COMC mail #1 - some notable ink

Through 2021, maybe I needed to do something about the cards I had in my COMC port because I'd just about forgotten about them - I don't do anything special on COMC [I don't sell, participate in challenges or wait for specials] but when the mood hits, add funds to my account so I can pick up random cards. 

I would have been content to let my cards sit indefinitely - but it looked like economy shipping [$4.99] was back to a more reasonable time frame [maybe a month] rather than taking 4-6 months.

On the other hand, when I'm down to my last $5 on COMC, it's always a game for me where I wonder if I use up my remaining funds or commit to have my cards shipped as intended - I had my cards shipped and they arrived in just about a month, which may not be like the good 'ole days before the pandemic, but reasonable enough with the way things still are.

To nudge things towards having my stash sent out - I picked up a couple of certified autographs.

I was browsing for a certified autograph of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt on the eBay app and saw one listed by COMC's account - I wondered if the same card [2021 Topps Finest Finest Moments Autographs] would be available on their Web site and made the decision to commit to pick up what I assumed was the same card.

While  Schmidt is still living and has signed his fair share of autographs for pay, who knows when the well will dry up - where seemingly more affordable pack pulled autographs that slip under the radar creeps up in value. 

I don't know if the Schmidt was something I had in mind as a PC addition  - but it has its place where I'll list it as such and squirrel it away. 

I've hung onto a 2004 Upper Sweet Spot autograph of Rolen for the longest time as a 'pride thing' where it's my only certified autograph, in addition to a couple of other IP autographs - but he's gained a lot of support for the Hall of Fame and Cooperstown might be calling in the next couple of year where the same basic autograph [1998 Donruss Signature Series Autographs Millennium Marks] might have asking prices of double or triple with a probable HOF bump.

Demon got me with another eBay promo

I grabbed this 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt / Ron Cey #615 rookie card because eBay had a January $15 off promo code with purchases of $75 or more - I'm a sucker for those promo codes because it gives me an excuse to look for cards to add, even if the apparent discount isn't all that much for what I need to spend.

As a more substantial long-term project, I've tried to focus into finding PC cards that I hope will make my overall collections a bit more well-rounded - even if the cards feature more of the old-timers, rather than the latest and greatest players from the past five years.

The idea of owning the particular card was probably kind of foreign and strange to me - I assumed a raw, ungraded card was worth at least $200 at one point and it just wasn't realistic to grab one.

Obviously a Schmidt rookie card would be much more significant if he was the only one pictured on a 'stand alone' card - as is, maybe I just don't appreciate the quaintness of the centerpiece player [John David Hilton], who played in a full season of MLB games [161] spread over parts of 4 years and hit .213 with an OPS of .564.

I want to say I mainly remember Cey roughly 25 years ago because he was pictured on ads posted in the sports page of my local paper - touting / endorsing some kind of get rich quick investment scheme with baseball cards.

Schmidt is probably considered the best third baseman of all time though Cey was a fine player to be sharing this card with John David Hilton and Schmidt - I'm not sure if he was ever considered a national star back in his day, but Cey was a Dodgers slugging third baseman who finished his 17-year career with 316 home runs.