Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020 2020 Duality (Hobby Goals)

 This will be my LAST post of 2020, and lookie lookie.....it is post #2020. Cheesy, yes and I did plan this out a few weeks ago. I wanted to end the year on 2020 posts, and start 2021 with a matching post total. 


With that being the headline, let's move onto my 2021 Hobby goals. Again very short list.


1) Take the rest of completed set build binders back home to Florida. Take those boxes of PC guys back too. This will be a no brainer EASY A. 


2) To knock out the many, many set builds that are missing between 1-3 cards in the binders. There are a few pricey cards in that mix, but should be doable. I also want to get them back home too.


3) Add at least 1 T206 card to the main collection, but also get the rest of the Braves that I need for the team set. Turns out I need 4 more Braves. I thought I only needed 3. But I don't see Bowerman either.


4) By years end (2021) start up the 3 "Franken-Sets" that I have been hoarding cards for 7 years.

     By start I mean get them actually into some sort of organization, and in binders where as I can actually start posting pages. sounds easy, but it isn't, hence why the goal is by year's end.


5) As in the last few years.....stay away from retail current year blasters. Should be another EASY A. I am still on the lerch for 2020 Topps Walmart Holiday Mega boxes, and YES I will be buying every damn one I see if I see any. I was fortunate to witness TONS of just about everything else this year sitting on the shelves. I walked away from 99.9% of those. My fingers are crossed (not really) on finding some.


That is pretty much it.

Have a great New Year!  

    

RIP "MaryAnn" Dawn Wells and a very very short follow up

 We lost an old favorite of many men my age yesterday. RIP MaryAnn. It seems like just the other day I was reading a post about her. I know I did.


A little blog follow up.

As many are noting their year in review, I noticed the one thing I did not post was the actual blog notes.

Here they are, it is short.


I shattered my post record with what will be 482 post for the year. I had noticed this back in November originally when I was considering dumping my collection. I had forgotten about it until just today.

My old record was like 302, beating the previous record of 301. Totally blew it out of the water, and I know why. I did a boatload of give aways this year disguised as contests and games. I figure 100 of my posts go directly to those areas.

Big Fun Fridays, probably made up most of those as they lasted for more than half of the year. The Bingo games added many extra posts too considering there were actually only 4 Bingo nights.

Anyways, I'll be working on my 2021 Hobby goals today and will post them later tonight.

Happy New years (eve).


Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Wacky Wednesday

 So far I only have the first two weeks worth of December cards. The last two weeks haven't shipped yet.



Checklist 1.




Puzzle 1.




Guest Artist 1 & 2, 1 ad back and 1 Ludlow. Oh yeah, and card #9. It is the only horizontal.





We'll see the rest when they come in.


Happy new year's eve EVE.

2019 Topps Walmart Holiday variation want list.

 Okay, thought that I would throw this LIST out there.


I have been working on the the 2019 Topps Holiday variations from last year. 

SP code 063, Rare code 064, Super Rare code 065. Needs listed below     * = incoming


SP: 8, 23*, 29*, 31, 33, 35*, 36*, 43, 57, 65*, 72, 74*, 85, 95*, 101, 109*, 126, 127, 129, 136*, 

    148, 152, 159*, 165, 167, 171*, 175, 182, 187*, 189, 197*, 199.


RARE: 8, 16, 26, 30*, 35*, 36, 72, 74, 85, 95, 112, 127, 148, 165, 182, 187, 192.


SUPER RARE: 16, 26, 29, 30, 31, 33, 42, 54, 71, 72, 74, 85, 87, 95, 96, 109, 126, 129, 130, 144, 148, 

        159, 167, 192, 197.


WOULDN'T SAY NO TO ANY OF THE RELIC CARDS EITHER.






Tuesday, December 29, 2020

One from the Bay, and 2 from SL

 Got 2 envelopes today.




This Aaron pairing came from a SportLots seller. 2002 Topps 206.



This vintage Braves need was picked off of Ebay.



Two a days

 No, not football practice, or basketball, or any other practice. Got a couple of goodies closing this post out today.




Adding some more 2020 Braves needs from this seller.





These 4 are minis. The two Ginter X and the two Topps 206. I still have the rest of the 206's to come in yet.




