whatever n' stuff

Miguel Cabrera is a guy I collect. Recently retired him into the Hundred Card Club section of my wantlist. Above are some highlights from the PC. 

Congrats on entering the 500 HR Club, Miggy!

That jumbo relic really leaves something to be desired with that big, boring grey swatch.

There we go! Blog-used sticker on the penny sleeve to kick it up. (I need to work on my cutting skills if I'm ever to be an elite card art creator.) (God help whoever ends up with my collection after I die, as there's plenty of weird stuff like this modified relic that'll surely result in some head-scratching.)

- - -o

A couple weeks ago I was inspired to revive my 1964 Topps setbuild. I was like "YEAH, I'M 3/4 DONE; LET'S POUND THIS ONE OUT!" I did some research, finding the fair price for my needs. Found a bunch from Greg Morris on eBay (you might be familiar.. vintage cards with the blue backdrop). Put in several bids/snipes that were just a bit above the market rate but I figured the savings from combined shipping would offset the overpaying. But damn it, I guess everybody else had the same fucking idea, as all that guy's cards seemed to finished significantly above the market price.. and I lost every auction from that dude. Bummer. Oh well, at least I ended up with a pair of HOFers from other, non-Greg Morris sellers, sub-Lincoln shipped each. My '64 setbuild is back to the backburner. *sigh* I had put a bunch of commons in my Sportlots cart too, but think I'm gonna clear that and just circle back in a year or three.

Harmon was in the thick of his career at the time, while 1964 would be Nellie's final full season.

But those aren't the first of these bros in my '64 setbuild. Got this All-Star Special from Nick's dad 2 or 3 years back. I'm gonna start making customs again one of these days (technical difficulties nearly sorted out) and hopefully work out another deal with him soon.

- - -o

Here's a fun one. Some dude found an old tweet of mine where I said I had dupes from '88 Topps Pee-Wee's Playhouse for trade, and he needed one of the [tough] stickers (CL#4), and it just so happens I had a dupe (actually a triple; I'm working on a 2nd set) so I was able to hook him up and in return I got a couple promo cards. The guy I traded with happened to be a cousin of Mark Schultz, an artist who's worked on lots of stuff including Marvel and Star Wars cards. So he had the hook-up for signed promos. One is signed on the front, and the other on the back:

Both very cool, but what really makes card #1 a bullseye for my collection...

It glows in the dark!! I'm a sucker for glowing cards, and this is my first glowing autograph (I've been meaning to send an UD Fun Pack Glow Star TTM to Juan Gonzalez, but haven't gotten around to it yet). Glows great!

Thanks, Ned!

- - -o

Good ol' Wes Moore must not be collecting Braves much anymore, because he was kind enough to send me this incredible quad relic of notable tomahawk choppers. I guess this'll go in my Acuña PC, no offense to the retired greats. 

Another bat-tastic quad relic! Man, I'm not even sure which PC this'll go to. Rose, Bench, and Perez are PC guys while Morgan is a heavily-respected 9-pocketer. Leaning toward Bench here, honestly. Love that sack of shit Charlie Hustle, but I've got enough unlicensed cards of his. And Perez is great (and a former PCL Padre), but you just can't beat Bench as far as the Cincinnati Reds go.

Another Rosey one! I helped out Wes with some wrestling customs (jpgs only.. still haven't printed any customs of my own since Wes' last batch about a year ago), with these cards being my commision. Relatively easy decision to put this one in the McCovey PC (though Billy Williams is awesome too, and no disrespect to Ron Santo). 

My Donnie Baseball PC got bumped up a notch thanks to this auto/relic. Numbered 10/12. Very nice.

And a few non-hits rounding out the package. Harmon and Ronald making repeat appearances in the post.

Thanks, Wes! Always a pleasure.

--o

I'll leave you with this photo of Ruby searching for enlightenment.

Thanks for reading!

Mike Squires appreciation post (Post for Johngy)

There's a popular blogger named Johngy who has been around a long time and pops up in comments on other blogs sometimes. He's never commented on my blog, though, and it's one of my life goals to have him do so. So here's a desperate attempt to get his attention. If you are Johngy, please comment on this post. If you are not Johngy, please find him and ask him to comment on this post. There will be a baseball-sized hole in my soul until this happens.

Johngy is a big fan of relatively obscure White Sox player Mike Squires, so I made a bunch of customs for Mr. Squires, hoping to create a blip on Johngy's radar.

