Since entering the card blogosphere, I have successfully completed one trade with Night Owl, which was my first trade in over 20 years. It was a pleasant experience that I will write about in the future.
In the meantime, I need help identifying future trade partners. Perhaps I am doing this backwards, but if I know someone is watching/reading and I know what they want, then it is easier for me to cull my collection to help them complete theirs. I visit many sites daily, yet, I don't always hit the want lists. I guess I'm more of a "have list" kind of guy.
So, if you're interested in trades, drop a comment and let me know what you are interested in:
1. Sets (Make, Type and Year)
2. Players
3. Teams
I have a guesstimate of around 250,000 cards from the 50s until around 2000. I have lots of oddball cards, and plenty of mainstream. If anything, just help me out by getting yourself on my radar.
So far, the following collectors have been interested...
1. Night Owl - Dodgers & Ron Cey
2. GCRL - Dodgers
3. Collective Troll - Rays
4. Captain Canuck - ???
Currently, I am working on 07 and 08 Topps for my kids, but I'll never turn down a card from 1972 and before (yeah, I won't hold my breath!).
Thanks for helping me out!
The Common-Man's Friend
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Homemade Solution to a Card Storage Problem
Since my wife lost her job about two months ago, we have been strapped for cash and are always on the lookout for cost cutting measures. One day I was going to the post office and saw the local card shop a block from my office. I thought to myself that I should stop in and look for some card storage boxes.
About 3 years ago, my cards underwent a collector’s worst nightmare due to a faulty hot water heater in the apartment above mine. Without going too much into a future “horror” post, I ended up losing three of my 3200 count boxes to water damage. Thankfully, mainly the boxes took the brunt of the soaking, and I ended up only losing about 1,000 cards to hot, steamy, wet water. One day, you will cringe at this story and from the pictures…
Anyways, I hopped into the local card shop and asked for 3200 count boxes. “Four dollars per box.” he says. My first thought was no way could that be right. So, I smiled, milled around, made some small talk, and then bolted for the door like Vince Coleman on greenies. I know times have to be tough on brick and mortar card shops, but I just cannot fathom paying $4 for a cardboard box, especially when my family is scraping by.
Next I turned to the trusty internet for all my shopping needs. I figured I had to be able to find prices better than $4, and I did, but not by much. I found 3200 count boxes for $2.75 to $3.50 each, but then you’ve got to tack on S&H. I was able to locate the desired boxes for around $1.25 each, but you had to buy at least 25 of them. Ugh.
Tired of having my hot water heater rescued cards stacked vertically in moving boxes, I had to come up with a solution, and then it dawned on me. Right in front of me at work was the answer to my cheapskate prayers. Every office has them, and usually they are cast aside to the dump or recycling bin. Paper boxes!
Why hadn’t I thought of this before? They are sturdy, tough and have lids, but they are a tad oversized. So, I grabbed a box cutter and lopped off the upper portion, leaving a 4.5-inch deep box, with a 3-inch deep lid. Using the lopped off portion, I created row partitions.
Here are some shots of the handiwork:
Look familiar?
The rescued cards have a new home!
Not bad for free. Each box holds six 600 count rows for a total of 3,600 cards. So, if times are tight in your house, create your own card boxes and save yourself some cash (to spend on more cards!).
About 3 years ago, my cards underwent a collector’s worst nightmare due to a faulty hot water heater in the apartment above mine. Without going too much into a future “horror” post, I ended up losing three of my 3200 count boxes to water damage. Thankfully, mainly the boxes took the brunt of the soaking, and I ended up only losing about 1,000 cards to hot, steamy, wet water. One day, you will cringe at this story and from the pictures…
Anyways, I hopped into the local card shop and asked for 3200 count boxes. “Four dollars per box.” he says. My first thought was no way could that be right. So, I smiled, milled around, made some small talk, and then bolted for the door like Vince Coleman on greenies. I know times have to be tough on brick and mortar card shops, but I just cannot fathom paying $4 for a cardboard box, especially when my family is scraping by.
Next I turned to the trusty internet for all my shopping needs. I figured I had to be able to find prices better than $4, and I did, but not by much. I found 3200 count boxes for $2.75 to $3.50 each, but then you’ve got to tack on S&H. I was able to locate the desired boxes for around $1.25 each, but you had to buy at least 25 of them. Ugh.
Tired of having my hot water heater rescued cards stacked vertically in moving boxes, I had to come up with a solution, and then it dawned on me. Right in front of me at work was the answer to my cheapskate prayers. Every office has them, and usually they are cast aside to the dump or recycling bin. Paper boxes!
Why hadn’t I thought of this before? They are sturdy, tough and have lids, but they are a tad oversized. So, I grabbed a box cutter and lopped off the upper portion, leaving a 4.5-inch deep box, with a 3-inch deep lid. Using the lopped off portion, I created row partitions.
