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.

1975 NBA Carvel Discs

One of the things I vowed I would do this year is to add more Knicks vintage to my collection. Long time readers know how much of a Knicks fan I am. I personally think its a shame that I am seriously lacking in vintage Knicks memorabilia, be it cards, bobbleheads, or anything else for that matter. I am a huge fan of Knicks history. I have rewatched my History Of The New York Knicks DVD a bunch of times, read various books about the team and watch videos on YouTube. Yeah, I love my Knicks, in good times and in bad. It's funny. The season I was able to go to more games that I ever have or ever will due to prices, the team was so bad and I heard "Fire Isaiah" chants every game I went.

I was recently scouring eBay an looking at some Knicks listings and saw one that peeked my interest, so I placed a bid and won a lot of 4 1975 Carvel NBA Disks. What I love almost as much as the Knicks are oddball cards. I simply love them and will scour dealer tables at card shows, look at eBay listings and trade for them on various forums. It was a great opportunity to not only add some vintage Knicks cards to my collection and they were oddballs? I was in and won the bid.

I don't know much about these disks. I'm guessing they were either given out at participating Carvel ice cream shops or you had to purchase them. I think there was some sort of poster that went with them and there are different color variations.

Unfortunately, I failed to really look at the cards and was very disappointed when they arrived. Some were dirty and one had a tape mark on it. No wonder I got these for such a low deal. I can only blame myself for not looking closely at the photos.

So, here's who I got:

John Gianelli was a backup center and foward on the Knicks 1973 championship team and played on the Knicks until 1976

Hawthorne Wingo was also a backup forward on the 1973 championship team. He played on the Knicks from 1972 to 1976 and finished his career in Italy.

This was the card that got my goat and was the sole reason I purchased the lot. I wanted this Earl Monroe card so bad and was doing the Neutron Dance when I won it. Then I did the Sad Dance when I saw the card. Not sure why there is tape across the top there. It doesn't look like it was ever ripped, so I'm guessing it was taped to something, a scrapbook perhaps. Either way, it look terrible now.

This was a throw in, but he has Knicks connections. Although Dick Van Arsdale had his best seasons as a Phoenix Sun, he was drafted by the Knicks in the second round of the 1965 NBA Draft.  Van Arsdale played in NY until 1968 when he was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the expansion draft. This card looks pretty dirty, so I didn't mail it to Van Arsdale like I planned.

Although I was pretty bummed out about how the Earl Monroe card looked, I am glad I have these cards. I can always upgrade them and I now want to chase the rest of the Knicks in this set. Looking at the checklist, I see I am missing Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, Phil Jackson and Dean Meminger. Hopefully, the next time I shop for these cards, I will pay more attention to the listing and pictures. Kids, do not be like me.

Things I Want: NFL Action Team Mates

As a New York Jets collector, I think I have some pretty cool stuff in my collection. Cards, autographs, programs, bobbleheads, figures, I have a nice Jets stash and I can't wait until I can display everything either on a shelf or in a cabinet of some kind. One thing that I don't have that I hope I can add to the collection at one point is a New York Jets NFL Action Team Mate.

What's that you say? You don't know what those are? 

Pro Sports Marketing put out a set of 7 1/2 inch plastic figures called NFL Action Team Mates. They came with a display stand, a removable helmet, a football and a playbook. All 28 teams in the league at the time were represented with figures that came in team colors and had stickers on the helmets. I'm not sure they were supposed to represent famous players or not, but I can swear I've seen a Terry Bradshaw and a Fran Tarkenton figures.

Here's an example of what it looked like on the shelves in your Sears or JC Penny's or which ever store your parents bought your toys at. This one is a Philadelphia Eagle player. Looks like they came in a box with a cellophane window and had the helmets of all the teams in the NFL circa 1977. If I squint, I can see the Jets helmet on the box.

Here's a vintage ad that I believe was in a Sears catalog, I remember always looking at the Christmas catalog and checking off what I wanted that year. I remember wanting this, but not a Jets one. I rooted for the Steelers as a kid because I was Bradshaw fan and because my buddy at the time told me I was a Steelers fan, like him. He was a big kid. 

Here are some pictures of the figures themselves:

Houston Oilers

Los Angeles Rams. I for one would love to see the Rams move back to LA.

Kansas City Chiefs

Washington Redskins

Oakland Raiders. As I say their name, I can hear Chris Berman in my head.

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals.

