Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Willie McCovey

Hey everyone! I know, you're probably shocked that I've posted three days in a row. And you probably also think that in a week I won't post again for another three months. If so, I totally get that, and there's definitely a likelihood that will be the case. For now, we're going to let the good times roll.

In order to properly put a bow on the Bronx Baseball Bonanza show I went to last Saturday, I have to show off my other new prize. At the show, my vendor friend Joe I mentioned in yesterday's post was really helpful with some non-hobby related ventures of mine, and my Dad and I thought it would be best to buy something from him as a "thank you". And now that you're caught up, voila...

My 24th Hall of Fame signed baseball is of Willie McCovey! This ball is in mint condition, and is certified by Steiner. When compared to the other McCovey balls he had, I felt as though this was the one to have because it appears that the signature had the best chance of lasting long-term. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it. I've been wanting a ball of the Giants slugger for some time now, and have come to the conclusion that I probably won't ever get to meet him considering his declining health.

Ultimately, I think a big reason I don't often go after Hall of Fame signed baseballs is because I plan to try to meet as many of them as possible. But when I know the chances are slim, I'm more likely to pounce on one. Dad paid for a majority of the ball, so thank you so much for the great gift. This one is already in my Hall of Fame baseball display, and will stay there for the foreseeable future.

Alright, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow (hopefully)!

2016 East Coast National High-End Pickups!

Hey everyone! How's life? I know I can say nothing but positive things these days, as I've managed to get really involved on campus for the first time. College is actually enjoyable now that I've broken through some barriers and allowed myself the chance to branch out more. I've been working towards advertising some of our local school events, and have even gotten the privilege to meet broadcaster Ian Eagle and talk to him about working in sports. Also, I've been covering a lot of my school's football and soccer games for my Sports Reporting course. So yeah, no complaints at all here.

Because I've been interning so often on campus, I haven't had time to actually work and make money. I was on a roll with this hobby up until then, but I've got to get a jump start on my future career before I get back to spending a fortune. I have spent some of the money I saved from working literally every single day this summer at a few card shows, and I'll start catching you up by showing you what I got at the East Coast National in August! 

At this show, I had the pleasure of meeting Kenny from Torren' Up Cards (which I talked about a while back). Dad was unable to join me for this one, but he did come with me last weekend to the Fall Classic show that will more than likely be posted next year at this rate (that was a joke). But for now, here's some sweet certified goodness I've had the pleasure of calling my own.

We kick things off with some refractor autographs of Yankees farmhands Domingo Acevedo and Ian Clarkin. I've been working on adding refractor autos of my team's top prospects, and these two were both affordable. I previously owned a graded 9.5 version of the Acevedo, but I accidentally purchased the base instead of the refractor. 

Acevedo is ranked 8th among the Yankees prospects according to MLB.com's Prospect Pipeline. He is making a name for himself by averaging 96-100 mph consistently, and has even hit 103 mph during his time in the minors. At 6'7, he appears to have the prototype and build of a guy named Dellin Betances. I don't know if he'll ever get to that level, but the potential is there for sure.

Ian Clarkin was drafted 33rd overall and was taken with the supplemental pick the Yankees received when the Nationals signed Rafael Soriano in 2013. He has battled several injuries early on in his big league career, but did pitch to a 3.31 in 18 starts last season for the Tampa Yankees. He currently ranks as the Yankees 17th best prospect in their loaded farm system.

I also took home this 2015 Bowman Chrome refractor auto of new Yankee Dillon Tate! Tate was the fourth overall selection by Texas in the 2015 Draft, and was dealt to New York in the Carlos Beltran trade this summer. He was originally compared to former Oakland A's hurler Dave Stewart, but hasn't quite lived up to the hype so far. However, since coming to New York his velocity has increased from the high 80's to low 90's in Texas to the mid 90's he was expected to throw. If the velocity can stick as he transitions out of his current bullpen role back to the rotation, he could have a future in pinstripes.

My basketball collection isn't all that large, but at this show I was able to add a couple big cards to my minuscule Knicks collection. I couldn't believe how cheap these two autographs above of legends Walt Frazier and Willis Reed were. Not only are they both gorgeous on card signatures from high end products, but they're also both extremely limited (Frazier numbered to 20 and Reed to 49). 