Here are some shots of the handiwork:
Look familiar?
The rescued cards have a new home!Not bad for free. Each box holds six 600 count rows for a total of 3,600 cards. So, if times are tight in your house, create your own card boxes and save yourself some cash (to spend on more cards!).
Topps Cards That Never Were: 1976 and 1977 Frank Robinson
Life is yet again making a major intrusion into such frivolities and luxuries like baseball cards and breathing. As a consequence, my participation in the card world suffers mightily. That's about all you'll get out of me because I do not like mixing professional me with the 12 year old lurking inside of me who is waiting for a pack of 87 Topps.
So, I'll have to return to the old standby of cards that never were. I have a semi backlog now, and it seems to be sufficient blog fodder. Moving on, today's candidate is the great Frank Robinson. Frank has one of the few distinct honors of being dissed in not one, but two sets of Topps cards. Apparently Topps thought a tiny head shot of him on the team cards was sufficient for a Hall of Famer, but I disagree. Mr. Robinson was one of the best to ever play the game, and he would second that comment in a heartbeat.
Always overshadowed by Aaron, Mays and Mantle, Robinson never really got his due. Sure, he was (in my opinion) the Barry Bonds of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Not because of ROIDS, but because Frank does have a rather acerbic personality.
Alas, the end of Frank's playing career was coupled with the beginning of his managerial career. It took until 1975 for Frank to be named the first black manager in MLB history, but he had to be a player manager first. I guess he had to "prove" himself as a player/manager before becoming a full manager. I always wondered if it was because he was an awesome player, or because he was black that he had to be a player/manager first...
And here's to you Mr. Robinson
Here are Frank's stats from 1975 and 1976:
So, I'll have to return to the old standby of cards that never were. I have a semi backlog now, and it seems to be sufficient blog fodder. Moving on, today's candidate is the great Frank Robinson. Frank has one of the few distinct honors of being dissed in not one, but two sets of Topps cards. Apparently Topps thought a tiny head shot of him on the team cards was sufficient for a Hall of Famer, but I disagree. Mr. Robinson was one of the best to ever play the game, and he would second that comment in a heartbeat.
Always overshadowed by Aaron, Mays and Mantle, Robinson never really got his due. Sure, he was (in my opinion) the Barry Bonds of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Not because of ROIDS, but because Frank does have a rather acerbic personality.
Alas, the end of Frank's playing career was coupled with the beginning of his managerial career. It took until 1975 for Frank to be named the first black manager in MLB history, but he had to be a player manager first. I guess he had to "prove" himself as a player/manager before becoming a full manager. I always wondered if it was because he was an awesome player, or because he was black that he had to be a player/manager first...
He looks so non-Frank Robinson in this picture...
And here's to you Mr. RobinsonHere are Frank's stats from 1975 and 1976:
| YEAR | CLUB | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG |
| 1975 | Indians | 49 | 118 | 19 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 24 | .237 |
| 1976 | Indians | 36 | 67 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .224 |
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The 81 Donruss Enigma
Since I began inventorying all of my cards, I’ve started to pay attention to what is in the background on each card. Like my last post on Mario Ramirez and the incredibly shrinking Sid Monge, I noticed that 1981 Donruss has an interesting quirk.
Either Donruss was headquartered in Chicago, or they had zero budget to send their apparently sole photographer to games other than those played at Comiskey and Wrigley. Let’s do a little statistical case study…
I grabbed a random stack of 81 Donruss, and it turned out to be 56 cards. Thirty-three of the cards are of National League players and 23 are of American Leaguers. Of all 56 players, there are three White Sox and zero Cubs. Also, of those 56, all but 3 are in their road uniforms. Those not in their road unis? White Sox.
So, judging by backgrounds, 30 of the 33 NLers are at Wrigley, with the remaining three in non-descript dugouts. Of the 23 ALers, all 23 are at Comiskey.
I’m sure there has to be some card photography in this set that was not taken at Wrigley or Comiskey, but so far, I haven’t found any!
Bizarre.
Wrigley
Wrigley
Comiskey
Either Donruss was headquartered in Chicago, or they had zero budget to send their apparently sole photographer to games other than those played at Comiskey and Wrigley. Let’s do a little statistical case study…
I grabbed a random stack of 81 Donruss, and it turned out to be 56 cards. Thirty-three of the cards are of National League players and 23 are of American Leaguers. Of all 56 players, there are three White Sox and zero Cubs. Also, of those 56, all but 3 are in their road uniforms. Those not in their road unis? White Sox.
So, judging by backgrounds, 30 of the 33 NLers are at Wrigley, with the remaining three in non-descript dugouts. Of the 23 ALers, all 23 are at Comiskey.
