The Chronicles of Fuji

Let's Make A Deal!

2012-02-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Between giving cards to my students as incentives and selling cards at the monthly flea market, my Bay Area inventory is definitely depleted. Anyone interested in trading? I've been stocking up on tradebait for the past 12 months and now it's time to make some deals.

Wanted: Regular Issue Base Cards (cards that have the player's stats on the back, not subset or checklist cards), Memorabilia Cards, Autographs, & Rookie Cards of the following ahtletes:

Tim Lincecum

Brian Wilson

Buster Posey

Matt Cain

Pablo Sandoval

Old School A's (60's & 70's)

80's A's (memorabilia & autographs only)

Derek Jeter

Frank Gore

Patrick Willis

Vernon Davis

Aldon Smith

Justin Smith (49ers only)

Ken Stabler

Fred Biletnikoff

Jim Plunkett

Bo Jackson

Howie Long

Tom Brady

Aaron Rodgers

Monta Ellis

Stephen Curry

Chris Mullin

Tim Hardaway (Warriors memorabilia & autographs only)

Joe Thornton (Sharks only)

Patrick Marleau

Antti Niemi

Logan Couture

Joe Pavelski

Cards must feature athletes in their MLB, NFL, NBA, or NHL uniforms. I CAN'T use minor league or college products like: Press Pass, Sage, Just Rookies, TriStar, etc. If you have any of this stuff, check my Trade Lists below and email me (sanjosefuji(at)yahoo.com).

Trade Lists:

Baseball Autographs

Baseball Memorabilia Cards

Baseball Inserts & Parallels

Basketball Autographs

Basketball Memorabilia Cards

Basketball Inserts & Parallels

Football Autographs

Football Memorabilia Cards

Football Inserts & Parallels

Hockey Autographs

Hockey Memorabilia Cards

Hockey Inserts & Parallels

Trading Rules:

I'll pretty much play the "game" however you feel is fair. If you go by "Beckett BV", I'm okay with that. If you go with "eBay value", that works too. I also trade by the "everyone's happy, who cares about BV" philosophy.

My only request is that you don't ask for my Drew Brees jersey card for your Lincecum, Posey, and Sandoval base cards. I've been collecting long enough to understand that a good trade is one where both parties walk away happy.

And if you happen to be a member of Sports Card Forum and/or Card Collector's World, please let me know. I'd love to set up our trade through them, so we can leave each other positive feedback.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me already. I apologize for the duplicate post, but I deleted the Thursday post because of formatting errors, plus I wanted to add my "trading rules".

Happy Sunday everyone... I hope we're able to help each other out. Sayonara!

An Epic Flea Market Flop

2012-02-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Some days... you're just better off staying in bed. Today was one of those days.

My buddy was setting up at the San Joaquin Delta College Flea Market in Stockton and invited me to come out and join him. It was an opportunity to clear some more stuff out of my garage, plus get to hang with my friend. So this morning I woke up at 4:30, loaded my car, grabbed some much needed coffee, and was on the road by 5:05.

Ninety plus miles and an hour, twenty-five minutes later I arrived in Stockton... ready to sell my junk and add some extra spending money to my wallet. There were a couple of small bumps in the road, but by 7:15 we were set up and ready to "rock & roll". And within 10 minutes, I made my first sale: a 1990 Pro Set Bo Jackson & a 1991 Pinnacle Marcus Allen for $1. Things were definitely looking good.

I'll spare you the boring details and fast forward to 2:05: clean up & count the money time.

Let's see...

Total Sales: $4

Total Expenses (Flea Market Space Rental, Food & Beverages, and Gas): $51

Total Profit: -$47

Essentially... it cost me $47 to load my car this morning, spend 85 minutes on the road, unload my car, hang out with my buddy for seven hours at the flea market, load up my car (again), spend another 90 minutes driving home (where I heard the sad news that Whitney Houston passed away), and then finally unloading my car for the second time today.

LOL. Now do you understand why I should have just stayed in bed? I hope everyone enjoyed their Saturday more than I did. Sayonara!

Have graded cards lost their luster?

2012-02-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Graded cards... like a lot of things in the hobby... you either like them or you don't. But we've covered collector's opinions on this topic before: HERE.

Nope... today we're going to branch off and focus on graded cards and their values.

In the last six months, I've picked up a bunch of PSA 10 graded rookie and insert cards for less than the actual grading fee price.

2001 UD Collectibles Playmakers #SE2 Ichiro Suzuki RC $2.83

1998 Bowman's Best "Refractors" #60 Greg Maddux (#'d to 400) $5.38

1995 Studio "Platinum Series" #8 Cal Ripken Jr. $3.75

1995-96 Ultra #274 Kevin Garnett RC $6.50

1992-93 Ultra #328 Shaquille O'Neal RC $3.36

1992-93 Hoops #442 Shaquille O'Neal RC $3.36

1998 Stadium Club Chrome "Refractors" #SCC6 Emmitt Smith $3.75

1998 Stadium Club Chrome "Refractors" #SCC14 Jerry Rice $5.38

1999 Finest "Refractors" #80 Barry Sanders $5.38

2009 Topps National Chicle #151 Michael Crabtree RC $2.69

2001 Pacific Dynagon "Retail" #108 LaDainian Tomlinson RC $4.03

1998 Stadium Club #182 Hines Ward RC $5.38

1995-96 Select Certified #114 Shane Doan RC $2.25

These are just the ones I spent under $7 for. I have a bunch of others I picked up in the $7 to $10 range.

Aren't the grading fees $6 to $7 alone? I don't get it.

Why even bother getting these graded if you're going to sell them so cheap?

Am I missing something?

Am I buying fakes?

Are graded cards a fad... and if so, is the fad officially over?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Happy Wednesday everyone... I hope all of you enjoy the rest of your week. Sayonara!

Sayonara Salute #17: Owen Nolan

2012-02-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

I collect or have collected numerous players from a variety of sports over the years... but only two have binders dedicated to solely them: Tony Gwynn & Owen Nolan.

Before Owen Nolan arrived in San Jose, I was a San Jose Sharks fan without a favorite player. But it was nearly impossible for Sharks fans not to embrace #11. The guy could do everything: score goals, set up plays, be a clubhouse leader, and of course make some tremendous hits on opposing skaters.

A quick look into my Nolan binder will reveal that I was a super collector in the making. With the exception of a few ultra rare cards, I had amassed over 90% of his cards from 1989/90 to 1998/99. I stopped collecting him after a not so "memorable" encounter with Mr. Nolan took place at the 2000 San Jose Sharks Fest. But that's another story for another day.

Today, I want to focus on the good memories... which far outweigh the bad. Earlier this afternoon... in front of his family, friends, and former teammates, a choked up Owen Nolan officially announced his retirement during a press conference at HP Pavilion.

During his 18 year career, he produced the following numbers:

442 Career Goals

463 Career Assists

885 Career Points

1,793 Career Penalty Minutes

5 NHL All-Star Appearances

10 Career Twenty Goal Seasons

6 Career Thirty Goal Seasons

2 Career Forty Goal Seasons

Here's the career highlight video of Nolan produced by the San Jose Sharks:

My favorite Owen Nolan highlight came in front of a hometown crowd during the 1997 NHL All-Star game when he performed the famous "Called Shot" against Dominic Hasek during the third period to wrap up his hat trick:

In addition to that shot, he also set an NHL All-Star game record by scoring two goals in 8 seconds. He continued to set records for the Sharks during his eight years in San Jose. When the Sharks traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2002-03 season, he left as the Sharks all-time leader in goals, assists, and points.

Congratulations Mr. Nolan on an amazing 18 year career. Thank you for the memories. I hope you enjoy your retirement.

Happy Tuesday everyone... and sayonara!

Domo Arigato: AJ @ The Lost Collector

2012-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

In December AJ, author of the blog: The Lost Collector, showcased his 1/1 sketch card of Jesus Montero that he drew while watching a Giants-Redskins game. I complimented him on his skills and told him I wished I had the ability to draw like him.

