2016 National Convention Loot - Part 4

The day was winding down, so after so much time at the quarter boxes, and then getting the Strasburgs & RG3's that I hadn't planned on, I decided to focus on a couple goals I had coming into the show.  I wanted to complete two vintage team sets.  I don't usually collect team sets, unless we're talking about Redskins football cards, and then it's EVERY set.  But in these particular cases, I was fortunate to come into starter lots of both teams under interesting circumstances.

The first one is the 1957 Topps Brooklyn Dodgers.  Several years ago, I bought a collection from a friend of a friend who was looking to liquidate his cards.  I hear about collectors buying collections all the time, and am usually jealous, but this is the one time (so far) that I was the lucky one.  He had tons of vintage stars and some other great stuff that I won't list in detail here.  But needless to say, he got a decent sum and I got an awesome deal on a big selection of star cards.  This included the better part of a 1957 Dodgers team set.  The Drysdale rookie, team card, Snider, Reese, Hodges, and most of the commons were all there.  I decided to finish it.  Sort of a prelude to whenever I will tackle the whole '57 set.

I found the Podres, Campanella and the Koufax several weeks ago at a dealer in Baltimore for a great price.  The only ones I had left were Don Zimmer and an upgrade to the Roger Craig.

Sorry about the low quality photos...

I had seen a Zimmer at one dealer for like $4, but it was pretty "well loved".  It was amazing the range of prices that these two cards went for among the dealers at the National.   A few had Zimmer for 15 bucks or more.  One dealer, which I concluded must have been Polo Grounds (who advertise in SCD and label a lot of their singles "Beauties") had a really nice Craig.  I flipped it over and the little sticker said $60 - Beauty!  I politely said that was a bit out of my range and stepped away before choking.

Finally I came to a dealer that was a few rows from the front of the show, but faced towards the back.  I don't recall his name, but he is another I'll go back to.  He had rubber-banded stacks of toploadered vintage in a showcase.  I found a Craig in decent shape for $7, and he pulled out a Zimmer that was marked at $8.  I said "Now that's what I'm talking about!".  Both were well centered.  The Zimmer had some corner wear, but was more than acceptable.

I also found these 1970 Topps star cards from the same guy - Al Kaline and Willie Mays.  They were priced very reasonably as well.  They are almost a little too nice to fit in my mid-grade '70 set.

So here is the completed Dodger team from 1957 Topps in pages or screwdowns:

  

 

At this point, I was basically out of cash, and the show was closing in an hour or so.  Besides a T205 Mathewson, there was only one other target card I hadn't seen.  (At least that I could afford.)  It would complete a team set that I started back when Topps was giving cards away through the 2011 Topps Millions online redemption program.  For those that don't know, you pulled code cards from packs of 2011 flagship and redeemed them for vintage cards from the Topps site.  These weren't stamped buybacks, but just regular cards that you could collect and trade for other specific cards through the site.  Very cool thing at the time.

Anyway, so I ended up with two or three 1955 Washington Senators from that program.  I figured "Hey, why not go for the whole team?"   The Senators weren't that great, how hard could it be?  Then I researched a little further.  One little hitch to that idea - Harmon Killebrew is in that team set.

HIS ROOKIE CARD. 

Recently I had seen copies on COMC for right around $100, so I figured it might actually be doable.

So here I was, end of the show, no money, running out of time.  I still have credit, but should I just go and let it slide until the next show?  Or should I hit one more place?

I remembered a dealer who was right on the end of the first row, just beyond where I got all the current insert cards the first day.  He was the one who sold me my '59 Mantle in Chicago a couple years back.  He was very nice to deal with and had quality superstar cards at good prices.  So I said to myself, "if he takes credit, and he has a good one, I'm in."

I walked up to the front row and found Ron from Coach Estes Cards.  I asked first if he took plastic.  He did.  Then I asked him about the Killer RC.  He had one in a rotating case.  It was OK but off center.  Marked at $100.  I think he was selling cards from that case at a 10% discount.  He then looked it over and said he'd take another 10% off.  That put it at $80.  I knew then that I had made the right decision to come to his table.  The other Killebrews I had seen were $200 to $250 out in the show.  I had almost walked out, but I was drawn to this table.  This is the one I was meant to have.  We completed the transaction and I walked out of the show.

Here is the completed 1955 Topps Senators team:

With both the Dodgers and the Killebrew, and really with all the major vintage star cards I got,  I had seen several examples of each, but I can always feel if the one I'm holding is the one I'm meant to own.  It's usually about finding the balance between the condition you want, and the price you want to pay.  But a lot of times, it's just a feeling.

This show didn't yield the volume that some past Nationals have, but I was very satisfied with all that I had found.  Can't wait 'til next year in Chicago, and for the next Chantilly, VA show in October!

Next post, my pulls from the A&G boxes.  And maybe some poll questions about what vintage you're working on, etc.

2016 National Convention Loot - part 3

So the last day I went was Friday.  I finally figured out the best route to get there.  Take the ferry across to Cape May, then go up the Garden State Parkway until you hit the Atlantic City Expressway and bang! you're there.  Hour and a half boat ride, and an hour drive.  Total Tolls = less than $2.50.  (OK the ferry is kinda expensive).  The previous days, I had taken the long, arduous route.

Anyway, at the show, I started towards the back of the floor and worked forward.  I came to a dealer who had some boxes of vintage singles and some other binders kinda piled on the back of his table.  I think his name was Rick and he wore a Mets jersey.  His boxes weren't marked with prices, so I was cautious as he asked what I was looking for.  He asked that of every customer who walked up to the table.  Can't knock a guy for good customer service and wanting to make sales.  But at times, he seemed to be trying to do too many things at once.  I said I was looking for off-condition '72 and '70 Topps.  He showed me one box, and handed me another, and then pulled out a couple partial binders.  I picked out a few singles.  He asked me which stars I needed and I rattled off a couple names.  I usually prefer to look through what a dealer has and then come up with a stack for evaluation at the end.  This guy wasn't pushy, but it was still kinda distracting to try to search his singles and talk to him at the same time.  He had some singles marked at prices which he said were half off, and others that weren't marked.  I had found some mid-grade high numbers and some semi-stars.  He pulled out some others including Hank Aaron and two Nolan Ryans.

Once I was done looking, he proceeded to go through each and every card and give me a detailed evaluation of condition and resulting price.  To my relief, his prices were very good.  The couple star cards that were marked were right in line where I felt they should have been, and the off-condition ones he discounted heavily.  Then we came to Aaron and Ryan.

He handed the Ryans to his partner to see which was in better/worse shape.  They both were really nice.  I said my set wasn't worthy and he should sell them to someone willing to spend more on them. I was on the fence on the Aaron too, but had an open mind.  He made an offer, which I pondered for a minute or two, and then he lowered that to the point where I couldn't see why I shouldn't take it.  It was a very fair amount for the whole stack.  I walked away happy.  I thanked him for his time and effort ~ both of which were unusually high for a deal involving a handful of cards.

The next couple purchases, in no particular order because I can't remember exactly, were much quicker but were equal bargains.  I found not one, but two of my T205 New York Giants cards for an amazing $55....for the PAIR.  I usually like to get these in graded form - the only instance where that is true - but these were right in line with the condition of the others I have, and for that price (discounted from $35 each), I couldn't pass them up.  I actually offered $60 and the guy countered with the $55.  When does that happen?

Then it was time for a prolonged session of ... quarter box digging!

Found a vendor who had a whole "block" of tables, which were mostly two to five rows of singles for 25¢ each.  Initially found a box of football that had a lot of the old Fleer Team Action singles, which I had found in Michigan a while back nice and cheap, but since then had only seen them for a buck a shot, which to me is way too much.  Seeing them here prompted me to pull up a chair.  Suffice to say, I spent a couple hours sifting through and came up with singles from that and several other football sets, plus a couple vintage baseball singles, and more.  

 You saw the Fleers in the previous post.  Above are some of the modern football singles I got.  The Platinums really knocked my list down, and there weren't too many I didn't need.  It's like the packs I was missing were in this box.  One of the other singles I showed before was the last card (I thought) I needed for my 1975 Topps football set.  When I went to put checklist #376 away, though, there was already one there.  And I discovered I was missing a Chief at #16.  I always buy dupes....

