A New Favorite Player In The Doon Household Part 1

This past weekend was very special for my little boy, which made it very special for me, too.  A few weeks ago, we found out his little league team was going to get to participate in a "Field of Dreams" program with the NW Arkansas Naturals, meaning he and his teammates were going to get to be special guests of the Naturals before yesterday's game.

Before I get into that, let me take a step back and mention that there was a card show on Saturday, and I heard that some of the Naturals were going to be there signing autographs.

So the boy and I lit out Saturday morning and stopped by the show.  There were only two guys signing, but that was just fine.   Last year, the whole team held an event at the Fayetteville Mall, but I think since the Minor League season started so much earlier this year, and because the Naturals began the season on the road, an event like that was hard to coordinate before the season started.

I don't think that quantity of players matters in the eyes of little boy for something like this, as he was just excited to see some of the players in person.  The two players were Christian Colon and Buddy Baumann.   I've written a few times about Colon before, and he was at the event last year and was nice to my son then.  I happened to have a card of Colon with me Saturday (courtesy of the blog Cheap Card Collecting) and Colon signed it for my boy.  There is a card out there of Baumann (Bowman of course- a Bowman Baumann), but I don't have it.    Anyway, both of them were exceptionally nice to my son and he beamed the whole time he interacted with them.   They were also kind of enough to let me take a crappy picture with my phone.  I have slightly altered my son's face as you can see:

Colon is on the left, and Baumann is on the right.  My son is in the middle.  By the way, I cover my son's face out of an unhealthy obsession I have with privacy, not because there is anything wrong with his face.  He is an extremely good looking kid (gets it from the lovely wife), and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. 

We mentioned to them that my son would be on the field with them a bit for Sunday's game, and they made him feel like it was a really big deal.  He was grinning from ear to ear and I'm sure I was too.

I almost forgot there was a card show going on behind me.  Actually, I didn't buy a single card at the show, but I do have a post to dedicate to one of the dealers later this week.  It's someone you are familiar with if you read my blog.

Here is the only card I cared about that day:

This is going to be something my boy treasures for a long time I hope.  Even more than the card, I hope his interaction with these very decent gentlemen is something he remembers for a long time.  I know I will, and I'm forever a fan of both of them now.  And with Colon, it got even better on Sunday and I'll post about that tomorrow.

Olympic Pins

This has nothing to do with baseball cards, but I thought it was worth a post.  I came into possession today of some really cool Kellogg's Olympic pins:

The above is actually a group of 9 pins (8 triangle pins of different sports and one large Red Cross pin), and it is quite cool.  Put together, it's the size of an index card, and would look really neat displayed in a shadow box, surrounded by the pins below: 

These were the standard pins I got.  I like the Keebler Elves riding the double decker bus.

I have a modest pin collection that I've built over the years unintentionally, but it's one of those things that I think I could really get into.  Maybe one of my kids will take a shine to these things and it will be a hobby we can get into together down the road and the few pieces I've accumulated will make a nice start. 

Cleve's Auction Night: Sheer Trade Bait

I was a little rash in my write in bids this week.  I only had two wins, and I think I spent more than I should have.  These are pretty sweet cards though, and I'm hoping someone out there has a need for them and we can make a good trade.

Isn't there some blogger out there who is an Aaron Hill collector?  I thought it was Crinkly Wrappers, but maybe not.  This is a pretty serious card though, with an auto, jersey piece, plus it's numbered to 9.

I may actually want to keep this one, since I kind of like Zimmerman.  Numbered to 25, this also has a piece of jersey and an auto.  I'm going to skip giving myself grades for this auction as, since my intention is to trade these out.

Please let me know if you are interested! 

Gypsy Queen Autos

Hey, I got a couple of Gypsy Queen Autos.  Hey, here they are:

Hey thanks for looking.

I've Been JABO'd.

I recently participated in one of JABO's ever popular group breaks, buying the Royals on a two box Gypsy Queen break.  I don't do a lot of group breaks, but the Royals were cheap and I thought I should gamble on getting a big hit.  At the time I bought my slot, it was not common knowledge that Eric Hosmer would be one of the redemption signatures available.  Once I found out this was a possibility, my excitement level rose to new heights thinking I was about to make a major score.  My cards arrived in the mail this week, and......

drat, no Hosmer auto.  But I did get two Alcides Escobar cards, and isn't that just as good?  Kyle was also kind enough to throw in some extra cards of the Royals, including a Topps 2012 Hosmer, which rather surprised me since Kyle is a frustrated Royals fan.  Don't worry Kyle, they'll get there eventually!

First Trade With Fuji

I had the pleasure recently of completing my first trade with Mark from the wonderful blog The Chronicles of Fuji.  I had a Pete Rose SLU that caught his eye and he sent me some great Ranger cards in return:

The I-Rod helmet card is di-cut and looks fantastic.  I've never seen this set before, and wish stuff like that was still being made.