He emailed me later that day and offered to create my very own sketch card of whoever I wanted... preferably baseball. I immediately started thinking who the subject would be... going back and forth between Tony Gwynn, Greg Maddux, and Kurt Suzuki.

I ended up picking Suzuki, because he's my current favorite player. AJ mentioned that there might be a delay in creating the card, because a new addition to his family was going to arrive in the upcoming days. Congratulations buddy... hope the little guy isn't keeping you up all night.

Fast forward to this past Saturday and this beauty was sitting in my mailbox:

Thank you so much AJ. You did an amazing job and I'm proud to add it to my Kurt Suzuki collection. I've put it into a screw down and it's now a part of my Oakland Athletics shelf in my office.

By the way... there's a package here sitting next to me with some Tino's for your collection. Hopefully you can use them... they're the only ones I could find. I'll get those shipped out tomorrow.

Thanks again & Sayonara!

Sunday Morning Soapbox: Pack Searchers

2012-02-05T09:20:00.001-08:00

I'm a huge fan of discussing "most" things related to sports cards... which is one of the reasons I created this blog. But this isn't the only place I go to talk "cardboard". I'll join discussions at card shows & card shops, in card forums, on other blogs & even over on YouTube.

Two weeks ago, I read Play at the Plate's great post: Interview with a packsearcher. Then this morning I came across a collector's post on the Sports Card Radio Forum, which asked the question... "What is your opinion on packsearchers?".

Well... today you're in for a treat. I'm going to hop on my soapbox and give my take on "searching packs". Like I tell my students... it's an opinion... it's not necessarily the "right" answer, but it's how I feel. Okay... are you ready? Let the preaching begin:

(courtesy of Blowout Cards)

I'm not a fan of people who search packs... mainly because I think it's detrimental to the hobby. I understand that it's not illegal, but personally I feel it's unethical.

Pack searchers increase the odds of them pulling hits and reduce the odds for everyone else. This might not bother some people, because many things in life involve increasing one's personal odds... but personally I think this particular situation is an exception.

When you reduce other collector's odds... you're hurting other collectors. Worse... these collectors may end up walking away from the hobby, because they never pull anything significant.

Or the flipside (and to a much more rare extent)... what about those stories of people who started collecting, because they pulled a cool autograph or relic in the first pack they ever opened? Pack searchers reduce the odds of these magical moments occurring.

Plus... pack searchers often damage the cards in the effort to find their hidden treasures. This is exactly why I'm against the whole "It's like picking fruit" argument (which essentially states that people often feel fruit before they buy it, so why is it wrong to feel packs of cards?). But trading cards and fruit are completely different things. It's understandable for customers to pick up a piece of fruit to see if it's firm or soft. But is it okay for people to squish fruits at the grocery store?

In my mind... it comes down to having respect (treating others the way you want to be treated) for the hobby and other collectors. Would it be okay for a card shop to search packs? Of course not! Then why is it okay for consumers?

Unfortunately... it's a part of our hobby and isn't going anywhere in the near future. But I'm a firm believer of the whole "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" philosophy.

Okay... I'm officially stepping down from my soapbox (for today... stay tuned for future Sunday Morning Soapbox posts). Now it's your turn.

What's your opinion on pack searching?

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone. I'm headed over to my friend's house in a little bit to watch the game. Most people are either excited about the game or the commercials. But not I. I'm looking forward to pigging out on baked potatoes, tri tip, and a bunch of other high calorie goodies. Sayonara!

Do you ever root for the "bad" guy?

2012-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

"He's the most disrespectful human being I've ever met and I'm gonna put the worst beating you've ever seen on him in the UFC."

That's what Georges St-Pierre said about Nick Diaz after the Diaz-Penn fight back in October. Unfortunately... GSP is injured and won't have the opportunity to back up his words... at least not yet.

Instead, Carlos Condit will take on Diaz tomorrow night in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

I'm writing as if I'm an expert on the subject... but really I know little about mixed martial arts & the fighters that represent the sport. Which is why I did my homework on Mr. Diaz... and from what I've heard, read, and seen... he tends to be portrayed as a "jerk" or the "bad" guy.

But back in November, I had the opportunity to meet Diaz at an autograph signing at Milo's Wide World of Sports Collectibles in San Jose... and he was as cool as ice.

He talked to his fans and took photos with them. An acquaintance of mine had over 70 items signed and Diaz didn't even flinch.

Collectors could get an 8x10, a photo op, and Nate's autograph for $20.

My buddy Mike helped promote the signing, so I ended up getting this personalized 8x10 for free...

Plus I picked up this 11x17...

for $10, because I helped out another guy by standing in line and getting things signed for him.

The winner of the Condit-Diaz fight will defend his title against St. Pierre... and there's nobody GSP would rather fight than Diaz. It doesn't look like a lot of people will be pulling for Diaz tomorrow night, but he'll have at least two people cheering for him: Me & GSP.

Are you a MMA fan? If so... who's your favorite fighter?

I've watched my share of fights and have a handful of MMA relics and autographs, however I can't exactly call myself a fan. A few years back, I was a little more into it... and actively cheered on Matt Hughes... and eventually cheered for B.J. Penn.

But tomorrow night... I'll be pulling for Stockton's own... Nick Diaz. Not because I want to root for the "bad" guy, but because I want to see GSP take on Nick for the title and witness the worst beating I'll ever see in the UFC.

Happy Friday everyone. I hope all of you had a great week. Sayonara!

PC Addition - Garbage Pail Kids Collection

2012-02-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I walked around the Serramonte Mall card show knowing that I had already eclipsed my monthly cardboard budget and knew I had to demonstrate self control... which is why I only took $40 with me.

But when I found a guy selling a collection of 80's Garbage Pail Kids... I came to the conclusion: Sometimes you just have to say, "what the f%#k".

My buddy and I went to the bank, withdrew more cash and went back to the guy. We talked some more about the cards, then settled on a price: $90 for the GPK collection and a vintage Oakland A's souvenir baseball helmet that is now hanging up next to my 1972 World Series Champions pennant in my office. The helmet is pretty awesome, but was sort of a bonus. The focus of the purchase was on this binder:

If you've been following my blog long enough, then you know I grew up during the 80's and collected these in middle school. Most of my GPK collection disappeared over the years, but there's always been a part of me that's wanted to go back and collect them. So when this opportunity presented itself, I was all over it.

My purchase included complete sets of eight different original GPK series... and one set that's almost complete:

2nd, 3rd, & 4th Series

5th, 6th, & 7th Series

8th, 9th, & 10th Series

The 4th Series set is missing 5 cards:

137b Deadly Dudley

158b Ig Lou

164b Battered Brad

165a Dana Druff

165b Flakey Fay

If by chance any of you guys have these, let me know... I'd love to trade for them.

At first, I was upset about the missing cards, since the guy told me these were complete sets. But after looking through all of the cards and seeing how many extra variation cards he included, there's not much room for complaints. These cards are in MINT condition... freshly pulled from packs. In addition to that, he sleeved them in brand new Ultra Pro 9-pocket pages. The only thing I replaced was the binder, because the old one was a little dusty.

Plus... he threw in a couple of Series 3 wax packs...

Okay... so maybe these aren't for everyone. They don't have famous athletes on them... or even scenes from a favorite movie. But... they're a piece of my childhood and I'm thrilled to add them to my collection.

What about you...

Do you collect anything outside of sports memorabilia?

If so, do any of them stem from your childhood?

Just browse me blog and you'll see that I collect everything from Star Wars memorabilia to comic books. In other words, I'm your stereotypical geek ;-)

Speaking of comic books... I'm headed to Barnes & Noble to see if I can find a copy of The Walking Dead Compendium. Happy hump day... and sayonara!

Damaged Card HOF #1: Kurt Warner & The Other Guy

2012-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Remember this card?

Twelve years ago... on January 30th, 2000... Kurt Warner threw for over four hundred yards and added on two touchdown passes to take home his first Super Bowl MVP award. At the time, I worked at a local card shop to supplement my income... and remember how suddenly this piece of cardboard became one of the most sought after cards in the hobby.

Warner went on to lead the Rams to two Super Bowls in three seasons (1999 & 2001)... as he became the field general to The Greatest Show on Turf. In 2008, he took the Arizona Cardinals to their first and only Super Bowl appearance.

But what ever happened to the other guy?

Tony Horne was developing into one of the game's elite returners and led the league in yards per kick return. Unfortunately he suffered a career ending knee injury which limited him to only three NFL seasons. According to Wikipedia, he currently works as a strength & speed coach for some company... but who knows how accurate this information is.

As of now... the 1999 Pacific #343 rookie card of Kurt Warner (& 2nd year card of Tony Horne) has sort of lost its lustre among collectors.

Regardless... I thought I'd pull it out of my binder and let it see some daylight... while I tried to figure out who the heck Tony Horne was.

Okay... time for y'all to debate on Kurt and the legacy he left on the gridiron.

Do you think Warner deserves to be enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame?

Whether or not Warner makes it into Canton will have little affect on the value of my particular copy... since it's pretty beat up. However in honor of Mr. Warner and his career accomplishments, I'd like to enshrine him into my personal Damaged Card Hall of Fame.

As you can see... there's a crease directly under the "t" in "Kurt". Believe it or not... it's actually a lot worse in person, than in the picture.

Plus there's a ton of chipping on the left and right edges.

And to top it off... the upper right corner is dinged.

Congratulations Kurt... whether or not you make it into Canton... at least you can go to sleep knowing you're a HOFer in my (damaged card) book.

Happy Monday everyone... and have a wonderful week! Sayonara.

Card Shows & Card Budgets Don't Get Along

2012-01-29T09:41:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month... I created several hobby goals for 2012. One of them was to create a cardboard budget and stick to it... so I decided on $150/month would be more than sufficient.

I was wrong.

There are still three days left in January... and I'm way over budget. I've been documenting ever purchase I've made down to the last penny, so I knew heading into Saturday's card show at Serramonte Mall that I had to keep my spending to a minimum. Which is why I only brought $40 to the show.

At first... that was more than plenty. But by the end of the day, I had to take a trip down to the ATM... but in my opinion... it was worth every step. Let's get started.

Purchase#1: 40 cards for $4

First stop... Max & his 10¢ bins. I spent about 45 minutes sifting through his boxes and ended up picking up forty cards. There weren't any huge finds this time... but I was able to add a couple of cards to 90's insert binders.

Purchase #2: 24 cards for $8

Right next to Max's table were these guys selling figures. They had one small shoebox with toploaders marked 3 for $1. I was pretty stoked to find some cool Kobe inserts & rookies, along with some MJ baseball cards. I didn't bother to show the other six cards, because they were duplicates of the Kobe rookie cards. Who in the world sells Kobe rookie cards for 33¢ each?

Purchase #3: 2010 McFarlane "Cooperstown Series #7" Tony Gwynn $5

This was one of those damn impulse buys. I already have this figure displayed on my Padres shelf. But for the price, I just couldn't pass it up. Actually this show had a bunch of toy dealers and there were tons of bargains to be had... but I resisted temptation.

Purchase #4: 10 cards for $20

I've been wanting to add a LaDainian Tomlinson rookie card to my collection... and now I have two. I rarely look in people's display cases, but this guy had a sign advertising 5 cards for $10 on every card in the case. He had a bunch of cool, older WWE relic cards... so I jumped on those as well. My favorite is easily the Trish Stratus shiny dress card. Damn she's hot.

Purchase #5: GPK Collection & Oakland A's Helmet $90

By the time I strolled across this guy... I had three bucks in my pocket with no intention to spend anymore. He had vintage souvenir baseball helmets: the ones you could purchase from ball parks back in the 70's. He wanted $20 for the Oakland A's helmet and proceeded to give me the rundown on their history. I actually remember these from when I was a kid.

But what really caught my eye was a binder filled with Garbage Pail Kids from the 80's. It contained 9 complete sets (Series 2 through Series 10). Actually, the Series 4 set is missing five cards but I'll talk about that in a future post. He wanted $100 for the binder... which I thought was reasonable. After some wheeling & dealing and a quick trip to the bank... we agreed on $90 for the pair.

This is easily my favorite purchase of the show... so I'll post more about it later this week.

Purchase #6: 3 cards for $5

After lunch, I made one more pass through the show and ran across the guy selling stuff next to me at the DeAnza Flea Market back in November. We talked for about 10 minutes while I sifted through his stuff. I'm a huge fan of rookie card refractors and McFadden is one of the best backs in the game (when he's healthy). The Couch/McNown dual autograph fits well in my Sports Card Bust PC. And the low numbered rookie parallel of Gramatica will look nice with the jersey card I showed off last week.

I'm always looking to hear your feedback on my purchases.

Which was your favorite? Least favorite?

Remember... I'm a big boy... your opinions won't hurt my feelings. Personally... I sort of regret picking up the Gwynn McFarlane, since I don't really need two. Maybe I'll bring this one into my classroom.

And I didn't have to think twice about my favorite. I'm stoked about the GPK binder. A purchase I'll remember for years.

Well... I hope all of you had a great weekend. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Sayonara!

Extra Edition

Outside of buying cases of 2008 UD Masterpieces Football, 2008-09 Topps Signature Basketball, and 2009-10 Bowman 48 Basketball... this is easily the most I've spent on cardboard in a single month since the 90's. I will not be doing this again anytime soon!

Sports Card Trifecta #14: Nate Robinson

2012-01-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

The Black Mamba won it once.

Air Jordan did it twice.

But... Nate Robinson has won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest a record three times.

I'll be honest... I've lost interest in the dunk contest over the years. These days... I'll wait until the next day and watch the highlights online.

That doesn't change the fact that I'm a huge fan of KryptoNate. There's just too many similarities between the two of us... to not like him:

A. I live in the Bay Area and he's a Golden State Warrior.

B. I played one season of organized basketball and was a PG. Nate's a point guard.

C. I'm short and he's currently the shortest player in the NBA.

It's eerie right? Like we were separated at birth or something. Anyways... here's a look at the first Sports Card Trifecta I've built in over seven months:

Rookie Card: 2005-06 Topps Chrome #193

Autographed Card: 2006-07 Sweet Shot "Signature Shots Leather" #NR

Memorabilia Card: 2007-08 Artifacts "Divisional Artifacts" #DANR

Okay... that's all I have left in the tank. It's been a long week and it's time for bed. Have a great weekend everyone... and sayonara!

Cardboard Values and the Words "Scarce" & "Rare"

2012-01-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

I just finished writing the post below & my brain is officially fried. This post starts off in one place and completely ends up in another, so I apologize in advance to those who get annoyed.

Remember the card show I attended a few weekends ago? Well... I saved my best find for today's post:

2000 Pacific Prism Prospects "Holographic Mirror" # Isaac Bruce (#'d 57/75)

Beckett lists this card at $10... but of course that doesn't mean anything... especially since I picked this copy for a whopping 10¢. Yep... 10 pennies. It's flippin' serial numbered to 75.

Wow... cardboard "values" just aren't the same as they used to be. And neither are the words "scarce" or "rare".

Wish I could find this card for 10¢!

Do you remember back in 1990, when Pro Set randomly inserted 10,000 Lombardi Trophy holograms into their wax boxes? Ten thousand. A number in today's hobby that seems astronomic... but back then was considered "rare".

Obviously, it's simply a case of "supply" vs. "demand". Back in the early 90's... there were 5... 10... maybe 20 times the amount of card collectors there are now. Collectors saw the values of '81 Topps Montana rookies soaring though the roof and figured their Dan McGwire rookies would do the same... and so the card market boomed.

