Graded Card Pickups; 2019 National Recap Part #6

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to participate in Topps' 3rd annual National Baseball Card Day this year, the very event that I talked about on my very first blog post back in August of 2017.

Though I'm fortunate enough to have multiple Baseball card shops in proximity to my house, only one of them was registered on Topps' list of participating stores, and they ended up being closed for vacation once the date came along.

Alas, I had no way of getting the free packs or the exclusive Bryce Harper card (not that I care that much about him, to begin with). With supplies running dangerously low and my LCS closed, I went to the Baseball card show today.

Not to worry, I didn't buy a single Baseball card. Rather, I went to the show because the guy who runs it has terrific prices and an unparalleled selection. I was able to purchase all the boxes, sleeves, and sheets that I needed without breaking the bank.

One of the many things I purchased was another 2-row box for my graded cards which are the subject of today's National recap. Collectively, my Dad and I ended up with multiple of PSA or Beckett graded cards during our time in Chicago but no space within the box to store them.

More so than upping the value of a given card, I see grading as a way to preserve some of the older collectibles. Nowadays, if I'm thinking of buying a vintage card (not from the want list) or even a modern autograph, I typically lean more towards graded cards, particularly Beckett.

Specifically, 3D cards often have issues with their surface if they're not preserved correctly. In addition to the singles that we picked up, my Dad and I found some unbelievably fair priced 3D cards, graded by PSA.

One of the first vendors we bought from had a stack of graded 3D cards from the 1970 Kellogg's set for just a few dollars each. Not only did multiple cards, including the Bando and Campaneris, pique our interest, but all of the grades were fairly high. 

Given how susceptible 3D cards' surfaces are to damage, I was impressed that the cards received grades like 6 (EX-MT). Bando and Campaneris were both essential parts of the 1972-74 World Champion Oakland A's teams, and Reggie Smith (at the top of this post) had some stellar seasons with the Red Sox.

I can't imagine there are many graded Seattle Pilots cards out there, nevermind a 3D card. After I completed the 1969 and 1970 Topps team sets of the short-lived team, I decided to turn my attention to any Seattle Pilots cards or memorabilia that I can find.

Certainly, a PSA 7 Tommy Harper from the 1970 Kellogg's set fits the bill. Though I'll be keeping this card alongside all my graded cards, it will definitely count towards the Seattle Pilots PC that I've developed.

It's challenging to fully appreciate a card when I can't scan it properly, but the Pilots jersey along with the 3D design makes this card one of my favorite pickups of the entire show.

The final of the 3D cards isn't in as great of condition as the previous 4, but I'm satisfied with a PSA 4 of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, especially when the card is as phenomenal as this.

Backgrounds aren't something I pay attention to when it comes to 3D cards, but the sky and clouds are a magnificent choice for the shot of Killebrew in a classic Twins home uniform. I'm also not a fan of facsimile signatures, but for some reason, Killebrew's works well on his card.

Although I'd be content to buy nothing but graded 3D cards, I want there to be some variety in what I purchase, something I expanded upon in yesterday's post. I could've bought all of the graded 3D cards that the dealer had, but I opted to move on instead.

Unsurprisingly, many of the cards at the show were graded, ranging the 1st Bowman autos of today's hottest prospects to vintage Topps cards from the 1950s. 

Many of the sports cards on display were either out of my price range or not on my radar, but I didn't have to do much digging to find inexpensive and desired graded cards throughout my 2 1/2 days at the show.

I'm always looking to add new Red Sox cards to my collection, and a fair-priced graded card is just that much better. I forget exactly what I paid for this 1973 Topps Dwight Evans rookie, but I'm quite pleased with the purchase.

I've become very familiar with the 1970s Boston Red Sox teams, particularly the players on the 1975 club. Evans was a longtime Red Sox whose defensive capabilities aren't fully appreciated. 

Though he hasn't been in a recent release in some time, I enjoyed seeing him in Upper Deck and Fleer sets across the early 2000s.

When I began selling on eBay towards the end of last year, I listed and quickly sold a Topps Update base rookie card of Juan Soto, a decision I later regretted given how immensely talented the 20-year old is.

