More small things at the card show

I was digging through some '6 for $5' boxes from a random seller table and these were my keepers - added another 18 cards from the seller's '5 for $1' box and maybe it was kind of odd thing I couldn't push the total to 20 outright.

Maybe my favorite card is the 1986 Donruss Rookies Jose Canseco #22 - it was a card I remember a childhood friend possessing and seeing regularly [along with an autographed 1989 Upper Deck Dante Bichette rookie] whenever I would visit his house.

I really wanted to take a better picture of this 2000 Topps Finest Moments 3000 Hits Tony Gwynn #FM3, where it's hard to see on the first image - but it's usually hard to take photo ops of shinier, chromium cards, so what you see is what you get.

TTM autographs received: Gene Richards

Former San Diego Padres outfielder Gene Richards signed my cards in about a month - maybe it was just natural for guys expected to hit the ball with some skill rather than brawn to choke up on the bat, but the way Richards' hands are positioned looks so exaggerated on the 1984 Donruss and also the 1983 Topps cards.

Digging around, a little bit of trivia is Richards wore jersey #19 for the Padres - a number in team history associated in perpetuity as legend Tony Gwynn's.

A card shop find - a 1983 Topps set

During an out of town card shop trip , I was lurking in the junk wax / junk set corner, maybe looking for a junk wax box / junk era set to rip  - I guess I see myself as a hoarder or at the very least willing to rummage through a pile of crap to try and find 'something' to take home.

The last time I was at this card shop was in fall of 2017 and think I saw a 1995 Upper Deck Minors box for $15 last fall which was intriguing because regardless of how bad the content has aged - those mid 90s UD sets still look good.

However, there is probably lots of turnover - even if any particular box / set is just squirreled away somewhere else as opposed to someone actually buying it.

I saw some hand collated sets [junk wax era] on the counter closest to where all the junk boxes / junk sets are - this isn’t what I’m really looking for because the brown card boxes look ancient and taped shut, so who knows if there are just repacked garbage in there.

One of the store employees was explaining to an older collector that he just got those sets in and they did have the key cards - the older collector was looking for a run of old-school Topps sets.

I was lingering by, but the older collector was coming along looking for this and that - it felt like I kind of snatched the box with the 1983 Topps set [marked at $20] from just under his grasp.

Maybe the value has bottomed out, but old-school, pre junk wax era cards printed through the mid 1980s are still intriguing - it would be an impulse buy, but could I beat the price?

I really wasn’t about to mess with the set because who knows where it came from - even if the rookie cards of Ryne Sandberg [#83], Tony Gwynn [#482] and Wade Boggs [#498] would make the set seem like a no brainer purchase.

I have a PSA graded Sandberg and do prefer PSA graded rookies of Gwynn and Boggs - since there is some assurance someone looked at the cards to deem them authentic and assign a numerical grade.

For a price of a blaster, I could at least mimic the experience of going through the 35-year old cards like they came from unopened rips - maybe I could try to finish off my Topps team runs for 1983 with cards leftover for various, miscellaneous interests.

I actually took the time to put the set in plastic pages to see what a full set of 792 cards would look like in a book - during a few different times, I emptied out just about 90 plastic pages filled with assorted inserts and added the 1983 Topps cards.

To the naked eye the Sandberg, Gwynn and Boggs are presentable - maybe kind of examples I'd find in a more common showcase of cards at a card show or card shop.

The rest of the cards are probably in 'ex-mt' condition, with examples of cards - being off-center, miscut or otherwise having some sort of noticeable blemish.

I'll probably leave the misfit condition cards as fillers since I'm not a set guy - it's not really worth it to me to track down countless 1983 Topps so I can upgrade a random common here, a random star card here, etc.

COMC finds - binder stars / decade stars

I had a haul of cards I'd gotten from COMC come in - after I'd started the shipping process, my order only took about a week, which was a pleasant surprise.

