Well, the move is complete and the unpacking process has begun!  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to begin unpacking my card collection yet, but that is on the list of "things to do" this weekend.  Once I get my card collection unpacked and get settled in, I plan on making some purchases and sharing the results with everyone.  Also, I plan to get back to actively trading and sending out TTM requests.

Wish me luck this weekend as I begin to unpack and post your thoughts on what baseball product I should purchase first!

Until next time.
- Kevin

In an effort to focus my limited resources (MONEY) on items that will either help me build sets or enhance my personal collection.

One area in my personal collection that I'm looking to enhance is my collection of vintage era, graded rookie cards of star players.  Using some funds I received for my birthday (Jan. 22nd for those keeping track!), I was able to bid on and win a beautiful BVG 8.5 (my favorite vintage grade) Ozzie Smith rookie card.

Look for more PC additions throughout the year and feel free to drop me a note if you see my veering too far outside of my collecting focus in 2013!

Until next time, Happy Collecting!

It's official, I'm addicted!  My first box of 2012 Panini Cooperstown was so much fun that I decided to purchase two more boxes today at the lowest price I've seen yet.  I was fortunate enough to pull three sweet autographs (two in one box!).  Adding to my Whitey Herzog autograph that I pulled in my first box, I added autographs from Dick Williams (#/49), Don Sutton (#/799) and Dave Van Horne (#/500).  In addition, I was able to make a larger dent in my want list of cards that I need for the complete set.  Ideally I'd like to create a master set, but we'll see how that goes.  The prices are now lower than when they were under the MAPP, so scoop up a box if you haven't yet.  Also, email me (LINK) if you'd like to make some trades to help each other complete sets or needs!  

2012 Panini Cooperstown SET NEEDS:

99

SPs: 152, 153, 154, 155, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168

Ballparks: 2, 4, 5, 7, 10

Bronze History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 100

Credentials: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18

Famous Moments: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19

Field Generals: 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10

Hall History: 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10

High Praise: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20

HOF Classes Induction Year: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20

Induction Set: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25

Museum Pieces: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

The Village: Otesaga Hotel, The Landmark Inn, Cooperstown Mountains, Fresh Snowfall in Cooperstown

Voices of Summer: 1, 2, 5, 9

With Honors: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9

I purchased a box of 2012 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball from Dave and Adam's Card World over the Black Friday weekend, and I wanted to share my box break with all of my readers.

Here are the results:

Base Set: 197/200 (98.5%) 

4 SP Cards: 207, 216, 218, 224

Prospect Performers: 6 cards

Black Border (#/96): #23 Tyler Austin, #97 Travis Shaw, #187 David Vidal

Autographs: #ROA-JG Jonathan Galvez, #ROA-KW Kolten Wong

Clubhouse Collection Relic: #CCR-BM Brad Miller

Overall, it's the type of product that I would expect from the Heritage line.  There are not a ton of inserts, but the minor league players featured on a vintage Topps design is pretty cool.  These would be great cards for TTM autograph seekers, as the Heritage cardboard stock is perfect for signatures.  I'm three cards away from a base set, which is pretty cool for someone who likes to put together complete sets.  The SPs and Variations will be tough to find if I choose to chase them.  I really enjoyed the break but I can say that it's not for everyone.  

LOTS of other breaks coming up, so stay tuned to the site for more updates!

I hope that all of my readers had an opportunity to enjoy Thanksgiving with their loved ones.  In addition, I hope that all of you took advantage of the great Black Friday deals that were spread across the collecting universe!

Here's my personal Black Friday Weekend recap, based off of my own research, purchases and opinions, so take it for what it is and feel free to leave comments if you agree/disagree.

Baseball Card Exchange (bbcexchange.com): 
1991 Leaf Series 1 
1991 Leaf Series 2
1992 Leaf Series 1
1992 Upper Deck High Series
1993 Leaf Series 1
1993 Leaf Series 2
1994 Pinnacle Series 2
1991 Pro Line Portraits Football
1992 Upper Deck Series 1 (2x)

This was my first purchase from Baseball Card Exchange and I couldn't have been happier with their Black Friday deal.  The deal was 10% off your order and free S&H up to $40.  The site has a TON of great low priced "junk" wax and I had been dying to place an order.  Unfortunately, the low priced stuff adds up in S&H costs pretty quick because you can get a lot of boxes for a small amount of money.  I was finally able to place an order, and despite some website limitations, it was a smooth experience and I'd strongly recommend the site!

