Card show finds - Miscellaneous dollar box pulls

For card shows I have to pay some type of entrance fee / premium for upfront, before even spending money at actual seller tables - is it a failure to dig around for smaller types of purchases?

I get self-conscious about having to think a little more 'big time' in order to justify a card show day - maybe it's just a case where I still have do my thing, even if I might not have clearly defined goals other than being loosey-goosey wandering and rummaging around.

The following were a results of a rummage in mostly a dollar box except for one card - in a case where I have to pay to gain admittance to a card show, maybe a game I want to play is staying away from sellers I know I've bought from before and end up seeing at the more typical 'free' card shows I go to.

As it goes however, that idea only lasts so long when I end up looking for that first accessible table where I start digging around bins - I ended up being charged $20 for about $26 worth of cards off a seller who puts out bins of $1, $2, $5 cards among other things he might tease at his table [maybe other odds and ends, a higher end showcase].

I've bought from this seller multiple times over the past two or three years at different places - though at the same card show event the year before, I was trying to be smart about staying away from someone relatively local.

1999 Topps Finest Split Screen Refractor Right Alex Rodriguez / Ken Griffey Jr. #SS2 [$2] - I'll pick up the occasional A-Rod card where there might be lingering nostaglia over the player, regardless of his mistakes in his professional baseball career and regardless of the things he is up to now to try and stay relevant, like working in the media and trying to own a professional sports team, etc.

I am not familiar with these Topps Finest inserts, though looking them up - there might be versions where the Griffey Jr. side is a refractor or a version where both sides are refractors.

I'm the peculiar collector who spends an hour rummaging through value box cards at one table where I have my game face on - I might not be digging through high brow stuff, I might be flagging odds and ends, but it's a thing to kind of keep going card-by-card, stack-by-stack and row-by-row.

While the seller has probably combed over his value boxes, I like the idea where I find all sorts of stuff - oddballs, shiny, old-school player card (s) and even newer retro cards of Hall of Fame legends.

Some of the odder stuff for me includes - a 1993 Upper Deck World Cup 94 Preview English / Spanish From The Sidelines Tony Meola #149, where he is signing for Reggie Jackson, 1992 Sports Illustrated for Kids Series 2 Dawn Staley #67 and a 2005-06 Topps Chrome Christie Brinkley #216.

I really have no lingering sentiment for the player, but I grabbed a 1999 Fleer Mystique Pat Burrell RC #134 - Serial #’d 2486/2999 - since it might have been his 'hot' mainstream rookie when he may have gotten hobby hype 25 years ago.

Making the odd Angels cards keepers is still fun, where I need that one MLB team to bang the drum for - idly digging where I was ready to check out, the 1964 Topps Angel Backstops Buck Rodgers (Bob Rodgers) / Ed Sadowski #61 might have been a last minute find.

I fished out these cards out of a vintage set-filler portion of mostly commons - 1970 Topps Jim Kaat #75, 1970 Topps Juan Marichal #210 and 1970 Topps Tony Oliva #510.

Besides baseball, the seller really has all sort of odds and ends where it's not jumbled up like a tub or bucket - but you never know what you might find.

I want to be narrow minded where I'm picking up baseball cards I'm familiar with for the most part - but to add some more wrinkles to my stack, I made a 1995 Panini Smash Hits Album Stickers Steven Tyler #3, a 1995 Panini Smash Hits Album Stickers Bono #137 and a 1995 Panini Smash Hits Album Stickers Madonna #79 keepers.

Card show finds - Miscellaneous vintage #2

I'm not so well versed in vintage cards, where it is sort of a 'no-context' collecting theme for me - but to follow in other collector's footsteps, I want to dabble in picking up random cards, so it's not always the new stuff I end up with in card show hauls.

Even if I'm never getting close to possessing particularly valuable and/or the coveted vintage that are slabbed up and rest in serious collectors' hands - I want to able to say that I can tease some old school / vintage baseball cards that adds some character to my collections.

Doing some blind digs in a vintage bin at a card show booth - it is hard to figure out what I am looking for, but maybe I try to see if there are cards that catch my eye or really players and/or specific cards other collectors have talked about.

