Absolutely Breathtaking

If Stadium Club baseball was a woman, it would be Ms. Upton:

In other words... stunning and badass.  It's hands down my favorite baseball product of the season and a classic for collectors who appreciate photography.

I picked up two boxes from Steel City Collectibles during their Black Friday sale for $49.95 each and I just grabbed two more last night.

Normally, I'd classify these purchases as "out of character", but I had been looking for some reasonably priced boxes for entertainment purposes.  And I wasn't disappointed.

I discovered first hand just how gorgeous this set is.

The vibrant colors and borderless photos pays homage to its once popular 90's ancestor.

And the inclusion of players from both the past and present make this checklist rock solid.

I especially enjoy the handful of black and white photography used within the set.  It's also really cool to see a few candid shots like Jackie signing autographs thrown into the mix too.

But the heart of the set are the action shots... most of which could be blown up and hung on museum walls.

Oh... and I almost forgot to mention this.  Collation was AWESOME!  Out of my first two boxes, I pulled 179 different cards and only one double.

Normally I'd be focused on the inserts, parallels, and autographs from this box break... but honestly they're just the icing on the cake.  The 200 card base set takes centerstage for me and I'm currently 74.5% of the way towards completing it.

So what are your thoughts on this stuff?  Hate it?  Like it?  Love it?

I hope all of you have a great weekend.  Happy Saturday and sayonara!

P.S.  I realize that this is the third appearance of the lovely Kate on this blog... and to be honest... it's probably not the last.  It's just too cool of a card to keep hidden in my collection.

Priceless Ink

Role model.  Grandfather.  Hero.  Engineer.  Husband.  Photographer.  Korean War veteran.  Idol.  Golfer.  And my dad.

Happy Father's Day Papa Fuji!

And a Happy Father's Day to all of the dads in our blogging community!  Happy Sunday and sayonara!

Sports + Photography = One Helluva Hobby

Collecting sports memorabilia isn't my only interest. I'm a huge admirer of photography. When I was a child, I used to love going into the local poster store at the mall and flipping through Ansel Adam's prints... especially his Yosemite collection.

In college, I took a photography class... but learning about aperture, shutter speed, and developing photos didn't hold my attention.

Nope... I'm one of those people who just enjoy admiring other peoples' art... but from time to time, I'll snap a few pictures of my own... without any regards to light metering or ISO speed.

In fact here are a couple of photos I shot yesterday on my phone...

One of the things about living in California is... it's hard to screw up a photo of its beautiful coast and sunset.

So what's better than collecting sports memorabilia and admiring beautiful photography? The answer is... combining the two.

Last week, I came across this gorgeous photograph of Ernie Banks and knew instantly that I had to own it. I love how it captures Banks at the tail end of his swing... probably watching one of his 512 round trippers sailing over the wall. But it's the subtle things like the positioning of the catcher, the dust hovering over home plate, and the blue tint of the fans that make this photo special. Plus... the beautiful signature done in blue paint pen on the dark background is nothing short of perfection.

Honestly, this photo could have been of a minor league player... and I would have considered adding it to my collection. But the fact that it was Ernie Banks... arguably one of the greatest players in the history of the Chicago Cubs franchise... definitely sealed the deal.

Here's a look at Bank's career accomplishments:

14x MLB All-Star

2x NL MVP (1958 & 1959)

Gold Glove Award Winner (1960)

Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Winner (1967)

Baseball HOF (1977)

Cubs Jersey #14 Retired (1982)

512 Career Home Runs

1,636 Career RBI's

All of this was accomplished during his nineteen years in Chicago, which is why he's nicknamed "Mr. Cub".

By the way... if you haven't checked out Insider Sports Deals, I encourage you to head over there. Every day, they have a new deal, which tend to be hit or miss... but every now and then, they hit a home run. The Banks photo was one of them.

I picked up this autographed 8x10 for $29.88.

The only downside to the whole purchase was the cost of shipping: $10.81. I picked up several other autographs (including an extra Banks for a friend) to make the shipping charge worthwhile. But... I'll save those for another day.

Here is today's question of the day...

What are some of your favorite photographs?

In terms of sports, there are two that stand out: Willie May's over the shoulder catch at the Polo Grounds and Jackie Robinson stealing home at Ebbets Field.

Outside of sports, here are a few of my personal favorites:

I just noticed that all of my favorite photos were taken before I was even born. But I guess that's why I enjoy them so much... they capture a piece of the past.

Okay... time to share yours.

Happy Tuesday everyone... only two more days until Turkey Day. Sayonara.

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November Total: 5,856 Words