Old school dumpster dive

I have certain expectations as see certain tables at a card show and being able to use them as an outlet as far as looking for accessible material - maybe a bargain box where I can pick up a quantity of cheap cards for various interests.

At this last show I went to, I was hoping to get a chance to work on the '2 for $1' box I didn't quite know what to make of the Saturday before last - go figure as I'm trying to glance at where the seller might be at this particular card show date, the table wasn't there, so that threw me for a loop.

The other person who I actually consider my 'go to guy' with the quarter bins of doom hasn't actually been there the past couple of weeks - he might be set up at another weekend show and on YouTube, I actually did see his table set up at a different, unfamiliar spot a month ago.

I got to another table and while his assorted vintage display box might have been promising for a hot minute the first time I saw it - mostly it was stuffed with off-condition cards with just a small number of notable players' cards priced to sit in those boxes for a while.

As much as I want to make some impulse buys off that old school display - there maybe no cards of interest to really build a 'take home' stack on.

I asked for his 1970s-1980s box of commons and started to dig around, pulling the most random cards - I felt like this just wasn't it where if this scrap brick of cards I was building was my bulk purchases of the day, then something didn't go right when I was looking to dwell on my priority tables.

I rounded up 130 random cards even though I was worried that I was going to past what I was willing to pay for what I was finding - it was weird seeing old-school 1970s through early 1980s cards of guys who played through the late 1980s and even the early 1990s. 

I didn't want to grab cards of certain players whose junk wax era commons are kindling in my eyes - but I was primarily looking for mini-collection material and also any sort of 'names' that maybe familiar at the rank-and-file or minor star level. 