Despite not having the typical power associated with a first baseman, Squires was a valuable member of the White Sox during their Tony La Russa era in the late 70s and early 80s. He won a Golden Glove in 1981.

On May 4, 1980, Squires became the first left-handed-throwing catcher in Major League Baseball since Dale Long in 1958 when he was shifted from first base in the ninth inning of an 11–1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. And he later became the first left-handed-throwing third baseman in at least 50 years on August 23, 1983 when he entered the game for Vance Law in the bottom of the eighth inning in a 10–2 loss to the Royals. Chicago would go on to win the AL West that year.

Midriff alert! Something you don't see on cards often.

Nod to teammate Ralph Garr?

Guy on deck has an impressive bubble going. Or is that a fouled off baseball?

Squires was a Toronto Blue Jays coach from 1989 to 1991. Later went on to be a scout for the Reds.

What do you think, Johngy?!? Please comment below!

ignorable filler post: 1991 Cardboard Dreams #5: Madonna and Jose Canseco

This is a real card that was on the market in 1991. Crazy! Not a mainstream release, but still!

Those sketches are pretty terrible/awesome!

I already kinda talked about this card last year. But..

Speaking of sketches, I found out there's a FB group specifically for MST3K trading cards and I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe I'll be able to trade for the remaining glow-in-the-dark inserts I need.

Check out this dual auto I got! This is the MST3K equivalent of a dual auto of Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig.

And this is the Babe Ruth!

  (Mike Nelson is Hank Aaron in this scenario, but he didn't sign for this product because he's kinda uncool when it comes to stuff like that, sadly.)

I made an attempt at improving on the 2020 Topps design (right). Not perfect (hint of '94 Topps?) but I prefer it my way.

Check out under Trout in the original (left) version.. is that..? could it be..?

 Amy Poehler!

Ha, maybe?

I got that (not trimmed) Mike Schmidt auto back thanks to the seller being cool!

Wii Sports Resort - Island Flyover is one of my favorite video games. Especially when you're eating frozen grapes, if you know what I mean! Anybody else like it?

I only have one spot left to find after stumbling upon one the other day, but honestly I kinda hope I never find the last one because then the mystery will be gone and playing the game might lose some of the magic.

Some of my toys.

I hear ya, bud! #thankstopps

Bunny alert! Also, we've had a squirrel trying to get into our attic. I tried dousing the area in a jalapeno-vinegar soup which will hopefully get him to scram.

I got a Tom(my) Lasorda autograph! Not a refractor, but still cool.

Madonna and Jose? No! It's us from the big work party last month. It was a masquerade theme. I got a lot of different fake mustaches and swapped them out thru the night.

I'm "going thru some shit" and probably won't be posting much for the next few weeks. But don't worry, it's not relationship shit or health shit or money shit (a.k.a. the heavy shit), but shit none the less.

Have a great holiday weekend, everybody!

YAYY!!!!!!

I called it back on Oct 8th! WOOOOO! Did i mention my family's originally from Chicago?! VERY NICE!

It's 10 pm. I've been stuck at work all evening, watching the game in the lunch room, not wanting to miss anything in the 30 min it takes me to get home. Very rewarding. Congrats Cubs!

Skinny-dipping in the Topps Vault

Man, Topps may have sent me a cease & desist a while back, but there's no hard feelings between me and the only game in town as far as officially licensed baseball cards in this day and age.

I recently snagged 4 discounted items from the Vault on eBay in a combined shipping order. Let's check them out:

Klesko may be a That 70s Show caliber name these days (no, wait, that's Kelso), but I have fond memories of Ryan being in the heart of the lineup for those Padres teams from a decade or so ago. I figured my Ryno PC could use a "1 of 1" to give it a little legitimacy in the eyes of the cardboard elite, and this 2016 Archives blank back fits the bill (even if it is a bit of a ploy as it was never packed-out but rather created specifically to be eBayed). I consider this to be a "finishing touch" to that PC which I'll probably post about one of these days.

