August 26, 2023, Hope For The Warriors Johnny Bench Signing

The annual Hope For The Warriors celebrity meet and greet came around again this weekend, and Johnny Bench was back.  He missed last year, so it was nice being able to go and get some more of his cards signed.

The above 1968 Topps rookie card was given to me by an old friend, Joey, who had upgraded the one in his collection.  Because I had helped him long ago when he was first getting started, he gave me this card for free.  It was in rough shape, but I was happy to get it signed nonetheless. 

I got a bunch of Bench cards signed this time around.  The price was really good, and I enjoy helping this charity.  So, I got 20 Bench cards done.

I held back a select few from my album so I could give some to a couple friends.  I'm really happy with the ones I kept, though.

I had a friend send me some photos of some Bench cards that he would like to have signed, and I am already excited about going again next year.  I hope Bench keeps coming out this way.

Doug Flynn was also along for the signing. He signed a couple of my cards with a donation to the cause, and then signed a few more for my friend, Jesse, who finished off what I had brought with me.  Flynn is always super nice when we have been able to meet him. 

In all, we got the following autographs: Johnny Bench x 20 and Doug Flynn x 8 (28 total autographs).

A Surprise Care Package From Jory

I got a surprise care package in the mail the other day from my very good friend, Joey.  Joey was one of the first group of kids I traded with on Instagram.  Joey was the recipient of some sweet Red Sox cards that I had been holding for him, and I guess the care package was in response to that.  I didn't send him stuff so that I could get stuff in return, I just liked finding cards for his collection.  Joey is such a nice person, it makes helping him out so easy, really.

He sent me a bunch of Orioles cards, but some of the most remarkable cards in the package were non-Orioles.  There were 4 of the orange parallel cards from 2013 Panini Cooperstown.  The scan didn't really do the Newhouser card justice, but trust me when I tell you, they look nice in person.  The Newhouser card is numbered 290/325.  He is one of those guys, who a lot of folks don't realize is a Hall of Famer.  His two AL MVP awards as a pitcher are a huge reason why, but he definitely was a great pitcher in his day.

Joey caught me way off guard with this card.  This is a Yankee Stadium Legacy relic card of Paul O'Neill.  O'Neill is definitely one of those great Yankee players.  While I have a huge disdain for the Bronx Bombers, O'Neill always had my respect.  He was just a good ballplayer.  I have his auto, given to me by my sister-in-law, since they share a relation (I believe he is married to her cousin).

I really appreciate the package, Joey.  Thanks so much, but more importantly, thanks for being a good friend.

Trade With Joey - Vintage and More In An Easy Deal

I got a nice package of stuff in the mail the other day from my good friend, Joey.  I sent him a bunch of Red Sox cards and a Phil Niekro Sweet Spot bat auto.  In return, Joey sent me a stack of vintage stuff (mostly Bowman) that he had. This 1955 Billy Pierce might be the best card in the bunch.  I took it out of the top loader and was amazed at the shape that the card was in.  There was still a great deal of gloss on the card, and the edges and corners were really sharp.

This 1952 Bowman Gerry Staley is also in great shape.  I love the '52 design.  Once I finish my 1948 Bowman set, I may consider doing another one of their sets.  It will be really tough to decide which one, though.

This Joe Adcock card was a little rough, but still was really cool.  Adcock was a great player in his day, but is always overshadowed by his teammate, Eddie Mathews and later by Hank Aaron.  He had a really good career, clubbing 336 homers, but his other stats don't really stand out.  Doesn't matter, though, this is still a really awesome card.

Finally, I got this quad relic card from Joey pretty cheaply since there is a good bit of damage on the card.  It is a quad bat card of Thome, Thomas, Juan Gone and Delgado.  One of the guys on the card is already a Hall of Famer and another (Thome) will be.  The other two guys could make a case for themselves, but I highly doubt they ever get in.  Oh well.  It still is a really cool card.

Thanks for the deal, Joey!  I really appreciate it and I know we will do a bunch more in the future!

Chris Davis PC Pickups

I picked up a few Chris Davis parallels recently when I got some money from my friend, Joey and some COMC sales from my friend, Noah.  I searched for the right cards for a while, and was very happy with the ones I got.  The above 2014 Bowman Chrome bubble parallel is probably one of my favorite color parallels that I have seen.  The scan looks awesome, but it doesn't come close to doing the card justice.

This card is numbered 99/99, so I ended up with an Ebay 1/1.  OMG!

I picked this blue refractor off of COMC.  It is numbered 78/250 and looks awesome as well.  It just doesn't compare to the bubble refractor, though.