Walt 'Clyde' Frazier was a great player in his day, but I know him more for his colorful personality, crazy fashion statements, and, of course; "swishin' and dishin'". He previously held a majority of the team's franchise records until Patrick Ewing eventually surpassed all but Frazier's assists mark. Willis Reed was a former MVP and two-time NBA Finals MVP who was named to the 1996 '50 Greatest Players in NBA History' list. He once played through a torn muscle in his thigh and helped the Knicks win their first of two championships; defeating the Lakers in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Between the two, there were an awful lot of accolades. For the price I paid, I'd do it all over again.

I wasn't done. I had been shopping for a Carmelo Anthony for some time, but couldn't decide which card I preferred to add. This National Treasures beaut numbered to 25 caught my eye that day, and I was able to work the seller down on the price. 'Melo is one of my favorite players to watch in the NBA, and I love the fact that he uses his celebrity platform to try and make a difference in the world. When comparing generations, I can see him going down as this generation's edition of Charles Barkley: both great players who could never quite win it all. The three-color relic that coincides with the autograph on this card is actually really nice and adds to the card's appeal.

Going forward, I would like to add more Knicks greats to my collection, as well as a few of the stars from my childhood. I don't really follow the NBA as much as I used to, but it's still fun (when the Knicks are competitive).

The same seller I bought the Carmelo autograph off of had this Gregory Polanco refractor autograph for a pretty fair price as well. With the money I had remaining at the end of the day, I made an offer and got this for an absolute steal compared to what it sells for on eBay. Polanco is a talented young player who really came into his own in 2016, hitting 22 home runs while driving 86 runs and scoring 79 of his own. Pittsburgh has even talked about trading Andrew McCutchen due to the emergence of Polanco and Starling Marte, plus top prospect Austin Meadows on the cusp of the majors.

The biggest card I bought that day was something a little out of the ordinary for me. I had been debating whether to invest in a top tier prospect the entire day, and eventually after talking to a major Alex Bregman collector I decided he was the one I would add. This 2016 Bowman Chrome refractor autograph is absolutely beautiful, and is currently being graded in a BGS group submission. I'm looking forward to getting it back and seeing if it can pull out a 9.5! I could've bought the card as a 9.5 for about $50 more, but I had confidence that this raw copy would be good enough to match the grade.

Bregman made his MLB Debut in 2016 after absolutely mashing the ball in the minor leagues. He batted .306 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI between AA and AAA before getting the call-up the day after my 20th birthday! He did not immediately translate to the big leagues in the way that Gary Sanchez did, but continued to progress until a hamstring injury ended his season midway through September.

I'm starting to really enjoy buying Bowman autographs of top prospects. It's really fun taking a gamble on player's futures and getting to root for them in the way I have for Bregman. It has been able to bring me even closer to the game than I knew was possible.

Until next time, See Ya!

Severino (+ Sabathia) Sunday: January Edition

What a wild weekend for the NFL. All three road teams have won thus far into Wild Card Weekend, and we have witnessed the strengths and weaknesses of the league as a whole. The Bengals organization was a complete embarrassment last night against a gritty Steelers team that barely held on to win. Earlier today, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a game winning field goal opportunity to allow the Seahawks to advance. Seattle will take on the Carolina Panthers next week.

In hobby related news, I added some more cards of Luis Severino to my collection. It may be Football Sunday, but it is also Severino Sunday!

2014 Bowman Chrome Green Refractor 74/75

2015 Topps Pro Debut Orange Parallel 6/25

2015 Bowman's Best High-Def Heritage Orange Parallel 5/25

I'm beginning to compile a very orange Severino collection. However, in recent years most Bowman and Topps products limit orange refractors and parallels to just 25 copies. The only lower parallels commonly outside of 1/1's are red parallels, which are normally numbered out of just 5. The Pro Debut and Bowman's Best cards are the 4th and 5th orange parallels in my PC, and will hopefully not be the last. I'd rather buy the lowest numbered cards when I can find them for cheap costs over just about anything else. But once in a while, I have to splurge.

2015 Bowman Inception Jumbo Patch Autograph 41/50

I bought this card several months ago, and somehow never showed it off. This is my current favorite Severino card that I own and probably will be for quite a while. The patch is bright, differing from the common base colors of blue and white you see on most Yankees relics. The relic should be from the 2014 Future's Game, but who really knows anymore. It still looks pretty cool if you ask me. I really like the way the Yankees have worked this kid into their rotation. Everyone knows how good he can be, but until the team becomes a World Series contender again he will likely be overlooked. This should give him the chance to work his way into becoming the potential ace the Yankees need.