Then the walls came tumbling down. Maybe too many collectors got burned and have walked away from the hobby. Maybe kids these days would rather play Modern Warfare 3 or hang out on Facebook, instead of busting packs.

Either way, the number of collectors in the hobby is nowhere near what it once was. In other words, "demand" has dropped... which means "values" have also fallen too.

Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about...

I recently saw a one of a kind printing plate of Isaac Bruce sell on eBay for $1.76 (free shipping). Insane right? It's impossible to get any rarer than this. And it's not like Isaac Bruce is a common. He has the 7th most receptions in NFL history and the 3rd most receiving yards. On top of that... he has 91 receiving touchdowns... which ranks him 10th all-time.

It makes me wonder whether or not the pieces of cardboard I purchase are destined to fade into obscurity like Kenner Starting Lineups, Beanie Babies, & Pogs.

Well at least the Lombardi Trophy hologram still commands big money.

So what do you think?

What do you think the future holds for this hobby?

Is collecting cardboard a dying hobby?

Regardless if the cardboard future is "dark" or "bright"... I'm in it for the long haul. I've definitely cut back in spending since my collecting days of yore. But that doesn't mean that these pieces of cardboard with pictures of grown men on them aren't a huge part of my "happy place".

Have a great day... and sayonara!

Extra Edition

So... I understand that some of you might feel that I'm focusing too much on "value"... and not enough about the pieces of cardboard themselves & the joy they bring to all of us.

Well.. I wholeheartedly assure you that this isn't the case. It's been years since I purchased cards for the sake of "investment". But at the same time... this particular collector isn't independently wealthy. I'm living on a teacher's salary... and can't afford to just throw away money. Maybe I need to look at it as I'm "investing" in my "happiness"?

By the way... if you can believe it... this post was originally part of my Cheap Cool Cards series. That's what happens when you suffer from ADD.

I love the 80's #9: 1981 Topps Movie Posters

2012-01-24T19:46:00.001-08:00

In 1981, Topps released a movie mini poster set, which contained 12 different movie posters that were distributed in packs. There were 36 packs in a box and each pack contained one 12"x20" poster.

Here's the checklist:

1 Jaws

2 Superman

3 Grease

4 Airplane!

5 Star Wars

6 Rocky

7 Animal House

8 The Empire Strikes Back

9 Young Frankenstein

10 The Blue Lagoon

11 Revenge of the Pink Panther

12 Smokey and the Bandit

As soon as I saw that Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back were part of this set, I knew I wanted them. So a few months ago, I found a guy who was selling Star Wars posters for $4/each, so I purchased two. After shipping & handling, I ended up paying $10 for the pair. At the time... I couldn't find any ESB posters at a reasonable price, so I decided to be patient.

Then earlier this month, I found a guy selling a complete box with 36 unopened packs on eBay. After a small bidding war, I ended up winning with a final bid of $20.50 (+ $23.50 shipping). Nope that's not a typo... the seller is in Canada.

In addition to the box, he threw in eleven of the twelve posters in the set. Can you guess what the missing poster was? Yep... Star Wars. He mentioned that he was missing Smokey & the Bandit, but that wasn't the case. Plus... as luck would have it... he threw in an extra ESB poster.

The posters are 30 years old, so the quality isn't the greatest. In fact, the paper is pretty thin and the folds you see are a result of the way they were inserted into packs. But for $53.50... I ended up getting the following:

- A Box w/36 Unopened Packs

- A Complete Set of 12 Posters

- An Extra Star Wars Poster & An Extra The Empire Strikes Back Poster

Not exactly sure what I'll do with the box. For now... it's sitting in a box in my garage. The set is a keeper... just trying to figure out how I want to store them. And the two extra posters will either be hung up in my classroom or be given to my nephew who's a huge Star Wars fan.

Okay... your turn:

Out of the 12 movies on this checklist, which is your favorite and which is your least favorite?

The Empire Strikes Back is easily my favorite... and out of all of the movies on the checklist that I've seen... I'd say The Blue Lagoon is the only one I'd never watch again. I've never watched Young Frankenstein or Revenge of the Pink Panther, but I'd give them a shot before watching some guy with a blonde afro hitting on Brooke Shields again.

Enjoy the rest of your week... and sayonara!

Extra Edition

If you're interested in learning more about this product... I found a post over at A Pack A Day from three years ago. Pretty cool read.

Hiflew took the time to leave his top 5 movies in the comments section... so I figured I'd leave mine too:

#1 The Empire Strikes Back

#2 Star Wars

#3 Airplane!

#4 Smokey and the Bandit

#5 Rocky

Placekickers Need Love Too!

2012-01-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

Long snappers, punters, & placekickers... oh my!

I'm not sure about you... but in terms of collecting football cards these three positions get the least amount of hobby love from this collector.

And after watching this...

I felt the need to show Billy Cundiff & his fellow placekicker peers... that I care. So today's post is dedicated to them.

And in honor of them all... here's the lone placekicker memorabilia card in my collection:

2001 Stadium Club "Pro Bowl Jerseys" #SP-MG Martin Gramatica

Okay... so Gramatica isn't exactly a star. But he did lead the league in field goals made back in 2002... the same year he helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Plus... he played in one Pro Bowl.

In fact... this is the only jersey card out there for Gramatica collectors. He has one other memorabilia card, but it contains a piece of a goal post... not a jersey.

Okay your turn...

Who's your favorite placekicker of all-time?

Damn... this is a tough question. My first instinct was to go with Norm Johnson... Seattle's placekicker for most of the 80's... and their all-time leading scorer.

But then I remembered Joe Nedney. Nedney is a local guy, who is one year younger than me. He attended Santa Teresa High School, which was my high school's rival at the time. Later he attended SJSU, where he set their all-time scoring record.

Happy Monday... and sayonara!

The Beatles were wrong... money CAN buy me LOVE.

2012-01-21T17:14:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, I stopped buying cards in hopes of turning a profit. The fact is... I'll never recover half of the money I've spent on cardboard since I was a kid. Which is why I try my best not to think about "making money" when I buy cards.

But... that doesn't mean I don't get excited about a bargain every now and then.

Here's a 2008-09 Topps T51 Murad printing plate I picked up off of eBay two summers ago for $12.50 (+ $2.75 shipping):

They say sometimes an image can jog your memory... which is exactly what happened when I saw this highlight from last night's Clippers-Timberwolves game:

I totally forgot that I purchased that card, after watching that highlight, I started to wonder if I owned any nice cards of Kevin Love. Then I remembered I purchased this graded printing plate.

Later, I looked up his stats and was shocked to see the year he's put together so far:

Points Per Game: 24.7 (5th in NBA)

Rebounds Per Game: 14.5 (2nd in NBA)

Minutes Per Game: 39.6 (1st in NBA)

Double-Doubles: 15 (1st in NBA)

Total Efficiency Points: 416 (3rd in NBA)

Efficiency Ranking: 27.73 (2nd in NBA)

Hopefully, he'll continue to produce and have a solid career. Then I'll be able to turnaround, sell this card, and possibly retire a few years earlier. Just kidding!

Now it's time for your feedback. Obviously, I haven't been keeping up with the NBA this season, so I'm interested in hearing your take on Mr. Love.

As a player, is he a minor star, semi star, star, or super star?

Legit or one year wonder?

Overrated or underrated?

Okay... I'm starving. Time to grab some dinner. Happy Saturday everyone. Sayonara!

Extra Edition

By the way... if you're interested in reading more about this purchase... it was documented in G_moses' blog... Basketball (and Hockey) Card Blog a couple of years ago (especially in the comments section).

Domo Arigato: Card Collectors World

2012-01-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Want to hang out with fellow collectors and win free cards? Then head over to Card Collectors World Forum and create an account.

I recently entered one of their contests and won a bunch of UFC cards. All I had to do was comment on their 2011 Topps UFC Moment of Truth card review and post my favorite MMA fighter.

Here's a look at my winnings:

Showdown Shots & Heavy Hitters

Ramsey Nijem (#'d 05/88)

Nate Marquardt (#'d 30/88)

And this awesome relic of The California Kid: Urijah Faber:

Thanks CCW for your generosity. The Faber has already been added to my MMA PC.

Have a great weekend and sayonara!

Domo Arigato: Jon @ State of The Hobby

2012-01-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Jon over at State of The Hobby...I'm Your Average Card Collector held a little giveaway to kick of the new year.

And voila... I won! He graciously sent me two hits:

2011 Bowman "Autograph" #BPA-CS Cody Scarpetta (#199/199)

According to www.scoutingbook.com, he's a big, strong right hander with an effective fastball and a decent curve, but lacks a true third pitch. It looks like the Brewers called him for a day last year, although he is still waiting to make his MLB appearance.

2011 Topps American Pie "Relics" #APR15 Gilbert Gottfried

This is the first 2011 Topps American Pie card... and I couldn't be happier. I'll admit, I've never been a Gottfried fan... in fact his voice & facial expressions drive me nuts. Never heard/seen it?

But... he was definitely a part of my childhood and a piece of American pop culture... so I welcome this relic to my collection with open arms.

Thanks a million Jon for these two generous gifts. Have a wonderful weekend & sayonara!

Set Showcase #18: 2011 Topps "Prime 9 Refractor" Set

2012-01-20T22:09:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you cross refractors with redemptions and modern day stars with legends?

Well... if you answered the 2011 Topps Prime 9 Player of the Week Refractors... then pat yourself on the back.

Last summer, Topps inserted special redemption cards into their Series Two Hobby (1:18) & Jumbo (1:5) packs. Each redemption card had a specific week designated on it... and collectors could bring them in to their local HTA store during that week and redeem it for a special refractor card.

Set: 9 Cards

#PNR1 Johnny Bench

#PNR2 Albert Pujols

#PNR3 Jackie Robinson

#PNR4 Derek Jeter

#PNR5 Mike Schmidt

#PNR6 Hank Aaron

#PNR7 Mickey Mantle

#PNR8 Ichiro Suzuki

#PNR9 Sandy Koufax

The program ran nine weeks which means that there are nine cards in the set. As you can see the checklist contains some of the biggest names in the game and no scrubs.

Hall of Famers: 66.6% (6 Players)

With only nine cards in the set, there's no surprise that the Prime 9 players are all big names... including "The Mick". In twenty years, all nine of these guys will be in Cooperstown.

eBay Value: $5 (+ Free Shipping)

These sets will never be rare, since I'm sure Topps sent their HTA stores a nice handful of these to hand out to their customers. Recent completed listings show that people have picked up complete sets for as low as $0.01 (+ $3.75 shipping). However, one seller even managed to sell his set for $9.99 (+ free shipping).

Beckett Value: $25

This is another example of inaccurate pricing in Beckett's price guides. Their complete set pricing ranges from $10 to $25. Based on my research... it should be more like $4 to $10. But I guess Beckett has to play their role in blowing smoke up peoples' butts... and making people feel like they're getting a great deal.

So... if you're not in it for the money... and are looking for some cool refractors... I encourage you to grab one of these sets. You really can't go wrong. For under five bucks (or the price of three hobby packs), I was able to add two players that I PC (Ichiro & Robinson).

If you're looking for specific cards, I encourage you to head over to COMC. Everyone (except for the Mantle) is listed at $0.79 or less, while the Mantle is listed at $1.95.

Okay... time to hear your feedback. I'm sure there are a fair number of collectors out there who wish card companies would end their use of "redemption cards" when it comes to redeeming them for a promised hit in a pack/box. But...

What's your opinion on redemption cards that encourage you to interact with local card shops? Would you rather just have card companies insert the cards into packs?

Personally... I like the "idea" behind the "concept"... however as with anything there are flaws. What happens if you don't have any local card shops in the nearby area? How do you prevent card shops from selling them, instead of handing them out?

Anyways... it's been a long week. I hope all of you enjoy your weekend. Sayonara!

PC Spotlight #15: The Jackie Robinson of Hockey

2012-01-18T16:56:00.001-08:00

Fifty-four years ago on January 18th, 1958... Willie O'Ree etched his name in hockey history when he broke the color barrier and became the first black player in NHL history.

I've always been fascinated by sports history... and remember the first time I was introduced to O'Ree. Back in the day, I was at my local card shop busting a box of 1997-98 Pinnacle Beehive, when I pulled this:

Hockey cards had been a part of my collecting addiction for several years... but I had never heard of this O'Ree fella. But, I figured I had something special... because the sepia toned photo hinted towards him being an older player. That's when my buddy who worked at the shop told me he was known as the Jackie Robinson of hockey.

It still surprises me to know that you can pick up certified autographed cards of O'Ree for under five dollars... including this Beehive card... which is an autographed version of his rookie card.

If you're not familiar with this product, they are larger than regular issue cards... and didn't seem to be very popular among the collectors I knew. And like most products from the mid 90's... Pinnacle Beehive eventually showed up at online stores for $10 to $15/box. I decided to bust a ton of this product and eventually built the complete twenty-five card autographed set that includes early autographs of Roberto Luongo & Joe Thornton, along with NHL legends like: Stan Mikita & Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.

The next time I'm down at my parents, I'll try to remember to dig this set up and do a write-up on it. The over-sized cards and on-card autographs truly makes this one of my favorite sets in my collection.

Today's question of the day...

What are some of your favorite autographed sets?

Happy Hump Day! Enjoy the rest of your week... and sayonara!

I Have A Cardboard Dream...

2012-01-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968

Whether you lived to see him in action or if you've only heard his story through movies, speeches, or books... if you're an American, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made an impact on you and your family's lives.

His leadership and hard work during the Civil Rights Movement has made the country I live in a better place for me, my family, and my friends. And for that... I am thankful.

In honor of King, I figured I'd "Pay It Forward" and share with all of you my "Cardboard Dream"...

I have a dream that one day more of our country's youth will discover the entertainment and knowledge found on tiny pieces of cardboard... so that our hobby will bounce back to the popularity it once was... and local card shops and card shows will flourish with fellow collectors.

I have a dream that card manufacturers will come together, make collectors their priority, give up their monopolies, be rid of redemption cards, sticker autographs, & vague memorabilia card COA's (thanks Chris P), and produce high quality products, instead of overproducing garbage.

I have a dream that Beckett, the so called Holy Grail of Cardboard Price Guides, will use the money their subscribers spend on their guides to hire the manpower required to track sales... in order to give collectors more up to date & accurate values... instead of the unrealistic, comical prices they feed us right now. (thanks G_Moses)

I have a dream that collectors will embrace the community and live together in peace... instead of using cardboard as a motivator to rip each other off in hopes of making a quick dollar... Yes that includes you too... Mr. Pack Searcher. Just because it isn't illegal, doesn't make it right.

I have a dream that these pieces of cardboard will continue to bring joy and happiness throughout my life... that it will give me the desire to continue writing this blog... and finally I hope that this hobby will continue to add new friendships and strengthen the camaraderie we have in this community.

This is my hope... and this is the faith that I go back to my stack of cardboard on my office desk with.

What about you?

What is your "Cardboard Dream"?

I hope all of you have a great week and have the opportunity to see your "Cardboard Dreams" come true. Sayonara!

Card Show Recap, a Couple of Thank You's, & a Box Break

2012-01-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Part 1: Card Show Recap

There's a memorabilia show at the Great Mall in Milpitas this holiday weekend. I figure, I'd let the numbers do the talking...

56 - Pieces of cardboard I purchased at the card show.

23 - New additions to my Vintage PC Card Binder.

19.5 - Miles I drove to get to the card show.

$17.38 - Amount spent on food & beverages at the card show.

