Mailday - Welcomed PC Additions from John!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Yesterday, I shipped the remainder of the #FreeStuff packages, and the only teams remaining to claim are the Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Cleveland Indians. If you're interested, please comment or email me (yanks1996wsc@gmail.com) and I will get them out as soon as I can. I didn't ask for anything in return for the cards, as I was initially just trying to clear out a bin of doubles that was taking up space in my collection. However, one of my readers, John, claimed two teams and wanted to reciprocate for what I sent him. I received a package from him a few days ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many holes he filled in my PC's!

John started off with cards of some of my favorite Yankees. He actually added 2 new cards to my Robinson Cano PC, the 254th and 255th unique cards in the collection! I'm beginning to warm back up to Cano, but I'd prefer to stick with collecting his Yankees cards (though I'd take the Mariners ones too). I just wish Topps would realize that the facsimile autograph they put on his cards matched his actual autograph; it's not even close.

Next, he sent a bunch of cool older Johnny Damon cards! I don't have enough of his pre-Yankees cards, and after meeting him at a card show I've grown to like him more as a player and person. He still hasn't announced his retirement because he thinks he's still got the talent to play in the big leagues. I admire that.

Finally, John sent along a bunch of non-Yankee cards that fulfilled some of my smaller player PC's. Nick Swisher used to be one of my main collections, but collecting him got a little boring after a while and I've slowed down. Believe it or not, this was my first card of him in an Indians uniform. I really hope to see Hamilton recover from his recent relapse, because he's easily been one of my favorite players to watch growing up.

Thank you so much again John for all of the great cards! You really didn't have to!

See Ya!

drewscards 2014 Year in Review

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I can't believe 2014 is already coming to a close. It's safe to say it's been one of the best, if not the very best year of my young life thus far, although it hasn't been close to my biggest year in this hobby. I headed off to college for the first time, and decided the dorm life isn't for me. I fell in love with a girl who I've had the pleasure of being with this entire year. I took up a new hobby in collecting vinyl records of all my favorite bands, which has divided my card/memorabilia budget at least in half, but I've still been finding ways to make occasional additions. Here is a look back at some of my fondest sports memories of 2014:

On January 31st...
Dad and I went to NYC for the Super Bowl Boulevard and met one of the greatest running backs in NFL history!

In early February... 

I got back a TTM success from the best current pitcher in the MLB, Mr. 3 Time Cy Young winner himself, Clayton Kershaw!

I also bought some beautiful cards after selling some stuff on COMC.com!

On March 22nd...

I met my favorite pitcher of all time and started my Core Four Sports Illustrated autograph project!

Dad also bought me a Donnie Baseball for my autographed ball collection that day!

In June, following my high school graduation...

William gave me a card from his collection that I had my eye on ever since he first pulled it!

I also saw Yankee phenom rookie Masahiro Tanaka pitch in person with my girlfriend!

On July 8th...

I went to my first Mets game!

On July 12th...

As part of my family and I's amazing trip to San Francisco, we got to attend a Giants game at AT&T Park!

On July 21st

I received a TTM success from Yankee prospect Ty Hensley, and it was one of a kind.

On August 4th...

My family, girlfriend, and I went to a Yankees game, and Justin Verlander flipped my sister a ball for her first ever baseball game!

On August 17th...

Dad and I took in one more card show before I went off to college, and we met a Yankee great and personal favorite player, Johnny Damon!

We met several other players that day, and I was able to add my 52nd autograph to my Mickey Mantle 16x20 project! Almost done!

Finally, I traded my Tom Seaver framed signed photo for 2 signed Yankees baseballs, including this one of the Goose!

Before I Went Away for School...
I got myself a going away present!

On August 28th...

I got a really cool TTM success from newly inducted Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa!

In September...

I got a TTM response from the Son of the Mick, David Mantle!

On September 26th...

I kissed my all time favorite player goodbye as he walked away from the game.

On September 27th...

Mrs. Robinson mailed me back some beautiful signatures for my collection!

On November 15th...

Following the Giants World Series victory, I decided to collect anything and everything Joe Panik related, being a hometown kid!

On December 22nd...

William got me an amazing Yogi Berra relic card as a Christmas gift!

Now that I had the chance to reflect on my 2014 year, I can officially confirm that it was the best year of my life. On top of all the amazing milestones I've been able to reach in my life this year, I even made time for this hobby and started a new one. But, that doesn't mean it can't get better, because my goal is to make 2015 even better than this one. I think I've got a good shot.

Thank you to everyone who helped make another year of drewscards possible. Really, without all the interaction I receive from you all, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. From my early years in the blogosphere as an immature middle schooler to my current life in college, I can't thank you all enough for everything. 