Back to my return from the money gotten from Joey, I got this silver paper parallel from 2014 Bowman that is numbered 58/75.  This looks ok and all, but again, doesn't compare to that bubble refractor.  I do like this one, and I want to grab a few more of the parallels for the Bowman paper.  As always, I'll "pursue" the rainbow, but I know getting the 1/1s will be hard.

Finally, this 2013 Bowman Chrome purple refractor was a COMC pickup along with the blue.  This was a product of me jumping on a card at a good price, then realizing "oops, it's a 2013, not a 2014..."  Oh well. I still needed it, but I did think it was a 2014 until I got it in my possession.

So, there you have it, I knocked off a bunch of Davis PC needs, and didn't spend any of my own money.  Thanks for the purchases, Joey and Noah!

Mailday From Joey - 1966 Topps Don Drysdale

I got mail from my good friend, Joey, the other day when he sent me some money in exchange for a David Ortiz RC that I picked up for him.  He surprised me with this Don Drysdale 1966 Topps, which I wasn't expecting.

Drysdale retired young, at age 32 after the 1969 season and waited until his 10th ballot to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame (1984).  He would also pass away at a young age, when he had a heart attack at the age of 56 in Montreal.

I completed another deal with Joey today, one we had been working on for close to 6 months, it seems.  I've been patiently holding onto some things he was interested in while he gathered up the money.  Joey is one of the best kids on Instagram that I have dealt with, so he has earned a lot of leeway with me, as far as timing and deals go.  He has been a loyal follower and trade partner since my beginning on there, and I am happy that we could come to an agreement on yet another deal.

Thanks so much, Joey!  Your package will go out tomorrow.

Instagram Trade With Joey - 2009 Topps Chrome Nolan Reimold Red Parallel

I got a sweet PC addition in the mail today from my friend Joey (@beantownbreaks) from Instagram.  He specifically picked this Nolan Reimold for me because we had agreed to a trade a while back for a card he was scheduled to get in, but the guy he was getting it from never sent.  So, I have been holding the stuff he was interested in, in hopes that he could find something else comparable for trade.  He finally got a piece when he found this 21/25 Reimold that I needed for my collection.

I already have the refractor and blue autographs, and now I have this red parallel.  The gold parallels have been selling for ridiculous prices, so I doubt I will see one of those any time soon.  I'm just glad to have the red out of the way.

Thanks for the deal, Joey.  I plan on shipping to you tomorrow.

Instagram Trade With Joey - 2007 Tristar Prospects Plus Matt Wieters

I completed a trade with my buddy Joey from Instagram about a week ago when I sent him quite a few vintage cards and in return he sent me a little cash and this 2007 Tristar Prospects Plus Matt Wieters card.

I remember when Prospects Plus came out, I was pretty excited.  I opened a ton of it, but couldn't pull this card, for some reason.  I'm pretty sure I ended up with one or more, but it was really cool of Joey to include it in our deal.

Thanks for the card, man!  I really appreciate it.

Surprise Package From Joey

One of the people I talk with the most from Instagram, and for good reason, is my friend, Joey.  It helps that he is a fellow North Carolinian, but we have been talking for quite some time now.  Joey is a Red Sox fan who also is building a couple vintage sets.  I've helped him along the way with his 1980 set, and we had a huge trade brewing for a nice vintage card.  That trade fell through due to a third party not coming through on their end, so Joey and I went back to the drawing board on our trade in order to still try to swing a deal.

He is one of the most knowledgeable kids in the Instagram trading community, and has backed me up since day one.  I really appreciated seeing a package from him in my mailbox the other day.  I was even happier when I opened it and found what he sent.  The above 2011 Topps Chrome Zach Britton RC auto is just an awesome card.  I had a couple people on Instagram message me with the same card, but I could never work out a deal.  Those guys wanted an arm and a leg for theirs, while Joey was kind enough to just include it in a surprise deal.  This is what sets him apart from some of the other folks on there.

But wait, there's more!  Joey included this awesome Manny Machado gold parallel RC that I didn't have in my collection.  The card is numbered 944/2013 and Joey was nice enough to send it along in a magnetic case.

Finally, among the cards he sent was this 2011 Topps 60 GU Jersey card of Adam Jones.  I also didn't have this one in my collection, but Joey took care of that.

I really appreciate all of the stuff, Joey, and keep an eye on your mailbox, because I just sent out my own package for you.  I guess it defeats the "surprise" part of it, but there are a few surprises in there. Thanks again for the awesome cards!