Steven Jackson Rookie Gum Card

 For this post I was going to talk about a sub-set of Team Checklists that I had gotten fairly recently from my May Sportlots Spending Spree from their Seller's Stores (no Auctions). I used to have a huge list of cards that I was "watching" for several months and ended up purchasing 100+ cards (120 some or 140 some?) from 15-20 different sellers, averaging at roughly the 18¢ starting price. I ended up completing a few little sub-sets or making a dent in some others, plus I got a few cards for my Strive for '65 Set Build. I have enough to make a few posts on this blog and on my Curly W Cards blog. I have tons of other cards in my collection/hoard so don't worry about me not having any post content. It is more a matter of wanting to post about it and how easy it will be to do the scanning, or when I can do the scanning in relation to how close the end of the month is. Anyway I didn't feel like scanning the 20 some almost 30 cards for the post I was planning. Fortunately for my usual cutting it close to the deadline for the month I had this card available to yack about.

So here is the card I decided to talk about a 2004 Bazooka Football Rookie Card for Steven Jackson. Well one of the 100zillion Rookie Cards of his. Now days a single player has more dang RCs from just one of the dozens of sets from just one of the dozens of brands ironically made by only a handful of manufacturers than most players had total cards for their lifetime of cards back just a few decades ago.

Enough of the Yakety Yak here is the young super running back.

2004 Bazooka Football: 215 Steven Jackson RC St. Louis Rams

COTW: Michelle Wie RC

2014 Upper Deck SP Game Used Golf: R59 Michelle Wie

In this episode of Card Of The Whenever I go to a sport that I am not an avid fan of - Golf. The only thing about golf that I really like or enjoy about the sport is Mini Golf. Even that I haven't done in years and years. Partly because my area doesn't have any Putt-Putt mini golf courses anymore.

Back to the card. I don't recall where I got this one or for how much. I know it wouldn't be for too much. I think I got it solely because the player Michelle Wie is a golf babe. That being said this particular card doesn't show off her sexuality.

On The Trading Card Database it was hard to find this card because it is in some sort of Rookie Cards insert set called "Retro Rookies". Oh and it is marked as being a 2014 set. At the time I was looking for it on TCDB I had no idea the set had inserts let alone that it was released the year after the copyright date on the card. I'm fairly sure the set is one of those where the base cards like this one were intended to be sent to the golfers to get autographed.

Anyway here is the card for this month's quick and dirty get it posted before the month ends end of the month post.

 2014 Upper Deck: SP Game Used Golf: R59 Michelle Wie

Catching A White Whale: 1968 Style

Well "Thar She Blows" I snagged a White Whale for my vintage PC on Wednesday 26 September 2018. [OK this post has been sitting in the queue a while]

The Classic Tale of a White Whale

This particular Ivory sea monster is the rookie card of a huge superstar and a childhood hero. When I was in elementary school from about 3rd grade to 6th grade the school principal had a yearly school-wide "write a book" project. Long story short my first year of that project my book had a cameo of this childhood hero. A children's book written by a child that reads like a child wrote it. Maybe one day I'll blog about it on my regular blog ( I started a draft for the post). One year, I think it was that same year, a kid wrote a story about "Charlie's Angels" but misspelled "Angels" as "Angles" so it might have been a math book.  but I digress...

This featured card is a card that easily starts over priced at over $50 at beginning bid on Ebay with BIN fixed rate prices of $100, $200 or more depending on condition and occasionally which variant it is. Yes this card has an Error version and a Corrected version. I got the corrected version. It would be nice to one day get the error version but I'm not going to hold my breath on it as it goes for at least twice what this version goes for.

I got my reasonably good conditioned copy for a nice price, not quite a steal but hovering around the high end of my comfort range. Not quite to my Maximum but getting close around the starting to sweat zone. I got it from Ebay at the opening bid price of $29.95 with $2.95 shipping. Around the same time I won this copy looking at completed/sold auctions I saw a miscut copy (listed as being "mint") that went for $18.51 with only 2 bids. Some reprints have gone for $2 to $12. So I didn't too to bad.

Smart collectors can tell that I am delaying the identification of the card for dramatic reasons. If this were an episode of Pawn Stars we would cut to a commercial break for even more suspense.