I decided to splurge on a 1954 Bowman Larry Doby card #84 - I liked how he is posed on the dugout steps on a bright, sunny day with the stadium behind him.

The only thing was I did not bother to pay closer attention to the back of the card - I did not realize there were some writing that may have had me putting card back.

1954 Topps Ed O'Brien & Johnny O'Brien #139 - a unique twin brother duo who played on the same Pittsburgh Pirates teams in the big leagues.

1955 Topps Harry Agganis #152 - I was scrolling on Instagram two or three years ago when I learned about this card and the player, a two-sport athlete who ended up passing away prematurely.

1963 Fleer Albie Pearson #19 and 1962 Topps Baseball Bob Rodgers #431 - it may depend on what I find, but I might be apt to make keepers out of vintage cards of one-time Angels players, either to fill out my Angels Opening Day Starters collection or my all-time Angels register project.

Dollar vintage - the 1961 Topps Zorro 'Zoilo' Versalles RC #21 goes into my award winners collection, while the 1967 Topps Jose Cardenal #193 and 1967 Topps George Brunet #122 probably end up in my Angels Opening Day Starters collection or my all-time Angels register project.

Featured autograph - Caden Dana

I have been hearing updates about the 20-year old pitching prospect on social media / X through this past year - so for future considerations, where I expected to add this card to my Angels all-time autograph collection, I picked up an on-card prospect auto back in May.

He made his Major League Debut on 9/1 against the Seattle Mariners and got the win - going 6 IP, 2 ER, 2H, 4K and 4BB.

Card show finds - Miscellaneous vintage #1

I was browsing around a booth with binned singles at various price points - there were some early 1960s Fleer and also 1959 Fleer Ted Williams that might be of interest.

I decided to another table in the meantime, but overheard another collector looking for 1959 Fleer Ted Williams cards - so I wondered if he saw the binned cards from the one booth I was looking through.

I went back to the booth just to see if the cards were still there and it looks like they were - maybe the plan was to pick up four cards for around $5 each, so I tried to thumb through cards and see if there were probable keepers out of 'vintage, but long after their playing careers were done' cards of many HOfers.

I know the stacks I'm thumbing through are not high brow vintage and I don't really know what to make of such old-timey cards, but rather than some 'here and now' miscellany - it might be cool to end up with some real cardboard relics rather than something shiny and newish.

I picked out a couple of the Ted Williams cards - I can use as binder material I can add with my loose modern era Williams cards or for a loose card project.

I picked up an odd-uniform Ralph Kiner card picturing him with the Cleveland Indians - I can use for a loose card project or as binder material.

I picked up a Kid Nichols card I can squirrel away as part of my loose card Hall of Fame collections - where maybe I've tried to revive that project a little bit.

I made a Ty Cobb card a keeper, since he was the GOAT among early 20th century century players - even if he wasn't the most savory personality and reputation.

I also grabbed a card Branch Rickey since he was instrumental in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball - maybe to use for a loose card project or as an 'extra' I can add along with my loose modern era Jackie Robinson cards.

I realized I'd actually bought from the seller last year at another card show - I did not expect him to remember me, but when presented my cards, maybe hoping for a little off the total.

I was expecting to pay $25 or maybe $20 if I was lucky, but was charged exactly $30 for six cards and the seller was even confused, where he thought he asked me for $35 - I rolled my eyes for a moment before paying up.

What I did not realize until taking pictures of the cards after the fact - was the Cobb was actually marked as a $15 card when I assumed it was just another $5 card, so the seller did end up giving me a little discount off as I'd expected in the first place.

Card show finds - pack pulled autographs

I was on a self-imposed hiatus through the summer to go to any card show or even visit a card shop - but I missed the in-person the card show rummage grind and wanted to see if I could still do what I do at a card show date.

I really didn't think I’d find anything I'd need out of the '2 for $5' bins at one table - but was setting aside the odd non-Angels cards of Angels all-time autograph subjects among others as potential keepers.

