APRIL 2024 CARD SHOW PART 1: PATRICK'S QUARTER BOX

GETTING A PROPER APRIL CARD SHOW POST UP IN APRIL, HELL YEAH. THIS SHOW WENT LIKE MOST OTHER SHOWS. SCOUT OUT THE VINTAGE TABLE AT THE FRONT, GLANCE AT SOME CASES FULL OF STUFF I CAN'T AFFORD. REVEL IN THE COMFORT OF THE QUARTER BOX [YOU ARE HERE], PASS BY MORE TABLES WITH HIGH/NO PRICES, DIVE INTO DIME BOX CARDS, MAKE THE LOOP BACK TO THE VINTAGE TABLE AND BLOW MORE MONEY. THERE WERE NO COLLECTORS SELLING THIS TIME, AND WHILE ONE TABLE WAS SELLING BULK BOXES THERE WAS NO PRICE ANYWHERE. SINCE MY BUDGET WAS TWENTY BUCKS FOR THE SHOW THERE WAS NO NEED TO ASK. THE QUARTER BOX HELD FUN SURPRISES AS USUAL BUT I ALSO SPLURGED ON A CARD AT THE SAME TABLE

I MENTIONED THIS IN THE PREVIEW POST, BUT MURPH HERE IS THE LAST AND FINAL CARD NEEDED FOR MY 1981 FLEER SET. THE NEXT TO LAST AND NEXT TO NEXT TO LAST CARDS WERE BOUGHT IN MY COMC BINGE AND IF I KEEP TO MY SCHEDULE YOU'LL BE SEEING THOSE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. I DEFINITELY OVER PAID AT TWO BUCKS BUT IT FELT GOOD TO PICK IT UP IN PERSON. SINCE THERE'S NOT MUCH NEW TO SAY ABOUT THIS HERE'S THE ENTIRE 81 FLEER BRAVES TEAM SET AS A BONUS

THE PAGES ARE OUT OF ORDER AND I DIDN'T NOTICE THE RING SHADOWS UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE BUT IT'S CARDS AND I NEED TO GET MOVING ON THIS POST. ALONG WITH THE TWO DOLLA MURPH  I PICKED UP TWO DOLLAS WORTH OF QUARTER CARDS STARTING WITH SOME FRIENDS FROM THE LAST QUARTER BOX POST

THREE MOAR SHAKEY'S PIZZA CARDS! I WAS HOPING SOME OF THESE WOULD BE LEFT AFTER LAST TIME AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM WERE STILL THERE. I STILL LEFT BEHIND QUITE A FEW BUT THEY WERE MOSTLY COMMISSIONERS AND EXECUTIVES. TOMMY MCCARTHY PLAYED HIS BEST SEASONS FOR ST. LOUIS BUT SPENT A FEW YEARS WITH THE BOSTON WHATEVER-THEY-WERE-CALLED-BEFORE-THE-BRAVES* SO IT ENDED IN MY PILE ONCE I READ THE BACK OF THE CARD. ED WALSH CAUGHT MY EYE AS HE IS THE ONLY HALL OF FAMER I HAVE A T-206 CARD OF IN MY COLLECTION. THIS CARD EVEN USES THE SAME PICTURE! THEN AGAIN SO DO A LOT OF OTHER CARDS. THE LAST ONE IS CARL HUBBELL, WHO'S JUST A GREAT PITCHER

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING WITH THESE CARDS AS I DOUBT I COULD PUT TOGETHER EVEN A PAGE OF THEM BUT THEY'RE FUN AND THAT'S THE POINT OF A CARD SHOW

ONE OF THE BIG B'S ON A CARD WITH A BIG B FOR THE DESIGN. THIS CARD SAYS BOWMAN'S BEST BUT IT IS REALLY ONE OF FIVE SUBSETS FOR TOPPS FUSION, THE GREAT GRANDPAPPY OF PANINI CHRONICLES. THAT MESS OF A SET HAD CARDS FROM FIVE DIFFERENT SETS: BOWMAN'S BEST, STADIUM CLUB, FINEST, GALLERY AND GOLD LABEL ALL MASHED UP IN ONE PACK AND IT FLOPPED SUPER HARD. I BOUGHT A FEW PACKS AND DID VERY WELL FOR MYSELF INCLUDING PULLING A ROCCO BALDELLI AUTOGRAPH BACK WHEN HE WAS THE HOT PROSPECT DU JOUR. I WANT TO BUILD A LITTLE FRANKENSET OF ONE PAGE PER PRODUCT BECAUSE IT'S A FUN SET BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH BUILDING A SET. I KNEW I NEEDED A BOWMAN'S BEST CARD TO HELP FILL OUT A PAGE BUT DIDN'T REMEMBER WHICH CARDS I ALREADY HAD SO I TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH ON THIS ONE AND WAS REWARDED WITH A CARD I NEEDED. FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS OF NEEDED

