Proof Positive

I grabbed a couple of 2008 Stadium Club Luke Hochevar rookie printer's proof cards for my collection.

Also, both of the bottom cards are serial numbered editions of the cards.

These cards look great with the base versions of the cards, which I already had in my library card cabinet.

Colorado Collection: Tippy Martinez

The latest addition to the Colorado Collection was inspired after driving past Tippy Martinez Park in La Junta, Colorado, a few weekends ago.  My wife asked me what made Tippy Martinez so important to get a park named after him.  Apparently, even though she'd lived in the Arkansas Valley for 25+ years, she was unaware that he was a successful major leaguer.

So I bought this card to add to my collection.

Sorry for the lousy scans, but my scanner doesn't do well with the case in which Topps encased the card.

While doing some research on Tippy's career, I came across this tid-bit: Tippy once picked off three base runners in one inning.

Goin' Fishing

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

Might as well keep the fishing theme going with this Loyola College Murad T51 card.

The fisherman's pipe is a great touch.

With 41/150 cards, the set is now 27.3% complete.

Cult Following

I have asked for three autographs in person as an adult.

The first was when I asked two Denver Bronco cheerleaders to sign my ticket on game day on September 10, 2001 (and I only did that because my cousin broke the ice by asking them to sign his ticket first).  While I know I kept the ticket all these years, at this moment I have no idea where it is being stored.

My second in-person autograph came when I asked Luke Hochevar to sign a baseball for me before a Royals game.  I keep that baseball proudly displayed on my library card file.

The third in-person autograph was one that I had forgotten that I had until I stumbled into it just the other day.  I got it at the Omaha Funny Bone from one of my favorite comics, Auggie Smith.

The funny thing is that when I tried to listen to the CD in the car on the way home from the show, it wouldn't play.

If you've never heard Auggie's material, here are a couple of short clips from his appearances on the Bob and Tom Show.







While I can't enjoy the comedic material on the CD, finding this autograph was a fun reminder of a great night of comedy in Omaha.

Cotner U.

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

They say you learn something new every day.  Today, I learned that my latest Murad T51 card's college was located in Lincoln, NE, before closing its doors in 1933.

Which means that the above fisherman was probably casting his line in the Platte River.

This card brings the set to 40/150 (26.7%) completion.

Fifty Pieces of Gold and I've Got One

Sure, this isn't the Topps Gold card that is all the rage these days.  In fact, it's from way back in 2007 and it was produced by Bowman Chrome.

But it is numbered to fifty.  And it is mine.

Ignore the "20-" in the upper left hand corner of the card.  It's written on the penny sleeve and I didn't notice it while I was scanning the card.

My 2007 Bowman Chrome collection is coming along quite well thanks to this addition.

A Black Tie Affair

The 2012 Hochevar Rainbow interlude continues as I continue to wait for a few key pieces to arrive.  In the mean while, here is a nice little black beauty I picked up off the bay.  After discovering a 2009 Heritage black parallel for Dexter Fowler, it got me wondering if I had any such cards for Hoch. 

And I didn't!  I know, I was surprised too!

So I grabbed this fella BIN for a 10-spot shipped (which was essentially what I paid for the Fowler).  It's numbered 42/59 and, as with all Heritage Hochevar cards, has my favorite town in the Union listed on the back.

Sure, it's horribly miscut (is a pattern starting to emerge?), but it was the only one available, and a gap in the collection has been filled.  So I'm pleased.

It looks nice with the other three versions of the card that I already had.

Look Ma, No Logo!

I'm going to take a quick intermission on my 2012 Topps Hochevar rainbow while I wait for a handful of cards to show up in the mailbox.  In the meantime, this card should quench the Hochevar thirst to which you've become addicted accustomed.

I'm 99.99% certain that this is my first Hochevar card with no logos.  It comes to me from the 2011 Panini Playoff Contenders release (which is a moniker that I definitely hope the Royals fall under this season).

