I'll have my September update coming in the next week or so. Got a crowded few days ahead of me including some baseball IP outings!
In almost every base set for four decades, Topps produced the loathsome checklist card. No one wanted to pull it from a pack: it didn't feature a player, just a list of who was on what card. In the early days, kids would mark them off and use them for their intended purpose. In later days, everyone wanted a 100% mint condition set, so it was little more than space-filling junk.
1992 birthed the brainchild (or spawned the brainbastard, depending on your outlook) of the parallel set. Take the base set, tweak something but change nothing else, and whammo, new tough-to-find collectible! Topps Gold was the first to do this before every company followed suit and now today you have the crazy rainbow chasers who need every single variety of a guy's Chrome or Prizm or whatever card.
So of course, the last thing ANYONE would want is for their short-printed parallel that they pull from a pack to be the checklist card. Instead of leaving gaps in their sets, Topps printed what I call the phantom parallels: inserting players to replace the checklists, but those players didn't have a regular card.
I'm always interested in oddball cards to get autographed so I started to wonder how many of these would be possible to get signed. I haven't gone that far, but I did finally assemble a list of who the phantom parallels were in each set.
1992 BB Gold
131: Terry Mathews
264: Rod Beck
366: Tony Perezchica
527: Terry McDaniel
658: John Ramos
787: Brian Williams
132T: Kerry Woodson
1992 FB Gold
109: Freeman McNeil
218: David Daniels
316: Chris Hakel
341: Ottis Anderson
452: Shawn Moore
563: Mike Mooney
759: Curtis Whitley
1992-93 BK Gold
197: Jeff Sanders
198: Elliot Perry
395: David Wingate
396: Carl Herrera
1992-93 HK Gold
525: Alan Conroy
526: Jeff Norton
527: Rob Robinson
528: Adam Foote
* * * * * * * * * *
1993 BB Gold
394: Bernardo Brito
395: Jim McNamara
396: Rich Sauveur
823: Keith Brown
824: Russ McGinnis
825: Mike Walker
1993 FB Gold
329: Terance Mathis
330: John Wojciechowski
659: Pat Chaffey
660: Milton Mack
1993-94 BK Gold
197: David Wingate
198: Frank Johnson
395: Will Perdue
396: Mark West
1993-94 HK Gold
263: Martin Lapointe
264: Kevin Miehm
527: Myles O’Connor
528: Jamie Leach
* * * * * * * * * *
1994 BB Gold
395: Bill Brennan
396: Jeff Bronkey
791: Mike Cook
792: Dan Pasqua
1994-95 BK Spectralight
197: Keith Jennings
198: Mark Price
395: Chris Webber
396: Mitch Richmond
1994-95 HK Special Effects
274: Rudy Poeschek
275: Michael Peca
549: John Druce
550: Matt Martin
* * * * * * * * * *
1995 BB Cyberstats
395: Darryl Strawberry
396: Luis Alicea
It doesn't look like Topps did any phantoms for the 1994 Football Special Effects set. Shame, as I'd love to have seen some punters or long snappers represented. The parallel craze died (for Topps at least) following the 1995 Series 1 baseball. Of course Pacific ran the concept into the ground in the late 90s, but they also didn't print checklist cards in the base set. Topps got smart and eventually made the checklists as a random one-per-pack insert that wasn't part of the set, then took from Upper Deck and put them back in the set but put a player or something interesting on the front with the list on the back.
There were a few similar to this in the O-Pee-Chee baseball sets that I'll need to assemble a list of as well. I know Delino Deshields and Nate Minchey both had a 1988 card after the Expos drafted them (Deshields replacing Earnest Riles and Minchey replacing the Nolan Ryan Record Breaker card), and there were several cards replacing the All-Stars in the 1992 set. O-Pee-Chee also typically denoted trades on their cards, such as Dennis Lamp's 1987 card that shows him as a Blue Jays but has Chief Wahoo and a "Now with Indians" notation, and even gave Blue Jays catcher Rick Cerone his own 1977 card instead of just stashing him on the Rookie Catchers card that Topps had, where he was still with the Indians. Granted, the OPC set usually was an abbreviated set rather than a true parallel and a guy might be on card 630 in Topps, but then on 390 in OPC. But aside from that, the cards look the same. So finding a card that wasn't in the Topps set but was in the OPC set is kind of a phantom in its own right.
EDIT: There's a blog on the OPC variations!
Of course, some of these guys might not sign, and some-- such as Rod Beck and Terry Mathews-- may even be dead. But if you're looking for some oddball items to potentially get signed, look no further than the phantom parallel.
Blog is on indefinite hiatus as of November 2020.
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Friday, February 23, 2018
Hobby Greed: an extemporaneous essay
This may be a tad disjointed: it's mostly going to be a stream-of-consciousness dumping of my thoughts in between choosing photos while I'm at work. It's also somewhat related to my In-Person Graphing Etiquette Essay from August.
I'm a member of several Facebook autograph and card collecting groups. I'm even an admin of two of them. I only started one of them on my own, the other was a long-running one that I was made an admin of when the founder wanted to step back almost two years ago. And he likes the way I run things.
In another group besides the ones I run, a member posted bragging about mailing 9 cards to Ron Gant, and getting them all back signed. In another post, he shows off his personal record, mailing 10 cards to Doug Jones, and getting them all back plus Jones' typical religious tract card.
I have one question...
WHY?
In the group I run (Baseball TTM Autographs), we had the members vote on how many to show per success-posting. We agreed that members should limit it to four items per request-- and if you send more than four, posts showing more than four were subject to deletion. This way it doesn't encourage others to mail off ridiculous numbers with a misguided reasoning of "The player can decide to sign what they want" or "Well I told him to keep some." When it comes to the former, sure, they can, but by not controlling the number yourself you're leaving in on them to be a disappointment. For the latter, trust me, they already have them if they want them. I worked with a former NHL player who probably has a good 50 of every card ever made of him.
I just don't see why anyone would need to send ten cards at a time. When I asked why the hell he would do that, the response was little more than "Because I can, now mind your own business," even going so far as to espouse a complete misunderstanding of libertarian philosophy, claiming I have no right to question his mailing.
Oh yeah, according to one of the people defending this guy, people have left the groups I run because they don't like my attitude about these things.
*single tear rolls down face*
I certainly do have a right, and as a hobbyist, dare I even say a responsibility to question it.
In the past few years, we've seen Rick Reuschel go from signing everything to signing nothing-- mostly because there are people out there who would send him 8 cards, then another 8 mere weeks later. Reuschel was a solid pitcher: three-time All-Star, two time Gold Glove winner, two Top-3 Cy Young finishes, 200 wins, 2000 strikeouts, even a .168 average with 4 homers which isn't too bad for a pitcher-- not a Hall of Famer but solid with longevity at least. Does anyone really need six, eight, ten of him at a time?
Wade Boggs has seen the same behavior-- He was gladly signing for $5 per card, and then people started pushing it to sometimes as crazy as 6 cards for $5-- total, not each. This is a Hall of Famer and pop culture icon we're talking about. He stopped signing for a while, then returned at $10, then $5, and once again people started pushing his generosity and he's stopped once again.
Even Brooks Robinson-- possibly the greatest third baseman of all time and a more than reasonable signer for $5-10-- has enclosed notes at times saying "No more, please" when people can't follow the rules.
We're seeing teams crack down on fan mail, some refusing it entirely (Braves at Spring Training, several NHL teams, the Seattle Sounders and Seahawks, and probably more that I'm forgetting). In-person, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have made autographs a kids-only endeavor. Sure, there's a profit motive behind it as more teams partner with organizations like Fanatics, and more players work with Steiner and their ilk. But a significant amount comes from players and teams just getting tired of dealing with it.
Have some self-control folks! This is a hobby. It's not a competition. No one is going to declare you the winner because you have more. If anything your greed is going to influence players to stop signing entirely. Newer collectors and even current collectors won't be able to get the players they want for their projects because of you.
If you have several projects you're working on, I can understand it to a degree, but space it out a bit. If you pay a player's requested per-item fee, then that's fine too as it becomes an agreed-upon business transaction at that point. If you've spoken to the player, asked his permission, and they grant it, cool.
But when you're basically cold-calling and asking for a player to do you a favor with no compensation, please, show some discretion!
I've gone over my four-item limit before, I think we all have at times. But I don't do it often: my average number mailed per request is three (3.19 items per request across 1578 requests, to be exact). When I do, it's only to players who have shown a consistent history of signing 4, or 5, or 6. And the only time I have EVER exceeded six is to a few indoor soccer players-- many of whom have written back thanking me for bringing back great memories and just being ecstatic that someone remembers their career.
In-person, I'll occasionally go further. With TTM'ing, the only investment is five minutes of letter-writing and a dollar in postage to the USPS. In-person, my justification for typically carrying more items is that I am taking more time out of my day, traveling to a venue, and in most cases contributing financially via purchasing a ticket to the game, plus food, licensed memorabilia, and by showing my support by cheering for the player and watching him perform his craft live. The player receives a direct benefit, as do I. Via mail, they receive far less of a benefit.
I've been a card collector since I was six years old. I can recall specific cards I got in the first pack I bought-- a rack pack of 1991 Donruss Series 1 baseball. Dave Stieb and Bob Welch Diamond Kings. Cory Snyder. Mark McGwire Highlights and All-Star. Alvaro Espinoza. John Marzano. Sandy Alomar Jr. All-Star. The Alomar card even went on to be my first ever TTM autograph, about a year later-- which I still have.
I got into autograph collecting on a serious basis because just collecting cards was getting to be a bore. There was no challenge. You can collect any set just by throwing enough money at it. That's a lot harder to do with autograph collecting.
I have over 125,000 cards in my collection. I'd love to get as many signed as I can. But even I know I have to draw a line. I don't need 50 from Juan Gonzalez. I don't need 100 from Matt Williams. I have something like 60 from Sergei Gonchar-- but they were all in-person, all acquired over a number of years, and if a fan of his really wanted one I would gladly give it to them free of charge.
It's a hobby. We're all in it together, so be good to each other-- that goes for other collectors, the athletes, everyone involved.
I'm a member of several Facebook autograph and card collecting groups. I'm even an admin of two of them. I only started one of them on my own, the other was a long-running one that I was made an admin of when the founder wanted to step back almost two years ago. And he likes the way I run things.
In another group besides the ones I run, a member posted bragging about mailing 9 cards to Ron Gant, and getting them all back signed. In another post, he shows off his personal record, mailing 10 cards to Doug Jones, and getting them all back plus Jones' typical religious tract card.
I have one question...
WHY?
