I was digging through a sellers discount box trying to figure out how many cards I'm going to stack in my keeper pile and maybe the seller's grandson was annoyed - "are you going to buy any of those cards?"
While it's kind of a do-or-die decision for me to come up with the cards I'm picking up - maybe I've been a little idle at the seller's table and I'm probably going to seem a little off, standing directly infront of a bored teenager [behind the table] for about 30-40 minutes.
It probably didn't help the teen didn't know any better and his grandfather was telling him about random people who might show interest in certain cards and kick the tires for a little bit - only to disappear for good.
In the end, I found my 'sweet spot' of finds - that end up not being worth more than what I paid in most cases, but fun to go through after the fact.
The shiny cards from the UV era of the mid 1990s onward tend to be nice to look at in-hand - but a chore to get a good picture of.
A hard to photograph, but shinyManny Ramirez insert - Manny ends up being an 'iffy' guy for me, where do I wonder about continuing to pick up his stray cards?
I think Manny was a force despite all his misgivings as a big league superstar and if a card is remotely interesting and/or 'pops' in a certain way - I may just have to make them keepers.
The rest of the best including some old-school rookies [Darryl Strawberry, Johnny Damon and Kerry Wood], a Team USA and a relic bat card of Nomar Garciaparra - along with a 1993 Topps Finest Tim Salmon, which isn't really a rookie or a rookie year card, but was in a first-year product during Salmon's rookie year.
I found myself digging through $2 boxes where I plugged along going through most of the baseball portion concentrated in one monster box - alongside another guy busy going through a single row of $2 cards in a separate monster box.
I'd pulled out some probable keepers to build on from what I assumed was the main $2 boxes - after the other guy basically finished up, plucking about six cards and making his purchase, I figure I'd pounce on what he was looking through.
I thought I had the box to myself, however an older guy started going to the row and I thought he was just some casual - I wanted to stay out of his way, where I'd let him have first look through the cards where he started digging through, and then maybe I'd take my turn to go through the stacks of cards he was finished with.
Maybe he gets bored soon enough and moves on, but he was already asking the seller how much would it take to buy the entire row - he started to pore over the cards, maybe seeing what he really wanted and/or counting them out.
He asked if I was done and I kind of gestured 'yes' even though I would have liked the opportunity to go through the rest of the cards without being out scooped - knowing he wanted the row of cards for himself and just about to buy just all of it, was I the one who starts lacking manners if I insist on going through the rest of the cards?
Whatever I had in-hand before this other guy tried to make an offer was fair game - but I wouldn't want someone else trying to cherry pick cards off a row I'm trying to buy as one lot.
I still had loose cards I'd flagged from this last row but put back a couple that I wasn't really considering - with the cards I'd set aside in my original rummage, I think I ended up with 16 cards and was basically charged half off, which was good enough.
I was charged $15 for this grouping of assorted cardboard at a card show - maybe I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at here, maybe just odds and ends to be funneled away or to be left sitting loose in my collection somewhere. Maybe the $0.50 boxes were a mix bag of assorted cards but there might be some cheap thrills - I wasn't as emotionally invested in the rummage because it was off an unfamilar trio [?] of sellers who were doing business at the other end of the tables where I was doing my digging at.
At times I like it where I'm left alone to do my thing - but it feels kind of weird where I feel a little isolated and just to check out, I have to make an effort to flag one of the people while they might be preoccupied with other important things.
Dollar box finds except for the Wander Franco - I figure I'd splurge and pay $3 for a 2019 Topps Minor League Heritage Franco, though I see it as falling in that prospect, pre-rookie, non-MLB netherworld where it's not going to be particularly valued.
Maybe in 5-10 years, if Franco ever lives up to the hype bestowed upon him, maybe my lousy card trickles up to a $10 card - though Franco wasn't setting the league in fire and got hurt, he figures to be an all-star talent through his prime.
At the card show I went to, I was doing work digging through a seller's cheapo boxes - after tallying things up, it looks like I grabbed 108 cards that were 6 for $1, another 5-10 cards that were 3 for $1 and/or $0.50 each.
These were three Tyler Wade rookies out of the main brick of '6 for $1' cards I picked up - I wouldn't have cared about him before, though I got his autograph in-person years ago in the Arizona Fall League.
