1959 Fleer Ted Williams card pickup

There are simply other interesting cards from this eclectic one-player vintage set, but I impulsively grabbed this one as a bookend card for my micro-mini Ted Williams PC - which, as a tribute to the Hall of Fame icon, apparently exists with two or three other cards and a couple of autographed items.

I like the card because it seems kind of a quirky image where Williams is having his eye exam, holding up a tool where his face is partially obscured - whether or not it is the case, I dwell on the idea he is playing peekaboo, either bored or too good to have his picture properly taken.

Loose ungraded singles only sell for so much, so any sort of serious value is just not there for these 60-year old cards - to tie this pick up with some current events, I simply chose a PSA graded copy, even when sifting through issues with third party grading of more significant vintage cards.

2018 Topps Living Set Ichiro #25 PSA 9

I bought a copy of this card last year, but there was a stray mark on the top left hand corner and on principle, I returned the card to the seller - even though it cost me s/h to send it back.

Because the impulse buy didn’t end up working last year, picking up a copy of the card ended up itch I had to scratch - Ichiro was a universally loved player and as a personal tribute to the player and the man, I wanted a cheap, classy looking 'bookend card' for my micro-mini Ichiro PC.

While I don’t have an extensive Ichiro card collection [maybe three or four of his cheapest rookies in addition to whatever loose cards I may have] - I do have several in-person autographs I was able get through parts of his legendary career with a few stories on those IP quests for his scribble.

I would have originally settled for a raw copy of the card as they were released, but after the fact, a slabbed copy [$10.99 BIN - $3.00 eBay promo on purchases of $3.01 or more] only cost several dollars more - while third party grading can be a straight up joke, especially for the most recent of cards, having a card entombed in plastic gives me some peace of mind as far as getting a relatively clean card.

These cards aren't hard to find at all, so PSA 10 listings are not much more than the PSA 9 ones - as far as I’m concerned a PSA 9 is what I'll usually what settle for as the most common grade for most modern cards I’m looking to pick up.

Featured pickup: 1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter #279 - Jeter is the most overrated player in Major League Baseball.

Though he is capable of turning his season around at any time - Mr. November is probably having his worst season in years [.345 on-base percentage/.394 slugging] so far.

Still, I picked this card up [on Ebay for around $55 shipped] - just so I can say I've got a Jeter rookie card that isn't his 1993 Topps or his 1993 Upper Deck.

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Jeter isn't everyone's favorite player, but the concept of picking up singles [i.e. rookie cards] for my personal collection intrigues me - instead of doing a number of other things like:

1.) Picking up a box of a random 2008 baseball box - that isn't going to land in my mailbox for free, anytime soon. I think most boxes are put together, where the guy pulling the case hit is the only one who is going to be happy.
2.) I could go for two hobby boxes of varying quality - they are out there, but what would the assortment of cards lead to?
3.) I could pick up assorted packs - but all that is all about is having a cheap, wax orgy of cards headed for eventual storage.
4.) Picking up a $275 box of 1993 Upper Deck SP is just not an option - I'd rather get the key card from the product in an acceptable condition, instead of hoping to pull out from a box.