In the group I run (Baseball TTM Autographs), we had the members vote on how many to show per success-posting. We agreed that members should limit it to four items per request-- and if you send more than four, posts showing more than four were subject to deletion. This way it doesn't encourage others to mail off ridiculous numbers with a misguided reasoning of "The player can decide to sign what they want" or "Well I told him to keep some." When it comes to the former, sure, they can, but by not controlling the number yourself you're leaving in on them to be a disappointment. For the latter, trust me, they already have them if they want them. I worked with a former NHL player who probably has a good 50 of every card ever made of him.
I just don't see why anyone would need to send ten cards at a time. When I asked why the hell he would do that, the response was little more than "Because I can, now mind your own business," even going so far as to espouse a complete misunderstanding of libertarian philosophy, claiming I have no right to question his mailing.
Oh yeah, according to one of the people defending this guy, people have left the groups I run because they don't like my attitude about these things.
*single tear rolls down face*
I certainly do have a right, and as a hobbyist, dare I even say a responsibility to question it.
In the past few years, we've seen Rick Reuschel go from signing everything to signing nothing-- mostly because there are people out there who would send him 8 cards, then another 8 mere weeks later. Reuschel was a solid pitcher: three-time All-Star, two time Gold Glove winner, two Top-3 Cy Young finishes, 200 wins, 2000 strikeouts, even a .168 average with 4 homers which isn't too bad for a pitcher-- not a Hall of Famer but solid with longevity at least. Does anyone really need six, eight, ten of him at a time?
Wade Boggs has seen the same behavior-- He was gladly signing for $5 per card, and then people started pushing it to sometimes as crazy as 6 cards for $5-- total, not each. This is a Hall of Famer and pop culture icon we're talking about. He stopped signing for a while, then returned at $10, then $5, and once again people started pushing his generosity and he's stopped once again.
Even Brooks Robinson-- possibly the greatest third baseman of all time and a more than reasonable signer for $5-10-- has enclosed notes at times saying "No more, please" when people can't follow the rules.
We're seeing teams crack down on fan mail, some refusing it entirely (Braves at Spring Training, several NHL teams, the Seattle Sounders and Seahawks, and probably more that I'm forgetting). In-person, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have made autographs a kids-only endeavor. Sure, there's a profit motive behind it as more teams partner with organizations like Fanatics, and more players work with Steiner and their ilk. But a significant amount comes from players and teams just getting tired of dealing with it.
Have some self-control folks! This is a hobby. It's not a competition. No one is going to declare you the winner because you have more. If anything your greed is going to influence players to stop signing entirely. Newer collectors and even current collectors won't be able to get the players they want for their projects because of you.
If you have several projects you're working on, I can understand it to a degree, but space it out a bit. If you pay a player's requested per-item fee, then that's fine too as it becomes an agreed-upon business transaction at that point. If you've spoken to the player, asked his permission, and they grant it, cool.
But when you're basically cold-calling and asking for a player to do you a favor with no compensation, please, show some discretion!
I've gone over my four-item limit before, I think we all have at times. But I don't do it often: my average number mailed per request is three (3.19 items per request across 1578 requests, to be exact). When I do, it's only to players who have shown a consistent history of signing 4, or 5, or 6. And the only time I have EVER exceeded six is to a few indoor soccer players-- many of whom have written back thanking me for bringing back great memories and just being ecstatic that someone remembers their career.
In-person, I'll occasionally go further. With TTM'ing, the only investment is five minutes of letter-writing and a dollar in postage to the USPS. In-person, my justification for typically carrying more items is that I am taking more time out of my day, traveling to a venue, and in most cases contributing financially via purchasing a ticket to the game, plus food, licensed memorabilia, and by showing my support by cheering for the player and watching him perform his craft live. The player receives a direct benefit, as do I. Via mail, they receive far less of a benefit.
I've been a card collector since I was six years old. I can recall specific cards I got in the first pack I bought-- a rack pack of 1991 Donruss Series 1 baseball. Dave Stieb and Bob Welch Diamond Kings. Cory Snyder. Mark McGwire Highlights and All-Star. Alvaro Espinoza. John Marzano. Sandy Alomar Jr. All-Star. The Alomar card even went on to be my first ever TTM autograph, about a year later-- which I still have.
I got into autograph collecting on a serious basis because just collecting cards was getting to be a bore. There was no challenge. You can collect any set just by throwing enough money at it. That's a lot harder to do with autograph collecting.
I have over 125,000 cards in my collection. I'd love to get as many signed as I can. But even I know I have to draw a line. I don't need 50 from Juan Gonzalez. I don't need 100 from Matt Williams. I have something like 60 from Sergei Gonchar-- but they were all in-person, all acquired over a number of years, and if a fan of his really wanted one I would gladly give it to them free of charge.
It's a hobby. We're all in it together, so be good to each other-- that goes for other collectors, the athletes, everyone involved.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Goodbye Alumni Legacy Weekend?
The first thing I noticed this year when the Rangers' Promotional Schedule came out?
It wasn't the ridiculous SEVEN bobblehead giveaways (do they have seven players worth commemorating?).
It wasn't the two t-shirts (give me a wearable over a knick-knack any day, thanks).
It wasn't the four concerts, three of whom I've never heard of in my life (Toadies FTW).
It was the lack of the annual Alumni Legacy Weekend.
Alumni Weekend, as you may recall, is the biggest event I go to every year. The Rangers would typically bring in between 20 and 40 players who would sign autographs before either one or two of the weekend's games. Usually the team would also induct one or two people into the team Hall Of Fame. This year of course is the much-deserved retirement of Ivan Rodriguez's number. I would have figured that would replace the Hall of Fame induction, but that there would still be an Alumni Weekend.
And yet, nothing.
The prevailing sentiment over at TAC is that a few players will likely be around that weekend at least, but that the Rangers got tired of complaints about how poorly it was run or the terrible selection of alumni who are at the event.
If the latter was your complaint, shame on you. If we're being honest, the Rangers are not the Yankees. No World Series wins, not even an appearance until 2010. They didn't even play a meaningful October game until 1996, and won one whole playoff game--not even a playoff series, a single playoff GAME-- until that 2010 season.
Additionally, it's not like the big names tend to stay in the area. Most have gone onto bigger things with bigger teams, and lived elsewhere in retirement. While it's true that many teams have better player selections, many of those teams also have more alumni living in their area. Cite Hall of famers Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Fergie Jenkins, Goose Gossage, Bert Blyleven, and perfect-game pitcher Kenny Rogers all you want: the fact is they aren't going out of their way for a weekend without a big reason, and as far as I know no team will spring for a flight, hotel, food, and ground transportation for them all. Most of the past alumni who come out live locally or just happen to be in town that weekend.
And I'm okay with that. It's great to see guys I watched as a kid in Cleveland like Pete O'Brien and Jerry Browne. I enjoy getting to chat with Claude Osteen and Toby Harrah (his wife is a hoot). And I finally found a photo of Scott Sheldon pitching that I was hoping to get signed.
Sure, they can run things with it far better. It would be nice to see a list of probable, or at least potential players, further than a few hours in advance. Several teams with similar events have a list out weeks ahead of time. I would rather know a player might be there and not have him show up than to find out a player is there that I had no idea about. That way I can have cards I might not need instead of needing cards I don't have: for example Tucker Ashford in 2016, Mario Ramos in 2014, and Steve Dreyer in 2013.
But Alumni Legacy Weekend is a popular event with fans regardless. And the long lines for guys like Gerald Alexander, Rick Henninger, and Jim Gideon should be evidence of that. None of them even pitched 100 innings in the majors, and yet the fans still flock to meet them.
I hope this is just a one-year thing, that it was canceled this season to keep it Pudge-centric. But when one considers the preposterous greed shown by this organization in jacking up prices for tickets and parking every year, standing strong against having a public transit line that comes into Arlington to maximize that parking money, and most of all making empty threats of moving if the city doesn't replace their still-VERY-new stadium, it just smacks of evidence that we won't be seeing another Alumni Weekend again.
Thank you to the former Rangers that I got to meet. It was good while it lasted.
It wasn't the ridiculous SEVEN bobblehead giveaways (do they have seven players worth commemorating?).
It wasn't the two t-shirts (give me a wearable over a knick-knack any day, thanks).
It wasn't the four concerts, three of whom I've never heard of in my life (Toadies FTW).
It was the lack of the annual Alumni Legacy Weekend.
Alumni Weekend, as you may recall, is the biggest event I go to every year. The Rangers would typically bring in between 20 and 40 players who would sign autographs before either one or two of the weekend's games. Usually the team would also induct one or two people into the team Hall Of Fame. This year of course is the much-deserved retirement of Ivan Rodriguez's number. I would have figured that would replace the Hall of Fame induction, but that there would still be an Alumni Weekend.
And yet, nothing.
The prevailing sentiment over at TAC is that a few players will likely be around that weekend at least, but that the Rangers got tired of complaints about how poorly it was run or the terrible selection of alumni who are at the event.
If the latter was your complaint, shame on you. If we're being honest, the Rangers are not the Yankees. No World Series wins, not even an appearance until 2010. They didn't even play a meaningful October game until 1996, and won one whole playoff game--not even a playoff series, a single playoff GAME-- until that 2010 season.
Additionally, it's not like the big names tend to stay in the area. Most have gone onto bigger things with bigger teams, and lived elsewhere in retirement. While it's true that many teams have better player selections, many of those teams also have more alumni living in their area. Cite Hall of famers Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Fergie Jenkins, Goose Gossage, Bert Blyleven, and perfect-game pitcher Kenny Rogers all you want: the fact is they aren't going out of their way for a weekend without a big reason, and as far as I know no team will spring for a flight, hotel, food, and ground transportation for them all. Most of the past alumni who come out live locally or just happen to be in town that weekend.
And I'm okay with that. It's great to see guys I watched as a kid in Cleveland like Pete O'Brien and Jerry Browne. I enjoy getting to chat with Claude Osteen and Toby Harrah (his wife is a hoot). And I finally found a photo of Scott Sheldon pitching that I was hoping to get signed.
Sure, they can run things with it far better. It would be nice to see a list of probable, or at least potential players, further than a few hours in advance. Several teams with similar events have a list out weeks ahead of time. I would rather know a player might be there and not have him show up than to find out a player is there that I had no idea about. That way I can have cards I might not need instead of needing cards I don't have: for example Tucker Ashford in 2016, Mario Ramos in 2014, and Steve Dreyer in 2013.
But Alumni Legacy Weekend is a popular event with fans regardless. And the long lines for guys like Gerald Alexander, Rick Henninger, and Jim Gideon should be evidence of that. None of them even pitched 100 innings in the majors, and yet the fans still flock to meet them.