However, the Angels picked him up and while his upside is probably still a utility guy, he is relatively young and if he turns out to have some decent moments as an Angel - then I have rookies of a rank-and-file guy to root for.
These were '3 for $1' as indicated by the red Sharpie mark on the penny sleeves - is it hard to see the Kyle Tucker prospect cards and the Mookie Betts insert pictured up top?
To show off, I'm taking photos of my cards rather than scanning them - but maybe I've never learned the ideal way to do so, where my blog images look relatively decent.
I think the Topps Gypsy Queen Chrome Eloy Jimenez is a box topper - Jimenez looks like he's a fun player to watch, so maybe he's a pick to click as far as collecting on the down low if I ever see his cards out in the wild.
I thought the Anthony Rendon was just another Topps Chrome parallel but it was a challenge to figure just exactly which one was it - further research reveals it's likely a Black and White Mini-Diamond Refractor parallel from Topps Chrome Lite, a product I simply wouldn't have thought about existing.
I vaguely knew that there was a 2021 Bowman Chrome Lite box - but I didn't realize it was made for Topps Chrome as well.
I don't know if a 2021 card of Honus Wagner excites me compared to a card of a relevant baseball subject who is living and playing - but it's another look at the guy who is on that tiny card worth millions, so I guess it's a keeper.
In the bottom row there is a 1984 Fleer Ryne Sandberg and maybe old-school, pre-junk wax era 1980s star cards are keepers - notably when Donruss and Fleer started to be a little bit more high brow looking and may have been harder to find than comparable Topps issues.
Ramon Martinez was on fire for about a couple of seasons where he was the better known Martinez brother through the early 1990s - it feels odd to actually spend $0.33 on a random insert card of his in 2021, but what can I do when it shows him hitting?
Honestly, I don't know if I keep up with any sort of serious team collecting out in the wild - but it's a no brainer to grab a shiny parallel like the Topps Chrome pink Jared Walsh.
These were the $0.50 pick ups - the harder to see pair pictured up top are insert card of Vladimir Guerrero and Ichiro, who seem like they are a pair of bloggers' favorites.
Actually getting opportunities to get their autographs in-person back in the day - maybe it's even more a thing for me to make some of their cards I see keepers.
Are more comtemporary retro cards like the pair of Ted Williams keepers or are they just miscellaneous cards no one looks over twice [?] - I want cards of here and now players but want to build on the idea that certain old timers' cards are not going to get past me, notably inserts, parallels and/or base cards from more premium products.
I thought the Jon Lester was some kind of die-cut insert - I looked it up and it's only really base card from 2019 Panini Leather and Lumber and while its neat, I don't even know if the ridged surface is supposed to simulate anything.
Finally there is a 1981 Fleer Star Stickers Bruce Sutter card - he's holding a bat, so it's another add to my pitchers hitting collection.
I was at a new card show earlier this past month, trying to traverse the circuit of tables, but didn't feel like I had the patience where maybe I get a little self-conscious about what I collected - besides the showcase tables, heavy concentration on more NBA, NFL, soccer and nonsport cards, what I'd consider the baseball first, weekend warrior, swap meet, tables I can really get into were just about non-existent.
Go figure, I was just kind of idle digging through the dollar boxes from the table I've always bought from at the monthly show - maybe the value boxes were relatively thinned out, where I was going to impose a hard limit on what I may pick up.
When it comes to that loose card hunt however, the fun is having no real plan because YMMV with each row of a value box - where it's kind of like going down a rabbit hole hunting for odds and ends.
Maybe I'd settle on 10 cards, then the numbers crept up to a little more and then I found other cards - if I'd put all the cards back and just walked away, then no harm, no foul, but go figure, I was really loitering around and for better or for worse, ended up with 20 keepers.
These cards may not be dollar material, but even if I'd only pay $0.50 or less for each of them - I feel like having them in hand for basically $0.50 more probably justifies cards that end up being mini-collection adds.
1997 Denny's 3-D Holograms Jackie Robinson #29 - awesome action; baserunning; plays at the plate; 'H' 1991 Star Nolan Ryan Promo Red - blank back; awesome action; unique perspectives; interviews 1996 Pinnacle Summit Foil Barry Bonds #107 - inking it up; there is another card I picked up previously featuring an image shot at the same time, but is cropped where it may not be obvious Bonds was signing anything. 2002 Upper Deck National Convention Sammy Sosa #N-2 - inking it up; I thought this was regular Sosa card and didn't think much of it but came around on making it a keeper because he is signing autographs and it's a little odder issue.