$10 - Amount spent on cardboard (between 2 dealers).

4 - Dealers who were selling pieces of cardboard.

1 - Total sales my buddy had from 10am to 6pm at his booth ($3).

$.50 - The most I spent on a single piece of cardboard at the show.

Here are some of my purchases:

Vintage Pickups

1982 Donruss Seaver, 1982 Fleer Seaver, 1982 Topps Seaver, 1981 Topps Fingers, 1972 Topps Foster, 1962 Topps Davis

1980 Topps Parker, 1976 Topps Luzinski, 1976 Topps Bell, 1986 Topps Carlton, 1979 Topps Niekro, 76/77 Topps Esposito

Rookie Card Pickups

2006 Topps DP&P Ngata RC Refractor, 2009 Finest Pettigrew RC Refractor, 2011 Finest Green RC, 1990 Bowman Williams RC

Insert & Parallel Card Pickups

09/10 Certified "Mirror Red" Unseld, 98/99 UD Ionix "Kinetix" Nowitzki, 1999 UD "Live Wires" Sanders

1995 Ultra "2nd Year Standout" Faulk, 2005 Topps "Golden Anniversary Gold Nuggets" Manning

It's never a good sign when I spend more money on food & beverages than cardboard... but it is what it is. At least I was able to add a handful of cards to my PC. I was especially excited to see the 1986 Topps Steve Carlton in one of Max's 10 cent bins.

Part 2: A Couple of Thank You's

Ryan, author of This Card Is Cool, Cardboard Zoo, & Chaos and Kanji, kicked off the new year with a contest before he headed off overseas to Japan. There were 7 different prize packages and I was fortunate to win one of them:

It's a book titled Wild and Outside written by Stefan Fatsis and a custom made photo ornament of Chicago's Navy Pier. Thanks a million Ryan... have fun teaching in Japan.

I also entered a few contests over on the Sports Card Radio Forum and won the contents from a 2008 Press Pass Basketball blaster box. Here are a few of the highlights:

Thanks Colin & Ryan for the contest. If you want to chat with fellow collectors, trade, and possibly win free cards... I encourage you to become a member of their forum. You won't regret it.

Part 3: Box Break Recap

What: 2011 Topps USA Baseball Set & Autograph

Who: a bunch of guys I've never heard of

Where: found it at Target

When: last week

How Much: $9.99

One of my students gave me a gift card to Target, so I bought toilet paper, laundry detergent, toothpaste, and this set. I have no idea who these guys are... but I was pretty happy with the simple set design Topps chose. Hopefully Hoby Milner becomes a MLB superstar.

Okay... I'm off to watch the Packers and the Giants face off. Hopefully this one doesn't end in Rodgers throwing an interception in overtime.

Happy Sunday everyone... and sayonara!

Flashback Friday #4: Finley's Heroes LP

2012-01-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

I hadn't purchased an LP Vinyl Record in over 15 years. Heck... it's been over 10 years since I owned my last turntable.

Then... last weekend a buddy and I headed over to Streetlight Records to kill some time. They have a huge variety of new and used CD's, DVD's, VHS movies, and LP's. Most of their stuff is sort of pricey... so I usually find what I want there, then head over to Amazon to buy it.

However... I found this on my latest outing:

It's an LP called Finley's Heroes that celebrates the Oakland A's 1972 championship season. I've seen them before at the flea market and have considered picking one up... but the records always have scratches or the cover is in bad condition.

This copy was brand new... still in the plastic wrapper. Best of all... it only set me back $5 and some change.

The cover artwork depicts Jim Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Bert Campaneris, and manager Dick Williams. It's too cool of a cover to let sit in a box, so I immediately headed to Michael's and purchased an album cover frame. I had to do some shuffling... but it's now officially a member of my Wall of Fame:

I kept it in the wrapper, but if you're interested in listening to the album... click here.

Today's question of the day:

What's your favorite album cover artwork?

Here's mine:

Okay... so I cheated and used my CD cover. But my album collection is currently gathering dust in my buddy's garage and my guess is he's still at work. It doesn't change the fact that this album cover is awesome.

Happy Friday everyone... I hope all of you have a safe holiday weekend. Sayonara!

Mama always said... "Don't judge a book by its cover."

2012-01-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness my 1955 Bowman rookie card of Don Mossi isn't a book... because I fell in love with this card the first time my eyes gazed upon it.

And thanks to Core Contrarian (who informed his readers that today is Mossi's 83rd birthday) I finally have the opportunity to show it off.

After some research... I think I can safely say this is the oldest rookie card in my collection. What about you?

What's the oldest rookie card in your collection?

Happy Birthday Don! And Happy Hump day to all of you. Sayonara!

Flea Market Finds #16: Miyazaki, Ruettiger, & Palmer

2012-01-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

When: Sunday, January 8th

Where: Capitol Flea Market

What: Two New DVD's & a Jim Palmer SLU

How Much: $7

I've gained twelve pounds since the start of the school year, so it's time to start getting some exercise. My gym is less than a mile away... but the fact is... I hate working out.

So instead of running on a treadmill Sunday morning... I walked around the flea market. My expectations weren't very high... but to my surprise, I actually spent twice as much money as I did last week.

Purchase #1: Spirited Away DVD $2

I'm sure a lot of you are scratching your heads right now, asking yourself... "Why did he waste $2 on a silly cartoon?". Well... it's no ordinary cartoon. It's one of Hayao Miyazaki's most popular anime films and it actually won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002. If you need something to watch, I encourage you to check it out.

Purchase #2: Rudy DVD $3

Rudy is one of my favorite sports films and last year, I brought my personal copy to work. I use it in my classroom every year to teach the students about goal setting and perseverance. For three dollars, I figured it doesn't hurt to have it in my collection at home, just in case my niece and nephew and need something to watch.

Purchase #3: 1998 Kenner "Cooperstown Collection" Jim Palmer SLU $2

Jim Palmer was enshrined in Cooperstown twenty-two years ago on January 9th, 1990. Palmer dominated the 70's. He had more wins and shutouts than any other pitcher... and had the lowest ERA among starting pitchers during the decade.

Regardless... these days Starting Line-Up figures are pretty much worthless... so of course, I popped it open:

It's a pretty nice figure that's fairly detailed... my favorite part are the orange stirrups. Best of all... I was able to add another card to my SLU card collection... which is slowly approaching the century mark:

Okay... time to wrap things up. Today is officially Triple Tuesday (I just made that up), so I have three (short & simple) questions for you:

Have you watched a cartoon movie in the past 12 months? If yes, which one?

Who's cooler? Rudy or Rocky

Are you a fan of baseball players wearing stirrups?

My responses:

Yes, I watched Princess Mononoke a few weeks ago. It's my favorite Miyazaki film and I watch it at least once a year.

Rocky (just barely though)

Of course... baseball isn't the same without them.

Happy Monday y'all... enjoy the rest of your week. Sayonara.

Cheap Cool Cards #22: Barry Larkin Rookie Cards

2012-01-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

1987 was a monumental year for me in terms of collecting cardboard. It marked the first time I purchased cards in "bulk"... in other words... I started collecting cards for "monetary" reasons.

I'm sure a lot of you know how that turned out... but let's not dwell on my sports memorabilia investment "frustrations" and focus on the positive.

These days there aren't many regular issue baseball cards from 1987 that hold a lot of monetary value among collectors, but that's not a bad thing. It means you can pick up rookie cards of Barry Bonds, David Cone, Greg Maddux, Bo Jackson, Will Clark, Jamie Moyer, Rafael Palmeiro, and Cooperstown's newest member: Barry Larkin.

Here's a list of some of his MLB achievements:

19 MLB Seasons (all with the Cincinnati Reds)

1993 Roberto Clemente Award Winner

1994 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Winner

1995 NL MVP

12x All-Star

9x Silver Slugger Award Winner

3x Gold Glove Award Winner

Not too shabby right? Best of all... you can own all three of his rookie cards for under $2.