Turns out I think I already have that Acuna Snapshot. We'll see. But those two bottom cards have been LONGTIME wants. 1984 Donruss NUMBERED 29 and 30. I am really stoked about getting these cards, now all that is left is that pesky #248 Mattingly RC. Yes, I still need 2 copies of that card. Feel free to dump a couple on me.


See ya later on tonight, after the mailman runs.




Monday, December 28, 2020

Got another Sportlots package in today.

 Lately, I've been getting at least 1 SportLots package in every mail day. This should last for a few more weeks.


Here is today's goodies.



2020 Braves need from Gold Label. Class 1 (top two rows), and Class Black bottom row.




The top 4 cards are Class 2, with an Albies Black. The bottom two cards are Class 3.





Sunday, December 27, 2020

Phil Niekro

 With my PC binders back home the best tribute I can pay to one of my all time favorite Braves is a list of the cards that I have in his PC binder. Please keep in mine any Braves cards that are in the team sets are not counted here unless it is a triplicate. Braves team sets come before set builds, and lastly PC.


PHIL NIEKRO: 142 DIFFERENT

        
1968topps7
1968topps257
1969topps355
1970topps69
1970topps160
1971topps30
1972toppsfold out mini poster2 of 24
1973kelloggs29 of 54
1973topps503
1974topps29
1975sspc35
1975toppsmini130
1975topps130
1975topps310
1976topps435
1977hostesscut out111
1977topps615
1978hostess122
1978topps10
1978topps206
1979kelloggs3d super stars28 of 60
1979topps595
1979toppscomicsnno
1980burger king6
1980kelloggs3d super stars51 of 60
1980opeechee130
1980topps205
1980topps245
1981donruss328
1981fleer242
1981fleer star stickers23
1981fleer stickersmini sticker148
1981kelloggs3d super stars12 of 66
1981topps387
1982donrussdiamond kings10
1982donruss475
1982fleer stamps68
1982kelloggs3d super stars36 of 64
1982opeechee185
1982topps185
1983donruss97
1983donruss97
1983donruss613
1983donruss action all starsoversize12 of 60
1983fleer143
1983fleer411
1983fleer stickersstickers mini91 of 270
1983topps410
1983topps411
1983topps502
1984donruss188
1984fleer187
1984fleersticker jersey #35nno
1984topps650
1984topps traded84 t
1985donrusshighlights50
1985donruss458
1985fleer138
1985leaf138
1985topps40
1986donruss580
1986donruss645
1986fleerin person autograph blue ink112
1986fleer112
1986fleer630
1986fleer star stickersstar sticker82
1986fleer update u 81
1986leaf243
1986quaker chewy granola bars28 of 33
1986sportflicstriple action163
1986topps204
1986topps790
1986topps traded77 t
1987donruss465
1987fleer254
1987fleerrecord setters25 of 44
1987leaf181
1987sportflics147
1987topps694
1988fleerleague leaders28 of 44
1988score555
1988scoregreat moments in baseball56 of 56
1988topps5
1989classicred200
1989pacificbaseball legends212
1990pacificbaseball legends96
1990toppsmini trivia stickersnno
1992kelloggscorn flakes6 of 10
1996highland mint???gold card35
2001american pie66
2001archives269 of 450
2001greats of the game70
2001ud decadesarms racear 10
2002ud piece of history47
2003flair greats35
2003gallery17
2004leafcornerstonesc 16
2004ud legends239
2004ud yankees classics51
2005diamond kingsheritage collectionshc 21
2005diamond kingshof heroes framed redhh 32
2005diamond kingshof heroes framed green #d 44/50hh 32
2005donruss classicsclassic singles #d 209/400cs 9
2005donruss team heroes39
2005mvpbatter upbu 30
2005ud classics76
2005ud pastime pennants64
2006sp legendary cutschronology gu swatch whitebc pn
2008goudey10
2010toppscommemorative 1978 all star gamemcp 77
2011topps60 years of topps60yot 27
2013a & g204
2013a & gmini 204
2013a & gmini a & g back204
2013cooperstowninduction3
2013cooperstowngreen86
2013cooperstown86
2013gypsy queen116
2013gypsy queenmini116
2013toppschasing history silver?ch 100
2014a & g343
2014a & gmini 343
2014archives1986 topps gold #d 149/199129
2014golden agestar stamps with marichal,carlton,seaver6
2014golden agemini mono 117
2014golden age117
2014gypsy queen98
2015finestgenerationsfg 21
2015museum56
2016archives54
2016stadium club135
2017buntprogramspr pn
2017diamond kingsheritage collectionshc 20
2017firebase21
2017fireflame21
2017firegreen #d 156/19921
2019a & g391
2019a & gmini hotbox391


If I picked up any Niekro cards this year (2020), I won't be adding them to this list until mid year next year, as per my normal.