I don't believe this season's team has a true "ace" caliber pitcher. Masahiro Tanaka is a good pitcher but doesn't appear to be any better than a #2 or #3 in the rotation. Their former ace is towards the end of his deal, and shocked us all when he left the team late last season to treat his alcoholism in rehab.

2015 Topps Triple Threads Triple Relic Autograph Gold Parallel 8/9

CC Sabathia has given the Yankees an awful lot over his seven year stint in the Bronx. His overall record with the team is 97-56 with a 3.73 ERA. He's made three All Star teams and has finished in the top five in Cy Young voting three times. If he were to retire today, he would be viewed as a Yankee great and a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher. I'm not going to let his alcoholism affect my admiration for the man and player he has been for much of years as a fan. In fact, I think he did the right thing by treating his issue and I really hope rehab has gotten him back on track. Who knows, perhaps he'll get back to his winning ways next year if all goes well.

I was able to find this card at the White Plains Thanksgiving show for $30, and I worked the seller down to $20. I'll do that any day for an autograph this nice of a Yankee great such as C.C. I love the three different relic colors, and that it is only numbered to 9 copies.

Luis Severino and C.C. Sabathia may be on different career paths at this point, but I would be so happy if Severino became the workhorse C.C. has been. I felt like it was only right to include the big lefty in this edition of 'Severino Sunday'.

Enjoy the rest of Wild Card Weekend!

Severino Sunday: Thanksgiving Show Haul

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and got yourself some steals on Black Friday. I had the honor and privilege of dealing with crazy customers all throughout Thanksgiving night and all of Black Friday, so I guess you can say I've had better years. However, I was able to make it out to the JP's Sports Thanksgiving Show yesterday, and I spent some money on myself to make things a little more even.

This show was held in the basement of the Westchester County Center thanks in part to a coin show that occurred on the main floor. There were 175 tables as opposed to the typical 300, but being in the basement made autograph lines tight and there was a general lack of space. Luckily, they only do the show this way every Thanksgiving, so we can all be thankful for the rest of the shows they hold that allow for breathing room.

The weirdest part of this show for me was that it was the first one I've been to without my Dad. Dad is in the midst of deer season, and the lineup for this show really wasn't anything worth missing one of his vacation days for, so he sat this one out. I can't really blame him, but it did feel much different without him by my side.

I did my best to allocate my budget towards exactly what I wanted, and I'm really proud of the haul I returned home with. Since today is Severino Sunday, I figured I'd begin with sharing my latest additions of the Yankees young flamethrower.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic

A few weeks ago, I bought the patch autograph version of this card, and now I own the base auto as well. Bowman Inception is chock full of Severino autographs, and I was able to knock a solid dent into that piece of my wantlist yesterday.

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Green Parallel 80/99

See what I mean?

- 2015 Bowman Inception Autograph Relic Orange Parallel 24/25

I bought all three of these cards from the same seller, and got a fantastic package deal on the trio. They had the orange parallel marked as $60 initially, and I got all three of these for $70. The oranges are difficult to come by, and this one caught my eye from across the room. I made sure it came home with me, and with that, the only relic autographs I'm missing from Inception are the gold and red parallels. Not too bad, if you ask me.

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Orange Refractor 16/25

Orange doesn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing Yankees cards, but it is awfully hard not to like this card. While talking to one of my favorite vendors, I spotted that he had this card, and I was able to land it for a reasonable price. I'm chipping away at this particular rainbow, but still have plenty of work to do. 

I'm beginning to think that on top of only collecting his Topps & Bowman cards, I may also limit the collection to his pre-rookie and rookie years. Obviously, this can be decided down the road, but I think by narrowing the range of cards to collect I'll be able to afford a more impressive collection of his earliest licensed cards.

I was able to make significant progress yesterday adding my 33-36th unique Luis Severino cards. Three autographs put me at 7 total as well. I had to fight the urge to buy a gorgeous framed signed 11x14 of his, but I think I made the right call by staying on track and attacking my want lists.

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow to share the experience I had with another one of the Yankees young stars. 

See Ya!