HERE'S THAT BOOTLEG CRACKED ICE CARD I SHOWED OFF IN THE PREVIEW POST. HERE'S THE REAL FUN BIT:

ONE OF 10,000 CARDS! THESE ARE AS RARE AS DONRUSS ELITE INSERTS! THERE'S NO SERIAL NUMBERING ON THE BUT YOU CAN TRUST SPORTS STARS USA, RIGHT? RIGHT?

I FRIGGIN LOVE 90S STUDIO BUT THERE WERE A TON OF STARS FROM THIS SET IN THE QUARTER BOX AND GREG WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAME HOME WITH ME. PART OF IT WAS MY BUDGET OF ABOUT FIVE BUCKS A TABLE FORCED ME TO MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES. THAT WASN'T ALL OF IT THOUGH, AS I WAS LOOKING AT A WANTLIST WHERE I HAVE MAYBE A QUARTER OF THE SET IT WAS HARD TO SPEND A COUPLE BUCKS ON CARDS THAT WOULD BARELY MAKE A DENT EVEN IF THEY WERE GUYS LIKE RANDY JOHNSON AND CAL RIPKEN JR. I GOT SOME 70S VINTAGE CARDS FOR A QUARTER AT THE SAME SHOW SO I FEEL LIKE I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE

I DON'T COLLECT THESE FOIL SCORE PARALLELS AT ALL AND ACTUALLY GET ANNOYED WHEN I FIND THEM WHILE SORTING. SHINY BAGWELL THOUGH. AND HE'S GOT BUBBLE GUM! I'M TRYING TO HAVE RESTRAINT BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH I CAN RESIST

I LOVE THESE PACIFIC INVINCIBLE CARDS WITH THE PLAYER PORTRAIT INSIDE A LITTLE ACETATE WINDOW. AND I LOVE GARY SHEFFIELD WHO HAD TWO GREAT SEASONS WITH THE BRAVOS. EASY PICKUP EVEN WITH THE HATED MARLINS LOGO MESSING UP THAT BEAUTIFUL FOIL.I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE BEST LOOKING OF THE INVICIBLE SETS

THIS IS THE FIRST JARRED KELENIC CARD I'VE ENCOUNTERED IN THE WILD SINCE THE TRADE. ALL JARRED HAS TO DO IS PLAY GOOD DEFENSE AND BE A LEAGUE AVERAGE HITTER TO BE A MASSIVE UPGRADE FOR THE BRAVES THIS YEAR AND HE'S SURPASSED THAT SO FAR. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIM ON SOME CARDS WEARING AN ATLANTA UNI SOON

PATRICK IS AN EAGLES FAN SO THE QUARTER BOXES ALWAYS HAVE A FEW EAGLES PLAYERS IN IT INCLUDING MICHAEL VICK. I HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT RESISTING BUYING THEM ALL UP SINCE I DON'T REALLY HAVE A HANDLE ON THE VICK CARDS I ALREADY HAVE. THIS ONE GRABBED ME THOUGH, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW WHY

SERIAL NUMBERS! I CANNOT RESIST THE SERIAL NUMBERS. DO TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX PEOPLE EVEN COLLECT VICK CARDS ANYMORE? PROBABLY NOT! I ALSO THINK I MIGHT HAVE THIS INSERT ALREADY. I FINISHED A FLEER SET AT THIS TABLE, I'M ALLOWED TO BE A LITTLE FRIVOLOUS AS A REWARD

BASEBALL-REFERENCE SENT THE BEANEATERS AND RUSTLERS NAME TO THE SHADOW REALM ALONG WITH PLUTO AND THE NEW WILE E. COYOTE MOVIE AND I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT IT

