Unearthing a small sample of shiny finds

I’m kind of surprised when there are other collectors makin’ whoopee at the bulk boxes at a card show - I tend to assume the low end bins are my space, where most won’t bother, but there are guys digging around just the same, occasionally pulling cards for each other [like on one occasion], building up stacks on their own.

Maybe it's more fun and games, but it doesn't make me feel as lonely doing my thing - where I do my damage, looking for cards for my assorted interests.

For collectors now of a certain age, yet didn't grow up in the middle ages - cards that pop seem to be a lure, where the aesthetics of a parallel or insert make them no brainer keepers, especially out of the glut of cards taking space that end up looking kind of the same.

2023 Series 1 Topps Super Box recap

I didn't know what this was and it maybe the last thing I needed, but I was influenced by a TikTok clip to pick up a couple - it was still in stock at Target.com when I browsed around three weeks ago and I figured I might rip one and save one so I have this unopened baseball card display package in hand to look at.

The warehouse randoms that pack out the trading card packages for Target always does a shoddy job and more than likely, there will always be at least one box [when usually buying a couple] with noticeable blemishes or even dents - I quickly looked over the two boxes I got and it made it easier where to justify ripping through the box with the cardboard display that was crushed and less presentable.

The 10 packs [two sets of five] were bundled together with adhesive sticky dots and may have stuck to the Julio Rodriguez header / cover card - but if there wasn’t the cover, there might be damage to the oversized card, which was Aaron Judge.

I was kind of bummed the oversize was not Shohei Ohtani - Judge maybe the top card to get at the moment though, so there is that.

I checked the little ziplock baggie that had the enamel trading card pin insert - thankfully, it was Ohtani for the win.

I found the normal types of base cards and inserts out of the 16-card packs - I pulled a Home Run Challenge code card of Austin Riley, which I scratched off and entered; go figure it was a winning card for me as Riley hit a home run on 4/17 against the San Diego Padres.

Angels Opening Day starters - 2023 edition

I finally put together my cards for the 2023 season, which started three weeks ago - originally I was going to use non-Angels cards of Brandon Drury [first base] and Hunter Renfroe [right field] to fill out the lineup for now.

However, I bought a 2023 Topps Big League Angels team set on eBay for basically another copy of the Logan O'Hoppe Uncommon rookie card - but also with Drury and Renfroe's first Angels [Photoshopped] cards.

The only non-Angel card straggler for now ends up being shortstop Gio Urshela - I'm not going to worry about finding an Angels card for him until I can pull it or find it at some point within the year.

Some cheap thrills with a junk box of cards

At a card show I go to, I ended up picking up one of the odd junk boxes [varying sizes, but I got one of 800-count ones, marked $3] - piled at the end of the table at the back of the storefront [where the show dates take place].

I’ve seen the old-old regulars occasionally poke around and dig through those random boxes because they probably have nothing better to do - even though the boxes have been picked over, no one actually wants the cards.

I'm really looking for the stragglers from the junk wax era [or a little bit before or after those 1986-92 years, whatever ends up being in the boxes] - I might not otherwise discover unless I take a chance on one of these 'repack boxes on steroids.'

Knowing the caveats, it's probably a better experience to pick one up a box, priced as is - than busting the latest incarnations of the pharmacy repack boxes collectors kind of like to bust, even when the contents have been less than ideal.

Just to keep things straight in my head, I’m counting on pulling about 20-25 keepers that make the purchase worth $3 for me - even if I'm inclined to throw away the other 775 cards [where maybe the box itself still looks fairly clean and ends up being the most valuable item after being repurposed].

There was a 'big' open display tray of junk cards for $15 - there was no way I was going to grab that and be able to take it home.

Maybe an iconic baseball pair as far sports movies go - the past 15-20 years.

Make no mistake about the significant number of 1987 Topps, 1988 Donruss 1988 Topps, 1990 Fleer, 1991 Donruss and other junk wax era brands in this box - but digging through, one pile at a time has me discovering some odd keepers, only a collector who nerds out on long forgotten bulk cards can appreciate.

New loose card project adds

Off random card show rummages in the bulk boxes - these dime cards [in this instance] tease some cheap thrills when I come across them, since they are more cards for this loose card project.

Maybe I find the such cards from the last 10 years or so more repetitive [save the Ripken Jr. card] - where batters are pictured batting with some of the dugout signage visible as an easy hint where these images were taken.

Card show pickups - The rest of the mess

I've ended up intermittently posting about what I got [like the Miguel Tejada card] - these aren't the better cards or anything, just kind of odds and ends I ended up making keepers from the particular purchase.

Off a seller that has become my outlet for whatever miscellaneous cards things I dig for - maybe I really didn't find a card or two that grabbed my attention from the stacked singles piles, maybe to bundle along the cheaper stuff I may find.

Another collector was plugging away through the seller's two-row dollar shoebox and at the tail end of this other guy's dig, I started going through the dollar bin myself - though maybe the box wasn’t refreshed from the last time I saw the seller.

It didn't seem that long ago when I went through the seller's dollar boxes, but that was already back several months ago - after some time has passed, could I expect the seller to fresher dollar material?

Maybe the seller has a cache of material he just sitting on or not knowing his M.O. - does make it where he has ways to regularly buy up new hauls of assorted cards, he can put out for a dollar each.

Card show pickup - Miguel Tejada

No one is looking for a Miguel Tejada card in 2023, but I found this in a dollar box and after being one of the 'last cuts' in a previous card show trip - found it again and decided to take it home with me.

He ends up being more of a forgotten player in my decade stars roster, but I think he is still on there - where if I find a nice, high brow shiny card like this one for cheap, I'll have to make it a keeper.

Looking it up, there might be 100 copies of this die-cut card from the 1998 Leaf set - but the actual cards are not serial #'d.

A new loose card project for myself?

I have my mini-collections and then there might be other off-shoot card projects - that randomly sprout up from random ideas and inspiration from other collectors to nerd out over scattered cards.

This is a small sample size from what I found off a card show rummage - I have an idea about the theme I'm going for, but does anyone else see it?

There are just way too many cards printed to ever catch myself trying to track down all as priorities - like it’s some great achievement to build up this particular loose card project.

I do not want to know all the cards that are out there - where it becomes overwhelming to have to make a mushrooming wantlist of cards I’m looking for.

I’m never catching myself putting specific cards on a list - but this doesn’t mean I won’t save screenshots of cards I see and/or possibly make a micro-mini 15-20 card cheat sheet.

Out in the wild, I do not want to make random cards I wouldn’t have otherwise considered instant keepers - though when possible, I probably give myself license to do just that.

A more realistic thing to actively look for is to put together a page of nine cards for more prominent players - it might be fun where there is some purpose to the project rather than a mix-mix collection of randomness with an apparent theme, but still otherwise aimless.

I don't really want to create more loose piles of cards and disrupt the general disorder of things already scattered - by trying to excavate my A-Z archives for cards where I want to pace myself and try not to over collect too fast.

Though they may not be 'harder to find' I think I have chosen a particular subset of players for this project rather than the other, more common subset of players to appear on such cards - where it maybe a little more of a challenge to keep my eyes peeled for any cards I conscript into the collection.

Card show pickups - Matt Holliday

I picked up a couple of [dollar] rookies of the former big league slugger and while a non-geographic player for me - I don't think I ever had these cards and could squirrel them away, where Holliday was notable player who is part of the 'he's signed an autograph for me in-person before' alumni.

Holliday might be most relevant in the 'here and now' as the father of 2022 No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday - where picking up pop's cards triggers me to watch for the younger, looking to play his first full season in pro baseball.

The elder Holliday had very good big league career mostly between the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals - he also had some odd stints with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees and a late-career return with the Rockies.

