There's An Autograph On There

I promise.

It is really difficult to see but I do have the newest Oriole in my collection.

 

Travis Ishikawa 2010 Topps Wal-Mart #493

OK, it scans pretty well, but in person not clear at all.  I had to double check once I received this card, just to make sure it was actually signed.

 

Travis has never been known for his offense, mainly his defensive prowess.  But this year it was different in the minors.  Travis was tearing the cover off the ball in Norfolk and got himself noticed.  That and the clause in his contract allowing his release if he wasn't called up.  There isn't a daily spot in the lineup for Travis, but his release would probably help the Yankees.  So today, Steve Pearce has a mysterious wrist injury and Ishikawa remains on the roster,  We will see how he fits in to the picture moving forward.

The Cal Ripken Portion of the Sale

I was a Ripken Super Collector for nearly five years and amassed quite the large collection. I sold much of it to help buy my first home and purchase an engagement ring for Wifey.  I have maintained the memorabilia and advertising portion of that part of my life.  I will be keeping my Coke bottles and Lay's Potato Chips on display, along with a few other items.

Here are a few items I am willing to part with.

 

Cal Ripken 1993 Upper Deck #555 T-Shirt (worn)

Sorry, can't right the picture no matter how I have tried.

 

"The Streak Ironman" T-Shirt, 1995 (worn)

Cal Ripken January 1995 Beckett Baseball Card Monthly

 

Cal Ripken Commemorative Streak Book (1995)

 

2001 Yankees Magazine Cal Ripken Yankee Stadium Exclusive

Cal Ripken Outside Pitch Magazine

 

Cal Ripken Baltimore Sun Final Edition, October 7, 2001

Cal Ripken 2130 The Washington Times, September 6, 1995

 

Cal Ripken 2131 The Washington Post Final, September 7, 1995

Cal Ripken 2131 The Washington Post Early September 7, 1995

 

Cal Ripken The Baltimore Sun Commemorative Final July 7, 2007

Cal Ripken Oddball Lot

1992 Post Canadian (Complete)

1985 True Value (Complete)

Hallmark

Metallic Impressions 2131

Supershow

1985 and 1987 Donruss All-Star Jumbo's

Cal Ripken Uncut Oversize Oddballs

1989 Topps Box Bottom (Nolan Ryan, Jim Rice, Mike Schmidt)

1997 Ultra Promotional Sample (Base, Gold and Platinum Medallion)

1988 Grenada Baseball Stamps (Roberto Clemente, Cal Ripken, Bob Feller, George Bell, Mark McGwire, Alvin Davis, Dan Quisenberry, Babe Ruth

Cal Ripken 4-Card Coca-Cola Pack (x2)

Classic 4-Card Commemorative Pack

Cal Ripken 2131 VHS (opened)

Cleaning Up, Moving Out

Even though we move in over a month, Wifey and I have started the packing process.  A box here.  A crate there and we will eventually be ready to move.  Hopefully.

I have started to go through a lot of my sports stuff and have separated out stuff that needs a new home and stuff that will make the trek across town.  Much of this has been in a box since the last move.  The collection does not look the same as in 2007, but hopefully you may be looking to add to yours.

 

Dan O'Brien 1996 Olympics Unopened Wheaties Box

 

8 First Issue Comic lot from the 90's.  Cage, Brigade, Sabre Tooth, WildC.A.T.S., Deathblow, Pitt, Supreme and The Maxx.

 

 Classic Baseball Cards by Bert Randolph Sugar

Contains 98 Reprinted cards

Players of Cooperstown, Baseball's Hall of Fame 1993

 

20th Century Baseball Chronicle Updated 1993

Lance Armstrong 2004 Discovery Cycling Tour de France Yellow Jersey Replica

Never Worn (Large)

1995 Upper Deck Mickey Mantle Metallic Impressions 8 Card Set w/tin

Mark McGwire 70th HR MLB 5x7 Framed Hologram

1997 Pinnacle Inside Cans (11)

Griffey (x2), Maddux, Vaughn, Chipper, Andruw Jones

Piazza, McGwire, Lofton, A-Rod, Bagwell

 

 Collector Tin Lot

Babe Ruth Timeless Treasures

1994 Fleer Platinum (Soriano & A-Rod)

1997 Donruss Preferred (Griffey, Maddux, McGwire, A-Rod)

Randy Johnson 1997 Topps Screenplay Card + Tin

Please let me know if interested in anything at all.  Will have another post up tomorrow.

A Battery of Debuts

My two newest additions to the collection.  Both are short timers that may not see any more time with the Orioles so needing to upgrade will be highly unlikely.