And here's another one. Colin Rea is a guy the Padres are really counting on blooming if they're going to contend have a shot at being over .500 in the next few years. I too am banking on him flourishing as a top of the rotation guy, and this is the 2nd 1/1 blank back I've picked up of the guy, though I don't think I've shown off the 1st one yet. One of these days.
(UPDATE: And now he's traded to the Marlins. *sad trombone*)

Ok, now here's a quirky item for my Greatest Gavins minicollection. A back-up catcher for the Twins, 92-94, Derek GAVIN Parks doesn't seem to have any official certified auto cards out there, but I was able to add a certified auto in the form of this Topps contract! He didn't sign his full middle name, but did include the G at least! I'll take it! It's the first legal document in my little collection of Gavin and Gavin-related cards and card-related items. March 1st is my longtime friend Chris' birthday, so I'll give it some bonus points for the date. By the way, if you're interested in a similar Topps contract signed [or stamped or autopened] by Mr. Sy Berger, I've still got a few I'm looking to unload, trade or sale. I bought some up a while back thinking I'd flip them for a profit but it didn't turn out that way for me, unfortunately. This one up here isn't a Sy, but rather Philip Carter, who also seems to be pretty prolific at signing ballplayers to card contracts/extensions. [...] A quick google reveals Mr. Carter is currently "Director of Sports/Licensing at The Topps Company, Inc" (via LinkedIn).. Cool. Good to know he's been able to stick around among all the changes and employee turnover Topps has seen since then. I doubt there are many others still there who've been with the company since at least the early 90s.

We close with another "blank back 1/1", this of Braves prospect Touki Toussaint. He's not doing great this year in A ball (3-7 4.32), but still has a shot at being a solid major league pitcher in 2 or 3 years. I think of this as an investment to probably eventually send one of my Barve-collecting buddies when I find myself in the need to hit them back with a quality card sometime in the future.

- - - ----o

[now some rambling which you can skip past]
Matt, your 800th Post prize package has officially been dropped in the mail. Mr. Hoyle also has a package enroute. Shane, your runner-up prize package is packed up and ready to go but didn't make it out today. See, I went to the post office today after work but the damned automated machine is still on the fritz. Anticipating this, I brought a bunch of stamps, which is how I was able to get Matt and Mark's stuff out. But unfortunately I didn't have a good combination of stamps to fit on your small (but powerful!) package. But I think I'll be able to mail it out tomorrow. I have to go to the post office for work (I basically just burn and ship dvds as my job; I work at a big data archiving company.. it's not bad), so I'll try to mail it then. ON THE CLOCK! Lol, no, I'm salaried now (hallelujah!!) so whatev's. I use Stamps.com for my work packages, but not for my own stuff. (Shipped out a bunch of international packages recently.. damn, that shit's expensive these days!) But yeah, as for me.. Gotta stand in line for that. And no automated machine at the downtown post office. But again, I'm working, so I don't really care if it takes me a few extra minutes. Hey, I don't always take a full hour for my lunch, so it's cool. I try to workout in the building's gym a couple times a week when I can, but haven't had time this week. I gotta get my monthly DVDs out by the end of the month, so this week is a bit stressful for me, but I think I'm gonna make it. I'm rambling a bit now. I'll usually ride on the stationary bike for 22 minutes while I watch an episode of The Simpsons or The Onion Sportsdome (RIP.. this was a fricking hilarious sports show! Sad it only lasted one season. Sports and comedy are hard to pair just right for the masses, I guess), and then do some weight/machine work for a few minutes, usually arms and abs (my legs and glutes are good as is, not to brag, lol). Really would like to get my beer belly under control. I'm not "fat" but after a meal it looks like I'm smuggling a basketball in my shirt. My least favorite part about the gym is the occasional guys who linger in the locker room. It's like, dude, do you get off on catching glimpses of flaccid wieners? Don't just hang out in a locker room. Not cool. Oh, and one time the combination on my lock jammed after I had taken a shower.. I'm standing there for like 10 minutes in nothing but a towel desperately trying to unlock my locker and get to my shit. It was an ordeal, let me tell you, but finally I finagled the combo just right and it opened, thank the Lord. I also am a member of a local gym now, thanks to my wife who uses it more than me but Work reimburses us so why not add me to it too. They have a pool, which I'm excited about, although I'm more or a "splashing in the water" guy, not a "swimming laps" guy. We tried to go last weekend, and I had suited up and taken my pre-swim courtesy-shower and everything, but then we found out it had closed early that day for a swim meet. That sucked. It was my first time at the new gym (it's actually and old gym, kinda like a YMCA, but my first time there.) At least I spent a couple minutes punching a heavybag to get a tiny workout in and take out some frustration with the situation. Maybe we'll try again this coming weekend. Swimming is pretty great. Ok, I'm done rambling.

That's it for this time.. thank for reading!

Pull Tab contest resluts

Ok, Pull Tab Awareness Week is over. As for you guys who didn't help spread the word.. welp, I guess that's just how you was raised, I get it. *shrug* Sitting there like helpless little bitches is easier than standing up for riotousness and justice. Fine, whatever. You've got to live with the choices you've made. Hopefully you at least found a way to cram a little bit of knowledge into that putrid sack of crap you call a brain.

