Great Day in (My) Card Collecting History

Seeing a post tonight from The Lost Collector reminded me that I too am celebrating two years of blogging as of today. Nearly let it slip past me.

Appropriately, I attended a local card show today. I picked up some beauts for my collection that I'll have to write about soon.

But, for now, this was a special day indeed. My 5 1/2 year old daughter wanted to go to the show with me after Sunday School. She's taken an interest in my card collecting for quite awhile now and likes to razz me about it. But this was the first time she said she'd come along. I can't tell you how this warmed my heart.

She had a nice time. She made me promise to buy her 10 cards. Well, as it turned out, a few dealers offered her some cards for free. Mind you, no 1953 Topps or 1955 Bowmans, of course, but kind gestures all the same and I was proud of my daughter for politely thanking them all.

One dealer told her to pick out a card from a Reds stash.

From the Kahn's Wiener 1994 collection, I present to you, Schottzie 02. The dealer then handed me a small box with assorted cards - including several mid-80s box topper type cards and what appears to be a full set of the Reds Kahn Wiener set. I haven't checked if they're all there for sure, but I think so.

Another dealer told her to pick from a box and she chose two diamond 2011 Tigers.

Then she saw this.

This is one of those oversize cards. This is more of a personal joke for us but I still admired her good taste in choosing this fine player.

Mustaches have long amused my daughter. If she sees a good one while we're out and about, she'll pull me aside to tell me. She laughs heartily at the very idea of a mustache. I can't tell you how much we've laughed together about them. I even grew a beard in November and December just so I could shave it into a mustache (for one day, while not leaving the house). I, let's just say, don't rock a mustache.

In any case, it was nice to go to a show with her and I appreciated the little gestures sent her way. Another dealer went to get her a glass of water when he heard her tell me she was thirsty. Yet another handed her a team set of - oddly enough - 1992 Cleveland Indians.

She had fun and she wants to go with me next time. I don't expect she'll be interested for too long, but you never know. Either way, I'll enjoy this while it lasts.

Comfort Card Show Prep

Looks like I'm heading to a local card show tomorrow!

Is it sad for a 44-year-old man to get giddy that the wife is letting him out so he can have a chance to stand near, while largely ignoring, a small group of other grown men in a Comfort Inn meeting room, all of us searching for pictures of other grown men?

Don't answer.

No matter, I'll be on the prowl to see if I can knock a few more cards off my 1976 list. I've been so darn close but in a holding period for 18 months. I'll also look out for Topps set needs from 1978-83. I'm foolishly working on them all at once!

One great trade helped me out greatly with 1978, 1981 and 1983. I'm still planning a post related to the bounty I received for the latter two years.

As for the show, truth is, I'm doubting I'll find anything from the late '70s and early '80s. I've been to this show several times in recent months. Lots and lots of newer stuff (so I'm at least interested this time in seeing what they have from this week's release) and then there's one dealer with some old stuff - some late '50s and '60s cards.

That's perfectly fine with me of course as I'm chasing all vintage Reds and a good spot of vintage Tigers and Cubs. And, as always, I typically have an eye out for a superstar of yesteryear - perhaps a Hall of Famer who has managed to evade my collection.

To wit, here's something I brought home the last time I attended this show a few months ago.

My first card of this legend.

Did you know Willie McCovey was born on May 6, 1931? You didn't? Neither did Willie, who was born on Jan. 10, 1938. After this post, I'll be selling this error card for $35,000 on eBay.

In short, what I'm saying is I always go into a show with a plan and I seldom stick to said plan. But that's OK. It's all about having a little fun.

And no place better for that than when standing near, while largely ignoring, a small group of other grown men in a Comfort Inn meeting room, all of us searching for pictures of other grown men.

Card Show Find: The Main Spark

I had a chance to pop in on my old favorite regular card show while traveling over Thanksgiving and found a few good buys, including some great shape 1978s as a chip away at my first childhood set. I also found a nice $1 box and grabbed a heapin' handful - and was thus discounted.

I'll feature a few of these over time, although posting may be sporadic or nil during our pre-holiday move to our new home.

One card I had actually never seen before features one of my all-time favorite baseball men. I had nearly named this blog after him in some way. This card is so generic, yet I love it. The non-descript hat, the scowl, the white sideburn...

This one is a bit rough but that seems to fit the man.

Sparky Anderson managed my favorite team during the time that I first found my love of baseball cards. (Click that there link for a bit more about that time of my life.)

Sparky was the king of baseball to me. As a whippersnapper, I read his autobiography, "The Main Spark". Sparky won a couple of World Series, of course, while he was in Cincinnati.

A few years later, Sparky ended up in Detroit, and won another World Series.

My family had always gone to Cincinnati when I was young, to see the Reds. That's how I became a lifelong fan. Later, in my teens, my Dad and I made the trip up to Detroit many times. Sparky was still king in my book.

Dad and I used to hang out after the games at Tiger Stadium where the visiting team would walk out to their bus. I had a few encounters with big league players as a result. Dave Stieb smiled. Jim Rice scowled.

But what I most remember is the night that Sparky Anderson drove by and gave us a nice wave.

When Sparky passed away last year, it was - well - it was just a particularly sad one to absorb.

Unknown Origin: Robert Moses Grove

Two days after Thanksgiving, while traveling, I was able to dart by a card show outside of Chicago. It's the one I attended about three times between February, when I returned to collecting, and June, when we moved. I picked up some fun stuff, which I hope to share before too long.

And I got the below card. It was marked $1 but I technically got it for less as it was part of a larger gathering that the dealer cut me a break on. I like the look and the simplicity of this card.

Does anyone know anything about it? Set? Year? What not? Thanks in advance.

Show Your Cards

I attended my first baseball card show today - having gotten the itch to collect of late. 

I thought I'd have plenty of time - an hour before needing to meet my family. But, quickly, I was engrossed and stretched it to 90 minutes. Mostly, I scouted the terrain. The show is held every two weeks, so I'll have a chance to come back. I realized I could easily spend about three hours next time.

I picked up quite a few cards - including 30 to help fill my 2011 Topps Series 1 gaps (including a Miguel Cabrera gold), a handful of 2010 base set cards (I'm far from a full set for 2010 and would be just as happy to send a lot packing in trades), '77 Joe Morgan, '77 Tony Perez, a '67 Joe Nuxhall, roughly 15 Reds and Tigers from the '80s and a few 2010 and 2011 inserts I like - including three more "Lost" cards - Mantle (54), Winfield (86) and Brock (65), Kimball Champions for Brett Anderson and Carlos Gonzalez, and a Johnny Bench Turkey Red from 2010.

All told, $9 - plus $1 to get into the show. Spent three times that for the three of us to eat brunch an hour later - and I'm already hungry.