Not only is Fuji's blog extremely well done and entertaining, his calling card is inspiring!  Thanks for the trade Mark, and I look forward to more!

Cleve's Auction Night- Consolation Prizes Are Good Too, Part 2

I mentioned yesterday that there was one other item I won at Cleve's.  I was pretty surprised that I won it since I thought my bid would easily be beaten.  It was an album full of 1970 and 1971 Topps cards, with several decent stars.  The cards were not in pristine shape, but they weren't in bad shape either.  Very few creases and no major damage to the cards with a few insignificant examples.

Here are the 1970 pages:

There were 12 pages total, with cards on front and back giving me about 216 cards.

Here are the 1971 Pages:

18 pages here, front only, for about 162 cards.

So, there are about 378 cards altogether, and the album cost $10 total so these guys cost just under $.04 each.  If these were all commons, that would still be a good deal, but like I said, there were some pretty good players included.

Here are the cards I liked the most of the 1970 group:

 I'm especially excited about the Killebrew and Aparicio cards, both of which were in pretty great shape.

The Bill Buckner rookie is cool, and there are a few good superstars on the league leader cards.  I'm always glad to get a Clemente!

Here are the highlights of the 1971 pages:

 A couple of Hall of Famers, although the Carlton has crease in the corner.  There's something I like about the Brooks Robinson card, but can't put my finger on it.

The Stargell has a crease also, but that's ok.  Tom Grieve does the Rangers broadcasts, so I may see if I can get this one signed by him since I know where to send it.

Grade:

1970 and 71 Topps Lot $10:  A+  This is a great value and was loads of fun to look through.  If anyone is working on these sets, let me know and maybe I can help.!

Cleve's Auction Night- Consolation Prizes Are Good Too, Part 1

Last week I gave a preview of some of the big ticket items that were up for auction this week at Cleve's.   A cruel few of you tried to lay peer pressure on me to get me to bid on the 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey card for $1,500.   My desperate need for attention and acceptance by others wass only overpowered by my need not to be thrown out of the house, so I was able to abstain.  The bids I wrote in for the stuff I could afford and wanted mostly were defeated.  I'm still bummed I didn't get the Tony Gwynn Sterling card, but I think it went for way more than I wanted to spend.   A few things did slip through to me, one of which in my opinion is one of the best values I've picked up at Cleve's yet.  That one I'll save for tomorrow.

Of the few items I did win, I think they are gems.  Starting with this sucker:

These retired ring cards are pretty slick, and I was able to get this one for $5.

I also picked up an auto of one of my 80's heroes:

I remember in 1987 a friend of mine bought a pack of 85 Topps and Eric Davis's rookie card was inside.  You would have thought he had won the lottery the way we freaked out over it.  Eric the Red was a mad mother.  I got this auto for $4.

I also got back on the vintage train.  This was the only single card I picked up:

It's not in perfect shape, but there are no creases, and a Steve Garvey Rookie for $2 is a great buy, and will have a nice spot in my sampler album.

Speaking of 1971 Topps, that was a big part of my other win at Cleve's, and I'm excited enough about it to give it it's own post tomorrow.

Grades:

Topps Retired Rings Sandberg $5:  A   These things are pretty expensive, and they are very cool.  Not sure if I'm going to flip it or not.

UD Auto Facts Eric Davis  $4:  A   A great value here.  He's not a Hall of Famer, but had some brilliant seasons in the bigs and was an electric player to watch.

1971 Topps Steve Garvey  $2:  A nice solid rookie card of a perenial all star.

9, 8, 3, 4 Post Mortem

Well that was fun!

Of course it helps that Yu Darvish was an absolute stud, shutting down a red hot Yankee offense.  It's a good thing, because Hiroki Kuroda was impressive as well. 

Actually, don't bother clicking the link about the game above.  I've taken the liberty of scanning my scorecard, at least of the Yankee at bats for your reference:

Look at all those Ks!

This was my first scoring effort of the year, so it's got a few missteps.  I used a NW Arkansas Naturals scorecard if you are curious.  If you've never learned the craft of scoring a baseball game, I highly recommend it, especially if you are at the game in person.  Sure, it's a little dorky to score at home, but I don't care.  It makes the game fly by for me.

Besides the sweet result of the game itself, I had the pleasure of opening a blaster of Gypsy Queen over the course of the game.  I'm proud to say that I had enough discipline to ration out the packs, one per inning.  No big hits, but it was fun nonetheless.  Here were my favorite cards:

I got several players I collect, including both versions of the Eric Hosmer card. 

With my 8 packs, I got 8 minis.  I guess the Frank Thomas green parallel is a good pull.

Here are the inserts.  I've already got the Kinsler, but I love that card, so I'm fine with it.

