New York Yankees Scrapbook Collection
What I would want is kind of a set of cards to flip through at the most basic level, with a showcase of various prominent Yankees players over the years, featuring the cards I've collected. It is a type of collection, where a little bit of everything is needed to make this possible, if only on a small scale.

I think it would interesting what I could come up with my current collection and what I could add on the cheap. The core of the collection would be base cards, but also certified autographs, material cards, retro cards, et al.

I don't particularly care about value, just a visual representation of the organization that has won 26 championships.

Cheap Cards
I think baseball cards should be displayed. Maybe with so many other cards, I should make an effort to a display and showcase the more aesthetically pleasing (if not particularly) valuable cards; maybe jersey and patch cards displayed along with photographs and/or other items in a particular theme to have fun with what I've collected.

Mail Call
A 1960 Topps Willie Mays PSA 5 finally arrived in the mail- I won it in on Sept. 28 but held off on paying it until about two weeks later.

I was bored (in the newsroom) - so I was looking for an impulsive purchase on Ebay. I put in a bid in the last 30 seconds and withstood the other snipes. I don't know if this was a prudent purchase because the card looks 'beat up,' more like a '3' or a '4' and it doesn't look like it has good 'eye-appeal.'

I figure when you consider buying a low-end box or half a box of a premium baseball card product, then I'd rather have the Mays.

On the other hand, 'just to have the card' isn't a good enough reason to pick it up.

The surface of this particular card has some paper loss. I suppose this is a collectible card, though not something that would likely be considered by serious collectors.

If it is the novelty of images that you want, why bother with low-end vintage star cards, when you have modern cards featuring Hall of Famers of the '60s, '70s, et al.

Don't bother with having something just for the heck of it. If you want to have a Willie Mays card, get a modern retro card of Mays for several dollars and spend the money you will have saved on something that has been signed, something that isn't beaten up and maybe something that adds to your collection.

Nostalgia is for the birds.

Discerning eye and specialization in topics

At times, I think I want everything under the sun and I’m afraid that I’ll implode because I think I have so many interests, yet don’t have the means to pursue each seriously. I’m afraid that I’ll be accumulating stuff as opposed to adding items to my collection. I’m afraid that that I’ll overlook important details that will be lost in the fever to pick more stuff up.

As modern collectors, a discerning eye for what one purchases is important because purchases today maybe tomorrow's trash. One might be collecting for fun, but in 10-15 years, you don't want your collection to be worthless, especially if you put in a good amount of time and effort building it up today.

This isn't about collecting whatever you want for fun. It probably wouldn't hurt me to pick up a box of 1988 Donruss in order to go through it for fun, even though the brand is worthless.

On the other hand, not every product that comes out is going to be valuable, even in the near future. You don't have to buy a case of something, not every single card you see is worth picking up, not every prospect with a nice rookie year parallel autograph card is going to have a long and productive career. Temper your enthusiasm to believe the hype.

Also specialization in collecting anything is important. You don't exactly want to be collecting many things, but don't have one special subject to focus on. Also, collecting can be a complicated process because you have to familiarize yourself with many terms and levels of collecting lingo that basically have to do with your collection's value. If one doesn't have the knowledge or just doesn't care, then you go about things and later on find that you've blown your wad on nothing of significance.

Be aware of what you collect, so that you maybe picking up less things, but at the same time your collection has a bit more quality.

2005 Donruss Zenith Break
I'm ambivalent over buying unopened boxes. It is a hit and miss gamble. It becomes impractical if I don't pull anything of significance [out of a box] like I would expect.

With some money, I picked up a box of Zenith last Saturday at the bi-weekly cards show for $48.

Base cards - 69/250; minus Don Mattingly, which had a nicked corner

Museum collection (1:3) - Rocco Baldelli, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan, Grady Sizemore and Dmitri Young.

Artist Proof (1:16) - Mark Teixeira

Gold AP (#'d 50) - Mike Young #'d 36/50 - damaged!

Z-Team (1:11) - Mark Mulder, Albert Pujols - damaged!

Mozaics (1:8) - Arizona Diamondbacks (Shawn Green, Troy Glaus and Luis Gonzalez) and Seattle Mariners (Adrian Beltre, Jeremy Reed and Richie Sexson).

Positions (1:21) - Catchers; Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza and Victor Martinez

Spellbound (1:11) - Alex Rodriguez; 'E'

Red Hot (1:16) - Mark Prior

White Hot (1:65) - Ted Williams - damaged!

Team Zenith (1:31) - none

Roll Call Autographs (1:24) - none

Epix - Pat Burrell (117/350), Hideki Matsui (089/250), Scott Rolen (166/250) and Nolan Ryan (190/250).

Auto/GU - Dale Murphy auto (098/100), Cal Ripken Jr. bat/patch (04/25) and Bernie Williams jersey.

Summary: The three nice insert cards (Gold AP, Z-Team and White Hot) being damaged 'fresh out of the pack' was a bummer, but the Cal Ripken Jr. bat/patch #'d to 25 made this break a keeper. Overall, the base cards decent and the base card parallels are nice to look at. On the other hand, I don't really like the multiplayer insert cards (Mozaics, Positions) nor truly captivated by much of the non-parallel inserts (Z-Team and Epix).

A card that has arrived in my mailbox is a 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot David Wright - this is a nice card because this is Wright's first Sweet Spot autograph (on baseball leather).

I really like the design of the Sweet Spot autograph inserts and was looking for another young star's certified autograph to be included in the set.

Among hitters, Miguel Cabrera, Adam Dunn, Delmon Young, Rickie Weeks, Mark Teixeira, Victor Martinez are prospects/rising stars whose certified autographs (not exactly Sweet Spot autographs) I've picked up for my collection already (albeit second or third year certified autographs).

The Wright is another name to add to this personal collection of players I think are going to be real good over the next 10-15 years.

Hopefully the black ink stands the test of time and doesn't fade 'prematurely.'

My 1961 Topps PSA-5 Ed Mathews finally arrived that I purchased from Ebay.

44 years ago, the Mathews card maybe have been equivalent to a 2005 Topps Eric Chavez card today that is a little worn, a little off-center but has been graded.

On the other hand, for $8.50 shipped, how can I go wrong with this card featuring a Hall of Fame member and 500 home run club member? $8.50 doesn't buy you a pack of 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot.

It is like having an honest-to-goodness antique 'relic' from 1961 in my grasp.

The card may not featured an autograph or a piece of a bat or comparable 'game-used' material but I feel like I can have a vintage card in-hand (even in a slab) and sense the history packed into it just by looking at it.

I'm awaiting my purchase of the year so far, a Mickey Mantle PSA/DNA authenticated and slabbed cut. It was a stroke of luck to be able to find this item for my personal collection. I'm excited because it represents a stepping stone to a possible Hall of Fame autograph collection.

PSA/DNA cuts i.e. 3x5's, Hall of Fame postcards, oddball sized cards maybe the way to build a collection of many (deceased) HOFers and other legendary stars (not in the Hall of Fame). I'll try and sniff around for particular ones that maybe tougher to get than others, yet still relatively affordable. For players still living and probably deceased HOFers who were alive through the 90's and were able to sign a lot of things, I probably would prefer a single signed baseball because it displays better.

The fad is now vintage - cards and autographs because while I'd like to bust a pack of 2005 Playoff Absolute ($40-$60) or a pack of Upper Deck HOFers ($100-$150), my conscience won't let me. Collecting vintage cards makes much more sense because for the most part, I'd rather know I'm getting something identifying to top my collection off as opposed to gambling on the random, speculative nature of modern cards.

The challenge will be making the vintage 'emphasis' viable and sticking with it enough to have an expertise.

I'm cheap, but if I can, I'll go after an item if I think it is worth it. Collecting vintage isn't something for guys who aren't willing to spend $5 on a random pack of modern cards.

Autographs are my priority always. Yet, I want a vintage card of an icon: Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson among others.

My [Jeff] Cirillo success isn't an oddity, but maybe unique. He signed two out of four cards, returning the other two unsigned (including my 2001 Fleer Tradition 'set' card). I noticed that there were two distinct dots on the unsigned cards. I don't think this was due to the fact that he stacked the cards together, causing the other cards to stain.

I've heard rumors about players marking cards that they return, but do not sign, to see if you would 'double up' them up with the same card and make another request. In recent months, I had read Florida Marlins reliever Todd Jones' column on Yahoo! Sports about the deal with autographs from a player's point of view. His column details how players would make little marks on the cards they return (unsigned) to see if you do end up making that multiple request.

I wonder if Cirillo took the time to dot the cards, so that he'd have a 'chuckle' in the remote instance I'd write to him with the same unsigned cards. Of course, it isn't like I have other Cirillo cards in my collection I could send him, but most likely I would have sent the unsigned 2001 Fleer Tradition again (since that is the card I really want signed).

Surprisingly, towards the end of June, I had SASEs (self addressed stamped envelopes) trickle in from baseball autograph requests I had made in previous months including Jack McDowell (6/30/05), Adam LaRoche, Hank Blalock (spring training) and Jeff Cirillo (spring training).

It wasn't like I haven't gotten those players' autographs before, but my mailbox was empty as far as getting back requests before the last week or so of June. I don't even know if I keep track of my requests anymore, since I've otherwise just settled to do what I can in-person.

Other successes mailed within the past month, included Curtis Granderson, Al Kaline and George Kell.

I got a 'return to sender' from Cecil Fielder, whose autograph I once got on a trading card back in the day (1996). I discarded the card when an 'experiment' to remove some ink from the card stock failed. I haven't gotten a Fielder autograph since and hopefully, the address affixed on the 'RTS' label is a useful one.

Accounting for autographs through scans – I want to showcase my most important autographs, even if not for web consumption. I figure, I’d start out this way, because I don’t want to showcase collection built around mostly autographs I’ve gotten by default.

Regional -8x10 sized photos and flats
Certified autographs - cards
TTM, In-Person and Uncertified cards and other selected items.
Personalized autographs
Novelties of my hobby – stories behind the stuff I’ve collected, maybe scans of unsigned cards, et al.

With a budget of the A's Billy Beane has through his tenure with the A's, I can't aspire to be a truly serious baseball card, autograph or sports memorabilia collector.

I'm collecting the most current of players, hanging on the most low-end, outdated ideals and it is a rigamarole of perpetual, adolescent collecting mediocrity.

With that said, whatever I'll collect is for leisure. If I didn't like it, then I'd find something else to bury my head in. The point is that, I just don't want to get burned on the nickels and dimes I'd spend on my collectibles. I want to collect safely, I want to collect items that will maintain an established value. Things don't work that way, everything loses value, but I hope to look for items in my budget that will always be relatively popular.

Collecting certified autographs of selected active and retired stars over the last 20 years maybe something I want to do. Players I'm looking at may be borderline HOFers or guys who just starred for their respective teams over much of their careers. I'm not looking to water down my collection, but I'm looking to view the last 20 years more reflectively and truly add some 'affordable depth' to my collection. Everyone has certain HOFers who have signed so many things, but some non HOF guys have been relatively tougher to get otherwise for the people who hound in-person or put requests in the mail. There maybe only a minority of collectors who understand that point and I'm hoping to take advantage for my own personal collection.

My philosophy is Moneyball as far as collecting cards are concerned.

Staying away from retail product is difficult, but I like think that I'd rather pick up something I consider as 'neat,' for that $10-$15 I'd spend for packs anywhere.

I like rookie cards, but don't get involved in buying up rookie year parallels, I unless I pull one in a pack.

I do not gamble with any boxes.

I like stars, superstars, HOFers and other favorites.

Vintage may as well be out of sight, out of mind though I believe it is important.

I worry that I'm just a cursory collecting, but then I realize it is all for leisure. The caveat is that making sure that I need to gauge value accurately, so that I don't go bust. I don't want to spend too much on cards that have no real future value.

There is something missing with my spring training requests that I've already mailed out in the last month.

There are 'dead periods' where you feel like you should be receiving more Self Addressed Stamped Envelopess, than the one or two that trickle in every few days. You hope that your rightful mail doesn't get lost, but it probably happens more than I'd like to imagine. If I've seen a handful of successes reported from a player and I either haven't gotten my own success or it was a player that I feel I need to write to and subsequently did so, have I missed out already?

Where are my requests buried? As these days wane, you wonder how many more can you send out, without sacrificing even more cards? It gets irritating.

Get more envelopes and stamps. Type out more requests. When do I stop continuing to put together and mailing off spring training requests? I'm not going to call it work, but I put time in and my efforts aren't all that effective. It hasn't really been more than a month since I've sent autograph requests out, but I'm feeling the limitations of just trying to get stuff done in the mail.

