Baseball Card Show Purchase #11 – The Start Of My Ryan Braun Collection!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #11 – The Start Of My Ryan Braun Collection!!!

It is now official – I am a Ryan Braun collector!!!

It took some time to finally decide on making this move, but I won’t wait any longer.  Prior to this baseball card show, I did not own a single card of Braun, but I was able to grab a few for just 1 dime each.

Here is the start of my Braun collection:

Not a bad start, but not great either.

I am still unsure as to how I want to proceed with this.  I won’t be building a checklist as there are way too many cards to keep track of.  I am leaning towards just recording what I own so I don’t obtains duplicates.  We’ll see – I will let time tell me how to proceed with this one.

In the meantime, I will take pride in the fact that I am honoring a player that I find to be one of the best in the game today!!

Oh, if you have any Ryan Braun cards lying around that you’re not needing, hook me up!!!

Thanks.

Baseball Card Show Purchase #10 – Steve Carlton & Tom Glavine Dual-Jersey Relic Card!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #10 – Steve Carlton & Tom Glavine Dual-Jersey Relic Card!!!

This one could be the single-coolest card that I picked up at the show!!

A dual-relic card featuring (2) 300-win pitchers – Steve Carlton & Tom Glavine. 

There is so much more that these pitchers share in common – 3,000 strikeouts, World Series Championships, Cy Young Awards, and eventually Glavine will join Carlton in the Hall of Fame.

The card comes from the 2009 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts – ‘Generations’ set.  With a stamp-type theme, the card looks great and it features pieces of game-used jersey of both Carlton and Glavine.

An absolutely awesome addition to my collection!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #9 – Reggie!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #9 – Reggie!!

If I were asked ‘Who is the one player you would have loved to watch from the start to the end of his career?’, my answer could very possibly be Mr. October, Reggie Jackson!

Easily one of the sport’s most energetic and dynamic players, Reggie was always center-stage when the game was being played.  And whether you cheered for him or against him, Reggie put on a show like no other player could.

I was able to stack up a nice selection of Reggie Jackson cards at this show.  I did very well in securing a bunch of his cards featuring him in his A’s and Yankees’ uniforms.

Check out my take:

Baseball Card Show Purchase #8 – Andre Dawson Game-Used Bat Card

Baseball Card Show Purchase #8 – Andre Dawson Game-Used Bat Card

When the dealer replied ‘$1.50″, I promptly took two dollar bills out of my pocket and thrust this card into my cargo shorts before he could make my change.

 

I am thrilled to have finally found an Andre Dawson card at a card show that I needed.  It had been months since I found a Dawson card in person that I didn’t already own – and it’s a Game-used relic card to boot!!!

A great addition my Dawson collection.  I actually own the three cards of this Upper Deck 1970′s tribute set already; this fourth card kind of finishes that little subset off for me now!!!

SWEET!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #7 – Morgan X 5

Baseball Card Show Purchase #7 – Morgan X 5

5 awesome cards of Joe Morgan!!

One of my favorite players from the 1970′s, Morgan personified leadership on the field. 

The result?

2 World Series championships, 2 MVP Awards, and induction into the Hall of Fame!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #6 – Classic Frank Robinson

Baseball Card Show Purchase #6 – Classic Frank Robinson

I am not sure that any player epitomizes the word ‘classic’ to me the way that Frank Robinson does…

I have read a ton about Mr. Robinson and his amazing career, and 1 thing always stands out - the respect he has of his peers.  Robinson is a true class-act, and he continues to be an ambassador of the sport more than forty years removed from his playing days.

And along the same line of classic, just look at these great cards I was able to scoop up featuring him:

 

Robinson spent a majority of his playing days with the Reds and Orioles.  It’s nice to pick up some cards of his that feature him wearing his Reds uniform.  I’ll have to find some Orioles cards next!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #5 – The Wizard!!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #5 – The Wizard!!!

 I will be a Ozzie Smith collector very soon.  I just need to wrap up a few other collections, and then Smith will make his way into the ’30-YOC’ books.  And while none of these cards will make the checklist since they weren’t issued during Ozzie’s playing days, I was unable to pass up any of them!!

I find Ozzie to be one of the most photogenic players from my generation, and I have a very strong feeling that I am going to enjoy collection his cards.

Take a look at what I scored:

Just 5 cards, but just look at how cool they are…

Baseball Card Show Purchase #4 – George Foster Game-Used Bat Card

Baseball Card Show Purchase #4 – George Foster Game-Used Bat Card

I am always on the look out for bargain relic cards, and at this show I found three.

The first one comes from the 2005 Donruss Greats set tagged ‘Souvenirs’.  A great-looking card that prominently features a piece of game-used bat of George Foster, I had to grab this one when I came across it.

The card’s design is rather dark, but it does offer up some nice design elements that make the card and the piece of game-used bat stand out nicely!!  I like the vintage photo they used of Foster, and I can now proudly say that I have another relic card from one of the members of ‘The Big Red Machine’ in my collection!!

Baseball Card Show Purchase #3 – Cleaning Up With ‘The Vacuum Cleaner’

Baseball Card Show Purchase #3 – Cleaning Up With ‘The Vacuum Cleaner’

Sometimes when I start ripping trough boxes hoping to find cards of the guys I like I come across someone who just keeps popping up.  At previous shows it has been Paul Molitor and Rod Carew and Lou Brock.

This time it was Brooks Robinson.  It seemed like when I found one card of him I found several.  And that is definitely not a bad thing at all. 

And the fact that the 2 Donruss Champions cards below were the first two that I saw, they gave me a great start in adding cards of Brooks Robinson into my collection.

Prior to the card show, I didn’t own a single card of his.  But now I can boast that I have 7.

Baseball Card Show Purchase #2 – Gaggles of Gibsons…

Baseball Card Show Purchase #2 – Gaggles of Gibsons…

It’s no secret that my preference in vintage.  Unfortunately, this card show is not too accommodating with the ‘old stuff’.  But I do find tons of modern-day issues featuring the guys that I like.

And this time I was able to grab some cards of St. Louis Cardinals’ ace Bob Gibson – 8 cards to be exact.