A Whale of a Sort

Summer break is over.  Technically I don't need to report until Thursday, but I've been working in my classroom since early last week.  It takes me a few days to set up my classroom and prep the first three weeks of lessons.

Not teaching summer school forced me to dip into my savings.  Outside of that... it was pretty amazing.  I'll have a recap post posted by the time students arrive on the 17th.

Today's post is a continuation of the Sunday Sort.  Last weekend I opened up three packages from Rod over at Padrographs and sorted everything into categories.  Phase two (which is the focus of today's post) is to sort and integrate the Tony Gwynn cards he sent.

But before we get into that, here's a Gwynn I recently purchased on eBay:

1992 Fleer Ultra Commemorative Promo #NNO

I have been trying to add this card to my 1992 Fleer Ultra master set for years.  It was handed out at the 1992 Fleer stockholders meeting and features Fleer's CEO back in the day.

The back talks about Gwynn and how he signed over 2,000 cards which were inserted into packs of 1992 Fleer Ultra.

I thought this card completed my run of 1992 Fleer Ultra Gwynn cards:

Unfortunately... while looking up this Mullan/Gwynn promo, I discovered that Gwynn also has a 1992 pre-production sample as well.  There are actually nine other sample cards I need to find, but I'm up for the challenge.

Okay.  Let's get to the Gwynns from Rod's care packages.  He sent over 200 Gwynns.  Obviously I don't have the time to scan them all.  In honor of Mr. Padre's jersey number, here are 19 cards that were added to my Gwynn PC...

1984 Fleer #301

Technically, I already have a copy of this second year base card.  But completed sets get priority over player or team collections. 

1992 Padres Police #NNO

1992 Padres Police #NNO

1993 Stadium Club Members Only #538

1994 Donruss Commemorative Anniversary #10

While originally sorting through all of the Gwynns, I thought this was his 1984 base card.  But upon closer inspection, it's from an insert set celebrating their ten year anniversary.

1995 Leaf 300 Club #13

1995 SP Championship Die-Cut #90

1996 Bowman's Best Mirror Image #7

One of these guys is not like the others, but there was a time when I thought Ben Grieve would end up being a superstar.

1996 Leaf Statistical Standouts #2 (#'d 1939/2500)

1996 Pinnacle Aficionado Slick Picks #15

1996 Topps Master of the Game #MG12

1996 Topps Gallery #147

1999 Fleer Tradition Diamond Magic #5DM

1999 Pacific Invincible Sandlot Heroes #17

2000 Fleer Focus Pocus #2FP

2000 Topps #240a & #240d

Much like the commemorative promo card above, I have been trying to complete the five card subset of 2000 Topps Gwynns for a few years.  Split between the two series, Topps highlighted the careers of ten players with a Magic Moments subset.  Each player received five cards that were short printed, which is why set builders may or may not consider their set complete with one of these singles.

2001 Fleer Tradition Grass Roots #13

2003 Topps Record Breakers #RB-TGW

If you've ever wondered how long it takes me to integrate and scan a large stack of cards into my personal collection, this Gwynn sort will help paint a picture.

1994 Donruss Commemorative Anniversary #10

Obviously sorting a few hundred cards usually doesn't take too much time, but thanks to the 90's... I had a lot of trouble figuring out which year some of these Gwynns were produced.  A card might say 1993 in the copyright area, but actually be listed as a 1994 card.  This also forced me to move some cards around in my collection.

Another delay I encountered were late 80's Topps and Donruss variations.  Holy cow.  Why did I ever decide to collect these?  Anyways... looking for missing periods, apostrophes, or asterisks with a magnifying glass took longer than expected.

Toss in a few breaks here and there... and this Sunday Sort took close to five hours.  This is by no means a complaint.  It's just an observation.

There's still seventeen stacks of Gwynns that I still need to integrate into the collection, but I needed to wrap things up and write this post.

Unfortunately... I couldn't stay awake last night and ended up falling asleep before I could finish, so this edition of the Sunday Sort gets to be published on a Monday morning.

Thank you Rod for these awesome additions to the Gwynn collection.

Happy Monday and sayonara!

A Sweaty Sunday Sort

It's hot here.  Too hot.  The kind of heat that makes me skip the farmer's market and grocery shopping.  That means more time to clean the house and sort some cards.

Today I targeted three packages Rod over at Padrographs sent me back at the start of summer.  I thought it was gonna take me a few weeks to get to them, but it ended up taking a few months.

There's obviously way too much to cover in a single post, so I decided to focus on what he's best known for: autographs.

Let's start with some familiar names...

2011 Topps #178

It's been over a decade since Bell sprinted onto the field at Petco, but I'm guessing most Padres fans can picture it in their head.

Let's take a trip back to the 80's...

1985 Mother's Cookies Padres #1

Dick Williams was the manager of the Padres when I started rooting for them during the 1984 World Series.