2015 East Coast National: Card Pickups

Hey everyone, Drew back here! Yesterday, my Dad and I attended JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions' "East Coast National" for the seventh consecutive year. It is absurd to me thinking that I shook Dave Winfield's hand while in line for a hot dog at Nathan's that long ago. Time has truly flew by in my years with this spectacular hobby. Typically, we have gone to several shows in Westchester per year, but it had actually been a full year since we last stepped foot into the building that has brought us so many wonderful memories. The last show we went to was at a Hilton hotel in New Jersey, and prior to that was last year's East Coast National; where we met Johnny Damon, among others.

This year, I decided to save up more than my typical card show budget and treat myself to a fun day. I didn't come home with too much, but the quality surpassed the quantity in this case. Take a look at some of the better cards I was able to add to my collection:

We start with what has been a common theme throughout the blogosphere this summer (or at least in the cases of my buddies Frankie & Andrew, who both picked up relics of his at the National recently). I am now the latest to add a piece of Jackie Robinson's famous lumber to my PC. Believe it or not, despite doing the Tier One relic set in 2011 and collecting other historical relics throughout the years; this is my first Robinson relic! I think I made the right call on this beautiful 2015 Tier One bat card numbered to 99. There is a certain aura to the card, and from the second I saw it I knew I would make sure I left with it.

Next up, here was a quick impulse buy for only $10. Andrew Miller has been a reliable closer in his first year in New York, and has made Brian Cashman look like a genius for signing as opposed to familiar face David Robertson. Miller has out-pitched Robby thus far into the season, and the Yankees received a compensatory first round pick for letting go of Robertson. There was a great deal of hype surrounding Miller when he was drafted 6th overall by the Tigers in 2006. He never worked out as a starting pitcher, and was dealt to the Marlins in the deal that landed Detroit Miguel Cabrera. Ever since, he has evolved into a top tier reliever capable of retiring both lefties and righties effectively. This orange parallel was once a hot seller, but it became mine for a bargain.

Woah, buddy. Aaron Judge. I've been counting down the days until the Yankees call him up to replace Carlos Beltran in right field, and I'm hoping he at least gets a call up this September to help out down the stretch. Judge is a big part of the reason no major moves were made for the stretch run, which was a tough decision to make considering all the talent that could help fight off the Blue Jays right now. Ultimately, Cashman made the hard, but right move for New York down the road. He is a 6'7, 275 lb. beast of a hitter, and if he can work through some plate discipline problems he may be a future All Star. For $20, I needed to take the gamble with this Bowman Inception autograph. I came so very close to pulling the trigger on a graded 10 Bowman rookie autograph, but I didn't want to pony up and hand the cash over. We'll see if I regret that down the line.

Meanwhile, we already have gotten a glimpse of our team's consensus #1 prospect, pitcher Luis Severino. And, as far as I can tell, this kid is going to be awesome. Yesterday, he showed a lot of poise in holding the Blue Jays to 3 runs over 6 innings; striking out 9 in the process. If Carlos Beltran didn't lose a ball in the sun, he may not have given up any runs. What amazes me is that although the Yankees lost a big game against our current division foe, the most important takeaway is that Severino is ready and here to stay. I can definitely get used to that.

I managed to grab this pristine 2015 Bowman Inception autographed card of his for a very reasonable price, especially given that I bought it in New York. After doing a little research, I realized that these Inception autographs are much harder to come by than the Judge card above. The card is actually from Bowman Inception, despite featuring the flagship Bowman design. They sell for a much higher amount than what I paid, and I've even considered getting the card graded because it's in excellent condition.

My final pickup of the show was one I'm sort of surprised I made. I am a big Jose Abreu fan, but I didn't even think about adding his autograph at the show. Instead, I wanted to focus on making sure I got the Yankees top prospects and some of the better all around pitchers in the game. But, nothing ever goes as planned at these shows, and I bought this absolutely amazing Tier One autograph of one of my now annual fantasy keepers for again, a great price.

Abreu may not match his 2014 breakout rookie season in 2015, but he appears to be improving each and every week. After starting the year rather slowly, he has since picked up the pace, batting over .300 in both June and July. The White Sox made a smart business decision in signing the Cuban slugger to a team-friendly 6 year, $68 million dollar deal.

Well, that will just about do it for this recap post. I'll be back soon with more pictures and autographs with some special Hall of Fame players, among many other exciting things.

See Ya!

The Giambino!