I'm not sure about picking up blank back cards I'm unfamiliar with where I worry it's not a 'real' card - but I'll take my chances with the Ryan.
Basketball 1996/97 Upper Deck UD3 Hardwood Prospects Ray Allen #5 - even though the card maybe only worth what I paid, what I believe is a rookie of a certified all-time great should be a keeper, right? 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Donruss Rated Rookie Nicolo Melli RC #197 - I would have skipped passed this card but my eagle eye spotted LeBron making a cameo along the side, so I had to make this a reluctant keeper. 2021 NBA Panini Hoops Lebron James #146 - an actual card of 'Bron, I'm not sure if I really have any of his cards, so I'll grab it.
Football
2020 Panini Donruss Optic Tom Brady #92
2020 Panini Select Concourse Patrick Mahomes #2
Baseball 2021 Donruss Diamond Kings Blue Holo Fernando Tatis #27 2021 Donruss Blue Holo Fernando Tatis #71 2021 Donruss Rated Rookie Blue Holo Dylan Carlson #37 - maybe 'Mr. Irrelevant' here where this might have been the last card I grabbed to make my little stash an even $20. 1969 Topps Dick Allen #350 - Allen doesn't register much for me like it would for others perhaps, but I maybe thirsty for the occasional old-school and/or vintage card when I see them for a buck in the wild. 2019 Topps Heritage High Numbers Hot Box Purple Andrew McCutchen #THC-702 2020 Topps Gallery Heritage Freddie Freeman #HT-3
More baseball 2010 Yankees Topps 27 World Championships Mickey Mantle 1951 Topps #YC14 2010 Yankees Topps 27 World Championships Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps #YC15 - the '52 Mantle is such an iconic card, so even if it's to be reprinted in perpetuity [who knows what happens when Fanatics steps in], any Topps branded replications are keepers. 2010 Yankees Topps 27 World Championships Mickey Mantle 1953 Topps #YC16 1986 Donruss Fred McGriff RC #28 1999 Revolution Tripleheader Craig Biggio #24 - it's not that I've intentionally sought them out, but Pacific branded inserts and parallels maybe low-key keepers if and when I find them.
It is harder for me to do any in-depth recaps because purchases have added up and I can't conjure up these nice and neat stories about how certain cards were chosen over others - maybe what I really want to say is look at my hauls, pore over my finds, but maybe I'm just reading the room wrong or there is no real audience to cater to.
I'm a glutton for punishment however, where I need an outlet where there is a routine to get the word out once in a while - so here goes another bunch of purchases [at what has been the monthly show, though there might be 1 or 2 more dates added in a given month] to literally amuse myself with.
I found what maybe a complete 'stand alone' set of Bryce Harper minor league cards - I assume these are official issues, though a case where the cards were printed to capitalize on his hype as a prospect.
They seem more like customs than anything else - however, enough time has passed where the cards are 'old enough' to have some pre-rookie novelty.
In the pecking order of sporting GOATS over the past 20 years, Jeter might be the token baseball guy - still have to put aside some Jeters, where maybe I'm looking for some mainstream, if dated oddballs [Upper Deck Collectors Club, Upper Deck FanFest, Upper Deck National] just to have something different.
This Willie Mays caught my eye because it just stood out as a little larger, even though I like my cards standard size - it looks like it's a Topps branded card rather than some custom, so my best guess it was from a National VIP package, since I've seen them put out similar, vintage themed card sets as part of their National Convention promotions.
Miscellaneous baseball isn't where it's at at a 'here and now' card show, but I'm digging away to see what odds and ends I can pull - including an old Joe Mauer minor league card from his pro debut season, a 2018 Topps Archives Aaron Judge card I thought was some parallel [it's just a base] because of the cardboard stain design element [on the back] and a real old 1963 Fleer card of Bob Aspromonte.
I remember when I thought Xavier Nady was going to be the next hot prospect just over 20 years ago - I wanted his rookie cards so bad when they first came out and while it wasn't the one I had in mind, grabbed one of the serial #'d rookies that came out his pro debut season where he might have been guaranteed to get a big league call up in 2000.
