October 22, 2023, Chantilly Show Graphing Recap

What a weekend.  My good friend, Jesse, and I met up with another close friend, Ryan this weekend.  The three of us, along with Ryan's nephew Blayke, checked out the Chantilly show on Sunday.  I wanted to finish of the 1982 Topps Baltimore Orioles Future Stars card that I had already gotten signed TTM by Jeff Schneider and Bob Bonner.  That left Cal to get taken care of, which I finally aas able to do. 

Cal commented on the card in that I got Schneider and Bonner, which was cool.  He shook my and Jesse's hands.  He's always friendly, and I was happy to pay the fee to see Cal again.

I paid Bill's premium fee to get the "Rick Face" card signed, finally.  It took some digging in some Orioles boxes to find the card, but I located it and got it added to the autograph album. 

Bill was super friendly and happily posed for the picture.  He commented on my Oklahoma Cielo Azul hat.  I just checked, ND I wore the same hat last year and I recall that Bill commented on it then, too. 

The Sunday autograph lineup wasn't terribly impressive for me, but I saw that Steve Carlton was going to be there.  I decided that I'd pay his fee and get him on a card to add to my album.  He signs TTM for a fee, but I wanted to meet him.

Carlton was nice.  He was pretty soft-spoken and it was hard to hear him at points. Jesse and I were nervous when we were lining up for this picture.  Carlton told us to calm down, line the shot up properly and thanked us for coming.  It was really nice of him to not push us along and ensure that we got a good photo.

Jair Jurrjens was signing in the Forward Area, so I got two cards of his signed for his fee.  I got a 2010 Topps Chrome and a 2011 Topps signed.  Jurrjens has an awesome signature.

Jurrjens was really nice.  I'm glad that I read the lineup thoroughly and saw that he would be there.

I was on a pretty tight budget, but i was still able to find some cool stuff.  I worked on my 1955 Bowman set just a bit and also found some cool vintage cards to send TTM.  We'll see if I can get them in.

Thanks Ryan, Blayke and Jesse for the great time and thanks Jesse for keeping our ride ti and from Ryan's house interesting and the photo ops.

TTM Success - Bob Bonner

A small project started when I found this 1982 Topps Baltimore Orioles Future Stars card at the Chantilly show for $25.  I had heard that the card can be completed, so I sent it TTM to Jeff Schneider first, then off to Bob Bonner.  Now I have to wait for another signing with Cal and I can have this completed.

I also pulled the other Bonner cards that I had in m boxes, starting with the above 1991 Crown Orioles card.

I also had a 1982 Donruss and a 1983 Fleer; both turned out nicely.  I had forgotten I had the Fleer, so it was a nice surprise when I came across it in the box.

Bonner (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1980 to 1983 for the Orioles.  He had 21 hits, 0 home runs and a .194 batting average.

I mailed to Bonner on November 8 and got the cards back on November 19, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Schneider

One of the cards I sent to former Oriole, Jeff Schneider, is missing from this post because right after I got this TTM success back from him, I sent the card to the second of three people featured on it.  Once the third guy signs the card, it will be a nice feat, as it is the 1982 Topps Orioles rookies card.  The card has Schneider, Bob Bonner and Cal Ripken, Jr.  I did get the card back signed from Bonner, so now, all I need to do is wait for another signing with Cal.

In the meantime, I also had gotten this 1991 Crown Orioles card signed by Schneider.  It turned out nicely.

Schneider (b. 1951) played in the majors in 1981 for the Orioles.  He had a 0-0 record with 17 strike outs and a 4.88 ERA.

I mailed to Schneider on October 25 and got the cards back on November 7, for a 13-day TAT.

October 2022 Chantilly Show - Finishing the Ripken Baseball Family Card

When I picked up this 1988 Donruss Ripken Baseball Family card that had already been signed by Cal, Sr., I had hoped of adding Bill and Cal to the card at some point.  Last year, I saw Ryan Ripken when he came through Durham with Norfolk, so I went ahead and for him on the card.  He told me at the time that his dad would love to see the card in person and to talk to me about it.  He also said I should be patient and wait for his uncle Bill to do a signing, because if I tried sending the card through the mail, it would probably get lost.  We also joked that I should get the other Ripken brother (Fred) to sign the card, since, in Ryan's opinion, Fred was the better baseball player out of the three, but didn't pursue it because he didn't like baseball as much as Cal or Bill.

