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

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!