While Nady was a very good player in spurts - he never did turn into that perennial all-star talent I assumed most guys with a little bit of prospect pedigree turned out to be back in the day.
I grabbed basic rookie cards of Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jo Adell just because maybe there is a desperation to think about future considerations - even if talking about putting away lowest end rookies of a couple of potential future stars.
I didn't think I'd end up with a pair of serial #'d Ryan Freel rookie cards but maybe there is some sentimentality there - where the cards go towards my beyond the glory collection.
It's only a checklist card, but the old school Catfish Hunter / Nolan Ryan card maybe a nice add to Ryan collection in my Angels binder - I may keep an eye out for old-school / vintage stragglers when available where there is a little novelty in something now over 45 years old.
More baseball odds and ends, including an Albert Belle inside printed on simulated wood material and a Chipper Jones insert printed on simulated base material- it has been said somewhere else but those types of cards are always fun to pick up.
I ended up with a couple of Reggie Jackson cards that may fall into the oddball territory - I've seen the card where he is promoting soccer on other blogs, so I had to make it a keeper [the only thing weirder than seeing Reggie promoting the World Cup back in 1993 is realizing that he is a special assistant to the owner of the Houston Astros] along with his 1982 O-Pee-Chee In Action subset card.
I don't know if Giancarlo Stanton is relevant as far as who I may collect but seeing a couple of cards from his minor league days [included a mini] - triggered me to pick them up where enough time has passed to make them a little 'old school' novelties rather than just finding another big league issued card of the 12-year veteran.
I don't think Nick Castellanos is any sort of baseball card superstar, but he has put up some numbers where is considered an actual baseball star - I make make his 2011 Topps Heritage Minor League blue tint card a keeper, even if it's worth only what I paid.
I didn't anticipate finding these prospect cards and while they are strictly base [and not even first year cards], maybe I haven't had much exposure to prospect products in recent years - so if I see cards of notable guys, maybe I should squirrel them away as far as guys who are likely going to be decade stars through the 2020s.
These are kind of my 'junk' GU / auto finds - I didn't really want to spend a dollar on a J.C. Romero card, but want to pick up certified autographs of one-time Angels outright and add them [to the non-Angels card portion] of my Angels all-time autograph collection without worrying about digging up an TTM/IP of the same player that I may or may not actually have.
Cesar Hernandez is nothing special at all, but he is an active big leaguer who I didn't have an autograph of - I think he is wearing a retro uniform, so maybe I can add his Topps Stadium Club autograph to that mini-collection.
The Fred McGriff bat card may have come out during a time where maybe memorabilia cards were still a novelty - maybe not the late 1990s, but in the early 2000s where game used cards were featured highlights in baseball card products rather just another insert type that would lose its collectibility.
I don't think I'll ever be collecting other sports but I'll add a few stragglers to the mix - where it's cards of some other sport GOATS [Michael Jordan, Tom Brady], an interesting, fun card [Jake The Snake Plummer posing with an actual snake] or a card featuring an individual [Colin Kaepernick] that has transcended past just being another pro athlete.
My local card show is probably inconsistent when it comes to sellers, just because depending on what else is going on, guys may decide to be at another show - it may be a case where I've 'sold out' showing up at a particular show, but realize there are more empty spaces than anything else.
Maybe I find myself out of touch with modern 'here and now' collecting, so even in a packed house, I might not find a run 2, 3 or 4 tables that hit the spot where I can at least find stuff that appeals to me - obviously the pool of probable dance partners shrinks further when there maybe only 15-20 tables [at most] compared to at least 25-30 tables.
With the situation looking slow off the bat, I started off at a new [to me] seller set up at the back wall - he had a $0.50 [if unmarked] rookie box [sorted by player, in ABC order], a '3 for $5' junk autos box, various 'little' displays [including a couple of stacks of assorted cards in semi rigids] and then player boxes to the other side [maybe it would make more sense if all the boxes he had to dig through were on one side of his setup].
As far as the rookie box, I couldn't systemtically go through them all like a treasure hunt dig and I'm trying to come up with a short list of rookies I might find cards for - I guess I expect a 'mix mix' of cards where who knows who might find, but I'll know it when I see it.