As with most of the Panini cards in my collection, I don't love it and I don't hate it, I just have it.  The uniform appears to have been pulled directly off a Ma&Pa Sporting Goods store rack.  Very odd.  But, as with any good player collector, I can't not buy this card.

*I'm not sure I can legally file this post under the "Royals" tab on my sidebar.  I'd best not risk it.

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: Foiled Again

When I said I enjoy collecting a relative "no-name" player because I don't have the budget to chase a super-star, Topps must have thought I wanted more "nameless" player cards.  While I appreciate their trying to meet my particular collection needs, there is a difference between "no-name" and "nameless".

What parallel rainbow can be considered complete without a printing-error card?  Not this one.  Which is why I took a chance and grabbed this foil-less card this week.

Vanderbiltae Universitatis

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

Sprinting toward spring at Vandy U.

Now that we've passed the 25% complete point, this card brings the set to 39/150 (26%) completion.

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: Purple Pride

I was super pumped to see that Toys 'R Us had a purple parallel of the 2012 Topps Series 1 as my high school's colors are Purple and Gold.

OWU Squared

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

The 22-card lot did contain a few doubles, but when they are as fantastic as these two are, I'm not going to complain.

Ohio Wesleyan University Track&Field competator

The set sits at 40/150 (26.6%) complete thanks to this addition.

Now This is Lin-Sanity

I'm sure you've heard by now that some of Jeremy Lin's cards have hit astronomical prices.  Well, I just saw an auction that takes the Lin-Sanity to a whole new Lin-evel.

Here is the auction.

And here is the write-up and a picture of the card.

2011 Panini Absolute Jeremy Lin Auto MAJOR DAMAGE

 I'm an idiot.

6 months ago I had this card in my ebay stack, just like everyone else.  It fell off the stack and got rolled over by an office chair.  I wasn't too upset back then, but then all this maddness happened. 


Check the damage, it looks just like you would expect a card to look like after a chair rolls over it. 


Running this at auction, so you crazy people can bid it up.

Out of curiousity, I kept the card in my watch list to see where it ended up.  When I left for work this morning, it was at $40, which is where it had lingered for a few days.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and saw that it had ended at a whopping  $192.51!!!

People be crazy!

The good news is that, if the seller is to be believed, 100% of this nearly $200 for a crappy card will be sent to the Make a Wish Foundation. 

Thoughts?

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: I Leapt at This Card

Happy Leap Year!

When I saw this 1/1 Blank Back card in the Topps Vault store on eBay, I LEAPT at the chance to own it.

While it doesn't show in the scan, Topps made a huge improvement on their blank back cards by stamping/embossing the Topps Vault logo on the front of the card.  A very nice addition to these great 1/1 cards.

Also great, the 1/1 logo isn't hand written this year, but is a part of the sticker on the back.  Another great touch that adds a level of class to these kitschy cards.

Double NYU

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

HAPPY LEAP DAY!!!

I thought a couple of New York University high jumpers, pre-Fosbury Flop, would be a fitting tribute to this once-every-fourth-year-day.  While I'm not a high jump junkie, it would appear that these jumpers are utilizing the "western roll" technique.  Definitely old-school.

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: Golden Moments

I love the gold sparkley, but I'm not sure I'm IN love with the gold sparkley.

But I am in love with the small line of blue surrounding the photo.  It's a great touch.

Bowdoin

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

A track star from Bowdoin College.

With this card, the set is 38/150 complete, which means that I now own over 25% of the set.

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: Walmart Blue

The Walmart blue boarder really makes the Royals' jersey pop.

Sweet Home Chicago

I recently bought a 22-card lot of T51 Murads for $12 and thirteen of the cards are new additions to my collection.  Here are those cards, one at a time, so that I can milk as many posts out of this purchase as possible.

University of Chicago

This is one of the few times in the set where the college name is prominent and easy to read.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.  Sometimes it's fun trying to find the Easter egg in the card.

With this card, the set is now 37/150 (24.6%) complete.

2012 Topps Hochevar Rainbow: Target Red

A very patriotic looking card, thanks to the Target red boarder.