APRIL 2024 CARD SHOW PREVIEW

 THIS PAST WEEKEND I SOMEHOW HAD BOTH TIME AND A LITTLE MONEY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE MONTHLY CARD SHOW SO I TOOK A LITTLE TRIP AND HAD A LITTLE FUN. I HAD TO BE SUPER EXTRA CHEAP (THAT MURPH THERE WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING I BOUGHT) BUT I HIT ALL MY FAVORITE TABLES AND WAS SUCCESSFUL AT THE ONE GOAL I SET FOR MYSELF. I AM EVENTUALLY GOING TO DO A SERIES OF POSTS ON THE SHOW BUT I HAVE OVER A HUNDRED CARDS THAT NEED PICTURED TAKEN, CROPPED AND UPLOADED SO HERE'S A SORT OF TOP TEN LIST OF MY PICKUPS IN THE MEANTIME. I WILL LIKELY SHOW THEM ALL OFF AGAIN IN THE SUBSEQUENT POSTS, PLACE YOUR BETS NOW ON HOW MANY JOKES I RECYCLE

HERE'S A FULL PHOTO OF ALL THE PICKUPS. THE PILES AT THE BOTTOM ARE LEFT TO RIGHT:  QUARTER BOX, DIME BOX, FIVE DOLLARS WORTH OF VINTAGE AND THREE FOR A DOLLAR BOX. THAT'S NINE OR TEN POSTS RIGHT THERE DEPENDING ON HOW I DEAL WITH THAT FIVE DOLLAR PILE. THE FIRST CARD IN THE TOP TEN LIST IS WHICHEVER OF THE TWO 1987 FLEER BOX BOTTOM PANALS YOU PREFER. DO YOU LIKE THE BASE PANEL WITH DALE MURPHY? OR PERHAPS THE TOUGH STICKER BOX BOTTOM WITH BOB HORNER? IF YOU CAN'T CHOOSE, THEN CHOOSE BOTH. I WON'T STOP YOU. THIS IS THE ONLY PICTURE YOU'RE GETTING THOUGH BECAUSE I TOOK MULTIPLE SHOTS OF THEM AND THEY ALL TURNED OUT BLURRY FOR SOME REASON AND I'M NOT DOING IT AGAIN

DALE HERE IS THE LAST CARD I NEEDED FOR MY 1981 FLEER SET. THIS IS SOMEWHAT AWKWARD BECAUSE I HAVE A POST LINED UP FOR THE PENULTIMATE AND NEXT-TO-NEXT-TO-LAST CARDS I NEEDED FOR THE SET SCHEDULED IN A COUPLE MONTHS IN MY COMC BLACK FRIDAY POSTS. THEY'RE GOOD CARDS AND YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY THIS WASN'T IN THAT COMC PACKAGE THEN. BUT RIGHT NOW AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THE 81 FLEER BINDER IS COMPLETELY COMPLETE. EXCEPT FOR THIRTY-SEVEN ERROR CARDS. AND ABOUT A HUNDRED AND THIRTY STICKER CARDS. BUT THE SET! IS! COMPLEEEEETEEEE!!!

I LOVE FINDING EXTRA-ODD ODDBALL CARDS IN CHEAPO BOXES I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND THIS ONE COUNTS. AT LEAST I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE BEFORE BUT IT TURNS OUT IT'S FROM THE 1993-95 SPORTS STARS USA BOOTLEG SERIES THAT I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH. I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THAT CRACKED ICE-STYLE FOIL FROM OTHER CARDS. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH USING LOGOS ON THEIR UNLICENSED SET BUT THE EARLY 90S WERE WILD. THERE'S A SURPRISE ON THE BACK BUT I'LL SAVE THAT FOR THE ACTUAL QUARTER BOX POST

I THINK I AM OFFICIALLY COLLECTING ANY MINOR LEAGUE TRAINER CARDS I FIND FROM NOW ON. NORMALLY WHEN I COME ACROSS AN ABANDONED MINOR LEAGUE TEAM SET IN A DIME BOX I LOOK FOR ANY PLAYERS WHO MADE THE BIGS. THIS TIME I WAS ALL "I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER, I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER, I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER... YES!!" I HOPE BARNEY'S HAVING A GOOD TIME OUT THERE WHEREVER HE IS