Maybe I made a mistake. I forgot to put a stamp on my SASE. Maybe my requests are buried at the bottom of a pile, where players and maybe a coach/manager I wrote a request to only relent to sign only so much 'fan mail.'

Maybe I'm just impatient.

My computer crashed in mid February and it represents the third time within the year, I've lost important information such as my 'records' of autograph request sent in the mail. I keep telling myself that at least isn't the actual items, but makes me a little weary(though maybe not much more careful anyway) to input personal data about my hobby and my life.


I like to send cards away and get them back at a healthy pace. The work as far as autograph requests in the mail goes, is to put together requests and not merely done infront of the computer screen. I worry about accounting for the cards I've sent to particular players in order to see if they can get signed, but I've lost them anyway if I don't get them back. It is just I want to get a beat on things. If I've sent out some 'set cards,' that are long gone, I need to know what to replace. I need to know that I've already written to a player several times with no response. All that is gone and I don't know if I'd trust the next reincarnation of my PC to store personal data.

Who knows

I like lurking for other websites, devoted to my interests. I honestly, don't like looking at other people's stuff, because I tend to get jealous of collections that are out of my league. I like seeing more of the stuff showcased with a 'regional feel' and stuff, I can think about being ideal for my own collection. I do appreciate the efforts of other 'collectors' who can show off a handful of pictures, in a 'low tech' manner.

My latest itch is getting a pack of 2004 Bowman Sterling. I like playing around the idea of spending some 'free' holiday money on picking up a pack for about $50.

The caveat is that it is a product featuring young players, many probably not the high profile prospects ones you might prefer. The product doesn't have the pedigreee of a set featuring retired greats for example. I might pull non-desirable types like pitchers who might blow out their arms or catchers that might not get past the minors.

On the other hand, for all that maybe wrong for a $50 pack, my thinking is that instead of picking up a low-end, mid-level box, I'm getting the meat without the filler. I don't have to have my base cards. I just want to feel like I'm buying into a product that is considered high-end(initially). Each pack features two first-year player cards, a memorabilia card, an autographed memorabilia card(clear labels?) and another autograph card.

On the other hand, wouldn't the 'guaranteed pulls' be more common, if that is merely all the product consist of(in a particular box), instead of perhaps those pulls spread into several boxes, with actual base cards? I think there are better options as far as singles go, but who knows what I like? I've moaned about what I can't and can have. Do I make an impetuous decision or do I hold off for something that seems less of gamble to me?

This is my 'contemporary quicklist' of card types I'd like to have in my collection in 2005:

A.)An insert featuring a button from a game used jersey card.

B.)A game-used Barrel card.

C.)An Upper Deck Superpatch or Superpatches card.

D.)A certified autograph(company or PSA/DNA) of a baseball legendary icon(Mickey Mantle).

I'm excited by the possibilities of having some money, I could spend on trading cards. For Christmas, I got $45 from cousins($20) and my sister($25)combined. I would have had more, if I didn't blow my wad for other things.

What is it that I do? It isn't like I could save the money for a rainy day. It seems like money I can play with. I suppose I want to pick up the items of respectable value, as opposed to a spurious set of related things.

Do I get a Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Johnny Bench or Whitey Ford autograph that I've supposedly been longing for, but each requiring fees to sign?

Save up a bit more for an 1999 Topps Traded Adam Dunn autograph?

Get close to a hobby box of 2004 Donruss Elite Extra Edition?

Get a 'key' rookie card of Barry Bonds(1986 Donruss Rookies, 1987 Donruss), Roger Clemens(1985 Donruss or Fleer) or Rickey Henderson(1980 Topps)?

Save up a bit more than the Dunn for a 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr.?

Really save up for a Hank Aaron autograph?

I'm a casual collector. I just want a few nice, card items for my personal collection because that is what I began with as opposed to a guy that 'hustles' around to get things signed by particular players.

It seems like I have is one shot. I need to pick up something that is

What am I doing?

For a David Ortiz uncertified autograph card $10

For a Johnny Damon uncertified autograph card $10

For a Eric Gagne 55 consecutive saves uncertified autograph photo $20

And the $27 book buyback money I had left after buying a $5 Blister
three-pack of 2005 Fleer Ultra, I end up with the following:

I grossly overpaid for a 2004 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Mark Trumbo numbered 22/75 w/Ervin Santa(x2) and Kameron Loe rookies numbered to 1,000 $22.74 delivered.

