Card show results - Puckett and Yaz

I made a mid week pit stop at a potential LCS storefront and new card show set-up twice a week - I took look a around and maybe there was four or five tables along with the shop set-up, so it wasn't looking too good.

I did realize it wasn't the weekend and it may take time for guys possibly setting up - to be on that weekday grind with real life stuff in the way.

I don’t know if it was the same guy at this particular table I stumbled on, but I recognized some old school / vintage material from the very first show I attended this year - there maybe a couple of binders with vintage football sets on display and a showcase with some modern and / better stuff.

There were was a couple of piles of $5 cards and I doubt I would find anything - but I ended up with a 1973 Topps Carl Yastrzemski #245 and a 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286.

The Yastrzemski was the mutton chops Yaz card featured an episode of The Simpsons, so there was some novelty there - I saw the Yastrzemski displayed before, but the table setup changed up over the past several shows.

With ‘here and now’ interests taking priority, maybe the Yaz was just another card collecting dust in a seller’s stash somewhere - but I was able to to find it again today and it’s worth $5 to have it in-hand.

Come to think of it, I’ve never had a Puckett rookie so it maybe a start to looking for his more common rookie cards - the 1984 Fleer Update is the XRC to have, but that maybe a card that I'm not going to run into anytime, while I still kind of think his 1985 rookies were kind of ‘second tier’ at best.

Puckett was a larger than life superstar during the junk wax era and I ended up with his share of cards - he was a gamer and was on his way to posting more significant counting number through his mid 30s, sbefore he was diagnosed with glaucoma late in his career.

When he was playing, there was never a bad thing spoken about him on or off the field - but he was a flawed human being, who wasn’t the most savory of characters, especially after retirement.

TTM autographs received: Jim Rice

After holding off since my last success in 2017, I finally sent another request with $20 to Rice and he returned my cards signed in 8 days - the 2013 Topps Allen and Ginter was the only non-insert Ginter I still needed, so that was a priority.

I also sent a 1985 Fleer I found in a Dollar Tree repack - the 'pre-junk wax era' cards through mid 1980s holds some allure, probably because that is where the good rookie cards from that era came from and there is some trickle down interest, even if the cards came out before my time.

The flap on my SASE was loose and I was might have panicked a little- but the cards were still in envelope.

Featured autograph - Rick Waits

I dug around through some monster boxes at my LCS to find cards to get signed in-person before a Seattle Mariners @ Angels game - I consider Waits the 'anti Van Slyke,' since I got the Seattle Mariners pitching coach's attention and after looking for a way to sign my cards without me having to launch my autograph book towards him over the dugout, he came over to the camera well and signed without a problem.

Waits pitched in the Major Leagues from 1973-1985 and while he wasn't great [79-92 won-loss record], he hung around for 12 years - I usually laugh and scoff at the cards of rank-and-file guys, but there are players [maybe lefthanders since they tend to hang around even past their primes] whose careers are a trip.

Even though I might not have been around [literally] to follow their Waits' career first-hand - having his cards and doing a little research makes me think about what he did as a professional baseball player.

One of the cards he signed was his 1985 Fleer [which shows him at Anaheim Stadium] and while it's not a big deal - it's ironic I got him to sign where he was pictured on the card, even though the stadium is now called Angel Stadium and the place has probably gone through a bunch of cosmetic changes since 1984.

Featured mail day - 1985 Fleer Roger Clemens rookie card

"354 wins did not overcome the controversy as this ex-Red Sox pitcher didn't make the Hall of Fame cut in 2013."

Diving into the quarter bins at the card shop

In addition to the loose 2011 Bowman Draft packs I busted from a card shop in my previous post - I picked up a lousy 14 cards out of the quarter boxes; I can't get too worried about spending a few bucks but I remember the days when I'd find 20-25 cards for a buck at certain card show booths.

Got these from the quarter boxes - where most the Angels / Dodgers cards are.

1973 Topps Jeff Torborg #154 - I have a couple of Torborg cards, though not an Angels card.
1974 Topps Joe Lahoud #512 - I actually have this card in my Topps Diamond account but picked it up since I get to have it in hand and maybe able to trade the redeemed Topps Diamond card for something else.
1984 Fleer Steve Lubratich #524
1985 Fleer Fred Lynn #307 - my memories of Lynn are mostly from glancing at his 1990 cards, which picture him as a 'washed up' San Diego Padres bench warmer.

Over the last 10 years, I've sort of come around as far learning about him - he was a very good player - winning the 1975 American League Rookie of the Year and 1975 American League MVP with the Boston Red Sox.

Lynn also represented the California Angels in the 1983 All-Star game - hitting the first and only grand slam in All-Star game history.

Was able to find these from the quarter boxes - where many of the card shop's newest cards are and the place where I actually go to first when I walk into the card shop.

2011 Topps Chrome Danny Espinosa #33
2011 Topps Chrome Matt Young #185
2011 Topps Chrome Vinnie Pestano #201
2011 Topps Update Jose Altuve #US 132
2011 Topps Update Dustin Ackley #US 30
2011 Topps Update Anthony Rizzo #US 55
2011 Topps Update Dustin Ackley #US 254
2011 Topps USA Baseball Scott McGough #USA-34 - x3