“Historic” Purchase

Ok so I’m abusing the word “historic” here, but I as a collector like cards that have a history, but are new enough to have come out while I was alive. Like the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF RC, 1989 Upper Deck Griffey RC. In a lot of ways I’m the opposite of a prospector. A card blows up, goes through the roof and I’ll think “Man, I want that”. 5-10 years later the market may have died for the card completely but that’s when I come back to it and buy it for the memory of what it was. I recently bought several Griffey RCs graded in the 8s and 9s. Not because I think it’s a good investment, but because I remember looking through Beckett and seeing the outrageous prices graded RCs held.

Anyways on that note I just thought of a card, well a set, that made a huge impact in recent baseball card history. 1997 Upper Deck Game Jersey.

Brian Giles Retires

Seeing that Brian Giles retired is no surprise. What is surprising is how I came across the news. I was just looking through transactions on MLB.com and amid all the assignments and options I saw “RF Brian Giles retired.” Simple as that. I don’t know if the story made the MLB.com News front page. I’m sure it didn’t make the main MLB.com front page (correct if I’m wrong). I only mention this because, it’s wild how quickly a guy, even a solid major leaguer, can disappear from baseball. If I hadn’t looked at the transactions I might not have figured it out for a really long time.

Magenta Madness! Another “Josh Anderson 1/1 Post”

Well after a long wait I was able to reel in my third Josh Anderson 1/1. This one a 2008 Topps Co-Signers Magenta plate. So I’m wondering… Does this make me a supercollector yet? I also have a game-used and autographed Anderson bat, plus around 15 other different certified autographs of him and 9 different base cards I’ve gotten signed by him. Am I there yet? I’ve collected Eric Davis for years, but never considered myself on the supercollector level.

Mark Grudzielanek Signs With the Indians

Cleveland signed Mark Grudzielanek to a minor league deal today. Is it just me or does it seem like he’s been in baseball for forever? I looked at his stats though and the one-time All-Star did hit .299 in 2008 in 86 games for the Kansas City Royals so he seems still quite viable as a major league baseball player though he didn’t get a shot in the bigs last season. Hopefully he’ll find a spot on the big league roster this year.

It’s amazing how few of his items you’ll find on eBay considering he’s played 14 seasons up to this point.

Another Josh Anderson 1/1

I purchased my second 1/1 Josh Anderson. This one for only $9.99 plus shipping.

The Worst Graded Card Ever

A fellow baseball-fever.com member recently posted a picture of his new purchase. The first PSA graded card of his collection. And the worst PSA graded card I have ever seen.

Lavalliere 1888 Donruss PSA

Art By Tim Carroll

Tim Carroll is not your regular artist. Rather than relying on an easel, palette, paintbrush and canvas his favorite medium is baseball cards. He’s also been known to use such items as rubber stamps, fake $100 bills, and black socks. His artwork usually portrays sports figures but he’s also done pieces on Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln.
Two of the cards he produced artwork of are cards that I mentioned in my blog on Rookie Cards. Neither of which are cards I own sadly. One is, of course, Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Topps card and the other is Ken Griffey Jr.’s 1989 Upper Deck RC.

Eric Lands a White Whale

I won my first “true” 1/1 on eBay yesterday. The card is a 2008 Topps Triple Threads Josh Anderson with an autograph, 2 games used jersey swatches and a patch piece. Serial numbered 1/1 of course. I just recently started my Josh Anderson PC and it has been growing pretty quickly. I haven’t found a lot of competition and was surprised that I was forced to pay $32 for this card.

The Rookie Cards

My baseball card collection centers around two things. Cards of anyone who have EVER played for the Cincinnati Reds and autographs. However, any good baseball card collector knows and appreciates the significance of rookie cards. They are usually the most highly sought base card of a given player and that is often reflected by their “book value”. “Book values” mean nothing to me as I rarely sell cards and because nothing sells at book, but the pull of the RC still inspires me to acquire cards of guys I wouldn’t otherwise collect. Here are some rookie cards I have, I want, and I’m never going to get.

Why We TTM

TTM means through the mail. I along with thousands of other collectors write athletes in an attempt to acquire their autograph. It’s an inconsistent hobby, but I find it to be very rewarding. The autograph aside, sometimes there are things that come from these requests that make the experience extra rewarding. Maybe it’s a handwritten letter from the player or a special inscription or something else entirely. Gregg Zaun provided me with one of those moments Saturday.