An okay purchase was a 2004 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts Jackie Robinson jersey $17.00 delivered.

I think over paid for 2004 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Signatures Delmon Young $15.98 delivered.

I purchased a Don Drysdale signed Perez-Steele postcard for $14.08 delivered and I really don't know if it is real or not.

I had a set of things on my wantlist for this winter that are 'tabled.' I'm still jonesing for a Mickey Mantle PSA/DNA certified autograph item, but picking that up is not going to happen anytime soon.

The reality is that distractions seem to keep me down. I keep buying stuff for my 'personal collection,' that I might want, but probably don't need at this point. If I can get through my actual wishlist of things I'd like to get this winter, then I'd be much more saner.

It seems like I want to see something to pick up, every time I search for something on Ebay. If I can, I want everything I want my eyes on. The reality is that I have no funds to play with and I need to unload, before I reload.

In between trying to something done and learn at school through osmosis, I collect autographs of my favorite subjects, particularly baseball players. In Major League baseball's off-season, which is from late October to about early February I don't go out and get autographs as much, though there are always opportunities to look out for.

During this time, a primary distraction I would suppose is reverting collecting trading cards and perhaps through the holidays, trying to secure cards I want before next season starts. During this winter, I've gotten on 'bents' as far as looking for cards.

I think through the last part of the postseason, my initial goal was to secure some young players' autographs that I may have missed out on. Collecting should be for leisure, but I want to 'protect myself' and perhaps have a nice autograph or two of particular young players like Delmon Young, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.

I got onto the bandwagon of collecting the popular Upper Deck Sweet Spot inserts, featuring autographs on a piece of baseball material, when the product came out. This year, the cards fall to about one per box and they aren't really all that hard to find. I don't equate the cards being less valuable, but maybe more accessible to a collector like myself, as long as I don't overpay.

I think in some cases, I did overpay because I was looking for 'buy it nows' on Ebay as opposed to generally waiting around for an auction to end. There are only eight cards I've picked up for my personal collection, as I was looking for the more affordable players from the insert set.

Have
Garret Anderson- overpaid/goes for about $6, purchased for about $15

Rickie Weeks- overpaid/goes for about $6, purchased for a $10 BIN

Mark Teixeira- okay/purchased for a $10 BIN with $1.50 s/h along with the Weeks

Miguel Cabrera- so so/about $18 delivered

Scott Rolen- okay/about $25 delivered

Adam Dunn- okay/about $14 shipped/actually got a different card than one pictured on the auction I'd bid on, which is okay since the item pictured in the original auction was signed in black ink and I like autographs signed in blue a little better.

Incoming or Yet to Pay For
Will Clark- so so/the 'fan favorite' whose autograph I've never gotten

Delmon Young- overpaid/about $16 delivered

Cannot Justify Getting At This Point
Eric Chavez- already have an actual MLB licensed(in-person, uncertified) signed baseball.

Hank Blalock- already have an actual MLB licensed(in-person, uncertified) signed baseball.

Dontrelle Willis- I'd rather try and get him for free through possible opportunities in 2005.

Joe Mauer- maybe the cheapest way to get Mauer on some kind of sweet spot baseball, without having him personalize, but while great things are expected, I'd get Delmon Young over him and have chosen to do so.

Josh Beckett- I'd rather try and get him for free through possible opportunities in 2005, though he might be a guy that might finally stay healthy and put up some sick regular season numbers as a pitcher.

Johan Santana- the luster might wear off in 2005. I'll wait five years before I get a certified Santana autograph for any more than $10-$15.

Mark Mulder- like Mauer, another player that personalizes sweet spot baseballs and another opportunity to get a faux one that was on a card, certified by a trading card company. He had a bad second half in 2004 and seems overrated. Can he weather the storm was that the beginning of the end?

I don't think the value of Sweet Spot autograph inserts generally account for on-field performance, but I'd rather look for a star hitter, than a pitcher's certified autograph. Maybe I should have picked this one up before he got traded to the St.Louis Cardinals.

Rocco Baldelli- along with the autographs he has signed for similar inserts in the Fleer Sweet Sigs version, this one features a 'full signature' as opposed to his current 'ballpark sig.' His full autographs are 'sweet,' but he is dinged up for the moment.