January 19th White Plains Show Recap, Part Two!

Hey guys, Drew back here! As I said yesterday, last Saturday's card show was one of the best days I've gotten the privilege to enjoy during my time in the hobby! I had the honor of meeting a total of 4 players, and my friend Schuyler met the free signer who I didn't have the time to get in line for. For today, I'll show you the first few guys we met, and to make you anticipate everything more, each of the next two will get their own individual post! This isn't to take away from the guys below though, as they all certainly had their day as a great player, and it was an honor to meet them as well!

Sparky Lyle was first on our agenda this go round! Lyle has always been one of my favorite players from the 1970's Yankees teams, although I didn't get the opportunity to watch them growing up (I got the overrated, money corrupted team). A few years back I read Lyle's book, "The Bronx Zoo", and due in part to that I became a fan. I love Goose Gossage as well, but I feel bad that Steinbrenner kind of pushed Lyle (reigning Cy Young winner by the way) out of the closer role for no reason. 

Lyle was a really funny guy! I told him I read his book, and that I loved every bit of it, and he responded by saying "That isn't something you'd find in a church library! My mom still hates me for some of the things I said in that!" That got a good laugh out of all of us, and made the experience definitely a fun one! 

It's official, I've joined the "Signed Ball Junkie" club! For a long time, I never really cared much for signed baseballs, but they've grown on me. I doubt I'll buy a ball of a player with a terrible autograph though, I think only the nice autographs, such as Sparky's, look good on baseballs. Sparky inscribed "77 AL Cy" below his name, which is what I requested of him. For $25, I don't think I could've made out much better!

Next on our agenda was to meet Harold Baines, the 6 time All Star, and one of the best designated hitters to play the game! I don't think I'll ever forget what Upper Deck put me through when I pulled an expired redemption for an autograph of his, but they ended up coming through and sending me it, along with a Dick Allen autograph! I didn't have a major connection to Baines in any other way, so I passed on getting myself an autograph of his. Instead, I got a ball signed for William in a little trade we did (you'll see it over on his blog in the near future), and I got a photo and the chance to meet him in the process! Baines enjoyed the fact that I was wearing a Yankee hat and my new Andrew McCutchen jersey, calling me an all around baseball fan. He was pretty humble otherwise, but it was cool to get to meet him!

Lastly (for now), Schuyler got the chance to meet the day's free signer, 1967 American League Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg, the former Red Sox hurler! Schuyler didn't have a whole lot to say to him, but I couldn't really blame him since he (along with myself) didn't have much of a connection with him either. Mr. Lonborg seemed real nice though, and he signed his card and inscribed it for no extra charge! It was a pretty kind response to a kid wearing a Yankees sweatshirt, and I gave the man props for signing here in New York!

Thanks everyone for looking, and for the players for the great experiences! See Ya!

Very Delayed Christmas Gifts from Dad!

Hey everyone, Drew back here! It's been just about the toughest week I've had in a long time, and it isn't even over yet. While I finished my midterms today, I have to prepare for the SAT tomorrow. Fortunately, there isn't an enormous amount of pressure considering this is my first crack at it, of the three opportunities you're given. I'm not too worried about it, but the last thing I need right now is another four or five hours of sitting at a desk in complete silence. Anyway, I am ridiculously behind on here. It's January 25th, and I have to show you stuff from exactly one month ago, which is pretty lame on my part. School comes first though, and while I've certainly upgraded my collection tremendously in the past month, I didn't find the time to show it off on here. Well, without any further delay, here's a look at what Dad bought for me this Christmas:

First off was this nice 2005 Donruss Champions Frank Robinson relic! I'm not quite sure what it is, but there is something very appealing about this card. It has a nice, glossy finish on it, and the black relic looks pretty cool. I know a few people who would love this in their collection, however I think I might hang on to it for now.

Dad occasionally has mentioned how he really enjoyed watching Dave Kingman, among others, when he was younger. I don't really know a whole lot about him, but I do know he was a great power hitter, and he stopped briefly during his career in New York. From doing a little research, I learned he is one of only a few players in history to play for 4 different teams in 1 season, which he did in 1977. He finished the season with the Yankees, but didn't get to play in October for the soon to be World Series team because he was added to the team past the deadline.