1987 Donruss #492

Beckett Price: $1.50

COMC Price: $.53

1987 Fleer #204

Beckett Price: $3.00

COMC Price: $1.00

1987 Topps #648

Beckett Price: $1.00

COMC Price: $.30

So what are you waiting for? Instead of buying that 2011 Topps Update retail pack, head over to COMC and pickup these cheap cool cards. Unless, you're like me and have a few leftovers from your "junk wax" era collecting days. Which leads me to today's question:

What card (any sport) do you currently own the most of?

I am the proud owner of two hundred forty-nine 1997-98 Pinnacle Inside Steve Shield rookie cards... which is reason #249 for not collecting cards for investment purposes.

Congratulations Mr. Larkin! You're the first player from the 1987 rookie baseball card class to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Everyone else... have a great week. Sayonara!

NFL Playoff Predictions: It's in the cards!

2012-01-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Seahawks' season is over and the Green Bay Packers have the week off. What does that mean? It means that this is the first weekend in nearly five months that I don't have a reason to watch football.

Don't get me wrong... I'm going to watch Wild Card Weekend, but the outcomes won't really affect my mood.

I figure... instead of predicting the games by analyzing numbers... lets allow the cardboard to play the role of soothsayer.

Allow me to introduce my 1991 Score "Team MVP" subset:

And now it's time for these MVP's to face off to determine who's going to win this weekend:

Cincinnati @ Houston

James Brooks vs. Warren Moon

Okay... I realize Moon didn't play for the Texans, but they weren't around back in 1991, so I had to use the next best thing: The Houston Oilers. This game is a no-brainer. Moon is a 9-time Pro Bowler, while Brooks went played in Hawaii only four times. Throw in the fact that Moon is enshrined in Canton and the cards foresee BLOWOUT!

Final Score:

Bengals 18 (The # of games Brooks rushed for 100 or more yards during his NFL career)

Texans 37 (The # of game winning drives Moon led his teams to during his NFL career)

Detroit @ New Orleans

Barry Sanders vs. Pat Swilling

Swilling was one of the best pass rushers in 1991. Sanders is one of the best running backs in the history of the league.

Final Score:

Lions 26 (The # of games Sanders rushed for 150 yards or more yards during his NFL career)

Saints 17 (The # of league leading sacks Swilling had for the Saints in 1991)

Atlanta @ New York

Andre Rison vs. Pepper Johnson

Both made the first-team All-Pro once. Neither are in the hall of fame. Tie breaker: Johnson has five Super Bowl rings, while Rison has one.

Final Score:

Falcons 18 (The # of postseason points Rison scored in his NFL career)

Giants 25.5 (The # of sacks Johnson had during his 13 year NFL career)

Pittsburgh @ Denver

Rod Woodson vs. Bobby Humphrey

Sorry Broncos fans... this isn't going to be pretty. Woodson is an eleven time Pro Bowler, a member of the Football Hall of Fame, and holds the NFL record for interceptions returned for TD's, while Humphrey started twenty-seven games in his career and made one Pro Bowl.

Final Score:

Steelers 71 (The # of interceptions Woodson had during his NFL career)

Broncos 7 (The highest, single season NFL touchdown total for Mr. Humphrey)

I apologize in advance if your team isn't destined to win, but you can't deny the power of football card foresight. Happy Saturday everyone... and sayonara!

Domo Arigato: Adam, Chris, Wes, & Josh

2012-01-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was like Christmas in January. I received five packages in the mail from four different collectors... so let's go ahead and get started.

Adam (a.k.a arpsmith) sent me this Chris Bando, which finished off my 1984 Topps Baseball set:

1984 Topps #431 Chris Bando

Thanks a million Adam... I truly appreciate your generosity and support of the blog. A thank you card will be shipped out tomorrow.

The second package was from Chris over at Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Last week, he showed off his 1976 Topps Traded set and I commented on the Oscar Gamble card:

1976 Topps Traded #74T Oscar Gamble

It's one of those cards that stands out from my childhood and I define it as a classic for obvious reasons. Well... he had an extra one and graciously offered it to me.

In addition to the Gamble, he also sent me a few extra cards for my PC's:

1984 Topps #431 Chris Bando

Nope... it's not deja vu. After attempting to build this set for over a year now... I received the final card needed from two different collectors on the same day. I'm so stoked! I've officially completed one of my 2012 Hobby Goals.

Speaking of goals, I'm also trying to collect every regular issue Steve Carlton card produced by Topps during his playing years. Chris sent me these two:

1984 Topps #780 Steve Carlton

1985 Topps #360 Steve Carlton

So now I just need these to complete my Steve Carlton PC:

1965 Topps #477

1969 Topps #255

1972 Topps (Traded) #751

1975 Topps (Mini) #185

1983 Topps #70

1986 Topps #120

1987 Topps (Traded) #19T

Chris... if you're reading this... thanks a lot for this amazing "just because" package. There's a package heading out tomorrow with some Maddux's for your PC. Enjoy.

My third thank you goes out to my cardboard comrade, Wes (author of Jaybarkerfan's Junk).

I met him last year over at Card Collector's World, where I was introduced to his Pay It Forward project. Essentially, he was giving a way a ton of cards with nothing expected in return. If you liked them... you could keep them. If not... he just asked you to pass them on to someone who could use them. It was one of the coolest things I've encountered since I joined the blog world.

Since then, he's sent several packages which have contained hundreds of cards that have been passed onto my students. In addition to his generous packages, he also ran an awesome, interactive contest at the end of the year where he handed out a ton of prizes. In short... Wes is one of the good guys.

So when I came across one of his posts where he was selling card lots to raise some funds, I wanted to help out.

Here's what arrived in yesterday's package:

This post is getting long, so here are just a few of my favorites:

1984 Topps #358 Joe Montana

2007 Topps "Exclusive Rookies" #28 Patrick Willis

2006 Upper Deck "Rookie Futures" #RFVD Vernon Davis

2006 Upper Deck #250 Greg Jennings RC

1978 Topps #34 Willie McCovey

1995 Metallic Impressions #3 Nolan Ryan

In addition to these cards, I also received another package from Wes that contained this:

It's an autographed 8x10 photo of Charley Trippi, with a HOF '68 inscription. Trippi played from 1947 to 1955 and played a little bit of everything: quarterback, half back, punter, and even spent a few seasons playing safety. In fact, Jim Thorpe once called Trippi, "the greatest football player I ever saw." He may have been before my time, but for Thorpe to make that sort of statement, Trippi must have been special.

Thanks Wes... you're an asset to the community and it's an honor to call you my friend.

The fifth and final package from yesterday was from Josh over at Royals and Randoms. Josh held an cool & creative contest over on his blog last month, where it was sort of a "white elephant" event. Participants got to pick twenty cards from a huge list and you were able to lock in three of them. Everything else was fair game, which meant that someone choosing after you could "steal" up to one card from your list.

I stole a few cards... including this Bo Jackson (that I immediately locked up):

And of course... had a few cards stolen from me. But here's what I ended with:

One of the cards was a much needed 1987 Topps Steve Carlton, which was quickly added to my PC:

And the final prize from the contest was this pack of 1992 Pro Line Portraits, which contains nine cards of Jim Everett.

Since I'm not planning on buying a lot of wax this year, I figured I'd get my fix by busting this pack. Here's what I found inside:

Thanks Josh for the awesome contest prizes. I had a blast playing and appreciate all of the cards. I found a few Royals cards that I'll ship out tomorrow. Hopefully you can use them in your collection.

Well... that's about it. Was this post long enough for you? I was able to complete one of my hobby goals by finishing off the 1984 Topps baseball set, but at the same time I failed to keep my post to a reasonable length.

I apologize and will try my best to keep my remaining posts short... or at least shorter than this.

Thanks again to Adam, Chris, Wes, & Josh for all of these cards.

