My Haul From The Westchester County Sports Card Show

To tell you the truth, I wasn't really planning on going. My emotions were in the toilet in the days leading up to the show and I was prepared to just stay in my jammies, watch my Yankeeography DVD's and eat copious amounts of junk food while washing it down with some frosty Blue Moon. Then Saturday arrived and something in me grabbed my collar, slapped me a couple times and changed my mood rather quick.

Once I got there, I went into "card pickup" mode. My game plan for the day was to grab some vintage Yankee cards for a cheap price, so I knew grabbing the stars would be out of the question and get the free autograph, which was Gaylord Perry, on a 8x10 of him in a Yankee uniform.

I think I did pretty well.

Quite the haul, eh? I actually didn't spend too much for all of this either. I'm rather proud of myself to be honest.

As you can see, I got a pretty nice photo of Gaylord Perry in a Yankees uni for the PC. He wasn't adding HOF to his signature, that would be extra. I didn't mind as he didn't make the HOF based on his time in the Bronx. Let's see what else I got.

At one table I was able to score this 1961 Topps Bill Stafford card for a buck. The card is actually in pretty good condition. I needed him for the 1961 team set, so I grabbed it.

Another addition to the 1961 Topps team set was this Ryne Duren card. I paid buck for it also. I probably should tell you that unless I tell you how much I paid for a particular card, I paid a buck for it.

For the 1960 Topps team set, I added these cards of "Bullet" Bob Turley and Johnny Blanchard. I absolutely love the 1960 set, with the small picture on the left and the larger on next to it. The team logo and dual color lettering. I snatched the Blanchard because I love Yankee Stadium backing him up in the main picture.

From the 1959 Topps set, I grabbed this Sporting News Johnny Blanchard Rookie Stars Of 1959 card. It was the best from a pile of vintage I was looking through. I'll have to pick up an upgrade on it at a later date.

Yes, there's that Blanchard again. This time, I grabbed his 1965 Topps card. Really, it was between this one or the Tony Kubek card from the same set. I was going with the Kubek until I noticed a huge chunk of card missing from the left side. Blanchard came home with me by default.

I knew I was not getting a Mickey Mantle vintage Topps card unless it was a reprint. So, I took home two oddball cards to add to my growing Mickey Mantle PC. I added the 1975 SSPC and the not so vintage 1982 Authentic Sports Autographs cards to my collection, happily. I will add some vintage Mantle Topps to my collections someday, even if the card is torn and hanging on for dear life.

I also snatched this 1961 Fleer Allie Reynolds to my Yankee collection. This is the first card I have from this set. I did see other '61 Fleers, but the condition wasn't the best, so I left them behind. I know, the cards are only a dollar each, I should expect some issues, and I do. But that doesn't mean I am still not going to look for cards that is as close to mint as possible.

This card was the vintage pick up of the day for me. A 1964 Topps Giant Whitey Ford. I have been wanting to pick up the Yankees in this set for sometime now and I'm glad I was able to knock out one of the big guns for next to nothing. The sticker price was $6.00, which I was happy to pay. It was half off what I usually see this go for on eBay. But when I went to pay, the dealer told me it was $3.00. I tried not to cry as I gave the man the three crisp bills. He did have a Mantle, but was asking $60.00 for it. I passed.

I also finally picked up a signed Tino Martinez OMLB for my Yankees signed ball PC. I have been after a Tino signed ball for a while now. I had missed opportunities to meet him in the past and I was, unfortunately, going to miss his appearance at the show the next day. While I cruised the floor, I came across a dealer that had a signed Tino ball, with JSA Authentication. He was asking $80.00 for it. I said thanks, but no thanks and continued on my way. Later, I came back when the show was about to close for the day. The dealer asked me what I was willing to pay for the ball. Without thinking, I said $40.00, never thinking he would accept a price that was half off what he was asking for. Surprisingly, he agreed and I finally had Tino's autographs in my ball collection. The ball is #47 in the Yankee collection.