I'm pretty sure I've got two or three of this card now, however, I really do like the 2003 Yankees Signature Series set Upper Deck released. I've considered going for the set, even though there are a few huge roadblocks in the way (Brian Cashman's autograph sells for 3 figures, easily). If anybody wants this one, let me know. It'd be really cool if I could get a different player in the set for it, if anyone is up for that sort of trade!

 I've been a fan of Sparky Lyle's ever since I read his book, "The Bronx Zoo", a few years ago. I loved how open he was about some of the pranks he pulled! This won't be the last time Sparky is mentioned on this blog in the upcoming weeks (hint, hint)! He's got a real nice autograph, and even though I had a few certified autographs of his already, I didn't have this one yet!

Tommy John was a very good pitcher during his career, maybe not Hall of Fame worthy, but who even knows what that means anymore. I met Mr. John a few years back, and while he was friendly, it still kind of disappointed me how little attention he gave my friend Mike & I. He was signing 8x10s for the company in the midst of his autograph session, maybe because he had to leave early or something. I'm not upset about it, it just kind of lingers with me whenever I think about him. 

Those were all real nice, but this one took home the gold medal...

Out of 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic, a Yogi Berra autograph! This card scanned terribly, but believe me it looks a heck of a lot better in person. Regardless, this is a beautiful card! Yogi, aside from Jeter, is my favorite living Yankee, so I'm always more than open to welcoming a new autograph of his to my collection! This is my 3rd Berra autograph in my collection, but hopefully I'll be able to add to that one day. It would mean the world if I got a chance to meet him, but that opportunity is looking real slim. The other day when he was honored at the B.A.T. dinner, Yogi didn't sound so good, basically repeating how much he loved baseball in a quiet, raspy voice, until his son Dale took over during the speech. Whether or not I'll ever get to shake his hand is one thing, but all I know for now is that it's smart to get some of his autographs, in case anything happens, because we all know ten years from now his autographs won't be as affordable.

Thank you so much Dad for all of the incredible cards! They'll fit in nicely to my ever growing collection! See Ya!

White Plains Card Show 1/22/12 Recap, Part Six!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I'm sure, most of you are sick of me blabbing on and on about how special this show was, and how lucky I am, etc etc. But, I promise you guys that besides a few small posts I have planned, I'm just about done and ready to move on with other stuff. Trust me though, this post right here is definitely worth the read, and I could use some help! So, without any further gibberish, here is Part 6, dedicated to my awesome door prize win!

PART 6: Door Prize Success... Again?

As most of you guys who have read my blog in the past know, the White Plains shows happen to give away door prizes every couple of hours, which requires just filling out a simple card and hoping to get your name pulled. Dad, Mike, and I have had a very good strategy with them over the years, and we've been able to win some things here and there! Today was no different. I took home this beauty, as a result of somehow getting my name pulled from the box again!

This photo is truly a thing of beauty! It's a 16x20 photo of Mickey Mantle, that is signed by 29 former Yankees players! There isn't any specific time span as to the players who signed the photo, but a majority of the players on here played on the Yankees pre-1980. Not all of them played with Mantle, for example Jesse Barfield and Chris Chambliss, but all of them had been pretty solid players over the years. I was so pumped up when they announced my name, and I'm pretty sure most of you can see why. 

As far as authentication goes, the photo came along with a letter of authenticity from JSA, explaining all of the exact details of the photo and guaranteeing its authenticity. It didn't name all of the players on the photo, but it says some of the key players on there are Moose Skowron, Ralph Houk, Gene Michael, Bill Virdon, Sparky Lyle, Johnny Kucks, Horace Clarke, Ron Blomberg, and Chris Chambliss! I identified pretty much all of those without having to look at the letter, but I can't seem to find Bill Virdon anywhere on this photo. I got him through the mail a while back, so I know what his autograph looks like, and I don't see it anywhere on here.

