Adding More Pieces to the 1969 Puzzle

Before I left for Minneapolis, I received a card in the mail that is, in my eyes, a significant piece of the 1969 Topps set that I am working on. It isn't a rookie card, it isn't an All Star card, it isn't even a card of a future Hall of Famer (but you can blame that on Bud Selig)...but it is a card that I am excited to have:

I snagged this PSA 4 Pete Rose for my set. I really love this card. I can't really explain why, but I do.

Before I received this card in the mail, I was able to add my first Mickey Mantle to my collection, also part of the 1969 set:

Okay, so it isn't the Mantle from the set (which is the lone remaining card on my 2016 Most Wanted list), but it's a '69 Mantle nonetheless. I'm sure you've noticed that a previous owner used this card the way it was designed to be used. The checked boxes aren't limited to the front, however:

The previous owner also marked the back. A little while back, I posted about the '69 Bob Gibson PSA 1 I added. In that post, I noted that I love the card because it was well-loved. I could imagine a young kid pull the card from a pack. I do the same with this card. A young man working feverishly to collect all of the cards on this checklist and patiently checking off each card as he acquired it. I love the history this card represents.

So there you have it, the newest pieces to my 1969 puzzle. I hope you enjoy the cards as much as I do!

A Quick Complaint

I just got back from Minneapolis (it went great!), and I quickly logged in to update some grades for the class I am teaching. In doing so, I decided to give Twitter a brief look.

Big mistake.

I noticed a tweet chain that Tony, the mind behind the awesome Brewer's cardboard blog Off Hiatus Baseball Cards, was participating in. The participants were discussing the new Topps Now relic card from Ichiro's 3,000 hit game, many of which are selling for $180 - $999, depending on which parallel you are interested in.

The conversation moved from this card specifically to parallels in general, and the common agreement was that parallels are a way for Topps to make an extra dime.

In general, I agree with this. That being said, I am one of those who chases parallels. I do this for multiple reasons: first, I have major OCD and feel the need to collect them all (like they are Pokemon, which I have ZERO desire to collect); and second, I get bored of seeing plain, white-bordered cards. Parallels can "spice up" a collection up an inject some color in what is otherwise a boring set.

Being the a**hole that I am, I decided to play devil's advocate. I interjected and asked what everyone would say to collector's who enjoy parallel chasing or rainbow building. After a few quick exchanges, the person said that parallel chasing is a "stupid mentality that is ruining the hobby."

Now, I often see collector's doing things and paying amounts that I think are just insane. However, I've always felt that if you have the funds, you should do whatever you want to do when it comes to your own collection. Your actions in no way affect me or other collectors, regardless of what people may say. If everyone thinks whatever Topps is doing is a joke or gimmick, then they will stop buying the product (look at Bowman Platinum). However, as long as there are people who want to buy the product, Topps will continue to produce it.

My point is this: just because you don't enjoy or appreciate something Topps is doing doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there that does. Labeling that collector as stupid or saying they are ruining the hobby is silly. We're talking about cardboard here - we all are a bit goofy. 

None of this is to say that Topps doesn't deserve criticism - let's talk about the repetitive use of the same photo, their poor customer service or their extremely slow redemption fulfillment - I'm just saying let's not turn on each other.

I hope everyone is well!

A TTM That Literally Moved Me To Tears (Or, The One Post I Hope You Read)

It's 1:45 in the morning and I just walked into my apartment. The past week and a half has been incredibly tough. Beyond some personal issues, I've been preparing for a research conference in Minneapolis that begins Thursday. I'll be presenting one of my papers, and it's been a bit stressful.

Supposedly, it's good for my career to present at these. I'm not so certain it isn't terrible for my health. But it is what it is.

Anyway, the stress has really been killing me, not just physically, but emotionally as well. I know you don't want to hear a sob story, so I will spare you. As I said, I just walked in the door. But first, I had to stop and check my mail because I knew that a card I ordered arrived earlier. However, when I checked my mailbox, I had something else waiting for me, something that made me instantly start crying...