I hope this is just a one-year thing, that it was canceled this season to keep it Pudge-centric. But when one considers the preposterous greed shown by this organization in jacking up prices for tickets and parking every year, standing strong against having a public transit line that comes into Arlington to maximize that parking money, and most of all making empty threats of moving if the city doesn't replace their still-VERY-new stadium, it just smacks of evidence that we won't be seeing another Alumni Weekend again.
Thank you to the former Rangers that I got to meet. It was good while it lasted.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Preview: 35th National Sports Collectors Convention, July 30-August 3, I-X Center, Cleveland, Ohio
The Granddaddy of Them All is hitting the big 3-5 this year, and it's happening in my hometown.
The National isn't the first card show ever, but it certainly is the biggest. Every year in a different city, collectors come from all over the country-- sometimes even all over the continent, perhaps even the world-- for a five-day card show that takes up almost the entire floor of some of the world's largest expo centers. The show has been restricted to three different cities over the last eight years after having stops in eleven cities in the first 25. Add in the next six, and it will be four cities in 14 years. This year's will be the sixth to take up the International Exposition Center in Cleveland. Previously, the show was held there in 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2009.
I'm sure many of you have been to card shows of various sizes. Anything from a few tables in a VFW Hall or an Elks Lodge, to a corner of the Grange Hall at the county fair, and on up to a hotel ballroom. Before the 1997 National, the largest show I had been to was at the annual show at the Clarion Hotel in Eastlake, OH. The National trumps any show you have ever been to.
Even though I've been to three previous Nationals (1997, 2001, and 2004), the sheer size of it still knocks me off my feet when I first walk in. Let's put it this way: the I-X Center has 1 million square feet of exhibition and conference space. The Show takes up less than half of that, but it still is ungodly huge. It has 23 aisles, a 12,000 square foot Case Break Pavilion, corporate sections with giant booths for major sponsors (including Panini, Upper Deck, Leaf, PSA, Beckett, Blowout Cards, Dave & Adam's Card World, COMC, and plenty more), a 39,000 square foot autograph pavilion, a food court, and a VIP Lounge. The dealers take up the rest.
All the companies and sponsors have various freebies, whether it be in the VIP gift bags (double the stuff for Super VIP's) or via wrapper redemption programs or box breaks. Topps has already announced theirs, with Panini, Upper Deck, Leaf, and Press Pass certain to follow soon.
Past shows have had various sports artifacts on display, including the famous PSA 8 Honus Wagner, balls from the 1998 Sosa vs. McGwire Home Run Chase, some Barry Bonds home run balls from 2001, one of Shoeless Joe Jackson's bats, and more. Plenty of well-known dealers will be there as well: there's a full list here in PDF form.
And of course, there's the world's second tallest indoor Ferris Wheel, offering views of Cleveland Hopkins Airport and the city's skyline at the very top through a glass-enclosed cutout in the roof. It was the tallest until one in Turkmenistan passed it in 2012. It's definitely worth taking a few minutes out of your day to relax and enjoy a ride on it at some point during the show.
Needless to say, the National is a must-visit for any serious collector at least once in their lifetime. As a Cleveland native with vacation time built up at work, it's a good opportunity for me to get back to it again, visit friends, family, and my city, and add more to my collection.
Tristar runs all things autograph-related at the show. Fortunately, with my SuperVIP pass, I will at least get all of their free VIP signers, so I should be able to add about 20 autographs to my collection. The full rundown of freebies is as follows (with the item I plan to get signed in parentheses):
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
Carlos Baerga (11x14 photo), Dale Murphy (11x14 photo, maybe some cards for Chris as well if I can swing it), Kevin Mack (11x14 photo), Billy Sims (11x14 photo)
THURSDAY, JULY 31
Andy Van Slyke (Topps ATFF card), Howard Johnson (Topps ATFF card), Rick Waits (not sure yet; hoping to trade it for an extra Van Slyke or HoJo), Joe Delamielleure (Topps ATFF card)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
Sonny Siebert (8x10 photo), Jim Stillwagon (not sure yet; hoping to use as trade bait for Van Slyke or HoJo), Al "Bubba" Baker (8x10 photo; don't remember if I ordered 11x14 or 8x10), Joe Charbonneau (11x14 photo), Tom Browning (11x14 perfect game photo)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
Milt Plum (8x10 photo), Hanford Dixon (11x14 photo with Frank Minnifield; hopefully I can get Minnie on it sometime in the future), Al Oliver (11x14 photo)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
Jeff Burroughs (11x14 photo with Tom Grieve; major thanks to TGC reader Big Anthony for hooking me up with it; I'm sure I can get Grieve on it at the tunnel later in August), Gary Bell (8x10 photo), Mike Hargrove (11x14 photo), Len Barker (11x14 perfect game photo)
In addition, I might go for one of the Topps wrapper redemption deals-- open three packs, turn in the wrappers, and get a Allen & Ginter mini card of Jadaveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Jim Brown, Jordan Cameron, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, Bob Feller or Albert Belle. Hopefully if I break a box of Heritage, I can get all of them, plus some stuff I can get signed in the final months of the season. At the very least, I want Manziel and Cameron.
I'll also be on the lookout for anything I can find to add to my sets. I'll get at least three items signed for the Topps ATFF sets, maybe as many as five if I can swing a few trades. I'm sure a few dealers will have some signed cards. I'm also always on the lookout for any bargains (like getting a 1983 O-Pee-Chee Ryne Sandberg RC at the 2001 show for about 50 cents) and stuff of my wife's favorite players (Peter Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Gabriel Landeskog).
Part of the fun of the show of course is networking. SportsCardForum will have a booth there, and I've already alerted collectors at several other boards that I'll be coming in. I even printed up business cards promoting TGC with a list of sets I'm doing. If you're reading this and will be there, let me know; I'd love to meet any other collectors, especially regular readers here. And if you'd be willing to trade or sell your Van Slyke and/or Hojo tickets, DEFINITELY let me know ASAP.
Outside the show, I already have a ton of other things I plan to do. I need to make sure I have a dinner at Melt one night, and the B-Spot. Maybe Hot Sauce Williams, or West Side Market. Malley's of course. Granted, I may be so tired from walking all through the show that I just end up hitting Friendly's, Panera, and Burger King every night near the hotel. I know one SCF member has talked about trying to get a group together one night, and who knows what my people from Panini may have in store.
I also plan to go to two Indians games as they take on the Reds the Monday and Tuesday after the show-- I will be graphing both games, both at the Indians; parking lot and inside for the Reds. I may also need to duck up to Eastlake to get a Lake County Captains team set at their team store. Plus I'll be visiting my dad, and hopefully meeting up with a few friends from high school.
It's going to be a crazy week, but a good one. It's been two years since I was last in Cleveland, so it'll be good to get back. I haven't been to the I-X Center in ten years and I've heard they added some floor space and repainted since then (first ceiling repainting since 1984). Plus, I plan to update here after every day of the show.
Hope to see you there, and if you can't make it to the North Coast, you can always follow along here.
For more information, visit NSCCShow.com for a full floorplan, list of dealers, sponsors, autograph signers, promotions, and photos from last year's show in Chicago.
The National isn't the first card show ever, but it certainly is the biggest. Every year in a different city, collectors come from all over the country-- sometimes even all over the continent, perhaps even the world-- for a five-day card show that takes up almost the entire floor of some of the world's largest expo centers. The show has been restricted to three different cities over the last eight years after having stops in eleven cities in the first 25. Add in the next six, and it will be four cities in 14 years. This year's will be the sixth to take up the International Exposition Center in Cleveland. Previously, the show was held there in 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2009.
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| The I-X Center: formerly a World War II bomber and Korean War tank plant (Photo Credit: Ohio Gun Collectors Association) |
Even though I've been to three previous Nationals (1997, 2001, and 2004), the sheer size of it still knocks me off my feet when I first walk in. Let's put it this way: the I-X Center has 1 million square feet of exhibition and conference space. The Show takes up less than half of that, but it still is ungodly huge. It has 23 aisles, a 12,000 square foot Case Break Pavilion, corporate sections with giant booths for major sponsors (including Panini, Upper Deck, Leaf, PSA, Beckett, Blowout Cards, Dave & Adam's Card World, COMC, and plenty more), a 39,000 square foot autograph pavilion, a food court, and a VIP Lounge. The dealers take up the rest.
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| A tiny piece of the 2009 National (Photo Credit: Sports Collectors Daily) |
Past shows have had various sports artifacts on display, including the famous PSA 8 Honus Wagner, balls from the 1998 Sosa vs. McGwire Home Run Chase, some Barry Bonds home run balls from 2001, one of Shoeless Joe Jackson's bats, and more. Plenty of well-known dealers will be there as well: there's a full list here in PDF form.
And of course, there's the world's second tallest indoor Ferris Wheel, offering views of Cleveland Hopkins Airport and the city's skyline at the very top through a glass-enclosed cutout in the roof. It was the tallest until one in Turkmenistan passed it in 2012. It's definitely worth taking a few minutes out of your day to relax and enjoy a ride on it at some point during the show.
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| The Wheel (Photo Credit: lareina1045 on Flickr) |
Tristar runs all things autograph-related at the show. Fortunately, with my SuperVIP pass, I will at least get all of their free VIP signers, so I should be able to add about 20 autographs to my collection. The full rundown of freebies is as follows (with the item I plan to get signed in parentheses):
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
Carlos Baerga (11x14 photo), Dale Murphy (11x14 photo, maybe some cards for Chris as well if I can swing it), Kevin Mack (11x14 photo), Billy Sims (11x14 photo)
THURSDAY, JULY 31
Andy Van Slyke (Topps ATFF card), Howard Johnson (Topps ATFF card), Rick Waits (not sure yet; hoping to trade it for an extra Van Slyke or HoJo), Joe Delamielleure (Topps ATFF card)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
Sonny Siebert (8x10 photo), Jim Stillwagon (not sure yet; hoping to use as trade bait for Van Slyke or HoJo), Al "Bubba" Baker (8x10 photo; don't remember if I ordered 11x14 or 8x10), Joe Charbonneau (11x14 photo), Tom Browning (11x14 perfect game photo)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
Milt Plum (8x10 photo), Hanford Dixon (11x14 photo with Frank Minnifield; hopefully I can get Minnie on it sometime in the future), Al Oliver (11x14 photo)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
Jeff Burroughs (11x14 photo with Tom Grieve; major thanks to TGC reader Big Anthony for hooking me up with it; I'm sure I can get Grieve on it at the tunnel later in August), Gary Bell (8x10 photo), Mike Hargrove (11x14 photo), Len Barker (11x14 perfect game photo)
In addition, I might go for one of the Topps wrapper redemption deals-- open three packs, turn in the wrappers, and get a Allen & Ginter mini card of Jadaveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Jim Brown, Jordan Cameron, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, Bob Feller or Albert Belle. Hopefully if I break a box of Heritage, I can get all of them, plus some stuff I can get signed in the final months of the season. At the very least, I want Manziel and Cameron.