Now here's where I need your help. I've been able to identify a majority of the autographs on the picture already, but there are still some that I can't figure out yet. Besides the Virdon (mistake possibly?), can any of you name the autographs I don't know in the comments below? I numbered each autograph, and you can just tell me, for example: Auto 2 is Moose Skowron or something. I would greatly appreciate it, because some of these autos have me stumped.

1: Phil Linz (Played 1962-1965 for NYY)

2: Moose Skowron (Played 1954-1962 for NYY)

3: Art Ditmar (Played 1957-1961 for NYY)

4: Lee Mazzilli (Played in 1982 for NYY)

5: Ralph Houk (Played 1947-1954 for NYY, Managed 1961-63, 66-73)

6: Bobby Shantz (Played 1957-1960)

7: Ralph Branca (Played in 1954 for NYY)

8: Paul Blair (Played 1977-1979 for NYY)

9: Gene Michael (Played 1968-1974 for NYY, Managed 1981-82)

10: Cecil Fielder (Played 1996-1997 for NYY)

11: Jim Beattie (Played 1977-1978 for NYY)

12: Tippy Martinez (Played 1974-1976 for NYY)

13: Don Gullett (Played 1977-1978 for NYY)

14: Chris Chambliss (Played 1974-1979, 1988 for NYY)

15: Jesse Barfield (Played 1989-1992 for NYY)

16: Ron Davis (Played 1978-1981 for NYY)

17: Dennis Sherrill (Played 1978-1980 for NYY)

18: George Zeber (Played 1977-1978 for NYY)

19: Sparky Lyle (Played 1972-1978 for NYY)

20: Dan Pasqua (Played 1985-1987 for NYY)

21: Dennis Rasmussen (Played 1984-1987 for NYY)

22: Tom Carroll (Played 1955-1956 for NYY)

23: Lee Thomas (Played in 1961 for NYY)

24: Eli Grba (Played 1959-1960 for NYY)
25: Johnny Kucks (Played 1955-1959 for NYY)
26: Horace Clarke (Played 1965-1974 for NYY)
27: John Montefusco (Played 1983-1986 for NYY)

28: Ron Blomberg (Played 1969, 1971-1976 for NYY)

29: Rafael Santana (Played in 1988 for NYY)

I was able to name 21 of the 29 autographs, but again any help with the remaining 8 would be greatly appreciated. Also, I know a lot of you guys have experimented with these large photos signed by multiple players, and I wanted to know what your take is on whether I should start to add more players to it and fill it up more, or if I should leave it as is, frame it, and call it a day. If I do decide to continue the quest for autographs, I don't think I would include current players, because they simply wouldn't really fit in. I think that majority of the players on here were born before Mantle retired, so maybe that could be a good way to arrange it by. 

This will definitely go down as one of the best card shows, if not THE best one yet! I wasn't the only one to win, however, as my friend Mike came home with something too. I'll save that for a later post! We are so lucky, and I'm really fortunate that my Dad was able to take me to the show. It means a lot. 

See Ya!

**UPDATE: Got them all, thank you to everyone for the huge amount of help! Couldn't have done it without you all!**

The Show Recap Begins (Part I)

Hey everyone, Drew back here. Yesterday we went down to White Plains for the annual East Coast National, one of the bigger card shows in the country! A nice full lineup was there waiting for us, as Grandpa Roy, Dad, Mike, and I entered the doors. Mike will have some guest commentary of his own to come and we'll have plenty of coverage of what I bought and the stories from the great day that was August 22nd, 2010. Let's get started!

PART 1:

THE BEGINNING

9:45 AM

Dad dropped us all off by the front of the Convention Center in White Plains, while it was a dreary rainy day outside. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day inside! On the walk over, there, sitting in a puddle, was a 1979 Eddie Murray card, in a penny sleeve and soaking wet. Mike took the card and kept it, and somehow the sleeve prevented the card from future damage, and it is now in almost perfect condition! What a cool way to start the day!