1985 Fleer #30

If you followed baseball back in the 80's, then you're familiar with Dravecky's story.  If not and you're interested, click here.

What you might not know is that his signature changed after he had his left arm amputated.  If you ever see a signed ball, photo, or card of his with his first and last name on the same line, then it was before his surgery.  These days, he's signs his last name below his first.

1990 Donruss #302

Did you know that Mark Davis is one of five pitchers to win a Cy Young Award while representing the Padres?  He was also part of the trade that sent Dravecky to the San Francisco Giants.

I wish I could write about all of the autographs that Rod sent my way, but it's getting late and I really want to publish this post tonight.  But feel free to check them out... and offer any comments on any of these guys down below:

Not all of the autographs from Rod were of the TTM or IP variety.  Here are the pack pulled autographs:

2013 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase Jersey Auto #JA-JN1

When I saw this card, his name sounded familiar.  Then I looked him up and was reminded of the time he broke into someone's house, got kicked in the face, and tasered.  On the brighter side, he's still playing pro ball in Mexico.

2013 Bowman DP&P Autographs #BCA-HR

2020 Bowman Platinum Top Prospects Auto #TOP-59

2022 Prizm Draft Picks Signing Sessions #SS-DM

Rod went big and sent me this really cool Topps buyback autograph of Goose Gossage:

2024 Topps Archives Signature Series (1987 Topps #380)

This is only my second Gossage autograph featuring him with the Padres... and my first with him signing across his face.  I was very surprised to see this card slide out of the small flat rate shipping box.

But I was even more surprised to see this framed and matted signature:

Yup.  That's a cut signature of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar... one of the greatest basketball players of all-time.  When I turned it over and saw it, I was left speechless.

He also sent me an autograph of this lesser known Laker:

2012-13 Absolute Rookie Auto #182

Not gonna lie.  I've never heard of Mr. Johnson-Odom.  But he does share the last names of two famous and popular Lakers legends:  Magic Johnson and Lamar Odom.

Let's wrap things up with the final two autographs he sent me...

1991-92 Score Canadian Bilingual #554

Brian Hayward was one of the Minnesota North Stars players chosen by the Sharks as part of the special dispersal draft in 1991.  He's credited as being the goalie in the first win in franchise history. 

A few years ago Rod sent me a relic card from Harmon's NCIS days.  It was one of my mom's favorite television shows.  And now I have an autograph to go with it.

If you're wondering why he's featured as a quarterback for UCLA, that's because he was their starting quarterback in 1972 and 1973.  The thing I mainly remember him for is his role in Summer School.

Obviously there's a lot of other stuff I need to cover in regards to Rod's care packages, but it's already Monday in some parts of the country, so I'm going to wrap this up here.

Thank you Rod!  And thank goodness the temperature has finally dropped into the 70's.

Happy Sunday and sayonara!

BBA: The Blogger National 2026

There was a time when I would have jumped at the opportunity to attend The National Sports Collectors Convention.  The only thing holding me back was money.  These days it's way more than finances keeping me away from the largest card show of the year.

It's the timing.  The NSCC is always scheduled right around the time I'm getting ready for the new school year.

It's my back.  I've heard that this show is huge.  Standing around at a local mall show digging through boxes starts to wreak havoc on my lower back after 3 or 4 hours.  I have no idea what the NSCC would do to me.

And it's the crazy crowds.  Based on what I've heard, the NSCC crowds are insane.  Thinking about it gives me anxiety.  Bottom line... the older I get... the less I enjoy standing shoulder to shoulder with people.

Thankfully Matt over at Cards over Coffee started a Blog Bat-Around for collectors who aren't attending the show.  He wants us to show off some of our coolest cards or recent mail days as a way of us getting together in our blogosphere instead of in a large showroom floor.  This is much more my speed.

Let's start off with something that's right up Matt's alley:

2006 Rittenhouse Battlestar Gallactica

Season One Autograph #NNO

Not sure if he's a Battlestar Galactica fan, but I know he enjoys collecting autographs of celebrities.

One of the things I did over summer break was binge watch the entire four seasons.  It's definitely one of my favorite television shows and Grace Park is one of my biggest celebrity crushes.  When I finished the show, I wanted to add her Season One signature to my collection.  It pairs perfectly with the Season Three autograph I purchased years ago:

2008 Rittenhouse Battlestar Gallactica

Season Three Autograph #NNO

I've made a few eBay purchases over the summer, but I'm hoping to write dedicated posts for them.  However I do want to show off this blog-inspired purchase:

1977 Sertoma Stars Puzzle Backs #NNO

I saw someone post a single (or a few singles) from this set.  It's one that I had never seen before, so I started doing some digging and it led me to purchasing the Joe Jackson.