I'll also be on the lookout for anything I can find to add to my sets. I'll get at least three items signed for the Topps ATFF sets, maybe as many as five if I can swing a few trades. I'm sure a few dealers will have some signed cards. I'm also always on the lookout for any bargains (like getting a 1983 O-Pee-Chee Ryne Sandberg RC at the 2001 show for about 50 cents) and stuff of my wife's favorite players (Peter Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Gabriel Landeskog).
Part of the fun of the show of course is networking. SportsCardForum will have a booth there, and I've already alerted collectors at several other boards that I'll be coming in. I even printed up business cards promoting TGC with a list of sets I'm doing. If you're reading this and will be there, let me know; I'd love to meet any other collectors, especially regular readers here. And if you'd be willing to trade or sell your Van Slyke and/or Hojo tickets, DEFINITELY let me know ASAP.
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| Photoshop skills. |
I also plan to go to two Indians games as they take on the Reds the Monday and Tuesday after the show-- I will be graphing both games, both at the Indians; parking lot and inside for the Reds. I may also need to duck up to Eastlake to get a Lake County Captains team set at their team store. Plus I'll be visiting my dad, and hopefully meeting up with a few friends from high school.
It's going to be a crazy week, but a good one. It's been two years since I was last in Cleveland, so it'll be good to get back. I haven't been to the I-X Center in ten years and I've heard they added some floor space and repainted since then (first ceiling repainting since 1984). Plus, I plan to update here after every day of the show.
Hope to see you there, and if you can't make it to the North Coast, you can always follow along here.
For more information, visit NSCCShow.com for a full floorplan, list of dealers, sponsors, autograph signers, promotions, and photos from last year's show in Chicago.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Anything Can Happen Thursday: Good grief, I'm famous, sort of, part time...
Paraphrasing (read: blatantly stealing) from a chapter in Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick's book The Big Show with this title. Read it (the book, I mean, not the title since you probably already read that) if you get the chance.
A few weeks ago a crew from the NHL came through at Panini showing how cards are made.
Guess who ended up as the photo editing representative at about the 3:20 mark?
Check it out here!
I was hoping to embed the video but I'm not having much luck with it. Oh well. Click the link and check it out!
A few weeks ago a crew from the NHL came through at Panini showing how cards are made.
Guess who ended up as the photo editing representative at about the 3:20 mark?
Check it out here!
I was hoping to embed the video but I'm not having much luck with it. Oh well. Click the link and check it out!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
New banner!
Now that we're entering hockey season, I put up a new banner at the top as well as a new profile photo logo. What do you think?
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Hounding Report: Fort Worth vs. San Angelo, August 11; plus some hockey hounding recon
On Thursday, I got a text from Chris (whom I know I've mentioned on here a few times) asking if I wanted to go over to Fort Worth for a quick, impromptu hounding session on the Fort Worth Cats on Sunday. It was the final home series for the team and so if I wanted to get my Jim Essian cards signed, I should consider going. Additionally, former Indians manager Doc Edwards is the San Angelo manager so I could likely get him too.
Sadly, I only had 1 card of Essian and two of Edwards. On the plus side, it gave me a good excuse to run down to Duane's. I was able to find a 1965 Edwards card, as well as another 8 Essian cards, so I was all set. Cost me $3. Of course, I bought other items too to push my total up to about $20, but whatever. It's a card store, I'm bound to find other things I can't possibly live without, like two boxes of 7th Inning Sketch QMJHL cards from 1990-91 at $5 each.
Anyways, we got to the ballpark in Fort Worth early enough that we were able to find Essian in the stands watching warmups. He was cool about signing and chatting with us, and signed all nine cards I had on me. As a former catcher back in my Little League days, I always like adding catchers to my collection-- especially former Indians' catchers.
After Essian, we went to the visitors side and after waiting a while and chatting with a few other collectors (including one who writes for The Hardball Times), out came Edwards. Doc Edwards has been in baseball for 57 years now, at least ten of which were spent with the Indians organization. Five members of his 1988 Indians are now big-league managers (hitting coach Charlie Manuel, pitcher Bud Black, first baseman Terry Francona, pitcher John Farrell, and shortstop Ron Washington).
Slowly, about 15 minutes before the start of the game, Edwards made his way out, stopping to chat with us and sign our cards. I mentioned to him that I was an Indians fan from back when he was managing there, that I was a huge Cory Snyder fan. He said Snyder is a great guy and that his daughter, Amberley, was involved in a serious car accident a few years ago-- I wasn't aware of it. She was a champion horse rider and was on her way to Colorado when her horse trailer flipped in Wyoming and sent her off the road. She survived, but is unfortunately a paraplegic following the accident. He said they are doing well though, and a quick Google search showed that Amberley is back to riding once again. Cory is currently the hitting coach for the Jackson Generals, AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
After walking around a bit, we saw former Rangers' pitcher DeWayne Vaughan, in town to watch his son play ball before heading back to Colorado where he currently works in the oil business. I was out of cards of him, but fortunately Chris had an extra one for me. He signed for us and spent a good chunk of a half inning chatting with us.
So not a bad day at all. Added 13 autographs to the collection, and if any of the Cats or Colts had cards, I'm sure I could have gotten plenty more. Plus Chris hooked me up with a bunch (11, to be exact, aside from the Vaughan card) for doing the driving.
Continuing on to the second half of this entry, I got to do a little recon on potential hotel hounding of hockey and basketball teams this season. I'm not going to mention the names of the places, but they're not too hard to find or figure out. The reports I've heard are pretty accurate though: these places do not appear grapher-friendly at all. That doesn't mean I won't try them out though. It's $5 to get downtown and at the worst, I go, I get no autographs, I spend a chunk of the day in the middle of Dallas, grab a bite to eat, maybe finally get around to going to the Sixth Floor Museum, or the art museum, or whatever sounds good, then I head home.
Walked four miles total yesterday in 100-degree heat while hauling a computer and external hard drive while scoping it all out. I also spent some time at the library for a large research project that I'm hoping could turn into a full-fledged book. We'll see what happens, but I'm at least off to an excellent start with it.
Sadly, I only had 1 card of Essian and two of Edwards. On the plus side, it gave me a good excuse to run down to Duane's. I was able to find a 1965 Edwards card, as well as another 8 Essian cards, so I was all set. Cost me $3. Of course, I bought other items too to push my total up to about $20, but whatever. It's a card store, I'm bound to find other things I can't possibly live without, like two boxes of 7th Inning Sketch QMJHL cards from 1990-91 at $5 each.
Anyways, we got to the ballpark in Fort Worth early enough that we were able to find Essian in the stands watching warmups. He was cool about signing and chatting with us, and signed all nine cards I had on me. As a former catcher back in my Little League days, I always like adding catchers to my collection-- especially former Indians' catchers.
After Essian, we went to the visitors side and after waiting a while and chatting with a few other collectors (including one who writes for The Hardball Times), out came Edwards. Doc Edwards has been in baseball for 57 years now, at least ten of which were spent with the Indians organization. Five members of his 1988 Indians are now big-league managers (hitting coach Charlie Manuel, pitcher Bud Black, first baseman Terry Francona, pitcher John Farrell, and shortstop Ron Washington).
Slowly, about 15 minutes before the start of the game, Edwards made his way out, stopping to chat with us and sign our cards. I mentioned to him that I was an Indians fan from back when he was managing there, that I was a huge Cory Snyder fan. He said Snyder is a great guy and that his daughter, Amberley, was involved in a serious car accident a few years ago-- I wasn't aware of it. She was a champion horse rider and was on her way to Colorado when her horse trailer flipped in Wyoming and sent her off the road. She survived, but is unfortunately a paraplegic following the accident. He said they are doing well though, and a quick Google search showed that Amberley is back to riding once again. Cory is currently the hitting coach for the Jackson Generals, AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
After walking around a bit, we saw former Rangers' pitcher DeWayne Vaughan, in town to watch his son play ball before heading back to Colorado where he currently works in the oil business. I was out of cards of him, but fortunately Chris had an extra one for me. He signed for us and spent a good chunk of a half inning chatting with us.
So not a bad day at all. Added 13 autographs to the collection, and if any of the Cats or Colts had cards, I'm sure I could have gotten plenty more. Plus Chris hooked me up with a bunch (11, to be exact, aside from the Vaughan card) for doing the driving.
Continuing on to the second half of this entry, I got to do a little recon on potential hotel hounding of hockey and basketball teams this season. I'm not going to mention the names of the places, but they're not too hard to find or figure out. The reports I've heard are pretty accurate though: these places do not appear grapher-friendly at all. That doesn't mean I won't try them out though. It's $5 to get downtown and at the worst, I go, I get no autographs, I spend a chunk of the day in the middle of Dallas, grab a bite to eat, maybe finally get around to going to the Sixth Floor Museum, or the art museum, or whatever sounds good, then I head home.
Walked four miles total yesterday in 100-degree heat while hauling a computer and external hard drive while scoping it all out. I also spent some time at the library for a large research project that I'm hoping could turn into a full-fledged book. We'll see what happens, but I'm at least off to an excellent start with it.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Ten Post-Deadline Goals
We're coming down to home stretch for baseball season and starting preparations for hockey season-- only 41 days until the Stars' Training Camp begins! Maybe I'll try some football and basketball as well. Though, if as reader Anthony has reported, the visiting football and basketball teams are as tough as hockey, I may have to forget it and just TTM the hell out of everyone.
But still, we have two months of baseball left before it stops and leaves us to face the fall alone, in the words of A. Bartlett Giamatti. And so, let's set a few goals for this final stretch...
1. Nolan Ryan. Since he didn't sign at the Rangers' Alumni Weekend festivities, I still need him on one more card before I can be done with him. So I need to find a way, a time, and a spot to get him. Unfortunately, I'm not too optimistic about this one.
2. Dennis Martinez. I missed out on him when the Astros came through the first time. Fortunately, they have two more trips in, so I have a few more chances to try for him.
3. Ryan Braun. Oh wait, never mind.
4. Yoon Betancourt. Just because. Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.
5. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Pipe dream I'm certain, but still, I gotta try.
6. Andrew McCutcheon. I've heard getting him to sign is like shooting fish in a barrel, so hopefully that holds true, and hopefully I'm able to get to one of the games. Unfortunately, I'm already planning on taking off the 13th (and maybe the 12th) for the Stars and the Weezer show in Oklahoma, so I could use all the OT I can get that week. Pirates may lose out.