Coming back towards the front of the show, I saw another dealer with a big sign that had each day of the show listed, and a corresponding discount rate.  Wednesday was 40% off, Thursday 50%, Friday 60, Satuday 70, and Sunday 80.  He said he was gonna get really busy Sunday.  Since I knew I was done, I didn't wait.  He had one box of nothing but Sport Kings, which I've never really seen before, but only found a Yaz for a friend.  Another box was some superstars, including Stephen Strasburg and Robert Griffin III.  I picked up a few Stras cards, including the short print #661 from 2010.  I also got some RGIII's that I had probably passed up from other dealers since they cost so much.  The stickers are "before discount" prices.  One notable one is the die cut shield one [center of bottom row], which I already had pulled from a pack, but the pack wrapper was sealed right over the top point, damaging the card.  While not basement bargains, I think I did OK with these.  His stuff might go back up if he blows up in Cleveland.  I wish the guy well, honestly.

Next time, part two of the final day.  Two vintage team sets complete ~ as it was meant to be.

2016 National Convention Loot - part 2

Thursday was the first full day on the dealer floor.  My friend Bill came with me this time.  He's not a collector really, but he is a Redskins (and general sports) fan.  He was looking at Kirk Cousins jerseys and old Life magazines.  At one point, we spotted NY Giant legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor behind one vendor's counter.

I first wanted to see if I could get my targeted boxes of 2016 Allen & Ginter for the same price I had seen the night before.  Steel City had a stack of five boxes on their display table Wednesday night during the preview which were marked at $80 each.  This is a three dollar apiece discount on their regular online price.  I should have known at the time to grab them, but I didn't want to carry them around, so I figured they would be there for the same rate the next day.   When I walked up to their area, they were refilled, but now they were $85.  I asked the closest rep guy if I could get them for the night before's price.  He consulted with another associate who quickly nixed that idea and said they couldn't do any better than 85.  Well, that was now OVER what they were selling for online.

So I walked to the next area and bought my four boxes from Blowout for $82 each.

I stashed them at the Sports Card Forum table (thanks Don!) and went about shopping for more singles.  I'll show the pulls from these boxes later.

I eventually came upon a dealer who had some singles boxes marked at 3/$1.  I sat down and perused the contents.  I came away with some very nice star cards, vintage football singles, and some other oddballs.  A lot of these would be at least $1 cards elsewhere.   In these pictures, I've actually mixed some of the 3/$1 and some of the next day's 25¢ purchases (like the Fleer team actions especially).

If a vendor is selling big stars from the mid-80s, and then '77, '74, and '72 for 33¢ each, I say "YES PLEASE!".

The other bargain I found was a seller right at the back side of the big company areas that had 1972 Topps baseball high numbers - in the same middling condition as the rest of my set, plus a bunch of really decent '64s for a BUCK a SHOT.  Again - "YES PLEASE!".  I put away most of the '72s before I took pictures of my loot, but here are a couple highlights...

Just a sampling - I actually got like 15 high number '72s like these for $1 each!

Here are the '64s -

After going over all the '72s and '64s he had, plus a couple odd '70s, I ended up with exactly 50.

Nothing better than nice bargain vintage!

Next time - the most meticulous seller (with good prices) I've ever dealt with...and the quarter boxes!

2016 National Convention Loot - part 1

Hey look!  Card related content on my blog site!  Watch for lightning!!

This is the first of a multi-part series just to show off what I got at the 2016 National Sports Collectors Covention in Atlantic City.

I purchased the VIP ticket package, mostly for the giveaway cards and the sneak preview shopping on Wednesday night.  I actually stayed with my friend in Rehoboth Beach instead of getting a hotel in AC.  So it was a bit of a commute each day, but it got easier as I went along.  More on that later.

I started to put my stuff away here at home, but then thought I might as well take pictures of it first so I can post about it here.  Not my best photographic work.

So first, I attended the VIP reception.  It was the usual situation - three times as many people as there were chairs and tables, so there were lines for the autograph guests forming long before they came out, and when they said that the food was coming out there was a mild stampede for that.  Anyway, I got something to eat and then got in line for Roy White and then Art Shamsky and got these (shown in the 1970 set binder):

  

Then I figured I'd hit my favorite dealer for current inserts, especially since he was right in the front row of the floor.  I killed a lot of my 2016 Topps insert wants.  A little too many, actually, because I hadn't edited my list to exclude some that I had coming in trade already.  Oh well, I always buy dupes no matter what show I go to.