Finally, a signing came along where Cal and Bill would both be in attendance.  Cal hadn't been at the National in 2021 or 2022, so I was excited to see him in the lineup for the Chantilly show.  He did remark on the card, that I had added "Ryan Rip" to the card.  I told him "Yeah, and I'll add Bill later on today.  I just need to add Fred at some point."  That was when Cal's face dropped a bit and he said "You'll have a hard time adding Fred to this card.  We just lost him."  I was floored.  I had created an awkward conversation with my childhood hero.  I apologized for his loss; he explained what had happened.  We was so cool about it, but I felt terrible.  It goes to show how great a guy Cal is, and I feel awful for his loss.  I'm sure he knew that I had no idea that his brother had passed, but it still made for an awkward exchange.  He was still gracious enough to explain the circumstances, and still posed for a picture afterward.  I wish I had more time to talk to Cal, though, because I did feel badly for him.

Bill was super nice, as well.  He said "Oh, I see that you got my mother to sign the card as well."  I had to tell him that was Ryan's signature on the card, and he said "Oh, I thought it was my mother's."  Cal and Bill's mom passed away last year.  He then commented on my Turbo Tubs jersey, which we talked about for a bit before I got shooed away by the handlers.  This was my first time meeting Bill (and third time meeting Cal), and they both were really nice.

I finally got the card completed, but I do wish I had known about Fred's passing.  On my way home, I looked up and read his obituary; he seemed like he would have been an interesting guy to talk to, as well.

Birthday Gift From Andrew

My birthday was back in September, but with all of the TTMs I have backlogged, I have drawn out posting my stuff that I got for my birthday.  My good friend, Andrew, sent me some really great cards that I wanted to show off.  The above 2011 Topps Black Diamond Wrapper Redemption Virgil Trucks auto is just a beauty.  I had one of these, already, but Andrew knew how much I loved these, and picked this one up.  I still am looking for the canary numbered to 10, but have yet to find one.  I'll take as many of these as I can get, though.

Andrew found a few Orioles cards that I needed, which can be tough.  I haven't been able to find much in the way of recent cards, so these come in handy.

He also got me some cards of a couple former Wood Ducks in the Sam Huff and Sherten Apostel seen on the bottom row of this scan.

Thank you so much for the birthday gift, Andrew!

Birthday Gift From Nate

My good friend, Nate, really dug deep, and knocked off some cards that have been sitting on my wishlist for years.  I have wanted the above 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cut Cal Ripken since 2011.  I just hadn't gotten around to picking one up.  Nate helped me out, and now the card is crossed off of my list.

Nate also helped me knock off 23 cards from my 2013 Topps Emerald set checklist.  I haven't given up on this set; I just haven't found any of these in any boxes at shows.

Still, I am a long way toward completing it, but I have made a significant dent in the checklist.  People like Nate have really been the ones who have pushed me toward getting this tough set done.

Thanks so much for the birthday gifts, Nate!  I really appreciate it.

I Finally Met Cal and Eddie

Well, if I wasn't fully committed to trying to get as complete as I can with the 1987 Topps set, I probably am now.  I went ahead and dropped some serious money on the set this past weekend when I got the chance to meet Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray.

My good friend, Ryan (from the blog - O No Another Oriole Blog), and I decided back in January during Fan Fest that we would try to go to the Chantilly show in April to try to see if we could meet Chipper Jones.  Yeah, we didn't get Chipper, since he was Sunday, I think, but we decided we would meet Eddie Murray.  I got to thinking about it, and I decided that this would be as good a time as any to dip into savings and go ahead and try to knock Cal's cards off of my checklist as well.

I'm really glad I went ahead and did it, because the cards look ridiculously amazing.  I actually bought his base 1987 Topps off of COMC, since I didn't have any in my 1987 box.  I think they got pulled and added to the Cal PC, and that box was buried somewhere in my collection.  I had plenty of his All Star card to go around, so that one was released from my box and is now moved into my album.

As you can see, Cal took his time making sure that the auto was perfect.  I am so happy with how the cards turned out.

Meeting Cal at a show carries some added benefits.  He takes his time making sure you have a stellar autograph, and he also takes the time to step aside and snap a photo with you.

When I spoke with Cal, I made sure to tell him this meeting was 20+ years in the making.  He said "20 years?"  To which I replied, "More like 28 or so.  I'm a huge fan, and I have been since I was a kid..."  He thanked me and shook my hand.  If anyone has watched King of the Hill, don't worry, Cal has a great handshake, so that was good, haha.

I only paid for one voucher for Eddie Murray, so my son Chris could walk around the show.  He ended up catching up with Ryan and I met another Orioles icon.  Eddie signed my card with a blue Staedtler (as opposed to the blue Sharpie Cal used), and the auto turned out great as well.

