1966 Topps Baseball Wantlist

Sunday, November 27, 2016

St. Leanders Sports Collectors Show, I finally made it

A couple of years go Mr. Haverkamp asked me if I attended the St. Leanders Sports Collectors Show. I answered no but I will. Well skip ahead a couple of years and I kept my word. In large part I missed two of the last three card shows at Serramonte Mall either because I was on our cruise or I couldn't drive-I'll be damned if I will miss the next one, so I pledged to make this one in the mean time. See image borrowed from Sport Collector's Daily below to get a sense of the show.
The show promised about 75 tables of "100 Years of Sports Memorabilia for sale (1880’s-2000’s)
Knowledgeable Vendors, many of whom are collectors themselves A family atmosphere with no adult oriented material on display" I would say this was an accurate description. So I showed up a bit early, lined up and paid my $4 admission fee when the doors opened. I headed in and did a quick scan and at first I thought I found a table of dime boxes, alas I was wrong. Here boxes were cards with priced at various prices of less than $1. I found a couple and moved on. I circled through a couple of times. Picked up a 1971 Bob Gibson I needed. After a few laps I thought I got the vibe of the show.

First, this is not a card show-period.  Mr. Fuji there are no dime boxes which bummed the hell out of me. Is there anything much funner in card collecting than a really good table of dime boxes? The show had cards-almost all vintage, including T-206s, Pre-war PCL Zeenuts, PCL Game Programs-looking for the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Seals, or Oakland Oaks? If you want game used and I mean old bats etc. This is the place. There was a great selection of local sports collectables. What has been mentioned before by fellow bloggers and I can't stand are cards displayed with no price. I mean do you go to your grocery store and the food doesn't have prices? It is awkward to look at a card in a display case or a binder that has no prices, the dealer asks if they can help you, then says make me a deal or makes small talk, then hits ya with price far above what it is either worth or you are willing to pay.  My Redbird vintage needs list is getting real tight leaving me only the creme de la creme of cards and I fear only the Bay may work of these.

So was I able to add any cards to our collection? Well I was able to add a whopping 19 cards. I picked up another 6 cards  that we already had. These will eventually make it to Ray over at All Cardinals All the Time and a few for fellow Bay Area blogger Mr. Fuji. There was a seller whom is at Serramonte show who has bins of marked down vintage. Usually, what I find in these are cards with some minor condition issue-I am condition sensitive. After working up a sweat and thinking about taking off I noticed his bins had some vintage Philadelphia Gum and Topps football cards. So I dug in. What did I pull out? I don't target Chicago Cardinals cards but for 75 cents per? I am in!1958 Topps Football anyone? I wouldn't say these are near mint but they are excellent-IMO.
#60 Gern Nagler (1X Pro-Bowler, near by Santa Clara U player) , #65 Jimmy Carr (RC)


#82 Woodley Lewis (1X Pro-Bowler, 1951 NFL Champ), #88 Earl Putman


#107 John Olszewski (2X Pro-Bowler), #131 Dick Nolan (RC). Some condition sensitive 1962 Topps-these are in pretty good condition as high grade singles are difficult because of the black borders and their chipping issue.



#139 Sam Etcheverry, #141 Bobby Joe Conrad, and #144 Sonny Randle. More Football you ask? Indeed! One of my favorite issues is the 1963 Topps #147 John David Crow, #148 Bobby Joe Conrad, and #155 Larry Wilson (RC). This leaves me with an upgrade needed of the team card and the Cardinals' team set for 1963 is complete.


Are we done yet? Nope-these two cards complete the 1966 Philadelphia Gum team set-also the subject of my next Football Cardinals post. The second card was actually a real, real bargain ($5!) -these checklists are hard to find unmarked for a good price.  #158 Jim Bakken,  #2 Checklist 100-198. 


We are still not done yet with football, this card pick up now leaves me with one card (Jackie Smith)  to complete the 1967 Philadelphia Gum team set. #157 St. Louis Cardinals TC.
To wrap up the football pick ups 1971 Topps #47 Jim Hart, #20 Larry Wilson AS, #161 Ernie McMillan AS. 


Now on to baseball-1969 Topps Checklist #107 (with #161 Jim). There is another variation with #161 having the player's first name as John, another Gibby #70 National Pitching Leaders, and 1972 Ted Simmons upgrade.

 Now the modern pickups-all Albert all the time.

2007 Fleer Ultra Feel the Game, 2008 Upper Deck X Xpontential X5, 2010 Topps Red Back, and 2011 Topps Chrome X Factor.


The last of the Redbirds-2015 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractors all #ed to 50. #109 Bryce Denton (#28/50), #151 Nick Plummer (#34/50), and #189 Ryan Helsley (#41/50).

Bryce a 18 year old second round pick who was at Rookie ball for Johnson City in 2016. He really improved over his first year and I believe the Redbirds have high expectations for him. Nick a 20 year old-was drafted in the  first round but he was out all of 2016 with a wrist injury. Ryan a right hander who spent last year at Single A Peoria where he went 10-2.

OK, just a few more-one guy had these little team bags for a $1 that contained various cards kind of like a dime box-as there were 10 cards or so in each. I picked through them and noticed one of those Spring Fever cards I love on the front-bam I picked it up. It contained some decent cards but most importantly it contained 5 2013 Spring Fever cards I needed. Booya. This is all the cards, yep all but a few doubles or for other blogger cards.  