7. Yoenis Cespedes. Also unlikely, as I will probably miss the entire A's series since my wife's birthday is the 14th. But if I make it out, he's my big target. And everyone else's too.
8. Any visiting player, really. I try not to target any one specific player. I'll take pretty much anyone I can get, but always go for more. A day of 20 relievers and reserves is just as good as a day of a single big-namer.
9. Yu Darvish. Not gonna happen, since I rarely go for the Rangers inside. But I need to fill in spots to get to 10 and I'm struggling.
10. Pat Neshek. I'd love to bring back Wednesday Friendsday and do an interview for it with him. But with my likely inability to get to the A's series, it may have to wait until next year.
There are others for sure-- still haven't ever gotten Garza, Holland, Soria, Soto, Beltre, Kinsler, Profar, Cruz, Berkman, Feliz, or Harrison. But if it comes to going for the visitors or going for the Rangers, I'll take the visitors 99 times out of 100. And since I've only (only?) been to 20 games this season, that 100th time is still way off in the distance.
And so, as hockey, football, and basketball inch closer, it's getting to be time to prepare for hotel trips for those sports-- if they're even worth trying.
But still, we have two months of baseball left before it stops and leaves us to face the fall alone, in the words of A. Bartlett Giamatti. And so, let's set a few goals for this final stretch...
1. Nolan Ryan. Since he didn't sign at the Rangers' Alumni Weekend festivities, I still need him on one more card before I can be done with him. So I need to find a way, a time, and a spot to get him. Unfortunately, I'm not too optimistic about this one.
2. Dennis Martinez. I missed out on him when the Astros came through the first time. Fortunately, they have two more trips in, so I have a few more chances to try for him.
3. Ryan Braun. Oh wait, never mind.
4. Yoon Betancourt. Just because. Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.
5. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Pipe dream I'm certain, but still, I gotta try.
6. Andrew McCutcheon. I've heard getting him to sign is like shooting fish in a barrel, so hopefully that holds true, and hopefully I'm able to get to one of the games. Unfortunately, I'm already planning on taking off the 13th (and maybe the 12th) for the Stars and the Weezer show in Oklahoma, so I could use all the OT I can get that week. Pirates may lose out.
7. Yoenis Cespedes. Also unlikely, as I will probably miss the entire A's series since my wife's birthday is the 14th. But if I make it out, he's my big target. And everyone else's too.
8. Any visiting player, really. I try not to target any one specific player. I'll take pretty much anyone I can get, but always go for more. A day of 20 relievers and reserves is just as good as a day of a single big-namer.
9. Yu Darvish. Not gonna happen, since I rarely go for the Rangers inside. But I need to fill in spots to get to 10 and I'm struggling.
10. Pat Neshek. I'd love to bring back Wednesday Friendsday and do an interview for it with him. But with my likely inability to get to the A's series, it may have to wait until next year.
There are others for sure-- still haven't ever gotten Garza, Holland, Soria, Soto, Beltre, Kinsler, Profar, Cruz, Berkman, Feliz, or Harrison. But if it comes to going for the visitors or going for the Rangers, I'll take the visitors 99 times out of 100. And since I've only (only?) been to 20 games this season, that 100th time is still way off in the distance.
And so, as hockey, football, and basketball inch closer, it's getting to be time to prepare for hotel trips for those sports-- if they're even worth trying.
Friday, July 19, 2013
NHL schedule released: planning begins!
Well, that came quicker than I expected!
The NHL released its schedule today and so the planning begins for graphing sessions for my favorite sport. As well as I've done with baseball, I expect even more in hockey season. As far as I can tell, every team comes in for at least one game, some as many as three. A few highlights from the schedule...
Now I just need to figure out the hotel situation. I used to know every team's hotel in Boston when I was there. Unfortunately with Dallas, I don't even know where to start aside from the standard big names in the hotel world. Anyone care to help me out a little?
The NHL released its schedule today and so the planning begins for graphing sessions for my favorite sport. As well as I've done with baseball, I expect even more in hockey season. As far as I can tell, every team comes in for at least one game, some as many as three. A few highlights from the schedule...
- Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on October 5
- The defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks on November 9
- Anaheim Ducks-- with a travel schedule that could put them here a little longer-- on Nov. 26
- Les Habitants de Montreal pour le premier jour de 2014
- Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and the Detroit Red Wings on January 4
- My Pittsburgh Penguins on January 25
- A possible lengthy stay from the Nashville Predators on April 8
Now I just need to figure out the hotel situation. I used to know every team's hotel in Boston when I was there. Unfortunately with Dallas, I don't even know where to start aside from the standard big names in the hotel world. Anyone care to help me out a little?
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Reader questions: The Notebook
I said I'd answer this Sunday. It's now Wednesday. Sorry!
Over at The Bench in my hounding thread, a question was asked of me by another Texas grapher...
And so, I give you a little info on my 'Graphing Notebooks.
What I have is actually not a spiral notebook, but rather spiral-bound cardstock. I have three of them-- one to hold three cards per page for the Rangers, one to hold three per page for the visiting team, and one to hold four per page for Rangers alumni. Each book is composed of 50 pieces of plain white index card weight paper, spiral bound at the top with a plastic cover on the front and back.
It took me a while to get to this system. When I first started, I was a card stacker, then a binder carrier. Both caused major problems in the winter in Boston when I was going for hockey: my choices were autographs or frostbite. After studying others and some trial and error, I advanced to spiral-bound 4"x6" index cards with plastic photo corners.
The 4"x6" size is perfect for holding two cards per page. A minor problem though is that often the cards are perforated at the top. The perforations wear out over time and eventually the index cards come out. Sure, you can tape over the perforations for some reinforcement, but you'll go through a roll of tape on a single book. Also, the size is great for players who only sign one or two cards per person. But what about those who sign more? Do you just sit happy with your two while others are getting 3, 4, or 9 done? I sure didn't.
Enter the 8-board and the 9-board. Late in that first season in Boston, I took some old folders and attached photo corners so that each folder could hold two rows of four cards-- AKA the 8-board. That way, I could hold up to 8 cards per player. Now really, there aren't a while lot of guys who will sign that many, and I usually felt like an ass if I presented a player with that many cards unless I knew for sure he was up for it (Brad McCrimmon was great about it when he was a coach in Atlanta; always commented on his favorite cards too). But whoa, hold on, prepare for your brain to explode: how about four cards each for two players? Just put the top row as Player A, and the bottom row as Player B. It cuts down on space, while holding more cards. You can make them from any sort of heavy paper, cardboard, foamcore board, anything. Just cut it to the right size and proceed onward with your photo corners. With 9-boards, you can easily do three rows of three cards on a board of nearly the same size. When measuring, just remember cards are 2.5" by 3.5" and to build in at least a quarter-inch on each side, and maybe round up to the next half-inch. So for an 8-board, at least 8" by 11". For a 9-board, at least 8.5"x12". Going slightly larger is not a bad idea.
But after a while, the boards got to be too much. It's rare a player signs four cards-- some do, but not often. And shuffling around boards quickly as players came by could be a hassle. The boards quickly would get out of order and make it harder to find players. So, I went to the Composition Notebook.
Comp Books are pretty cheap. Smaller than regular notebooks, string-bound, and just right to hold four cards per page in a two-by-two pattern. If you really want to squeeze, you can do three-by-two, or a row of three with a sideways row of two. These are good if you don't need to carry much. But packing a notebook full can get a bit burdensome, and stresses the binding. It'll need replacement every few years through heavy use. Fortunately, mine have survived due to fairly light use until this season.
And so, I went back to the spiral-bound index cards this season. But taking a tip from my friends Randy and Seth, I went to the local OfficeMax (or was it Office Depot? I doubt it matters, I'm sure both can do it) and got mine custom cut and custom bound. My three-card notebooks are made of 4.5"x9" card stock, while the four-card is 4.5"x11". It costs more (about $10 per notebook), but it's worth it. Also, make sure they use a larger spiral on it. I didn't on mine, and it's a tough fit on the alumni book. I might go and get mine refitted. I have a clear plastic cover on the front, and a navy blue one on the back. Extra protection is never a bad idea.
Another great thing about these notebooks is they can be thrown. Once in a while, a player will sign over top of the dugout, making you throw him your item. Yeah, good luck throwing a card. But a notebook like this can be turned to the correct page, held there with a pen attached with rubber bands or elastic hair ties (no friction that way if you slide it across the top of the dugout), and tossed or slid to the player. You can keep the bands around your wrist and quickly slip them on when waiting for the player to sign for others.
Also, be careful with the photo corners when putting cards in. The first time you affix them, slip them on opposite (diagonal) corners of the cards, and press them down on the card stock. Space them so that you can fit however many cards per page that you choose to have. Lather, rinse, repeat.
But on subsequent changes of cards, be cautious or the cards can get dinged corners very easily. I recommend using a piece of paper (or an index card, or a cut-off top loader piece) to use as a shim to lift the corner, slide the card in under it, then remove the shim. You'll also have the curve the card a little to get it in. Be careful not to bend it too far and crease it. Eventually if this is a problem, I can try to make a video of it.
When it comes to plastic vs. paper photo corners, I use plastic. They're cheaper and more durable. Paper once have less risk of dinging corners, but if you're careful, it shouldn't be a problem.
Another tip: if you have multiple players on one page, either space them out, or turn one upside down. I've had players sign the wrong card before. This helps prevent that.
Anyways, I hope that answers the questions on my Graphing Notebooks. If you look around at the serious graphers, you'll see almost everyone has their own notebook style.
Over at The Bench in my hounding thread, a question was asked of me by another Texas grapher...
And so, I give you a little info on my 'Graphing Notebooks.
What I have is actually not a spiral notebook, but rather spiral-bound cardstock. I have three of them-- one to hold three cards per page for the Rangers, one to hold three per page for the visiting team, and one to hold four per page for Rangers alumni. Each book is composed of 50 pieces of plain white index card weight paper, spiral bound at the top with a plastic cover on the front and back.
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| All prepped for the weekend's Reds outing! |
The 4"x6" size is perfect for holding two cards per page. A minor problem though is that often the cards are perforated at the top. The perforations wear out over time and eventually the index cards come out. Sure, you can tape over the perforations for some reinforcement, but you'll go through a roll of tape on a single book. Also, the size is great for players who only sign one or two cards per person. But what about those who sign more? Do you just sit happy with your two while others are getting 3, 4, or 9 done? I sure didn't.