Eddie looked up from signing my card and did a double take at my hat.  I explained that it was a Down East Wood Ducks hat, and where they came from.  He thought that was pretty cool, and agreed to pose for a photo.  He was also super nice, and is a very big man.

Something I didn't realize until I got home on Sunday was that when I collected Eddie's signature on my 1987 Topps, it became my 200th signed card from the set.  I definitely didn't plan it that way, but it was pretty cool that it ended up being number 200.

2017 National Card Show - Trade Night Pickups

One of my favorite things from this year's National was that a fellow Instagrammer hosted trade nights at a neighboring hotel for a couple nights after the show.  We made it to trade night for Friday and Saturday nights.  At the trade nights, I was able to pick up a couple nice Trey Mancini autos from a couple folks that I'll show with the rest of the Mancini suff that I picked up.  I also was able to purchase two different Bowman's Best Riley Pint autos from a guy named Phil.  He had the Pint cards because he used to play against him in local ball, but was ok with letting them go for cheap.

I believe I picked up both Pint autos for a total of $30.  I was really happy with that, and will likely hold onto both of them as I follow Pint's career.  I have shuttered my Sonny Gray side PC, since he is a Yankee now, and am likely to sell off all of those cards.  It will be nice to transition to another player who isn't an Oriole.  It also helps that I have met Pint in person.

Another fellow Instagrammer made a point to seek me out at the trade night and work up a deal for me to land this Cal Ripken auto from Upper Deck Sweet Spot.  This is a rare Sweet Spot auto that didn't fade all to crap, but the surface of the card itself is pretty jacked up.  The trader (TimHudsonfan) made a great deal with Max for the card, and I then bought the card off of Max for cheap.

Remember the lady I spoke about who helped me with Ron Davis?  Well, I had told her about the trade nights, and her and her boys showed up on Saturday.  It turned out that her oldest son was someone I traded with on Instagram back when I was first getting started.  We worked out a deal for another Trey Mancini auto, along with this Mountcastle patch auto.  We also discussed a future 50/50 since both of the boys are Indians fans and I will be seeing Lynchburg soon.

I also met a fellow Instagrammer (santiagosportscards) who has been following me for a long time.  We discussed an orange parallel that I had gotten out of my box of Pro Debut.  I was just going to give it to him, but he insisted I take this Jonathan Schoop auto, as well.  He also had a gold refractor auto Schoop from 2014 Topps Chrome.  I almost walked out of the trade night with that card, but he said he didn't really want to sell it.  So, I told him that he should keep the card, but let me know if he ever wanted to move it.

Finally, I got this graded 1987 O Pee Chee Barry Bonds RC as a throw in to one of the deals that I made at the trade night.  I can't remember who I got it from, but I figured I would pick it up since it was a nice RC that I didn't have.  Also, since it was a throw in, I couldn't argue about the price!

So, I know that if I go next year, I will definitely make time for the trade nights, if they are being hosted.  I had a great time and left with some really cool stuff!

An Extraordinary Instagram Trade

I received a random direct message on Instagram a while back from a guy who uses the handle "extraordinary_cards".  He had this Tier One Cal Ripken auto that he wanted to trade.  I humored him, but figured that I definitely didn't have anything that would match up in a trade.  I made a comment saying "I don't think I have a lot I can offer, but I do have a Nick Castellanos 1/1 letter patch".  It turns out, he PCs Castellanos, and I didn't need to look for anything else to offer.

He also didn't feel like the Ripken was enough to seal the deal, so he added this Tim Lincecum relic for Chris and two autograph cards.

I didn't have any David Hess certified autos, and I was able to get this Poncedeleon for Andrew.

I think the trade worked out really well.  It took a while to get here, because USPS delayed the package for about a week, but everything ended up getting in safely.

As you can see, I am finally caught up on TTMs, for the moment, at least.  I have some other pickups that I want to get in, so there will finally be a little variety in my posts.

Blogger Secret Santa From Angus

I got a nice package for Christmas as part of the blogger Secret Santa from Angus of "Dawg Day Cards."  He hooked me up with some really cool Orioles rarities.  In the box were O Pee Chee cards ranging as far back as 1970.  That was really cool!  The above Cal Ripken was one of a few that I didn't have in my collection.

These cards, you will see again!  I plan on sending these out as TTMs very soon.  I hope the players will sign the O Pee Chees as well as the regular Topps and not think I am trying to get extras of the same card.  It's worth a shot, though!

Thank you so much for the Christmas care package, Angus!

Christmas Gift From Bobby

I'm knocking out the Christmas posts as quickly as I can now, and here is one from fellow Instagrammer, Bobby.  He surprised me with a package right after Christmas that had a couple really nice Orioles cards that I needed.

