Hit Singles and Big Hitters

The second card show of the year fell over this weekend.  I had a plan, I had a list, I was going to make progress and get as many single (hits) to complete team sets and not get caught up in high priced (big hitters) autos, patches, mems, etc.

I left the list at home.

Bewildered, lost without my map.  I did my very best to complete some team sets while also being sucked in to purchase far more autos than I had thought.

Trammell of the Week: The weekend began by a quick trip to the Up North card shop and this beauty of the oversized variety.  I was without any type of top loaders or pages for this guy, I have no idea how I kept it mint the whole rest of the trip.

I happened to pick up six more autos for the collection.  The sliding new goal was to get 1% of the collection to be autos.  The chase for 56?

Nabbed a box of 1991 Pro Set Desert Storm that I had collected as a kid and looking forward to putting that set together.

Heading over to the card show I was pretty psyched!  Rick Leach was there signing autos, so that fueled the days purchases.  I was still planning on the singles to complete team sets.

After the initial walk around the room to see what everyone had to offer.  I got in a daze.  Mostly everything was of all the big hitters.  One dealer had team sets, but they were as common as a Brandon Inge strikeout.

This may be reserved for another post about the state of the hobby, but people can lose a chunk of change quick on these things.  I mean, one guy drove all the way to this show, he said six hours, with a handful of boxes and a display case of high end autos (Harper $300, Gehrig/Ruth patches) Who walks into a show seeking that kind of stuff or willing to drop that much right then and there?  Maybe I am just too naive.

Regardless, I did make a good day of it picking out some of my favorite Tigers and some good finds   Some I found for .50 cents and then in another dealer's bin for much higher.

This Rick Porcello is numbered 48/99 and the nice deal is Ricky is actually number 48

This Chet Lemon Fan Favorite Auto states that "Chet was a key cog in many outstanding Tigers teams from 1982-1990. A brilliant center fielder, he made the All-Star team for them in 1984."  I am a sucker for 1984 style Topps and as you all know, Tigers.

God I hope we keep this guy, I am sucker for rookies, Tigers prospects, maybe a shift to the outfield will get him to motown instead of the way of Miller, Maybin, and Turner.  Gold refractor #/199

Another six more autos, and I did find a dealer with pages of Tigers singles that I needed (more later on those)

I quite satisfied with my auto splurge, but I am definatly not going to make this a trend in my collecting as I am sure it will lead to burnout, boredom, or both.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

5,527 Tigers on the Wall

What started as this....

Has now become....

All that remains are stamps for PWEs, a slide rule given to me by "My Dealer" because I am a teacher and "may know someone who would like it".  And to the right, a few more piles to be sorted, and a 3,000 count box of dupes.

This was a large undertaking following spring break, plenty of blame all around, but thanks to all who have helped me get closer to 6,000.  Plenty in store this week as there is a card show UP NORTH featuring the one and only Rick Leach for a signing too.

What else is there to do but share some of the highlights of the recently acquired thousand.

Love this card and a low number out /499

WOW!  I had to get this one, SUPER SLICK!

The best pitcher on my fantasy team (I am in last)

I don't know how many times I wished this guy could save the Tigers in the 1990s

Hey it's my uncle Tony! No, the other Tony Clark 

(really, I have an uncle, his name is Tony Clark, not this guy)

I am going to have to get a new way of sharing some cards, like Wrigley Wax maybe with the number generator and wicked spreadsheet.

Tigers on their way back from the left coast and hopefully they can figure out the way to score runners with the bases loaded.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

When You Leave Your Coat at an LCS...

I just took my jacket off at the ol' LCS yesterday and got comfrotable looking through some quarter boxes and some binders of Tigers.  "My Dealer" handed me eight 1954 Topps and enticed me to purchase.

I couldn't do it, wasn't ready to start piecin' together older team sets when there was so much more recently to acquire.   So, I did buy three of them and got some really nice cards including this one...

About half way home, I realized I had left my coat at the shop, and it was quickly turning from nice spring Michigan weather to nice winter weather in April.  So I made the trip back to the LCS this morning to claim my coat and "My Dealer" put the remaining five in my hand.  

ME: God these are nice!

Dealer: There's only 19 in the team set, you'd only need 11 more!

ME: Man, oh, man.

So when you leave your coat at the card shop...

You can wind up getting cards older than your dad....

Quality won over quantity.  Eight more make 5,404

Keep it Hot on the Corner, Pat.

