Drysdale 1957 Topps RC, PSA 1!

I took full advantage of the employee discount on submissions prior to leaving PSA, subbing as much as I could for $8. Some cards were no-brainers to slab for peace of mind while others were simply sent in should I ever want to sell them. Today's post features one from the former category.

I picked up this well-loved Don Drysdale rookie over four years ago for $5 from a shop in Vegas. After many months in Orange County it is back in my hands in a PSA 1 plastic tomb.

It is a most welcome update to a fun piece of my Vintage PC.

An Unbeatable Price For A Beater Of A 1957 Topps Don Drysdale RC!

My boss went out of town for a week so I took a couple of days and went to Vegas with my dad. Paid vacation is something I am in no way used to having so I wanted to make sure I didn't waste it entirely. While there I wanted to check out a card shop, because of course. Also, the owner is a friend of my boss so I wanted to get a feel for his store mainly being that a location in Vegas is a challenge in and of itself. I honestly didn't expect to find anything I would buy as my feeling was anything I wanted would be overpriced in a place like Sin City.

I was beyond pleasantly surprised when I spotted a card in a showcase and looked at the price underneath. I checked with the employee and couldn't pull my money out fast enough, even turning down the offer of a discount since I know the owner.

Don Drysdale's 1957 Topps RC is finally mine! Yes, a corner is missing. Yes, there are a couple of creases. All of that being said it's still got solid eye appeal and for just $5 it's plenty good enough for me.

BWTP's Secret Santa Goodies

I participated for the second year in Bob Walk's Secret Santa shenanigans. I recently received a bubbler from Captain Kirk which hit on a number of my current collecting interests. There was more than what I scanned but, short on time, I focused on the best stuff.

Kirk knocked off the remaining two needs from the Dodgers' portion of 2001 Topps American Pie. This appealed to me back in the day because it's such a nice looking set and I'm glad I'm finally done with it after all of these years.

Four more Want List needs followed with these additions to my 1975 Fleer Pioneers of Baseball Set. It's still one of my favorite sets and is full of so many interesting players.

Captain sent along four brand new additions to my Clayton Kershaw Collection.

Somehow this Matt Kemp didn't already reside in my Bison PC, which honestly stuns me as I feel like I had numerous copies of this at various times.

Finally, three of my all-time favorite Dodgers.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

1969 Topps Super Don Drysdale, PSA 2!: Immensely Better Than A Blaster

Today's post features a first for my collection and is a direct result of working at a card shop. Those work perks, ya gotta love 'em and take full advantage of them when you can. My bosses have been on a buying spree recently and one particular collection brought with it a set I had never seen in-person before and had little to no knowledge of. My bosses bought a complete set of 1969 Topps Supers -- one of Topps' many test sets -- and sent in a bunch of the HOFers to be graded. After packing a bunch we sold on eBay I decided I really wanted to buy one of these rare beauts for a lot of reasons. I targeted a raw common until one particular Hall of Fame player returned from PSA.

The little paper loss along the left edge made this entire post possible as Don Drysdale fell right into my price range in that oh so gorgeous PSA 2 holder. The facsimile signature with "Donald"; the simple portrait shot that appears to place the sun directly behind Don's head, giving him somewhat of a halo; and the fact that this is his final card as an active player all combine to make this one of my favorite vintage cards in my collection.

I think that's Dodger Stadium behind Don, although I could be wrong. The shot is very similar to his standard '69 Topps issue with Don just turning to face a different direction. Thanks to my bosses for allowing me to pick up such a fantastic and cool vintage oddball, and for just $25 to boot. A deal I certainly could not pass up, and when it was offered to me at that price I immediately jumped on the offer.

1958 Topps Don Drysdale: Half A Blaster!

As I mentioned in my post on acquiring Lance Alworth's second-year card and knowing his rookie would be out of reach for some time, I love picking up second-year cards that are undervalued and unappreciated. One such second-year beaut I find to be all too affordable -- which, hey, I'll take until I get rich by marrying Kate Upton -- is Don Drysdale's 1958 Topps offering.

1958 isn't my favorite set or even in my top five when it comes to vintage but Don's '58 offers an affordable way to get in on his early cardboard without breaking one's wallet. $9.50 shipped landed me this VG to VG-EX copy of the Hall of Famer.