Enter the 8-board and the 9-board. Late in that first season in Boston, I took some old folders and attached photo corners so that each folder could hold two rows of four cards-- AKA the 8-board. That way, I could hold up to 8 cards per player. Now really, there aren't a while lot of guys who will sign that many, and I usually felt like an ass if I presented a player with that many cards unless I knew for sure he was up for it (Brad McCrimmon was great about it when he was a coach in Atlanta; always commented on his favorite cards too). But whoa, hold on, prepare for your brain to explode: how about four cards each for two players? Just put the top row as Player A, and the bottom row as Player B. It cuts down on space, while holding more cards. You can make them from any sort of heavy paper, cardboard, foamcore board, anything. Just cut it to the right size and proceed onward with your photo corners. With 9-boards, you can easily do three rows of three cards on a board of nearly the same size. When measuring, just remember cards are 2.5" by 3.5" and to build in at least a quarter-inch on each side, and maybe round up to the next half-inch. So for an 8-board, at least 8" by 11". For a 9-board, at least 8.5"x12". Going slightly larger is not a bad idea.
But after a while, the boards got to be too much. It's rare a player signs four cards-- some do, but not often. And shuffling around boards quickly as players came by could be a hassle. The boards quickly would get out of order and make it harder to find players. So, I went to the Composition Notebook.
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| Been using this one since last year, I believe. It's now relegated to backup duty. |
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| Overkill? Overkill. Used since 2009, it's now my third-string. |
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| Could certainly use a new spiral. And this is just my current Rangers one; the Alumni is far worse. |
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| The bands hold the spot, keep pages from flipping, and hold the pen when throwing the book |
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| The ungodly huge Alumni book |
When it comes to plastic vs. paper photo corners, I use plastic. They're cheaper and more durable. Paper once have less risk of dinging corners, but if you're careful, it shouldn't be a problem.
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| A close-up on how to place the corners |
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| Space them out... |
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| ... or flip them around to create a visual barrier. |
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Some housekeeping, and a call for your ideas
With a busy week ahead, I'm not going to have a Wednesday Friendsday this coming week. I'm going to all three Rangers-Indians games (Monday through Wednesday) so I hopefully will have a long report (and probably a long day at work and a large dinner of Vietnamese food) on Thursday. Anything Can Happen Thursday will also be pushed back to June 20.
Also, a correction. After finding a mislabeling leading to six previously unaccounted-for cards, it was actually Rangers' manager Ron Washington who signed baseball card #1000 in my collection on Sunday morning rather than Royals' manager Ned Yost. Texas Graphing Chronicles regrets the error. Or something.
This weekend, I plan on going out card buying in preparation for the Indians, Reds, Mariners, Astros, and Orioles. Basically the next month and a half of hounding. I already ordered from SportLots for the Blue Jays and A's. Indians too, but I don't think they're going to get here in time. Fortunately, I shouldn't miss too many-- I have almost everyone here fortunately. And maybe I can find the ones I'm lacking this weekend.
Lastly, readers, I'd also like to ask you for your input. What would you like to see more of here on TGC? What would you like to see less of? Leave a comment on this post with any requests or ideas you may have for future postings.
Also, a correction. After finding a mislabeling leading to six previously unaccounted-for cards, it was actually Rangers' manager Ron Washington who signed baseball card #1000 in my collection on Sunday morning rather than Royals' manager Ned Yost. Texas Graphing Chronicles regrets the error. Or something.
This weekend, I plan on going out card buying in preparation for the Indians, Reds, Mariners, Astros, and Orioles. Basically the next month and a half of hounding. I already ordered from SportLots for the Blue Jays and A's. Indians too, but I don't think they're going to get here in time. Fortunately, I shouldn't miss too many-- I have almost everyone here fortunately. And maybe I can find the ones I'm lacking this weekend.
Lastly, readers, I'd also like to ask you for your input. What would you like to see more of here on TGC? What would you like to see less of? Leave a comment on this post with any requests or ideas you may have for future postings.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Card shopping
Just realized I forgot about "Anything Can Happen Thursday" being yesterday. That's just further proof that anything can happen on Anything Can Happen Thursday. We'll move it to next week.
Anyways, my reason for posting...
The internet is the best thing ever to happen to card collectors.
Twenty years ago when I was first starting out as a collector, there was no internet. At least not for us peons-- only if you were an uber-geek or had a government job. If you needed cards for your set or for your autograph hounding outings, you had three options: hit your local card store and hope they had what you needed, bust packs and hope you got what you needed, or hope to find another collector nearby and trade for what you needed.
But now, the internet has opened collectors up to finding other collectors nationwide, even worldwide. The site SportLots has become my preferred location for getting cards for my hounding and TTM opportunities.
I mentioned in my last entry that I was running low on Craig Gentry, and also found I was out of several other players, both for the Rangers and for the teams they face in May. Fortunately, I was able to grab 100-some cards from SportLots and their dealers for $42, including shipping. The price of roughly 40 cents a card is a tad steep considering it's mostly commons, but considering stores in the Dallas area regularly get 50 cents to a buck for the most common of Rangers, I'll gladly accept that 10-60 cent discount.
You do have to work a bit to get the best deals on SportLots. It works best if you can find most of what you need from a single seller, or only a small handful of sellers, and it can take some time to gather all of that information. But if you're willing to take the time, it's the best resource out there for anyone needing cards at a reasonable price.
For the record, I got 15 cards of Mitch Moreland, 13 Jason Frasor, 7 Leonys Martin (FINALLY!), 13 Ron Washington, 3 Craig Gentry, 5 Jeff Baker, a Jackie Moore, 4 Steve Busby, 2 Michael Kirkman, 2 Tanner Scheppers... and that doesn't include the A's, Royals, and Tigers I picked up, or the cards for doing minor league baseball or the Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game in Frisco in June.
So go and check out SportLots.com next time you need to pick up some cards. You'll leave happy.
Anyways, my reason for posting...
The internet is the best thing ever to happen to card collectors.
Twenty years ago when I was first starting out as a collector, there was no internet. At least not for us peons-- only if you were an uber-geek or had a government job. If you needed cards for your set or for your autograph hounding outings, you had three options: hit your local card store and hope they had what you needed, bust packs and hope you got what you needed, or hope to find another collector nearby and trade for what you needed.
But now, the internet has opened collectors up to finding other collectors nationwide, even worldwide. The site SportLots has become my preferred location for getting cards for my hounding and TTM opportunities.
I mentioned in my last entry that I was running low on Craig Gentry, and also found I was out of several other players, both for the Rangers and for the teams they face in May. Fortunately, I was able to grab 100-some cards from SportLots and their dealers for $42, including shipping. The price of roughly 40 cents a card is a tad steep considering it's mostly commons, but considering stores in the Dallas area regularly get 50 cents to a buck for the most common of Rangers, I'll gladly accept that 10-60 cent discount.
You do have to work a bit to get the best deals on SportLots. It works best if you can find most of what you need from a single seller, or only a small handful of sellers, and it can take some time to gather all of that information. But if you're willing to take the time, it's the best resource out there for anyone needing cards at a reasonable price.
For the record, I got 15 cards of Mitch Moreland, 13 Jason Frasor, 7 Leonys Martin (FINALLY!), 13 Ron Washington, 3 Craig Gentry, 5 Jeff Baker, a Jackie Moore, 4 Steve Busby, 2 Michael Kirkman, 2 Tanner Scheppers... and that doesn't include the A's, Royals, and Tigers I picked up, or the cards for doing minor league baseball or the Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game in Frisco in June.
So go and check out SportLots.com next time you need to pick up some cards. You'll leave happy.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Hounding Report: Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners, April 20/21
Man. Now that was a whirlwind weekend. I'm sunburned all to hell, but I had the best single day of baseball hounding ever.
When I last left off, I was hoping that this weekend would be "better" than the Rangers-Rays game I did a few weeks back. Little did I know how much of an understatement the word "better" would be. I had planned on only going to the game on Saturday then hitting the tunnel on Sunday. Instead, I went to the game Sunday too just to see how much more I could add.
But first, let's talk about Saturday.
Based on what Arron has told me of the good ol' days-- or the bad ol' days based on the Rangers' placements in the standings-- the tunnel just ain't what it used to be. Sure, you can get a few players here and there, but in the best days of it, almost everyone was accessible. Sure, you wouldn't get Michael Young or Ian Kinsler but maybe one or two times a year, but almost everyone else would stop.
Not anymore. As you've seen from my previous writings, players signing are more the exception than the rule. You can usually count on Mitch Moreland and David Murphy, but anyone else is a giant crapshoot, sometimes bordering on an impossibility. But Saturday should renew people's faith at least a little.
I got to the tunnel a little before noon with a few people already there. I hadn't missed anyone-- no surprise since it was so early. Just a little after noon, manager Ron Washington arrived. Wash will stop about half the time, and this was one of the lucky days where he did. He'll almost always sign everything you have, but I limit myself to four items each time since I know he signs plenty. All I have left on him now is a 1984 Topps and a few 1987 Topps. I should pick up a few more to vary my selection a bit for the future. I have a few weeks to jump on SportLots and do so. I really need the 1988 Topps Traded card of him. He looks really sad on it, like right then he suddenly realized he was with the 1987 Indians.
Ian Kinsler didn't stop, nor did Dave Magadan. No surprise on Kinsler-- I still have never gotten the guy. Mags I have high hopes for-- I need him for one of the Topps All-Time Fan Favorites sets. I still have him and a Nolan Ryan I need to get done, then I'll be set on anyone currently associated with the Rangers or their regular Alumni signings. It's only April; I'm sure I'll get him eventually.
Anyways, eventually Arron and his mom arrived with our friend Chris and set up camp with the group of us-- me, Randy, Seth, Tammy, and a few others-- and got me some stuff he got signed for me. An Andy Moog card TTM, plus Adron Chambers and J.R. Towles IP in Oklahoma City. Not long after, Mitch Moreland came through and signed. I only had one card of him left (which I had pulled from a pack a week prior), so I'm back to being complete on him. But that'll change soon I'm sure. With how often he signs, I might as well pick up some more.
Once in a while, opposing players will come through the tunnel, mostly those who live in the area or have family there. On this day, Kelly Shoppach drove up in his truck. The Fort Worth native signed one-per. Soon after came Robby Thompson, a coach on the Mariners' staff. Not sure how Thompson came-- I don't think he lives in the area since it says on his card that he's from Florida, but nevertheless he came through and signed. In Cleveland he was always one-per so I only grabbed one card of him. But he was signing multiples for everyone. Oh well, a lost opportunity, but I did get him on the one.
Next came Jason Frasor. I've been doing this a long time and haven't met many players more personable than this guy. The only one who comes close off the top of my head in the baseball workd is Tom Foley who asked a group of us for movie recommendations while signing, and constantly chatted with us when I got him a few times in Boston. Frasor was signing everything, chatting with us, even thanking us after we thanked him for signing. You cannot ask for a nicer ballplayer. I had four cards with me, which he signed all of. Chalk up another one I'll need to pick up more cards for.