 

Alex Burnett 2008 Bowman Prospects #BP64

 Chris Snyder 2007 Topps #131

Moving Things Around

I have been paring down the collection bit by bit over the past few years.  My focused need makes it easy to part with cards that don't fit.  I have tried selling lots and singles with OK success and have been able to add quite a few needs from eBay.  The budget has been tight and is getting tighter.

Wifey and I have just purchased our second home.  It is much closer to work for each of us and is in one of the better school districts.  I am expecting to get nearly two hours a day back with my family.  But, it is also a second mortgage.  We will be renting our current home in hopes of recouping our investment once the market fully rebounds.  I am extremely excited about the opportunity to own our "dream home" and become a landlord at the same time. 

I am not however, excited at the opportunity to move all my cards, memorabilia and sports junk.  Again.  My Orioles collection is manageable.  Everything else, not so much.  In order to get

Over the next month I will be listing some cards, lots and assorted sports goodies for sale.  eBay, my blog and a final yard-sale will hopefully spare my back during the move.

Bending to Temptation

I never set out to avoid 2013 products this year, it had just worked out that way.  My small card budget got smaller and new cards don't exactly fit into the collection.  Even the thrill of ripping packs couldn't break my budget.

Then along came 2013 Bowman.  On Freedom Cardboard, everyone was busting case after case and I got jealous.  Jealous of the $800 orange auto hits.  Jealous of the budget it takes to buy in bulk.  Jealous of the new and shiny cardboard others were calling their own.

I broke down. 

Three hobby packs, one blaster and two blister packs from Target ended on my desk.  I beat the odds but didn't hit it big. 

 

Gioskar Amaya Bowman Purple Ice #'d /10

 

 Anthony Meo Bowman Prospect Auto

I even threw in a couple of Gypsy Queen packs and pulled a Adam Eaton Autograph, not pictured.  Everything is available.

Autographs of Abnormal Size

In my hiatus from blogging, I have been working on tracking down more autographs I need via eBay, and Sportscollectors.net.  I have had good luck on eBay with the harder to find guys and some deceased players, whereas SCN is great for the new 2013 roster guys.

Here are a couple that are of the postcard variety.

Danny Valencia 2013 Orioles Postcard

OK, I misled a bit.  All of these came from eBay, Valencia here being the most expensive.  These postcards usually do well, especially if it is a player with limited time in the Majors.  I was able to pick up a

 

Danny Valencia 2010 Bowman Draft Picks

Which is for trade.

Bob Alexander 1955-57 Jim Rowe Postcard

Even though he finished his career with a 1-1 Major league record, Bob was a minor league pitcher.  He played in 19 minor league seasons and only 9 games in the big league.  He spent the twilight of his career in the Pacific Coast League' Portland Beavers.  See photo above.  I am a huge fan of old postcards and index cards.  It wasn't as easy as picking up a lot of 1000 cards on eBay of your favorite team and sending out for requests.  You had to truly want it

 

 

Leo Hernandez Rochester Red Wings Photo Card

A lot like Bob, Leo was always more of a minor league kinda guy.  He spent 9 years in the minors after being drafted by the Dodgers.  Four of those were with the Birds AAA affiliate in Rochester before he was sent to the Yankees as a "Player To Be Named Later".  He finished his career in the Mexican league and is a notoriously difficult signer with no known addresses, successes and only minor league cards.

The Truth About Sammy Sosa

Truth is, I'm not sure if the card I featured last month is real or fake.

No one seemed to think it was real and it very well may not be. I bought it on the cheap on eBay from a reputable seller with over 8K feedback and 99.8% rating.  These stats bode well for its validity but the autograph itself just seems off.

I paid about $10 for the autograph, so that is a red flag.  But, the overall market for Sosa is down, and this is an ass ugly set.

The autograph looks too legible and is slightly different from recent DNA/PSA autographs, yikes.  But, how many transformations does a signature make over the course of a 15 year Major League career.  This could be Sosa version 2.0.

Sosa being a high profile player makes his autograph susceptible to forgery.  But, he has hundreds of other in person autographs for sale, many no name ballplayers.  I also received a certificate of authenticity.  From the seller.  Personally guaranteeing the validity of the autograph.  50 years ago that may have been enough.

Could it be fake?  Sure.

Could it be real? Sure.

Verdict:
I don't know and really am not too concerned with it.  When I have sold a few in person autographs on line, I was never questioned and accused of being a forger, so I will chalk this one up to good timing on an ugly card that was signed when Sammy was honing his autograph.