionist for the mainstream sets not the oddball card just to fill space.  Do some of these get set aside for the personal collection, of course.  There are some Ryan Express and Mr Jeter cards that will have their own place.  But the thousands that sit in one of three dark 3200 count boxes, are just waiting to be appreciated more than they have been.  Bring them into the light and give them some air.  They can be a fine addition to any collection.

Props v2...a little later than thought.

It's amazing how quickly time goes by.  Here we are approaching the end of April and I have made all of one post for the month.  Time to double that output.  This edition is all about giving props to a trading friend from a few weeks gone by....http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/.  It's not every day one comes across a trader that is looking for a 60 year old card that you have doubles of and has similar cards to trade back.  Now mind you, my collection from way back then is sparse and finding anyone to trade these is few and far between.  But I was meandering through some blogs and found something that caught my eye.  As background, I lived in the Detroit area for the past 20+ years so my collection of older cards that I'm happy to acquire sometimes is limited to Tigers.  The card shows that I used to attend regularly at Gilbralter Trade Centers put most every other shows to shame.  You could spend the entire weekend and not really see everything.  For those that used to and possibly even still do attend them know of what I speak.  Hundreds upon hundreds of dealers packed into tens of thousands of square feet with nothing but sports cards.  It was a collectors dream when you knew you could find most anything you wanted.

As I bring myself back to the present and more specifically to this trade, I revel in being able to help a fellow collector in completing something that is not the common type of trade.  So here I sit with an extra 1950 Bowman Tiger and 1952 Bowman high # Tiger card that has made it to a wanted list of this fellow trader.

Are they perfect, no.  Are they beaten up, no.  So I make contact and find that the trader has some Yankees that are on his trading block.  We go back and forth and decide on a good trade.  My return, a couple of 1951 Bowman Yankees, a 1952 Bowman Indian and a 1956 Topps Yankee.

For me, this is kind of hard to turn down, but more was to be had.  Upon further review, we noticed a 2007 Bowman Heritage want list on each others blog as well.  Not that I have a ton, but enough to help out.  Just for the record, I try to only trade cards of which I have doubles.  I made an exception this time on the Bowman Heritage as I figured I had so many needs that helping a fellow collector out is something I'd enjoy being on the receiving end in return at some point.  So at the end of the day, 50-60 cards later going in each direction, I received more than a 1-1 trade for the Bowman Heritage plus other needs on my ever expanding want lists.  I gave what I had of 2007 Bowman Heritage along with specific player cards on his want list.  An ever expanding pile of cards....nothing but satisfaction.

It's hard to find these kind of trades but when they spring up.......you sit back and wait for a miracle of a package to appear.  And one surely arrived.....safe, sound and the cards now in their proper location.  Sorted in an 800 count box properly identified and in order by year.  If I am anything, I am a creature of dedication and order...at least when it comes to my baseball card collection.

Props v1

After a couple of weeks being busy with the holidays and such, it's time to get back to doing some good work on the card front.  This post however is one that is giving props to a fellow blogger.  This blogger has taken it upon himself to create a March Madness type of competition using MLB teams.  The person I speak of is http://www.uncledocscardcloset.com/.  I follow the blog as I saw an opportunity to do some trading in the fashion of Donruss.  I haven't had much Donruss related lists on my page but am slowly getting them up so that we can reduce the want lists from both of our perspective. 

I was fortunate enough to stumble across the page of the MLB tournament with but one team left, the NY Mets.  Being a Yankees fan, I had to swallow some pride in taking the Mets, but who was I to shy away from a fun way to root for a team that most of the time, I couldn't care less for.  Plus they are playing the Cardinals in round one and that makes it even better should the underdog 12 seed make their move early in the season.  As of this post, both teams are 5-4; so a tie going into Thursday's action.

I'm not sure where round 2 goes should I get there but hey it's fun whether I do or not.  So thanks to Doc for allowing me to take the reigns of the NY Baseball team, albeit from the National League.  Should you be so inclined to see the tournament, take a look at Doc's blog and maybe you'll find some treasures of what he has for trade and what it is he's seeking or just visit the latest tournament updates throughout the season.  I know I have.

Gold in them thar hills

I've had a desire to collect "some" parallel sets for decades.  It takes a concerted effort to finish off a set with cards that were distributed one per pack at best.  In comparison, it's easy to finish a set of regular cards with, what should be, a statistically equal distribution of cards. The early 90's brought this type of insert in full force.  Topps Gold in 1992, 1993 and 1994 with a somewhat limited version in 1995 with the Cyberstats inserts.  Leaf Black Gold in 1992.  1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond.  These are my people, these are my sets.

The early sets got more of my attention, most likely due to the novelty of the idea.  At the time, they seemed to come in packs even less than stated.  You open a box of cards and end up with a few hundred regular cards but only a handful of these precious parallel cards.  They held a good value at the time but as with any product, once the new years edition of cards was on the shelf, those became yesterday's news.  And at that time, new product was coming at a fast and furious pace as the market was getting flooded with cards from everyone under the sun.