Tony Armas

Buddy Bell

Jack Clark

Dwight Evans

Keith Hernandez

Dennis Lamp

Jeffrey Leonard

Fred Lynn 

Bob McClure

Hal McRae

Jack Morris

Rick Reuschel

Ray Searage

Rick Sutcliffe

Garry Templeton 

Manny Trillo

Willie Upshaw

Bob Walk

Lou Whitaker

Frank White

Mookie Wilson

Willie Wilson

Mini-collections

1975 Topps Steve Ontiveros #483 - awesome action; actual on field game action; batting

1982 Topps Chris Welsh #376 - awesome action; actual on field game action; pitching

1980 Topps Ralph Garr #272 - awesome action; game face cards; focused

1980 Topps Larry Parrish #345 - awesome action; game face cards; focused

1976 Topps Ken Brett #401 - bloodlines; brother George 

1980 Topps Joe Niekro #437 - grips

1980 Topps Amos otis #130 - hats-off

1980 Topps Ray Knight #174 - hats-off

1982 Topps Willie Wilson #230 - hats-off

1982 Topps Rick Waits #573 - hats-off

1978 Topps Rick Wise #572 - players smiling

1978 Topps Pat Dobson #575 - players smiling

1980 Topps George Scott #414 - players smiling

1982 Topps George Foster #342 - players smiling

1978 Topps Henry Cruz #516 - shades

1975 Topps Buck Martinez #314 - tools of ignorance

1975 Topps Johnny Oates #319 - tools of ignorance

1976 Topps Larry Haney #446 - tools of ignorance

Facial hair

1975 Topps Bill North #121

1975 Topps Larry Hisle #526

1975 Topps Eddie Leon #528

1975 Topps Steve Mingori #544

1976 Topps Tom Buskey #178

1976 Topps Al Hrabosky / Rich Gossage #205 - Leading Fireman

1976 Topps Tommy Harper #274

1976 Topps Champ Summers #299

1976 Topps Bob Coluccio #333

1976 Topps Steve Stone #378

1976 Topps Ed Herrmann #406

1976 Topps Carl Morton #528

1976 Topps Roric Harrison #567

1976 Topps Darold Knowles #617

1976 Topps Tom Hall #621

1976 Topps Pepe Frias #647

1976 Topps Traded Ken Reitz #158T

1977 Topps Doug Bird #556

1978 Topps Rick Waits #37

1978 Topps Jorge Orta #42

1978 Topps Warren Brusstar #297

1978 Topps Junior Moore #421

1978 Topps Tim Blackwell #449

1978 Topps Ron Blomberg #506

1978 Topps Tommy Hutton #568

1978 Topps Dick Drago #567

1978 Topps Eric Soderholm #602

1978 Topps Joe Wallis #614

1978 Topps Pat Kelly #616

1980 Topps Cecil Cooper #95

1980 Topps Jeffrey Leonard #106

1980 Topps Sparky Lyle #115

1980 Topps Phil Garner #118

1980 Topps Hal McRae #185

1980 Topps J.R. Richard / Ron Guidry #207 - 1979 Earned Run Avg Ldrs 

1980 Topps Larry Hisle #430

1980 Topps Richie Zisk #620

1980 Topps Gorman Thomas #623

1982 Topps Mickey Klutts #148

1982 Topps Chuck Baker #253

1982 Topps Bruce Sutter #260

1982 Topps John Verhoeven #281

1982 Topps Jason Thompson #295

1982 Topps Bob Walk #296

1982 Topps U.L. Washington #329

1982 Topps Dave Tobik #391

1982 Topps Pete Zachry #399

1982 Topps Elias Sosa #414

1982 Topps Ray Searage #478

1982 Topps Bob McClure #487

1982 Topps Jackson Todd #565

1982 Topps Dennis Lamp #622

1982 Topps Ken Kravec #639

Haves

1975 Topps Mike Marshall #330 - awesome action; fun cards; oddities; what's in a name to pair up with the Mike Marshall who played with the Los Angeles Dodgers through the 1980s.

1976 Topps Ray Fosse #554 - tools of ignorance

Decade stars

1970s

1980 Topps Fred Lynn #110

1980 Topps Keith Hernandez / Fred Lynn #201

1980 Topps Lou Whitaker #358

1980 Topps Jack Morris #371 - I may have this 

1980 Topps Dwight Evans #405

Team boxes

1975 Topps Bob Watson #227

1975 Topps Jeff Burroughs #470

1976 Topps Randy Jones / Andy Messersmith / Tom Seaver #201 - 1975 NL ERA Leaders

1976 Topps Dock Ellis #528

1976 Topps Mike Norris #653

1976 Topps J.R. Richard #625

1977 Topps J.R. Richard #260

1980 Topps Frank White #45

1980 Topps Bill Madlock #55 - already had a copy of this card

1980 Topps Ted Simmons #85 - already had a copy of this card

1980 Topps Ron LeFlore #80

1980 Topps Manny Trillo #90

1980 Topps Jack Clark #167

1980 Topps Tim McCarver #178

1980 Topps Buddy Bell #190

1980 Topps Braves checklist #192 - marked

1980 Topps Lance Parrish #196

1980 Topps Dave Kingman / Gorman Thomas #202 - 1979 Home Run Leaders

1980 Topps Omar Moreno / Willie Wilson #204 - 1979 Stolen Base Leaders

1980 Topps Joe Niekro / Phil Niekro / Mike Flanagan #205 - 1979 Victory Leaders

1980 Topps Dave Concepcion #220

1980 Topps Al Oliver #260

1980 Topps Bobby Bonds #410

1982 Topps Rick Sutcliffe #609

1982 Topps Joe Charboneau #630

1982 Topps Cesar Cedeno #640

Topps team runs

1978 Topps Steve Rogers #425

1980 Topps Bob Horner #108 - Atlanta Braves; upgrade

1980 Topps Dock Ellis #117 - New York Mets

1980 Topps Greg Luzinski #120 - Philadelphia Phillies

1980 Topps Rick Reuschel #175 - Chicago Cubs

1980 Topps Willie Wilson #157 - Kansas City Royals

1980 Topps Len Barker #227 - Cleveland Indians

1980 Topps Randy Jones #305 - San Diego Padres

1980 Topps Keith Hernandez #321 - St. Louis Cardinals

1980 Topps Cesar Cedeno #370 - Houston Astros

1980 Topps Tony Armas #391 - Oakland Athletics

1982 Topps Mario Soto #63 - Cincinnati Reds

1982 Topps Mookie Wilson #143 - New York Mets

1982 Topps Willie Upshaw #196 - Toronto Blue Jays

1982 Topps Garry Templeton #288 - St. Louis Cardinals

1982 Topps Pete Vuckovich #643 - Milwaukee Brewers

1982 Topps Frank White #645 - Kansas City Royals

Misc 

1976 Topps Lyman Bostock #263

1976 Topps Mickey Scott #276

1976 Topps Mike Anderson #527

1976 Topps Santo Alcala / Mike Flanagan / Joe Pactwa / Pablo Torrealba #589 - 1976 Rookie Pitchers

1978 Topps Len Randle #544

1980 Topps Bobby Grich #621

1982 Topps Tim Stoddard #457

40 random cards out of the dime box

I spent about 45 minutes digging through a dime box - there was no rhyme or reason with many of these finds, just perhaps trying to make something out of my cameo at a card show that I stop by once in a while.

1982 Topps Ty Waller #51 - Chicago Cubs Future Stars feat. Jay Howell and Carlos Lezcano

1986 Fleer Kirk Gibson #226
1987 Toys R Us Rookies John Kruk #17 of 33
1988 Fleer Gregg Jefferies #137

1989 Upper Deck Ozzie Canseco #756
1990 Leaf Jim Leyritz #465 - x3
1991 Upper Deck Barry Bonds #154

1992 Bowman Kevin Young #155
1992 Score Barry Bonds #555
1993 Donruss Barry Bonds #678
1993 Topps Barry Bonds #2
1993 Topps Stadium Club Barry Bonds #51
1994 Upper Deck Minors Trot Nixon #4
1994 Upper Deck SP Jeff Bagwell #27 - die cut
1994 Upper Deck SP Randy Johnson #106 - die cut
1994 Upper Deck SP Trevor Hoffman #131 - die cut
1994 Upper Deck SP Will Clark #147 - die cut
1994 Upper Deck SP Ivan Rodriguez #151 - die cut
1994 Upper Deck SP Dave Winfield #187 - die cut
1997-98 Fleer Allen Iverson #300 
1998 Bowman Gabe Kapler #125

1998 Upper Deck Choice Jason Kidd #110

2001 Upper Deck Barry Bonds #267
2002 Topps Barry Bonds #364 - United We Stand subset feat. Jeff Kent, Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell and Rich Aurilia

2004 Upper Deck Barry Bonds #262
2012 Panini Gridiron Matt Ryan #11 
2012 Panini Gridiron Joe Flacco #16
2012 Panini Gridiron Ray Lewis #17

2012 Panini Gridiron Calvin Johnson #64
2012 Panini Gridiron Drew Brees #119
2012 Panini Gridiron Eli Manning #125
2012 Panini Gridiron Tim Tebow #136

2012 Panini Gridiron Michael Vick #147
2012 Panini Prizm Tim Tebow #136
2012 Topps Prime Calvin Johnson #90 
2013 Topps Update Series Adam Jones #US 72 - Emerald parallel
2013 Topps Update Series David Wright #US 129 - Emerald parallel
2013 Topps Update Series Max Scherzer #US 193 - Emerald parallel

Making my own $5 repack

I spent an alotted hour digging through an old standby's booth at a card show - by 'old standby,' I mean a guy who has set up off and on for at least the past eight years, with his monster boxes of cheap-o cards and other stuff i.e. trinkets and other sports related junk.

I don't know him well at all but I know if I stop wherever he is set up for the day - I could spend a long time just standing around digging up all sorts of cards, even if I spend only $5-$10 at the most.

I ended up picking up about 60 assorted cards - I don't know how the guy picks up the cards he has, maybe he works for a collector or something, so the boxes are sort of refreshed with newer cards.