This 2014 Topps Gold Label is really thick and really heavy!  It is numbered 57/99 and was a Cal that I needed in my collection.

This 2004 Topps Stadium Seats Boog Powell relic was a card that I hadb't seen before.  I have a Jim Palmer somewhere with a Memorial Stadium seat relic, but who knows where that is.  Now I have this Powell and I really like it.

I really appreciate the gift, Bobby!  Thanks so much!

Cristmas Gift From Gerard

Even though he is a huge Red Sox fan, I get along with my friend, Gerard, really well.  He's a great guy who I have talked to quite a bit.  He has won one of my Instagram contests and I have also sent him a TTM starter pack.  We got to talking after the TTM starter pack was sent, and I have helped him get started with that part of his collection.

He messaged me earlier this month saying that he was really excited about the Christmas package he was putting together for me, and he hoped I would like it.  Well, he nailed it.  I was really surprised that I didn't have the above Tristar Projections Chris Davis in my PC.  I mean, I was REALLY surprised.  So much so, I double and triple checked my Davis spreadsheet, and nope, it wasn't listed yet.  Wow.  Someone found something I didn't have yet!

I also didn't have this 2016 Heritage Manny Machado relic.  Gerard really did well with this package.  I can't say that enough.

Maybe it's just me, but this one is kind of an oddball.  Maybe I missed it, but I thought the mini relics in Allen & Ginter were all framed.  I'll have to ask Gerard about this one again.  It is really cool, regardless, and I know I didn't already have it.  I just thought they were all either framed, or regular sized cards.  I haven't busted much Ginter lately, so I probably just missed that they were doing unframed mini relics.  It helped me know that I didn't have the card already.

Finally, Gerard nailed it again with a Cal that I didn't have in my collection yet.  I've said it many times that it is really tough for me to pick up Cal stuff because I have no idea what I even have any more.  So, this red framed 2016 Panini Diamond Kings is definitely an awesome card.  It is numbered 78/99 as well.

All of the cards that Gerard sent (he send a stack of Orioles as well) were great and all, but the best part of the Christmas gift was the full page letter that he included in the package.  I really appreciated his kind words in the letter and can't thank him enough for his friendship over these last several months.  Gerard is a great guy, and I hope I can do many more trades with him.

Thank you so much for the package, buddy!  I love it!

Pickup From Topps.com - Cal Ripken Anniversary Set

21 years ago this past September 6, Cal Ripken broke a record that was said to be unbreakable.  This year, Topps did an online exclusive promotion to commemorate Cal and his accomplishments.  Since I have been really satisfied with my recent purchases from Topps.com, I decided to pick up the Cal set for my PC.

The cards are pretty thick, a little more than a Heritage card.  They all look great and got here really fast.  The set features key moments from Cal's career, as you can see.  I kind of wish there were more than the six cards, but they are great nonetheless.

I really enjoy the exclusive content on Topps's website.  I have a few Topps Now orders pending, so be on the lookout for those posts.

Birthday Gifts From Mom - What's a Charleston Charlie?

Mom woke me up last Saturday because I was sleeping in her guest bedroom and she and Dad were getting ready to head to a race.  So, I was half-asleep when she presented me with a gift bag for my birthday.  I don't recall where she told me she found this Charleston Charlies t-shirt, but it is pretty cool.  Cool because my youngest brother's nickname is Charlie and our new cat's name is Charlie.  Pretty cool.  However, I don't have a clue who the Charleston Charlies were.

Because you can find out anything with a simple Google search, I learned that the Charleston Charlies were a Triple-A team located in Charleston West Virginia from 1971 to 1983.  They were the former Charleston Jets, then relocated to Maine in 1984 to become the Maine Guides.  They now are known as the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders.  The Charlies were affiliated with the Pirates from 1971 to 1976; Astros from 1977 to 1979; Rangers in 1980 and the Indians from 1981 to 1983.  Dave Parker and Tony LaRussa are a couple of many former stars who were Charleston Charlies.

Mom also picked up a Richmond Flying Squirrels shirt that looks really cool.  If Richmond can hold onto the team, maybe I can wear it to a game.

Mom also included this cool Cal Ripken acetate card from 2013 Panini Pinnacle in with my birthday card that came in the mail a couple days before my birthday.  The card isn't numbered, but looks really cool.  I'm glad to add it to my Cal PC.

I could write a whole series of blog posts about how awesome my mom is.  While I'm certain that she would just Love for me to do that, I will just advise that one can simply click on the "mom" tag at the bottom of this post and let all of my past blogs do the talking for me.  I will say that Mom always helped support my hobbies, ever since I was leaving coins lying on the floor at 8 years old.  She always showed an interest in what all of us were doing, and many times, collected alongside us.  She still buys packs of cards here and there.  Someone should tell her, though, that they have not printed any cards showing shirtless David Lough.