Card show pickups - Angels material

Off a seller, these are [dollar] Angel cards are ones I ended up making keepers - maybe I'm content to squirrel a few Angels here and there into my card show pile depending on the player and type of card, but even if I don't have them, I get picky just adding random Angels cards left and right.

I don't think I've ever had a Erstad 1996 Upper Deck SP RC #4 [which may have been special for a little bit when he was a top prospect] - Erstad's big league totals ended up being rather modest for a No. 1 overall pick, but he fit the mold of a 100 percent player / zero percent BS type fans ate up.

Maybe my favorite non-RC Mike Trout ends up being his 2016 Topps #1 and the version I picked up looks to be a Rainbow Foil parallel - I'm not focused enough to seek out a rainbow for a specific player or from a specific year, I might be on the look out for as many versions of the Trout when available.

I ended up picking up a 1969 Topps Hoyt Wilhelm for my 'all-time team register' collection last year but the no-team airbrushed cap doesn't make the card the most attractive - this 1969 Topps Decals Wilhelm actually has the Angels logo plastered on the cap, so it ends up popping a little more [even though it's not really a traditional trading card].

Card show pickups - shiny Panini

Off a seller, these [dollar] cards are ones I might have left in his box back in January, but might have had another chance to flag down when I saw the person again - I'm not on that unlicensed baseball kick outright, but a serial #'d parallel and/or a shiny parallel might give my loose card pile [I'm building] a breath of fresh air as probable binder material [for a star like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or a recently retired great like Yadier Molina].

I think the Bryan Reynolds is my favorite as it looked pretty special on first glance - even though I found a different version of the parallel [probably serial #'d to a lower amount] I had no interest in making a keeper for $5.

I don't actively collect Reynolds, but I can imagine him being a higher profile star once he moves on from the Pittsburgh [Pirates] - with his contract status kind of up in the air [where he wants to be paid], maybe a non-MLB licensed card is more of an ideal find [where some guys end up mercenaries].

Card show pickups - Manny Ramirez

'Manny' is an 'iffy' guy to collect in the 'here and now,' where I wouldn't know what to do with his miscellaneous cards long enough after he stopped playing - but he was a great, fun player to watch [as a phenom in Cleveland, a superstar in Boston in his prime and playing the starring role in the Mannywood show with the Dodgers], so I snuck in some cards that caught my eye in the '3 for 1' card show brick I was building.

Some mini-collection odds and ends

Maybe I was feeling idle, so I wanted to see if I can knock out some scratch the itch cards - nothing high brow, but maybe a mix of cards that hit some of my mini-collection needs.

Trying to go through my memory banks, a flagged cards folder on my phone, my eBay watchlist, my blog Top 10 and saved TTM fuel images to round up random cards to hunt for - having my possible wants material in scattered formats ends up leaving me feeling a little messy.

I found a seller online I was willing to buy around 20 cards from, but then past $1.99, shipping was going to be around $7 - maybe there was no budget option despite saying so otherwise on the seller's postage chart, so after spending about an hour crafting up a probable 'buy list,' I ended up throwing my hands up in the air.

I ended up cutting the number to the bare minimum that would ship for $1.99 - where I wanted the following cards in-hand and committed to picking them up for a little over $0.50 each.

1988 Colorado Springs Sky Sox CMC Jeff Kaiser #4 - Awesome action; Oddities - I love how a pitcher is all dressed up in catchers' gear, mugging it up for the photographer.

2007 Upper Deck Gary Matthews Jr. #225 - Awesome outfield action - I've wanted this card because it captures his greatest play in his pro baseball career and probably helped put him on a lot of people's minds, where he had kind of just moved from team-to-team.

1994 Fleer Update Rico Brogna #U156 - Broken bat shots - I found this while trying to scan through someone selling cards on Twitter; at times, I find mini-collection cards by just digging through card images others have posted.

1993 Milk-Bone Super Stars Dog Food Issue Will Clark #7 - Facial hair - I fall under being a 'junk wax guy,' but for all the Clark cards I've seen, there might only be a couple that features a stache on The Thrill.

