TTM Hall of Fame Success

My mailbox had an awesome surprise in it this morning: my first Hall of Fame TTM success!

Bobby Doerr - HoF 1986

Boston's "Silent Captain," Bobby Doerr.  The man was a defensive wizard, once converting 414 straight chances between errors, a span of 73 games.  He could also hit the ball, a lifetime .288 hitter with 1,247 runs batted in and 223 home runs.

I sent this ball out Friday, and received it back this morning, a five-day turnaround.

2013 Topps Tribute Mike Napoli on-card auto

eBay strikes again. I was browsing last week when I saw this beauty, the 2013 Topps Tribute Mike Napoli on-card auto numbered 01 of 50.  Any Mike Napoli card is welcome in my PC, especially one that is a) from the Tribute line, b) is autographed, and c) is the first in a relative short print.

Anyone in for a 2013 Gypsy Queen box or case break?

I haven't bought any GQ packs in a while.  I'm starting to get jittery.  Would anyone be interested in buying in to a box break or case break?  I think that for a box, $15 a team would cover the purchase and shipping of the cards, and for a case, a team and shipping could be had for $100 (maybe less, depending on if I could get a deal from someone).

I would like the price to cover the team of your choice and one randomly assigned team.

I've never done a break before, but I would really like to do this.  Let me know your thoughts on everything (cost, format, etc.) and whether or not you would be interested (I wouldn't take it as a commitment just yet).

Thanks!

My First TTM Success!

Saturday came with a nice little surprise in the mail.

2013 Gypsy Queen #2 - Joe Nathan - TTM Autograph

I received my 2013 GQ #2 back from Joe Nathan.  The signature looks great, especially in the blue Sharpie.  It looks like Nathan took hi time signing the card, but I could be wrong.

I sent the card out on April 11, 2013 and received it back on May 4, 2013, making the total time away 23 days.  Not bad at all.  We'll see if any of the other cards I sent that day come back any time soon.

A few cards to add to my Tom Grieve PC

This was a good weekend for me, in terms of card collecting at least.  Expect this to be one of about three updates today.  (Apologies if I fill your update screen!)

Saturday, I was able to add a few cards to my TAG PC.  I received a couple cards from a friend who has lost interest in collecting.

1972 Topps #609 - Tom Grieve

The first card he gave me fits into two personal collections, Tom Grieve and 1972 Topps.  The photo on this card is...awkward...to say the least.  I can't figure out if here is trying to look cool or if he is trying to act like he doesn't see the camera; either way, he looks strange.

1972 Topps - First Two Additions

I have my first two additions to my 1972 Topps set: Denny McLain (#210) and Ken Suarez (#483).  I received these a couple weeks ago from William over at foul bunt as part of a trade we worked out.

1972 Topps Baseball # 210 - Denny McLain

Decisions, Decisions....

As I've stated before, I have just recently gotten back into card collecting.  When I was collecting before, I was a kid.  Al Gore had yet to invent the Internet, so I had no way to share my collection.  And I definitely didn't think about collecting a set other than whatever was out at that time (mostly Upper Deck products).

So I've been trying to figure out which players I want to collect and which vintage set to I want to go after?  Well, these questions have been answered (mostly with Rangers).  First, for the players.  I have decided to collect vintage cards for Tom Grieve.  Grieve, father of former major leaguer Ben Grieve, was a first round pick of the Washington Senators in 1966.  He played until 1979, at which point he joined the Rangers' front office.  After holding various positions within the organization, including GM, he has been the Rangers' color commentator since the mid-1990's.  (Interesting trivia note: Tom and Ben are the first father-son duo to be selected in the first round in their respective drafts)

For current players, I am collecting Mike Napoli and Bryce Harper.  I hated Napoli as an Angel.  He just seemed like someone I wouldn't get along with if I met him on the street.  But when he came to the Rangers, he gave everything to the organization.  He busted his butt on a daily basis, played with everything he had, and never quit on his team.  As a fan, that's all you can really ask for.  As for Harper, the kid is a stud.  He is going to be great, and I just want to be along for that ride.

For future stars, I am collecting Joey Gallo.  The Rangers 3B prospect is currently lighting it up in Hickory.  He was last year's Arizona League MVP, tallying 18 homeruns on just 150 at bats.  In case you're wondering, that's 18 homeruns in just 43 games.  In highschool, he pitched a Perfect Game and touched 100 on the radar gun.  His defense in the hot corner has been spectacular as well.

As for my vintage collection, it took me a while to decide, but I finally did it.  I am going to start collecting cards from the 1972 Topps Baseball set.  This was the first set to feature the Texas Rangers (they had just relocated from Washington, D.C.), and it also happens to be an absolute monster.  Consisting of a whopping 787 cards, this is one of the largest sets of its time.

So there it is.  These are the players and set I am collecting.  If you have any of them, please let me know to see if we can work out a trade or purchase.  I appreciate your help!