Hey guys, Drew back here! The "Snowpocalypse" arrived about a week late up here in the Northeast, but nonetheless it arrived at full force yesterday. I picked up this 8x10 at the Pinstripe Pandemonium show for only $10, and while he wasn't my favorite Yankee by any sense of the term, I had no problem placing this in my autograph binder:

Jason Giambi was loaded with controversy in his 7 year tenure in the Bronx; mostly revolving around his steroid admission. He joined the team just after their late 90's-early 2000's run, and left just before their 2009 title. He did slug over 200 home runs in that time, but I was never much of a fan. I've actually gained respect for him as time has gone on though, and I think that may have been because he came out openly and honestly about his steroid use and apologized. I try to believe in the good of people, and I think he was a good guy just caught up with the wrong people in the wrong era of baseball. Either way, Giambi was a prominent figure during a controversial era of baseball, and I wanted this piece more for history's sake than anything else.

The picture doesn't have a COA, but I've worked with the seller plenty of times before and I trust each and every one of his autographs to be real. He does a lot of local signings, and I know Giambi has done some stuff locally of late, so that's really all the confirmation I needed. Plus, who would fake a picture you're selling for $10?

I don't know if any of you noticed, but I recently upgraded my new blog logo and page setup! I'm trying to condense all of my sidebar material and make the blog easier and more efficient to maneuver around for all of you. I thought my logo was a little huge, so I decided to make things more simple. Let me know what you think!

Anyway, that's all I have for now, I'm looking forward to taking a run out to Target one of these days this week to get myself a little bit of 2015 Topps when it hits stores, as I'm excited to see how it all comes out! It's almost time to mail out Spring Training TTM's, and I'm gearing up for a big day at the post office.

See Ya!

2013 Fall Classic Card Show Recap! Pt. 1

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, last weekend was certainly filled with highs and lows. I worked two very busy nights at the restaurant I've been working at, and I had to take the SAT again. Fortunately, my Dad and I had arranged a trip down to White Plains to relinquish some of that stress afterwards, and we headed down to JP's Sports' "Fall Classic" the next day! Before I get into who I got the chance to meet, take a look at some of what I picked up!

First, out of 2007 Fleer Ultra, here's a "Swing Kings" relic of Gary Sheffield! Sheffield is one of my favorite all time Yankees, so I think it's about time I add some more of his stuff into my collection. After all, he was my first favorite player. I love the way the pinstripe looks on this card.

Also of Sheff, here's a 2004 Ultimate Collection patch card of his numbered only 45 of 75! I got this card for about $7 since it was in my friends Hunter & Rich's bargain bin, and I'm really glad I found it! It's a pretty solid patch for a Yankees card, and I can guess the patch is from the interlocking NY. 

I ended up also adding this Troy Tulowitzki Ballpark Collection auto relic for less than $10 as well! I'm eventually hoping I can start a mini-PC of Tulo's, since I always seem to end up with him on my fantasy team. Despite his frequent injuries, I still believe he is the best current shortstop in all of baseball.

My dad also picked up a few things for me to open up on the ride home. The first of which was only of these relatively new blaster boxes:

 

Ever since my Dad & I got to shake Pete Rose's hand in Cooperstown this summer, we've been big fans of his. This blaster contains a set of entirely Pete Rose cards, a set that you will most likely get all of just by opening one of them. While the set isn't as exciting as Charlie Hustle was on the basepath, it's still a nice tribute to one of the most electrifying players to ever grace the diamond.

 

Oh, and did I mention that each blaster comes with a Rose autograph? You can get an autographed variation of any of the cards in the base set, and I ended up with this fitting photo of him sliding into second. Although these don't go for a lot, it's still a Pete Rose autograph and you can't go wrong with one of those (unless you're Bart Giamatti)!

One thing I've learned over the course of countless trips down to White Plains is that my Dad loves taking a gamble on mystery boxes. I really enjoy opening boxes, but I always am cautious about it due to the prices. Normally I would take buying something I like instead, just because I know I'm not going to be let down, but once in a while you have to say what the heck and take the plunge. With that in mind, my Dad also picked up one of these 2011 Just Minors Mystery Balls!

The potential was certainly there in one of these. I mean, for example, take a look at who is in the base set:

Price, Santana, Craig, Teheran, Robertson. I mean, these sets are loaded with stars, and future stars! Well, we didn't get as lucky, but we could've done worse.