I have to say I wouldn't run back to this show unless I was looking for some old, old vintage. But hey I got out of the house, walked round, picked up a few cards and was able to hit a brewery I haven't been to. Originally I had planned to visit the new
21s Amendment Brewery in San Leandro as I always hit Drakes-which I love.
However, I discovered this brewery that has been open for almost exactly two years to the day of my visit (this coming Saturday is the anniversary).The brewery is called Cleophus Quealy Beer Company. Really interesting beers-many sours and funky brews. After a couple of pints and a couple of bottles to go I headed back south. All in all a good trip. But I can't wait for Serramonte in January.







Friday, November 25, 2016

Bustin' Boxes- Box #2

The second box was the 2004 SP Prospects.

This box produced 5 autos and two game worn jersey cards.  The only regular Redbird in the box was Jim Edmunds-which we needed. Overall I appreciate the colors and he designs-in hindsight I would have picked up two of these at the expense of the third box.

Draft Pick Autos-(images are borrowed)

James Miller (Righty Pitcher) Rockies #021/475

Drafted by the Rockies in 2004, traded to the Orioles in 2007, signed as free agent by the Rockies in 2011, as a free agent with the As after the 2011 season, Yanks picked him up off waivers 2012,signed as free agent by the Rays 2015, as a free agent by the Brewers after the 2015 season, released early in 2016 season.


Austin Shappi (Righty Pitcher) Diamond Backs #043/475

He spent 8 years in the Dbacks system but has been out of baseball since 2008

Paul Janish (Infielder) Reds #387/500

Drafted by the Reds in 2004, traded to the Braves in 2012, signed as a free agent by the Rockies in 2014, signed as free agent by Royals in 2014, signed as free agent with Orioles in 2014 and again in 2015. In the 2016 season he did get in to 14 games with the Orioles.

Matthew Tuiasosopo (Outfielder/Infielder) Seattle #406/600.

He was drafted in 2004 by Seattle, signed as free agent with Mets in 2012, the Tigers in 2012, Dbacks picked him up off waivers in 2013, the off waivers by the Jays in 2014, then purchased by the White Sox fro the Jays in 2014, signed as free agent with the Orioles in 2014 (busy 2014 for Matt), signed as free agent with White Sox in  2015, then Braves in 2015, and again after the 2016 season.  The 2016 season saw him get into three games for the Braves.

Link to the Future Joe Mauer/Trevor Plouffe #090/100.

Now a couple of players I do know-this is a sweet auto pair. I like Mauer a lot and Plouffe has been solid for the Twins for the last seven years. Of course Mauer, a hometown boy has been the consistent stud for the Twins for 13 years, with a career BA of .308. I dare say with confidence that if he were in a bigger market he would be a rock star.

(After I wrote this Trevor was waived by the Twins apparently wanting to pay him much in 2018)


National Honor Game Worn Jed Lowrie (Infielder)

These are team USA game worn jersey cards. Jed was drafted by the Red Sox out of Stanford 2005 he came back to the As for the 2016 season.

National Honor Game Worn Brett Hayes (Catcher)

Drafted by the Marlins in 2005 and picked up off waivers by the Royals in 2012, as a free agent by the Indians in 2014, as a free agent by the Dbacks in 2015 and purchased from the Dbacks by the White Sox in June 2016. Now he is a free agent again.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Bustin' Some Boxes Box 1-

In general I don't buy boxes of cards. Yeah, they are really fun to open but I find there isn't much in the way of Redbirds that I am adding to our collection. No one will ever accuse me of being a super trader as a result. Recently I picked up three boxes, plus one more on he way, from Blowout Cards pre Black Friday sale. Not high end boxes but all about the cost of blaster except for the last. What did I bust?

2008 Bowman Chrome hobby box

This is one of my favorite of the Bowman issues-the box didn't turn up any Redbirds except for a Draft Pick Luis De La Cruz.
But it did offer several refractors and one auto. Now I am realistic, that when you pick up cheaper boxes you get cheaper hits, but really I just wanted to open some boxes.

Refractors

Torii Hunter (Twins)
David Ortiz (Redsox)
Felix Hernandez (Mariniers)
Kevin Youkilis (Redsox)
Now this guy and his brother Scott recently opened a brewery in nearby Los Gatos, CA-about 25 minuets from me. The brewery is Loma and we will certainly visit after the holidays. I couldn't figure out why a guy from Cincy would open a brewery in the Bay Area-but alas a simple Google search turned up that he married Tom Brady's sister, and Tom Brady is from very nearby San Mateo.

Roy Holliday Blue Refractor #91/150.

This box ended up being a Japanese nationals hot box-Score for Mr. Fuji!

Kazuo Matsui (Refractor)
Kenji Johjima (Refractor)
Hideki Matsui (Base)
Kosuke Fukudome (Base)
Plus several non-Japanese Padre prospects.

The auto I pulled was less than exciting Chaz Roe of the Rockies. Chaz drafted by the Rockies in 2005, traded to the Mariners in 2010, and signed by the Diamond Backs in 2012. Though I never heard of him he still playing. Last year with the Braves he was 1-0, 3.60 ERA in 21 games.