Odd-ball Cards

1973 Topps Candy Lids/ Autograph/ Basketball Rookie Cards/ Graded Card Registry/ Jack Nicholson/ NY Mets/ Odd-ball Cards

The Mick Continues To Dominate The Card World!!!

Collecting baseball cards has been a cherished hobby for enthusiasts around the world, transcending generations and capturing the essence of America’s favorite pastime. The allure of these small, cardboard treasures lies not only in their nostalgic value but also in the potential for discovering rare and valuable pieces of sports history. In this essay, we will explore the art of collecting baseball cards and delve into some notable sales that have left an indelible mark on the hobby.

The tradition of collecting baseball cards dates back to the late 19th century, coinciding with the rise of professional baseball in the United States. Initially distributed as promotional tools by tobacco and confectionery companies, these cards featured images of baseball players and quickly gained popularity among fans. As the years passed, the hobby evolved, with card designs becoming more sophisticated, and the market expanding to include various brands and sets.

One of the driving forces behind the fascination with baseball cards is the connection they provide to the players and moments that have defined the sport. Each card tells a story, encapsulating a specific era or highlighting the achievements of a particular player. Collectors often find joy in assembling comprehensive sets, chasing after the cards of their favorite athletes, or pursuing rare and limited-edition releases.

Notably, the baseball card market has witnessed some remarkable sales that have astonished both collectors and the general public. One such instance is the sale of the Honus Wagner T206 card, considered the holy grail of baseball cards. Honus Wagner, a legendary shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, requested to have his cards removed from the American Tobacco Company’s production due to ethical concerns. Consequently, only a handful of these cards were ever released, making them exceptionally rare. In 2016, a Honus Wagner T206 card was sold for a staggering $3.12 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a baseball card.

Another noteworthy sale involved the iconic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. Mickey Mantle, a baseball icon and New York Yankees legend, holds a special place in the hearts of collectors. The 1952 Topps card featuring Mantle is particularly coveted, known for its scarcity and the captivating image of the young slugger. In 2018, a pristine, gem-mint version of the card fetched a remarkable $2.88 million at auction, reaffirming the enduring appeal and investment value of vintage baseball cards.

These notable sales underscore the incredible market dynamics within the baseball card collecting community. While the hobby remains rooted in passion and nostalgia, the potential for financial gain through rare and highly sought-after cards adds an additional layer of excitement for collectors. As technology continues to shape the landscape of collecting, with online platforms facilitating trading and sales, the tradition of collecting baseball cards remains as vibrant and captivating as ever. Whether motivated by a love for the game, a desire for connection to baseball history, or the thrill of the hunt for rare gems, collectors continue to contribute to the enduring legacy of baseball card collecting. If you love autograph collecting, follow along on my journey!!! Curbside_Graph3rz on IG.

Autograph Collecting/ Odd-ball Cards/ Toy Review

Star Wars Masterwork February 2015

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Star Wars Masterwork

Like any product of late, in my opinion, the February 2015 release of Topps Star Wars Masterwork disappointed me. The heavy price did not produce the quality I was expecting. I know many people might think the lack of a large hit may be the reason for my sour grapes, but I assure you it is not. The main reason is because I am a collector and not a seller! I do sell product from time to time, the main reason is for cash flow stream to purchase product that I want.

When the purchased product disappoints like the Star Wars Masterworks did for me. The cards are nice, hard to deny that but they lack the wow factor that a $250.00 should have. Sometimes as a collector, I purchase cards that I believe they may disappoint, and turn out to be a great product. Other times like (Star Wars Masterwork) the product is expensive, and they just do not pack the necessary punch.

In all the card I really wanted was the BOBA FETT autograph, and long and behold like the mighty Yoda, I willed one into my packs and was lucky enough to get the card I wanted. I am a huge BOBA FETT fan. So in that regard, I cannot claim the product was completely bad for me. But some of the 1 of 1 sketch cards were completely silly and horrible. I am going to list some of the pulls I had right here on this page, check it out:

BOBA FETT Autograph

1 of 1 Sketch Card

Darth Maul Postage Stamp

1997 World Series Baseball

Autograph Collecting/ Odd-ball Cards

1997 World Series Baseball

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The 1997 World Series Baseball

The 1997 World Series lined up to be an unattractive World Series in the sense that the teams were about as unattractive as a two team World Series set could be. The Florida Marlins vs. The Cleveland Indians. The Marlins were storied with their first world series appearance during the first four years of the teams existence. The Cleveland Indians were in route to the teams second appearance since 1995 just two years earlier.

Neither team filled their rosters with glamor in fact the television ratings were amongst the lowest in World Series history for a series that went the full 7 games in the last 15 years prior to that series. I never rooted for the Florida Marlins, but rooting for the Cleveland Indians was something I was not going to do.