This is an 8x10 photo of Tom Watson as he crosses Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews a final time. The image was taken in July of 2015. I remember watching it on television and breaking down into tears.

I don't look at athletes as heroes or even role models, for that matter. They're people, just like me...they just happen to be really good at a sport. That's awesome, but not enough to call someone a hero. Don't get me wrong - I still get excited when I'm in the presence of an elite athlete - but I'm not going to encourage my (imaginary) son to try to model his life after him.

However, as with almost everything, there is an exception. Tom Watson is my exception. You see, ever since I can remember, I have watched golf with my grandfather. My father-figure throughout my life, Pap (as I call him) has been instrumental in teaching everything from riding a bike to what it means to be a man, and everything in between. I've been by his side, playing and watching golf since I was three years old. 

Tom Watson is my grandfather's favorite golfer. He has been for as long as I can remember. When we would watch, my grandfather would instruct me to pay attention - "Do see how he addresses the ball? You've got to step up like you've got a pair, like Watson does." "Did you see how he kept his head down all the way through the follow through? You gotta keep yours down, too." I learned how to play watching Watson and my grandfather. 

My grandfather isn't in the greatest health. About four years ago, he had a debilitating stroke and hasn't been able to play since. I still take him out when I'm home - I tell him I need help with my swing, and sometimes I intentionally screw up just so I can get the "old" Pap to come out - and my cousin makes an effort to bring him to our country club's Thursday-night scrambles so he can ride and chat with his old friends. But it isn't the same when he isn't on the course.

We still have Tom Watson, though. We watch (mostly Senior PGA events these days, at least when we're watching Tom) and he still coaches. It reminds me of all those years spent in the summer, all the 6:30 a.m. tee times (to beat the heat). It reminds me of the times I've wanted to throw my 5 iron in the lake, and the times I've seen my grandfather wrap a putter around a tree (no joke - I've seen it at least five times). It reminds me of the times when I would watch my grandfather, idolizing him and wishing...hoping...that I could be half the golfer - and the man - that he is.

For this, Tom Watson is my hero. Not because of anything he has done on the course - which he has done a lot - but because in him, I see my grandfather. These are tears of joy, and I am forever grateful for Mr. Watson for sending them to me.

A New Addition for the '69 Set

My eBay purchases seem to have really slowed down recently. As a matter of fact, my collecting purchases in general have slowed. I don't think that I am losing interest in the hobby, I just think that I am finally learning what most of you already know - Topps floods the market with a ton of different products and rarely use different photos. So it's kind of like buying the same cards over and over. Call me jaded, but I'm fairly sick of it.

When I do purchase cards, it seems they are for various PCs. This was this situation with my latest purchase. Behold:

I was able to grab this PSA 2 Bob Gibson for essentially a Lincoln. I know some of you will feel I overpaid, but I happily traded my cash for this cardboard. The card has seen its fair share of life. It has a crease right down the middle and the corners are well loved.

The more I work on this set, the more I fall for low-grade cards. I look at each one and imagine the life it has lived - from a little boy tearing open the wax, to a young man trading it for his favorite player. Perhaps the card went into a 10-year-old's shoebox and stayed there until that boy grew into a man, who then sold it in a garage sale. If only the card could talk, I'm sure it would have an incredible story. 

That's it for now. Thanks for sticking with me even though my posts are few and far between.

I hope everyone is well!

Another Tate Added To The Collection

A little while back, I posted about a few Dylan Tate cards that I recently acquired. Tate was the Rangers' 2015 first round pick, drafted number 4 overall. He should be part of a pretty special rotation in the future, assuming he doesn't get dealt.

2016 Bowman Inception hit the streets last week (or the week before, I can't remember). For whatever reason, these cards don't sell for nearly as much as traditional Bowman Chrome autos, so I keep an eye out for a deal.