Have a safe and Happy New Year guys and girls, I can't wait for another exciting year! See Ya!

Oh, and before I put an official wrap to this year,

Rest in Peace Grandpa Walt. Thank you for all the memories.

East Coast National: Best of the Rest

Hey guys, Drew back here! Since we're approaching one month since this last card show took place, it's probably best to get the show on the road! I met 3 other former players the day I shook Johnny Damon's hand, and one celebrity I didn't expect to come across! Check it out:

First up, should be Hall of Famer Lee Smith! I've met Smith on one prior occasion, but this go round he was JP's Sports' free signer of the day, and I couldn't pass up some signed pictures of one of the best closers in baseball history! Smith was really friendly for a free signer, and just like last time, we told him we'd love to see him get enshrined into Cooperstown, and he put his hands up to God saying he hopes so! It would really be something else if he got inducted and I was able to obtain so many cheap/free autographs of his, but chances are he won't make it at this rate.

Smith signed two photos for my collection; one of which with his 478 saves inscription. I couldn't decide if I'd rather have a picture of him with one of his better teams (Cardinals/Cubs) or with his brief Yankees stint, so my Dad and I got them both signed! In retrospect I would've had him sign the Yankees picture in silver, but it still looks really good! All in all, another great experience with Lee Smith, who has definitely made me a fan of his over the years.

I met Johnny Damon after Lee Smith, which you can see in the previous post below, and following that Dad & I went into the side room, where 3 Hall of Fame pitchers resided: Ferguson Jenkins, Rollie Fingers, and Jim Bunning! I already had plenty of Fingers and Bunning autographs, so I passed them up, but did choose to add Jenkins to my signed baseball collection!

Jenkins was extremely quiet when I eventually got my turn to shake his hand, but admittedly, so was I. I don't know much about Jenkins other than that he was one of the more underrated pitchers of his era who had never had much of a chance at postseason glory. However, he stood up to take his nice picture with me and inscribed his Hall of Fame year for free, which was pretty awesome!

I didn't take much from my experience with Jenkins, but I did add this beautiful signed baseball to my growing Hall of Fame ball collection! I'm sure a good few of you already have one of these in your collection, but I finally joined the ship and I'm glad I did.

Lastly, I got to meet a key cog of the Yankees 1990's teams, Jeff Nelson! Nelson was perhaps the best reliever on the Yanks outside of Mariano and possibly Wetteland during their dynasty, so it was nice to get to shake his hand and thank him for the great memories. He was really quiet too, but allowed for a picture and signed my Mantle picture nicely (although he doesn't have the nicest autograph).

Nelson was my 52nd autograph on my Mantle picture, and was placed between Ruben Sierra and Gaylord Perry! Fortunately, he inscribed his number, or else he'd be very difficult to identify down the road.

I believe I'm making some impressive progress on my picture, and already have a plan for how I'm going to finish it! I have a few big names to add before I cap it off though, and hopefully I get to do that sooner rather than later.

After I met Nelson, I started putting all of my items together and getting ready to leave. I saw Joe, the dealer my dad and I love to deal with sitting at an autograph booth next to someone I didn't recognize. I started talking to Joe about my Nelson and Damon experiences, and then he asked me if I wanted a picture with Eddie Munster! I watched the Munsters with my family once in a while when I was younger, and well, how could I pass up the chance? 

Joe actually sponsored having Butch Patrick on hand to sign at the show! My dad and I got pictures with him and talked to him and Joe about this being my last show before I left for college! They both wished me good luck, and Patrick remarked by saying "I had a 4.0 in college... Blood alcohol content"! He really was something else, and it was cool getting to shake hands with a classic TV character!

The August show was yet another productive one for my ever-growing collection! It was a blast hanging out with my Dad one last time before I went away to school, because I certainly miss him and everyone else for that matter an awful lot right now. Stay tuned for some more posts coming up, because I'm getting some TTM successes at home that my Dad sends me pictures of, and there's some good stuff coming! For now though, See Ya!

East Coast National: Meeting Johnny Damon!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I've officially been in college for just over 2 weeks now, and it feels like just yesterday that I was unpacking my bags here. However, I don't have much planned this weekend, so I figured I'd catch you all up on probably the coolest thing that I experienced with my favorite hobby over the summer! 

At the East Coast National, I paid to meet Johnny Damon, one of the first players I grew to love when I started following baseball! Of course, when I first started watching, I saw Damon kill the Yankees in the 2004 playoffs, but when he became a Yankee in 2006 I bought his jersey and became an instant fan. The price was steep on Damon's autographs at the show, but it was well worth getting to meet one of the players that helped me fall in love with baseball!