I'm not positive I got this on the first night, but I'll put it here anyway.  Was browsing one dealer's vintage selections that he had in small boxes seperated by year and price.  I have a short list of  HOF'ers that I don't have any cards of,  I found one of them here.  Here's a nice Preacher Roe with the Dodgers, that was already way below book at eight bucks, marked down to four!  Thank you very much!  The guy didn't think I was old enough to know who Preacher Roe is.  I get that a lot.  People are usually surprised when I tell them my age.  Guess I look a lot younger, which is nice...

That's my first night at the show.  Coming soon, the next full day.  Some even bigger bargains!

Birthday Beauties July #1 - Priyanka Chopra

I temporarily suspended the Birthday Beauties series, mostly because I wasn't coming up with other card-related content to put between them.  And because of the death of Gordie Howe on the same day as Kate Upton's birthday.

But I couldn't resist putting up pics of this exotic goddess.  Winner of the Miss World pageant in 2000, singer, Bollywood actor, and now star of the American TV series Quantico, Priyanka Chopra is now a worldwide superstar.

She has it all.  Versatile beauty that can leave you breathless as everything from sexy siren to exotic princess, to charming girl next door.  And since she's so grounded in family and tradition, she's the opposite of diva.

Behold...

 

 

 

 

Pull Tab Awareness Week!

If you package and send cards to people,

DO THIS

Hockey has hit an all-time low

First, the Penguins come from stunning mediocrity to probably win the Stanley Cup again this year (Update: dangit, they won), and now we lose Gordie Howe.

 

 

Birthday Beauties May #2 - Megan Fox

Well, I got one sports rant in between these....

Today is the birthday of Megan Fox, star of the first two Transformers, Jennifer's Body, Jonah Hex, This Is 40, and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.  She will be replacing Zooey Deschanel in New Girl while Zooey also becomes a new mom, like Megan did back in 2012 and 2014.

The aptly-named Fox has been called the first bona fide sex symbol in the 21st century by several publications.  She's been compared to Angelina Jolie, both because of her exotic looks and multiple tattoos (Fox has eight), but Megan doesn't feel the comparison is just.  She has been less and less in the media limelight in the last few years, and isn't the typical glamorous starlet, preferring a private home life.

I can't say she's my ultimate favorite, but I do love blue-eyed brunettes.  She's got the classic movie star look for sure.

 

Another victory for NHL (and NBC) marketing

It is hard to be a local sports fan in Washington.  Especially in NHL hockey.

Last night's overtime win by Pittsburgh has all but put the most dominant team in the NHL out of the playoffs in the second round - again.  The Washington Capitals won the President's Trophy for most victories during the season, prevailed over a tough, physical Philadelphia Flyers team in the first round, and then even though they outshot, outhit, and outplayed the Penguins, they are left with nothing to show for it.  Now, the remote possibility still exists that they could do like the Boston Red Sox and suddenly win three games in a row and ultimately advance, but the odds are astronomical.  Because besides the resistance by Pittsburgh's hounding defense and skating speed, there are also the forces of multi-million dollar marketing, national media bias, and a marked decrease in the enforcement of contact penalties.

Now I hate to be the guy that says "my team is getting cheated" after every loss, but I think you can make a case for the lack of equal support here.

Since he was drafted, (at the same time as Ovechkin,) Squidney Crybaby has been annointed the poster child for the league.  He is promoted as the face of the NHL no matter what he does or who does anything better.  And the NBC sports coverage are his biggest pimps.  As the game goes on, the Nobody But Crosby Network slants every discussion toward what NEEDS to happen to facilitate a Pittsburgh victory.  Washington is credited with their good play and stellar record for the season, and then it's all about what the Penguins have to do to stop them.  Nick Backstrom was winning faceoffs repeatedly against Squid the Kid early in the last game.  Pierre McGuire noted that Backstrom was aggressively taking Crosby out of the play and winning the puck each time.  That would have been fine by itself.  But he had to add that someone should tell the Pittsburgh coaches that this is happening.  God forbid someone does something detrimental to the (Black and) Golden Child!  Later, the faceoff wins started to even out.  I guess Pierre conveyed the message during the intermission.  He was in line for the GM job there, so he knows them well.