Some of the younger guys navigating through his table weren't buying anything but complimented him on labeling his player boxes in ABC order where there were these dividers with players' names boldly written - to a certain extent, as long as sections are separated by sport, I like cards a bit jumbled up rather than making me force to really think about looking up cards for specific players.
The person at the table didn't seem like he paid much attention to me, which maybe both a good or bad thing - I'm trying to be on a little mission mission while wondering if this person is thinking I'm some kind of goof because of my 'one-track rummage.'
Someone came over and I overheard in passing that it was seller's only second show - the seller was talking about things were slow, maybe even accounting for the other show, but [at least] there was someone like [me] going through his cards.
There was a little uncertainty as I rounded up some cheap rookie stuff, a trio of certified autograph cards and a couple of miscellaneous cards - the person looked at my stash and came up with a total of $10, was a couple of bucks off my actual total.
Tyler O' Neill always had a lot of power potential as a prospect, but after 3 seasons in part time work and playing through the pandemic in 2020 - finally had the opportunity to play on a regular basis and delivered with 34 home runs.
I'm a low-key Brandon Lowe guy because I still remember making it a mission to getting him to sign a couple of cards in the Arizona Fall League back in 2017 - I grabbed a couple of his basic rookies here, but the third is actually a card of Nate [Nathaniel] Lowe, who plays for the Texas Rangers.
The rookie of Kyle Tucker might have started me on the rummage and while his Houston Astros team came up short in the World Series - he has established himself as another homegrown Astros star to build around.
I grabbed a couple of cards of Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jonathan India - who seemed to get better as he got more at-bats under his belt and maybe the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year.
I found a Xander Bogaerts rookie from 2014, which may not be much - but maybe some time has passed since the card was first released and he really has been this star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox.
Even though I have a mini-collection of mascots just because they are 'fun,' I would never buy a mascot card outright - however, the San Diego Chicken is a special breed and this shiny insert [?] has a little bit of pop I haven't seen before.
I don't see them often, but certain non-sport cards like this card of actress Kaley Cuoco from The Big Bang Theory TV show tend to be easier impulse buys in the wild - I thought this was a regular card at first, but looking closer, it actually has a perforated surface where the subject image is designed to be 'popped out.'
Finally I decided to grab a random trio of certified autographs - I do find myself not knowing what to do with pack pulled autographs, because while it's a quick fix as far as just having a signed card of a current big league closer like Alex Colome, my collecting roots was all about trying to get scribbles in-person or through the mail [TTM].
Brad Eldred was an Adam Dunn sized first baseman who played in the big leagues for parts of 4 seasons - while he might have been a 4A slugger otherwise, he got the opportunity to star in Japan through his 30s, so there might be some novelty here.
The nearly clear hologram autograph sticker was placed crooked on this Daniel Nava card, but almost blends in with how the card was designed - this one goes into the non-Angels card portion of my Angels all-time autograph collection.
These were from a card show, where it's more of testament to the types odds and ends cards I can find off a seller that has become a show lifeline - even if it strictly more a transaction at the end of my rummage, maybe it's just nice to go through all these cards with the idea I can take a number of them home.
Stuff maybe perpetually be picked over but I'm bound to find something or a run of things - because there is just too many cards.
A trio of guys who made their debut in the 1980s, these guys are rubber stamped as decade stars in my book - though Tony Gwynn is probably a personal favorite here, while Craig Biggio and Mark Grace are a little more 'meh' in my eyes.
The 1985 Topps Gwynn is the Tiffany version, though it has a crease that maybe more obvious in-hand, on the back of the card - I don't expect these loose cards to be 'gem mint,' but if at all possible, I hope to avoid picking up anything with blemishes like creases, centering and soft corners.
The 1992 Donruss Studio Gwynn is a preview card, so that's a little more unique - over his base card from the actual set.
While probably 'junk wax' just the same, the rookie year Biggios seemed like nice 'oddball' finds - while the only cards I have of Grace are his assorted big league issues, so a minor league issue adds a little 'pre rookie' card to the mix.
An assortment of cards featuring guys who made their debuts in the 1990s - I've never had the Pacific Net Fusion inserts in-hand [featuring Jeff Bagwell], but I'm disappointment knowing that the material was not likely from an actual foul pole netting from a stadium [if that was possible in the first place], but from a simulated material.
On the downlow, any Adrian Beltre issues are now keepers in my eyes [except cards from his Seattle years] - especially if it's more of a parallel and/or insert that kind of pops.