Though I have another Soto card from The National which I'll be showcasing later this week, I needed to make amends for my blunder and add another Soto rookie to my collection. For around what I sold the Update card for, I bought a graded version of his 2018 Topps Chrome Update card.

I originally planned on saving this gorgeous card for my final recap post where I showcase my greatest pickups of the show, but I felt that Lou Brock's 1962 Topps rookie card should be included along with the rest of the graded card pickups.

While I can't say that I was searching for this specific card as I was browsing the show, both my Dad and I have known about and wanted this card for several years. I remember purchasing his '64 Topps card, on the Cubs, at last year's National, but the rookie card is something totally different.

Everything about this card, the orange background, the wood borders, the blue cap, makes Brock's rookie a true classic. Given all the reprinted card insert sets that Topps has put out, I'm surprised this card hasn't been featured all that much.

Nonetheless, this card is undeniably one of our best pickups from the show, especially since it received such a high grade. A BGS 6 is challenging to come by, especially for a set that shows damage as much as '62 Topps.

It's still a little unusual to see Brock in a Cubs uniform, but I'm incredibly pleased with this card in addition to all the other graded cards that we brought back with us.

Buying a card that's already graded definitely affects the value, but if you like knowing the value of and preserving your cards, I firmly believe it's worth the little extra in cost.

Retired Player Autograph Time; 2019 National Recap Part #5

My desire to collect as wide of a range of Baseball cards has possible has both benefits and drawbacks.

While this doesn't always allow me to zero in on a particular part of my collection and devote all of my attention to it, my willingness to collect almost anything that interests me strengthens my collection as a whole.

Furthermore, it allows me to branch out into various parts of the hobby, from vintage sets to brand new releases.

I tried to maintain this openmindedness at The National this year and focus on all parts of my collection. In some instances, I'd focus solely on vintage sets from my want list. Other times, I'd branch out into stuff like oddballs and, in this case, retired player autographs.

Whether I purchase the cards at the show or pull them from packs, I've acquired my fair share of relic cards and autographs, particularly over the last 3 few years.

As much as I love the major hits that I've pulled, most of my auto/relic inventory consists of modern-day jersey relics or cards of semi-stars from the 70s.

Though my Dad initiated this mini-project, I helped him choose some of the retired player autographs that he purchased during our time at the show. The budget that we set for ourselves forced us to make some tough decisions regarding which cards to purchase and which to leave behind.

No matter how hard I try, I could never steer the focus of my collection in just 1 or 2 directions. Rather, my curiosity inspires me to venture out in multiple directions, specifically the retired player autographs that we picked up at the show.

Because I have more Boston Red Sox autos and relics than any other MLB team, we boosted this part of our collection by adding some new players' autographs to the mix. 

Earlier this week, I mentioned how surprising it was to see Red Sox cards priced reasonably which certainly isn't the norm at the Boston area shows. Though the selection of Sox cards isn't as great, I'll take lower prices any day of the week, especially if I can land some nice cards, like the Bernie Carbo auto above.

One of my parameters when deciding on which autographs to purchase was whether the signature is on-card or on-sticker. Like many collectors, I try to steer clear of sticker autos, especially if I'm considering spending big money on a card.

Thankfully, most of what we purchased featured on-card autos. Whether the cards are scanned or shown in-person, on-card autos simply blow sticker signatures out of the water. Thankfully, Topps avoids sticker autos nowadays, for the most part, though I can't say the same about Panini.

As I mentioned, a reasonable portion of my relics and autographs are of semi-stars and All-Stars from the 70s and 80s. Because I collect cards of many guys from that era as well, this seems to translate into the hits that I purchase at the show.

They might not be as flashy as a rookie phenom's autograph from Topps Chrome, but I'm perfectly happy with autographs of Dave Parker and Dave Concepcion, both of whom were very well-respected semi-stars who played for championship teams in the 70s.

Better yet, the cards are both on-card, and these 70s players have must better signatures than today's stars. Dave Parker's auto, in particular, is much easier to decipher than today's stars like Chris Sale.

Generally, I lean more towards Panini cards that hide the logoless caps and uniforms to the best of their ability. It's hard to cover this up completely, but they did a decent job with this Rollie Fingers autograph.

