July 14th MHCC Card Show Recap Part 1!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Yesterday was an incredible day in the life of a young collector from New York, as he managed to meet a Hall of Famer from his favorite team and get spoiled to no end all day long! Fortunately enough, that young collector happened to be me yesterday, as Dad, Schuyler, Connor, and I all made it out to a local card show run by the good guys at JP's Sports! This was the first time their company made the trip closeby to my house, and the turnout was ok for the most part. It wasn't a terrible showing, but it could've been a lot better. However, that didn't affect the 4 of us, as we still had 100 tables to look at and 3 autograph guests to meet! And, well, we still went crazy.

Dad and I's goal for the show was to knock off cards from the two big sets I've been working on. I didn't come with as much money as usual, because I was planning on saving up for next months even bigger show. But, we still made out really well, perhaps even better than all of the other shows! Take a look at the 1961 Topps and 2011 Topps Tier One cards we were able to take home this go round:

While most of the 61's Dad picked up didn't have a whole lot of flair, he figured we'd have to knock them off eventually, so he was able to pick up a grand total of 49 new cards for the set, putting us now at 49.2% of the way there! I didn't expect this many commons from Dad, so it made for an awesome surprise. Fortunately, for lucky spoiled Drew, we were just getting started. 

Three of the bigger 1961 pickups came from another vendor, the first two being of former Yankees Bobby Shantz and Tony Kubek! I swore I already had the Kubek but the wantlist said differently, so I'm glad he got it for me. Also, I absolutely love adding new cards of players I've met, so this Shantz pickup was pretty darn awesome!

Easily the best card we picked up on the day was card #482, aka the MVP subset card of "The Say Hey Kid", Willie Mays! I'm pretty sure this set stretched from 1952 forward, to commemorate the first 10 years of Topps cards, but I don't remember offhand. It's not in tip top shape, but it's more than good enough to fit my set!

So, as I said, we are now .8% away from being halfway done with one of the most iconic sets in baseball card history! There's reason to be excited! Now, moving on to the more modern, yet still very nostalgic set, the Tier One relics. I bought 6 of these, but Dad ended up knocking off the 3 most expensive out of the group of cards below. He really is crazy, I'm telling you. 

First I was able to add the "cheater", Ryan Braun. Who knows if he really cheated the game or not. I believe he did, because the reasoning for his innocence seemed a bit questionable to me. I still like the guy enough though, and he sure is fun to watch. 

Speaking of exciting, how about perhaps the best hitter of this era, Ichiro Suzuki! Ichiro may not reach the 3,000 hit plateau in America, but his number of professional hits in total is incredible. He may not rake the way he used to, but that isn't diminishing the enormous legacy he's left on Major League Baseball. 

It seems difficult to not think of this guy when thinking of Ichiro, so it was fitting I was able to add this George Sisler relic as well. Sisler previously owned the record for single season hits, until Ichiro came along and shattered that record. However, he'll still be renowned as one of the best the game's seen. 

When it came to putting together a video game season, Rogers Hornsby could do what hardly anyone else could dream of accomplishing. Who can deny a guy with a .358 lifetime batting average? I find this one as one of the best of the lot, without question. 

I'm pretty sure this guy Cal Ripken knew a thing or two about hitting the baseball too! With well over 3,000 hits, the Iron Man will easily be one of the most loved players ever. You have to love a guy that actually doesn't mind signing autographs for the fans. I would kill for some current players to be as classy as Mr. Ripken. 

We also knocked off both of the redemptions from the set, Rickey Henderson and Ryne Sandberg! I've seen a few of the Sandberg cards on eBay before, but nothing of Rickey yet. I can't wait to see what these two look like when they're done and shipped out!

However, nothing will top these last two, at least in my eyes. It was a Willie Mays kind of day for us, as Dad picked up his relic from the set, which is easily one of my favorites in the set. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Mays was the best all around player in baseball history. From what I've read on him, it sounded like he could have had more than 5 tools if it were possible.  

