Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

There was a time when I was okay with a line being drawn between Hall of Fame and Hall of Very Good guys.  I'm totally in support of a small hall, but that's a thing of the past.  As more and more guys from the Hall of Very Good have received the call from Cooperstown, I just couldn't understand why Ted Simmons hadn't received more love.

Well justice has been served and Simba is headed to Cooperstown.  Here are three pieces of Ted Simmons memorabilia that reside in my collection:

1971 Topps #117

I picked up this graded copy of his rookie card on eBay back in July for $34.99 (+ $3 shipping).  Technically it was free since I used one of those eBay gift cards I received from my credit card company.

Prices of these have risen steadily over the past couple of years as collectors have been anticipating the day he'd get inducted.  In the last month or so, they've sold in the $60 to $90 range.  I'm glad I didn't wait any longer.

Next up is a signed baseball I picked up at a card show two years ago for $15:

The ball is one of those Leaf certified baseballs that was signed on the sweet spot and features an 8x All-Star inscription.

Last, but not least is another rookie card of Simmons.  Only this one has been slightly modified:

When Topps added Ted Simmons to their Archives Fan Favorites autographs checklist back in 2018, I went on a mission to add one of them to my collection.  It never happened.  However I picked up this signed rookie card along the way.  It set me back $35 (+ $3.75 shipping) which was about the going rate for one of those Fan Favorite autographs at the time.

Congratulations Simba!

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!

Flea Market Flops #1: The Inaugural Edition

It's a crapshoot every time I grab my backpack, water bottle, and pistachios and head out to the local flea market.

Sometimes I find new items for my collection.  And other times I walk away empty handed.  Either way, I usually only write about my flea market success stories.  But that's about to change.  I figure it's probably just as interesting to reflect on the stuff I didn't buy too.

So here's a look at some of the stuff I walked away from over the past month or so:

Binder Full of Los Angeles Dodgers  $100

This was from a few weekends ago.  I came across this awesome binder full of 70's and 80's Los Angeles Dodgers cards.  Obviously... a few bloggers instantly came to mind, so I asked the guy about it.  After a two to three minute conversation about how rare some of these cards are, he told me he wanted $150... but I could have it for $100.

I'm sure if you're a fan of Beckett values... it might be in the same ballpark.  But I wasn't willing to pay over $20.  Sorry Night Owl, Zakwin, Stealing Home, and GCRL.


Cards One: Bringing Back The Oldies 80's Packs $2 each or 3 for $5

How addicted am I to cardboard?  I'm so addicted that I considered picking up these repacks from Cards One... which probably contain a bunch of 1988 Topps baseball.  Anyways... I was willing to give the guy $2 for all three packs, but he kindly shot down my offer.


Rubber Band Wrapped Sports Cards $2

I flipped through these and didn't see anything I wanted.  But I had figured the least I could do was entertain the lady and ask her about the cards.  She told me that they were left behind in her classroom by a former student... which led to a conversation about teaching, schools, and of course "education" in general.

In the end, she told me I could have them for $2, since I was a teacher.  I passed... even though I appreciated the $3 educator's discount.


Baseball Card Binder $50

I'm not going to lie.  I really, really wanted this binder.  It had a bunch of 70's stars in it, including Pete Rose, George Brett, Reggie Jackson, and Tom Seaver.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough in it to justify spending $50.  I offered $20 (which I though was more than fair) and the guy laughed at me.


Ichiro Suzuki Bobble Head $7

Seven dollars isn't a terrible price for a hand painted bobble head, but it was just a little out of my price range.  I wanted to pay $3... but was willing to go up to $5.  The good thing is that I've seen this bobble on three different occasions.  Maybe one of these times he'll drop his price.


2000 McFarlane Big League Challenge Mark McGwire $10

Do I really need a Mark McGwire logo-less figure?  No.  Do I really want a Mark McGwire logo-less figure?  No.

But I had to ask about it... and the Jeff Garcia bobble sitting right next to it.

The guy wanted $10/each or $15 for the pair.  As I walked away, he asked how much I wanted to spend.  I told him a buck and he told me not to waste his time.  Well... that's how much I wanted to spend.  My parents told me to never ask a question, if I didn't want to hear the answer.


9-Pocket Pages w/Baseball Cards $10

This is probably one of the more intriguing things I walked away from, because within this packet of 10 to 12 9-Pocket pages, there were inserts and rookie cards.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a great look at them, because they had taped the pages together.

Ten dollars was kind of high for a mystery package that only guaranteed me a Russell Martin rookie card and a low end insert of Derek Jeter.  I was willing to give the guy up to $3, but didn't say anything because I didn't want to offend the guy.


Dave Dravecky & Wally Joyner Autographed Balls $225

I had to save the best for last.  In all honesty... this might be one of my all-time favorite flea market stories.

As a child of the 80's, I would love to add autographs of both of these guys to my collection... but seriously... there's no way anyone is giving the lady $225 for the pair.

But hold on... it actually gets better.  She wanted $150 for each of them individually, but was willing to give me a package discount.

Wait... it gets better.  When I picked up the Dravecky to see if it was certified... she YELLED at me.  Not just a "loud" voice... it was a sharp, unsuspecting, ear piercing scream.  Everyone stopped what they were doing to see what the drama was about.

It was awesome!

As she yelled at me, I immediately began thinking to myself... how should I react?  Well... I took the high road... put the ball down... took out my phone and snapped this picture... then walked away with a huge smile on my face.

The event definitely got the blood flowing... but I can't wait until the next time I see her.  Because I'll definitely be fondling her balls again.

Happy Friday and sayonara!

The Pride & Joy Of My PC

BA Benny asked...

Hey Fuji, what are the three most prized item in your collections? Value does not have to be a factor, but can be.

Out of all of the questions submitted last week, this is the one I found to be the most difficult and nearly impossible to answer. Why you ask? It's not because I lack treasured items. It's because I have too many. In fact I've spent the past week going through different items in my collection and found a ton I deem priceless and wouldn't trade or sell unless my life depended on it.

But BA Benny specifically asked for my top three, so three he shall receive:

Autographed Little League Ball

 

Two months ago, my nephew Ryan signed and gave me this ball. My collection of autographed balls includes several of my favorite players including Tony Gwynn and Kurt Suzuki (domo arigato The Big Kahuna), but the one my nephew gave me is in a league of its own.

Autographed Douglas Murray San Jose Sharks Ticket

Douglas Murray is my favorite San Jose Shark and last September he signed this ticket for me at their practice facility. But that's not the only reason it's one of my prized possessions. Every year, I take my nephew (Kobe) to a Sharks game for his Christmas present and this was the game we attended. It's also the game where Devin Setoguchi scored two goals and became my nephew's favorite player. Setoguchi might have moved on to Minnesota, but this ticket isn't going anywhere.

1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson

If I had to pick my favorite card in my collection, this would be it.  I mean where should I begin?  The card design is beautiful.  Jackie Robinson broke the MLB color barrier and is remembered (by me) as being a positive role model... something I strive to be everyday in the classroom.  The only downside to owning this card is that I truly own the card of my dreams.

Okay... it's your turn:

What are your three most prized possession in your collection?

1 Point - Leave your response below.
2 Points - If you've already answered this question in a past blog post, then leave a link below.
3 to 5 Points - Write your response in a new blog post.

I'll accept responses until tomorrow (Thursday) at 3pm (PST). I look forward to reading your responses.

Happy Wednesday and sayonara!

I'm gonna make a change... for once in my life.

I don't like change. Never have... and probably never will. But today... I'm making an exception. And it involves an allegiance I've had to one of my sports teams for close to three decades.

Although it's been something I've been pondering for the past few years... a post on the blog... Mint Condition pushed me over the edge. This morning Jordan posted "It sucks to be a Yankee fan when everybody wants you to lose." I immediately understood how he felt... not because I'm a Yankee fan, but because I too support a team that is expected to win year in and year out. And simply speaking... it's not fun anymore... and it hasn't been for awhile.

In the early 80's "Showtime" arrived in Los Angeles and I was introduced to professional basketball. Since then... I've been a die-hard Lakers fan.

But sports is suppose to be entertainment. It's suppose to be fun. And everyone has their own interpretation on "fun". Some love teams to support a city. Other people love their team, because it's a family tradition. Sometimes it's because their favorite player plays on the team. The list could go on and on, but for me... I chose the Los Angeles Lakers, because they were fun to watch and I tried to model my game around Byron Scott and his baseline jumper. Plus... it didn't hurt that they were always winning championships.

And for the next twenty-something years... I proudly supported them. Byron, Magic, Wilkes, McAdoo, Kareem, Worthy, A.C., Mychal, Cooper, Rambis, Van Exel, Eddie, Fish, Shaq, Kobe, Rodman, Horry, Devean, Lue, Shaw, Madsen, Fox, Rush, Walton, Malone, Payton, Odom, Sasha, Farmar, Mihm, Kwame, Ronny, Smush, Radmanovic, Mbenga, Pau, Crittenton, Ariza, Shannon, Powell, Morrison, Artest, Barnes, and Caracter.

But the fact is... there's no fun in supporting a team that "buys" their championships... at least for me that is. I've made the comparison in the past... like I said, it's something that has been on my mind for awhile now... and I'll explain it again to help all of you understand. The Lakers are basketball's version of the Yankees, the Cowboys, and the Red Wings. The majority of fans either love them, or hate them. And the reason is because they're not afraid to spend money to buy banners for their fans.

All of these teams are known for dishing out the big dollars to lure the big name athletes, who are expected to bring championships to their cities. And when they do... it's expected... and when they don't, it's catastrophic. And as a result, it's taken the fun out of the game for me. So starting today... I'm moving on to smaller and less talented things.

Today, I've decided to swing my support to the local Golden State Warriors, who are a lot less popular... and less talented, but are honestly a lot more exciting to watch. They're like the A's of basketball. I love the fact that there's no pressure for them to win a championship.

Now I realize that I'm going to be goat in the eyes of both teams' fans. Lakers fans will call me a traitor. Warriors fans will call me the unwanted stepchild. But... I'm okay with it. I realize, I need to earn my stripes here in the Bay Area.

However... it's impossible to throw away almost three decades of support for the purple and gold. As a result, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Lakers. Kobe will still my favorite player in the game. But the next time they're in Oakland, I'll be pulling for Monta, Stephen, Dorell, and David. And guess what... they won't be in the hunt for a NBA title, but at least they'll be fun to watch.

I'm sure I'm going to hear a lot of flak about this decision, but as a blogger... I must be held responsible for my actions. So have at it...

What do you think about my decision?

And just for kicks...

What teams do you hate the most?

Happy Friday everyone... have a good weekend. Sayonara!