The other great part of the evening was the menu.  The lovely wife cooked the brats in beer, and served them on hogie rolls:

 That is just plain sexy.  No I didn't eat all 5 thank you very much. 

I also had 3 different beers, none of which were very good.  Eric, this part of the post is for you:

Blue Heron Pale Ale (1st Inning):  This had pretty decent flavor, and would have been better with an orange slice in it.  It felt foamy in my mouth if that makes sense.  It went pretty well with the brats.

Shock Top Raspberry Wheat (3rd Inning):  I poured this out after a few sips. It was way too fruity for me, and did not go well with Rangers baseball.  P.U.

Sol (4th Inning):  Basically a Corona, but not as good in my opinion.  Maybe I'm just used to Corona.

So that was about it.  I pretty much followed my plan from yesterday's post, except I decided against ice cream.  I was already pretty full from everything else and didn't want to overdo it and have trouble sleeping.

9 Innings, 8 Packs, 3 Beers, 4 Snacks

Tonight I am going to engulf myself in baseball.  The Rangers and Yankees are on TV and I’m going to savor every pitch.  How?  I’m going to open this here blaster of GQ, 

and am going to make every effort to only open one pack per inning.    I’m also going to treat myself to a nice baseball themed menu tonight.  Here is my itinerary:

1^st Inning:  Bratwurst/ Beer #1; 1^st Pack

2^nd Inning:  Bratwurst #2; 2^nd Pack

3^rd Inning:  3^rd Pack

4^th Inning: Popcorn/ Beer #2; 4^th Pack

5^th Inning:

6^th Inning:  Ice Cream; 5^th Pack

7^th Inning:  6^th Pack

8^th Inning: Beer #3 ; 7^th Pack

9^th Inning:  8^th Pack

That’s the plan anyway.  We’ll see how I pace myself on the menu part.  The beers will all be different, by the way.  There is a very nice liquor store in this area that has a huge selection of single bottles which you can mix and match to make your own custom 6 pack.  I picked a bunch of stuff I’ve never tried before.

To further enhance my evening, I’m going to keep score. 

I am going to make myself enjoy the game no matter what.  If Yu Darvish gets shelled, I’m not going to stress about it.  If A-Rod hits 3 homers, I’m not going to pout.  It’s one measly baseball game and I’m going to enjoy it for what it is. 

Again, that’s the plan.  Tomorrow, I’ll post the results of the blaster break, and show my pretty scorecard.

Postcards From The Hall

The lovely wife and I bought new bedroom furniture recently, and before it was delivered, we cleared out all the crap that was under our old bed.   (As an aside, we splurged and bought a tempur pedic mattress.  Holy crap, it is the best money I have ever spent!)   I found a few boxes of stuff I had kind of forgotten about, and SURPRISE, most of the stuff was related to baseball.

Before we had children, the lovely wife gave me the gift of a lifetime by booking a trip to Cooperstown NY, (and some time in NYC) to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.  One of these days I'm going to post pictures from the trip, but that is not my purpose today.  I also won't spend a lot of time explaining that if you have never been to the Hall, you absolutely should.  Because you should.  I am chomping at the bit to go back, and when the kids are a little older, we're going.

No, today, I just wanted to show some cool postcards I bought while at the Hall, including the above postcard of the Hall of Fame itself.  I also picked up a handful of other really beautiful post cards of paintings by Arthur K. Miller.   I don't need to wax poetic about these, other than to say I really wish there was a card set based on these paintings.  (Who knows, maybe there is.  Is there one, you experts?)   Here are the ones I have:

Babe Ruth

Ty Cobb

Joe Jackson

Jackie Robinson

Honus Wagner

I don't remember buying these, as the trip was almost 10 years ago.  But I sure wish I had bought more of them.  I'm going to have to do some searching and see if these are available anywhere else because they are incredible.

Big Cards This Week At Cleve's Including A '33 Ruth

I usually go by Cleve's Friday or Saturday each week to pick up cards that I won from the previous auction,  and to see what is on the docket for the upcoming week.  This Tuesday is going to have some pretty primo stuff and I thought I would give you a taste of some of the stuff that comes through these auctions:

This is a view of one of the 4 display cases that are filled with auction items.  This week there are several high end cards from Triple Threads and Topps Sterling as you will notice on the top shelf.  The middle shelf is where it gets interesting.  See if you recognize the heads that are popping up below the Sterling Relic cards in the bottom left corner.    One is a very nice 1958 Mickey Mantle:

 Cleve has quite a few Mantles come through, and one of these days I'm going to nut up and get one.  This one is a beaut and will go for way more than I can afford.  But it won't go for more than this beast:

Yep, that's a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, and it is in unreal condition.  The seller has a min bid of $1,500, so it  may not sell, but it's amazing to see one of these in person.  Still, after looking at these on eBay, $1,500 for a card in this condition is a pretty good buy if one could afford it. 