Dave and Adam's Card World (dacardworld.com):
2012 Panini Triple Play (2x)
2012 Topps Heritage Minor League
2012 Topps Heritage Retail 
2012 Panini Cooperstown
2012 Leaf The Living Legend Pete Rose

Dave and Adam's Card World is my personal online dealer of choice.  I love their free items and their prices are often some of the best online.  In addition, Brian Benson is always responsive to my questions/concerns/issues.  The Black Friday deal lasted 3 days and had great offers that would pop up with a limited supply over the course of the three days.  While the deals were GREAT, the length of time of the overall sale made it difficult to purchase all of the items you were looking for as there was no combined shipping for multiple orders.  I missed out on a few deals as a result, but I'm pleased with my final order and the cost associated with it.

Day 2 of the GBSCC Sports Card Show as jam packed full of fun!  I arrived at the show early to get a prime parking spot right by the entrance, and this allowed me to make a few trips out to my car to drop off purchases and pick up the items that I'd be getting autographed by a few of the signers.

My first purchase was a copy of the June 22, 1970 Sports Illustrated with Tony Conigliaro on the cover.  A MUST OWN for any fan of the Boston Red Sox.  I also picked up one of the 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter People of the Bible cards that I needed for my set.  Other purchases included two sets of LOST trading cards ($5 each), three boxes of 1991 Upper Deck FB Low Series ($12 for the 3 boxes) and I was thisclose to purchasing a PSA Authenticated autographed Dick Perez Mickey Mantle Postcard.  I was really bummed out about losing out on the Mantle and it negatively impacted my spending the rest of the show.

I purchased autograph tickets for Jake LaMotta (with a Raging Bull 8x10 to sign), Cecil Cooper, Fred Lynn and Pedro Martinez.  I had a 2004 WS baseball to use for Pedro's autograph, and it would be added to existing autographs from Curt Schilling (with a Reverse The Curse inscription), Johnny Pesky (with a Mr. Red Sox inscription) and Mike Timlin.  I decided to purchase a Fenway 100 years baseball for the Cecil Cooper and Fred Lynn autographs.  I thought the Fenway 100 years ball would be a great item to collect random former Red Sox players autographs on.  All of the signers were great and very friendly!  Pedro has such an amazing personality and literally lit up the room when he walked in with a huge smile on his face.  Mike Josselyn and the team at Sure Shot Promotions did a fantastic job and continue to raise the bar every year with their performance!

All in all, another outstanding show put on by GBSCC and Sure Shot Promotions!

Finally, I've waited ALL YEAR for this upcoming weekend.  While I couldn't make it to the National this year (or ever, actually), I've been able to attend the last few Greater Boston Sports Collectors Club (GBSCC) Sports Card and Memorabilia Show at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA.  Mike Josselyn at Sure Shot Promotions (www.sureshotpromotions.com) organizes the autograph signings and his team does an OUTSTANDING job.

Here is my plan for the show this weekend:

Friday November 2nd:  This will strictly be a "viewing only" day for me.  As a member of the GBSCC, I get free admission to the show so I don't mind spending a little time there on Friday to see the setup and the inventory of the dealers.  No autograph guests, so I think the crowd may be pretty small.

Saturday November 3rd:  I'll be pretty busy on Saturday as there will be a LOT of autograph guests that interest me.  The full lineup includes (as of today): Ozzie Smith, Pedro Martinez, Fred Lynn, Ramiro Mendoza, Cecil Cooper, Will Middlebrooks and Jake Lamotta.  I plan on getting autographs from Ozzie, Pedro, Lynn and Lamotta.  I would love to get Cooper and Middlebrooks, but I think I'd rather use those funds elsewhere during the show.

Sunday November 4th: I'm going to try to attend on Sunday as well, but we'll see how the baby cooperates at home.  Full autograph lineup includes (as of today): Aaron Hernandez, Doug Mientkiewicz, Brooks Robinson, John Bucyk, Shawn Thornton, Ellis Burks, Troy Brown and Ricky Gutierrez.  I'm planning to get Brooks Robinson and Ellis Burks, with possibly Doug Mientkiewicz on my in-progress 2004 WS Team Ball.