Putting it into perspective, If I was able to meet Tino, his signature was starting at $99.00. Then I would have to buy a ball for anywhere from $18.00- $20.00, so I saved a nice chunk of change on the signature. I will get to meet Tino one day. I just won't get him to sign a ball.

And that was my day. Yes, I probably spent some cash that I shouldn't have. But it was money well spent. Not for the cards and autographs, but happiness and confidence. Being out on the card show floor made me forget my problems for a few hours. I got to talk to a bunch of fellow collectors, spotted a few fellow bloggers on the floor (and yet, I won't go up to them to introduce myself and say hi. I'm bashful.) and added some very cool Yankees cards and autographs to my collection. I guess it's true what the ladies say. Shopping is therapeutic.

Cards I Aspire To One Day Own

When it comes to cards, I can be a bit greedy. I have so many, yet I want more and more and more. Unfortunately, my cards are not organized and are in boxes without any rhyme or reason. So, I am currently, in the midst of organizing my cards, slowly. Since there are so may cards, this will take a lot of time. Especially since time is limited for me right now. But as I go through them, I uncover a few gems I had forgot I had, so it's turning into a fun time.

Fuji over at The Chronicles Of Fuji, is doing the same thing I am is is discovering he has some real nice cards. Check out his blog post at:http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/2014/07/yeah-thats-ticket.html

Like Fuji, I am finding gems, but I am also working on various player PC's. Some I've been working on for a while, like my Pennington, Teixeira, Tino and Ewing and others I'm starting work on like my Jeter and Curtis Martin. Working on my PC's got me thinking about cards I'd love to add to my various collections. Maybe one day I can own some of these.

1973 Topps Roberto Clemente

I had this card. I remember trading about 10 of my prized Yankee cards for it back in the early 1980's. It somehow disappeared from my collection and wound up in a friend's pile. Of course, he claimed it was his, which was a bold face lie. It was a wreck at that point, so I didn't argue with him. I want it back now. Not because it was his last Topps card, but because it was my first Roberto card I ever owned.

1993 SP Derek Jeter

Now, I have only started putting all my Jeter cards in a binder and I have a lot of Jeter cards. More than I originally thought. I also have quite a few of his rookie cards. But I don't own THE rookie card and that would be the 1993 SP card. This one is the expensive card. I see these cards on eBay go for $99.00 to $150.00 raw. There was a dealer asking $479.00 for a slabbed one, graded BGS 9.

1986 -87 Fleer Patrick Ewing

Funny thing, I am not really a rookie card collector. I don't break open packs of Bowman, looking for that high dollar card. To me, that's not what collecting is about. So I never went looking for rookie cards. Now, I am regretting that. I have another rookie I would love to have in my collection.

I've been a Ewing fan ever since I watched him with Georgetown. When the Knicks won the number 1 draft pick and grabbed Ewing, I was elated. Ewing has been my all time favorite Knick and for me not to have his rookie card is a crime (at least to me). Thankfully, it's not too expensive, so I should be able to pick it up sometime soon.

1969 Topps Mickey Mantle

I don't own any Mickey Mantle cards. OK, let me rephrase that. I don't own any vintage Mickey Mantle cards. For me to own just one would be a big deal to me as I am a Mantle fan. I don't have a Mantle PC, but I still want to own a Mantle card. I picked this card only because it's relatively affordable. I can pick up a nice card for under $100.00, unslabbed. Slabbed, I'm looking to drop $150.00 large and up. Not too bad for a Mickey Mantle card. Better than dropping $200-$400 dollars for a 1959 Topps card.