That's exactly what I found in this Tate parallel, numbered to 99:

I snagged this for less than three bucks! Happy to have it.

I will say that I don't care for the background design for this year's card. I don't really get the relation between space and baseball. Previous designs featured baseball themed backgrounds and non-baseball backgrounds. However, the non-baseball backgrounds were at least of clounds and felt pretty generic. These are just hideous.

Either way, when you can get an on-card auto of a top-5 pick for less than a Lincoln, you do it.

Let's Have An Update, Shall We?

Sadly, as it is becoming the norm rather than the exception, it has been a while since I last posted. I have been reading the blog roll, but, save for a few instances, I haven't had much interaction. I have, however, continued to collect, and my scan folder shows just a bit of what I need to talk about:

I recently knocked a couple cards off the Top 5 Most Wanted.

Let's have a look.

First up is the Cole Hamels Real One auto from 2016 Heritage. I managed to pick this up at my LCS. I've been looking for one for a decent price, but nothing ever found its way to eBay in my price range. However, I traded a few cards to my LCS owner a while back, so I was able to grab this for essentially $10.

The next card not only had a place on the Top 5, it also had a spot in my Bowman Auto Project.

This is the 2015 Bowman Draft Chrome auto of the Rangers' 2015 first round pick (#4 overall) Dillon Tate. This card has also been too expensive for my tastes, so when I saw a BIN price that was in my range, I grabbed it. 

But that isn't the only Tate card I grabbed. He has a few autos in 2016 Bowman, and I couldn't resist.

Tate has an auto in the Top 100 insert line. This is the gold parallel, and by my understanding, this is the only version of the card that is signed. I have yet to see any other parallels that are autographed.

Then I snagged this purple retail auto. I'm too lasy to look up the numbering, but I think it's to 199.

Tate is also featured on a Turn Two insert. This one took a bit of spare change to grab. Why? Well...

...Because it features two autographs. Lewis Brinson is featured on the back side. Like the Top 100 insert, it appears that this is the only version of the card that is autographed EXCEPT for the superfractor.

Lastly, I also grabbed this gold retail auto, numbered to 50. I still need a green version (numbered to 99), and I recently missed out on an orange version (numbered to 25).

Outside of Turn Two auto, all of the 2016 Tate autos cost $10 or less. Gotta ball on a budget, you know.

So there are a few new things. Hopefully I can a few more soon (well, sooner than later).

Hope all is well!

Jose Altuve Keeps Finding His Way To Me

Recently, I've noticed a trend in the "hits" that I pull. One particular player keeps showing up in my packs. Who is it?

The shortest man in MLB, Jose Altuve.

A few weeks ago, I decided to buy a box of 2016 Museum Collection. It's an expensive box, and it only contains three cards. I found this in my box:

Bought a box of 2016 Tier One...pulled this Jose Altuve /10 auto relic! pic.twitter.com/FS797go1KX

— My Cardboard Habit (@cardboardhabit) June 9, 2016

That's a jumbo relic/auto numbered to 10. I sent it in to Beckett to have it slabbed (side note: I should get this back today or tomorrow).

Not bad!

Today, I bought a box of Stadium Club. I love that product. My first auto was this guy:

This is the gold auto parallel, numbered 21 of 25. I've never pulled an auto parallel from Stadium Club before, so that's pretty cool.

Let me say here that I am not complaining about pulling Altuve autos. There are definitely worse autos to pull. Even better, Altuve is pretty collectible, so both of these should sell fairly easily. I know not everyone is a fan of selling rather than trading, but I use the proceeds to enhance my collection. These will certainly do that. (I've got the Stadium Club auto listed on eBay for $45. If you are interested in either card, let me know!).

Bowman Inception streets later this week, and I am fairly certain Altuve won't be in it. Looks like my streak will end before it ever really gets started!

I hope everyone is well!