RIP Knucksie.

This way OR That way : part 2

 Judging by a few of the comments on part I of this two part post, I must have left the impression that I was GONE, done for, depressed or something. That was not my intention. I tried to end it with fact that I am still in the game. Now, don't get me wrong, my back top to bottom is a really big issue right now. And yes, I am still concerned on the disposition of my collection in the future. I will have to make sure I work on that issue in the coming years. 

On to part two, more of do I go this way or that way. A couple of weeks ago I decided that no, I'm not ready to call it quits. Yet, it still left me with a brand new dilemma. Something on t.v. made me google the largest Braves baseball card collection. Specifically (that specific), I could find nothing. That could be because the data isn't out there or that I got distracted too much while researching. It Happens! You know it does. The rabbit hole. I went down one of those holes about Paul Jones, "Foul Ball Paul". I have heard/seen him before rather stories on him. I didn't really pay too much attention to his story then. His story is my "new" dilemma. 

Paul holds the Guinness World record for the most non-commercial (personal collection) baseball cards. He is currently over 2.8 million cards. I didn't realize that was a thing. Had I known in the past (it was a thing), that record would have been completely shattered back when I had 8 million cards in my house, with half of them baseball cards. I am glad that I didn't know about it. By reading about his story, you will understand why. It is clear his collection is full of "junk wax", minor league cards, and dupes. But that doesn't matter. Paul does have some vintage, but not a whole lot. He has them sorted by player. I did that a couple of times including my current PC binders. Now it is apparent that Paul probably won't outlive me, but you never know.....we really don't. You see, since he was born his parents were told he was going to die. That has been decades ago now. 

I would never consider taking that away from him. Paul loves baseball, it (his story) makes one feel good. His organization of the cards is envious for boxed cards which works great for his collection. He does have a SUPER impressive autograph (in person) collection too. My dilemma is I NOW have an additional focus when it comes to the cards that I own. This means that within the collection I need to make a few adjustments and I will work on those little by little. You see, I am going to shatter that record, just not officially. Like I just said, I wouldn't take that away from him. I've given away millions with an S over the last decade alone. I am going to get back to that monstrosity of cards, but the dupes will have to be organized by set and year (something that has always made me say ehhhh. This will allow me to better serve how I send cards to trading buds. I am still going to be doing what I have always done... trading and give aways. That makes me feel good. I know that storage will be an issue, but one that can be resolved, especially after Hunter (my youngest daughter) moves into her new home. I won't have bulk buys like that until probably March 2021 anyways or June. 

The dilemma is half answered here. Should I pass before Paul, I want my collection at that time be counted for the record. Yes, take it away at my passing officially. Then I will have the non-vintage dupes which will ultimately be in the millions given and delivered to Paul, so that he can re-take the record officially. I am quite sure a lot of the vintage dupes will wind up there too, but I do a lot of trading out of those cards and I will be setting aside some for Paul. Anyways, you see where I am going with this. Once, I know that I have unofficially passed Paul's 3M + cards, I may reach out to his father Barry to give him a heads up, no need to do that before hand. I have a long way to go. I am at least 1 1/2 to 2 million behind right now. CRAZY, right? 

Now, on the other hand should that MOST enthusiastic baseball card collector ever in the entire WORLD give way to his health issues. I will get my collection recorded. Now that would also create a new dilemma too, what in the hell am I going to do with those dupes then? 

KISS, Keep is simple stupid. Man I wish that I could follow those MOST awesome rules.

Now that is a This & That post for sure.





Saturday, December 26, 2020

I got a very heavy wrapped Christmas present.