On their Web site, COMC lists when to expect delivery depending on the service chosen - I figure I don’t have a claim to anything otherwise if it they ship within the estimated window for the $3.99 economy charge, even if it takes two or three weeks.

I've had misgivings about a typical COMC order taking too long, but I actually got my shipment about five days earlier than expected - maybe the Web site might be an option again as far as picking up the most random cards and having them shipped sooner than never.

I kind of see COMC as a glorified swap meet of sorts - however they always seem to package cards well enough, regardless of shipping method chosen.

It’s nice to finally go through the cards I've had sitting in my account - though there maybe a caveat with some of the random cards I’ve chosen to pick up as far as finding an actual spot for them in my collections.

I’m trying to list and put away as many of the cards I purchased - while trying to feel something for most cards, so they aren't meaningless after the fact.

The following are too random to be stand alone A-Z singles or PC cards - yet I’d rather showcase them as highlights within others cards of the same player, than be obscured as rank-and-file additions within my A-Z inserts collection.

2002 Topps Gold Label Awards Ceremony Relics Class 1 Gold Andy Pettite ACR-AEP [$4.75] - considering their franchise history and late 1990s dynasty run, I'd probably be a New York Yankees fan, if not rooting for the Angels.

I was doing a random search and this card caught my eye - it's kind of shiny card featuring an image of a relevant Topps card in the inset image and a window with a pinstripe jersey swatch.

Pettitte is hardly a favorite but on the down low, maybe I want to build up a micro-mini collection of selected cards - featuring the Yankees Core Four [Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada].

1997 Topps Team Timber Frank Thomas #TT5 [$1.05] - I thought it would be cool to have a card in hand that was printed entirely on some sort of simulated wood material.

I've never seen these cards except for a Rafael Palmeiro on a page of scanned cards - these may have been long forgotten inserts and wanting a ‘sample’ card from the set, a more appealing player choice [Thomas] wasn't that much more than a Palmeiro.

The card fronts actually feature a more conventional glossy surface and not a 'wood' feel like I'd anticipated - it's actually the back of the cards that have a sort of matte / textured surface that may resemble a wood finish.

I suspect it's to make the cards seem like they actually came from a piece of wood - but it looks like someone poured water on the surface to create some depressions going down from top to bottom.

2003 Donruss Diamond Kings DK Evolution Barry Bonds #DK-16 [$1.25] - Bonds may not be going to the Hall of Fame since he was presumably both a perpetual ass and an alleged PED abuser, however I was drawn to his bad ass act when he broke the single-season and career home run marks through his 40s.

2003 Donruss Diamond Kings DK Evolution Tony Gwynn #DK-21 [$0.99] - unlike Bonds, the player was considered a saint where he was universally loved as a professional baseball player and a person, R.I.P.

I was vaguely aware of these lenticular cards but had just forgotten about them over time - I might have thought there might have been a time elapse image where a picture of a player early in his career is contrasted with a current [as of 15 years ago] picture, but this clears things up.

1998 Upper Deck Blue Chip Prospects Todd Helton #BC11 [$1.70] - serial #'d to 2000; it’s not a rookie or anything ‘special,’ but I guess I’d collect the retired Helton on the down low and this one caught my eye as a ‘film cell’ material card.

2015 Topps Update Series MLB All-Star Game Access Albert Pujols MLB-2 [$0.98] - this captures a poignant moment where another big leaguer [Joc Pederson] is hugging Pujols at the 2015 All-Star Home Run Derby for presumably all Pujols has done for Pederson’s developmentally disabled [Down Syndrome] brother Champ in particular.

2015 Donruss pack breaks #1 of 3

Last week was all about 2015 Topps Heritage, but I got my fill through retail - so I when I finally stopped at the card shop this week, my interest in Heritage was kind of sated.

I heard 2015 Donruss was coming in and I bided my time just long enough [after already making a small purchase of loose quarter cards] - so the owner could get his shipment in and open up a box.

