I'm Not at the Card Show

The East Coast National Card Show was today in White Plains, NY. I usually go to about half of the White Plains shows during the year but I didn’t go today. However, that doesn’t mean that my day was completely free of baseball cards. At the last show, I bought a box of about 700 2011 Topps base cards. Today was the day that I finally sorted through the cards and put them in the appropriate team binder. The cards are arranged by number in the box. Unfortunately, I am only up to card #74 because I am easily distracted. Card #74 happens to be Tyler Clippard. I first heard of Tyler Clippard when I received his Topps Turkey Red rookie card. He was a Yankee at the time. He wasn’t that good for the Yankees. Once he went to the Nationals, I figured his big league career was circling the drain. He’s still in the big leagues and he’s an All-Star. Good for him. I’m off to finish up on this box.

TTM Mailbag: Max Scherzer

My latest TTM Autograph return came from Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers. I received 1 of the 2 cards I sent in 58 days. I received my Topps Ticket to Stardom card back but not my Allen & Ginter. I don’t really care which card comes back. I’m just happy to get the autograph. I wish the card was not personalized. For display purposes, I think cards look better with just the signature. Oh well. I’m still happy to get this back.

TTM Mailbag: A.J. Pierzynski

My latest TTM Autograph return comes from the Chicago White Sox. A.J. Pierzynski signed 1 of my 2 cards in 42 days. I am happy that I got both cards back. The card that was signed has a cool photo on it so the autograph makes the card look really good. The black Sharpie isn’t weak but it isn’t sharp either. Pierzynski has a reputation of rubbing other players the wrong way. But he is a pretty good TTM signer so he is a friend of mine.

Do These Even Qualify As Baseball Cards?

Of all the cards that I received in this year’s Topps Hobby Box, none were more awful then the two History of Topps card that I received. These cards are the most uninteresting cards I have ever owned. One card commemorates the first Topps set with a giant picture of Sy Berger. The other card commemorates the moving of Topps headquarters which I don’t care about. These cards really have nothing to do with baseball. Needless to say, I am willing to trade either card for anything that legally qualifies as a baseball card. I also have a bunch of Series 1 base and insert duplicates if anyone is interested.

TTM Mailbag: Fausto Carmona

I received another TTM autograph return this week. Fausto Carmona returned my two cards in just 36 days. I received a 2011 Topps and 2006 Upper Deck signed in blue Sharpie. The Upper Deck is technically a rookie card. Both signatures look great, although the back of the Upper Deck card contains some of the Sharpie from the Topps card. It’s hardly noticeable. Carmona is currently on the DL so I guess he had some time to sign. Overall, this is a great return in a little over a month.

TTM Mailbag: Chase Headley

My most recent TTM Autograph return comes from Chase Headley of the Padres. He signed my 2010 Allen & Ginter and 2011 Topps in just 14 days. The cards are in perfect condition and so are the actual signatures. Headley has been a good signer so far this year but it's always nice to get a return.

TTM Return: David Robertson

I received a TTM Autograph Return this week for the first time in a while. During Spring Training I sent a 2009 Topps card to David Robertson. I received the card back in 126 days. The signature looks great. Robertson includes his uniform number with his autograph. It can be difficult to get Yankee autographs so I am happy to get this return back. The card and autograph are in perfect condition. This return was well worth the wait. There is some talk that Robertson should be an All-Star this year. His numbers would support his selection to the team. However, it is hard for setup men to make the team. Oh well. I’m thrilled to have this return.

Flea Market Finds

So I made another trip to the local flea market this past weekend because I have no life. I walked away with some decent baseball cards though. I bought 22 Alex Rodriguez cards and 6 Albert Pujols cards for a grand total of $3.00. I can’t complain about a deal like that. The cards are mostly base cards but they are in great condition. Most came in top loaders and penny sleeves for some reason. I notice that most baseball cards at flea markets are junk wax with rubber bands around them. These vendors should save themselves the embarrassment and just set fire to these cards.

More TTM Requests

I haven’t had too many TTM auto returns lately. So I figured I would increase my odds by sending a few more requests out. I mailed out three envelopes to Javier Vazquez, A.J. Pierzynski, and Chase Headley. I feel pretty good about getting these back signed based on past history.

I Own an ARod Autograph!!

Usually when I make an eBay purchase, I don’t spend more than $10. However, I decided to splurge on my latest purchase. I was looking for a nice autograph in the $25 area. I started looking at a bunch of different players. I also looked at Alex Rodriguez autos which are admittedly more than $25. Most of his autos can be had for under a hundred bucks. At the end of the day, I purchased a 2011 Topps Tribute card with a triple relic and autograph. The card is numbered 58/75. The total damage was $73. Not really too bad considering. This is the new best card in my collection. Once I am able to replenish funds, I may purchase a Jeter autograph which will probably run about a hundred bucks. That won’t be for a while though.