These the cards are the ones out of the dime boxes
1996 Leaf Preferred Will Clark #16
1996 Leaf Preferred Garret Anderson #21

1998 Fleer EX 2001 Nomar Garciaparra #95

1998 Fleer Tradition Nomar Garciaparra #5
2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars Asher Wojciechowski #USA 40 - USA Star Prospects insert / x2
2010 Bowman Chrome Jae-Hoon Ha #BCP 85
2012 Panini USA Kyle Farmer #7 - x2
2012 Panini USA Dom Nunez #36

These the cards are the ones out of the quarter boxes
1983 Donruss Howard Johnson #328

1991 Topps Stadium Club Sammy Sosa #6
1993 Bowman Jason Kendall #162
1993 Bowman Jose Vidro #592
1993 Upper Deck Eric Karros #WI 9 - Iooss Collection insert

1993 Upper Deck SP Frank Thomas #260
1994 Bowman Tony Clark #209 - x2

1994 Bowman Ryne Sandberg #250

1994 Pinnacle Hilly Hathaway #127 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Wayne Kirby #132 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Eric Young #133 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle Greg Myers #156 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle David Hulse #162 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Phil Clark #167 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle Sam Horn #170 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle Bob Natal #173 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Roberto Mejia #181 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle Steve Frey #185 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Kevin Young #186 - Museum Collection parallel

1994 Pinnacle Ivan Calderon #192 - Museum Collection parallel
1994 Pinnacle Jose Lind #199 - Museum Collection parallel

1995 Pinnacle Willie Banks #337 - Museum Collection parallel
1995 Topps Carlos Delgado #263 - Cyberstats parallel

1996 Pinnacle Ryan Klesko #153 of 200 - Starburst parallel

1998 Flair Showcase Larry Walker #33 - Grace / Showpiece parallel
2000 Bowman Jeff Bagwell #MP 10 - Major Power insert

2001 Donruss Tim Salmon #26 - "1999" Retroactive insert

2001 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Josh Beckett #BD 5 - Big Town Dreams insert
2004 Topps Cracker Jack Dioner Navarro #201
2007 Upper Deck Rookie Edition Brandon Morrow #170
2010 Bowman Platinum Grant Green #PP 15 - x2
2010 Bowman Platinum George Springer #PP 48

2010 Topps Bo Jackson #CMT-36 - 2010 Topps Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert / original back?
2010 Topps 206 Ichiro #52

2010 Topps 206 Honus Wagner #69 - Gold parallel

2010 Topps 206 Ty Cobb #165

2010 Topps 206 Albert Pujols #221

2011 Topps Andrew McCutchen #60 - Liquorfractor parallel

2012 Topps Archives Torii Hunter #105 - Gold parallel
2012 Topps Archives Andrew McCutchen #77C-AM - 1977 Topps Cloth insert
2012 Topps Archives Giancarlo Stanton #77C-MS - 1977 Topps Cloth insert
2012 Topps Archives Josh Hamilton #77C-JH - 1977 Topps Cloth insert
2012 Topps Archives Monte Irvin #62 - Topps Gold Stamped Reprints insert

2012 Topps Archives Juan Marichal #420 - Topps Gold Stamped Reprints insert
2013 Pinnacle Allen Craig #40 - Museum Collection parallel
2013 Pinnacle Roy Halladay #55 - Museum Collection parallel

2013 Pinnacle Jon Lester #83 - Museum Collection parallel
2013 Pinnacle Matt Holliday #129 - Museum Collection parallel

Dime box finds for the end of 2012

I picked up about 65 cards for $6 at a card show trip - the random 2011 Playoff Contenders cards intrigued me the most, even though I'll still have to look up most of the players pictured on the cards, to see if they are legitimate MLB prospects or fillers used in a non-MLB licensed baseball product.

I tried to fill out my pile with a few cards of star players - I have my share of cards of guys who played five, 10, 15 and 20 years ago, but it's hard not to be nostaglic and impulsively flip through cards I may not have had an opportunity to pick up during my collecting adolescence.