Thanks for the birthday presents, Momma!  I love them, and I love you!

Birthday Gift From Andrew - Cal Ripken Booklet

I got my first birthday present of the year at the National while I was hanging out with my good friend, Andrew.  He surprised me while we were hanging around a table with this awesome 2014 Topps Five Star Cal Ripken relic/auto.  The booklet is numbered 12/50.  I know Andrew probably paid a lot for it, but I don't want to know what he spent.  It doesn't matter, I'd be happy with a nice letter, really, but this card is an awesome addition to my Ripken PC.

I don't know what I can say about Andrew that I haven't said on this blog before, but he is a great friend.  I've known him for over 5 years now, and have enjoyed every minute of it.  I'm really lucky to be able to call him my friend.

Thank you so much for the awesome birthday gift, Andrew.

National Pickup - 1981 TCMA Cal Ripken

This card could have made it onto my Top Ten Wishlist for next year, had I not found it at the National.  This is a 1981 TCMA Cal Ripken minor league card.  I had looked at a few on Ebay a few weeks prior to the show and realized that they could be had for decent prices.  I found one vendor at the show who had one, and picked this up for what I had seen them selling for.

This is a pretty tough Cal to find, and I am glad I was able to add it to the Cal PC.  I often complain about how hard it is to find Cal cards that I don't yet have, and this one was a prime example of one I really needed.  There is also the 1980 WBTV Charlotte Orioles minor league card, but I will never own that one.  I saw one graded at a 7 at the show, and the vendor wanted $10,000 for it.  No thanks!

Maybe I will be able to find a generous benefactor who has the Charlotte O's Cal card, but I highly doubt it.

Anyway, I am really glad I was able to knock off two big Ripken cards while I was at the National.  Maybe if I think hard enough, I will be able to come up with some other Cals that can populate my Top Ten Wishlist for next year!

National Day Two Pickup - 1991 Topps Desert Shield Cal Ripken

I'm wore out from another day at the National Card Show.  Today was the first full day, and I was able to add a good bit of stuff to the collection.  One of my Top Ten Wishlist items was crossed off of the list today in this 1991 Topps Desert Shield card.

I had asked a couple dealers as the day went on to see if any were available, but didn't have much luck.  I ended up picking up a few inserts and parallels as I walked around the show.  I stopped at one dealer about halfway through the day and asked him if he had one, he laughed, and said he thought he did, but wasn't sure if he could put his hands on it.

Luckily, he was able to find it in one of his boxes!  I'm glad I asked about it!  So, for $100.00, I was able to pick this card up.

If you don't know about them, the Desert Shield cards were issued by Topps to servicemen and women in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield.  Not many of the cards made their way back stateside after the conflict, so these are very rare cards.  The Cal Ripken, Nolan Ryan and the Chipper Jones RC are all the most sought-after cards in the set.

I'm really happy I was able to get this card and cross it off of the list!

Some Mail From Dylan

I got a couple nice cards recently from my buddy, Dylan the other day.  In it, he had this over sized Cal Ripken from 1995 Upper Deck.  This is a hand numbered limited edition card; numbered 4,622 of 5,000.  The card is still sealed in the plastic provided by UD with a "Certificate of Authenticity" sticker/seal.  Pretty cool card that I didn't have in the Cal PC.

Dylan also included this 2016 Bowman purple chrome refractor of Ryan Mountcastle.  This card is  numbered 44/250.  I don't have a lot of Mountcastle stuff yet, so it was nice being able to add this to the collection.

Thanks so much, Dylan!

2016 Topps Stadium Club Card Shop Pickups

I was able to pick up a few singles of 2016 Stadium Club while I was at the Matthews card shop on Friday.  I got a few for some other people, but had to add to my PCs as well.  I like the shot of Chris Davis above.  Stadium Club has quickly become one of my favorite offerings.  The photos are great!  My LCS has already sold out of Stadium Club, so I will probably be picking up a box at the National.  I may also work on the set, like last year.

Here is Adam Jones's card.  He is about to pie face someone.  This is a great shot of Jonesey, as it fits his personality perfectly.

Here is a new Cal to add to my PC.  As always, any time I can add a new Cal, that's a good day.

Finally, I picked up this Bob Feller for the Feller PC.  It is tough getting new Feller cards, so adding this was nice.  This is a shot of a younger Feller, earlier in his career, it seems.

I hope Topps keeps up with Stadium Club.  It really looks great this year!