Welcome. I'm Nick. I love beer and Baseball cards. Like most I collected junk wax as a kid in the 80's, then I stopped in the early 90's when I discovered girls. Well now I'm back, and with the help of this Blog I'll be taking you through my Quests in collecting.
I grew up on Long Island in the 80's. On summer days around 9am, every kid in the neighborhood would congregate on my street, in front of my house to play baseball. We did this EVERY SINGLE DAY. It was our own version of street ball. We'd cut the top off a Wiffle ball bat, load the barrel with wet newspaper to give it weight and then tape it up, usually with some kind of colored electrical tape. We'd self-hit a tennis ball, and run the bases. Curbs were foul poles. We'd yell out "CAR" quickly followed by "Game on" ala Garth in 'Wayne's World'. Sliding meant road rash. Game's over when the first guys mom called him for dinner. It was the most fun, innocent time of my life.
On rainy days when we couldn't play, a select few would get together to trade cards. We'd go around the room for hours looking at each others collection, putting together trade bundles and then usually having it all fall apart at the last minute. So everyone went home with the same cards they came with. We called it "Trading Table". I don't think it was for any particular reason, we just thought it sounded cool. It was during one of these Trading tables that I had a memorable trade scenario play out that's worthy of mentioning here.
This particular rainy day found us all at my house going through stacks of cardboard when a random neighborhood kid, who we were not friends with came to my door. He said he'd heard we were trading and was interested in sitting in. We didn't really know him, we just knew we didn't like him. He also had a rep of being a bit if a bully, so we let him, basically because no one would tell him no. For the sake of this story I won't tell you his name. Let's just call him Shmohn Shmandaro. After sorting through some stuff Shmohn spotted something in my pile and his eyes lit up. He said, "Dude, do you know what you have here? That's Reggie Jackson's autograph. He was referring to a card I pulled earlier in the week, it was one of those 1990 Upper Deck inserts. It was obviously one of the facsimile auto's. This one:
Well, the bully wanted it. I even told him it wasn't the real one, but he wouldn't listen and insisted we trade for it. So here's my pickle, dude offers me a semi-beat up 1980 Rickey Henderson Rookie card. This at the time was my holy grail, condition didn't matter. So I traded him for it. Pretty good right?
Wrong, The next day Shmohn and his dad come knocking at my door saying he wants his sons Rickey Rookie back since I traded him a bogus Reggie auto. I shakily told the dad that his dumb-dumb kid full on knew it was a fake and yet he still wanted it. Long story short, I gave the cry-baby and his daddy back his Rickey.
Fast forward to last week. I picked up a box of 1990 UD High #'s for $17. It was an awesome break and totally covered my need for nostalgia. I even got a Re-tweet from Upper Deck about it! The best part? I pulled 5 more of that exact Reggie:
I Really wanted to go find Shmohn Shmandaro and throw them like Chinese stars at his fat head (Which is bald by the way). But screw it, I'll just keep them. I'll put them in a display case....Right next to my 1980 Rickey Henderson PSA 9 Rookie Card.
Ok I decided on a new PC item last night and I could use your help. Prior to this Blog I had a Tumblr, and my very 1st post was about my all time fave card: Read the post and see the old blog HERE Anyway, I found my original Mickey last night and decided to do a BIG GLOVE PC. I want any and all card depicting players goofing-off with over-sized baseball mits. Here's what I've found so far: Who Knew? Mickey Hatcher rocked the big glove twice on cardboard!
A-Gone and Juan Guzman also packed some large leather, but you'd have to Flip JG's 94' UD card over to find it!
Puig put on the oversized for an SP in 2013 Topps Flagship:
Ok, So here's where i need you help. I got my hands on all 5 of these through Ebay, COMC, and Some I had. I even found this awesome photo that I'm going to put on cardboard through the RookiesApp.
I just can't seem to track down this one!
So if anybody can help me with this one, or more importantly if you could pass along any info on others I don't know about, I'd truly appreciate it. Thanks in advance! YnB
I've been fortunate enough to meet some amazing collectors via Twitter and this Blog. I'm a big fan of trading cards, I"ll trade with anyone anywhere. This recent transaction with Twitter friend Kevin (Aka @porterman20) was exactly what trading cards should be about. Kev is a Red Sox guy, so it's a perfect fit for us, I send him some Sox he sends me some Yanks. We've done this a few times over the years. This last package I got from him was awesome!
It's an awesome mix of Hits, Base, Slabbed and Vintage. Everything this Yanks collector could ask for. Now, admittedly I don't mess around much with grading, and what I do mess with is normally through PSA. I may have had a change of opinion though after getting this sick Munson SP, it looks great in it's BGS home. And what bout that Yogi? That card is everything I love about collecting. I love the mini, the frame, his face and that old cloth. Kevin, I can't thank you enough! I look forward to us continuing to build each others collection for years to come. For the rest of you, This is how I trade: If you collect a certain team I'll send you hits, inserts, base, and anything else you may or may not be looking for, I just ask for a comparable package in return. Shoot me a message if interested.