My gut tells me to stick with Topps because it's MLB licensed - but I grabbed a dozen loose packs of 2015 Donruss because as a baseball card collector I'm not going to be denied checking out some new product.

The handful of the inserts I pulled kind of pop and maybe the lure to picking up loose packs here and there - the Donruss insert sets that recycle designs from its past incarnation as a baseball card company are 'cute,' if not something to really put together.

The base card design look a little calmer than 2015 Topps - the cards are printed with a glossy surface with no foil stamping.

The red colored backs that almost resembles 1990 Donruss.

The cards still sort of feel a step below a MLB licensed product, but I like it when there are no logos on uniforms / caps on cards of players who have recently switched teams - bonus points added if and when the new team is listed on the card as well.

Pack one
#103 Jered Weaver
#125 Bartolo Colon
#135 Ryan Howard
#130 David Robertson
#169 Yu Darvish
#164 Evan Longoria

#26 Everth Cabrera - Elite Series insert
#34 Daniel Norris

Pack two
#111 Marcel Ozuna
#142 Starling Marte
#139 Gregory Polanco
#179 Doug Fister
#174 Melky Cabrera
#1 Andrew McCutchen - Jersey Kings insert; while not a patch, the dirt stained material swatch used gives this particular card character.

#13 Michael Taylor - Donruss Preferred insert

#200 Yu Darvish - 1981 Donruss

Pack three
#118 Joe Mauer
#145 Seth Smith 
#144 Gerrit Cole
#188 Mariano Rivera
#184 Mark McGwire

#164 Evan Longoria - Press Proof parallel serial #'d 94/99
Dummy card
#23 Matt Adams - Elite Series insert

#10 Alex Gordon - Long Ball Leaders

Pack four
#104 Clayton Kershaw
#95 Eric Hosmer
#109 Dee Gordon

#100 Mike Trout
#190 Wade Boggs
#187 Kirby Puckett
Dummy card
#19 Jacoby Ellsbury - Elite Series insert

#1 Tony Gwynn - Tony Gwynn Tribute

Just my favorite Tony Gwynn cards

2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces #42 - two long time baseball legends who had their farewell seasons in 2001.

1983 Topps RC #482 - it's Gwynn's first Topps card, even though it's all butt.

1997 Fleer Tradition #462 - dutifully signing autographs.

1992 Upper Deck #83 - I have a soft spot for the Bloodlines subset, even though it came from a junk wax era set.

1997 Zenith #2 - Gwynn is obscured a little, but I can imagine him taking a good whack at the incoming baseball.

1984 Fleer Tony Gwynn #201 - the mustard color uniforms might have been garish, but Gwynn makes it work on this card; there is something calming about Gwynn posing for a picture, maybe in the afternoon several hours before a game.

1992 Fleer Ultra Tony Gwynn #1 - when I really knew little about a particular star player, the promotion of a single player insert set probably helped me determine how great they really were.

1992 Fleer Ultra #277 - the 1992 Fleer Ultra was a radical change from the previous year's version; the photos were sharper, the card stock glossy, there was foil stamping and the cards just popped when they first came out.

1999 Topps Stadium Club #126 - one of the great hitters to the end, an apparent underrated aspect to his playing career was his athleticism and ability to play defense.

1993 Upper Deck #165 - shades down, looks like Gwynn is about to roam over to catch a fly ball; maybe just another Gwynn card but Upper Deck took time [unlike other card companies] to make sure the images on their cards were sharp.

1997 Upper Deck #492 - I'm tempted to say the image used was part of a shoot to sort of show how Gwynn shared Ted Williams' love for fishing.

1995 Topps Stadium Club #475 - I'm not sure I'm enamored by this card, but that huge bat is mighty impressive and it seems that Gwynn is being recognized for some achievement.

1998 Upper Deck All-Star Credentials insert #AS-19 - an insert I pulled back in the day, I like the faux ID card design and futuristic graphics used to showcase the player.

1993 Upper Deck SP #167 - the infamous Gwynn card showing him having fun in spring training.

1993 Leaf #28 - love him kicking up down as he slides into home plate.

R.I.P. Tony Gwynn 1960-2014

I took this photo of him back in 2009 while he signed a couple of Hall of Fame postcards for me - he had a long time partnership with a Ford dealership in El Cajon California and it was always news to So. Cal collectors when an autograph signing appearance date would pop up.

I only knew about the signings in the last 15 years and managed to attend several of them - towards the end of his playing career, it would really be crazy getting to the car dealership early and staking out a spot in line.

As Gwynn retired, the appearances seemed to get a little more low key and manageable to attend - sometimes Gwynn would be grumpier than other times, but he would always to take the time to sign.

I'm not sure he did this all the time, but he'd usually extend the signing time an hour extra - a funny thing he always did do was bust the balls of 'collectors' who would line up a second time.

Gwynn was savvy as far as sniffing out the pros and at these signings and there maybe at least 20 of them that he regularly saw [plus everyone else who might have gotten back in line] - he'd make them wait in a separate line if he knew he'd sign for them already and make signing for fans who hadn't gotten an autograph a priority.

Maybe if he felt like he was done with everyone among the general public who made time to attend the signing - someone would need to give him a good reason before he relented to sign and finish up with the pros that stuck around.

A Hall of Famer who played much of his career in the 'junk wax era,' there was no doubt I first learned many of Gwynn's exploit through cardboard - I want to say he's a 'baseball card hero,' where I might not have actually seen many of his accomplishments as a player, but was aware of his reputation because of what was printed on the back of his baseball cards.

Digging through card show bins

A trip to a card show where there are different dime / quarter / $0.50 / dollar boxes to dig through is how I have a little fun putting together my own stack of baseball cards when I'm not angling to pick up anything in particular - though I only get a certain number of cards and it may cost a little more that something a Fairfield repack from Target, I have more control over what I can pick up, depending on my interests at the moment and actual cards seeded in the boxes.

15 for $5
1991 Topps Stadium Club Dome Shawn Green #67
1996 Donruss Press Proof Steve Sparks #3

1998 Skybox Metal Tony Gwynn #19 of 20 - Universal Language die-cut insert
1999 Bowman Tim Hudson rookie card #375 - scan miscut the image of the card
1999 Topps Finest Pat Burrell rookie card #131
2005 Topps Turkey Red Ryne Sandberg #312

2006 Topps Turkey Red Albert Pujols #500
2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects Brandon Hynick #BSP-BWH

2010 Topps Ozzie Smith #CMT 28 - Cards Your Mom Threw Out Original Back insert  
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Matthew Skole #BDPP 15
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Harold Riggins #BDPP 21
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Carl Thomore #BDPP 31

2011 Topps Opening Day Joe Mauer - Opening Day Stars insert
2012 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Sean McAdams #BDPP 94
2012 Bowman Platinum Yorman Rodriguez #BPP 68 - X-fractor parallel

15 for $1
1991 Upper Deck Final Update Kenny Lofton rookie card 24F
1992 Fleer Tony Gwynn #5 of 10
1992 Fleer Tony Gwynn #9 of 10

1996 Upper Deck SPx Jim Edmonds #11
2005 Fleer Ultra Joe Mauer #5 - Gold Medallion die-cut parallel
2007 Bowman's Best Joe Mauer #6
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter Miguel Cabrera #90

2007 Topps Allen and Ginter David Wright #200
2007 Topps Turkey Red Vladimir Guerrero #185B - Ad back / SP
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter Jered Weaver #234
2010 Topps Heritage Ryan Braun #492 - All-Star subset / SP
2011 Bowman Josh Hamilton BB 9 - Bowman's Best insert
2011 Bowman Joe Mauer BB 22 - Bowman's Best insert
2011 Topps Update Kevin Jepsen #US-101 - Cognac parallel
2011 Topps Update Scott Downs #US-198 - Diamond Anniversary parallel