2008 Upper Deck Series 1&2 Combo Blaster
Or the MEESTAIRY BOCKS:
It's got autograph cards in it, so it can't POSSIBLY suck, can it?Choose wisely.
Ok, the answer to the last trivia question was:
Chuck Jones was interviewed about his work on Upper Deck Comic Ball cards. I'm more of a Tex Avery and Bob Clampett fan myself.Ok, now for today's question. There is a dealer's ad for Classic Best minor league cards (the ads are the best part of this magazine) touting a Mike Schmidt Reading Phillies card that Beckett values at over $1,500. So of course YOU should go out and buy some extremely limited (less than 2100 cases!) Classic Best minor league cards in order to get the next thousand dollar minor league card. In the ad, there is a list of players with the caption "Could one of these players be the next Mike Schmidt?"
Today's Trivia Question:Name any one of the players on the list. (one point)
Bonus Essay Question:
Explain why even if a card of a player who had Walter Johnson's arm, Babe Ruth's bat, Rickey Henderson's legs and Michael Jack Schmidt's mustache was in that set, his card would never ever ever be worth as much as that mythical Reading Phillies card. (one point)
Ok, onto the the pack of 1990 Donruss at Captain Canuck's request. I didn't pull the last two cards he needed, but I've got them held for ransom anyway.
Carl Yastrzemski's full, pouty lips 0¢532 Atlee Hammaker 5¢
419 Tim Laudner 5¢
424 Ken Caminiti 5¢
453 Greg Litton 5¢
200 Checklist 5¢
30 Sandy Alomar Jr. 50¢
587 Willie Frazer 5¢
592 Tony Castillo 5¢
596 Pete Harnisch 5¢
2 Steve Sax Diamond King 5¢
659 Nolan Ryan 5000 K's error $4.00
193 Dennis Cook 5¢
197 Orel Hershiser 10¢
622 Mark Guthrie 5¢
626 Paul Sorrento 5¢
BC-25 Von Hayes MVP 5¢
Total Book Value: $5.25
Another big money card! Nice! This wasn't a spectacular pack overall, but there's a couple of minor stars in there along with the Ryan error card. There's the top three:
Nolan Ryan 5000 K's
I double checked this card in my phonebook sized price guide and the error card is actually an error in Tuff Stuff. They have the 5000 K's and King of Kings cards swapped on their checklist, so what appears to be an error card in their guide is actually the corrected version. However, since I'm going by that price guide and they list the 5000 K's #659 as the error that's the price I'm going by. It's still a pretty cool card either way.Orel Hershiser
This guy pitched his ass off in the '80s and '90s, but if you even mention that maybe he should get a 10% discount at the Hall of Fame gift shop you hear nothing but groans and harrumphs and "It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good". Well you know what?? Maybe we NEED a Hall of Very Good! For the Orel Hershisers and Dale Murphys and Al Rosens and Bill Freehans and Minnie Minosos and Kirk Gibsons and Moose Skowrons and Frank Tananas and Lou Whitakers and Frank Howards and Bobby Gritches and Mark Graces. Then ordinary slobs like us could go hang out at the Working Man's Hall of Fame and let all the elitist snobs spend some quality time with Joe Morgan.Steve Sax Diamond King
Ok, this selection is iffy. I could have chosen the Alomar Rated Rookie (second year in a row!), the young Caminiti in the 'stros rainbow uni or the Atlee Hammaker card where I like the photo for some reason. Instead I chose a Diamond King of a player I never liked and still don't think was very good. Why? CRAZY LAZER BATTLE BACKGROUND. I think Dick Perez was starting to lose it at this point, prompting the more naturalistic Diamond Kings for the next few years (Before he lost his mind again and went all Peter Max in '94)Ok! '90 Donruss was good, but couldn't beat the '90 Score pack. Only two packs left, Score and Fleer. Choose... AND PERISH.
* I fracking HATE Bowser's Castle
24 comments:
For a player listed, I'd go with Derek Lee or perhaps a Steve Martin? Maybe a Tim Stargell?
Answer to the essay question (searches for blue book)...
Because one can pick up that 1991 set for about $10 on ebay?
MDA: Three strikes on the player guesses. The essay answer wasn't exactly what I was looking for but I'll give you a half point for succinctness.
I Deleted prior comment due to half assed Chuck Norris reference (didn't know if you were serious or joking on the Schmidt).
WAG on the player: Reggie Sanders
Nope, not Reggie Sanders.
Reposting the Mike Schmidt comment against your will for sheer awesomeness. 1/2 bonus point for Don.