But I had to put this guy last, because as I recently read, he didn't like not getting the limelight. Mr. Joe DiMaggio, everyone! Boy do I love this card. DiMaggio is the second of the four huge Yankees on this checklist I've acquired, as I haven't gotten Ruth and Mantle yet. But, this will definitely have to do for now!

With these 9 new additions to the relic set, I am now 88% of the way there, just missing Bench, Wright, Beltran, Ruth, Mantle, and Aaron! I never expected this set to fly by so quickly, which is why I need to give my Dad more than just a thank you. You're the best dad, and I'm glad you realize how much I appreciate all you do for me. Also, thank you to my favorite vendors Rich & Hunter for being such a big help in selling so many of these to us!

We're just getting started everyone, so please stay tuned for even more new material within the next few days! See Ya

March 24th White Plains Card Show Recap! Meeting Bobby Shantz and Roy White!

Hey everyone, Drew back here. For some odd reason baseball was cancelled today, perhaps because it got to be too nice out? Oh well, anyway, since I'm stuck here in my office room, I might as well continue on the card show review! We're now moving on to Part 4 of 6, dedicated to my experiences getting to meet two former players! Both of these players were free autograph signers for the day with paid admission into the show, and had by far the longest line I've ever seen at the County Center. I'm still stumped as to why, because both players weren't necessarily stars, but a free autograph is a free autograph without a doubt.

The first player I was able to meet was former All Star pitcher Bobby Shantz! Shantz is one of those old school players who is now in his upper 80's, but the coolest part about him was that he not only was a very good pitcher, but he had opportunities to face some players us fans idolize today, in Mantle, Mays, and Jackie Robinson. He was an 8 time Gold Glove winner, which really is a hard accomplishment to achieve in baseball for a pitcher. Also, adding to his remarkable list of accomplishments, he also won the 1952 American League MVP after winning 24 games! With a career record of 119-99, he was certainly one of the better pitchers of his era. I actually already got his autograph from a past TTM success, but with a chance to meet him for practically no cost was something I didn't want to pass up.

Unfortunately, I was stuck in line for an hour and a half, and that's just being nice. However, the wait was definitely worth it, as I was able to finally meet Shantz and have him sign a few things for me. I don't quite remember how it came up, but I was able to thank him for signing for me through the mail, and how appreciative I was of that. He seemed like a really nice man, without question.

He first signed this very nice 1988 Pacific Baseball Legends card, from the same set I recently got a Roy Sievers autograph from. I discovered that I had quite a few of these cards laying around in my basement, so I decided to try and get some of them autographed, because they always seem to come out great. This was certainly no exception to that. Shantz has by far one of the nicest all around signatures I've seen. 

For the other free ticket Dad and I had on us, I decided to do something pretty neat, at least from what I think. I bought a cheap 8x10 off of my favorite photo dealer at the show, and I paid the JP's Sports guys for an inscription. I asked Mr. Shantz if he could write a little something about the photo on it, and he went right ahead and did that for me, which was awesome. I thought it came out pretty darn good. 

Yes, the photograph is from the 1952 All Star Game, where Shantz showed off in his MVP season, striking out three batters in a row- Whitey Lockman, Jackie Robinson, and Stan 'The Man' Musial! It shows Jackie swinging at the pitch in the at bat he struck out in, which was really something neat. It's rare to get a chance to meet someone who pitched against one of the biggest American icons, so I always wanted to remember the opportunity I had to meet him. I asked Shantz how difficult Jackie was to face, and he said that he was a very tough hitter, but he was able to get him in that at bat. 

Without a doubt meeting Bobby was something I probably won't ever forget, and I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity I was given. He was a class act, and I was able to take home some pretty darn awesome autographs! On a side note, he looks very good for 87 years old. God bless him. 

Immediately following my encounter with the 1952 AL MVP, I moved right along to the next free signer, former Yankee Roy White. This wasn't the first time I met White, or even the second. This was the third time I've met him! I've always thought he was a class act guy and a good autograph to have, so I've taken advantage of getting to meet him in the past. In fact, back in 2006, he became the first Major League athlete I ever met. So, with this time around, besides picking up a nice autograph for Connor to give as a gift, I decided to do something special. The night before I met him, I decided not to have him sign my Mantle autographed photo just yet, because I had another idea in mind. 

It came out a little smeared on the right side, but nobody has really noticed it too much until I point it out. The picture was absolutely fine until he signed it, so maybe his hands were greasy or something because there was a thumbprint on the side. Or I was just being stupid. Who knows. Anyways, I now own a signed photograph of my first encounter with a professional athlete, which was something I always thought about doing. He inscribed it out "To Drew, Best Wishes Again, Roy White #6". I have five or six of his autographs already, but this one shot right up to number one. 

White seemed a little out of it that day, but he was still nice enough to add a nice personalization and what not. He's a good guy, but I'm sure he was sick of signing by that point, especially with the line that still awaited AFTER I was done waiting over an hour for them. 

So, these two experiences already had made my day, but it only got better as I proceeded to meet 2 Hall of Famers! I'll post those signings tomorrow!

See Ya!

TTM's #'s 61 and 62! Awesome Basketball Return!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Over the past few days I've received more signed cards in the mail, and as always, I brought them over to the scanner to share them with you all! Check them out:

First was former Yankees pitcher Bobby Shantz! If you remember, I recently got back from him just a few weeks ago, but the card he signed was very damaged. So, I sent him another letter, and he seemed happy to sign another custom for me! He also sent me another card, from the 2009 Diamond Signature set. It was inscribed "1952 A.L. MVP" and is an incredible bonus to go along with my card. The custom also looks much better, with only one small spot of damage that isn't too noticeable. 

In my previous post concerning Shantz, I wrote a little up about his career. You can check that out here. For the second time, the success only take 5 days, a ridiculously fast turnaround.

The second success was a sick one! Shaquille O'Neal signed 2 cards for me! Shaq has always been one of my favorite basketball players of all time, even though I don't really follow it too well. The 4 Time NBA champion and 2000 NBA MVP is a sure thing Hall of Famer once his career is all said and done. He's been elected to 15 All Star Games and took home the Game's MVP award 3 times! It's safe to say that Shaq has been the greatest center of the past decade but you can even consider him of the best centers of all time. 

Shaq has hit a hot streak in terms of signing autographs for the fans lately, but questions have been rising over the legitimacy that he was the one who actually signed it. I find it all to be rumors, because clearly both of my autographs look different from the other, plus I sent it to his home address while he stayed home on a road trip with an injury. In terms of the autographs, my custom looks pretty cool I have to say, and I'm happy he actually signed it anyway. However, the 04-05 Fleer Showcase card I've had stored away for years looks outstanding signed in silver sharpie! The success took just 7 days, which again is insanely fast, especially for an active player!

All in all I'm pumped to add Shaq to my autograph collection, as well as a replacement from Bobby Shantz! If you're curious in sending a letter to either player and need an address, let me know in the comments or shoot me an email. 

See Ya!

TTM's 52-55! Damage Everywhere

Hey guys, Drew back here. I've gotten a few TTM's back recently, but haven't been too excited in showing them. Due to some reason in which I have no idea, most of my recent customs are coming back damaged. I've needed to resend to many players due to this, and it's starting to get ridiculous. My dad brought up an idea that the glue I've been using to glue the cards to the card stock might be causing the front to smear, as well as possible roller marks. Well, hopefully I can make an adjustment and they will start coming back mint again like the good old days.

Getting to the successes. All 4 were of good players, so let's check them out!