There are a ton of great vintage cards this week (and every week really) including this 1956 Sandy Koufax.

Back to the cards little leaguers like I can afford:

 I put in a decent bid on this Tony Gwynn Sterling relic/auto.  I'm hoping the big spenders blow their budgets on the other stuff and this falls to me.

Here were a couple of other cards I am targeting.  The Pence card is 1/3 and the patch is utterly ridiculous.

As you can see from the top picture, there are tons of other gems this week.  Again, I will be competing via write-in bids, so I don't have much control over how things go.

Deja Vu At Cleve's

I won a few more auctions at Cleve's via the write in bid process this week and went by his shop to pick them up today.   The results were very similar to last week, with all of the cards being modern era, and pretty much the same kinds of cards- a 2012 Topps WS Pin Card, and a 2011 Diamond Cut Card.

Here was the pin card I got:

I got this one for $5, a buck cheaper than I paid for the Reggie Jackson last week.  I imagine $5 will be as cheap as I will be able to go on these should I see any more.  (Actually, I did see another one today.   I put a bid on another one of these cards that's going Tuesday night, this time of Bob Gibson).

I won another Di Cut card, too.  I have no interest in Chris Carpenter, but I figure I can turn it into something else I want later.

Finally, I spent $5 on this Aaron Crow Bowman Sterling Auto card.  It might be a little  high, but I got to see Crow pitch with the Naturals quite a few times, several years ago and in fact have a picture of him and my boy:

That's Crow on the left, and Louis Coleman, also with the Royals now, on the right.  That's my handsome boy in the middle. I needed a nice card of Crow, so I was glad to get this one.

Grades:

Johnny Bench WS Pin Card $5  A:  Again, these are really cool to me, and I like the Bench card even better than the Jackson I got last week.

Chris Carpenter Di Cut $3  B+:  Not a guy a care at all about, but still a pretty good bargain for cards that are relatively tough to come by.

Aaron Crow Bowman Sterling Auto:  A    I'll give myself a good grade just for the fact that I've wanted a nice card of Crow due to the neat picture I have of him and my son.  I need to find a good one of Coleman now.

A Slight Letdown

Last September, I was lucky enough to watch the Rangers play the night they clinched the AL West.  One of the highlights of the evening was former Razorback Craig Gentry hitting his only home run of the season, of an inside the park variety, and making the crowd go nuts, especially me.

So this year, when I saw that Topps had a "Golden Moments" relic card of Gentry, I figured there was a good chance this card commemorated his HR in that game.  I thought it would be a nice memento of the evening.  I couldn't find any auctions (there were only two of these on ebay at the time I bought this one) that showed the back of the card, and didn't see it on Checkoutmycards.com.  But I was sure that moment would be the subject of the card so I bought it.

Eh, it was a different moment.

Some Junk Mail

I'm sure I can't be the first person to use that play on words when posting about a trade with Wes of  Jaybarkerfan's Junk?  If I am, then shame on all of you.

This was my first trade with Wes, and hope not the last.  He recently had a handful of cards that he offered in return for vintage, any vintage.  He had a nice Neftali Feliz A&G relic that I liked so I claimed it, forgetting I already had one.  Oops.

Actually, no "oops" because I'm more than happy to have two of these, especially if Feliz reaches hi potential in the next few years.

Wes also through in an extra bonus:

An on card Ranger auto was a great surprise!

Thank you for the trade Wes, and I hope you like what I sent!

2012 Gypsy Queen First Purchase

Let me join in at what is sure to be a flood of Gypsy Queen posts in the blogosphere.  Gypsy Queen was by far my favorite set last year, and from what I saw with my purchases today, will also be in 2012.  I've been on the lookout for it the past few days and snagged a few rack packs today when I saw them available:

First, the base:

Again, there is a nice mix of vintage and modern day stars.  The Dwight Gooden card is fantastic.

Then the minis, inserted one per pack.  I didn't really go after these last year, but probably will this year.  They have all kinds of different backs, but I don't find that in the least bit interesting so I didn't scan them.

Here were the inserts I pulled.  Once again, these look awesome to me.  The Kinsler Sliding Stars card may be my favorite card of 2012 so far.

 

I'm very tempted to make a run at completing the bronze paper parallel set.  At 300 cards, that's pretty daunting though.  

 How about a run of Yankee Legends?  Half of my bronze paper inserts were Yankee greats.  Not complaining about that at all, but I still couldn't help but think:.  "No more Yankee my Wankee, the Doon need food!"

 Finally, my only hit, but it was a nice one.  Love the gray flannel on this Steve Carlton relic.

So there was my first taste of Gypsy Queen.  I may do something I haven't done in a while, and purchase a hobby box.  This is a great set!