The White Whale Card I harpooned back in September of 2018 is:

1968 Topps Baseball: 247 Cincinnati Red 1968 Rookie Stars:

Johnny Bench and Ron Tompkins

I mentioned I had the corrected version. Some may wonder what the "error" of this card is. On the back the mini bio for Johnny starts off  "Johnny impressed the Reds..." the error misspells the word "the" as "tne" using an "n" instead of an "h". As I said I have the corrected version.

BTW: I still have another White Whale post in my draft queue that has been sitting there for years. My biggest procrastination delay for it of course has been not scanning stuff (The white whale plus some related cards from it's set). That White Whale was a more determined to catch it than this one was. Sort of. I had been watching this card off and on for several years at Ebay. I also had it as number 3 on my Capt K's Coveted 10 list and forgot it was on it til around 10 Jan of this year 2019.

Strive For '65 Saturday: 3 From The DataBase

STRIVE FOR '65 STATUS:

03 Nov 2018 Strive for '65 | 1965 Set Build | Master Want List Current card count: 281/598 (283/600) 47.3%

Here is the link to my last update from only Oct. Not too bad.

Tuesday 30 Oct 2018:

On the Trading Card DataBase (TCDB) on their forums there is a thread about collecting goals for 2018. In one of the updates to it I did a little rant about this set build and how slowly it was going. One of the members Bill (aka minibbcards) sent me a PM mentioning he had a few cards from the set and if I would want them. I said yes and sent my mailing address. Long story short he sent 3 cards for this 1965 set build and 2 Team Rookie Star cards from 1970 Topps. All the cards were in great condition even the one 1970 card that has some creasing. Many thinks to Bill in helping me make some progress on this build. Every little bit helps.

The 1965 Trio err Quartet from late October:

124 Tom Satriano Angels

168 Dick Green Athletics

194 Angels Rookie Stars: Bill Kelso and Rick Reichardt

The Latest Additions:
Tuesday 30 Oct 2018:
124 Tom Satriano Angels
168 Dick Green Athletics
194 Angels Rookie Stars: Bill Kelso and Rick Reichardt

Blogged But Not Blogged: Rookie Ram Circa 2010

This is the type of post that I have probably done many times before, I call this type of post "Blogged, But Not Blogged". Long story short since Aug 2007 I have been blogging about my card mail days over at TCC on my blog over there and since July 2012 duplicating those posts in a mail day thread at the TCZ forums. There are many cards I have mentioned in detail at those sites that I have never blogged about here on what I consider to be my official trading card blog. A few times, mostly in the early days, I mentioned a card in my mail day and even scanned it (at least the front) but never blogged about it over here.

This is the story of one such card:

This card I have shown a few times online. I am surprised I never showed it here.

27 Apr 2013:
One of the first mentions of the card I'm gonna show I posted about on TCC in a post called "Football Break plus a couple of Harper Sketches".*  I also made a small rant about it. "Sort of tired of the card companies making all these minute variations of cards that you have to search 20 different levels of variations just to realize your card is considered the "base" version (even if they do seal it in a hinged case)." Strange I didn't show it on that post, but showed the Bryce Harper sketch cards.

28 Apr 2013:
From TCC Forum post #81 in CaptKirk42's Collection thread. 

Got some cards from a group break over at TCZ (a sort of younger cousin of TCC cause there are loads of TCC folk there). I'll only show two of the cards from the break I got about 14 more I had Rams/Ravens plus draft teams of Bears/Vikings. Products were:
2012 Panini Absolute
2011 Donruss Elite
2010 Panini Plates & Patches

I got at least 2 cards from each product, most of it was Elite base.

Here are my two fave cards. I'll let the cards do the talking both are from the 2010 Panini Plates & Patches. 

89 Danny Amendola Rams Base #d 016/499

And the Sweet one:

Mardy Gilyard Rams Auto (blue sharpie on cut card)

3 color GU (Gold, White w/stitching, Blue) #d 470/699

Notes:
* The Bryce Harper sketches I mentioned in the original TCC post I blogged about here at Curly W Cards.

Washington Wednesday: 1971 Ted Vactor Redskins

1971 Redskins Rookie Card 159 Ted Vactor

Quite awhile ago in the Blog Bat Around post I did, I was going to tell the tale of this card. However it no longer fit the criteria of a card I used to own since I have a copy that was acquired a few years back. I might even now have two copies, not 100% sure about that fact.