We ended up with Cubs prospect Josh Vitters. Josh has been bouncing around in the Cubs farm system since 2007 now, and after a solid AAA stint this season he was promoted to the big leagues. He struggled mightily in over 100 at bats, hitting .121 with 2 HR and 33 strikeouts. Hopefully he'll be able to put it all together in the future and expose all the tools he showed off in the minors!

If anyone is interested in the ball please comment below and we can try to work something out! Despite the pull not being who we wanted, it was still fun to give one of these Just Minors products a chance! Thanks Dad for everything, you're the best! Stay tuned for the really good stuff...

See Ya!

August 17th White Plains Card Show Recap (III)

Hey guys, Drew back here! As you may have noticed, I wasn't exactly pumped about how things went with my picture yesterday. Fortunately for its sake, I will be hopefully adding a few more big names in October, but that's all I'll say for now. Getting back to this show; I met 2 other players on the day, one being a guy I didn't plan on running into. We'll get into that in a moment, but I'll kick this off by talking a bit about a move I made that day.

Joe Zaccaro, aka "Real-Mccoy2" on eBay (owns the store "Real McCoy Collectibles) has become a friend of my dad and I's over the past year, first by selling and authenticating a Yogi Berra signed ball for us. He's always been into helping me out, whether it be by trading or buying or anything in general. He lives nearby where we are, and we saw (and bought) from him in Cooperstown just a month ago. The first part of business we tended to in White Plains that day was to visit him and see if he'd be interested in William's extra Rickey Henderson signed ball and my Robinson Cano signed 11x14 I've never been a fan of. Sure enough, he took both pieces off my hands, and with a little cash I was able to get William a signed ball he didn't have for his Hall of Fame ball collection, and I got this for myself:

Signed on an Official National League ball is this sweet Vladimir Guerrero autograph! The ball is PSA/DNA and appears to have been signed early on in Vlad's career when he was a member of the Montreal Expos. Guerrero was a great player throughout the late 1990's and all of the 2000's, making 9 All Star teams and winning the 2004 AL MVP award. I've always had a lot of respect for him and his bad ball hitting ways. I remember seeing him play a few times in person, hitting pitches practically in the dirt and still getting hits out of them. I also loved how he would bat without batting gloves, and who could ever forget the pine tar covered helmet he wore every game? Overall, I'm glad I finally lost my least favorite signed photo in my collection (even though it was of Cano) and was able to add Vlad to my collection!

After I finished dealing memorabilia with Joe, I went to meet potential Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz! Smoltz was surprisingly looking lonely that day, as it didn't appear that many people were paying to meet him. I didn't understand that considering his great chances of making it into Cooperstown one day. He didn't end up matching his Braves teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine in terms of wins, but a lot of that was due to his numerous injuries that would force him to move into the bullpen. He's the only player in history to have at least 200 wins and 150 saves, showing that perhaps the move to the bullpen shouldn't get into pitcher's heads as much as people say it does. Smoltz did both with success, and was an integral part of some great Braves teams in the 1990's. 

He signed a ball for me that I have already put right next to Jack Morris' in my baseball display, where he should be. In Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Morris and Smoltz faced off in what was one of the greatest pitching duals in postseason history. Morris ultimately won the battle, but Smoltz had plenty to look forward to over the next few years for it to hit him too hard. Morris was Smoltz's boyhood idol, and by comparing their autographs, I wonder if Smoltz practiced signing his name like Morris', because their autographs look extremely similar. Either way, Smoltz was a quiet but very nice guy and I'm really glad he now owns a spot in my baseball collection. Next stop: Cooperstown!

 As we left the signing room, we saw someone walking around shaking hands and taking pictures with fans. We overheard that the player was former controversial Met and Giant outfielder Kevin Mitchell, who was scheduled to sign the day before. He was being interviewed by a local radio show at the County Center however, and he along with his shiny gold tooth posed for a picture with me! It was a nice surprise, although I didn't wind up getting a signature out of it.

Before we left the show, my Dad wanted to treat me by getting one of those unpredictable signed baseball boxes. He let me choose what company and box I specifically wanted, and I went with one of the "Historic Autographs Ball of Fame" balls, which basically guarantees a Hall of Famer. William has busted a few of these in the past, so I wanted to give it a whirl. It turned out to be the most ironic moment on quite an eventful day.