 My sister in Ocala Kathy, bought me cards for my birthday this year (1983 Traded set), then mailed them to me. Well, I kind of expected her to get me cards for Christmas this year too. I drove home and straight back a couple of weeks ago to drop my presents off for those back home, and grab presents for me. I knew instantly that the heavy package was baseball cards. It kind of scared me knowing she buys everything off of Amazon, but I held out hope because the shape made me think it might be a hobby box of Bowman Platinum. 




Yeah, my first instinct was correct. I did actually search the box knowing what I would find and not find. There were two cards unexpected.




The centering is actually spot on. This is just me not knowing the parameters of my new scanner.



Same here. Turns out I already have those two vintage, so off to the dupes box they went. Not the shiny stuff like Greg got. LOL. I am going to have re-iterate to her that I already own most cards that she will find. I can't fault her, she means well.....she really is trying to appease my card collecting habit. Um Hobby. I am the youngest, and she is 8 years older than me, she was out of the house by the time I started collecting. I plan on showing her my web site the next time I can spend a little time with her now that she is trying to move my hobby along. I want to do that in person so that I can explain it a little to her. I think then all will be GREAT going forward. My only problem is being able to go home for about a week. I haven't been able to do that in 3+ years.  I'll have to make it happen in 2021 so that she doesn't waste her money. I have no idea what she paid for that box, and add in shipping too. She's already asking me if I got anything good in there. I love her so I have to get that done sooner rather than later.



Holiday cards????

 Got these three cards in today's (tonight's) mail. (delivered around 7pm).






As you can tell, I am buying cards. I scooped up these 3 SP Holiday variations last week. Got them on the cheap too.



Hard to read that.

Posey was .50

Senzel was a buck

Molina was .75


I still need a bunch of these. I want all of the variations. I should have scanned the batch of 2019's I have here in GA for Christmas.



This way OR That way??????

 This past week I have posted a lot. I guess trying to make up for not posting so much that last two months. I hinted about doing that last month and that I would explain that in a later post. This post will be part of that explanation. I also mentioned in one of the posts from this week, I believe the "How'd I do" post?"......about me stopping the scanning of the completed sets. They are related. A combination if you will. 

I worked my butt off from January well....the whole year working on getting my cards from boxes into binders. I really didn't think I was going to get done what I did. After all, I was only planning on consolidating the cards from the smaller boxes into 5K boxes by "brand", and that was going to be challenging. For some reason I decided why not just handle them once and put them in binders. I am glad I did. I can NOT say by November that I was burnt out. No, just tired, aching, and hurting. Yes, those are some of the contributions that led to a damn near stoppage of the blog. 


You see 2 months ago I made up my mind that I was DONE. You heard me......DONE with collecting. I started contemplating how I would be selling off EVERYTHING. The ways which I could do it whether a Sothby's style auction or myself through individual sales online, or card shows and the like. 

You see, I know that there is no way my children can take that task on (not that they would want too either) should something happen to me. I know that they would totally get screwed over. As a father I can not do that to them. This is a dilemma that not only pertains to me, but to many of us.


This is a real thing. At some point it becomes an issue. It was not the only issue that put my mind on this path though. Accepting the fact that our Democracy is OVER, it is so full of SHIT, by this I mean corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse etc (FWA is a real thing, I have to certify in it every year and just did so this week).... No, this ain't going all political on you. I've known my entire life about how corrupt Washington DC was. Admit it, every American knows it. Probably the entire world. I just no longer believe it can be fixed, which means for me it's over DONE. Half the country feels that way or something of the like. Still yet, not the only issues for me to make the severe, immediate, abrupt decision to walk away from baseball cards.


I guess I should let you know now, this instance, this moment, RFN that I am NOT walking away from my collection. See even you didn't know where I was going with this post....could be this way or that way, haha  you still don't. In fact, there is more to this story, and it too has me in a dilemma. Tis tis.. you'll have to come back tomorrow for this rest of the story (ref: Paul Harvey).


Good night all.




Friday, December 25, 2020

Cards inside other cards.

 Not the RIP cards. Uh uh, no every year the OCT (Old Card Traders) trading card group that I belong to the members usually send out actual Christmas cards with baseball cards inside them. This year is no different.