Edmonds is a 'top guy' for me, more as an Angel - but I do realize he had his peak years after leaving the team for St. Louis.
Aramis Ramirez and Moises Alou aren't necessarily 'my guys' by any stretch of the imagination, but their random relic cards - maybe added as binder material to whatever cards I have for each player.
Garret Anderson is rubber stamped as one of the top guys as far as Angels go - it's nice to find a serial numbered card of his to make as a keeper.
I don't heavily collect Trevor Hoffman, but he is a Hall of Fame closer, so I'll show some love - I think the card I picked up is serial #'d on the back, though it's only worth what I paid.
I don't heavily collect Bernie Williams either, but he was a great player for the New York Yankees, so I'll show some love - with a minor league card that's more of an oddball, even though it was released a couple of years after his big league cards came out already.
Finally, some rookie cards of guys I might not be too high on to collect outright - but if they are there for the taking, might as well be keepers.
Even though I've only started going back to attending shows through this year - I don't know if there are 'go to' regular sellers I've sort of latched onto.
I always expect different sellers to get my fix in the meantime and at times it isn't as clear - where I'm going end up getting my game face on to start rummaging through the most random cards.
It may always be a case of stumbling onto a table and maybe going through a few cards to see if it's my type of material - during my latest card show trip, maybe I was a little desperate to find that first table to start off with.
I did find myself at one such table to pull some dollar cards [or 6 for $5] - that I maybe interested in and then started to go through the assorted quarter boxes.
I think the same seller had a setup 14-15 years ago at the more prominent collectible show in the area - he had that mix of assorted quarter boxes that made his spot a regular stop, even though his booth was sort of tucked away at the back of show warehouse.
It’s been a long time, but this person still looks the same - he doesn't seem like he has aged or maybe he was still fairly younger back then.
With visions of finding multiple dollar and under boxes off other tables, I'm afraid that I maybe spending too much time at this one place - but this could literally be the table with the most variety of loose baseball cards [in addition to a mix of other spots], so I had to make it count here before moving on.
This Topps Now Find was probably my most random find and the most unique card I've found for a quarter - I didn't even realize there was a card for the first professional team to wear braille jerseys to honor the blind.
I have seen the Naquin card in various forms and while I never know if it's a baserunning card, hats-off card or something else entirely in my collecting topics subset collection - it's a nice image that pops a bit more done refractor style.
I try to grab assorted cards to fill out in my decade stars collections - if a player makes it to my decade / binder stars collection, that may mean I collect them [as I find their cards], though there certain players will end up being more 'my guys' as opposed to other notable players.
There are 2020 Panini Prizm cards of Yu Darvish, Ozzie Albies and Matt Chapman I probably spent an hour on an idle afternoon looking up - it made my head hurt trying to figure out what parallels these card were...apparently they are Cosmic Haze parallels, inserted in MJ Holdings mega boxes...
More binder material guys - a random Bo Jackson football card, an Adrian Beltre shimmer refractor, another Jacob deGrom and some father and son Vladdy Daddy action.
These were thrown into my pile as various finds for the collecting topics subsets I try to keep up with - no matter how prominent or obscure the subjects are.
Some rookie stuff - when dealing with the quarter boxes, I take what I can find; I grabbed a 2018 Topps Nick Williams just because I thought it could be a mini-collection add, but I already had the card.
Some prospects from the past couple of years - with the cost of prospect products [Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowman Draft] at a premium, maybe I don't get much exposure to loose cards of young players, despite the idea I don't like them just the same, if they aren't first-year cards.
Some cards might be keepers just because I want to be able to keep up - where I'm not completely clueless about more than a few of these players.
My other sports pile - there is a Reggie Jackson [NBA] card I'll end up pairing with a card of Reggie Jackson [the MLB legend].
My 6 for $5 pile - nothing here that really pops out, but I like the 2020 Bowman Mega Box prospect parallel card of Alek Manoah.
After being a spectator at my niece's soccer doubleheader to close out her season and having lunch with my parents - maybe I got my one chance go back to the show / card shop I'd previously visited.
While I didn’t know how it was during the morning - I want to say there were only 5-10 tables when I got the show and still a lot of empty space in the storefront.