I think I'd have less of a problem with Panini as a whole if they decreased the number of sticker autos in their sets. However, the combination of logoless uniforms and sticker autos often turns me away from their hits. I'd rather stick to base cards and parallels from sets like Chronicles and Prizm instead.

Nonetheless, this is my first Rollie Fingers autographed card, and his signature, like Parker's and Concepcion's, is beautiful and clear.

The black borders make the cards challenging to scan, but I'm incredibly impressed with the 2004 Topps Retired Signature autographs. The 2 autos above are my first pickups from this set, though I've seen many collectors praise this product over the last few years.

The Bruce Sutter auto is a great addition to my Cubs PC, especially since this is my first auto of the Hall of Fame reliever. As much as I love everything about this card, Cepeda's on-card auto with the Atlanta Braves is spectacular, especially since his entire signature fits in the designated space.

The black borders only enhance the cards and make the blue ink pop even more. The fact that both of these guys are in the Hall of Fame is even better, especially since it allows me to enhance my collection of autographs even more. 

In the long run, I could see myself trying to complete this autograph set, though I'd have to put a significant portion of my funds towards these cards. Though I haven't examined the checklist, I assume there are some expensive cards to chase.

As much as I love the retired player signatures of Sutter and Cepeda, my favorite autograph of the group is the 2014 Topps Tribute card above of Fred Lynn, a sepia parallel numbered out of just 35 copies. 

He may not have achieved the HOF status that most assumed he would, especially following his historic 1975 season, but Lynn had some fabulous years with the Red Sox and even the Angels. If he hadn't left Boston, I'm sure he would've ended up in Cooperstown.

The last autograph of the haul follows the same pattern as the others; a fabulous on-card signature of a terrific player. This is also my first Baseball card autograph of Lynn, though, with a gorgeous signature like that, it may not be the last.

Major Progress With '76 Topps; 2019 National Recap Part #4

173. 

That's how many cards I picked up for my 1976 Topps set while at The National, easily the largest haul brought back from the show for any aspect of my collection.

Most of the cards shown in the previous 2 blog posts were purchased by my Dad. There have been cards from the 50s and 60s, 3Ds, and vintage oddballs galore over the last couple of posts.

Throughout most of the show, we divided and conquered so that we could each focus on our own objectives. While my Dad spent a large portion of his time purchasing vintage oddballs, I tried to concentrate more on the want list, particularly the Topps Flagship sets that I'm trying to complete.

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't able to find any 1979 Topps while I was there since most vendors don't bother selling individual cards from that set. Even 1976 Topps proved challenging to find, though I eventually tracked down a dealer with excellent prices on cards from this colorful set.

At first, I only wanted to go through about half of the cards on my '76 Topps want list before moving onto another part of the show. However, after skimming through the pages and seeing the stellar prices, I realized that this was my best chance to make huge strides with this product.

The odds of finding such an enormous selection of 1976 Topps cards for incredibly low prices are slim, so I continued through the binder and ended up going through the entirety of my '76 Topps want list. As a result, I ended up buying 173 cards that I needed to complete the set.

Unlike the next Topps set that I choose to build (either '73 or '74 Flagship), I began collecting 1976 Topps not because I had a ton of cards from that year. In fact, when I drew up my want list upon deciding that I'd be collecting this set, I barely had 100 out of the 660 total cards.

With that being said, '76 Topps is quite affordable, and the brilliant color scheme is ultimately what inspired me to begin building this set despite how few cards I had. 

I've mentioned before that my favorite Baseball card sets are the ones where every base card looks different. Thanks to the various color combinations for each team, this trait applies to '76 Topps. 

I knew that completing this set would present some challenges, but the affordability and the vibrant design inspired me to start this project. Now, with the set almost complete, I couldn't be happier.

In addition to overproduction, a reason why Topps sets from the 1990s are so forgettable is that there wasn't anything to differentiate Oakland A's cards from Houston Astros cards like there was in '76. 

Even modern-day Topps sets use green for the A's and orange for the Astros to help the set stand out, but this wasn't as pronounced in the 90s. Clearly, with 2 colorful banners on every base card, 1976 accomplishes this.