My story is from circa 1975 maybe '76 but '75 seems more likely. I was over at the house of a childhood friend who was a year older than me and lived just a few houses away. I think I might have done a little trading with him also that day I don't recall. The main event, the trade I regret (regretted for several years until I got a replacement) was with another boy. Before I mention the kid I traded with I'll talk about the trade.

It was an All Topps (remember this was mid-1970s there was little else around but Topps) football cards All Redskins trade and/or Ex-Redskins. Something like a five to one trade. To some collectors I may have gotten the better end of the trade since I got more cards, higher profile players and they all were roughly the same vintage but I didn't feel like it. It took some persuading for me to even make the trade. I remember some begging and pleading maybe some crocodile tears and the ante being raised by the addition of another card or two just for this one card. I think only 2 or 3 cards were in the mix to begin. In total I got 5 cards (I think) to the one card I traded, and at the time thought I would never see again. Remember this was the 1970s before the early 1980s Trading Card Boom and subsequent overproduced "junk" years. This was a few short years before my LCS would start from literally a "hole in the wall" (back corner room), and the Internet wasn't even a concept yet. It would be another 5 years or so before personal computers would become a reality.

I don't recall all 5 cards specifically but I do recall the first two:

1973 Norm Snead

(OK so he was Giants at the time. Notice he is playing the Skins on this card)
1974 Bill Brundige

 and John Wilbur

maybe Ken Houston?

Maybe also a current 1975 Redskin. I think it was in '75 but as I said it could have been '76. I don't recall the exact count but I'm fairly sure the Snead and Brundige were in the bunch The Snead was my first 1973 Topps Football card, or one of my first. It might have even been one of the "bonus" incentives to make the trade. Anyway I got a small poker hand of cards for just one card. This one:

1971 Topps Football 159 Ted Vactor RC Redskins

(front and back)

Yep The Rookie card and only card that Ted Vactor appeared on during his playing days, and probably even at all. It still appears to be his ONLY card. Oh and the kid I traded with? Ted's son Tori Vactor. Tori was super collecting as many copies of his father's card as possible. During the 1970s that would be quite an accomplishment. I don't think the term "Super Collecting" was around back then. Maybe it would have been called "Hoarding".  At the time of the trade I think he had 2 or 3 copies already.

The Vactors lived across the street from our elementary school. During outside recess Tori was one of four kids who were the "Fantastic Four" the best athletes of the class who would take on everyone else in all the different sports and cream us. I didn't hang around with Tori so I didn't meet or even schmooze with his NFL Dad. I was at the house once I think and even then just at the front door with another friend to see if Tori was available to play football or some other sport/game with a group of friends. It was on a weekend or during the summer vacation maybe. I recall he was sick, or he had to babysit his little brother who was sick. We were in the same elementary school class for a few years and attended the same Jr. High, he went to a different high school. He played football in high school but I'm not sure if he played in college or even went to college.

Sometimes I wonder how many of his dad's card he eventually collected? Has he kept them since? Or his brother?

Strive For '65: 1964 World Series Sub Set

Strive For '65: Joy Of A Complete Sub Set:

1964 World Series Sub Set

I am falling behind in this Strive for '65 quest of mine. It is looking like I will not complete it in time. However, at the beginning of August (Friday 01 Aug 2014) I received a package from a member at TCZ for the Summer Secret Santa trade thing they had. It is one of those gift exchange things where you are given another members wants/needs and you send them a package anonymously. Along with 4 Washington Nationals cards my Santa sent 17 cards from the 1965 Topps Baseball set. This lot of almost 50 year old card goodness yielded not only the remaining card (#41 White Sox Rookie Stars: Bruce Howard and Marv Staehle) to finish my first Joy of a Completed Page for the set, but also the final key card (#
134 1964 World Series Game 3: Mantle's Clutch HR) to the 1964 World Series Subset.

Here is the World Series Subset fronts and backs by themselves. I won't babble on about the individual cards as I will probably do that when I complete the two pages that they are a part of.

1965 Topps Baseball 1964 World Series Sub-Set Cards 132-139

(Fronts and Backs)

Note card 138 on the back has a red mark through the card number. I would eventually like to upgrade that card but it is not as big a priority as trying to complete the dang set is.