There are a few others cards from this set that I'd like to add to the collection like Satchel Paige and Lou Gehrig, but for now Jackson will suffice.

The card backs are puzzle pieces that when put together feature the 1913 Pittsburgh Nationals.  I did some digging on the internet and the gentleman on this puzzle piece is Fred Clarke, a hall of famer and the manager of the Nationals that season.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to remember where I saw this set.  If you recently blogged about any 1977 Sertoma Puzzle Backs, please comment down below and I'll give you credit.

Update:  Red Cardboard is the one who opened my eyes to the 1977 Sertoma set.

Switching gears... I want to show off another present from Ryan's (@ SumoMenkoMan) advent calendar.  However let's take a peek at the haiku riddle first:

I immediately knew he was referring to these gachapon balls, which come out of vending machines (that are really popular in Japan).  

Here's what I ended up pulling:

The first three contained key chains.  Two were mini Star Wars action figures and one featured Mt. Fuji.  Inside of the 4th ball was another Mt. Fuji related item:

It's a draw string pouch that I'll probably use to hold spare change in my car.

This might seem like a weird time to show off these gachapons, but I recently opened up them as part of my summer sort.  I also wanted to note that if I ever actually attend the NSCC, chances are I'd be meeting up with Ryan and hopefully a few of you.

If you check out Matt's post, he shared some stuff that Dennis over at Too Many Verlanders recently sent him.  Dennis also sent me a care package (back in December) that I opened up this morning.  I was going to use it as part of this Sunday's Sort, but this post seems more appropriate.

Here are the highlights:

1982 Fleer Stamps #123

Let's start with the oldest item in Dennis' care package.  It's a third year Rickey oddball... and it's fantastic.  Rickey loves stamp collecting.

Later in the decade, Sports Illustrated decided to produce a new magazine titled Sports Illustrated for Kids.  Each issue included trading cards like these:

Sports Illustrated for Kids Series 3

Technically these nine football cards were released in the early to mid 2000's.  The first series cards looked like this:

2004 SI for Kids Series 3 Throwback #341

This card is a reprint of Emmitt's Series 1 card that was released back in 1991.  The key difference is the original SIFK logo was replaced by the silver SIFK 15th logo in the bottom left corner.

As we transition into the 90's... we're gonna see some truly special cardboard.  Card companies competed with each other to win over collectors and what transpired was an explosion of ingenuity and creativity that ultimately reshaped the hobby.  I understand and respect that it's not everyone's cup of tea... but I truly love 90's trading cards.

I'll let the cards explain why...

1999 Skybox E-X Century E-X-Quisite #7

This is one of those cards that you need to hold in your hand to appreciate.  This gorgeous insert set combines up and coming MLB stars with acetate and cardboard.

Here's another card that utilizes acetate:

1997 Upper Deck Amazing Greats #AG3

Companies also started printing trading cards on wood too... like the above A-Rod.  I wasn't sure why Dennis sent me this card, but upon closer inspection, it revealed this tiny flaw:

Yup.  This is another nice addition to my Damaged Card PC.

Getting back to the 90's...

1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection #201

This card blew me away when I saw it in the stack.  Pinnacle's dufex parallels might not be as shiny as refractors from the era, but they are still attractive... especially when paired with stellar photography.  I don't usually like to pick favorites, but today this card claims the title.

The 90's opened the floodgates for other parallels, like these color bordered ones: 

2010 Topps Opening Day Blue #115

2011 Bowman Green #174

These two parallels might not have the same eye appeal as the Rickey, but honestly that can be applied to 99% of the parallels from the 2000's moving forward.

They also introduced memorabilia cards to collectors in the mid 90's.  At the time, it was kind of a big deal to have a company purchase game used uniforms, cut them up, and insert swatches into cards, because it allowed collectors to own a piece of the game:

2003 UD Authentics Star Quality Game Used #SQ-HN (#'d 027/350)

2005 Bowman Sterling Jersey #BS-EC

2006 Bowman DP&P Futures Game Relics #FG39

The 2000's saw the memorabilia card market boom.  I feel like card companies have shot themselves in the foot with vague COA's and event-worn jerseys.  Thankfully the Nomo and Suzuki both state that the embedded jersey swatches were indeed worn in a game.

A few years later (not exactly sure when), card companies started creating manufactured relics like this cool commemorative coin card:

2020 Topps Player Medallion #TPM-MC

Although some manufactured relics can come off as being cheesy... I actually like this particular coin card.

Thank you Dennis for this generous care package.  I apologize it too me so long to open it up.

I'd also like to thank Ryan for the very cool gachapons.  If I ever go to Japan, I could see myself going crazy at these vending machines.

And a special thanks goes out to Matt for inspiring this Blog Bat-Around.  Hopefully a few of you will decide to join in on the fun.

Happy Friday and sayonara!