I love these figures. As a child of the 70's,  these toys bring me back to a less articulated youth. You could tell these were made in the 1970's. I love the the uniforms these are sporting as well. I actually remember the stripeless Bengals helmets. I remember when the Rams had yellow in their unis, not the gold they currently trot out. Heck, I remember when the teams in Baltimore and Houston were called the Colts and Oilers. These may not be as good looking as McFarlanes Sports Picks, but I will take these any day of the week. Heck, they look better than Starting Lineups. (Ducks as a Patriots helmet is thrown).

You notice what's not shown? A picture of a Jets Action Team Mate. Want to know why? Because I cannot find one. I don't think I've ever seen one in person or on eBay. They obviously exist, but are hard to find. 

I looked up some eBay auctions and seen that these can go for a pretty penny. I'm seeing auctions for 79.99 to 200.00 for carded figures. Finding a Jets figure at a decent price will be a pretty difficult task, but I'm up to the challenge. There will be a Jets NFL Action Team Mate in my Jets collection one day. If I have to look through every box at every flea market, toy show, yard sale, I will find it or my name isn't Ladamore. And it isn't.

More Vintage In My Jets Collection.

I may have been only one of a few Yankee fans who was saddened when Shea Stadium was leveled back in 2009. I mean, as a Yankee fan, I should have been dancing a jig when that old place crumbled to the ground. In it's final years, Shea wasn't exactly a great place to watch a baseball game. It was outdated, the bathrooms were terrible and the sound system was horrible.

Still...

I spent a lot of time at Shea Stadium, especially as a kid. My buddy's father took me to a lot of Met games, even getting to meet some of the players in between the dugout and locker room. I got to see the '86 Mets play there. I got to see players like Hubie Brooks, George Forster, Dave Kingman, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Bobby Bonillia, Mike Piazza, Jose Reyes and David Wright grace the Shea Stadium grass. But that is not why I wasn't too happy to see Shea go down in a pile of dust.

My first Jets game was at Shea. I don't remember the score. I do know the Jets lost to Buffalo, I think. I remember Richard Todd throwing a couple of picks that game and the defense getting burned on a couple of touchdowns. The crowd wasn't like any baseball crowd I've seen. They were a bit more loud and raucous. I was sitting in the upper deck, just above the Jets sideline. I may have been high up, but I felt like I was a part of the team and it cemented my love for the green and white.

The Jets played in Shea for only a couple seasons after, but Shea will always have a place in my heart as the home of the Jets. Whenever I find a piece of Jets memorabilia with Shea Stadium on it or having come from Shea, I always try to add it to my Jets collection. I have a Jets pennant with Shea pictured on it as well as a program from Shea.

I have actually had this post card in my Jets collection for about 2 years now. I had been trying to win one off eBay, missing out a few times. I finally won one in really good shape for under 10.00, if I remember correctly. I have never been a post card collector before, although I had considered picking up some vintage Yankee Stadium post cards, but never pulled the trigger on any.

The post card above is dated 1964 and was released by Dexter Press, Inc. I'm guessing the picture was taken sometime during that '64 season as the stadium opened on April 17th, 1964. The post card gives you an idea what Shea looked like in it's first season in it's existence. The one thing I always liked was the hovering "speckle" Shea had in those days. I don't think they were still there when I started visiting the ballpark. I liked them more than the neon ballplayers they put up in Shea's later years.

The back of the post card gives you a little bit of information about Shea; where it was located, how many it seats for both baseball and football, who played there and who added color to the photo (It was a company named Scholfield).

The reason why I picked up this post card was because there is a Jets presence on it. If you look on the upper left hand corner, there is a football player in a green jersey, running and carrying the pigskin with the words The N.Y. Jets underneath. Without that football player, I would not have picked up this piece. I am glad to own it as I am fascinated with Jets history and the post card is a unique piece to add to any Jets collection.

I will always look for vintage pieces to add to my Jets collection. If it has something to do with Shea then I will be quick to jump on it. There's not a lot of pieces left that connect the Jets to Shea Stadium, aside from programs and yearbooks. It's been 31 years since Leon Hess took the Jets over to Giants Stadium, so finding anything that has t do with the Jets and Shea is hard to find. But when I can add something like the post card, then I'll always do what I can to get it because Shea Stadium will always have a place in my heart. Just don't tell any other Yankee fan I said that.

This One Bleeds In From The House Of Swag

A couple of days ago, I posted on the Sports Room's brother blog, The Sexy Geek's House Of Swag, about an item I had been long interested in starting a collection of. If you can't what that is by the picture above, that item is lunch boxes.

While writing about them, I started thinking if there has been any sports lunch boxes I have come across in my youth and it triggered some memories that I had buried in the deepest regions of my brain. I HAD come across not one sports lunch box, but two of them in my days.

At the school I attended as a youngster, there was this MLB lunch box just lying around somewhere. The counselor who was assigned to my group either felt bad for me or got sick of my constant yapping about these cursed things and would let me play with this lunch box. I say play because if you look on the back of it...

There is a picture of an infield, a scoreboard and one lonely outfielder. I used to take this lunch box and play an actual 9 inning game with a spitball and a pencil. I recorded the outs, hits, strikeouts, walks and everything in between. I even had my own team, the Bronx Bombers. Yeah, not very original, I know. The team was made up of my friends and I and I would keep stats for each one of us and pad my own stats. I think I had 100 home runs one year. I even designed uniforms for us.

I would love to grab this lunch box. Obviously, the memories of the hours of joy playing the game in the back has something to do with it, but I just love the lithography on it. On the front, you have an obvious picture of a Red Sox player sliding into third base while a Yankee player is administering the tag (He was out, ump!). The side panel on one side has a Baltimore Oriole swinging a bat (Frank Robinson, maybe?) and the top has a pitcher at the tail end of making a pitch. If I had to guess what team he could be from, I'm guessing he's a Cardinal.

Great looking lunch box.

Moving on to a different sport, I also seem to recall a buddy of mine, a Steelers fan, if I remember, having this awesome lunch box.

 
This is really cool. What it has that the baseball one doesn't have is official logos, or helmet logos in this case, of all the teams that were in the National Football League. I had fun looking at the helmets on this lunch box, trying to count how many teams still were using the same helmets that was on this 1970's lunch box. On this side, The Cowboys, Saints, Bears, 'Skins, Lions, Cardinals, Vikings, Packers and Niners all have just about the same helmets.

These football lunch boxes must have sold well because during the 1960's and 70's there has been numerous NFL lunch boxes offered for the fans to pick up.

Here's one from 1978. I love the painted action shots n the front of the lunch box.  The Cowboys, Steelers, Rams, Raiders and Broncos are all represented here. Where is my team?

Right under the Houston Oilers helmet. 1978 was the year of this lunch box as well as the first year the Jets wore those helmets. I wish they would wear them again as alternates instead of the Titan unis.

This lunch box is from the early 70's, 1975, I think. Again, I love the classic helmets on this lunch box, 10 of which are not in full time use.

Here's one from 1973. Love the blue Oilers helmet on this lunch box.

There was one other from the early 1960's that I couldn't locate a picture of, unfortunately. I have seen it before. What I remember of it, it had a drawn action shot of a QB from the Bears dropping into the pocket while his offensive linemen tried to stop the blitz from the Green Bay Packers.

How about Hockey?

There are the generic ones like these from the 60's and 70's

Borrowed that one from Kovels's site.

NHLPA had lunch boxes of their own

And the players had lunch boxes of their own. Bobby Orr had a few all to himself.

Not an official player lunch box, but you can clearly tell that's Phil Esposito.

Of course, Wayne Gretzky has to have a lunch box of his own.

I'm not sure, but I am willing to bet the majority of those lunch boxes were Canadian. Maybe the Boston Bruin lunch boxes were made here in the good ole US of A, but I can't be too sure.

Shockingly, I could not find any examples of any vintage NBA lunch boxes. I would have thought with popularity in the NBA growing during the 60's and 70's, there would have been some lunch boxes produced, even if it was of players like Wilt Chamberlin, Jerry West, Walt Frazier, or Oscar Robertson. Aside from a Harlem Globetrotter one, there was nothing from basketball.

I did find one for you soccer fans.

I remember when Pele came to New York to play for the Cosmos. It was huge. I knew absolutely nothing about soccer, but when Pele played, I would watch the games. That's when I realized that soccer was not for me. I would give the sport a few more shots during various World Cups, but it just doesn't tickle my fancy.

So, as you can see, if you're a collector of a sport, team or player, chances are there was a lunch box produced that would nicely into your collection. The prices on these vary. They depend of if there is a thermos and condition, but most could be had for around the $50.00 mark. If you have the means, I would definitely suggest grabbing a few to add diversity to your collection.