Strive for '65 Set Total 194/598 (196/600)

A Kirk Of A Different Color

In recent years I really haven't been too big on Chrome cards and even less thrilled about the Refractors which are Chrome cards on steroids. Back in the 1980s or late 1970s when the companies were experimenting with Chrome and Hologram cards I thought they were pretty cool, that was until they started overdoing them like everything else in the "Junk Wax Years". I do have a thing for parallel cards and variants. These days it seems the card companies are cranking out more parallels that are only slightly parallel rather than true variants, and very little base. Sometimes it is hard to tell what exactly is different. OH the background is light tan instead of light gray, Ah his name is in silver leaf instead of gold leaf, took me 10 minutes to figure that one out.

Well I saw a parallel chrome refractor on auction at sportlots.com that was a beaut. Fortunately it is even more of a beaut in real-life.

Here are the details: As I said, and as you can see by the logo at the top of this post, I got it from sportlots.com via their 1...2...3...Auctions. I got it for the opening .25¢ bid + $1.95 shipping. The shipping charges were about right for how it was sent. Not like those slime balls who charge $3.00+ for shipping and then send in a PWE with only a stupid "card saver" to supposedly protect the card. This one was in a medium sized, medium cardboard stock envelope/packet about the size of a medium wedding invitation or birthday card. The card appropriately in a penny sleeve in toploader. The order/packing slip was wrapped around the card. The card is 2012 Bowman Baseball Chrome 24 Kirk Nieuwenhuis RC Mets Purple Parallel #045/199. As I said sweet very sweet looking. Here take a gander at it.

2012 Bowman Chrome 24 Kirk Nieuwenhuis RC Mets Purple Parallel #045/199

(Front and Back)

I guess I probably should get the flagship Bowman base and the base Chrome of this card, maybe go for a master rainbow of it. I am warming up a little to chrome and refractors, even a little to the Game Used cards. I still hate the game used and artifact cards concept of cutting up memorabilia into tiny little inch squares, but am starting to appreciate them a little more than I once did.

Mascot Monday: Billy The Marlin

BILLY THE MARLIN

Florida/Miami Marlins 1993 - Present

Originally portrayed by John Routh

Billy The Marlin made his MLB debut on 25 February 1993. For details of his history see his Wikipedia page. I have chosen his 2007 Topps Opening Day card to highlight. This particular set was the first time I know about Topps showcasing most of the current MLB Mascots. For many of the loveable foam headed creatures it is their Rookie Card outside of any team issued sets the mascots may have been a part of. The Mascot cards were part of the regular set near the end of the set but not grouped all together. In fact I think a few cards that were originally listed were never made and replaced by a player. In later years Topps would include the Mascots in the Opening Day set as a sub-set if they included the mascots at all.

Billy Marlin's card was the second Mascot card I got from this set, my Homie Mascot Screech (Nationals) was my first card. It took me a while to get the rest of the Mascots from 2007 because they are spread out so toward the end of the set, not grouped together.

 2007 Topps Opening Day Baseball 197 Billy The Marlin - Mascot Marlins

(Front and Back)

I am always on the lookout for Mascot cards. I also accept Mascot Postcards and team issued promo cards/photos of mascots.

To see previous Mascot Monday posts click here. 

Mascot Monday: Screech

SCREECH

 

I resisted the temptation to post this mascot in the First Mascot Monday post. My main Homie Mascot who represents the Washington Nationals Screech.

NO! NOT That Screech.

Today I am showing the card I believe to be his Rookie Card 2007 Topps Baseball Opening Day card number 215.

2007 Topps Opening Day - 215 Screech RC

(Front and Back)

 

Screech was "hatched" on17 April 2005 at RFK Stadium in Washington DC (much in the same way as the Orioles Bird Mascot) the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals formerly the Montreal Expos.

Screech Hatching 

(Wasington Nationals at MLB.com)

 

As you can see Screech started out as a pretty chubby eagle and wore only a team jersey with the number 05, his "hatching" date, and an oversized cap. In 2009 Screech slimmed down, he still wears an oversized cap, but he now wears pants and shoes more of a real uniform. I wasn't sure about the change at first, the first picture I saw of the slimed down Screech I didn't like, but now I think he looks better slim. Oh and his jersey number is now 00 the standard jersey number reserved for mascots I guess. I miss the 05 though, but I guess it confused people when they saw a team player with the number 5.