The first success from the past week was from former Yankee Bobby Shantz. Shantz was a great pitcher, and one of the first pitchers to start their career as a starter and end it as a reliever. He did the transition really well and was one of the top relievers in the game during his time in baseball. Not only was he good reliever, but he also won the 1952 AL MVP as a starter, with a record of 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA. He won 8 gold gloves too, due to his prolific fielding at the pitcher position, and also won the 1958 World Series with the Yankees. His career record was 119-99 with a career ERA of 3.38. In my opinion, he should have been considered for the Hall of Fame more, not saying he would get in but at least be a borderline player.

Shantz signed my custom nicely on the autograph section. He only took 5 days too! But as I mentioned earlier, many customs were wrecked in the mail, and this was one of them. It would have looked great too, but unfortunately, I'm going back to the drawing board on these things.

Out of the 4 successes, this was the best. Not only did I pretty much write it off recently, but it wasn't damaged! Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw signed a custom for me! I've been seeing a lot of his successes lately, so he must've been catching up on his mail. Bradshaw was the 1st player picked in the 1970 NFL draft, and the Steelers really made a fantastic pick. He was the face of their franchise for his 14 years in the NFL, and his Steelers team won 4 Super Bowls during his tenure with the team! His statistics weren't ridiculous, but he was a fierce competitor and a winner. He also made it to 3 Pro Bowls throughout the 1980's, and currently serves on Fox NFL Sunday.

Bradshaw took 117 days to sign the card for me. Not too long, but I had a feeling that he was starting to stop signing. Patience is the key to happiness in the TTM collecting hobby though, and I'm really happy I got this one. Stories have been told of a possibility of a ghost signer, but the signature does compare to certified autographs, so I'm going to assume it's real for now.

The next success was of former St. Louis Cardinals/Browns shortstop Marty Marion! Marion signed a custom and an index card for me in only 8 days. Marion played 13 seasons in St. Louis along with legends Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst, and was one of the more underrated players on that team at the time. He was the 1944 NL MVP as you see on the inscription on the index card, after posting a .267 batting average, 6 home runs, and 63 RBI. How he won the MVP that year I really don't know, since Stan Musial hit .348 that same season with 12 home runs and 94 RBI. However, he was a very good shortstop throughout his career, being elected to 8 All Star Games, and helping the Cardinals win 3 World Series titles.

Again, the custom has been damaged around the trophy Marion is holding on the custom, but otherwise it came out good. I love his signature!

My last success up to now is from Bobby Doerr. Doerr is probably one of the, if not the greatest through the mail signer of all time. I even got his autograph a while back, when I used to make custom cards on filler cards. But since then, I've transitioned to a thick art paper of some sorts, so I thought it would be strange to have a set with 1 card thicker than the rest. OCD Alert. Anyway, Doerr signed a new custom that was damaged a little bit as well, but what else is new, and he also signed an insert from 2008 Donruss Threads in 8 days. I actually picked up the card for the reason of sending it to Mr. Doerr to get it signed, so I'm glad I finally got off my lazy butt and sent it to him. It came out outstanding!

Doerr was a 9 Time All Star for the Red Sox throughout the late 1930's to the the early 1950's. He had a career batting average of .288, with 223 home runs, and 1,247 RBI. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 by the Veteran's Committee, as seen on both cards, where he inscribed his induction year. He is almost 93 years old now, god bless him.

Thanks so much to all 4 of the guys that signed for me! Outside of the damage and having to resend to Mr. Shantz, I'm pretty happy with these successes!

See Ya!

1960 World Series Customs!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I recently got into watching the MLB Network broadcast of the 1960 World Series Game 7 that they dug up from Bing Crosby's; a former singer and actor and part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates; estate. They had a special live airing of the show in which Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson, Pirates outfielder Bill Virdon, and Pirates shortstop Dick Groat were on stage with Bob Costas being interviewed as the game progressed. Also in the crowd stood former Pirates champions from that team, and the widow of Roberto Clemente. It was a really good show, and so I decided to make some customs of the Pirates and Yankees from those teams. Check them out!

I'm not done yet, as I still need to do Hall of Fame cards for Mazeroski, as well as a few other players from the teams, but let me know what you think of them!

See Ya!