The last one I got was Mr. Automatic, David Murphy. While Murph has been slow at the plate to start the season, he's been hot with the Sharpie. He did his usual one-per, but you can almost guarantee that like Moreland, he'll stop and sign every day.
So my totals at the tunnel alone were 12 cards, plus the 3 from Arron. That's a pretty good start right there and already dominated my experience with the Rays. And those are just the guys I had cards of. I have nothing for Tanner Scheppers, Michael Kirkman, Robbie Ross, Joe Ortiz, Leonys Martin, Leury Garcia, and others. So they may have stopped too, I just don't remember off the top of my head.
So after that, we made our way inside. The Rangers weren't signing much inside, so we bolted for the Mariners. I got the M's last year up in Cleveland and had a pretty nice haul from them. Once again they did not disappoint.
Oliver Perez was first up. The former Padres, Pirates, and Mets pitcher was a two-per signer and did both of the ones I had with me. I'll probably send one off to Corey since he's a big Mets collector. Ollie doesn't exactly have the world's prettiest autograph, but at least you can kind of squint and turn your head and partially cross your eyes and see an O, a P, and a Z. At least he does it.
Next up was the big one. One guy next to us had a Felix Hernandez no-hitter photo. I had never seen Felix sign in my years of hounding, and had heard of a lot of bad experiences in trying to get him to sign. But this time, damned if he didn't come over and sign his photo... and for a whole bunch of us. I was able to get him on a 2011 Topps Heritage and he put a pretty awesome sig on it. So now I was getting quantity and quality all in one session. You can't ask for much more. Chris got him too, but Arron got shut out in pretty much the same way I got stiffed by Andrus during the Rays game.
But we weren't done yet. Joe Saunders signed the only card I had of him, as did former catcher and current bullpen catcher Jason Phillips. Speaking of Phillips, the Mariners may have the best signing coaching staff in all of MLB. All of them are former major leaguers, and all of them are willing signers. In addition to Phillips, Jaime Navarro and Carl Willis both signed, dropping four each on me. I have a ton of Willis from our Cleveland days, but as far as I'm concerned, if I have cards, I'll always try to get them signed.
The well dried up after that, but the ballgame was a good one to watch and the Rangers took home a win. Afterward, we decided we'd try the tunnel again and see what we could get, if anything. At the very least, it's good chatting and intel gathering time with other collectors. No Rangers stopped, but we did get Mariners coach and UT alum Mike Brumley on his way out with his family. He was part of their 1983 National Championship squad and signed the four cards I had of him. We saw Navarro and Thompson walk out as well and go over to a car. As we were getting ready to head out, Chris looks over and says "Wait, isn't that Eric Wedge?"
Sure enough, there's Wedgie and Navarro talking, so we went over and Wedge signed for us. I got to talk to him a bit as well-- another nice guy. I mentioned I was a former Clevelander and he thought that was great, wishing me luck on my recent move to the DFW area. I may have had issues with his time as the Tribe's skipper (admittedly partially due to the fact he signed a whole one time for me the final summer I was home and hounding), but once again, nice guy. As I'm walking back, pleased with my score Chris says "There's Datz too."
Not too many people would know-- or care for that matter-- who Jeff Datz is. He appeared in 7 MLB games as a catcher and DH for Detroit, going 2/10. But he does have cards out there (1989 Topps Debut and a few minor league issues). I had four minor league cards and was calling out before the game trying to get him to come over and sign, but he either didn't hear me or was ignoring me. It could be either-- my voice resonates very well, but carries about as far as a towering pop-up to short. But finally after the game, there was Datz and he did finally sign for me. Mad props to Chris for spotting him because I was too pleased with getting Wedge to notice.
Overall, 37 new autographs got added and I decided right then that I would go to the game the next day as well. After all, if I didn't, I might miss out on another huge day.
Unfortunately, I didn't. The tunnel was largely a bust, with only guys for whom I didn't have anything stopping to sign (Frasor again, and a few of the younger guys like Scheppers-- no Moreland, Murphy, or Washington). Inside wasn't much better. They opened all the gates at the same time-- no extra 30 minutes for season ticket holders, and thus no seeing Rangers' BP and getting them early. The Mariners' side was a bust with only Blake Beavan and a few others of whom I was cardless stopping to sign. I dashed back over to the Rangers' side with Arron, hoping to get a few pitchers who started signing. I was going to get Derek Holland, but all of a sudden, Yu Darvish started picking up pens. Unfortunately, I got skipped by him about 7 times-- even when I broke out my only Japanese-- "Kudasai, Yu?" or "Please, Yu?" No luck. But at least I know he signs and maybe I can expand on the phrasing a bit. Arron did get him too, so I'd say that pretty well makes up for him missing out on Felix the night before.
Joe Nathan was the last one and I kept getting skipped by him too. Fortunately, one of the great people from the tunnel looked up and saw me trying to get him, grabbed my card and got it down to him-- the last one he signed. So thanks Alyssa, you da man. Figuratively of course.
And the Rangers won again with Nelson Cruz blasting his fifth career grand slam-- all of which have been hit in Arlington. Overall, it was awesome-- got to hang out with my friends, see a couple ballgames, and hound out 38 autographs. 41 if you include the ones from Arron.
Also, major thanks as well to Becky for sending the photos over to me to use in this.
By the way, a little tip for anyone graphing the Rangers courtesy of Chris: former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Cesar Hernandez is the team's batting practice pitcher.
When I last left off, I was hoping that this weekend would be "better" than the Rangers-Rays game I did a few weeks back. Little did I know how much of an understatement the word "better" would be. I had planned on only going to the game on Saturday then hitting the tunnel on Sunday. Instead, I went to the game Sunday too just to see how much more I could add.
But first, let's talk about Saturday.
Based on what Arron has told me of the good ol' days-- or the bad ol' days based on the Rangers' placements in the standings-- the tunnel just ain't what it used to be. Sure, you can get a few players here and there, but in the best days of it, almost everyone was accessible. Sure, you wouldn't get Michael Young or Ian Kinsler but maybe one or two times a year, but almost everyone else would stop.
Not anymore. As you've seen from my previous writings, players signing are more the exception than the rule. You can usually count on Mitch Moreland and David Murphy, but anyone else is a giant crapshoot, sometimes bordering on an impossibility. But Saturday should renew people's faith at least a little.
I got to the tunnel a little before noon with a few people already there. I hadn't missed anyone-- no surprise since it was so early. Just a little after noon, manager Ron Washington arrived. Wash will stop about half the time, and this was one of the lucky days where he did. He'll almost always sign everything you have, but I limit myself to four items each time since I know he signs plenty. All I have left on him now is a 1984 Topps and a few 1987 Topps. I should pick up a few more to vary my selection a bit for the future. I have a few weeks to jump on SportLots and do so. I really need the 1988 Topps Traded card of him. He looks really sad on it, like right then he suddenly realized he was with the 1987 Indians.
Ian Kinsler didn't stop, nor did Dave Magadan. No surprise on Kinsler-- I still have never gotten the guy. Mags I have high hopes for-- I need him for one of the Topps All-Time Fan Favorites sets. I still have him and a Nolan Ryan I need to get done, then I'll be set on anyone currently associated with the Rangers or their regular Alumni signings. It's only April; I'm sure I'll get him eventually.
Anyways, eventually Arron and his mom arrived with our friend Chris and set up camp with the group of us-- me, Randy, Seth, Tammy, and a few others-- and got me some stuff he got signed for me. An Andy Moog card TTM, plus Adron Chambers and J.R. Towles IP in Oklahoma City. Not long after, Mitch Moreland came through and signed. I only had one card of him left (which I had pulled from a pack a week prior), so I'm back to being complete on him. But that'll change soon I'm sure. With how often he signs, I might as well pick up some more.
Once in a while, opposing players will come through the tunnel, mostly those who live in the area or have family there. On this day, Kelly Shoppach drove up in his truck. The Fort Worth native signed one-per. Soon after came Robby Thompson, a coach on the Mariners' staff. Not sure how Thompson came-- I don't think he lives in the area since it says on his card that he's from Florida, but nevertheless he came through and signed. In Cleveland he was always one-per so I only grabbed one card of him. But he was signing multiples for everyone. Oh well, a lost opportunity, but I did get him on the one.
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| Paul Shaff... err, Robby Thompson signs at the tunnel. |
The last one I got was Mr. Automatic, David Murphy. While Murph has been slow at the plate to start the season, he's been hot with the Sharpie. He did his usual one-per, but you can almost guarantee that like Moreland, he'll stop and sign every day.
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| The Murph-man signeth. |
So after that, we made our way inside. The Rangers weren't signing much inside, so we bolted for the Mariners. I got the M's last year up in Cleveland and had a pretty nice haul from them. Once again they did not disappoint.
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| (L to R) Chris, Arron, Me, and Seth waiting for Rangers without luck. |
Next up was the big one. One guy next to us had a Felix Hernandez no-hitter photo. I had never seen Felix sign in my years of hounding, and had heard of a lot of bad experiences in trying to get him to sign. But this time, damned if he didn't come over and sign his photo... and for a whole bunch of us. I was able to get him on a 2011 Topps Heritage and he put a pretty awesome sig on it. So now I was getting quantity and quality all in one session. You can't ask for much more. Chris got him too, but Arron got shut out in pretty much the same way I got stiffed by Andrus during the Rays game.
But we weren't done yet. Joe Saunders signed the only card I had of him, as did former catcher and current bullpen catcher Jason Phillips. Speaking of Phillips, the Mariners may have the best signing coaching staff in all of MLB. All of them are former major leaguers, and all of them are willing signers. In addition to Phillips, Jaime Navarro and Carl Willis both signed, dropping four each on me. I have a ton of Willis from our Cleveland days, but as far as I'm concerned, if I have cards, I'll always try to get them signed.
The well dried up after that, but the ballgame was a good one to watch and the Rangers took home a win. Afterward, we decided we'd try the tunnel again and see what we could get, if anything. At the very least, it's good chatting and intel gathering time with other collectors. No Rangers stopped, but we did get Mariners coach and UT alum Mike Brumley on his way out with his family. He was part of their 1983 National Championship squad and signed the four cards I had of him. We saw Navarro and Thompson walk out as well and go over to a car. As we were getting ready to head out, Chris looks over and says "Wait, isn't that Eric Wedge?"
Sure enough, there's Wedgie and Navarro talking, so we went over and Wedge signed for us. I got to talk to him a bit as well-- another nice guy. I mentioned I was a former Clevelander and he thought that was great, wishing me luck on my recent move to the DFW area. I may have had issues with his time as the Tribe's skipper (admittedly partially due to the fact he signed a whole one time for me the final summer I was home and hounding), but once again, nice guy. As I'm walking back, pleased with my score Chris says "There's Datz too."