Coming in to the building, with a short line ahead of us (we like to get there early), we got our tickets, and supplies for the autograph guests. Of course as usual, JP's Sports and Rock Solid Promotions hosted the show, and they gave each of the first few people that bought tickets a Sports Collectors Monthly magazine, which was cool. A guy stood outside of the show room, next to the 8x10 pictures and baseballs to order, with a beautiful painting of Bernie Williams. He said he was a new artist and he was going to have Bernie sign his painting and auction it off to charity. He gave us a card with the painting on it, which was pretty cool.

10:00 AM
Now that we're ready, we entered the room. As usual, that first breath of fresh air in the room that is all things sports cards felt extremely good. Over 450 tables were waiting for my precious wallet to drop money on them, which is a great feeling. This time rather than showing each card by groups I'll go in order with a storyline behind them all. We looked at the tables of the cards in which we knew we couldn't afford, the 53 Mantles, Mays, Williams, you know, those cards, and we all oooed and aaaahed.

We found a seller that sold only 8x10 photos, and he was pretty cool. We looked through plenty of cool pictures for sale, non authenticated but they looked real. There was some that I liked, Joe Klecko, Don Maynard, Bob Feller, and a few more. Mike liked a few Giants guys, Chris Canty, and a Super Bowl picture signed by a few Giants players, the best being Kevin Dockery. When we saw this special though, I jumped out of my pants almost! For $15, we could get a signed picture of Phil Rizzuto! It wasn't authenticated, but with pictures of the seller with Phil all over the place made it a great buy. He had a few, so Mike got one too.

After we bought that, we looked at a few tables, but then came across a table with a $10 jersey/auto sale. Mike got 2, and I got 1.. to start. I came back later! But to start, I picked up this card for $10.

I didn't have an auto of Carlos Pena previously, so I thought it would be a nice pickup. It's a rookie card jersey auto from 2001 SPX. Carlos is having a down year batting average wise, but is always a tough power threat for the Yankees to face.

10:30 AM
I picked up a few minor cards I needed for sets, and some future TTM cards, and got some decent deals along the way. I ended up buying one more card before the first signer at 11:00, after looking around for a while.

This is my second auto of Sparky Lyle now, and it's a really nice one too. At $10, I thought it was a good enough price to do it. It's from 2009 Goodwin Champions, and it's nice and on card. I think I'm starting a trend of buying on card autos, unless it's a Topps Tribute or Bowman Sterling. You'll see why I think so as the day rolls on.

Before we met the first guest, we entered in the first door prize. Last time we got extremely lucky and each of the 3 of us won something. Each prize today was for a Willie Mays autograph. This first had autos of Bobby and Barry Bonds and Mays on it. We didn't win.

11:00 AM
Now Grandpa Roy and I are in a waiting room, waiting to meet the first autograph guest of the day. They called us a little at a time by the number on our tickets. Our number I believe was around the early to mid forties. The line took forever, and eventually we got into the room where he was signing. I got out all my equipment, including baseballs to get signed for William of foul bunt, who sent me money and the baseballs to get signed because he really wanted an auto of him. Dad and Mike actually showed up a little before we met him, and dad helped out with pictures and stuff. Well, I gave Grandpa Roy the baseballs for him to get signed, and as this player took his time to sign, they had an in depth conversation about the weak Pirates teams during his playing days. This was Ralph Kiner he was talking to! Ralph took hours to sign, but he has a great signature and was a very nice guy. Grandpa Roy told me afterwards that he'll always cherish the moments he got to talk to Mr. Kiner.

Now that the baseballs were finished, it was my turn to meet Mr. Kiner. I said "Hello, how are you", and he responded "Good, you?". I said I was doing well, and then I told him I made the card in his honor, and he said thank you, it looks very nice, around those lines. I thanked him and said goodbye. What can I say, I shy up in those moments! I got a picture with Mr. Kiner, and the card looks great signed!

12:00 PM
Well, it took a while to get Mr. Kiner, but it was well worth it. Coming up on 12:00, we decided to get some lunch at Nathans, the only food place in the building. My Philly Cheese steak was pretty good I must say, it got me full and more awake (maybe that was the soda). After lunch, we got in a bunch of lines and bought much more! We'll have all that and more to come in the next post!