But still, these are part of my first tier list of wants.  Not everyone looks for or collects these.  There are those that may have a few hidden here and there, so finishing these off is that much harder.  I've purchased collections of thousands of cards to find these stuck somewhere in a box between the regular issue cards.  But really, it takes more than a handful to make a dent in the completion of these sets.  The market just isn't there anymore for overproduced early 90's cards, even if it's the slightly less quantity version you seek.

There were attempts at duplicating these sort of insert sets.  Ultra Gold Medallion, Stadium Club First Day issues, and even Allen & Ginter minis, etc.  But as these came to be, the novelty had worn out its welcome to me.  Do I like these newer parallel cards, yes.  Am I looking to complete any of them as a full set, no.  At least not anytime soon unless I can find hundreds in one transaction.  But I am looking to complete the first few sets.  You can never forget your first, can you?  Even if it's a first few.  They all hold a special place in my collection.  Easily found, already known to be in exact order waiting for the next one or twenty to join the rest.  Already with a list that is dying to be consolidated and to ultimately become extinct.

Yes, the roids were going strong these years, so I guess it's only fitting that they get little attention today.  Pumped up regular edition cards with a little PED splashed across the front.  And as the Bonds of the world get to be on top with HR numbers as these do with value in comparison to the regular set, what do people want more than anything....to finish the regular set.  We still like the Maris' of the world.  A little rough around the edges.  But solid and timeless.

The marvel was once shining upon these stars of the collecting world.  You can't turn away from the glitter even if you want to.  Yes Big Mac, you did hit the HR to pass Roger, but once the next batch of andro hit the shelf you were relegated to the back end of the box.  I ask, one per pack...could it be done?  Can you complete that 700+ set at that pace?

So I take my message to the people.  Who out there can help me with my pursuit or obsessive compulsive behavior, if you must?  Anyone?  Bueller...Bueller...

To see my want lists for these or other sets....http://nolansdugout.blogspot.com/p/want-lists.html

Trades Pre-Blog

I have been following a few blogs over the years and made a couple of trades a year or so ago.  Recently I started to look more into making some trades with other bloggers.  I have a fair amount of cards and a fair amount of needs for my collection.  I don't collect any players or teams specifically.  I'm more of a set builder.  To look through a set from card #1 to the end can be time well spent.  As I started looking at the blog-o-sphere, I was overwhelmed with the number of people that have this passion (or obsession to some people) for writing about and sharing their thoughts on the hobby.

I reached out to a couple of people and have been surprised by the response I was given.  I expected hesitancy to this newcomer without a face or name to be known from day one.  Yes, I can share a flawless Ebay rating but that doesn't mean much.  Some writers are very specific in their wants, some not so much.  In each, I find a little something different.  It's easy to open an 800 count box that is in order and pull out a few cards that another needs.  For others, I try to dig into my boxes that have no order, no special tie to the set building collector that I am.  Whether it be early 90's Pacific cards, which for the record in my mind really are some of the nicest cards that pushed the envelope with the "bling" factor of regular cards or finding the oddball Denny's card of a player or team that is of interest to the other trader.  These are the rare finds that hopefully heighten the delight of the package when it's received.  I take it upon myself to really look to make a good trade for both parties. 

When I was recently asked about a blog of my own.....I thought there is no way I can do that.  Time constraints, family commitments, etc would not allow that.  But I reorganized my free time a bit to squeeze this in.  Why not.  It's part of the fun of this hobby.  Finishing a set without spending a fortune on unopened product and helping another with the same, in whatever fashion that takes.  So here I am, a couple of weeks into my blogging career and it's time to recognize the few traders that welcomed my email approach to making a trade.

First Victoriano (aka the Waxcaptain) at http://waxcaptainsdugout.blogspot.com/.  I start here as we've made two trades so far and I would say we have more to go.  What started as a nice single auto card for a single relic card on the first trade became a many for many trade.  The throw this in and I'll throw that in kind of trade.  And the second trade was just as good.  My want lists have been dwindling with every package received.  As I find more in my travels through box after box, I'm already finding more to send to the Waxcaptain.  My thanks goes out to this fine blogger and trader.

My second trade involved Mark at http://clubhousekaz.blogspot.com/.  This trade started as I noticed Mark was looking for 1997 Stadium Club cards to fill his set.  Not the most traded set but I have a fair amount of this set for trade.  I pulled what I had of his want list, found a few more Heritage cards extra for him as well and we were off to the races.  Heritage came back to me from many years and this was a trade that made us both happy collectors.  Thanks Mark for digging deep to find some of those cards to send my way.

Next up was a trader that had the most extensive want list and trade list I've ever seen.  Curtis at http://condition-sensitive.blogspot.com/ collects Rockies and a few other items.  I found myself finding all sorts of cards that was on his list.  After a couple of emails we pared down the list so that we were both getting what we really wanted out of the trade and another one was in the books.  Thanks Curtis for helping out.

The last trade I made pre-blog was with Charlie at http://lifetimetopps.wordpress.com/.  This was the largest trade to date as we sent each other 200+ cards.  I tried to finish his 90's Topps sets and Charlie sent back a multitude of cards from 1982 through 2012.  This is a trade that takes hours to search for the other person but the reward is great when you can sign off on that many cards in one setting.  Thanks Charlie.  I look forward to seeing a few 100% completed sets appearing on your site soon.

And as we speak I have a trade in the works with Dr Hoffman at http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/.  We haven't yet put the finishing touches on this trade that has some cards from the early 50's going in both directions.  I'll update that one at a later date.

I probably could have expressed my thanks even better, but I'm not here to write a novel.  Just share some thoughts on the great traders I've encountered to date.  Check them all out and you will be happy with any contact you may have with these traders.

Is it or isn't it???

I shared my finest hits pulled from a pack.  I have had many boxes come and go without anything as well.  But I have one that seems to cover both ends of the spectrum.  The hit without the hit.  You open the pack, maybe catch a glimpse of the side of the cards and see the thickness of a card stand out.  You pan through the cards in anticipation, enjoying them as they pass knowing you're getting closer to that card.  As an aside, I find myself enjoying the older players more than the current players as today's players have so many cards of relic status.  This one was one of those "Oooo, I like that."  Spending the last couple of decades in the Detroit area before moving last summer, this one had some local flavor that appealed to me.  I'm not a Detroit fan in any way, but this player, whom I remember watching back in the day, was a quirky kind of guy.  Plus he had a couple of years off the chart.  And see this pitcher in the designated hitter era before interleague play, with a bat in his hand, made the card even more of a novelty.  Mark "The Bird" Fidrych is a nice jersey card to add to my collection.  I turn the card over and see the jersey was from a celebrity game from the 2005 All-Star weekend festivities.  Well, not ideal, but still an card that held my interest.  And it's a numbered card to 300.  Not five but not one of thousands.  I put the card in a penny sleeve and hard plastic, which are always nearby when opening packs.  I move on to the rest of the box of 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights.  As I do with my relic and auto type cards, this one gets put into a box with its kind for future viewing enjoyment.  I take one last look at the jersey portion of the card before I place it with the rest and......what the????

Am I missing something???  Yes, I think so.  The jersey card sealed in a new pack with new plastic over the box without the jersey.  Well, how do I go about doing anything about this?  The box was purchased a couple of years after the cards were new, so Topps isn't likely to do much for me.  So here it sits, in a box of relic and autographs, being the standout with neither.  What should have been, could have been, is now the "you gotta see this" conversation of oddball cards.  I guess it could have been worse.  I could have had a pack with a common card that was one of five others in my doubles box.

Biggest Pulls

Now that I've finished the listing of what I have accumulated in my collection, I want to turn my attention to sharing as well as listing.  My intent was not just a blog only for trading.  Part of this hobby is the anticipation of an unopened box.  The enjoyment of the cards and hoping something nice pops up in the pack in your hands.  I've done some buying over the years and I've had my share of disappointments when opening a box.  But there is such a rush when you are thumbing through the cards in your hands when you come across a card that is just too amazing.  The explosion of autographs and relic cards have put this opportunity into high gear for everyone.  I've had a fair number of those occasions over the years, but there are two that take the top spot for me.  The occasions were twelve years apart.  My first occasion came in a Kmart way back in 1999 as I bought a retail box of Upper Deck Ionix.  At the time, I didn't realize how much impact this one lucky find had on my collecting, but I do now.  This one card put me on a mission to collect some high end cards through cards shows, Ebay and other avenues of purchasing.  I have most of this set but this one is the only one pulled from a pack of cards for me.

The 500 HR club Frank Robinson game-used bat card, autographed #1 of 20.  Excited was such an understatement and I still had to go back to work for the remainder of the day.  This was the dawn of such cards in the market and I will never forget that feeling.

My other "most awesome" pull came from a Target combo retail box from 2011.  The $14.99 special that included some regular Topps series one packs as well as some packs from the Heritage set reminiscent of the 1962 set.  I have a passion for the Heritage cards and only wish I made some purchases from the first few years more than I did.  I couldn't wait to open the packs as I drove off.  The newest edition of Topps and Heritage in one glorious box.  Little did I know when I pulled out of that parking lot, I'd be looking at one of the all time greats.

Sandy "freakin" Koufax.  An absolute beauty of an autograph.  This is not the only auto card I have of this man, but still pulling this from a pack of cards created such a rush that I'm amazed I didn't just drive into another car as I was mesmerized by what I was looking at.

I could go on, but I'd enjoy reading comments on what others have pulled out of packs that have put their collection and excitement in high gear.