A couple of card show single pick ups

So at the card show where the last two posts worth of cards came from, I went back to table with what I term the dollar boxes of doom - through 2021, I was all about raiding those bargain boxes when I could get to them, but perhaps the relative quality had dwindled.

I didn't think I'd see the day where the dollar cards were now $0.50 each, but maybe the seller was preoccupied by other things - however my interests have shifted where I'd rather look for impulse purchases out of the scattered singles [$5-$20] boxes.

As is who knows if I can count on seeing cards I may have flagged in months and months ago - being generally in the same place, whether displayed in one of the showcases or in a box.

I plucked an MLB rookie year Derek Jeter insert and an Ichiro rookie year card, though I wasn't enthused about what I was finding - I thought this seller would have all these boxes of 'interesting' cards, but maybe it just depends on collections the person purchases, what maybe left and what he decides to put out.

I found a 1992 Bowman Mike Piazza RC #461 and while I really wanted a graded copy as part of my scratch the itch list - a loose, unslabbed card was in my wheelhouse as a notable single pick up where I'd rather have the card that not.

I still remember buying loose jumbo packs of 1992 Bowman for $12 each at least a few times off a random seller at the show that still runs at least a couple of times a week - after the fact, I don't think I pulled one notable player or rookie so maybe there was a sequence where pulling cards of note was a no-go.

I found several copies of the Carlos Beltran certified autograph card and while he has a Hall of Fame case with the career numbers that merit eventual induction - he may never avoid questions about his role in the Houston cheating scandal in 2017 and his firing as a New York Mets manager, before he even got to manage in a game.

As I considered making my singles purchases, I was absentmindedly digging through the $0.50 boxes - where I was trying to think about the combination of singles I'd relent to pick up, I just grabbed the Piazza and a Beltran for $20 to have a couple keepers beside all the other bulk cards I picked up.

TTM autographs received: Billy Ashley

The former big leaguer signed my cards in about a couple of weeks - the thick Sharpie Ashley used was good enough and bold enough for the cards I sent him, including the 1993 Upper Deck where teammate Eric Karros makes a cameo.

Ashley had big time power potential, but unlike some of the early 1990s era Los Angeles Dodgers prospects who would have big league success - Ashley never was able to put things together in parts of 6 seasons with the Dodgers.

He was a random guy for me to send to, but I needed to scratch that itch and not have to worry about my cards unsigned - if and when all or some of the cards I sent made it back to me.

I want to say he lives in the So. Cal area, where he has showed up for Dodgers alumni events / signings over the past decade - I set his cards aside a couple of years ago but held off on mailing them out.

What I’ve tried to do in 2016 - my PCs

At the start of the year, I had a set of collecting goals I never got to posting - maybe it's a little too long-winded to try and go over what I did and didn't do, so I'm just going to summarize some of the things I've tried to prop up as far my own collecting projects.

Collecting is always a thing, but for much of the year, things were kind of meh and I was just muddling along - I think it's fine to leave some interests / projects alone ‘as is,’ even for a prolonged period of time, with the idea that I’m coming back to them at some point.

I needed to focus inward, in putting away things I’ve picked up, so I can transition towards another year of collecting - as much as I would worry about feeding the best, I’ve tried to ‘reset things’ to straighten out some of the interests, so my intentions are a little clearer with what I want to as well as dealing with the state of interests that may have gotten away from me.

1.) Personal collection project - I get the idea of having a PC to showcase a select number of showcase cards from my entire collection.

As is, I’ve left my PC cards ‘as is,’ through 2016 and after watching a YouTube video or two in November [basically another collector's 'top' collection] - did my interest in revamping my PC really pick up.

I've already added a few stand alone cards over the past couple of years to kind of rework what my collection of my best cards look like - I can't compete with the guys hoarding super premium cards, so instead I've set out to add PC cards that are old school, like your basic rookie cards from the at least 20 years ago and older, including the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #1, a 1992 Bowman Mariano Rivera #302 and a 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly #248.

I had created a Google Sheets file for my four PCs I've established [Top 30 PC, Top 30 alternate PC, a Top 50 common PC and a Top 50 fun PC] and tried to re-jigger the listings around - adding cards as well as weeding out ones I felt were outdated.

I went on some ‘supply runs’ to my LCS, to buy up some new holders - to give me peace of mind that I’m cycling in some newer individual card holders as opposed to using dingy, old toploaders from 2000.

I’ve really been in a daze as far as having regional collection of PC cards and to just see what I maybe able to cobble together, I decided to add a regional component [#’s 31-50] to my Top 50 common PC - to make things easier as far as filling out my Top 50 common PC with no pressure in making a separate 'Top 30' list for just the team I'm collecting.

I’ve listed out miscellaneous Angels cards and while I feel the content falls a bit short, especially with regards to everyone's favorite Angel in the outfield, it’s the cards I’ve picked up - so I need to see if there is something to build on, so there maybe a foundation to funnel better cards, better players where I could eventually branch out into some sort of ‘stand alone’ regional PC.

I think I can add a few of the Angels certified autographs I’ve picked up - that I will double count towards my PC and my all-time Angels collection.

Featured autograph - Troy Percival

Former Angels closer Troy Percival threw out the first pitch before Thursday's game and signed autographs for the first 100 people - with the signings being announced immediately after a former Angel throws the first pitch, it seems the line forms quickly behind the center field rocks.

Hall of Famer Rod Carew threw out the first pitch before Friday's game - I assume people lined up to get his autograph soon as the gates opened.

For Percival, I chose to get a 1992 Bowman rookie card #290 signed - because I wanted a card that was a little more unique, even though Option 1 was a 2001 Fleer Tradition setter.

Percival took a moment to point out the card to the handler at the table who was turned away for a moment - I think he said something like, "see that's how I looked on my first card."

A group of three or four guys who seemed to know Percival [they called him 'Big Daddy'] asked me what I'd gotten signed - at first they thought I didn't get his autograph until I showed them the signed card and explained it was the one I'd just gotten signed.

When I started to walk away but still lingering to take pictures, one the guys motioned for me to come back and they were still curious about the card - asking whether or not it was hard to find [I got it for a buck], wondering what the 'B' means [Bowman], what he was wearing [I told them 'street clothes,' like others from this set] and wanting to see the back [to kind of see when the card was made].