Even for teams like the Indians and Astros who utilize the same 2 colors (orange and pink), the order is switched to change things up and help create a unique design across the entire set. 

Other than the iconic 1975 design, I can't think of a more vibrant Topps set than 1976, though the uniforms certainly help with this.

Topps' decision to cease releasing Flagship in multiple series caused the value their cards to plummet beginning in 1974. Furthermore, many collectors, including myself, consider 1975 the last year of true vintage cards.

These 2 factors contribute to the overall affordability of 1976 Topps. Even cards of Hall of Famers like George Brett and Mike Schmidt are far less expensive ($3 and $4 respectively) compared to similar cards in another Topps set that I've completed, 1972.

With a set like '72, you have to worry about high numbered cards, HOFers, team cards, and especially condition, all of which contribute to the price of a card. However, many of these factors don't apply to '76. The set is beautiful and the cards are inexpensive; it doesn't get much better than that.

Beginning in the 1970s, Topps began noting a player's All-Star status by placing a symbol or banner on his base card. They continued this tradition for many years, particularly during the 1980s.

If I remember correctly, however, this inclusion began in 1976 when Topps used actual stars to demonstrate that a player was an All-Star. It's always challenging to beat the original, especially when it's something as simple yet classic as a bright yellow All-Star star. 

I already had most of the All-Stars' cards before heading to The National, but I picked up a couple new ones while I was there, most notably Ron Cey's card with red and blue banners.

Before the days of insert sets as we know them today, Topps included many subsets throughout the 1970s Flagship products. Ranging from Boyhood Photos of the Stars to Father and Son Duos, the subsets consisted of around 10 cards and followed a certain theme.

1976 Topps has a couple of these subsets, one of them being The Sporting News All-Time All-Stars, easily one of my favorite subsets that Topps has ever done. The checklist includes HOF legends in a fantastic red, white, and blue design, not to mention spectacular black and white photos.

I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to these cards. Since the set is All-Time All-Stars, the players may combine to form 1 complete team. All I know is that these cards are one of the high points of '76 Topps, and that's saying a lot considering how fond I am of this set.

With this massive 173-card purchase in the books, I'm just 39 cards away from completing my 3rd Topps set from the 70s. At the same time, only 48 cards are standing in my way of finishing '79 Topps as well. 

Though I'm taking a necessary break from buying cards, for the time being, there's no doubt in my mind that I'll be able to complete both of these 70s Flagship sets by the time the Holiday season rolls around.

After that, it'll be time for me to turn my attention towards '61 Topps and whichever Flagship set I try to complete next. 

For now, I have to concentrate on those 39 cards stopping me from completing yet another one of my favorite Baseball card sets ever produced.

So Much Oddball Vintage; 2019 National Recap Part #3

If I'm being honest, I forgot about some of my goals for The 2019 National when I walked into the show last Wednesday in Chicago. 

The purpose behind those objectives was to add some structure to what can be a hectic event. I was successful in accomplishing my goals for last year's show in Cleveland, but for some reason, things were different this time around.

The 2019 National was definitely larger than last year's show in Cleveland. The fact that Chicago is such a dynamic sports city certainly helped, but there seemed to be more vendors and a stronger buzz surrounding the convention this time. 

Throughout my 2 1/2 days at the show, one thing remained on my radar nonstop; vintage cards. The shows that I usually attend have a fair amount of vintage, but the prices are often steep and the selection limited.

Because of the sheer scale of The National, you can't walk for 2 minutes without stumbling upon boxes and display cases full of cards from the 1970s and before.

I brought my want list along to make progress with 1961, 1976, and 1979 Topps, but I soon found myself filling in some other holes and venturing out towards oddball cards as well.

My Dad has always told me that his ideal set to complete is 1955 Bowman Baseball (mine's 1953 Topps). Although the checklist consists of just 320 cards, there are a significant number of Hall of Famers in the set, including 2nd-year cards of Ernie Banks and Al Kaline. 

The small set size is something that '55 Bowman has going for it that most vintage sets do not, so it makes sense to begin collecting these beautiful cards. The sole key rookie is Elston Howard (#68), and my Dad was able to track that card down for only $3.

I'm not big on starting a project that I likely won't finish, but I don't necessarily believe that's the case with 1955 Bowman. We may choose to go forward with this product with the understanding that it'll be a challenge, but I far from believe that completing this set is impossible.

Another one of my Dad's mini-projects throughout our time at The National was building a small collection of these Baseball's Famous Feats cards, a set put out by Fleer in 1973. 

Upon seeing these for the first time, I drew comparisons between the oversized cards above and the Fleer World Series sets from the early 1970s (which I'll get to later). 

The bold colors and cartoon design are used to honor significant events in Baseball history, like Hornsby's Triple Crowns and Cobb's batting titles.

These cards aren't quite large enough for vintage penny sleeves, meaning I'll have to buy some individual sheets the next time I'm at the Baseball card show to protect this set.

A couple of weeks ago, I left a comment on The Chronicles of Fuji's post, stating how fond I am of the 1970 Topps Posters. I could go on for hours about them, so I'll keep in brief. They're colorful, the perfect size, and feature some of the greatest players in MLB history.

While I can't say I was actively searching for these throughout my time at The National, I didn't spot any 1970 Topps Posters while I was there. Thankfully, my Dad landed one of Dodgers outfielder Willie Davis for only $2. 

There are just 24 posters in the set, so I might start putting this set together as well now that I'm wrapping up '76 and '79 Topps Flagship.

More old school oddballs, because where else would you be able to find 1983 Milwaukee Police Department cards of Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers? Sometimes this hobby can get pretty strange, and I absolutely love it.

Like the Fleer Famous Feats, these cards are oversized, so I'm not sure where I'm going to store them since they won't be able to fit with the other cards in the Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers PCs. However, these were my Dad's pickups as well, and for $1 each, I can figure something out.

Before I get into the vintage oddballs from a couple of sets, here's one of the coolest things that we picked up during our time at the show; a ticket stub from game #3 of the 1972 NLCS between the Reds and the Pirates at Riverfront Stadium.

I forget where exactly this came from or what my Dad paid for it, but this thing is pretty cool. We don't have all that many old tickets besides a couple of Red Sox ones from the late 70s, so I'm thrilled to add this to our collection of Cincinnati Reds memorabilia.

I stated earlier in this post that I'd talk more about the Fleer World Series cards from the early 1970s. What I didn't mention is that my Dad picked up a huge lot of these cards from the 1970 and 1971 sets, one of his largest pickups of the show.

Last Thursday, he found a vendor who was selling these cards by the page and received a substantial discount when he purchased almost everything the dealer had. We've both taken a liking to these oddballs in the past, and the fact that we barely had any beforehand only inspired my Dad more. 

All the cards above are from the 1970 set, but Fleer did the exact same thing in '71 by creating a cartoon for each Fall Classic. On the back, there's a quick blurb about the series as well as who won and how many games it lasted.

The 1971 design differs slightly from the previous year. The top corner features the MLB logo and the year of the World Series instead of a Baseball. Other than that small difference, there's no real way to tell them apart, for the style of the cartoons is nearly identical. 

Following this significant purchase, our next step regarding these 2 sets is to add them to the want list. Because of how uncommon they are, I assume we'll have to rely on major shows and the internet to complete the respective products.

Last but certainly not least, I'm thrilled to announce that we worked towards completing yet another vintage set in Chicago, the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set. 

Like '55 Bowman and the '70 Topps Posters, the checklist is on the small side (80 cards), and we actually see this set somewhat regularly at the Mansfield show.

However, the price of these cards often gets out of hand, especially when they're in stellar condition. As far as completing sets is concerned, I've never cared too much about the shape that the card is in so long as it's all in 1 piece.

Thus, while searching for cards from the '59 Ted Williams set, neither my Dad nor myself put much emphasis on the condition of the card. As you can see, many have creases, frayed edges, and are slightly miss-cut. 

However, there's no card in horrible shape, and our open-mindedness is what allowed us to purchase as many of these set needs as we did.

If I wanted to build a set in which all the cards were in a certain condition, I'd have to be a bit more careful with what I purchase. However, that's never been and likely never will be the case with the cards that I buy, so I, truthfully, don't care that these cards have creases.