See Ya!

Check Out My Cards Purchase Part 1

Hey guys, Drew back here, with a nice new shipment of sweetness in my mailbox, I am a happy guy. Especially after spending my $60 Easter cash on Check Out My Cards! I've bought from this site I think 3 or 4 times now, and it is one of the best websites ever invented.

Today in school, we had our retreat. The sports were fun even though a fight broke out during Capture the Flag, and the guest speaker was really cool. Duane Brooks, Defensive Line Coach from Yale, spoke to us about his life, he played for the Patriots, Redskins, and Saints, but didn't do anything major. I don't think he even has a card, after checking Beckett I got nothing. Just wanted to tell you all about that, he was really cool.

Anyway, getting back to the first part of my shipment, pretty sweet stuff especially when there is much better stuff in the next part, stay tuned for that possibly tomorrow or Sunday! Here they are:

2008 Goudey #201 Brooks Robinson SP

I got this card for about 50 cents, because I needed it for the Goudey SP set. This is a really nice set, and since there won't be a 2010 Goudey, I may try to do all the Black and White variations, and if that goes well, the Sport Royalty's too. I need 10 more of these (202, 203, 204, 208, 209, 210, 216, 220, 222, 227), so if you have any I want them!

2007 Bowman's Best #55 Phil Hughes RC /799

Considering adding Hughes to the PC list, not major but I'll try to get some of his over time. This card is numbered and awesome, Bowman's Best is a favorite of mine and it was a must have for 2 bucks.

3 Nick Swisher's:
- 2009 SP Authentic #121 Copper /99
- 2008 UD Piece of History #24 Red Parallel /149
- 2002 Bowman Draft #BDP16 Rookie Card

3 must have cards for the Swisher PC. I like the Bowman Draft rookie, my Upper Deck rookie of his was pretty pathetic for a Swisher collector.

2 Robinson Cano's:
- 2009 Ticket to Stardom #193 Blue Parallel /99
- 2008 UD Heroes A-Rod/Jeter/Cano #188 Emerald Parallel /499

I want to complete the Ticket to Stardom rainbow, I have the base, the blue now out of 99, and the red out of 1. It's kinda pointless because only 2 things change between every parallel, maybe a color border would be nicer. I also wanna chase the Heroes parallels, unfortunately I've only gotten parallels of the above card, I think I have the base and 3 other numbered parallels of that, so that's good.

2007 Bowman Draft #BDP11 Tim Lincecum RC

I got this for like 2 dollars, a steal in my opinion, especially when this guy is done. Lincecum is becoming a favorite of mine, he is a freak!

1969 Topps Sparky Lyle RC

The last card of part 1 belongs to one of the more underrated relievers in baseball history, Sparky Lyle. I think I got this for 3 or 4 dollars, and it's a nice add although he was a filthy sock. Every order I am making I'm trying to add at least 1 vintage card from pre 1970, since my Pop Popps gives me a ton of 70's cards. This card isn't mint at all, it's pretty worn but it's nice overall.

Well, that's it for part 1, part 2 will be awesome, so stay tuned for that. Before I go, one quick update on the Bracket.

I have 39 guys on the list right now, about 60% filled. But, there is still 40% to go, so I need your help. I've added some on my own, and I think I have one more in mind that will be on the list soon, so, just try to think of some players and let me know. Thanks!

See Ya!

First Million Card Giveaway Trade!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I scanned my Swisher PC today and should have that posted today or tomorrow, and it's small compared to Cano but yet nice. Anyway, I made a trade offer a while back for a card, offering Mike Andrews and Mike Schmidt for it. I completely forgot about it until I noticed the trader accepted it and it was in my library. And, yeah, I traded a Hall of Famer, but it was worth it. I did this on the Million Card Giveaway site, and my first trade landed me:

I'm so getting this shipped to me. Time to make some more offers, See Ya!

Awesome Check out my Cards Purchase!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Well, it was a short week of school but it took forever to go by. I made my fantasy league, and I have about 6 packs left in my box. I'm sending a new through the mail out soon, so I've been busy. But, I've posted a ton lately and a lot this month, which is nice! I've been struggling to keep on track but once I got back on track, I got behind again. Check out this sweet package that I used Check Out My Cards store credit for, I got the $ for my report card grades.