1991 Topps Woolworth Baseball Highlights Bert Blyleven #7 - Inking it up - I had to have this card featuring a player in the twilight of his big league career, taking the time to sign autographs; the copy I received looks like it might hava burn mark, so it might be a filler copy for now.

1990 ProCards A and AA Darrin Chapin #19 - Pitchers hitting - I guess he's not actually hitting, as much as he's posing with a bat in his hand, but it's kind of an odd image I end up counting.

2023 Topps oversized box toppers pickups

I was watching a YouTuber go through some of newest hauls and he showed off one of these cards - I didn't know what they were, but they are apparently bonus cards in 2021 Topps Series 1 jumbo boxes.

I ended up doing some browsing on eBay and ended up putting a bid and winning an Ichiro card from the set - regardless of the other players on the checklist, I can't go wrong with this all-time fan favorite.

The fronts are very generic and make me think these cards are MLB team issued cards from the 1970s or 1980s perhaps - though that is how the originals might have looked.

I'm not that collector who nitpicks at how faithful the details are replicated - when it comes to modern cards mimicking past designs.

I do like how Topps made good use of the colors on the back of the cards - where it's not as sleepy as the fronts.

Besides a copy of the Ichiro, it was kind of a no brainer to look for the Angels on the checklist - which ends up being Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout obviously.

In-hand, the cards end up being smaller [3.5 x 5 inch] than I assumed, but larger than a regular sized card - for the most part I want regular sized cards, though I may have to make exceptions for odd-sized stuff like these box toppers.

TTM autographs received: Jack Brohamer

The former big league second baseman is apparently the only player in the game's history to hit a home run wearing uniform shorts - he signed my cards in a couple of months and included a card printed with his name and a Bible verse.

I think he ended up as a 'scratch the itch' TTM guy, where I had a random card of his to send out and ended up with one more - however he had apparently moved where there were no new address available in the meantime, so I waited until other collectors started reporting new successes with an updated working address.

2023 Topps team runs completed

One of the loose card projects I work on is trying to get a flagship Topps card from all the MLB teams over the past 45 years - that may only run from 1978 onward, but I'm looking at over 40 years and it's a perpetual work in progress to fill holes, where I would like to get all the cards I need.

When opening a Topps flagship blaster in previous year, maybe I wanted to be able to complete a current year run within that one box - but the choices in-hand don't always end up inspiring and I might have held off on a team spot in case there was a card in Series 2 I wanted to use or maybe a Series 1 card I didn't pull.

I had a hobby box of Topps Series 1 to work with this year and except for potential Series 2 cards - I wouldn't have a problem finishing off this year's run.

Best players or seat fillers [?] - I don’t want to always use the more obvious stars or superstars, where a personal rule is only being able to use a player three times for a team's entire run.

I want to highlight either a breakout or underrated player and in most cases, will defer to using notable players - especially if they were the story for a particular year and I have the card for them.

Considering considering cards for my Topps team runs collection - maybe the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks left me wondering if I actually had the cards to pick from.

I could have used a Michael Harris RC for the Braves - but that is going into my award winners collection, where it's my first card of the 2022 National League Rookie of the Year.

I ended up going with a card of Raisel Iglesias - who hasn't really been a Braves' player for that long, but might be counted on to be the team's closer this upcoming season.

I could have used an Adley Rutschman (RC) for the Orioles, but I want to keep that card around as a 'single' or maybe a binder material centerpiece - even though there are probably a million of the cards printed where it's worth $5 rather than $25.

For the Orioles, I ended up using the rookie card of Gunnar Henderson - maybe it's a little fast forward thinking, where he hasn't done anything yet, but Henderson is the No.1 prospect in the game and his rookie teases a nice 'dirt fetish' at-bat shot.

For the Diamondbacks, I didn't want to use another Merrill Kelly or Ketel Marte, so I went with Josh Rojas - not quite an inspiring player, but he had a decent year in 2022.

#17 Shohei Ohtani - Angels
#181 Yordan Alvarez - Astros
#153 Kevin Gausman - Blue Jays
#115 Raisel Iglesias - Braves
#60 Josh Rojas - Diamondbacks
#257 Yadiel Hernandez - Expos / Nationals
#262 Camilo Doval - Giants
#116 Steven Kwan - Indians / Guardians
#330 Julio Rodriguez - Mariners
#206 Gunnar Henderson - Orioles
#279 Yu Darvish - Padres
#314 Ke'Bryan Hayes - Pirates
#124 Nathaniel Lowe - Rangers
#227 Yandy Diaz - Rays
#11 Rafael Devers - Red Sox
#33 Kyle Farmer - Reds
#122 Yonathan Daza - Rockies
#7 Bobby Witt Jr. - Royals
#62 Aaron Judge - Yankees
#6 Paul Blackburn - Athletics
#109 Eric Lauer - Brewers
#5 Albert Pujols - Cardinals
#54 Marcus Stroman - Cubs
#50 Mookie Betts - Dodgers
#107 Sandy Alcantara - Marlins
#21 Max Scherzer - Mets
#293 J.T. Realmuto - Phillies
#74 Tarik Skubal - Tigers
#25 Byron Buxton - Twins
#132 Gavin Sheets - White Sox; #53 Dylan Cease - White Sox

2023 Topps Series 1 hit - James Outman auto

Go figure, I finally get lured by a mass email to finally buy something through Larry Fritsch Cards, which was a hobby box of 2023 Topps - maybe I was worried about not getting their print catalogs again, but I know I'm still on their mailing list and browsing through the actual catalog goes over my head real fast.

While flagship Topps is pretty basic, there is a curiosity to see what the new cards are about for the current year - maybe blasters are $25 now, so to change things up, a lone hobby box [rather 3-4 blasters for the year perhaps] might have been a viable purchase for now.

Admittedly, there is no tradition where I bust a personal box of anything each year, though there might be a curiosity to be able to do so - especially a hobby version of flagship Topps, where I'm hoping on that slim chance to pull something nicer, something unexpected.

Bracing myself for some one color relic action of a minor star or rank and file guy, I was glad my hit was an autograph - Outman is unfamiliar to me, but coming up through the rich Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, he has put up numbers and might be a serviceable big leaguer for the next 5-10 years.

My card was apparently the black parallel of the 1988 Topps Baseball autographs inserts - my copy was serial #'d 099/199.

Featured autograph - Matt Moore

I picked this up because he was just signed by the Angels and figure a cheap certified autograph would be an easy add to my all-time autograph collection - I don’t remember whether I got him in-person during his young hotshot years as a starting pitcher Tampa Bay Rays.

Maybe it's better to have a random certified autograph to file away than to dig for an autograph I might not have at all - I looked up my memory banks and in 2012, it looks like I was able to get him in-person on an 8x10 print after being denied the previous day because he was tagging along with Evan Longoria.

TTM autographs received: Todd Zeile

I got a response from a request I sent to the former big at the end of October 2022 - I wasn't sure if he really signed TTM [maybe he was locked up with an autograph middleman or promoter], but took a chance of sending since he had a 1990 Leaf I wanted inked up.

Zeile was a hot prospect for a moment in the middle of the junk wax era, but never really ascended to that perennial all-star performer level - he ended up a being a perfectly competent player who bounced around different teams in the middle of his career, where you can plug and play him on a short term basis.

TTM autographs received: Ross Baumgarten

The former big league lefty signed my cards in about three weeks - for most part, it doesn't matter as long as I get a card inked up, but it is noticeable in-hand where sometimes an autograph signed on a card [1981 Donruss] ends up kind of bleeding into the darker or more cluttered image used.

Maybe the card was signed as it was, where there were no obvious blemishes or smears - but it just doesn't stand out.