If there was a player that had Ruth's bat, Walter Johnson's arm, Rickey Henderson's legs, and Michael Jack Schmidt's stach that card would never be worth as much as Schmidt because only Schmidt is capable of superhuman feats such as pounding the Cubs into submission almost by himself, beating the dreaded Pirates with a walk off homer for his 500th, and he was had the steely stare with his eyes that struck fear into all that opposed him. Just think, even Nolan Ryan was afraid to hit him as the stach would have kicked his ass like Ryan did to Ventura. His awsomeness was the reason that no one can ever, ever, compare to him at third, and that the PHillies have sucked for many years before he came and after he left. The pennant that they won in 93 was a direct result of his gravitational pull toward his appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot in just over 12 months from the end of the season.
Two more guesses and I am going to bed (I can't think straight tonight).
Jeff McNeeley or Chipper
Explain why even if a card of a player who had Walter Johnson's arm, Babe Ruth's bat, Rickey Henderson's legs and Michael Jack Schmidt's mustache was in that set, his card would never ever ever be worth as much as that mythical Reading Phillies card:
His card, if said player had above appendages surgically attached to him, would be worth at least 2,000 smackaroos because he would be able to make Chicago NL team fans cry like the bee otches they are with every appearance in Wrigly. Mets fans whimper and scream not fair like the wusses they are. Extend Dodger fan misery with 20 more years of not making the World Series. And break Reds fans hearts upon leaving the team because ownership did not think anyone was worth over 5 mill a year.
Blind guesses:
Don Wakamatsu?
Ever Magallanes?
Mike Ignasiak?
Larry Jones?
you had them the WHOLE TIME!!! All those sleepness nights, wondering, worrying... scouring ebay... and you had them all along???!!!1!?
Crap. You beat me to the punch on the Chicago bashing.
Don: Nope and nope.
Bay Rat: You got beat to the punch, sorry. Also, o-4 on the players.
Canuck: Having a card and knowing where the hell they are is two entirely different things.
(Hint to everyone: this ad is from May 1991. Think about it.)
Pudge Rodriguez.
Todd Van Popple.
The Man
The Myth
The Lame A$$ Prospect
Brien Taylor?
I Rod?
Pudge and Van Poppel look good---I'll add Bam-Bam, Gary Scott or Awfulman
Keep guessing... I didn't think it would be this hard, there's 27 on the list and over half made the bigs. Two were still in the league last year!
Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd.
Klesko
Jim Thome or Mike Mussina?
Pedro Martinez, Mark Grace or Jeromy Burnitz?
Essay Answer:
No card from this set will ever reach the value of the Mythical Schmidt Reading Phillies card for the following reason.
It is rumored that when the card was originally issued, Mike Schmidt protested wildly because he thought that the card was to be given away in school reading programs. It was widely known at that time that Mr. Schmidt was anti-education and did not want to be at all associated with learning in any manner. The cards were pulled, leaving a few of them in the hands of children who attended a giveaway night that summer.
Many were used in bike spokes, others as coasters. A few survived.
One went to auction, bringing the price of $643. It was purchased by NHL enforcer/goon Andre Fullov (Philadelphia Flyers). The card, in more than pristine condition, is now known as the Fullov Schmidt card and was recently sold to a private collector for $1,500.
This is where Beckett got their price. Where they get their other prices, Heaven only knows.
The card has transcended any tangible value and is now part of the collective part of Americana that it is priceless.
Ben McDonald
Roger Salkeld
Scott Erickson
Royce Clayton
Woody Williams
USC Football great Al Martin
Brian McRae
Mark Lewis
Essay (I think the points have already been given, but I still need to regurgitate what I learned in Economics 101 over 25 years ago)
The value of the Reading Mike Schmidt card is largely driven by the basic economic principles of supply and demand. In the early 1970's there was not a great demand for cards of the stars of the Reading Phillies (such as Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, Mike Anderson and Wayne Twitchell). Therefore there were only a few hundred (or few thousand) cards produced. Demand, however, spiked once (1) Schmidt became a superstar and Hall of Famer and (2) the card industry decided to put some artificial value on a player's first card.
The reason no card from 1991 Classic Best Minor League set will reach those heights is (1) it was a national, rather than regional issue, meaning there is (2) plenty of supply out there, just like every other card set produced between 1987-1992. Furthermore, there are no players from that set who have achieved the status of Hall of Famer. In short, Adam Smith says the supply will never be so short or the demand so high that any rookie card from the 1991 Classic Best will reach a value of $1,500 unless and until the dollar is devalued to the point that a single postage stamp costs $4,500.
Yesssss
MMayes got a few of the players and nailed the essay question. Two Points for Gryffindor! I mean MMayes!
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