Most of the cards this year contained what they refer to as UV (un-vintage) for which I already had copies of the majority. There were two that contained needed vintage though (so far).




This came in the first Christmas card this year. #764 a high number 72 needed for my Braves team sets. 



The 2nd one came yesterday from the leader of the group. I believe that it was intended to upgrade my copy for the team set (VG), but I am throwing it in the actual 58' set build. 



An update for the NUMBERS

 Here we go, squeezing in some more the last week of the year (there will probably be some more show up in January too).


New Numbers with Beckett adding the Elite Extra Edition (which has 43 parallels) just stupid.


New totals: 11, 154 Braves (this far).



Thursday, December 24, 2020

More details

 Well, not exactly details, at least not so much as the overwhelming pics. I've posted a lot of things today, a lot. One of those posts were about my hobby goals for 2020.


Goal #4 was about "cleaning up" the boxes on my bedroom floor back home. This is where the details come in.




These two stacks are bindered complete sets. They are ready to go back to Florida to join the equally sized amount I already took home that I scanned in already. 3/4 of these binders were not scanned for the new blogs. I will get to them at some point in the year or years to come (probably the latter).




This scan is the "dupes", well some of the dupes I have here in GA. You can throw in apx 25 boxed complete or near complete sets in another room.  The cards in the tray above are mini collection cards.






Here we have another stack the same size as the first ones. These however, are not complete sets. In fact they need many cards.




These binders are almost a card or three short of being complete.





This scan is more binders of not complete sets (need many cards). The boxes you see are all cards of PC guys that need to go home to "ONE DAY" be put into their respective binders. Apx 30,000 cards.






Two parts here. The sorting tray on top are cards set aside for you fellow bloggers and you can only see half of the tray. The box at the bottom with the cards on top the cards you see are autos and relics of football and basketball which I do not collect. The cards in the box are for a future project and it is full. Oh look, a dupicate set of 89' Bowman sealed.





Three parts here.

The cards on the tiny desk or whatever you call it are card sets that still need to be put into binders.

The cards sitting on top of the (3) 1500 count boxes are PC guys to be sorted as are the 1500 count boxes.

The rest of the boxes are my vintage dupes.


I know that this looks like a mess, and it may be. But this is completely organized compared to the little ass boxes they used to be in back home, scattered everywhere.  I will be so so happy once they are back home laying on a bookshelf with the label out all neat and everything. Completed too! Oh yeah there are still 24 binders of cards sitting in another room that are not complete, mainly vintage stuff from Topps with some Upper Deck.


That is details and nothing but the details.



A recent Ebay win.

 Actually, I'm not sure it was an auction win. It could have been a "buy it now". 

Either way, it is in my hand and by no means is it a recent card.



No, it is the last 1951 Topps I needed to complete that team set. It is a red back. I actually don't have the Holmes variation (Hartford instead of Boston). It too is a red back, but I do have the Boston version and the rest with the Spahn being the biggie. Another team set DONE!



The NUMBERS

 Have you ever heard the phrase it's all in the numbers? I certainly have. In fact every year I post a particular set of numbers.......Braves cards released in the current year, and compare the overall totals with the previous few years.


Here are the totals for the following years (give or take for those not listed with the team name):


2015: 6,145 

2016: 6,628

2017: 8,608

2018: 11,072

2019: 13,304



DRUM ROLL.........


2020: 10,925 WITH 10,559 for Atlanta, 327 for Milwaukee, and 39 for Boston.

From those numbers......


Topps: 8,259

Panini: 2,656

Onyx: 10


Autos: 3,148 (1,611 on card)

Relics: 2,259

Parallel's: 8,931

Inserts: 1,386 (this does not include parallel inserts-those are above)

of the 10,925 Braves cards released for 2020 (so far anyways) ONLY 608 ARE base cards.

I did well getting my Braves base cards this year, even a few of the high end sets, but no where near getting them all.  Feel free to notice any that I have missed on that want page  

2020 Braves needs


See ya later

Merry Christmas

 My usual Christmas day post. But first, Happy birthday Jesus!




I haven't updated this mini collection in quite some time, but these are a few athletes sharing this birthday.


















The Babe.














Apologies upfront, there a just a few risque cards below.......