Card Show Report 2011 11 11 - Oaks PA - CSA Show

Sorry not enough time to commit to a thorough write-up so I am just going to post a few snapshots and pricing when I remember the $$ - These are some of the Vintage cards I picked up at the show. Later in the week I will feature the dime box specials.  


Phillies Great Richie Ashburn

1955 Bowman #130 Richie Ashburn $2



Home Run King Hank Aaron

1975 Topps Mini #1 Hank Aaron '74 Highlights $2.00
1974 Topps #2 Hank Aaron Special (1958-61) $1.00

More HoFs

1960 Topps #450 Orlando Cepeda ($1)
1962 Topps Warren Spahn All-Star ($1)
1953 Topps Dick Williams ($2.00)
1959 Topps #147 Cubs Clubbers ($1 - w/ Ernie Banks)

The weekend of the Oaks Show was a busy one for me an dI dint' get to spend as much time there as I would have liked, but I did well for the brief time I was there.   The Bowman Ashburn was a steal at the  price of $2.  I already had the Cubs Clubber card, but this one was a definite upgrade.

$2 for the Hank Aaron mini was a pretty good deal as well - One of the projects that is dancing in the back of my head is building a set of the HoF 75 Minis.  There are quite a few of them in that set and they are basically the biggest names from my childhood.
T

Is this more appalling than a Death bump

As collectors we are familiar with the death bump phenomenon where a card or piece of memorabilia experince a bump in price (typically temporary) follwoing the death of the person on the card/magazine cover/bobblehead etc.

2011 Second Mile Joe Paterno (Image swiped from the - bay)

Apparently the charity, Second Mile, founded/associated wtih disgraced former PSU coach Jerry Sandusky,  issued sets of Penn State Football trading cards.  The Cards were distributed at many Pennsylvania schools.  Related Patriot News Story here.

As of Phungo Press time the search "Second Mile Cards" on a certain auction site returns 90 Items!  At least 4 of the items have bids - one item has a dozen bids. 

Is this worse then a death bump, or is it just fans wanting to hold on to a piece of something that is really pretty much gone?
  

CSA Card Show in Philadelphia -Burbs this Weekend - FREE Admission Friday AND Sunday!

The Collectors' Showcase of America (CSA) Card show returns to the Expo Center at Oaks this weekend. 

The Show will have FREE Admission on Friday AND Sunday.
 

I think there only has been one prior CSA show here and it was pretty well done.  I thought it was better then the Hunt Auction Philly show that is held a short hop down the road in Valley Forge.

Top of the Autograph List is Jimmy Rollins - other notables are NFL HoFs Gino Marchetti, Tommy McDonald, and Lenny Moore as well as former Heavyweight Champ Michael Spinks.

2008 Topps Heritage #350 Jimmy Rollins

For the autograph guests CSA has yet to post pricing or a scheduling information on their site - other than to mention Jimmy Rollins will be there on Saturday - C'MON GUYS HOW HARD IS IT TO GET UP A LIST OF SIGNERS FOR YOUR OWN SHOW!!!

Team Phungo plans on being there on Friday afternoon/early Evening.  If you can make it out let me know (email in my profile), it is always cool to meet fellow collectors and bloggers.  There is a possibility I will try and trek out there on Sunday but that isn't real likely as of press time.  

Nachos Grande Survey - Autographs

Recently Nachos Grande posted a survey related to Autograph collecting.  I collect Autographed cards of all types of players. Most of the players are noteworthy to me for some reason, usually something insignificant, as I generally try and find the $5 an under cards - a lot of those I use for Spot the Sig! fodder.  Others are favorite players and Hall of Famers. 

 

The Phungo Auto collection likely stands at a few hundred cards and I think I can provide some interesting insights into autograph collecting. 

 

1.  What is the best autograph you own?

    Today, Joe Frazier - More on that Later

    otherwise Mike Schmidt on a book.  My best card Auto is probably Steve Carlton Leather Cuts.  
2.  What is the best autograph that you've ever pulled from a pack of cards?

    Paul Molitor (Goudey Graphs 2008), Brooks Robinson 09 OBAK. 

2009 Obak #A48 Brooks Robinson (#59/200)

3.  What is the worst autograph you've ever pulled from a pack of cards?

    07 Sweet Spot Chirs Capuano - The box was only $45 and I still felt stiffed - althought the RC Auto was of Hunter Pence.  

    Brad somebody from the Astros in Donruss 08 Product.  See the card at shows for $2 all the time.

4.  Do you try to get autographs through the mail?  If so, what sort of success (or failure) stories do you have?    No - this facet of the hobby has not capture my attention yet.  