I Will Have Fryman with that

Thorzul had Spring Break Group Break of some 1990s stuff.  I hopped at the chance to land some more Tigers.  He mentioned in his blog that "Pat better like Fryman"  He wasn't joking, all kinds.

Plenty of Team cards, I absolutely dig the art cards and this one also got a place in the Nothing But Tigers binder.

A lot of Boomer

Nice little pickup after the break, thanks Thorzul!

Keep it Hot on the corner, pat.

Almost...

Since the State of Michigan took a good chunk of my cash this week (about 3 times what I paid last year) I have several packages, bubble mailers, and trade items waiting to be shipped out.

They are ALMOST in the mail, sorry for the delay.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Trading Cards in the News

Couple things real quick...

The New York Times wrote a little diddy about Pat Neshek and his love for collecting cards.  You can read the story here.

Also, ESPN Magazine, I believe the May edition has a short article on a photo shoot for Topps with a nice page with the back stories of cards that you may or may not have known about.

Like this one...

This is not Gary Pettis, it is his brother.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Gypsy Queen, No Friend of Mine

I have had it.

I am not crazy about Gypsy Queen. It puzzles me, I have no clue why?  I enjoy the Diamond King art cards, I enjoy the Upper Deck art work, all of it.  I am just not digging Gypsy Queen.

Maybe it is because after two rack packs and 4 singles I have only pulled one Tiger, twice!

Not a single base card!

Otherwise I have plenty to trade....

The Drive for 6,000

Before I left for Spring Break I was closing in on 4,500 cards in the Tigers PC.  Plenty of optimism was in the air, Opening Day was around the corner, the Tigers have a solid squad, and ideal bay purchase would make a huge assist, and some fellow bloggers made some big swaps to near closer.

One purchase this past week was part sentimental and part had to have.

I just had to have this retired patch of Sparky.  An icon for the Tigers and the city of Detroit.  Very pleased with this add.

Doug from BaseballCardsandLife and I have hit it off trading some Tigers and swapping LCS hot spots in greater Michigan.  He's helped me out immensely, specifically finishing off some team sets with that last piece to the puzzle.  Like this 1988 Topps UK Mini of Kirk Gibson and a 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Ralph Branca.  Thanks Doug!  I will get your box back to you with stuff from later in the post.

My Dodgers buddy gcrl also snuck a mailer in today to add to the 6.000 count march, wow, some great Tigers!!!  

I was a big Clete fan,  but he just couldn't hold down the outfield job.

Mr Almost Perfect relic, one of my favorite (or infamous) memories with my wife

A clutch UD team card of Justin Thompson, the first famous Justin in Detroit!

Dennis from Too Many Verlanders and I traded our dupes from another trade via DocHoloday.com.  I know I am way behind not only with his return (among others) but I mentioned a haul of Tigers off the bay and it's going to take me some time and you will see why, but both Dennis and Doug will get their fair share of over 1,000 Motown Kitties. 

And I only got one Bip Roberts,

So I may be taking some time away from the blog world, but I will be ready when I get back from sorting.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Bright Spots

So I bragged all week about being pool side in Key West.  I also endured a miserable return flight experience: delays, stuck in a terminal, lost luggage, delays, turbulence, overnight stay, late arrival home.

Completly tired and worn out from travel I snatch up my boys and hug them close and start puttering around the house and what do I find?  Several mailers, packages and PWE?

What a nice surprise!

Thanks to Jeff, 2x3 Heroes, for sending some more Heritage my way to get closer to finishing the set.  Along with a Max Scherzer Heritage Chrome Refractor, how lucky can I be?  He said he pulled two of them!!!

Marcus over at All the Way to the Backstop also sent a load of Heritage to help out my set build along with some Tigers I needed...

These were just highlights, but Marcus helped me out with 22 to build to the drive for 6,000.  He also found an unlikely Trammell card for me...

gcrl is prolly going bonkers right now over this awesome DP card, but I value it for the cameo of Tram, even if he is out.

There is more because Dennis from Too Many Verlanders sent me a full 400+ count box to sift through, plus Thorzul Will Rule is sending in a Spring Box Break soon as well as the 1,000+ cards I bought on the bay this week.  More on these soon.

Well my week is touching down, big Fantasy Baseball draft tomorrow in Flint (maybe the oldest league in Michigan) I have spent most of my budget on keepers, we'll see.

Just when you think it can't get any worse, these guys go and do something like this.....and totally redeem my day!!!  Thanks!!

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.