The Big Hurt = Big Bargain

Either last year... or the year before, I started trying to track down a 1991 O-Pee-Chee Chipper Jones rookie card.  My hunt lasted a lot longer than I had expected.  Simply put... for a card issued during the heart of the Junk Wax Era, they weren't so easy to find.

Anyways... I eventually picked up a couple for my collection.  But then I started thinking... what about other early 90's O-Pee-Chee rookie cards? 

The first one that popped into my head was Frank Thomas from the 1990 O-Pee-Chee set.  As I expected, they are a lot less common than his American counterpart.

See for yourself:

Check Out My Cards: None Available

Beckett Market Place: 1 Available for $9 (shipping not included)

Sportlots: None Available

eBay: 3 Graded Copies ranging from $39.99 to $249.99

Just Commons: None Available 

I'm sure that O-Pee-Chee cranked up the printing presses, like everyone else back in that era.  But unless you live in Canada, it might be a little trickier for you to obtain one than you might expect.

Last week, I grabbed a pair of these on Just Commons (paid $1.80 each), along with the last one on Sportlots ($1.39).  Currently, Beckett has this card listed at $3.00.  But if it's anything like the O-Pee-Chee Chipper, there's a lot of room for growth.

Happy Friday and sayonara!

One man's banner is another man's cardboard.

I recently placed an order over at Just Commons and needed to add a few extra cards to my cart, in order to get free shipping and handling.  So I looked over my Top 10 Want List and went on a cardboard hunt.  And when it was all over, a pair of Dodgers were sitting in my cart:

1981 Topps Traded #850

I have wanted this card since Fernando-mania was at its peak in the 80's and finally three decades later, I can finally crossed it off my list.  

2010 Topps Chicle #235

Outside of my 1956 Topps single, this is probably my favorite Jackie Robinson card in my collection.  This is sports card artwork at its finest.  By the way... if anyone has one for trade, I'm still looking to add the oversized cabinet version to my office walls.

I'm sure you're probably thinking... I've seen these cards somewhere else.

Okay... you've caught me.

Thanks to Night Owl... his banner has been a constant reminder these past 19 months that I needed to pick up these two cards.  Okay Greg, now that I've finally added these two beauties to my collection, you can go ahead and create a new banner.

I apologize... sometimes I'm a little egocentric.  But just remember buddy...

 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Happy Wednesday and sayonara!

Flea Market Finds #39: Clemente, Yaz, AP, & Rudy

When:  Sunday, June 15th
Where:  Capitol Flea Market
What:  Cards, a Movie, and more Cards
How Much?:  $58

It's been awhile since I've posted any flea market finds.  In short... I've been on a huge cold streak.  I have come across very little sports memorabilia the past few weekends.  In fact, I've considered taking a break from attending these weekly flea market journeys.

But before heading into flea market hibernation, I decided to give it one last shot.  And voila... I struck cardboard.

Purchase #1:  Baseball Cards $17

Last month, I purchased an autographed Joe Niekro baseball from this older lady who was selling off her husband's collection.  This time around, she had a small plastic bin filled with singles in top loaders.  

After pulling out some cards, we went back and forth on the price... she initially wanted $25 and I countered with $15.  Eventually she told me the best she could do was $17, so I accepted.

I'm pretty excited about adding the Clemente, Yastrzemski, and the Law to my vintage binder.  They're all pretty beat up... especially the Clemente... but for the price, I can't complain.

Purchase #2:  Rudy VHS Tape $1

I'm a huge fan of Rudy and already own the DVD... but this guy was selling a brand new VHS copy for a dollar... so I had to add it to my collection.


Purchase #3:  800ct Box of Cards $40

Every now and then, I'll run into a guy dumping his collection.  This was one of those times. 

He had a 4ft. table filled with mainly 49ers and Raiders memorabilia cards and autographs. In addition to those cards he had a closed 800 count box sitting at the back edge of the table.  He told me it was all of his low end stuff mixed in with recent Archives and Bowman pack breaks.

After sifting through it, I noticed several cards I was interested in... including a Brian Urlacher memorabilia card, a Fred Lynn autograph, and a cool Leonard Nimoy Americana memorabilia card.

In addition to those three cards, there were probably twenty-five more autographs and memorabilia cards in the box.

Plus close to one hundred inserts and parallels from this year and last year's products.  

When I asked him for a price, it was obvious that he hadn't thought about selling the box.  He turned to his buddy, who shrugged his shoulders as if to say... I have no idea.

Eventually, he came up with a $40 price tag.

Now, it was my turn to calculate the estimated value of the box... and while doing so, he slapped down the sweet Adrian Peterson patch... which ended up sealing the deal.

I spent over an hour sorting and sleeving the cards in that box.  The entertainment factor alone made it worth the investment.  Plus I was able to add several cards to my personal collection along the way.

As for taking a break from flea markets... we'll just have to see.  If it's cool and I'm bored, I'll probably go out.  If not... I might take a break for a few weeks.

Happy Monday and sayonara!

Gwynn & Rickey aren't my heroes...

Nope... that title belongs to Papa Fuji.  Now, let's keep things real.  We haven't always seen eye to eye.  However, he's never stopped being my role model and hero.  For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be like him and represent the family name to the best of my ability.

Now, I'm not saying that he's perfect... because he's definitely far from it.  But he's everything I aspire to be:  righteous, courageous, benevolent, respectful, honest, honorable, and loyal. In other words, he's a 21st century samurai and that's why he'll always have my vote for World's Greatest Dad.

Happy Father's Day!

I Want My MTV!

It's been at least ten years, since I watched anything on MTV.  But when I was a kid, I'd watch music videos for hours.

Over time, MTV evolved into anything but music television.  In the early 90's, MTV paired athletes and musicians for an annual game of softball.  Since this was during the peak of cardboard collecting, MTV produced a trading card set to promote their 1992 Rock n' Jock game.

So if you're a fan of promotional cards, 90's oddballs, or even the rhymes of MC Hammer... then this set is for you:

1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #1

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Stanley Burrell who worked as a batboy for the Oakland Athletics.  Eventually he grew up, changed his name to MC Hammer, and turned into a hip hop/pop icon.

By 1992, he had just wrapped up two successful albums in back to back years and was on top of the music world... which is exactly why MTV chose him to be in this set.

1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #2

The Big Hurt had just finished his second season in the big leagues.  And oh what a season it was.  At just 23 years old, he hit .318, had 32 home runs, scored 104 runs, drove in 109 runs, led the league in walks & on base percentage, and was third in MVP voting.

1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #3

And rounding out the three card promotional set was The Kid.  At the time, Griffey was arguably the hottest player in the hobby.  Three years after his MLB debut, he was only 21 years old and already a two-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Eventually... Hammer's popularity would fade, but Griffey and Thomas would end up slugging it out for several more years.

Ironically... two decades later, it's The Hammer that's still performing and both The Big Hurt and The Kid who have hung up their cleats, while waiting to be enshrined at Cooperstown.

As for the 1992 MTV Rock n' Jock set... (IMHO) it's truly an awesome set that has stood the test of time.  If you're interested, they're readily available on eBay for around $8.

Happy Friday and sayonara!