Charles Johnson Was A Miami Hurricane

One of the players in that World Series and he also happened to hit a dinger into my seat section just as I went out for some refreshments was Charles Johnson of the Florida Marlins. He was a hometown Miami Hurricane and then was drafted by the Florida Marlins. He was an easy choice for me to root for. Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, and some of the others made it easy as well. Then came 1998 and the then owner Wayne Huizenga decided that the team had to be broken up and cleared up the payroll as well as the roster. So this time around, as Loria again for different reasons cleared out the payroll and roster it’s safe to say that these new Marlins will not have the same fate, at least not for the next few years. Loria, just save some face and sell the team.

Odd-ball Cards

What About The 1935 J.A. Pattreiouex Joe Louis Sports Card

1935 J.A. Pattreiouex Joe Louis

If you enjoy the feel of holding sports cards of yesteryear, like I do then you have come to the right place. This blog specializes in pointing out some incredible sports card auctions as you can see by some of these posts on here, but also I would like to create a scene where much like Beckett Publications, people can write in about their great sports card pulls and let my audience know just what you pulled, when, and where. Pictured here is the 1935 J.A. Pattreiouex Joe Louis sporting events card.

I believe that certain sports card stores are streaky sellers, and I have pulled some incredible cards from some of the sports card stores in my area. I find that with most of the product in today’s market being limited or low numbered, if you purchase some of the high end stuff. You have a great chance of getting unique and great sports cards.

If you are the type of collector that enjoys sports card sets. Like I am, then sometimes some of the high end product and the high end pulls become easy targets for resale. I know that I have sold some sports cards, mainly baseball and football that I will never probably own again. But I would do it all again for the thrill of the chase, and then the sale and more importantly the chance to complete old sets that I enjoy collecting.

The Topps 1958 TV Western Set

I recently purchase this set from eBay about 1 year ago and just cataloged it into my official sets program. The 1958 Topps TV Western set contains 71 cards and the set in mint condition can run anywhere around $750.00 to about $1200.00 dollars. While the set contains the James Arness card #1 it does sport a young Steve McQueen with the great “Rawhide Kid” series cards. These cards were being produced by Topps in the 1950’s and they were not the only sports card company that used the 1950’s to spring board from the sports cards into TV series and comedy series type cards.

In fact the 1950’s, 1960’s and the 70’s saw themselves producing many different sets of cards from the three stooges, to KISS, to Man visits the moon, to you name it. Sports card collecting took on a new face throughout those years, and I am glad it did. These cards were as much a part of my childhood as anything else that I played with or collected. Special thanks to Topps, Fleer, for making my childhood years special. Memories that I will never forget.

The World Of The Wacky Pack!

Odd-ball Cards

The World Of The Wacky Pack!

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It was back in the mid 1970’s for me when I became hooked on collecting baseball cards and also cards of other sports as well.  I was a kid born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  I can remember that feeling in the 1970’s when you had saved up enough allowance money to go and buy some Topps baseball cards and get some gum in the process.  Can you remember how disappointed you were when you went to get some baseball card packs with your allowance money and that good old mom and pop grocery store was all out of baseball or football cards, but there were tons of Wacky packs.  I know bummer!

Well don’t you wish you had some boxes of these Wacky packages cards now?  Graded by PSA or BVG and in the right grade, 9.0 and above, and you can put a kid through junior college.  As a collector I have spent most of my adult life trying to connect with that childhood that I left behind so many years ago in Brooklyn.  Friends long gone, and so is the city for me now, as I live in Miami.  But I can remember the first day that I purchased a Wacky pack.  I was in that mood to buy, which was basically whenever I got my hands on some money, and I purchased these cards because I just had to buy something and there was nothing else.  Being the anal retentive person that I had to be in order to keep my baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and odd-ball card collection intact and pristine, these Wacky packages were now part of my collection, so I kept them in the condition that you see right here above, mint.

Pictured here is the “Weakies” breakfast of chumps card.  The thing is that these cards like many others from the 1960’s, 1970’s and so on are viewed today as special items from another era, as well they should be.  Many of these Wacky packs are still hard to find in the condition that I like to collect cards in.  Collecting cards is something that I hope to pass along to my kids, and perhaps they can pass it along to their kids.  While times are tough and the economy is at a standstill, this may be the best chance that you can have to go out and purchase some boxes of these great cards, they are most certainly a part of my past and America’s too.  You can probably get them now for a fraction of the cost of say 5 years ago.  If you roam the EBay pages you can also find that Topps has opened up their vaults some years back and there are plenty of original artwork out there that can be purchased fairly cheap.  These cards are funny, amusing, and most of all great collectibles.