Not too many people would know-- or care for that matter-- who Jeff Datz is. He appeared in 7 MLB games as a catcher and DH for Detroit, going 2/10. But he does have cards out there (1989 Topps Debut and a few minor league issues). I had four minor league cards and was calling out before the game trying to get him to come over and sign, but he either didn't hear me or was ignoring me. It could be either-- my voice resonates very well, but carries about as far as a towering pop-up to short. But finally after the game, there was Datz and he did finally sign for me. Mad props to Chris for spotting him because I was too pleased with getting Wedge to notice.
Overall, 37 new autographs got added and I decided right then that I would go to the game the next day as well. After all, if I didn't, I might miss out on another huge day.
Unfortunately, I didn't. The tunnel was largely a bust, with only guys for whom I didn't have anything stopping to sign (Frasor again, and a few of the younger guys like Scheppers-- no Moreland, Murphy, or Washington). Inside wasn't much better. They opened all the gates at the same time-- no extra 30 minutes for season ticket holders, and thus no seeing Rangers' BP and getting them early. The Mariners' side was a bust with only Blake Beavan and a few others of whom I was cardless stopping to sign. I dashed back over to the Rangers' side with Arron, hoping to get a few pitchers who started signing. I was going to get Derek Holland, but all of a sudden, Yu Darvish started picking up pens. Unfortunately, I got skipped by him about 7 times-- even when I broke out my only Japanese-- "Kudasai, Yu?" or "Please, Yu?" No luck. But at least I know he signs and maybe I can expand on the phrasing a bit. Arron did get him too, so I'd say that pretty well makes up for him missing out on Felix the night before.
Joe Nathan was the last one and I kept getting skipped by him too. Fortunately, one of the great people from the tunnel looked up and saw me trying to get him, grabbed my card and got it down to him-- the last one he signed. So thanks Alyssa, you da man. Figuratively of course.
And the Rangers won again with Nelson Cruz blasting his fifth career grand slam-- all of which have been hit in Arlington. Overall, it was awesome-- got to hang out with my friends, see a couple ballgames, and hound out 38 autographs. 41 if you include the ones from Arron.
Also, major thanks as well to Becky for sending the photos over to me to use in this.
By the way, a little tip for anyone graphing the Rangers courtesy of Chris: former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Cesar Hernandez is the team's batting practice pitcher.
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| Suck it, Josh Hamilton. |
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Graphing preparations, eBay sales, and upcoming entries
I'm back in Wichita Falls for the weekend. Dropped some cards off with Arron as well-- he's hounding the Memphis Redbirds and Oklahoma Redhawks and trying to get a few items done for me. I know at the very least he said he got Adron Chambers for me.
I also picked up a few packs of cards. Walmart had jumbos of 2010 and 2011 Topps baseball on sale for 40% off, so I took a chance to see what I'd get. I did pull cards of Mitch Moreland and David Murphy that I'm sure I'll get signed in the next few weeks, plus a few others for use in the next few weeks/months.
Seattle Mariners are next on the list on Saturday. I got them last year in Cleveland and they were excellent. Hoping for more of the same this year. I'll be going for the Rangers at the tunnel Saturday and Sunday and probably inside on Saturday too. Hoping for better luck than I did with the Rangers-Rays the other day.
I have a few ideas for upcoming regular entries as well. On Thursdays, I'll maybe do that Throwback Thursday thing where I take a look at some items I've had in my collection and how I got them, maybe some old hounding stories as well. On Wednesdays, I'll have Wednesday Friendsday, where I'll interview a fellow autograph collector. First one will be this week!
Glad to have a weekend off with nothing to do except relax back in Wichita Falls, see Gen, and just do nothing. My last Saturday with no work or hounding was back in December. It's been too long, and I'm looking forward to more of them in the not too distant future.
I also picked up a few packs of cards. Walmart had jumbos of 2010 and 2011 Topps baseball on sale for 40% off, so I took a chance to see what I'd get. I did pull cards of Mitch Moreland and David Murphy that I'm sure I'll get signed in the next few weeks, plus a few others for use in the next few weeks/months.
Seattle Mariners are next on the list on Saturday. I got them last year in Cleveland and they were excellent. Hoping for more of the same this year. I'll be going for the Rangers at the tunnel Saturday and Sunday and probably inside on Saturday too. Hoping for better luck than I did with the Rangers-Rays the other day.
I have a few ideas for upcoming regular entries as well. On Thursdays, I'll maybe do that Throwback Thursday thing where I take a look at some items I've had in my collection and how I got them, maybe some old hounding stories as well. On Wednesdays, I'll have Wednesday Friendsday, where I'll interview a fellow autograph collector. First one will be this week!
Glad to have a weekend off with nothing to do except relax back in Wichita Falls, see Gen, and just do nothing. My last Saturday with no work or hounding was back in December. It's been too long, and I'm looking forward to more of them in the not too distant future.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Ideas to fill in gaps
The early days of a blog are always easy-- you're filled with ideas on what to write about and how to get it all out there. After all, why start a blog if you don't have something to say? The ensuing problems often lie in two areas: 1. Not having enough material once that initial spurt dries up, and 2. Burnout from trying to stick to it. I don't think I'll experience the latter anytime soon the way I did years ago with Simply Drew. But the former is something that is occasionally striking me.
I like writing every day. It keeps my journalistic skills sharp, and forces me to be creative. And frankly, I enjoy it. I feel like I do it well. But not always is there anything worth writing about.
So, I'm tossing around a few ideas. Perhaps something on my favorite pieces in my collection and the story on how I got them-- maybe call it Throwback Thursday. I'm also thinking about interviewing and doing profiles on other collectors I've worked and traded with over the years (I can already think of four right off the bat for this). I've already dispensed with any major pieces of advice I have, and unfortunately can't provide recaps every day since I only get out hounding a couple times a week. I haven't sent any TTM's either, and probably won't until I get a PO Box set up here.
Readers, what other ideas do you have? Leave them in a comment!
I like writing every day. It keeps my journalistic skills sharp, and forces me to be creative. And frankly, I enjoy it. I feel like I do it well. But not always is there anything worth writing about.
So, I'm tossing around a few ideas. Perhaps something on my favorite pieces in my collection and the story on how I got them-- maybe call it Throwback Thursday. I'm also thinking about interviewing and doing profiles on other collectors I've worked and traded with over the years (I can already think of four right off the bat for this). I've already dispensed with any major pieces of advice I have, and unfortunately can't provide recaps every day since I only get out hounding a couple times a week. I haven't sent any TTM's either, and probably won't until I get a PO Box set up here.
Readers, what other ideas do you have? Leave them in a comment!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Elitism in the graphing world
A discussion I just had at an autograph-related discussion site made me think about this a bit. Do any of you ever encounter a sort of "hounding elitism" in your collecting? I've seen it a good bit over the years and frankly, it annoys me.
I don't mean necessarily those who think they're better because of a better collection because frankly anyone can build a great collection by throwing money around on expensive pieces and private signings. I'm talking about more of an informational elitism; that since they worked to find out anything and everything, that they would be doing the collecting world a disservice by sharing that info-- things like who signs, what items a player won't sign, just some basic info essential to the hobby.
I can understand having pride in your hobby accomplishments-- being able to identify every player, knowing what hotels each team stays at, knowing rosters like the back of your hand. That's simply a case of doing your homework and every collector should do it. As I said in a previous post, some early words that stuck with me were "If you don't know who he is, then you don't want his autograph too badly."
But some of the knowledge-hoarding is unreal. I asked a simple question on whether the Cowboys players sign outside the Stadium or not. It's a reasonable question-- why should I bother wasting my time if someone can tell me they won't sign? I don't even care who signs, just do they do it or not? Some teams don't: in Cleveland it was impossible to get the Cavs. In Boston, it wasn't worth it to bother with the Celtics. If someone asked me about something like that, I'd answer them honestly.
Incredibly the first response I got was "Some people keep their 'insider info.'"
Seriously? THIS is what counts as insider info now?
I didn't ask who signs or even where they sign-- just whether or not they'll do it. Is that too much to ask? I can understand outrage if I showed up and asked who every player was. Or if I asked what hotels teams stayed at. Or even where specifically to go at the Stadium. But getting jumped on for the most basic of questions? Amazing.
You're going to encounter some info-hoarding anywhere you go in the collecting world, and rightly so. There is protected insider information that hounds work hard to get. It requires ingenuity and a little social engineering sometimes. It's simple, but it takes some time and work. If we can do it, you can do it. There's basic homework that every collector should do on their own. So I can understand protecting that.
But don't get all high and mighty over a simple question of "Will they sign at this location?" It's about as basic of a question as it gets in this hobby, and it isn't worth getting indignant over it being asked.
I don't mean necessarily those who think they're better because of a better collection because frankly anyone can build a great collection by throwing money around on expensive pieces and private signings. I'm talking about more of an informational elitism; that since they worked to find out anything and everything, that they would be doing the collecting world a disservice by sharing that info-- things like who signs, what items a player won't sign, just some basic info essential to the hobby.
I can understand having pride in your hobby accomplishments-- being able to identify every player, knowing what hotels each team stays at, knowing rosters like the back of your hand. That's simply a case of doing your homework and every collector should do it. As I said in a previous post, some early words that stuck with me were "If you don't know who he is, then you don't want his autograph too badly."
But some of the knowledge-hoarding is unreal. I asked a simple question on whether the Cowboys players sign outside the Stadium or not. It's a reasonable question-- why should I bother wasting my time if someone can tell me they won't sign? I don't even care who signs, just do they do it or not? Some teams don't: in Cleveland it was impossible to get the Cavs. In Boston, it wasn't worth it to bother with the Celtics. If someone asked me about something like that, I'd answer them honestly.
Incredibly the first response I got was "Some people keep their 'insider info.'"
Seriously? THIS is what counts as insider info now?
I didn't ask who signs or even where they sign-- just whether or not they'll do it. Is that too much to ask? I can understand outrage if I showed up and asked who every player was. Or if I asked what hotels teams stayed at. Or even where specifically to go at the Stadium. But getting jumped on for the most basic of questions? Amazing.
You're going to encounter some info-hoarding anywhere you go in the collecting world, and rightly so. There is protected insider information that hounds work hard to get. It requires ingenuity and a little social engineering sometimes. It's simple, but it takes some time and work. If we can do it, you can do it. There's basic homework that every collector should do on their own. So I can understand protecting that.
But don't get all high and mighty over a simple question of "Will they sign at this location?" It's about as basic of a question as it gets in this hobby, and it isn't worth getting indignant over it being asked.
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