We lent one of his representatives my mom's camera for the experience, and she captured the handshake perfectly! I told Johnny how grateful I was for all the memories he left Yankee fans and for being a part of the 2009 World Series team, and he was gracious and kind back to me. He's always been known for being a little on the awkward side, but I think that trait makes him more likable anyway, as I am certainly am too!

Johnny noticed my Dad's Jets shirt and started making small talk with him about how the Jets will be this year! My dad asked him who he'd prefer to see at Quarterback, and Damon answered with Michael Vick!

We got a really great picture with "The Caveman", who I must say has a great hair/beard look going for him at the moment. We thanked him for everything and went on our way with a new, beautiful piece to add to our collection, and we raved about how kind Damon was to others at the show.

I wasn't sure what I originally wanted Damon to sign, and ultimately settled with a baseball. I asked for the 2009 World Series inscription, and he also threw in his number! He has a long autograph (I barely captured it all in the picture), but the ball looks phenomenal! It's become one of my favorite signed balls in my collection, especially with the nice story to go with it.

Ever meet someone that you always enjoyed watching that completely blew you away? This was Damon for me. I always liked watching him play for the Yankees because he always gave his all and could do all sorts of things with the bat (side note: Ellsbury reminds me a lot of Damon), but after meeting him and talking to him for a minute, he became one of my favorite players! I wish some team could give him a chance like he's been asking for, because I believe he's right by saying he could produce more off the bench than a lot of guys have been. Even at 40 years old, if Giambi still has a job, Damon should too.

Thank you so much Johnny for being so great to my Dad and I and giving me an autograph I'll always cherish! Have a great day everybody!

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!

2012 East Coast National Recap! (Pt. 2)

Hey everyone, Drew back here. It is now that time where I'll try to show you how I blew a good portion of my birthday money! Aren't you excited? Here goes.

First and foremost, there was a local dealer at our show that had a lot of football pictures for sale, all for fairly low prices. He was a nice guy, and although his stuff didn't have COA's, I trusted him because he told me each and every signing he got the pictures signed at. I remember Santonio Holmes having a local appearance at a Gold's Gym nearby, and sure enough, this picture I bought signed off of him was from that signing! I had a baseball game that day and missed out, but from what I've heard I didn't miss too much, as he's a bit of a jerk. However, I can't discredit him for helping the Jets big time throughout the past couple of years.

Second, we have a beautiful 2012 Topps Museum Collection jumbo relic of Curtis Granderson! It has one very visible pinstripe, as well as 2 others that are a bit cut off, oh, and it's numbered out of 35! I've loved Museum Collection from the start, and I've been meaning to acquire one of the large relics they feature. Finally, I did.

Say what you want about the ugly looking sticker autograph, but Raul Ibanez has been beyond clutch for the Yankees this year! There aren't a lot of great autographs of his out there, and for the price, I couldn't go wrong. I didn't like the signing at the beginning of the year (I wanted Damon), but the Yankees ended up making myself, as well as many other critical fans, look stupid. 

From the same vendor, I also took home this 2010 Topps National Chicle autograph of Giants phenom pitcher Madison Bumgarner! I don't follow Bumgarner a whole lot but he has a lot of potential, and I've been meaning to get his autograph off of the checklist. It's a very nice card, even though a majority of this product got a bit sketchy. Surprisingly, with all of the autographs of current players that I own, this is my first of any Giants pitcher. 

As I mentioned earlier, before this season I wished the Yankees would try to sign Johnny Damon again. But after his performance on Cleveland, leading to his release, I can see why they passed on the aging veteran. However, I loved Damon while he was a Yankee, and I needed his autograph pretty badly too. Not out of my favorite product, but it is very nice nonetheless.

I also bought this 2012 Bowman Platinum relic autograph of Rays rookie Matt Moore! Moore technically is in his rookie season, but he impressed big time in the postseason, enough to make the rotation this year. I took a chance with him in fantasy baseball, and while he started off pretty badly, he got it all together and lately he's been beyond solid. The card isn't numbered, but it really is nice for a sticker auto. Well done Bowman Platinum, well done.

The final purchase of the day just so happened to be with my good friends Rich and Hunter, and it was a 2002 SP Legendary Cuts relic of Yogi Berra! After going to his museum, I almost felt like it was necessary to buy at least one card of his at the show. With just under $20 left, and searching for just the right closing card, I came up clutch with a beautiful wool relic swatch. I'm not as big into relics as I once was, but that wool always makes me think twice. 

Stay tuned for Part 3 of 4 of my card show recap!

See Ya!