Oh yes indeed, we landed a Gaylord Perry signed ball out of it. There was good news and bad news that came out of this: the good being that since we didn't get to have Perry sign a ball using our other free ticket, we still didn't have him yet... the bad being that this ball cost about $80 more than the free opportunity we were given that day. We don't like to think about that though, so here's our Gaylord Perry signed baseball, inscribed "5 Time All Star". I wish it had the Hall of Fame inscription instead, but these mystery boxes are always unpredictable. Thank you Dad for buying me one though, I really appreciated the gesture even though we pulled someone we weren't exactly hoping to get!

Overall, it was a pretty solid show! I got a lot accomplished, and even though I didn't get a chance to meet Paul O'Neill I think Dad and I found a way to make up for it. Hopefully October will produce who's on the lineup, and if so it should be a pretty awesome show!

See Ya!

August 17th White Plains Card Show Recap (I)

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, last weekend my Dad & I made the journey to JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions' East Coast National! I just noticed that this trip marked my 5th consecutive East Coast National, which really speaks for how long I've been involved not only in the hobby but on my blog too. My goal for the show was to meet a solid core of players, most of which to add to my Mickey Mantle signed picture. I also wanted to move some pieces I didn't want and pick up anything that looked interesting.

As usual, I made a stop at my good friend's Rich & Hunter's table! They have treated me fantastically over the years so no matter what my goal for a show is, I always try to take at least something off their hands. I came up with these 6 cards that cost me about $25 in total!

Jeff Nelson was a very good reliever throughout the 1990's, primarily for the Mariners and Yankees. He caught on with the Yankees right on time to win 4 World Series, and he was an integral part of Joe Torre's bullpen. Those teams were just before my time, but my Dad watched a lot of the teams and knows pretty much all of the players. This was my 1st Nelson autograph and I couldn't pass it up for the price.

Johnny Damon was one of the few Red Sox I didn't mind when I start following baseball. Unfortunately, about the time I started following baseball, the Red Sox were on their road to recovery from their 86 year drought. Damon was one of the stars, and I couldn't stand the team, but there was something about that Caveman look that made me a fan. After he hopped over to the Yankees in 2006, I had an excuse to root for him and he was a solid player for the Yankees! I saw this quad relic of his from the World Baseball Classic and for just $3 I had to add it.

I don't have as much Jorge Posada stuff as I do the other core 4 members, so I added this 2007 Topps All Star relic. I don't know if it's the big nose and ears, but Jorge reminds me of the Core Four's version of Ringo Starr. With Jeter and Mo being legends and Pettitte a 'Dark Horse', Posada fittingly resembles Starr.

I always seem to forget about Hideki Matsui also, although I remember watching him vividly as I grew up. Here is a sweet 2005 Donruss Diamond Kings dual relic numbered out of 100 of 'Godzilla', one that won't be leaving my collection anytime soon!

This Topps Tribute Johnny Bench relic caught my eye the second I saw it! After meeting Bench last month and having a relatively nice experience, I'm more than happy to spend a little more on adding to my personal Bench collection. I recently came up with a list of players I'm going to collect from here on out, in an attempt to liquidate all of the rest. I'll have a post all about that coming up soon.

The final card of the 6 was this Reggie Jackson bat relic that actually has baseball seams engraved on the chip! I have a Willie Mays relic from the same set that I believe I bought from Hunter & Rich also, and it'll make a solid addition to my Jackson PC.

There you have it, that was all of the cards I bought at the show! Players and show stories coming soon to a computer in front of you! See Ya!

Happy Belated 88th Birthday to Number 8! Card Show Add!

Hey guys, Drew back here! As many of you may have seen, Yogi Berra celebrated his 88th birthday this past week. The Hall of Fame catcher hasn't been doing very well from what I've been hearing, but I guess that's expected of most 88 year olds you come across. At the last card show I went to, many people were telling me that he's now done with signing autographs in person, and that the only way you can get your item signed is if Steiner comes up clutch for you. Basically, I probably won't ever get to put him on my Mantle photo, which really is unfortunate. However, at that show, since I didn't buy a whole lot else, Dad & I went in on one new piece for my collection. Observe:

Indeed, I've now added Yogi Berra to my signed baseball collection! I've been wanting a Yogi ball for a while now, so this was a really big addition personally. We got it from a dealer who we've seen at every show since we started going but never really bought from, but the experience sure seemed like we've already had a history! The guy was cool enough to knock $10 off the ball, and since it wasn't authenticated by any 3rd party company, he went and got the ball authenticated by JSA free of charge! Most of his items were already authenticated and a bunch of his other customers said all of his stuff was legit, and I knew a Yogi Berra auto when I saw one. But because he went so out of his way for us, it won't be the last time we buy from him! 