So far in the series, all I have seen Squidney do is turn the puck over, fling it past his teammates and back to his goalie, and take hits (including one last night that resulted in his angrily beating his stick on the walls as he headed down the locker room tunnel).  He finally got his first point, an assist, in last night's game.  He hasn't been able to score any goals since he's been heavily defended when he's right in front of the goal (and can't score from outside five feet otherwise).  Ovechkin's highlight reels include plays that start at his own end of the ice, weave through several players, bouncing off the walls, and sliding across the surface to score dynamic goals, while the bulk of Squidney's scores are multiple hacks from three feet away.  Yet Crosby is the "best player in the league".  At every other stoppage in play, there's a shot of number 87 on the bench, whether he was involved in the previous play or not.  He's continually lauded for his supreme "effort", even when it's a dicey play.  At one point late in the game last night, he put the hockey equivalent of a chop block on TJ Oshie in the corner.  The exultant analysts for NBC praised him for the questionably legal, but smart play.  Any other team member would be scorned for the assault, but Crosby and the Penguins are geniuses for playing like thugs.   There is no questioning the referees "letting them play" and not calling the hooks, spearing, roughing and general cheap shots that the players in black can be seen giving out regularly during and after play.  Both sides are exchanging contact, but it's always the Caps that get called to the box, while the cross-checks after the whistle or harrassment after the puck is passed go unnoticed.

As the game goes on, the bias becomes more blatant.  Any stat or advantage that Pitt has is repeated and emphasized.  Doc Emerick must have repeated the shot totals in one game fifteen times, since the Pens were ahead.   The first intermission analysis is usually a pretty normal discussion of each team's accomplishments and goals for the next period.  The second intermission is about "the concerns" about Pittsburgh not dominating the game by now.  No equal time is spent on anything positive for the opponent.  The discussion before overtime is simply how the Penguins are going to win, nothing else.  Because there are no alternative possibilities.  The chosen team has to win.  End of story.

Might as well give them the cup now.  Sorry St. Louis, Dallas, San Jose, Tampa, and even New York.  Better luck next year.  And especially to Alex Ovechkin.  You just play for the wrong team.  You will never hold a Cup, not because you're not the most dynamic player in the league, or can build a team around you that plays superior (and clean) hockey every game.  It's because you don't play for the chosen franchise.  The League will simply not allow you to waste their millions of dollars of marketing money by defeating their favorite team.

UPDATE: The Caps gave it a vailant effort.  They won Game 5 and took 'em to overtime in Game 6 in Pittsburgh.   I was busy but the game was on where I was, so I didn't watch that closely except for the end of regulation. 

NBC is happy....

Birthday Beauties May #1 - Erin Andrews

The birthdays keep coming faster than I can take the time to create a real card related post.  I promise there will be something between these that discusses cardboard, or at least sports in general.

May 4th welcomes sports broadcaster Erin Andrews.  She is the standard for sideline reporter babes who actually know what they're talking about and are respected by fans and peers.  She also gets her glam on while hosting Dancing With The Stars on ABC, which she was an actual participant in for one season.  I don't watch the show, so I can't tell you how close she came to winning.

Her most recent noteworthy appearance was as the plaintiff of a lawsuit against a despicable individual who apparently hooked up a camera to her hotel room door and grossly invaded her privacy.  She was awarded a handsome sum, but the emotional and psychological cost remained unpaid.  It's one thing to admire and glamorize a beautiful woman (as these posts do), but to take it to that level is just way over the line and deserving of severe punishment indeed.

Erin is classy, refined, smart and exceptionally beautiful, but in a sort of reserved way.  I remember seeing a talk show hosted by Rich Eisen where he interviewed her.  The camera zoomed in really close to her face, and you could tell she is just absolutely gorgeous even without a lot of makeup or anything. 

Birthday Beauties - Belated

I really gotta come up with some card articles.

Maybe I'll chronicle my vacation from last week that was several solid days of card purchases in Michigan.  Which is why this post didn't appear April 5th like I intended.  There are TWO gorgeous gals born on that day.

Krista Allen

Star of several TV shows, including Baywatch Hawaii, and movies like Liar, Liar, and the Cinemax favorite series Emmanuelle in Space.  She is pure and simply smoking hot, and flaunts it.

Hayley Atwell

The other April 5th original is Hayley Atwell, the British angel most notable for her role as Agent Peggy Carter in Agent Carter TV show, and the Captain America movies.  She has also done well on stage in Britain and in award-winning roles in films like Cassandra's Dream and Brideshead Revisited.  She is a much more conservative, girl-next-door type than Krista, but still engagingly gorgeous nonetheless.