Going through the cards I already have and finding lost gems is already making a good collection even better. I hope that I can one day add these cards and make my collection even better. I will never stop looking for cards to add to my collections, but that is the life of a collector, isn't it. Always on the hunt for those precious cards to add to various collections. But, it's also fun to own a piece of sports history. I may never have seen Roberto Clemente throw a runner out at third from the warning track or seen Mickey Mantle launch one of his famous tape measure home runs. But I feel owning their cards is just as good. Owning their cards is almost like owning a piece of Americana.

Yankee Stadium Tour

It's cold outside. It's snowing. So, what do I do? Do I curl up in front of the T.V. and watch some Yankeeography? Do I go and build a snowman? How about none of the above. When it's colder than cold and the snow is blowing in my face, I want to be reminded how soon it will be warmer than Hades so I go to my summer home. I take a trip to Yankee Stadium.

My girlfriend, Gina, was in town for Valentine's Day Weekend and one of the places we both wanted to visit was the home of our favorite team. So, we went on Saturday afternoon to see if there was any tickets available for any of the remaining tours that day. Luck was on our side and we were able to score tickets for the 3:20 tour.

Before the tour started, we walked around and took some pictures outside the ballpark.

Once we were let inside, we were treated to a fantastic view of the Great Hall.

And The Hard Rock Cafe

And The Yankees Clubhouse Store right next to the Hard Rock

Once the tour started, Carlos, our tour guide, led us up to the Yankee Museum. We stopped by the Mickey Mantle Exhibit first. Mantle is one of my favorite Yankees, so this was a real treat for me.

There are a lot of those pieces on display I would just love to add to my Yankees collection, especially those vintage magazines, the movie poster and pin collection. I just wish I got a better picture of the pin collection.

After the Mantle display, we got a look at all the Yankees World Series rings. The Yankees got pocket watches instead of rings. The first year the Yankees got a ring was 1927 when they swept Pittsburgh. Due to the crowd, I was unable to take pictures of all the rings. I just got a few quick shots of the more current rings.

After the rings, we were bought to the Babe Ruth exhibit.

Lou Gehrig Exhibit

After the Museum, We were then taken to the Press Box. The view of the field from there is real nice. Makes me wish I finished my journalism degree so I could have worked from there as newspaper reporter.

Then we went down to one of the suites. This particular suite goes for 385.00, which includes an all you can eat buffet. A great view and food makes me consider this deal.

Yes, they serve Blue Moon here. Deal maker.

Gina and I even got to take a picture on the Suite deck.

After this they took us to a more expensive suite, which was pretty unimpressive. Just a couple of tables and pictures. I didn't really take any pictures in this suite. I was too busy talking to Carlos, our tour guide. We found out he is a 19 year old who is a student at St. John's University, taking Sports Management as his major. He's working his way through college by being a tour guide at the Stadium. Carlos seemed to be pretty smart person. I hope he goes pretty far in life.

OK, I lied. I did get to take a picture with the huge Tino Martinez picture in the suite.

After, we were led back downstairs and given wrist bands and that was the end of the tour. A bit disappointing because we couldn't go into the players locker room, dugout and on to the field. Carlos told us that because they were still dismantling the hockey rink we couldn't go down there. Great. First my Islanders lose to the Rangers, now we were denied access to the field. I was told to come back for a later tour during the season and we could go to the locker rooms and field, so I'm thinking that's what Gina and I will do.

Afterward, Gina and I picked up a few items at the Clubhouse Store and left the Stadium.

Outside the Stadium, I noticed a life sized bobblehead. I have this same bobblehead on my shelf, which is an all star bobblehead. I don't remember which All Star game it was from though.

Then Gina and I decided to hit the Yankee Tavern. Rumor has it that Babe Ruth actually used to get drunk here so I thought it would be a great place for Gina to visit.

It's a nice little place. In between drinks and some Motown on the jukebox, we got to take a quick picture.

Dispite the snow and the fact we weren't able to visit the locker room or field, this turned out to be a great day at the Stadium. I now we will take the tour again and now Gina can say she had a drink in the same bar that Babe Ruth did. Isn't that what dreams are made of?