I'm so glad I took advantage of this opportunity, and I'm thrilled to add #8 to my ball collection! Happy belated birthday Yogi, and god bless!

See Ya!

March 24th White Plains Show Pickups

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, on Sunday, Dad and I took a quick trip down to White Plains! I didn't bring as much money as I usually do, but I still had a good time and got some nice deals. The main reason I wanted to go was because some personal favorites of mine were signing autographs, and I wanted to add them into my signed baseball collection. You'll get to see all of that tomorrow, but for now, take a look at what I was able to pick up!

A little while into the show, I found a younger guy selling a bunch of prospect and star autographs, which is usually what I look for at these shows. Over time, I've composed a list of my Top 100 favorite players, and my goal is to eventually have an autograph of all of them (I have 66 of the 100)! However, this Ty Hensley autograph from the new Bowman Sterling stood out first to me, since I had the refractor version already. He wanted $8 for the card, which was a bit much for this one for me, so I tried to see if he could work with me. 

I then saw this sweet Zack Greinke autograph from 2004 Topps, and decided to ask the price on it. He said it books between $20 and $30, but then said he'd give me the two cards for $20! I couldn't pass up that offer, as Greinke had been an autograph on my list for a while now. However, I decided to keep looking and make sure there weren't any other cards I wanted. 

Well, there was one more, this sweet 2006 Upper Deck F/X Matt Cain autograph! Again, I inquired on the card, and he said it books around $30, but he'd give it to me for $10! I hadn't seen a Matt Cain autograph for around $10 in ages, so I pounced at the 3 for $30 offer he gave me! Cain and Greinke were two of the top pitchers I've wanted, so it was awesome to knock them both off in one swing. I don't believe that Greinke is deserving of the fattest contract for a right handed pitcher ever, but I guess he showed up to free agency at the right time.

Then, Dad & I went to a table ran by two girls that usually have the nicest new cards in the building. They have all sorts of rare 1/1's, printing plates, and parallels of prospects, you know; the stuff all out of my price range. However, they also had some mid-end stuff, including this beautiful Tyler Austin Bowman Chrome autograph! Austin's prices have skyrocketed since he became the Yankees 2nd best prospect according to many lists, so I've had a hard time getting a hold of this one for a solid price. Fortunately, I paid $30 for this one, which is certainly fair according to eBay value. The last time I spent $30 on a prospect autograph it was of Manny Banuelos, who proceeded to get injured directly after the purchase, crushing his stock. Hopefully that doesn't happen this go round.

My Dad decided to treat me to a sweet card also from the same girls, this 2006 Topps Finest Robinson Cano autograph! I can never add enough autographs of my favorite semi-affordable player, and Dad understood that by helping me out here. Now the 9th Cano autograph in my collection, this one is up there as one of the shiniest (go grammar!) of his that I own. However, this is already an old autograph in my Cano collection... and you'll see what I mean in a few days. 

Before Dad and I left the show we also picked up a jumbo pack of 2013 Topps! I haven't gotten to open any of it yet but made it a priority to do so at the show. I really like the design, and I think a lot of them would look great signed TTM. I counted about 8 cards in the 50 card pack that will probably be going out in the mail once the season starts, so hopefully I'll get a few of those back as well. It's amazing to see how clear and visually appealing Topps' flagship products have gotten over the years. I'm definitely impressed, even though I'm not exactly a huge Topps fan thanks to their poor customer service.

Fortunately, I did awesome on the inserts, although I didn't get a hit in the pack. I don't think I'd trade any of these, except for the Lowe emerald which will probably go towards William's set chase. By the way, if anyone has any of those emeralds laying around, be sure to go check out his blog and see if you can help with his daunting task! Final thoughts: the Calling Cards seem pretty pointless but I love the die-cuts and '72 minis! I tried the Million Dollar Chase and it is pretty lame. If anyone wants Desmond Jennings (who went undrafted in my 8 team fantasy draft) for their Topps team let me know.

Thanks again to Dad for taking me to the show and for the Cano! I've got a whole lot of awesome things to come; be on the lookout! See Ya!