Screech circa 2009

A longtime Senators/Nationals fan that goes by the name "Screech's Best Friend" has a blog called Nats320. The 320 is the seat section the blogger had when the Nationals were playing at RFK before their new stadium was built and opened in 2008.  I'm a little concerned as the last post on that blog is from last year and with the success that Nats have had here in 2012 I would expect at least a "Yippie We are Number One!" when the Nats clinched the NL East Division. Screech himself also has a blog Screech's Spot over at MLB.com/blogs.


I am always on the lookout for Mascot cards. I also accept Mascot Postcards and team issued promo cards/photos of mascots.

Not Following the Trends

Just thought I'd toss this out.

2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic 227 Brett Anderson Athletics RC Auto

Serial numbered 064/371 blue Sharpie (on sticker built into card)

NO NOT THE CARD SILLIES The idea/concept I'm about to talk about!

While many trading card bloggers are scrambling to be the first one to post about opening up a pack of the latest long awaited product to be released (be it Allen & Ginter's, Gypsy Queen, Topps Archives, or Bowman) I tend to stay away from making any posts like that. My reasons? Well first I don't rush out and purchase a brand-spankin' New product because most of the time I can't afford it at the time it is released, or I don't pay attention to the official release date. My life does not revolve around the release dates of new trading card product like others apparently do. Also I like to see some of the previews and reviews of the product first to see if it is something I am interested in before making a major purchase of it. Most of the more recent Upper Deck products and Bowman I have not been interested in. Also I've never been one for crowds. Most products I will eventually get some of the team I collect due to group box breaks, trades or good Samaritan bloggers.

I suppose that puts me in the minority of card bloggers. That puts me into the batch of bloggers that will never have a cult following of hundreds upon hundreds of followers. Heck I don't  even have 50 followers yet (I'm pretty close though) Then again I'm used to being in the minority for some things after all I'm a fan of most of the DC sports teams. LOL!

It reminds me of people who HAVE to see a movie on opening night, or the Midnight Preview the night BEFORE. What they can't wait about 3 months or less to buy/rent the DVD or to stream it on Netflix (or a similar service)? It used to be 6 months or more between the time a movie left the theatres to when it was released on DVD, longer during the VHS/Beta videotape era.

Maybe I'm just "Middle Aged Man" babbling incoherently about some nonsense that is getting his goat.

 

Oh and "Get OFF MY LAWN you whippersnappers."

By the way for those of you interested in this stuff here is the back of the card I showed at the top of this post.

2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic 227 Brett Anderson Athletics RC Auto

Serial numbered 064/371 Back

Coveted Ten Cards

OK I'm giving into peer pressure here. Other bloggers have a list of their most desired cards, their "White Whales", their "Elusive Eight" or what-not. Each blogger uses a different term for them to try to make their list unique. I think one blogger may have made a challenge ages ago and set  a trend for card bloggers to help out with these lists by sending another blogger one of their listed cards gratis. These are lists of the cards they are currently looking 'near and far', 'high and low' for. For some they have been looking for these cards to complete a set, or fulfill some collecting desire for many many years. For some it maybe only the last couple of hours because they discovered a new set to seek.

I am joining this Qard Quest. I've decided to make it a Top Ten, I could have made it a small five or perhaps a dozen or a large 20, but 10 I think is just about right for this thing. I'm calling it "CaptKirk42's Coveted 10". OK maybe I'll think of a better name later on, but I wanted use some kind of alliteration with the title.

I will try not to make this a list of all super expensive very hard to get vintage cards because then I would never be able to update and change the list. I'm not even sure what my real top ten most hunted are at this particular moment. The list will start off in no particular order, but as I get cards from the list I will remove the one I got and add a new card to the bottom of the list. That way eventually they will sort of be in a most desired order of preference. For now they will mostly be baseball as that is the sport I most collect and my checklists are more updated on.

