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.