5.  Who was the subject of your first ever autograph?

    It was either Scott Fitzkee (TE w/ the Eagles) or Greg Manning(Collegiate Hoop star w/ the Maryland Terrapins - I think he may now be a radio broadcaster w/ the team)

    As an  adult, I think Jay Bell may be the first auto I got at the ballpark - it is all faded now.       
6.  Do you actively collect any autographs (certain players, teams, brands, etc)?

    I have an affection for certain brands but no aspirations for a set.  Among my favs are Sweet Spot, A&G, UD Goodwin Champs, SI Greats of the Games, 1996 Leaf, UD Goudey

7.  Which is better:  Autographs or Relics?

    Autographs - I for the most part dismiss relics
8.  What do you think of cut autos?

    I don't have any yet - would like to add one to my Type collection but that is about it right now.       
9.  What is your favorite autograph design (say in the last 5 years)?

    In general Sweet Spot.  A&G, and I like the Goodwin Champs design in general. 

10.  If you could get the autograph of any five people (dead or alive) who would you want a signature from (and why)?

    Couple names off the top of my head without much thought - Richie Ashburn, Martin Scorcese, Jim Morrison, Fran Tarkenton, Dali - Ashburn would probably be on that list any day the rest of those folks would likely change depending on my mood.

 

I dashed this off the top of my head, so some of the set/yr names may be a lil off, but I am in the general area.  It is a solid survey that asks some interesting questions.  I sort of fell into Autograph collecting and it is one of the areas of the hobby I really don't have much of a checklist - perhaps that helps keep it enjoyable.

Noteworthy: Yoennis Cespedes

Cuban ballplayer Yoennis Cespedes is in the news. 
 
2009 Topps WBC Redemption #8 Yoennis Cespedes
I figure this was a good time to reference the Phungo post on the 2009 Topps WBC Redemption of Cespedes.  To read the origianl post on Cespedes click here

2009 Topps Series 2 I think had redemptions for 10 or so WBC players, this is the one I received.  I knew nothing about him at the time, but will cross my fingers that his career takes off - and this card skyrockets in value as well and I can retire :)

       

Tomahawk Chopping running an interesting Group Break

Tomahawk Chopping is putting together a group break where everyone gets to draft cards from a pool of 300+ cards - Everybody is guaranteed an auto and a relic I think. 

deadline for entry is today Friday 11/4 for more info click here.

Moneyball 2011 - the Movie

I am a little susprised that the film "Moneyball" received prededominently good reviews.  While I enjoyed the movie, I thought at moments it dragged a bit and I would think that a person that is not a baseball fan would find the film somewhat long.  Slow pacing is a pet peeve of mine - like when I am watching the Cardinals continually rotate in pitchers with a 5 run lead, I suppose that may happen less in the future...

 

Other than that I found Moneyball to be an enjoyable experience.  Brad Pitt played Billy Beane as a thoughtful and challenging leader.  Comedy stalwart, Jonah Hill, plays a straight roll as the stats guy well - The always enjoyable Phillip Seymour Hoffman has an excellent turn as the old school Manager Art Howe,   Bennet Miller is able to balance a little baseball into the story and conveys a bunch of ideas on film that might otherwise be dry - One Base Percentage, Major League Scouting, Bill James, Giving away outs via Sacrifices and small ball, Working Pitchers, etc.  There is a background story regarding the Beane family that is built into the narrative that I don't recall from the book.  The film also all but neglects Jeremy Brown and the draft that the book details which covers at least 2 chapters of the Michael Lewis story. 

 

We all know what happened because this is relatively recent history - but I must mention a minor spoiler alert here - don't read rest of paragraph if you fear this will ruin your experience.  During the epilogue of the Movie it is mentioned that the Bosox won the 04 World Series using Moneyball methods.  It does not mention that they also outspent the rest of the league other than the Yankees.  And I could go on further and mention that a key play for the Red Sox was Dave Roberts critical Steal of second base in the ALCS vs the Yankees. 

 

Moneyball works for a few reasons - Both Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give likable performances in the lead roles of two guys trying to challenge the status-quo.  There is enough baseball in the film to provide a fan with a few chuckles - several players and people with Phillies connections are mentioned during the film.  Finally as a non-baseball movie about baseball "Moneyball" does successfully bring the romance of the game to the fore (even if they have to tell you they are doing so)

 

Moneyball 2011

 

Links to  previous MB 2011 posts

Bennett Miller

Billy Beane

Jeremy Brown

Michael Lewis

Michael Oher 

Tony LaRussa

 

etc

Here is a link to a Moneyball and Collecting related article in Beckett that I first saw referenced by Chris Olds via Twitter.