I’m sure there has to be some card photography in this set that was not taken at Wrigley or Comiskey, but so far, I haven’t found any!
Bizarre.
Wrigley
Wrigley
ComiskeyTuesday, September 8, 2009
Seeing Doubles
I have been strangely silent the last few weeks, as I have fallen victim to responsibility! Alas, I have a few spare moments to share an odd card I recently inventoried. Yes, inventoried.
Of late, I have been using my spare time to record every dang card I have. Is it for posterity? No. Is it for insurance reasons? Hmm, where are those matches? Is it for the fun of it? It was, but now it is a chore, a laborious chore. Is it for trades? Ding, ding, we have a wiener.
Having sent some cards to Night Owl a week or so ago, got me thinking about what I have and what I may be able to trade/give to others who are trying to complete their collections. After one box, and about 5,000 cards later, I am convinced I have too many cards. I should just keep the complete sets, pick out the HOFers and burn the rest. But, but, but, I just can’t do that. If I know another collector needs something, I must give my cards to them for their collection, rather than releasing toxic Sportsflic gasses into the atmosphere.
So, as I said, I’ve made it through 1 random box, and have about 39 more to go. One day I will have my collection inventoried for all of you to sift through and call dibs on. But, in the meantime, I found a rather peculiar card during my cataloging process.
1984 Fleer – Mario Ramirez #309
This card just popped out to me and had me doing several double takes. Forgive the cell phone image, I no longer have a scanner…
1. Crooked cap.
2. The ‘Fro is bulging out the said crooked cap.
3. Tom Selleck mustache is in full effect.
4. Grey undershirt and the obvious lack of gold jewelry in the v-neck region.
5. Batting glove poking out of his rear pocket.
6. If the image was clearer, you’d notice his stirrups are REAL and hang about 1-inch off the sock. Awesome.
7. Folded tongue protecting the laces!
8. His shadow in a 3-point stance.
Now, the weirder stuff.
1. Not sure of the stadium, maybe Three Rivers or the Astrodome, but not the Murph because thar’be plastic turf on ye ground.
2. I love the huge team logos on the outfield fence that was prevalent during the 70s to late 80s.
3. You may have to use a clearer image (http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Cards/Baseball/1984/Fleer/309/Mario_Ramirez), but why is the outfield fence numbering on the field?
4. And check out the player to Ramirez’s left (card right). He’s about the size of an ant. For some reason, the background on this card must have been altered, but why?
I can’t believe I just noticed the miniature player on the card in the background. Only took 25 years to find this gem. Plus, I also just saw that almost all of the 84 Cardinal cards are from a day game at The Murph!
Of late, I have been using my spare time to record every dang card I have. Is it for posterity? No. Is it for insurance reasons? Hmm, where are those matches? Is it for the fun of it? It was, but now it is a chore, a laborious chore. Is it for trades? Ding, ding, we have a wiener.
Having sent some cards to Night Owl a week or so ago, got me thinking about what I have and what I may be able to trade/give to others who are trying to complete their collections. After one box, and about 5,000 cards later, I am convinced I have too many cards. I should just keep the complete sets, pick out the HOFers and burn the rest. But, but, but, I just can’t do that. If I know another collector needs something, I must give my cards to them for their collection, rather than releasing toxic Sportsflic gasses into the atmosphere.
So, as I said, I’ve made it through 1 random box, and have about 39 more to go. One day I will have my collection inventoried for all of you to sift through and call dibs on. But, in the meantime, I found a rather peculiar card during my cataloging process.
1984 Fleer – Mario Ramirez #309
This card just popped out to me and had me doing several double takes. Forgive the cell phone image, I no longer have a scanner…
1. Crooked cap.2. The ‘Fro is bulging out the said crooked cap.
3. Tom Selleck mustache is in full effect.
4. Grey undershirt and the obvious lack of gold jewelry in the v-neck region.
5. Batting glove poking out of his rear pocket.
6. If the image was clearer, you’d notice his stirrups are REAL and hang about 1-inch off the sock. Awesome.
7. Folded tongue protecting the laces!
8. His shadow in a 3-point stance.
Now, the weirder stuff.
1. Not sure of the stadium, maybe Three Rivers or the Astrodome, but not the Murph because thar’be plastic turf on ye ground.
2. I love the huge team logos on the outfield fence that was prevalent during the 70s to late 80s.
3. You may have to use a clearer image (http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Cards/Baseball/1984/Fleer/309/Mario_Ramirez), but why is the outfield fence numbering on the field?
4. And check out the player to Ramirez’s left (card right). He’s about the size of an ant. For some reason, the background on this card must have been altered, but why?
I can’t believe I just noticed the miniature player on the card in the background. Only took 25 years to find this gem. Plus, I also just saw that almost all of the 84 Cardinal cards are from a day game at The Murph!
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