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????

My Ruth's cards

You gotta love reprints as long as they're not from Todd Van Poppel. So when you hit a Hall of Fame shot courtesy of Score 1992:

Or a 1976 Topps honoring the Bambino:

Just open the binder and add that up to your collection.

The truth and main reason for this post is that I've never seen an original Ruth card in person. It's not like the Babe is the only one missing on my list but it's a tight race between him and Cobb for first place; keep digging and I still need to see/own DiMaggio, CY, Gehrig,  and you name it.

Meanwhile I'll keep digging during my flea market adventures and sooner or later I'll be the luckiest man on the face of the earth... unquote.

 

Cool nicknames: "The human vacuum cleaner"

A sign that you've made it to the show is having your nickname. If you're lucky enough it will stick with you through good and bad; in sickness and health; Pujols and Andrew Jones type of season, for ever.

I have to admit that Brooks Robinson has one of the coolest nickname ever, forget about the Iron Horse, Will the Thrill, La Cobra, cause the Human Vacuum Cleaner rules.

Bring on the Hoover!!!

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!!!

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!!

Nolan Ryan vintage stuff

I've never been a Ryan fan but I happen to have at least 20 different cards of the old man stuffed in a binder somewhere but all of them of the 90's and is that growing up back then I never thougt as possible getting for my PC any of his 70's or not even early 80's cards and not specially in a flea market.

But I managed to get these 3 babies a couple of months ago and without furhther intro here they are: