December 1st Midlothian Card Show: Expect the Unexpected

Card shows are very plentiful around Richmond, Virginia right now and the region as a whole has one nearly every weekend of the year.  The only thing holding me back from going to every single one is life in general and of course the funds to do so.  I had planned on attending this particular show more as a collector instead of vendor, and because its the closest to my home (a 20ish minute drive).  I actually expected to find Orioles cards from recently released products like Stadium Club, Allen & Ginter, and Topps Update and maybe some Topps Chrome Update in the dimeboxes and bring home all the broken dreams and salty tears to my collection.  It didn't really work out that way.  

It really was a stretch to find cards that I wanted and only spent about $7.  That includes the package deals I bought for my nephew who was visiting from out of town came with me. I like Brenton Doyle since he's a localish kid from Warrenton Virginia where I spent time with my aunt and cousins when I was a kid (probably long before he was even born!).  He's underrated because he plays for the Rockies, so I was able to buy this card for a Quarter.

In the same box I was there was a pile of the Signature Rookies and Team Best autographs.  Ainsworth actually ended up playing for the Orioles for a bit in the mid 2000s. He was traded over in the Sidney Ponson deal from the Giants.  Vaughn Eshelman was drafted by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft before he played in the majors for the O's.  He's pictured here on the AA Bowie Baysox. I recently learned that Vaughn passed away at the age of 49 in 2018 while I was sorting through some Orioles cards to send out TTM.  Couldn't resist picking up an auto of his for the collection knowing I'd never be able to meet him in person or write a TTM.  RIP Vaughn Eshelman.

I actually didn't have a ton of time to dig and dig like I normally do at shows.  I got a text from my good buddy Blake on Friday asking if I'd be able to help him man his table because his other planned help couldn't make it.  I was happy to help out since I was going to be around anyways.  It all worked out since there wasn't a lot I found to be to my liking (and in my price range).  A huge advantage to setting up with Blake is getting in early "to set up shop". He's a real hustler and had everything set up by the time I got there so that left for plenty time to shop the other vendor's wares.  One guy had a box of random mid 2000s cards including a ton of Bazooka base sets and minis.  This mini of Orlando Hudson fits into the binder collection of "Orioles Cameos".  Notice Brook Fordyce sliding in to second base.  

It appears to me that this play was from the day game at Camden Yards on August 24th, 2002.  Bottom of the 3rd inning Brook Fordyce reached base on Eric Hinske's 20th error of the season.  Next batter Mike Bordick grounded to shortstop Chris Woodward where they turned a 6-4-3 double play.  It will forever be immortalized here on this card.  The Orioles ended up losing this game 4-1.  It was rescheduled from the July 23rd rainout.  They ended up losing both ends of the doubleheader (they did a lot of losing in the 2000s), as a team struggling to find an identity after the retirement of Cal Ripken.  I have no recollection of this doubleheader because I was in my first week of my college as a Freshman at Radford University.  I only lasted one semester there, but everything has worked out fine for me and the Orioles are finally good again. **Playoffs not included**

Now concludes this episode of CSI: Baseball Reference. Hope you enjoyed this episode! 

Speaking of Playoffs, this Heston Kjerstad Chrome parallel card from Stadium Club is from the warm ups before game one or two of the 2023 ALDS. You can tell by the playoffs logo on his hat (under his sunglasses).  Its a happy coincidence that the O's embarrassed themselves (well, Bryan Baker and Jacob Webb did.  I'm not bitter or hold anything against those two bums) against Jack Leiter's Rangers.  Leiter wasn't on the team yet (still a minor leaguer at that point).  Hopefully both of these guys establish themselves in the majors this coming season and make this one dollar purchase totally worth it! Its crazy how Kjerstad was the only Orioles card I purchased for myself.

You just don't leave vintage cards in the quarter box.  It should be against the law.  I'm a goody-goody and I will gladly add this '71 Topps beauty to my collection.  I don't even like the Phillies.  For a combined buck, I got the Doyle, 2 autographs, and this card for a buck.  Hooray for collecting on a budget!

A while back I pared down my Ichiro collection. Recently, I've taken more of an interest in collecting Japanese major league players and created a binder in my collection just for them.  The early Bowman Heritage is not cut weird or anything, just a terrible scan job on my part.  Looking at the Topps insert it still boggles my mind and its incredible how good Ichiro was as a player.  10 SEASONS WITH OVER 200 HITS! There's no doubt in my mind that he already cleared his schedule is planning a trip to upper state New York this coming July. 

Like I mentioned before, I was happy to help out my friend Blake run his tables at the last minute.  It was unexpected but it all worked out.  As a token of his gratitude, he gifted me with this blue refractor auto of Jordan Westburg!  Westburg has become a quick favorite player of mine with his no-nonsense play, and meek shall inherit the earth demeanor.  He reminds me a lot of JJ Hardy!  Blake didn't have to hook me up like he did but that's the kind of guy he is! He was also very kind to my nephew which also makes me feel good because of the tough situations my family has gone through this year.  My nephew has taken a liking to football cards and sets up at his monthly card show in his local mall, selling off his extra cards.

I also ran into 2 different of my co-workers from the plant.  It was quite unexpected to see them there even though they were there with their kids and grandkids.  I don't know if they were more shocked I was there or it was the other way around.  We talk about over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and how bad the company treats us, not sports or Pokemon cards!

I also ran into another person I had just met about 2 weeks ago.  Our neighborhood restaurant recently hosted a standup comedy show from the local area that my wife and I attended.  It was a great to have a good time and laugh with friends from the neighborhood and even make some new friends thanks to my wife's social butterfly tendencies.  The first comic on the evening was set up at the show selling basketball cards.  Once again, at the standup show, you don't normally talk about sports cards so I had no idea he was into it or vice versa.   Small world it really is!

My nephew being the awesome kid he is, brought his uncle a hanger box of 2024 Topps Update.  The kid really knows how to pick baseball cards.  One box and BAM, rare Jackson Holliday insert.  I believe that the Stratospheric Stars are like 1 in 330-something hanger boxes.  Hangers are bangers! Totally unexpected!

Being the lucky pack ripper he is, he had recently opened his own Super box of 2024 Topps Update.  He pulled a small stack of Orioles cards as well as these two Hollidays.  He was kind enough to give them to me (don't worry, I hooked him up with some cards that he may show on his own blog).  The little lapel pin that comes in the super boxes was the Jackson Holliday one.  Friggin' Lucky Duck!  Whenever he is around, he'll be picking the packs or blasters for me since I never seem to pull Orioles cards at all... Mostly Dodgers and Reds.

Overall it was a great ending to Thanksgiving weekend.  Many unexpected things happened to me and my collection.  Once lesson I've learned this year is that you have to roll with the punches and expect the unexpected.

Trip to Mint Urawa

While I was on my trip in Japan I was hopeful that I would be able to check out a baseball card shop.  I had read about Ryan G.'s experiences with some of the card shops in the Land of the Rising Sun so I did a Google search and luckily there was one right near my cousin's condo.  The shop's name was Mint Opa! Urawa. Ryan had visited this store before so I figured I'd be the second blogging Ryan to visit!  I had my wife and cousin in tow when I went so I didn't get as much time as I had liked to browse the boxes and boxes of cards but I did pick up some interesting items while I was there.  I probably could have stayed in there for a half and day and spent a ton more money but the wifey and cousin probably would have been bored to tears.

First off I was able to pick up this pretty cool Ichiro card.  If the design looks somewhat familiar to you, your eyes are not deceiving you.  Around the turn of the century Upper Deck made some Japanese cards out of some of the designs they issued for MLB.

Speaking of those designs, Here's a few Koji's that utilize a few of the American designs too.

Not all of the cards I picked up were Upper Deck.  I think both of these Koji's are from BBM (Baseball Magazine).  It would be really cool to be able to get all of Koji's regular BBM releases since I have a nice collection of his stateside cards.

I also looked for some other cards of the Orioles Japanese import Tsuyoshi Wada.  While he hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues yet he'll probably be there by the time the season is done.  While this looks like 1 card, it is actually 3!  I think these came from the Softbank Hawks team set from 2010 and seems to be an insert.  I'm glad I could get all 3 from the singles box!

I also found a couple of cards of Dennis Sarfate!  Pictured here is his regular BBM issue from this year and his premium Genesis card from last year when he pitched for the Hiroshima Carp.

Like I said earlier, I would have loved to have more time to browse the store but there was much more to do  in Japan than look thru cards all day.  I have tons and tons of cards that I don't look at home!  I don't have much to compare it to but it took a trip to the other side of the world to find a decent card shop.

I have one more Japan related post coming up so stay tuned for that!

Thanks for looking!

Group Break cards from Cards from the Quarry

While I didn't get anything spectacular from hiflew's inaugural Group break, I did land some nice cards to add to my Orioles binders. I'm really enjoying all the breaks that I've been able to take part in recently. Only the cards you want and none of the leftover trash (wrappers) afterwards!

I don't know what else to say about Mike that I haven't said before but I like this card a lot. With this card it brings me down to 1 card needed for the team set (Sidney Ponson).

2008 Upper Deck Documentary has really grown on me the last few months. I started off hating it now they aren't so bad. I got a huge heap of them in this break so I'm well on my way to collecting all 162 Orioles cards in the future. If you have any to trade, let me know!

I'm not sure a lot of people know that Mike Fontenot was once and Orioles farmhand. He was drafted by them but was traded in the Sammy Sosa deal. I also have an in person autograph of him floating around here somewhere that I should show in the future.

I actually won this card in the randomization at the end of the break. It's the first time in my blogging career that I have won a contest or even a randomization. I'm happy to have this card of Ichiro as I have an elevated interest in his cards since I am part Japanese. I don't have a dedicated binder or anything for him but I'm always happy to acquire cards of him.

I want to Thank Johnny for holding the group break. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next month!