Washington Wednesday: By The Classic Numbers

Washington Wednesday: By The Classic Numbers

10 Oct 2018

When I first noticed this pair of cards on Ebay I was a little leery of their authenticity. What with the odds of one seller "pulling" these specific numbers from a pack and the sellers other auctions for cards with some of the more sought after serial numbers. D'oh OK so one of the special things about the cards I purchased were they are serial numbered. Another thing that chased the warm fuzzies away was the auction title calling them 1/1s. This seller has a bunch of listings using the 1/1 keyword. Even though the auction title also had the actual serial numbers shown it was titled as a "1/1 lot" indicating each card in the lot is a 1/1. OK semantics I guess. Even with the red flags and warnings going off I decided to grab this pair before anyone else did.

2018 Panini Classics Football: Timeless Tributes Gold: 188 Joe Theismann Redskins #d 07/99 and 99/99

The pair of cards I got are these 2018 Panini Classics Football: Timeless Tributes Gold 188 Joe Theismann Redskins #d 07/99 and 99/99 from Ebay for $14.99 Free Shipping. Like I said the seller titled the auction using their serial numbers and using the old "Ebay One of One" labeling trick. The serial number is on the front hard to see left hand side under the "Classics" logo near the top.

2018 Panini Classics Football: Timeless Tributes: Gold 188 Joe Theismann Redskins 07/99

2018 Panini Classics Football: Timeless Tributes: Gold 188 Joe Theismann Redskins 99/99

The dealer also sent these 5 Chiefs cards as a bonus. ?Redskins and Chiefs? Guess it is an Alex Smith connection, or the Indians Connection, or the seller just got confused and thought they were all the same team.

That one is vintage so it is a keeper by default.

1974 Topps Football: 34 Elmo Wright Chiefs

Then we have a card from the "Wave of the Future" insert set of 6 cards to the 1994 Fleer Flair Football set. I was going to toss this into the tradebait pile but in checking the player's team history saw he played for the St. Louis Rams in 1998 so it is a keeper.

1994 Fleer Flair Football: Wave of the Future: 3 of 6 Greg Hill Chiefs

Next up one of those annoying "two sided" cards that is a card with two players sharing the card one player on each side. Confusing the collector as to which face is the "front". Not really since this is a serial numbered insert and at the time the serial numbers were put on the back of the card, but that practice varies from company to company and from set to set it seems. I don't normally like this kind of card so again it is one of these was going to toss in the tradebait pile card but one of the players was a Redskin in 2001. The "front" player Donnell Bennett.

2000 Donruss Quantum Leaf Football: Double Team: DT-13

Donnell Bennet and Elvins Grbac Chiefs #d 0475/1500

The final two cards are tradebait and technically are the "same" card. You can't tell from the scans since they are separate scans but one is the mini variant of the other.

2014 Topps Chrome Football: Fantasy Focus: FF-JC Jamaal Charles Chiefs

2014 Topps Chrome Football: Fantasy Focus: Mini FF-J Jamaal Charles Chiefs

Out of five cards I originally didn't want to keep I am keeping 3 of them for now. The vintage one (wasn't ever really tradebait since it's "vintage") will be added to my 1974 set build (if I don't already have it). The other two "keepers" are just keepers for right now. 

UPDATE: 10 Mar 2021 - The 2 Jamall Charles cards have been traded away. One a few months ago and the other one just recently.

COTW: Classic Quads OPEY

2009 Donruss Classics Football: Classic Quads: 10

Merlin Olsen, Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jack Youngblood

I made a post on my Curly W blog discussing ideas for my Senators Singles feature on that blog. It is my Senators/Nationals version of this "Card of the Whenever" feature. Just simply a snazzy way to show off one card posts. For that blog I have often considered posting single card posts more often similar to card blogs that specialize in showing off just one card daily posts. Hmm I have a set or two that I have thought about making a separate blog for but that is just in the thinking pre-planning stages, not an actual green light project. The same question of frequency pops up here for the COTW feature. Do I make these things more frequent? I want to but I know I will never have the motivation or stamina to make it a daily thing, not even a weekly thing which is more achievable than daily. The last time I did a CotW it was tacked to the end of another post.

OK so here is a card I had all but forgotten I had. OK I probably did forget about it. I'm sure there are parallels to it I could pursue but I bet they wouldn't have the cool reciprocal serial numbering of this one. Oops I gave away an ancient Chinese secret code to this blog.

I have often liked the Donruss (Original Donruss not the current Panini using the Donruss brand) Classics and the insert sets. Oh man I miss the original Donruss products. Here is one of the base Classic Quads card, at least I think it is the base. It gets confusing when everything is serial numbered. This is a mighty impressive quartet. Merlin Olsen and Jack Youngblood from the Rams with Alan Page and Carl Eller of the Vikings. Check out that serial number. CORRECTION UPDATE: It is the Silver Parallel, the BASE version is not serial numbered.

2009 Donruss Classics Football: Classic Quads: Silver: 10

Merlin Olsen Rams Alan Page Vikings Carl Eller Vikings Jack Youngblood Rams

052/250

I don't recall when or where I got this card from. It might have been either from Ebay or Sportlots. I know it wasn't from CheckOutMyCards because I have the records for my purchases from there and this card is not in the few orders I have made there. If it was from a group box break then it was a very fortunate hit. I did a quick and dirty search of my TCC blog since I started recording my mail days there starting around mid 2007, but saw no indication of this card. It could have come in a huge Team Traders Rams package that had too many cards to count.

Oops it isn't the base version it is the "Silver" parallel. I have updated to identify it as the Silver Parallel.

Updated: 02 May 2018 2;10pm

Blogged But Not Blogged: Redemption Freed From Fed-Ex Prison

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:

16 Feb 2009:
From TCC Mail Day Forum Post "Finally From Fed-Ex Foulball: A Redemption":

This is quite a story. From the Official TCC Baseball Box Breaking Group I had gotten a redemption card from 2007 SWEET SPOT BASEBALL I don't recall when I logged in the request for it online, but here is it's story.

Back of redemption card

The thing was being delivered via FedEx with SIGNATURE REQUIRED Delivery. Well long story short FedEx attempts to deliver it 3 times when I'm not available.

So about a week or two ago I contact FedEx and take a day off of work (since I had to accept a UPS package with the same sort of deal) and wait. FedEx didn't try delivering that day. The package didn't get on the truck or something. I arrange for a special delivery to my Apartment's Management office on a Friday (which would screw things up some more) only to find that my Management office doesn't sign for any packages, when they had told me on the phone they did.*

I arranged another delivery and take off Monday to wait. Their operator calls in the morning to verify that they will be sending it out and it was on a truck. I wait and wait and wait. When I finally go out to check my regular mail I notice a door tag that says they had attempted to deliver it at 10:00 AM (the other times they had attempted to deliver it was afternoon times 1:30 PM,3:00 PM etc) well I was really really PO'd. I had taken off of work and they try to deliver in the morning around the time I was in the bathroom showering (I should have not showered until after getting the dang thing).

Well I contact them and get directions to their station where they are holding the package. I get there about 15 minutes before they close and they can't find the thing. The system says it's still on the truck. They said they will call me when they find it. Um yeah sure. As it turns out that particular time it was a Manager who had tried to deliver it so it didn't go into the system as it normally would (I found that out today)

Finally today (16 Feb 2009)  I get a call saying the package is waiting and I can pick it up anytime. Fortunately I had the day off for Presidents Day and FedEx was open, that surprised me. OK so I went back out to their station and sprung the package from it's FedEx prison.

I don't have a scan of the card (Not sure when I'll get my scanner hooked back up**) but it is a:

2007 UD Sweet Spots Baseball Dual Signatures of Alex Gordon Royals and Cal Ripken Jr. Orioles Glove Leather black sharpie 4/5.

This puppy ain't going anywhere (Cal Ripken Jr PC) so don't ask to trade for it. Not sure what it's BV is or if it is even listed as having one.

UPDATE: 26 NOV 2009 Added the scan. Hadn't gotten round to posting the scan here (meaning TCC as this is a cut/paste copy of my original post there), but it has been in my Photobucket# for a few months.

From TCC Blog post "Redemption Freed From Fed-Ex Prison":

After a long game of cat and mouse with FedEx delivering the package with "REQUIRED SIGNATURE" I finally got my redemption. In the mail day page  I gave most of the horrid details of trying to get the thing. (as reposted up above) Anyway it is:

2007 UD SWEET SPOT BASEBALL Sweet Spot Dual Signatures

ALEX GORDON (Royals) and CAL RIPKEN JR (Orioles)

Glove Leather Black Sharpie #4/5

Not bloody likely for trade at anytime. If I ever get around to finding a price for it, I might consider selling if I like the price, or if someone offers a really ridiculous amount for it.

Notes:
* When I first moved into my Apartment 01 Aug 2008 the management office would accept and sign for packages for tenants and then notify them of the package. I think by a notice shoved onto your door. They quickly stopped sometime within my first few months of living at the apartment complex. Looks like I was in my apartment for just 6 months when this package arrived. Update since around the holidays of last year (2017) the leasing office accepts some FedEx packages on behalf of residents now.

** Wow I had forgotten I had gone a while (several months it seems) without my scanner hooked up. I probably hooked it up shortly after this mess. I still don't have a printer hooked up, or my regular stereo set up. I have been in my apartment for nearly 10 years (come Aug 01). Yeah 10 years without a printer and a stereo. I print stuff at work when I need to and scan papers there. The lack of stereo only means I can't play vinyl records. I have portable and other tape and CD players to use. I don't listen to music as intently or as often as I used to several years ago. Those are stories for another time if at all.

