Law of Diminishing Returns

According to the internet the Law of Diminishing Results is;

"used to refer to a point at which the level of profits or benefits gained is less than the amount of money or energy invested."

This past weekend the thrice annual Serramonte Toy and Card show was held-the mostly usual pattern of mine was broken slightly, more on this later. My usual pre drive McD's, coffee and pastry upon arrival, and about 4 hours on the floor. However, I think I may have said before but as a single team and single sport-for the most part- limits the amount of cards and the price point of such cards has increased every show-I typically spend as much getting there as there. HOWEVER, I will continue to attend as long as they have it so I can support the dealers that do show up. Following the show I drove through SF, over the Bay Bridge

, stopped by a brewery (Ale Industries in Oakland)

then on to the Saturday A's Game. It was Star Wars Night which was pretty cool (you can see the back of my wife's head) as people scramble for a spot on the field to watch the show.

It was during the National Anthem that the first MLB player "took a knee", though I didn't see it.

This will be a few part series as I will be Incog a few days. So let us start with the new Yadis I added-poor guy may miss the next several days.

2017 Donruss Optic Blue #36/299

2017 Topps Chrome Pink

2017 Topps Chrome Prizm

GAC #9 Part-10 Proof of Life and that is a Wrap

So it all comes down to this-I had the pleasure of having a foil hot box and here is my "Proof of Life" and total

Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Worlds Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20
Mini Parallels Part 2 Category +17
Mini Inserts Category +10
Box Topper Category +7
Hits +33.38
Foil Box Bonus +20


Box Total +178.38

GAC #9 Part-9 The Hits, Just the Hits

I knew this would be a good box for me, but not sure it will be enough to finally take home the grand prize. However, the first hit of the box was an excellent one-though not my favorite player, it is of my my favorite team.

Hit #1

Yep-A Dexter Fowler mini Printing Plate, Black 1 of 1, naturally. +14 X1.2 = 16.8

Full Size Relics

FSRB-DS Dansby Swanson +5
(mine is also has the orange swatch)

Former Tiger
FSRA-JU Justin Upton

I am still not done-and if you are counting then you will notice I have three hits, could there be another? Why yes there could be. Behold.

Mini Framed Auto of Former Cub MA-DV Dan Vogelbach +7

Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Worlds Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20
Mini Parallels Part 2 Category +17
Mini Inserts Category +10
Box Topper Category +7
Hits +33.38


Box Total +158.38

GAC #9 Part 8-Box Topper

Box Topper

Buster Posey FP 4 X 1.75 =7

I think these are by far the nicest of the box toppers issued by Topps. Though it is time for something more innovative.

Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Worlds Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20
Mini Parallels Part 2 Category +17
Mini Inserts Category +10
Box Topper Category +7


Box Total +125

E120 1922 American Caramels Joe Schultz

When I picked this card up it became the oldest card in our collection, the E120 1922 American Caramels Joe Schultz.

According to PSA the E120 1922 American Caramels set contained 240 cards, 15 players for each of the 16 teams. The Greenish-Blue cards are NL players and Sepia cards the AL. The cards measure 2” X 3-1/2” and have an oval frame with the player and team name along the bottom. Highly graded cards are hard to find.

Nicknamed the unimaginative “Germany”, Schultz in German refers to a town official, like a mayor-I have Schultz ancestors and it is a very common name. Joe was born in 1893 and passed in 1941. Born in Pittsburgh he played for EVERY NL club except the Giants.  However, he had his best season in 1921 with the Redbirds. The outfielder played in 112 games that season and had 108 hits, and a batting average of .314 with 64 RBIs.

Unfortunately, he died at the age of 47 in 1941 from acute toxic hepatitis. He was the father of Joe Schultz Jr., who was the Seattle Pilots first and only coach, and who was a coach with the Redbirds from 1963-1968 ( a good time to be one). He is next to Tim McCarver, the bald one.

This is the image of the card from the listing, there is a small spot on the left but overall it is very nice condition. I may eventually send it in to get graded once I get over my fear!

GAC #9 Part 7-Mini Inserts

Heading in to the home stretch

Bust a move

Cossack

Worlds Dude

Surgeon

Steel Worker

Magicians

John Nevil Maskelyne

Constellations

Hercules

Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Worlds Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20
Mini Parallels Part 2 Category +17
Mini Inserts Category +10


Box Total +118

GAC #9 Part 6-Mini Parallels Part #2

Mini A&G Back

277 Miguel Sano +2

114 Puig +2

39 Darvish +2

289 Julio Urias +2

73 Marte

Brooklyn Back #11/25 JaCoby Jones (Corner is a little dinged) +7

Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Worlds Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20
Mini Parallels Part 2 Category +17

Box Total +108

GAC #9 Part 6-Mini Parallels Part #1

Alex Reyes Mini FT +2

Short Prints

310 Brandon Crawford +3
314 Dan Vogelbach +3

Mini Black

22 Albert Amora +4
16 Garrett Richards +4
14 Robert Gsellman +4


Favorite Team Category +7
Favorite Player Category +5
Penalty, Bonus, Yankee Category -5
Short Print Category +11
Fun Size Insert "What a Day" Category +25
Full Size Insert " Sports Fish & Lures" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Words Fair" Category +10
Full Size Insert "Revolutionary Battles" Category +4
Rediscover Topps Category +4
Mini Parallels Part 1 Category +20

Box Total +91

Hottest Day in SF History, and my Better Half Finally Gets Matheny

Well we survived last Saturday's pitching duel between Lynn and "The Shark". It was one of the hottest, or the hottest, games we have ever attended-109! For us here in the Bay Area, and especially in SF, it is particularly brutal since most of us don't have air conditioning. Our seats were better than we thought and no pole. Pre Game beers, Crab sandwich and Sheboygan Brat (not pictured) Tsunami warming up, and Phamtastic not starting.

Our seats were great, but what we realized is that we really preferred the seats we had a couple of years ago up in the Club Level-where you have a private entrance to the section, and the food, drink, and bathrooms are also limited and easy to access. Below is our actual view, no pole!

First batter of the game Wong and the "Shark"-man that guy is tall!

Yadi love, Yadi catching, Batting, and Walking 

Of course some face time on TV! Though my wife was in nearly every minute of the game. Funny thing is there where two Cards' fans in front of us, a father and daughter. She took her dad to the game for his birthday and she went to Michigan and graduated with a degree (undergraduate) in Women's Studies and my wife went to Michigan and has a Ph.d in American Culture with dissertation about Women's Studies so of course they hit it off. It was way hot and she needed to get in the shade for a little while, but being a Testa Dudda (Hard Head) I stuck it out! When my wife talked to some one in Cardinals' gear she would say "it is St. Louis hot!". Also, this was the first game at AT&T that we didn't get Giants' fans in our faces with stupid comments-I guess losing a great deal will do that to ya-humble ya. The Giants' fan behind us was pretty nice and a bit chatty.

It was this game in which my wife finally got Matheny's crappy management-especially of his pitching staff-pulling Lynn after 8 dominate one hit ball against the Giants. She will not forgive him for making us sit in 109 degree heat, to then go in to extra innings only to loose. His favorite two baseball books.