My 2011 National Experience - A $1 Well Spent

One of the more enticing and exciting aspects of The National I was looking forward to was the fabled "Quarter Boxes" that I have long heard about but have never had the joy of experiencing first hand. I have seen the videos and heard the stories of numerous wonders discovered in these beasts. As a matter of fact, I even saw with my own two eyes one of the wonders of the 2011 National Quarter Box hunt that was claimed by Chris Harris over at Stale Gum.

Sadly, for this NSCC Rookie, there was simply far too much to see and do at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center that I never truly had the time to troll these deposits of wondrous discovery with the proper focus and respect they deserve. I did get to spend around 40 minutes on Sunday morning at the table of one dealer. I came away with out $20 worth of singles and inserts that will complete some sets and spark the quest for completion of others.

Out of the total money spent I have decided to show off what I feel to be the best $1.00 I spent on my maiden voyage into the abyss that is "The Quarter Box".

The first card goes toward my completion of my 1979 Topps Toronto Blue Jays Team set. Garth Iorg is hardly the feature of this card but it IS one of those great Topps-isms that place a player you need on a card with a player that "makes" the card. By no means is it unattainable on the regular market but when you can take home a Rookie Card of perhaps one of the most consistent players ever and one half of arguably the best infield combination ever for a quarter, you do it.


Being a Canadian this next card made absolute sense when I first saw it. When I saw it again I thought; "Why Not?". When I saw it for a third time I new it was meant to be. That is right, I brought home not one.....

.....NOT TWO.....

.....BUT THREE!!!!!

Yes, three copies of Tim Raines' 1981 Topps Rookie Card. If you have to ask then I will never be able to explain it to you.

My plan for 2012 in Baltimore is already taking shape and I plan to venture back to these Quarter Boxes for sure. This time, I will be better prepared and have much greater respect for these behemoths of the hobby.

Cheers,

Mail Day (aka Plain Ketchup (Act II))

For the last month I have been inexcusably lax in honoring those who have seen fit to send me cards worth putting into my collection and in return taking on those cards which I have no desire to keep. Things creep up on you incredibly fast when it comes to bubble mailers and the next thing you know, you have to do a post like this just to cover what has been sent.

Let's get to it.

Firstly, I have begun to seriously focus on the players I collect. Putting sets together can really chew up the time and make it easy to neglect the supposedly simpler things in Cardworld. Four cards have been added to my Ricky Romero collection. One of them came from Chris over at 'Stale Gum' who gladly parted with some 2010 Heritage Chromero-Jo. I am still looking for the Refractor and Black-bordered version of these. Like I said, I have neglected my PCs.


The next two Romero cards were purchased as a lot on eBay for a VERY acceptable total. The 'SP Prospects' National Honors card is the first relic card I have added to the PC and the 'Bowman Heritage' is the first RC.


One of the things I like about Ricky Romero, aside from him being a Southpaw, a Blue Jay and quite possibly the future Ace of their staff, is his signature. It is clean and more importantly, legible. I received my first Romero auto last year, coincidentally, from Chris at 'Stale Gum' This auto I had seen sell several times and was happy to finally snag at a great price on eBay. A 2006 Bowman 'Signs of the Future'.


Yeah, I know its a sticker. On card would have been much better on this set but that is true for any set. No sense in complaining and it still has a home in my collection. This winter I am going to make a solid effort to build my Ricky Romero collection by at least a hundred cards or so. This thing needs to be shown some lovin'.

An even longer time ago, Chris over at 'Nachos Grande' posted some trade bait. I had a few things he was looking for so two of his cards came my way for a series of cards that were better served in Pennsylvania. Besides certain players I like to collect certain subjects that have been featured on cards. One of those subjects are authors. When those authors are featured on shiny cardboard it is even better.


The other card that caught my eye happens to be my first relic from the 2008 Allen & Ginter set. Some pin-stripey-Cubbie-goodness featuring Carlos Marmol.


The last card I want to feature in this post was an eBay purchase and one I decided to grab on a whim one night. If I ever get around to redeeming it I hope the card looks as good "in hand" as it does as a scan. More Cubbie-goodness, this time redemption-style. 2010 Topps Finest Rookie Redemption #7 for Andrew Cashner.

THIS......

...will eventually become, THIS.

Any opportunity to get an on-card auto of a Cub is one I cannot pass up.

Looking at my desk here I have managed to shrink my pile of envelopes by a total of five. I have a few group break envelopes to open and sort and share with you. It feels good to get through some of the clutter and it feels even better to properly thank those that took the time to trade me some of their discards.

As always, if you see anything you want on my "For Trade" lists or if you have anything from my "Want Lists" I would gladly work a deal to benefit us both.

Send me an e-mail.

Cheers,