# Photobucket has banned free 3rd party hosting. So any attempt at linking images at PB look like this:

This image is intentional this time only. If it appears anyplace else on my blog it is not intended.

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.

Something Is Gonna Break.

???

OK I will be a bit mysterious for now. In a day or so I will bust open a box of cards I got recently. I will then post some scans of the box break; the box, a pack, a sample of a base card, some or all of the inserts and of course all the hits. I plan on doing a review of what it is and give a little backstory of how it came to be. Actually how I got my grubby little hands on it. I might just end up giving away all the cards, or at least a good portion of them.

Why the mystery? Why not? Seriously though it is mostly just to insure I get a December post or two in on this blog. Also being a bit mysterious with a planned future post tends to get more people to read a blog, or get them excited about it a little.

In the meantime here is An Alex Ovechkin card I haven't shown. I got it from a group box break. I don't recall exactly when, but I think it was one of the last hockey ones I was in earlier this year. I cut back on all the breaks I was participating in. Now-Days I am only in one Baseball break that is taking December off. I may or may not continue with that one. I like group breaks but it just gets too expensive to stay in them month after month, especially if you are in more than just one or two. Plus the groups tend to repeat some of the products they bust, or they bust stuff you really don't want, or they only bust the high end stuff and your team is rarely in the expensive 5 cards or less 1 pack boxes. I digress.

Notice this card is one of those plastic acetate "see through" cards. Well it looks like it's white but that is the background of my flatbed scanner, actually the padding on the underside of the scanner cover. I tend not to like this type of card, but this one has grown some on me. At least it isn't a die-cut one with weird angles and shapes.

 2012-13 Panini Rookie Anthology Hockey: Intensity Elite Acetate:

I-16 Alex Ovechkin Capitals #258/500

(Front and Back in front of scanner's white background)

???

Fishing For Nick Johnson On The Bay Red Edition

OK so the title of this post almost blows the sensationalism out of this post. Lately when I've been shopping on Ebay I just get the BINs and the fixed price listings, not the auctions. This beauty of a card and one of the pieces to a Rainbow was only $4.99 + $2.50 shipping. It is the latest variation in the 2010 Topps Baseball Nick Johnson Rainbow I've been assembling.

2010 Topps Baseball Factory Set Red 181 Nick Johnson Marlins #d 214/299

(Front and Back)

 This is the Factory Set Red Parallel version that is serial numbered to 299. But that wasn't all the seller I got this card from also included some bonus FOOTBALL cards. Now fortunately I don't mind too much when dealers sweeten the pot by including bonus cards from a different sport, but I'm sure there are some buyers who get really ticked about this. Sellers Please at least include the same sport, some folks are just one sport collectors. A few years back I would have been really ticked if I had gotten some basketball bonus cards. I'm still not huge into basketball but back a few years ago I didn't want to have anything to do with any hoops cards. Oh back on track here is what I got I won't go into detail on them as only one of them will remain part of my PC. I have them all marked in my Zistle since I was toying with the idea of building the set but I'm not sure on that. 

Anyway here are the seven 1993 Topps Football cards that were included as a bonus:

34 Tom Carter Draft Pick Redskins (PC)
35 Jeff George Colts (Might keep this one, not sure)
36 Larry Centers Cardinals
37 Reggie Cobb Buccaneers
41 Haywood Jeffires Oilers
42 Alfred Williams Bengals
43 Aaron Wallace Raiders 

 1993 Topps Football Bonus Cards:

(Front and Back)

Washington Wednesday: Funny Sonny Mystery

A Funny Sonny Mystery

Some months back {looking in email history and saved text messages*} I had gotten an email from someone with an offer to sell me a card. I'll call him "Bob" to protect the guys identity and spare some of the embarrassment. In addition I couldn't remember his name until I located my communications with him. 

Out of the blue I get this email from "Bob":

"My grandfather left me certain baseball and football cards including a Sonny Jurgensen from the 1969 season. His # was 6 and was QB for the redskins. He was the leading passer in the NFL in 1969. The card is probably 1970 T.C.G. It also has an autograph on it but I doubt that its real. Would you like to purchase it? I can take pictures of it with my phone and send it to yours to prove that it's real or I can sell it to someone else. Its up to you."

OK he got my interest, one of my all-time fave players and a vintage card probably signed in person sometime within the last 40 years. I let his comment about Sonny being number six slip. Probably should have torn him a new one for that, but I'm a nice guy. Actually it turns out #6 was the card number, good thing I didn't go all Chuck Norris on the guy. OK so I had to find out what this was all about.

I replied:

"Yes I am interested in it and yes I would like to see pics of it first."