Happy Friday everyone... I hope all of you have a great weekend. Sayonara!

PC Addition - One of a Kind Bruce Lee Painting

2012-01-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

My birthday was in September... but on Tuesday, I went back into the classroom and received the above painting as a belated birthday present from one of my students.

It's a one of a kind acrylic/water color painting of Mr. Bruce Lee. Pretty awesome, right? I won't disclose her identity, but she's a seventh grade student who has been drawing since she was three years old and currently sells these works of art for $5 each. Ironically, I discovered her talent back in August, when I caught her drawing in my class. She showed me her portfolio and I was blown away by her paintings and sketches of: Michael Jackson, 2-Pac, and Fred Astaire.

I asked her if she'd sell me one, but she insisted on painting a custom piece for my birthday... all I had to do was decide on which subject I wanted. It took a few months, but I finally decided on Bruce Lee, who has been a personal icon of pure "awesomeness" since I first watched his movies as a kid.

Here's the image she based the painting on:

It's from his 1973 classic and one of my favorite films, Enter The Dragon. Sadly, Lee passed away at the age of thirty-two on July 20th, 1973... just six days prior to the release of this film in Hong Kong. Thankfully, his legacy will live on forever in his films, dojos, and of course peoples' memories.

Here is today's question of the day:

What's your favorite movie?

And if you're really cool, you can be more specific and tell everyone your favorite movie featuring "martial arts".

I hope all of you had a great week... I can't believe tomorrow is already Friday. Stay positive & sayonara!

Oh... and I almost forgot... a few years ago, a friend of mine donated her bearded dragon to my class. In honor of Mr. Lee, I named him "Bruce".

Bruce was my classroom pet for four years. Unfortunately, I don't own him anymore. My new principal wouldn't let me bring him with me to the middle school level, so I found a nice home for him with a student's family.

Flea Market Finds #15: Huge PC Addition

2012-01-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

When: Saturday, December 31st

Where: Capitol Flea Market

What: A Hockey Stick & Some Baseball Cards

How Much: $3

This is the first time I've purchased anything sports memorabilia related at the flea market in close to two months... an I ended up only spending $3. But, it might have been the best three bucks I spent all year.

Purchase #1: Game Used/Practice Used Autographed Hockey Stick $1

At first glance, it looks like it's a Todd Gill stick, because his name is written (in Sharpie) on the shaft and his signature is signed boldly on the blade.

But after closer inspection, I saw some faint lettering (IAFR) printed on the shaft under Gill's name. I decided to look at some older Sharks cards from the mid 90's and noticed that Gill used Bauer hockey sticks, while Al Iafrate used the same Koho Revolution.

The guy who sold it to me didn't know anything about the stick other than the fact that it belonged to his son. So unfortunately, I don't have any proof that it was used by Iafrate in a game or practice... but my buddy who owns several game used sticks says this stick is legit... which is good enough for me.

By the way... the stick also has autographs of:

Ed Belfour: This guy is my least favorite Shark of All-Time.

Greg Hawgood: Hawgood was one of my favorite players in the mid 90's, because his son attended the preschool I taught at.

Purchase #2: 1992 Topps Gold Winners Lot & a 1991 Topps Magazine Card Sheet $2

This guy had boxes of cards for sale, so I dug through his stuff and found a couple of things for my collection. The first thing was a plastic box filled with 1992 Topps Gold Winners, that included two of my favorite players: Greg Maddux & Rickey Henderson.

The other item that caught my attention was this card sheet from an issue of Topps Magazine:

If you know me... than it's obvious why I picked it up. However, just in case you don't know... I collect Tony Gwynn and needed this card for my collection.

I'm a sucker for oddballs, especially 80's & 90's oddballs. The cards on the left are the original 1986 issues, while the ones on the right are the "replicas".

It's your turn...

Outside of cards, do you own any "game used" or "practice used" memorabilia?

Happy Wednesday everyone... enjoy the rest of your week. Sayonara!

2 Athletes + 1 Nephew = 1 Priceless Moment

2012-01-03T16:07:00.001-08:00

Sometimes two plus one doesn't equal three. Last Thursday, I hung out with my nephew and took him to grab Sharks autographs. We went to the San Jose Arena, and I bought one of those "This is Sharks Territory" signs, while my nephew wanted to get his 8x10 Shark's logo signed.

Unfortunately, practice was canceled... so most of the players weren't there. However, we didn't leave empty handed.

Mike Ricci stopped by, signed for us... then proceeded to joke around with my nephew about schoolwork and grades. It was one of those moments that he'll remember for years.

Coach McLellan and injured forward Martin Havlat also took the time to sign for us. Although at first, it didn't look like Havlat was going to sign for us. He's been on IR since December 21st and was on crutches. So he was a little preoccupied and none of us wanted to bother him.

Then, he waved my nephew (nobody else) over and signed for him. You should have seen the smile on my nephew's face. The rest of us figured that we'd have to wait until another day... but right before he left, he offered to sign for everyone.

After that... my nephew was hooked. On the drive home, he asked if we could go out again, so we made plans to go on Saturday with my buddy, Mike and his daughter. Unfortunately, my nephew's family was leaving town in the early afternoon, which meant he couldn't go.

But Mike was still interested, so I decided to go anyways... and boy, am I glad I did.

I was able to get the rest of my sign autographed:

It's not autographed by the entire team, but I was able to get all of the big names: Marleau, Thornton, Pavelski, Clowe, Burns, Havlat, Boyle, Niemi, Ricci, Vlasic, Couture, and McLellan.

Plus... I was able to finish a project I started in November, by grabbing Joe Thornton's autograph on this dual photo with Patrick Marleau:

It was the first time I was able to grab every key player in one outing. Hopefully the Sharks are feeling this generous the next time I take my nephew. But I have a feeling that even if he gets the opportunity to say "hello" to only one player, it'll still make his day... which will make my day.

What about you...

Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting someone famous as a child? If so, who?

I can't remember the specific year, but when I was in elementary school... Judy Blume, my favorite childhood author, visited my classroom.

I know she's not an athlete... but for a guy who isn't a big reader, the experience motivated me to read all of her children's books.

Well, that's all I've got. I hope everyone has a great week. Sayonara!

Matt Flynn: Greatest Packers QB Ever

2012-01-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Okay... I apologize for the exaggeration, but I wanted to get your attention.

Up until yesterday morning, I didn't know if Aaron Rodgers or Matt Flynn was going to start. Either way, I figured Flynn would receive most of the snaps... but I had no idea he'd be breaking records. In just his second career start, he accumulated the following stats:

31 Passing Completions (out of 44 attempts)

480 Passing Yards (Packers Franchise Record)

6 Passing Touchdowns (Packers Franchise Record)

In addition to those two records, he combined with Matthew Stafford to set a pair of NFL records. It was the first time in NFL history that two QB's each threw 400+ yards & 5+ touchdowns passes. Plus their 971 total combined passing yards broke Tom Brady and Chad Henne's previous NFL record of 906 passing yards, which was set in week 1 of this season.

If you're a Packers fan, then you remember last season's game against the New England Patriots. That's where Flynn marched into Foxborough and almost pulled off a huge upset in his first professional start.

A year later, he outdid himself and showed people that he's more than just a capable backup. He may not be the greatest quarterback in Green Bay Packers franchise history, but it's safe to say, he won't be wearing a Packers uniform next season.

Congratulations to Mr. Flynn and the rest of the Green Bay Packers for their huge week 17 win against the Detroit Lions. Now it's time to get ready for the post season, where hopefully Aaron Rodgers will lead this highly talented offense to another Super Bowl victory.

It's your turn.

Who are your Super Bowl XLVI picks? And who will win?

If you go back and read my September 10th post, you'll see I picked the Packers over the Patriots... and I have no reason to change my selection.

Well... today's my last day off, before I head back into the classroom. I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays, as much as I did. Have a great week and sayonara!