One card I could add to this list is the infamous 2012 Topps Series 2 - 661 Bryce Harper Nationals Super Stupidly Stymieing Short-Print Card. (or even the 2012 Topps Archives 241 Bryce Harper Nationals ALSO Stupid Short Print) I want to add it and maybe one day will, but at this time I don't think many collectors would part with it for free or for a very reasonable price. Even before it was printed it was being pervertedly overpriced in the $hundred$ and those who are fortunate enough to pull one from a pack if they don't want it for their collection just see Dollar signs and toss them up on Ebay for Thousands or at least a minimum of hundreds. Sometimes it really sucks being a Nationals fan when they have had the number one draft pick for a ton of years in a row and the guy is a Super Phenom.

Another card I could put on the list  but is probably too valuable for some is the 1982 Topps Baseball Traded 82T  Cal Ripken Jr. RC Orioles.

I'm curious if the 2008 Topps David Wright with Mr. Met is a real card or one of those blogiverse custom jobs. i thikn it was a real one for the Topps Education program thing they did for retail stores. If it is a legit card then I also want that one.

Here is the Inaugural list:

1. 1968 Topps Baseball Game Insert 5 Harmon Killebrew Twins (To upgrade my current copy that has a black X marked on the back that bleeds a little through to the front)
2. 1970 Fleer Laughlin World Series 4 Tigers vs. Cubs 1907 WS
3. 1962 Topps Baseball 88 Ralph Houk MG Yankees (Yogi Berra in Background)
4. 1975 Topps Baseball 220 Don Sutton Dodgers (thought I had it but just have the mini)
5. 1973 Topps Baseball Baltimore Orioles Team Blue Checklist card (unmarked)
6. 2011 UD Goodwin Champions 89 Alexander Ovechkin (Hockey)  Capitals
7. 2008-09 UD Legends Masterpieces Hockey 86 Mario Lemieux Penguins
8. 2011 Topps Lineage Stand-Up TS2 Ryan Zimmerman Nationals
9. 2008 Allen & Ginter Auto AGA-AF Andrea Farina (Rock/Scissors/Paper Champ)  I have a relic version I can trade for
10. 1975 Topps Baseball Mini 140 Steve Garvey AS Dodgers

Seattle Mariners 1982 Future Stars

 Why the seller was offering two of these I don't know. Anyway I've got two so one is for trade.

1982 Topps Baseball 711 Seattle Mariners Future Stars

Dave Edler - Dave Henderson - Reggie Walton

Vintage Ramskins 3 Feb - Part 1 Topps

This is part one of two posts of some Vintage RamSkins (Rams + Redskins = RamSkins) I got nine cards on 03 February 2012 from one sportlots seller I have dealt with before OK lets get on with the roll call.

First Up Here's Johnny! John Carson, not the late late-night talk show host but rather the Washington Redskin End.

1958 Topps 47 John Carson - Redskins

The cartoon on the back is hard to read. The answer to the question: "What is John Carson's nick-name?" - "Long John because he uses his height to catch passes". The cartoon shows a pirate reaching for a football pass.

1958 Topps 47 John Carson - Redskins (back)

Next up: 1959 Topps 15 Del Shofner - Rams Don't know what to say about this one.

1959 Topps 15 Del Shofner - Rams

The back's scratch off "Magic Answer" looks to be incomplete or it's an order for a Chinese restaurant.

1959 Topps 15 Del Shofner - Rams (back)

OK so at first this card doesn't seem to fit because the player is in a previous team's uniform The Pittsburgh Steelers. 1969 Topps 111 Roy Jefferson - Steelers. Roy became a Redskin in 1971.

1969 Topps 111 Roy Jefferson - Steelers

This next player has a solid strong name for a Tackle Rock.

1969 Topps 146 Walter Rock - Redskins

It's Rookie Time. From 1975 a player who would have his career cut short by a horrible leg injury Joe Theismann. Joe started his pro career in the CFL (Canadian Football League) on the Toronto Argonauts. Although this is Joe's Rookie Topps Card and Rookie NFL card it is not his TRUE Rookie card because he had a 1971 O-Pee-Chee Rookie Card when he debuted with the Argonauts. So Canadians are laughing at us silly American's thinking this is Joe's RC!

1975 Topps 416 Joe Theismann RC- Redskins

That does it for part one. The next post part two the conclusion is the Philadelphia Cards will be posted "tomorrow" in about two hours. Gotta love scheduled posting.