2009 Bowman Chrome X Fractors /250:
Nick Swisher
Robinson Cano

We'll start off with these. I don't have many nice x-fractors so this is cool. I love these cards! I wanna get a basic Swisher and Cano rainbow with the set, for Swisher I still need the base, refractor, gold and blue, I have the orange. For cano I need the blue, gold, and orange. Red will be tough to find for both, so I made the lists shorter. I really like this set and these cards only cost me a few bucks.

2009 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor /199:
Nick Swisher

Now, as I said in my box break review of Topps Chrome a while back, these blue refractors are AMAZING looking, and I pulled a few out of my box. Unfortunately, I didn't get a Swisher or Cano, and when I saw Swisher's on the site I jumped all over it. It was worth it. The picture on this card is hilarious and makes me laugh every time I see it. Well, that's all for Player Collection pickups, here is the rest of the loot.

1997 Bowman Chrome Javier Vazquez RC
2002 Bowman Draft Gold Curtis Granderson RC

I needed these for the Yankee Rookie Card PC, which has an updated list of current Yankees rookie cards that I need. Only 2 more (Randy Winn & Sergio Mitre) and I'll be up to date. I will need to upgrade a few of them, but for the most part this collection is nice! Vazquez has had a pretty solid career, last year being the highlight, and now he's a Yankee (again). I've always liked Granderson and he has had a nice short career right now. I got him through the mail last year, and he's seemed to be a really charitable and nice guy, and hopefully he can help donate another World Series ring to New York! I'm pretty sure these are true rookie cards, and they are nice!

2001 Topps Drew Brees RC

After the Saints won the Super Bowl I ran over to COMC and had to make an offer on this card. I barely had enough store credit, and I actually needed to take 3 cards off the shipment so I didn't go over on price. This is a really nice card, and I really like Drew (not just because he shares my name). He deserved a ring after a very successful career and I'll be rooting for him for the rest of his career. Congrats again Drew!

2005 UD Artifacts "Autofacts" Sparky Lyle Autograph /599

When I saw this I knew I needed to have it. And $6.00 later it was mine! Sparky is probably my favorite Yankees pitcher that played before I was born, along with Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, and Goose Gossage. The design is sweet on this card, and it is on card, which is a plus! It also doesn't have that annoying green and yellow old Upper Deck logo on it, the gold foil makes it look so much better. Overall, a heck of a card considering he's one of the Top 5 Yankees relief pitchers of all time.

2005 Sweet Spot Signatures Don Maynard Autograph

Probably the sweetest Jets card I own right now, and it was only $10.00. Maynard is a Hall of Fame wide receiver who played for the Jets during the same time and before Joe Namath. He even played when the Jets were the New York Titans. He is one of a few Jets Hall of Famers, including head coach Weeb Ewbank & Broadway Joe, well, along with Curtis Martin too when he gets in. As for the card, the autograph is really sharp, and he signed the plastic helmet perfectly. From what I've seen this set has some killer looking autographs. The hole in the helmet obviously is part of the helmet, not an error.

and lastly....

1960 Topps Billy Martin

This is one of my Top 5 oldest cards right now, and although he is not in a Yankee uniform, it was worth it for $5.00. Not only that but it is in MINT condition, it looks like it could've been part of the 2009 Topps Heritage set. If I ever get the money I will probably get this graded but that has yet to be decided. Doesn't it cost like $30.00 to get a card graded? I love only this card, Billy should be a Hall of Famer, but he is in a long list of "should be's" so chances are he won't make it. My dad loved Billy when he was manager of the Yankees, and I enjoyed watching that ESPN show "The Bronx is Burning" that was about him, George Steinbrenner, Reggie, and the rest of the 1970's Yankees.

Wow, my collection is growing every day thanks to you guys, and thanks to my grades, haha. I think I'm caught up now but still have a Topps box that will be finished within days. Maybe even tomorrow. See Ya!