Bob:

"Took the pics just need a number to send them to

My number is  xxx-xxx-xxxx"

He sent a blank Message asking for me to send him my cell number.

I don't normally do text stuff like I said but I replied:

"My cell number is xxx-xxx-xxxx"

Bob replies:

"Hope u got the two pics. As u can tell they're in good condition and the real deal so whats ur offer cause I'm dealing with several people on this card"

The rest of this conversation took place with text messages.

"Bob" said:
"Good right?"
and
"What do u think?"

'Bob' sent a couple of pics of the card (I cropped them here a little).

Cell phone picks of the card, I got a kick out the back "dining room table w/Mom walking in" shot. That at least is what it looks like. Also looks like there is one of those weird white-fade-out dots on the back or it's paper loss. The black spot on the bottom I think is the shadow of his thumb.

Seeing these pics I said:
"Yes very cool. It is a 1970 Topps "Super" or Giant"
At the time I couldn't remember if Topps called them Super or Giant they call them Super.

So he says: "I know and there's only 35... Its in great shape so what do u think?"

My comeback that goes for the jugular.
"I have one already in just as good shape as that one. I have to burst your bubble there were way more than 35 made, and the "autograph" is one of those facsimile autographs. Its worth about $5-$10."

He concludes the conversation with a simple "Ok. Later"

Here is my copy of the card:

1970 Topps Football Super 6 Sonny Jurgensen Redskins

(Front and Back)

So yeah the guy thought that this card: was more special than it was. He thought it was number 6 of only 35 special Sonny Jurgensen cards, or he was playing me for the uninformed super fan who didn't know his card history.

*For the record I rarely text message. I receive text Messages from the Nationals for the game updates and I have entered the occasional contest via text like when NBC had that game show "Deal Or No Deal" and had a win from home thing where you picked a case (out of 4 they showed on the screen) and then text in the number with your guess and if you picked the right number you had a chance to be picked randomly from the right guesses. Oh and when I'm waiting for a tow truck I let AAA text the 4 digit call number for my situation.

Washington Wednesday: Classy Chris Cooley

CLASSY CHRIS COOLEY

It has been a while since I've done one of these. I have been slacking off on it for no good reason.

 I got this Redskin card from sportlots on 04FEB13 for the standard starting auction price of .25¢ plus .50¢ shipping with two other auctions from the same dealer the overall shipping was $2.25 for five cards. That is one of the things I don't like too much about sportlots the shipping usually is not combined like over at ebay.

2009 Donruss Classics Timeless Tributes Silver 97 Chris Cooley Redskins #037/100

(Front and Back)

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

Holy Hawaii Batman!

I got two more sketch cards one on Wednesday 02 February 2012 and one the following day. These cost a bit more than the pencil sketch cards I had mentioned before. First up is a sketch of DC Comic Heroine Batgirl on her Batcycle.

 

This card is a pencil sketch with pen & ink with gray shading, watercolor? The back is signed by the artist Lyle Pollard and dated "2k'12" it has ink bleed-through from the ink on the front.

I like his style but I have a problem with some of his faces, there were other cards I saw where I liked the subject but there was something about how he did the face that didn't sit with me well.

 After studying this particular sketch I noticed that Batgirl has a scrawny pencil-neck. I also noticed that her windblown hair seems to be too high behind her, maybe her pony tail is high and that is the loose hair below the hairband.Those are my only complaints about this sketch. I got it from Ebay for $14.99 w/Free Shipping.

 Next up we have a card from an "upcoming designer of non-sports trading cards" of the Hawaii Five-0 Character Kono Kalakaua played by Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica).

 It is a pencil sketch colored with what looks like watercolor. The artist uses thin paper stock that is textured to simulate canvas. The back is actually a second piece of paper stock that has a certificate and is serial numbered to 250. Each of this artist's print runs is numbered to 250. It is sealed in a toploader (no penny sleeve though). I got this one for $12.99 w/ $1.95 shipping. This one is numbered 224/250.

 At first I thought and assumed (dangerous to do I know) that the seller was the artist his Ebay ID is vinestreetstuff. It doesn't look like he is the artist as the guy has a couple of other artist's work for sale. One of the artists this guy sells cards of is named Michael Celona, but this signature doesn't match the one for him. The signature on the back looks like it starts with a "P" maybe "Phil"?

It seems that sketch artists don't put their cards in a penny sleeve before putting them in the toploader. At least most have the sense to use toploaders and not those silly "card savers". (see my post on My Cal Ripken RC) The card saver is better than nothing, unfortunately a lot of card sellers and card collectors will put cards in them and ship them in a thin envelope (bad) or a PWE (worse). They are usually OK if put in a bubble mailer or a more substantial mailer or box. Cardsavers are OK for storage and display, but not for shipping.