There was one table with a box of loose dollar cards - I was digging around, but it was more ‘here and now’ stuff from just past couple of years and not a deal where I found keepers outright.
I made it to one other table with a display of top loaded cards and loose sleeved cards for $0.50 each - I probably spent about 45 minutes just rummaging through the rows of cards, while another person had already been doing the same before I got there.
I think the setup was primarily other sports, but there were assorted ‘runs’ of baseball to be found just the same - maybe I was a little unsure of what I may find, but I thought this might be my only table, so maybe I should be patient and see if I could make something of my time.
The other person was really into it and was looking to he could get a discount for something like 200 cards purchased - not that I particularly cared, but I was trying to make sure to stay out of his way as he dug into another row of cards.
With no rhyme or reason, I started to get on a mission myself - I didn’t know if I’d have the time to go through the cards I'd pulled and there was a little anxiety about weeding out certain ones while making others my keepers.
I don't want to dilute my decade stars collections, so by default the star cards I pull or find are sorted into my decade stars collection - however mini-collection quality cards finds picturing legitimate stars should end up as highlights out of my various collecting topics subsets, rather than really just ending up my 30th or 31st random card of a certain player to squirrel away somewhere.
I try to stay away from any non-MLB licensed Panini products on principle, but any loose shiny and/or unique parallels / inserts are fair game - notably when there is star power involved.
I would have ignored the random Beltre otherwise as just another low end pack pulled minor league insert - but it's a now a nearly 25 year old card that chronicles the future hall of famer's time in the minors, just as he was getting to the big leagues at 19.
The Maddux isn't worth much more than what I paid, but it's an insert I've never seen before - it looks pretty sharp as a binder material card.
Maybe I was aiming for adding some odder looking cards and while the way the cards look a little beat up in-hand [or at least the sealed holders that hold the cards] - I found a pair of 1996 Danbury Mint cards of Duke Snider and Bob Feller, which features a gold leaf surface.
Maybe I lose something in the moment, when I make some of the same rookie cards keepers, maybe multiple times over - however, current year rookies don't always make it to the boxes I'm looking at, so I'll grab them as I find them.
When rummaging through random boxes, I like to do a little GOAT hunting, where I like to make believe that the most basic cards of legendary and iconic pro athletes are keepers - regardless of actual value or relevance.
I don't really concern myself with other sports, because if I get serious about it - I feel like the best I can aspire to build on a 'repack collection,' but it's a tease to see all these assorted cards for the taking featuring all these pros I'm casually aware of, except they do not play pro baseball.
I grabbed a second year card of Aaron Rodgers because it just happens to be the closest thing to his rookie year - while he is otherwise holding out so far, he has just been one of these top flight quarterbacks who is tough to go against.
I grabbed a Steve Young card because it was shiny and die-cut - I remember not being able to throw a football at all and even though I was a roly poly kid, I would imagine being able to take the ball [in touch football games] and scramble around like Young did during the years where he was QB1 for the San Francisco 49ers through the mid 1990s.
I found some 1990 Leaf cards and while I'd have to pay a pretty price to get any of them actually inked up - it was nice dig out a Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan [I ended up with two, because I wasn't paying attention] and a Clemens [which I may have already].
Maybe there was some overlapping interest in star cards from the early 1980s and older, even as the junk wax era was at its peak through the early 1990s - maybe a copy of the Ryan was loose among a one-time friend's collection that his mother kept nagging on him to clean up and in passing, I wanted a copy for myself.
The Ozzie Smith maybe a misfit find, from a fugly 1981 Fleer set that is hard to take seriously - however there is something quaint about the card, picturing a younger, smiling Smith as a member of the San Diego Padres.
I almost consider Smith just about a one team guy with the St. Louis Cardinals - but The Wizard established his reputation as a slick fielding magician as a Padre.
I found one card each of a couple of probable decade stars / binder guys for the 2020s - Alex Kirilloff is an outfielder who became the first player to make his MLB debut in the postseason, penciled into the starting lineup, while Adley Rutschman is probably the top catching prospect in the minors.
Finally there are a pair of Shohei Ohtanis - obvious keepers if I don't have them, even basic, no MLB logo cards from Panini.
Maybe my second pit stop at this card show didn't turn out to be a 'full blown' experience for me, but I was able to dig around and do my thing for a short time - to have some loose cards to take home and dwell on.