Overall, I'll be looking to fill my set needs and add some cool PC items at the show.  If any dealers are reading, bring Ginter commons from past years, BVG graded cards at good prices and LOTS of Red Sox stuff.

I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that my work week will allow me time to get a custom t-shirt and business cards made to promote my site.

Check out the flyer below and email me at kevin@thesportscardguy.com if you plan on attending.  I'd love to meet some new friends at the show!

Now if I only could have bought something borrowed and something blue!  I added two new items to my Personal Collection since my last post.  I've done some "Fall Selling" of items from my collection that no longer interested me and decided to reallocate those funds (50% towards daughter's college fund / 50% towards my personal collection).

My "old" addition is a beautiful 1941 Play Ball Ted Williams card that is graded a BVG 4.  The card is beautiful, decent condition (especially for 1941) and was won in an auction format which is my preferred method of purchase on eBay.

The "new" addition is a 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Bryce Harper rookie card.  I wrote about this card and the BGS 9.5 population that is likely to surpass past year Allen & Ginter cards.  It has the subgrades I was looking for and was at a price that I thought was reasonable.  While there is no guarantee that he'll end up in the Hall of Fame someday, it's the "must own" card from 2012 Allen & Ginter.

My apologies for the lack of updates recently, but my wife gave birth to our first child on September 18, 2012.  We are blessed to add a baby girl, Kylie Elizabeth, to our family.

Ok, back to sports cards!

I was fortunate enough to add a few new items to my Personal Collection since my last blog post.  I've posted photos below and will be adding them to my Personal Collection galleries.  The first card is a 1941 Play Ball Jimmie Foxx card graded a BVG 2 and features him in a Boston Red Sox uniform.  I've been focusing my collection more around graded vintage cards, mostly of Boston Red Sox players, and Jimmie Foxx was a player that I hadn't added to my collection yet.  It's graded low, but we all know that these vintage cards cost a good amount even at low grade.  The second card is a 1954 Bowman Hoot Evers card that is graded a BVG 6, and I decided to add this card as it's a Boston Red Sox player, the card didn't cost much and it's graded a BVG 6 which is typically the minimum grade I would look for in vintage cards (depending upon the cost).  I was also fortunate enough to add another card from the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set, but I think my hope of completing this set in BVG 8.5 form may end up being impossible.  Regardless, I am going to attempt it and at the very least collect a graded copy (any grade) of the full set with the option to upgrade at later dates.  The last two cards are modern era cards that appealed to me for a number of reasons.  For obvious reasons, I love the BGS encasing of the cards especially seeing as they are cut autographs.  I love the cut autograph aspect of the cards and the fact that the autographs were cut from actual pictures rather than just plain index cards.  I had the opportunity to meet Bob Feller before his passing at an autograph signing and he was such a nice guy, in addition to being likely THE best pitcher in the history of the Cleveland Indians franchise.  Bobby Doerr is someone I haven't had the chance to meet but is right up there with Johnny Pesky in terms of being one of the most iconic Boston Red Sox players in history.

Two cards, that's all that really interested me.

I purchased two cards the other day from 2012 Upper Deck's Goodwin release and they were the only two cards on my want list from the release.  As a big fan of Allen & Ginter, you would think that Goodwin would have more of an appeal for me.  However, what Ginter provides in terms of a baseball release (with MLB license) with oddballs mixed in, Goodwin lacks any license and the sports players are pictured in funky outfits.  I mean, have you seen some of the outfits these guys are wearing in the pictures? 

The two cards that did pique my interest feature two athletes that you rarely see in a sports card release: Joey Chestnut and Jim McMahon.  As a life-long fan of the Chicago Bears, Jim McMahon was my favorite player as a kid and my bedroom walls had posters of him all over them.  I thought it was cool that they put a jersey card in the set and I was able to pick it up for a reasonable amount.

As a fan of the "sport" of competitive eating, I HAD to have the Joey Chestnut autograph as he's my favorite guy to watch.  Also, his autograph card in the Goodwin product cost significantly less than his past Allen & Ginter release.

I really wish I could like this product more as the card stock would be outstanding for TTM (through the mail) autograph requests, I just don't see the value in purchasing this product in a box form when I could easily just purchase the two cards I was really interested in.

What do you think of the 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin release?