THERE WERE A BUNCH OF TOPPS BUNT CARDS IN THE DIME BOX BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE 2017 BUNT WHICH DON'T CARE FOR.THIS MCCUTCHEN INSERT WAS TOO PRETTY TO LEAVE BEHIND THOUGH. I'M NOT SURE HOW 'IMAGE USED IN AN OBITUARY' ENDED UP BEING THE THEME OF AN INSERT SET BUT I'M GLAD I FOUND THIS ONE

YOU ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING NEW AT EVERY CARD SHOW. AT THIS SHOW I LEARNED THAT PRESS PASS RELEASED AN ELVIS SET THE YEAR HE WOULD HAVE TURNED 75, AND THAT ELVIS WAS IN A MOVIE WITH MARY TYLER MOORE. I TOOK ONE LOOK AT ELVIS LEERING AT NUN ASS AND KNEW THIS CARD WAS COMING HOME WITH ME. THIS IS THE WILDEST CARD I'VE SEEN ALL YEAR AND I'VE SEEON SOME SHIT

THE AFOREMENTIONED GOAL FOR THIS CARD SHOW WAS TO FINALLY PICK UP SOME 1977 TOPPS CARDS SINCE I'M OSTENSIBLY FOCUSING ON COMPLETING THAT SET THIS YEAR. NEWS FLASH: I AM NOT FINISHING THIS SET THIS YEAR. I WILL BE CHIPPING AWAY AT THE WANTLIST AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. A HALL OF FAME CARD IS ONE OF THE BIGGER CHIPS OFF THE LIST. OF COURSE I BOUGHT THIS BEAT UP MESS FOR CHEAP INSTEAD OF GETTING A NICE ONE IN EX CONDITION FOR A BUCK OR TWO. THEY BOTH FIT IN THE BINDER POCKET

THIS ONE WAS FROM THE THREE FOR A DOLLAR BOX. THERE WAS A NICE MIX OF OLD BASEBALL BASKETBALL AND HOCKEY IN THERE AND I HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH CHOICES AS IT WAS THE LAST BOX I SCROUNGED THROUGH AS I WAS EXITING THE SHOW. THIS WAS NOT A TOUGH CHOICE AS I LOWKEY COLLECT KENTUCKY COLONELS CARDS AS MY FAVORITE ABA TEAM. MY ABA FAVE ARTIS GILMORE IS NOT ON THIS CARD BUT YOU KNOW WHO IS? HALL OF FAMERS JULIUS ERVING AND GEORGE MCGINNIS. JUST PUT DOCTOR J IN YOUR EBAY TITLE AND YOU'LL TRIPLE THE BIDS

ANOTHER DUMB THING I'VE BEEN BUYING A LOT MORE OF LATELY ARE EXCESSIVELY MARKED CHECKLISTS. I DON'T WANT THE ONES WITH HALF THE BOXES NEATLY MARKED, I WANT THE RUINED ONES WITH THREE DIFFERENT COLORS OF PEN INK, PENCIL SCRIBBLES AND DIFFERENT MARKINGS POSSIBLY TO INDICATE DOUBLES OR A SECOND SET. THOSE ARE THE CHECKLISTS I WANT. IT HELPS WHEN THERE'S A HEADSHOT OF A RECENTLY MINTED MVP ON THE CARD AS WELL

1977 TOPPS IS MY OFFICIAL SET BUILDING FOCUS RIGHT NOW BUT 1975 TOPPS IS WAY MORE FUN TO BUY SO I HAVE BEEN DOING JUST THAT. I'M NOT COMPLETING THAT SET THIS YEAR EITHER AS I HAVE SOME DAUNTING ROOKIES AND SOME BIG STARS STILL STARING ME DOWN. NOT THE BIG ROOKIES THANKFULLY BUT THERE'S ABOUT TEN CARDS I WILL HAVE TO ACTUALLY SPEND REAL MONEY ON. THIS WAS THE MOST ICONIC I HAD LEFT THOUGH AND I ALMOST MADE ASCENE WHEN I FOUND IT HIDING AMONGST SOME '75 COMMONS. I HAVE ABOUT FORTY CARDS LEFT FOR THE SET BUT WITH THIS ONE IN THE BINDER WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY I'M ON THE HOME STRETCH NOW

The Joy of a Completed Page #4

Card of the Week - Mycological Edition

You wanted to see the grab bag fungus card, so you get to see the grab bag fungus card:

Poor Dwayne Murphy. Stained all over and losing structural integrity up at the top. It's really bad when you can see the card sticking out like a sore thumb in a pile of other cards. Most likely this card was left near some water where the mold took root and then took over. Here's a close up of the top:

Now that damage could have been caused my a number of things. Water damage may have caused it to disintegrate. A rodent may have nibbled on it. It could have been scraped across a concrete floor. There's no proof that this was caused by the fungus. The fungus has done enough damage though:

Bllleeaaauuuuggghhh! (click to see the full size moldy horror) Oh yeah, that mildew has burrowed deep into that card. I'm thinking I should dispose of it by fire instead of dumping it in a landfill. It might mutate and grow and become sentient and escape!
THE FUNGUS CARD THAT ATE KENNESAW

Why in the world this card made its way into a grab bag is beyond me. I've got to sanitize my scanner now and the rest of the '81 Fleer out of that brick is in quarantine. This poor thing deserves a final rest and a Viking funeral. It's a shame that this had to happen but there are many dangers out there for cards. Don't let this happen to your cards. And even if it does, don't pawn it off on unsuspecting collectors, mmmmkay?

Well that was quick

Within hours of posting my 1981 Fleer wantlist, I lined up 3 trades to complete the set. Joe offered to send the cards I needed as well. Talk about speedy service! I guess this proves that people jut want to get rid of their 1981 Fleer cards as fast as they can. I couldn't imagine why...

Thanks to Duane, Jason & Don for knocking this set out for me!

Two more items of interest before I start studying for a test and writing up my Goudey pack rip:

Thanks to Kevin and Thorzul for tipping me off to this awesome Onion article about a Chipper Jones fan. To anyone still bewildered by that young man's choice, think about it:

TWELVE YEAR OLD.

HOOTERS GIRLS.

He's just proud of his hero, man. And he wants to be just like his idol one day.

Finally, to Chris Harris:

I LOVE YOU, MAN.

The reason for my affection shall be posted soon. Time to study right now.

1981 Fleer Wantlist

Time to start attacking another set. The reason I picked '81 Fleer is simple. About 5 years ago I bought a big lot of junk cards at a flea market and included in the pile of mess was a binder with a near set of 1981 Fleer. I combined my cards with the set I got in the lot and am pretty close to completion now. Plus, the set is already in a binder so I don't have to fool around with putting cards into pages. You have to admit, out of the big three sets that came out that year, Fleer is probably the best looking of the bunch. I say this even while having an extremely emotional attachment to my '81 Topps cards that I bought whenever my grandparents went shopping at Matthew's Supermarket that summer. I'm just going after the set and not all the whacked out errors and variations though. I'm not dedicated enough to go chasing those things right now.

1 Pete Rose
5 Mike Schmidt
78 Joe Morgan
84 Dick Howser
86 Ron Davis
88 Ron Guidry
89 Goose Gossage
91 Gaylord Perry
93 Bob Watson
94 Bobby Murcer
96 Jim Spencer
99 Johnny Oates
100 Fred Stanley
101 Ruppert Jones
103 Joe Lefebvre
106 Doug Bird
107 Mike Griffin
184 Eddie Murray
196 Johnny Bench
200 Tom Seaver
223 Fred Lynn
488 Ozzie Smith
493 Tim Flannery
515 Paul Molitor
638 Carl Yastrzemski
640 Mike Schmidt
645 Triple Threat
654 Checklist 507-550
655 George Brett

Special limited time offer!

First person to send me a trade offer (make sure I can find your e-mail if you leave it in the comments) for some '81 Fleer gets absolutely free* the six '81 Fleer cards below. By my count, that's 5 Hall of Famers and one Hall of Awesome player in that mix.


Can ya believe Tom Sawyer came out in 1981? I can't.

Have: 659/660 - 99.9%

Thanks to: Jason F., Don S.

*whenever you see the words absolutely free, it isn't. Take this example - these cards aren't free... you have to dig up your '81 Fleer cards and compare your doubles to my want list and then type me an e-mail and send it to me all while rushing to make sure you're first so you can get the cards then wait anxiously to find out if you get the cards or not because I'll be out at a meeting pretty much all afternoon. That's a lot of work! Then you have to mail off your end of the trade which costs money to boot! There ain't no free lunch, kiddos. Remember that before you are suckered into another offer with a bunch of fine print this this.