There might be something about thumbing through junk autos I would not have cared for before, but end up being a quick fixes when I see them out in the wild - if the players shown played for the Angels at one time and I did not have their autograph.

Another consideration is for the one-time Angels players I've gotten to sign something at some point, but may have to think up - where I actually squirreled away their IP/TTM autographs.

I might have had a 20-25 stack, but I had to whittle things down to keep things relatively reasonable - maybe it was still a little looney where I ended up with 14 cards of questionable quality and was charged exactly $35.

Another great Angels bullpen signing from last off-season - hope Stephenson bounces back some time in 2025 to earn his pay.

Owens didn't have the lasting power, but he was a fan favorite in San Diego for a couple of years, because he was a scrappy, hard nosed type - I don't think he made the same gritty impact when he played for the Angels, where he spent his last MLB season as a player in 2003.

I was excited to pick up pack pulled autographs of Chris Young, Roansy Contreras and Brock Burke - I never got Young at all when he was playing, while Contreras and Burke are 2024 Angels who were acquired during the past year.

Even if it only was worth what I paid, I picked up a Mark Teixeira autograph because it seemed too good to pass up out a value box set-up - though I have had gotten his autograph in-person or TTM multiple times early in his MLB career, this card is the one that ends up in my Angels all-time autograph collection.

I fished out some other autographs where I tried to make most of my time pulling out what I could - who knows if I needed these, but they made sense to add to my pile.

Maybe the worst looking autograph here is Mark Vientos - but it's also a rookie year auto of a young third baseman having a breakout season for the New York Mets.

The best looking autograph is of a Cincinnati Reds pitcher name Tony Santillan - who is pictured hitting on his 2022 Topps Stadium Club auto card.

I found a Corbin Burnes autograph - maybe not such a big deal, but it's win if I can find a star pitcher auto out of a value box set-up.

I found a 1983 Fleer Ron Kittle autograph - I was looking for card by itself for one my Top 100 projects planned, but I'll take a chance on a signed IP/TTM auto.

TTM autograph received: Kim Ng

I got a straggler SASE back in the mailbox and since I have not mailed out much in recent years - there was some mystery who the return was from.

The small initials I usually scribble on the corner of my SASEs didn't clue me in off the bat - so I was really curious to see what I got.

There were two The Autograph Card blanks signed in black ink inside - that threw me for a loop, where it was not even actual baseball cards that might have been obvious identifiers.

I looked it up on my TTM log, hoping I listed the request before sending it off - this returned happened to be from former MLB general manager Kim Ng, who I mailed to c/o Miami Marlins spring training on 3/18/21.

The Blogger National 2024

To give a reason to post something for the first time since late May - I jumped in on this blog bat-around from Cards Over Coffee where I have a round up of things that have animated me.

K-Rod certified autograph - for how tough he eventually became to get an autograph of, maybe there are now opportunities to pick up a pack pulled autograph for relatively cheap.

This one probably ends up squirreled away in my all-time autograph collection - where I can put it away and forget about it.

Fished out a small pile of 1951 Bowman reprints in a bulk box at a card show - sent this one with $5 to get inked up by the all-time signing great.

Oddball Dodgers stadium giveaway - at the start of the year, I picked this up off the 'swap meet' table at a card shop and I'm wondering if I should leave as is.

Presumably a partial mix of cards towards the entire master set - I wonder how many different subjects are contained within this 'pack' of player card sheets.

Top 100 fuel for a probable set featuring only Angels cards - not sure where I might have another copy of this uncorrected error card somewhere, so it was easier to buy a copy online.

Top 100 card featuring the GOAT hitter pitching - I bought another copy back in April, but it bugged me where a corner was dog eared.

I am kind of a stickler on condition at first glance, where I might spot an obvious blemish on a card I picked up outright, regardless of value - for some peace of mind, I pulled the trigger on picking up another copy and thankfully it seems a cleaner.

Top 100 fuel - a priority is squirreling away cards that might be cult favorites [even if only in my mind] as highlights of all-time Top 100 cheap-azz keepers collections.