1992 Bowman Frank Thomas #114 - the action shot of Thomas swinging away at a familiar looking [if somewhat obscured] Anaheim Stadium caught my eye.
1994 Fleer Ultra Ken Griffey Jr. 6 of 25 - Award Winners insert

1997 Bowman's Best Previews Ken Griffey Jr. #BBP 2
1998 Fleer Tradition Mike Piazza #391
1998 Sports Illustrated Ken Griffey Jr. #51
2000 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #EP-4 - Epic Performances insert
2000 Upper Deck Ionix Lance Berkman #81

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings C.C. Sabathia #040 - stamped sample

2003 Fleer Tradition Nomar Garciaparra #22 of 25 - Milestones insert
2005 Bowman Draft AFLAC Cameron Maybin AFL 11 - I lost a similar card to a TTM request years ago that is still MIA.
2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Rick Monday #110
2009 Upper Deck Tommy Mendonca #USAB-TB - USA insert
2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Tyler Goeddel #5 - Elite Series insert
2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Zeke DeVoss #11 - Elite Series insert
2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Logan Verrett / Phillip Evans #6 - Building Blocks Duo insert
2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Jeff Ames / Steven Ames #11 - Building Blocks Duo insert
2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Larry Greene / Mitch Walding / Roman Quinn #10 - Building Blocks Trio insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Travis Harrison #DT 1
2011 Playoff Contenders Lenny Linsky #DT 3
2011 Playoff Contenders Burch Smith #DT 4
2011 Playoff Contenders Ronald Guzman #DT 6
2011 Playoff Contenders Anthony Meo #DT 10
2011 Playoff Contenders Alex Hassan #DT 14
2011 Playoff Contenders Nick Fleece #DT 19
2011 Playoff Contenders Andrew Susac #DT 20
2011 Playoff Contenders Tony Zych #DT 21
2011 Playoff Contenders B.A. Vollmuth #DT 22
2011 Playoff Contenders Blake Snell #DT 26
2011 Playoff Contenders Kylin Turnbull #DT 28
2011 Playoff Contenders Evan Marshall #DT 30 - x2
2011 Playoff Contenders Jordan Cote #DT 31
2011 Playoff Contenders Aaron Westlake #DT 32
2011 Playoff Contenders Tommy La Stella #DT 42
2011 Playoff Contenders Cole Green #DT 45
2011 Playoff Contenders Matt Szczur #DT 46
2011 Playoff Contenders Cristhian Adames #DT 55
2011 Playoff Contenders Forrest Snow #DT 56
2011 Playoff Contenders Tyler Gibson #DT 57
2011 Playoff Contenders Josh Osich #DT 60
2011 Playoff Contenders Zach Good #DT 64
2011 Playoff Contenders Madison Boer #DT 71
2011 Playoff Contenders Kevin Comer #DT 73
2011 Playoff Contenders Jason Esposito #DT 74
2011 Playoff Contenders Dan Vogelbach #DT 75
2011 Playoff Contenders Cameron Gallagher #DT 77 - x2
2011 Playoff Contenders Jordan Swaggerty #DT 87
2011 Playoff Contenders Brian Dupra #DT 88
2011 Playoff Contenders Taylor Featherston #DT 97
2011 Playoff Contenders Matt Skole #DT 98
2011 Playoff Contenders Joseph Musgrove #DT 99
2011 Playoff Contenders Carson Smith #DT 100 - x2
2011 Playoff Contenders Kevin Matthews #4 - Future Stars insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Tyler Gibson #11 - Future Stars insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Logan Verrett #13 - Future Stars insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Jake Lowery #3 - Johnny Bench Award Winners insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Andrew Susac / Josh Osich #2 - Winning Combos insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Dan Vogelbach / Hudson Boyd #5 - Winning Combos insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Chad Comer / Jason Krizan #7 - Winning Combos insert
2011 Playoff Contenders Brian Flynn / Tyler Grimes #11 - Winning Combos insert
2011 Playoff Contenders 18 Chris Reed / Scott Sondgress #18 - Winning Combos insert
2011 Topps Allen and Ginter Josh Hamilton #HH 50 - Hometown Heroes insert

2012 Topps Yoshinori Tateyama #437