Show and Tell, Collectively Speaking.

This post is a two-for-one: a package received and a round of NICKEL cards and vintage from my April 6th visit to the Taylor MI monthly card show. You'll see a couple of these posts since I brought home 1000+ cards for trading/hoarding. My house is quickly becoming a storage facility, filled with cats and cards. What does that make me?

Cards on the left are mine. Those on the right - up for grabs!

I've also updated my want list, hoping to eliminate a few set needs.  The latest additions include 2019 Gypsy Queen and more from 2018 Heritage.  I decided to complete several insert sets which means I need YOU!  Please check out the Send Help tab to see what has me crying, begging and pleading. 

Staying ahead of  my traditional 'one year to share a trade' deadline, here's a wonderful group of cards from Greg's Collective Mind.  His blog theme is based on Star Trek's Borg.  Of all species found in the many Trek  series, Borg were the most frightening to me. Greg is nothing like them. He made me say that.

Greg's been known to take our want-lists along to card shows. Here's a look at a few of  his generosities:

Set needs!

A nice batch of 2007 Heritage Tigers - needed!

2014 Golden Age was a fun box break. I have a greater appreciation for this set with each passing year. Greg included this Sweet Willie Horton auto in the same package with this fine gem:

The highly coveted Covington! I love this card for a couple reasons; the bat rack is an obvious one, the old Braves logo patch another.  We're lucky to have this shot of Wes on his 61 Topps card. In 1961, Wes became one of those rare players to spend time with four teams over the course of one year: Braves, White Sox, A's and Phillies.  This was on my list of 'gotta have it' cards.

Greg, thanks for your thoughtfulness! I apologize for taking so long to share these on the blog.

*****

Of course, 1962 Topps gave us another awesome Covington bat card, this time as a Phillie. We could've had him in any one of the four uniforms.  I picked this one from a dollar bin.

My favorite vintage dealer, Danny, has cards 15 for $10.  He's always adding new ones to the selection. I looked through 70 Topps to find a few bats I needed:

I love that Hiatt's bat crosses another in the shot, making an 'X'.

2019 Heritage may have a few choice dugout shots but the bats are sorely missing. 

My favorite modern dealer had a stack of vintage cards, something you'll rarely find on his table. He bought a collection which included some old Bowman. Now, these aren't for everyone.  Glued into a scrapbook for who knows how many years, then ripped from their pages -  at a quarter per, they were coming home with me.

I'm not a full out condition snob but these don't fit my slowly growing collection of 51 and 52 Bowmans. I have probably a hundred or so, preferring them mid-grade. So what to do with them...?

And how about this old Snuffy Stirnweiss '48 Leaf for a whopping one dollar bill?  He's a keeper!

Many of the nickel cards will begin finding their way to new homes soon via PWE surprises. Some will show up on the Pick Pockets tab.  I have a 'no nickel refractor left behind' policy. I scooped up all I could find.  Rediscover Topps junk wax?  Got it.

P-Town gets first dibs on the Vogelmonster. He loves those Cubbies but thinks Dan's the man, and has for some time!  Topps Chrome is colorful but not refractory. I've never seen these cards.

A nice batch of camo Prizms are hiding in this post somewhere.

Topps Stars. A lot of thought went into this product. The more rare the parallel, the larger the photo crop is on front. Back off, Chipper!

Have a roll of nickels?  If you've learned anything about me from this post, it's that I'm a cheap date!

Thomas Jefferson Would Be Proud

On Saturday, I made it to my first card show of the year.   Only an hour away from me, the Gibraltar Trade Center has a 40 table show every month. I've been once in the nearly two years I've lived here.  Public market or indoor flea market [aren't these the same?] this place attracts all types of people, not unlike Walmart.  It's a trip made with a friend as I'd never go alone. The unusually warm weather brought folks out of their homes and into the show meaning less cards for me - oh - and my friend.  I certainly don't want to appear selfish. 

I took $60 and left my debit and credit cards at home.  We arrived around 11am, missing the first hour.  The first half of the day yielded very little of the very few 2017 Topps on my list.  Looking over the tables, nothing really caught my eye.  I picked up several one dollar cards. Sample:

Set build: 1970 Kellogg's 

Set build: 1961 Golden Press

Because it was there: 1962 Post

I picked out twelve 3 for $1 cards.  Here are six:

PCs: 2014 Posey, 1995 Donruss, 1996 SPX

                                                                                     Set build:  1972 Topps

It's a dream set to be sure, adding random cards here and there.  These are gorgeous in color and condition! My disco boy Astros and Cleo showing off his now retro Cubbie patch.

I found a table with miscellaneous packs of old junk at three for $1.  I bought all ten packs of 1994 Stadium Club Series Two.  These yielded a First Day Issue Tiger, Scott Livingstone and player collection boys:

Gracie is a parallel

From the same 10 packs, I pulled four of these:

COLLATION NIGHTMARE

A floating bat and a funky cold Mussina:

It was 3pm as we made our way to the back of the floor, to the last row of tables when we spotted this:

You read the sign correctly.  Thousands upon thousands of cards for a NICKEL!!!!!!!   The dealer's sign was a bit of joke.  He mentioned some people got upset that kids had a better deal...people who obviously didn't read the whole sign - 20/$1 !!    

Several folks were seated on the aisle side of the tables by the time we'd found them.  So we took our spot on what would be the seller's side.  Working as a team pulling cards for each other, we managed to go through most of the boxes on our side before the show ended at 6pm.    

During our search, an older woman [70ish or more] came barreling around the corner seeking information on a card she'd purchased over twenty years ago.  She first approached the group searching the boxes on her side then she saw me seated behind the table.  'Oh I can ask YOU this question.'   Why me?? I thought.   'What was that card they made 500 of twenty years ago'   I had no idea.  She then narrowed it down saying 'you know, he was married to that famous actress'.  OH!  'Joe DiMaggio'.   I tried to explain cards are now numbered to 25 or even less.  If she could tell me the year or brand, I might be able to help her.    I was trying hard to be polite but she reeked of cigarettes and cheap perfume, right out of an old Bogart movie.  Of all the shows she had to wander into...  I hadn't yet noticed my friend had scooted down the row a bit. So much for the team effort. She was pulling cards while I heard all about the dame's kids: one a college graduate,  the other still flipping pizzas after 18 years.  After ten minutes or more of listening, she says 'I don't even know where the card is.  If I can find it, I'll bring it next time.'   Next time???  Oh goodie.

Just what can a nickel get you these days???  Twelve cards added to my 2016 Stadium Club set, cards for mini-set binders and player collections.  Cards, cards, cards! 

Set builds: 94 Pinnacle Museum, 1990 Swell   70s binder: 2013 Golden Age Playing Card
Just Because: 2013 Cooperstown Lumberjacks

PIAZZAS - ALL A NICKEL EACH INCLUDING THIS 2-SIDED BEAUTY:
       2004 Donruss Elite Passing the Torch

                                                            

I managed to stay away from any large impulse purchases, sticking mainly to set builds and players. I left the show with $15 in my pocket and at least 500 cards for five cents each.  Surely our Founding Father and third President would be pleased to know how far a nickel goes these days.