By the way, who won this contest???

Back in the early 2000 I was busy at the university and completely lost track of baseball and therefore baseball cards. I don't recall how this sweepstakes piece found its place into my collection.

Who won that bat?????? 

I've been doing some research on the Internet but so far I've just been able to find that:

"Robert Shell (14 year old back then) from Baraboo Wis. won a 1928 Philadelphia athletics jersey signed by Cobb, valued at $332,500" as part of this contest.

But who won that bat????

Get off my back. Jim Palmer 1977 Topps #600

If one thing this downturn economy is providing me, is way too much time off for a guy who used to work in hotels +70 hours a week (yep, that's legal down here).

Surfing old cards this past couple of day, I was wondered by how so many regular and even star players have listed in the back of their cards facts that had nothing to do with them. I'll call it the "Get off my back" series.

By the time 1977 Topps was released, Jim Palmer had already won his 3 CY awards, made 4 All Star appereances and won 2 of 3 wold series rings; so I have the right to ask Topps: why did you choose Mr. Palmer card #600 to point out that Ron Hunt, Ron Hunt!! was the first Met ever to be choosen for the All Star game? I know Mr. hunt didn't make it as an active player for the 1977 Topps edition but man think about something else if you felt like remembering him; do a "Turn Back the Clock" or something else. Is not like you're trying to think of something nice to say about Tom Gorzelany, man this is Palmer. 

 

Graded goodie from cheapbay

A couple of blogs ago I wrote about vintage goodie on the way. Finally it has arrived:

It has been with me for just 5 days but man I love this card. 

How much did I pay? USD$5.76 delivered 

If there's something that I'm 100% sure off now it's that by going vintage on my collection, my passion for the hobby is getting stronger.

My first Koufax! My first Spahn! 

My first redemption... finally delivered!!!!!

My saga started early last year when I bought my one and only box of 2007 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects as the previous year. Back then I was still heavy hitting breaking boxes of new products, specially BDPP and SPLC. Overall it was a decent break until I hit my redemption so I immediately knew no autograph was on board cause I'm not that lucky and collation wouldn't smile at me, at least not that day. That was it, I would have to pay outrageous shipping from my country and then wait forever to get my deserved auto.

April 8th, 2008: I Found a cheaper way than FedEx (USD$35) and send it through IMPOSDOM (Dominican Postal Office) for USD$2. On a regular day I would have never sent that or any decent card/redemption by Imposdom but with that pricing I had no choice. 

February 20th, 2009: Went to my local courier company to pick up a vintage goodie I'll blog about later, and when Jessie (the clerk) said I had 2 pkg's instead of 1... 

Payback was around the corner:

Finally!!!

Winter ball now shading.

Winter baseball used to be a great time of the year when Dominican MLB stars played for their local teams and proudly dressed in either:

• Blue (Tigres del Licey). By the way, my team. Legendary guys like Alonzo Perry and young stars like Anderson Hernandez and Ronnie Paulino are just a few.

• Red (Leones del Escogido). Our enemies, antithesis, etc, etc,  for more than 99 years and counting. Sosa, Big Pappy and so on. But nowadays they reeeeeeally suck. 

• Yellow (Aguilas Cibaenas). Ruled the 90's and part of the early 00's. They just can't stand loosing. Not that anybody enjoys loosing but you have to see this guys loosing a game specially when they're home team; just get that hell out of ballpark quick, preferably by the 6th inning

• Green (Estrellas Orientales). Our Dominican version of the Cubs

• Orange (Toros del Este). I don't care much about them

• Red and whatever they feel like and the league allows them to wear (Gigantes del Cibao). The new kids on the block. The best team during this past season but started whining and complaining about umpires during the finals and you know how that story always ends

But now is not as simple as "when it was a game" because of all the restrictions by MLB Teams that don't allow their big guns to participate in winter ball cause THEY COULD GET HURT... and I'll add: taking a shower, driving, eating mangu, filling a W2 form, and you name it.

And because I need to show off a card and not because I like this next one, here's my Leones del Escogido Sammy "mustache" Sosa

George Howard Brett

These Brett's need no intro and were part of the biggest vintage lot I've ever purchased. There were Ryan's, Ripken's, Murray's, Parker's and many other great stars but only a 1971 Ryan felt better than these 4 Brett's. All of them stacked in a shoe box IN A LIBRARY VINTAGE STORE!! A LIBRARY!!

Carl Yastre$%*& my first vintage card

Long time but I'm back. Trying to catch up on some late work so I haven't given much love to my cards lately.

Back in 1994, just after 2 years collecting baseball cards with some pals, one of my friends from highschool shoved in our face a bunch of 1970's cards of people we had no fuc**** idea who they were.

That same afternoon I ran into my uncle, the only serious baseball player in my family, and asked him about this Yastre$%&*& guy. He was amazed I've actually seen that card and encouraged me to get it for trade which I did. So, a Casio watch rubber protector and $10pesos later I had my first vintage card.

And that's the thing about collecting, certain items in your PC my worth near nothing on the books but mean a hell lot to you.

Turn back the clock.... tan-tan-tan...

The first time I got my hands on this card, was the TBC version and really caught my attention. The look in his eyes, so weird, so brokeback mountain, so police academy 3, so Pauly Shore, so, so, so...

C'mon, this guy belted 3,023 hits and YOU, so so so called "decision picture publisher" or whatever is your job title, had to choose this 1979 pic for a FOREVER TO BE REMEMBER TURN BACK THE CLOCK EDITION!! man!! Haven't you seen his Topps 1971? or 1974?

Anyway, during my flea market excursions I have gather some other moldy and creased versions of his cards to share.

My only Mays... LAMINATED!!!

And there it was... Willy, yes, Willy. Battling, furious, World Series, 1973, Willy. 10-7 final score. Buth then, disaster striked: LAMINATED!! and you have to see how proud was this "genius" owner of his creativity to conservate the card. It was like the "brilliant" Guiness beer adds and not the "beer table" one.

But what could I've said, anyway I was going to buy this card even if it had been run over by Gengis Kan ghetto crew. It was my first and so far only Mays. DOP$15 dominican pesos later (.20c USD) I was on my way home with some other finds I'll talk about on a later post. 

A sad day for the hobby.... but Fernando was "in fuego"

Today is a sad day for my FMA, cause for the first time in a couple of weeks, I went to Santo Domingo (where the antique market I shop is at) and my favorite seller was out of town.

I asked, asked and asked but everyone else just had old coins, vintage jewelry and other crap.

Anyway, I want to take the chance and show you why Fernando Valenzuela was so good in the 80's:

I found this one almost 2 months ago. Can you spell V-O-O-D-O

Naaaaa!....

The oldest one so far...

Hey guys,

Been a couple of weeks since my last post but here we are. Here's the oldest card I've found so far during my Flea Market Adventures:

It's a  Steve or Stephen (depending if you ask mom or dad) Souchock 1954 Bowman. Got it for .40 cents as part of other 41 cards from the same flea seller. Didn't know who Mr. Souchock was when I found it laying there and honestly I don't care that much. It's the oldest one I have in my collection. According to Beckett Baseball Almanac this card has a STAGGERING price tag of USD$12 in N/M condition JUST LIKE MINE :)  

Flea Market Adventures. How it all began

Welcome to my "Flea Market Adventures" from now on FMA. This blog is intended to share my weekly trips to some local flea markets looking for vintage baseball cards and any cool sports memorabilia I can find without loosing my gas money or getting divorce.
Some important notes about this blog:

• I live in the Dominican Republic.
• NO hobby stores here in DR. I get all my boxes and supplies from Blowout Cards and Ebay.
• I'm tired of today's no secondary market value products and recently decided to chase vintage affordable stuff. Also I have a theory: There have to be some good cards around because this country loves baseball more than politics. I'll keep looking and see what happens.
• Low budget my friends. Cheap, damaged, weird, creased, spitted, chewed (don't give me that look, you never know) its what I'll pay for and that's how far 40cents per card will take me unless noted.
  

Just in case one of you guys needs any of the cards I'll find, I DON'T TRADE OR SELL because the shipping rates will kill us cause there's no regular and reliable postal service here in my country. In case it's a white whale situation just email me and we'll work it out.

Feedback will always be welcome.

Enjoy.