I've been meaning to post about what I'm currently PC'ing, So here she goes.
I'm always looking for anything and everything of the following: Mariano Rivera Rickey Henderson (Especially PSA 9's) Thurman Munson I also like any Yankees game used, specifically old stuff. Secondarily, I look for Mark Teixeira stuff, and Melky Cabrera low numbered stuff. Lastly, I'm slowly working on the Parks and Recreation master set. Having said all this, I have to say I've been off of my game lately. With a young kid at home, 2 jobs, Mortgage and weddings, I can't spend on cards like I used to. As many of you know, I'm a bit of a box buster but even that has taken a back seat lately. So how do I feed my habit with no money and no time? SINGLES! I've been just grabbing up random weird stuff that I can afford, here's some examples (I apologize for the shit photos I took @5am this morning): This one is a card I've been looking for for a while. It's out there but a bit overpriced in my opinion. Thanks to @mauler_coverson twitter for moving it at a reasonable price. I'm still looking for the "Enter Sandman" and "Game Over" versions if anyone has them.
This card is bad ass! I'm not much of a Cut auto guy, but this is an embedded check piece of Bobby Thompson. I love the design and it's a perfect random PC pick up.
The Photo sucks on this one, but I love this card. Got it cheap too. It's a huge Reggie head and massive navy swatch. Only thing missing is the interlocking NY.
I was lucky enough to get a TTM from Mr. Offerman a few months back, he even described it "Get a job". I love Ron Swanson so much that I felt I needed the certified auto. Here it is, in all of its pompadoured glory.
Finally, I grabbed my first "Clear" or "Acetate card". This is from this years Leaf Trinity. It just seemed like a card I need to own. It's completely transparent. I would have taken almost anyone, but the Judge came at a good price and seemed like a no-brainer. Check the thickness of this mother!
Thanks for looking at what I collect. I'm always willing to trade if you'd like to get something going. Now get off the computer and send me some shit!
Well it's Opening Day over at Yankee Stadium. As everyone knows, this Cathedral in the Bronx has been the back drop for some of the greatest moments in Baseball history. I've been fortunate enough to be there in person for some of these momentous events. So without out further adieu, here are my own personal top 10 Yankee Stadium moments that I was in attendance for.
#10) 6/10/02 Shane Spencer hits go ahead Grand Slam to beat defending champion Arizona Diamondbacks:
Unfortunately, I couldn't find video for this one. Here's the set-up: Yanks lose the 01' World series game 7 to the D-backs on a super-rare Mariano blown save. Fast forward to June of 2002, the D-back are back at the Stadium for inter-league play and once again they're dominating the Yanks, Until Shane-o-mack steps up and knocks out a go ahead, game winning Grand Slam. I had amazing seats right behind Home Plate. I was sitting with the AZ wives who hated me by the end of the game. It was awesome.
#9) 7/22/10 Jeter's Inside the park HR.
OK OK, this was more of a sloppy play than an amazing feat, but seeing the Captain chug around the bags for his only inside-the-parker made an ordinary game a top 10 memory. Here's a crappy video:
8) 10/19/04 The Bloody Sock
To me, this game was a lock. Yanks were up 3-2 in the ALCS and the only reason the lost game 4 and 5 was because I wasn't there...Duh. Everyone remembers the "gritty" performance by Curt Shitling. My biggest memory was of that A-hole, A-rod. I was sitting on the 3rd base line, so when A-rod smacked the ball out of Arroyo's hand, I couldn't see it. Well I saw it later, a million times. Rough game to be at as a Yanks fan, great game to be at as a baseball fan!
7) 9/22/13 Mariano Rivera day
It was a beautiful afternoon, the stands were filled with passionate fans ready to give a legend the send-off he deserved. Early on the place was buzzing about a special guest. Little did we know, we were about to get our faces rocked off!
6) 2006 Opening Day
If you ever get an opportunity to go to opening day, for any team, at any Stadium...take it. There's nothing quite like seeing tens of thousands of die-hard fans all under one roof with high hopes for the upcoming season. The place is clean, the food is fresh. You probably have heard of the person singing the National Anthem, and I promise you, you've never seen an American flag as big as the one they'll roll across the outfield. I was lucky enough to experience this a few times, but only once at the old house. It was 2006 and it was Johnny Damon's 1st game as a Yank, I couldn't find any supporting video, but here's a photo I took that day. By the way, it only took him 3 years.
5) 9/11/09 Jeter passes Gehrig on Yankees all-time hit list.
This was a fun one. My wife and I earlier in the season decide to have a pre-anniversary. Meaning, we planned something special a year prior to our wedding. We got to the Stadium at 1 to take a tour, then we went drinking an bowling out on River ave, then a delicious meal at NYY Steak. We timed it out perfect for the 7 O'clock start. We just forgot to factor in the rain! It poured for almost 3 hours. I think the game started close to 10 pm. We were exhausted, and seriously debated going home. I'm glad we didn't.
4) 7/14/08 2008 All-Star game Workout day and Home Run Derby
When people think of Home Run Derby's, there's usually one that comes to mind, and I was there maaaaaannnnn! It was obvious early we were going to see something special, but we had no idea we'd see such dominance.
3) 7/11/87 My very first baseball game.
The first ever baseball game I went to has a great story. My old man was never much of a baseball guy, but knowing I was he scored some tix to Yankees/White Sox in the Bronx. Oh yeah, and it was Old Timers Day. That's right folks, how many of you can say you saw Yankee legends including Mickey Mantle the 1st time you went to a game. The day was magic, the OTD game was 3 innings of fun. Then the pros came on and took a tie into the top of the 15th where the Chisox ended up winning. Unfortunately these are the only details I remember. I have not been able to find information on that game anywhere. I'm specifically looking to find out what other legends were there that day. Any help would be greatly appreciated and could warrant a prize! Instead of video, here's a pic of me and pops on that magical day. We probably should have switched hats. I Still have the stubs too!
2) 6/13/03 Roger Clemens 300th win/4000th K
OK this one was very much calculated. Roger Clemens sat on 299 for a while. If I remember correct he went out on a long road trip stuck at 299 so we we certain it wouldn't happen at home. Sure enough, when he couldn't get it done away, my friends and I knew we had to be there. I remember we had to meet some shady dude in a parking lot for the tix, boy was it worth it. What a lot of people forget about that game was it was Tino Martinez's 1st game back at the Stadium after leaving for St. Louis. In his return he hit 2 bombs off of Clemens and almost wrecked the night for us (We whole-heartedly cheered him anyway). Finally Clemens got back on top, Mo saved it and we saw history. Say what you will about Clemens, the dude always appreciated his fans and constantly acknowledged the crowd. It's the little things.
1) 10/16/03 Game 7 ALCS Aaron Fucking Boone
Next to my kid being born, this was the most exciting moment of my life. The Stadium shook. I shook. As you can tell from this list, I've been fortunate enough to see some amazing things at Yankee Stadium, but none will ever touch this amazing night. Even if you're familiar with how this game ended, I implore you to go back and watch the entire game again. It started with Clemens v. Pedro and ended with a walk-off. But it's the million story lines in-between that made this game so amazing. Boone gets a lot of credit, but without Mo going 3 (That's not a typo) perfect innings and Posada's double, Boone never even gets a chance. Sometimes if I think real hard put myself back in my seat (Section 320 by the way) and I shake all over again.
I hope you all enjoy my return to the Video Box breaking game.
Here's a lone box of 14 Topps Museum collection with some special guests.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
It's been a long time coming...... Well here it is, my first post in over 18 months. I figured this blog was kaput! I mean who's reading Baseball Card blogs anymore? So I left it up, but not updated in some sort of cardboard purgatory. Between Twitter, and other various forms of instant communication I assumed most collectors didn't have time to read something longer than 140 characters. Then, this morning I was inspired by another blogger whose entire post centered around, well, me. My buddy AJ over at The Lost Collector and I put together a small trade about a month ago. Check out his awesome blog and aforementioned article here: The Lost Collector This was an odd trade for me because as you can tell from my twitter handle (@YanksandBeans btw....follow that shit) I Collect Yankees and typically don't trade em. However if you've ever dealt with me before you know how I feel about collecting. If I have something in my collection that will enhance yours, I'm more than happy to move it. So was the case with AJ. We had a few things that could help each other out so it was a no-brainer. If you read his Blog you'll see just how much he appreciates what I sent to him. The same goes for me, I got some amazing stuff in return including some random Mariano cards I really needed. What really got me off about this whole trade though is his enthusiasm. The sheer joy AJ got from our trade made it all the more worth it for me. Basically it made me feel like a kid again and reminded me why I got back into collecting again in the first place. I'm a bit rejuvenated today, and this Blog and your eyes will bear the brunt of it. Over the next few days/weeks I plan on Blogging more to bring anyone who's interested up to date on my collecting habits, and they are wacky. I'll be revealing my most recent PC items, TTM successes and if things work out, some box breaks. Naturally, I've picked up a few followers since my last post, and a lot of them seem to be of the tween variety. I'm hoping that some of them will find this Blog and it help them with their own collecting trends. It seems these kids are very "Big Hit" and prospect oriented. If you fall into that category please heed this small piece of advice: Collect for you and only you. If you collect with the intent to pull only huge hits and make a profit, you will be disappointed, I promise. But if you collect cards because they mean something to you then you're ahead of the game. If you've ever felt that rush you only get from opening a fresh pack of cardboard, then you already won. If you have no idea what I'm talking about and you've never felt any of these things, move along. You're in the wrong hobby my friend.
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