As for those of you who heroically helped spread the gospel of pull tabs.. bless you! You are strong, courageous, and among the last hopes for this doomed mess called humanity.

Let us list these brave men and women-- wait what, no women? bummer, ok just men-- who helped spread the word, and then posted a comment cementing it on the main post.

Jeff S
Sport Card Collectors
Bo
Wilson

Wow, only four guys?

You 4 rock!
And shout-outs to these below guys who raised their voice, yet didn't follow the letter of the law enough to get entered into the contest:

sg488
Bulldog
The Lost Collector
P-town Tom
Fuji
GCA
PAPA TONY
frederick costa
Beckett Grading (!!!)
Beckett Media (!!!)
Ryan Cracknell (!)
omsports42 (aka Stealing Home)
Tim Fogel
Daniel Wilson
Sketch Card
Eric Platt
Rich J. Chartrand
Bryan Mc
Gary Talamini
JaesCards
T-Bone McGroan

I love you guys, I do! You were not entered into the contest, but you're entered into my heart! :)

A common reply I get during this week (This was the 4th annual Pull Tab Awareness Week, BTW!) is along the lines of "Scotch tape is always bad! Only use blue tape."

Hey, no shit, smartypants, but I can't be the end-all/be-all moral compass for the cardsphere! I'm just trying to help "baby steps" ignorant people to starting to think about others when they mail cards. Step one, make pull tabs. Step two, switch to blue painter's tape.

Here's a live shot of my carding desk. I don't think I've ever actually bought a roll of blue tape in my life, but I damn well recycle the shit out of it, as you can see. When I get a piece of sweet blue tape in a trade or purchase, I stick it up there and reuse it later. (Bonus entry to my next contest [coming up very soon!] to the first person who correctly identifies any visible cards here in the comments below). [UPDATE: Congrats to Tim B. for picking up this future bonus entry!]

Back to this Pull Tab contest, since there were only 4 true entrants, screw it, I'll go ahead and send a prize PWE to all of them. As for the Tab Perry /99 auto. Hell, I guess I'll give it to Jeff S. for being the first to adequately enter. Congrats, Jeff S!

You 4 guys, email me your mailing address and tell me which teams are your favorite, and I'll do my best to comply with a nice selection for you. If I don't hear from you within the next week, prize is void, so hurry up.

Thanks for reading, thanks for caring about the people you send cards to, and thanks for being you!
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!!!

Holiday weekend blaster in honor of America

I had my heart set on some 1997 Fleer Tiffany Redux (aka 2016 Stadium Club) this weekend, but there was none to be found at the grocery store. They had a few discounted blasters.. but none were baseball (Score something football, UD something hockey, maybe a NC basketball or something). Full price blasters included Gypsy Queen and Series 2.. pass. Hangers of Donruss and Bowman.. nah. A lone blaster of 2016 Archives got my attention, but I was strong and put it back and went and did my shopping. I already bought 2 hobby boxes of that product.. and the collation wasn't great (lotsa dupes). Then I came back a little later and gave the crumpled blaster another long look. Then I put it back and continued with my shopping list. They I came back a third time. My self-restraint finally wavered and I reluctantly threw it in my cart. I really wanted something to rip this weekend, damn it! So let's take a look at the highlights.

Inserts and a parallel. WhoTF is Tom Murphy? Wasn't he on MST3K? Love that show.

Every kid dreams of pulling a card of a film director. Topps with their finger on the pulse again. Of course the best Bull Durham inserts are auto-only/no base because that was a good idea! :P
Ron Blomberg is a cool figure (DHing Hebrew Hammer), though this is not one of the better FDP inserts to pull.

Somehow a couple Mothers Cookies cards got mixed in. Who am I to question? If I needed that McCutchen, it's a nice PC hit for me. Pollack available for trade.

Is Corey Seager still super hot? Can I sell this base card and recoup the cost of the blaster? Please?

Some other dudes I collect (many of which I've already pulled with my 2 hobby boxes). Looks like 1991 Topps design is the leader here. Zero SPs in the blaster: boo.

Yeah, the box was a bust but hey I still pulled a Griffey 1/1 auto in one of my boxes, so I feel like I'm playing with house money. Fingers crossed that redemption comes home successfully one of these days. But with my luck it won't and will be another horror story for the regret pile that is my life.

There you go. Love you. Stay safe. Happy 4th!
-Gav