A back with a cartoon! Well I'll be a son of a gun!

Trade With Coot Veal and the Vealtones: Vintage Dodgers Are The Best.

I completed my second trade with Dustin from Coot Veal and the Vealtones. Dustin contacted me about some Dodgers' bait he had and after a handful of e-mails we had worked out a deal complete with both new and old cardboard.

Vintage! Vintage first, because of course vintage first. This '57 Podres immediately caught my eye from a trade bait post Dustin put up and I just had to have it. That Brooklyn B had a lot to do with my desire to acquire.

Floating heads! Would you believe it wasn't Wally Moon that attracted me to this 1962 Topps Leaders card? Mr. Clemente has a strong and growing hold on me.

We round out the vintage portion of this trade post with a well-loved 1952 Bowman of Carl Furillo. It pairs nicely with the well-loved '52 Bowman Campanella I have.

Moving on to more recent cardboard we start with a triple relic of Don Drysdale. It's a bit creased but I'm not passing on game-used Drysdale cards. It's #'d 42/99.

I was able to add many a new Matt Kemp card, starting with this manufactured coin thing from 2013. It's also numbered, 47/99 to be exact. It's....heavy.

The rest of the Kemp pickups plus 5 new Clayton Kershaw cards for my Kid K PC. I'm closing in on 400 unique Bison cards and should be there by the end of 2015.

Dustin also added a pair of new Russell Martin cards along with a pair of much appreciated and needed Allen & Ginter inserts and a relic I sent to Stupienski.

Thanks for a wonderful trade Dustin!

A Drysdale Auto and a Sparkly Glow in The Dark Custom Archer Sketch Card!

I recently was the lucky winner of one of many contests held by Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown. He allowed me to choose from a number of lots that were part of his many contests, and once I found out I had come out on top, the decision was an exceptionally easy one.

There was absolutely no way I was passing up an on-card 1993 Nabisco Don Drysdale autograph once I found out I had won Gavin's contest. I do own one Big D signature (a postcard I showcased a while back) but considering how good Don was and how pricey his signature can be, I'll take as many as I can get my mitts on. Oh, and they're sort of hard to come by as well, so that factors in.

A custom Archer 1/1 sketch card! I have posted endlessly on my love for both the show itself and Cryptozoic's release of a wonderfully amazing Archer set brimming with original 1/1 sketches. Gavin recognized that passion I have and actually took time out of his day to create the above piece of tremendous art. I really appreciate the thought -- and the cool sketch -- and it reminds me how many people we have in our blogging community capable of sketching cool things (Gavin, A.J., Alex). I can't draw to save my life, so I'll just sit back and enjoy these as a fan.

The back of Gavin's original sketch. Yes, this is most certainly the definition of badass, and it does indeed sparkle and glow in the dark, which is just all kinds of cool! It's only appropriate Archer is wearing his night vision goggles in Gavin's sketch. It will find itself a place with the rest of my Archer PC, and it's already been added to my PC on Photobucket.

And here's the COA Nabisco sent out with the Drysdale back in 1993.

Gavin also sent along an Andy Green auto that was part of the Drysdale lot. I'm about to put together a trade package for a D-Backs' fan, so that will be headed his way, as this trader will appreciate it more than I ever could.

Gavin, thanks for the fantastic cards, the sweet custom, and the great contest!

Koufax, Campy, Drysdale and More!

I picked up a team card with some fantastic names on it. Koufax, Campanella, Drysdale, Snider, Reese, Newcombe, Podres....the way a team card should be.

It'll fit splendidly in my Campy Collection, and was had for $5.50 delivered. The coolest thing about this vintage bad boy is that it's from the Dodgers' first year in L.A., which also means it features the last Blue Crew squad to call Brooklyn home.

Whomever previously owned this 1958 Dodgers' team card/checklist made use of said checklist to the fullest.

Drysdale Autos Join My Collection.

There are some Dodgers whose John Hancocks are true White Whales for a variety of reasons: price, scarcity, popularity, and the simple fact that they have passed on, meaning what's out there now is what will be out there with no replenishing of the supply to meet the high demand. I recently acquired one of five Blue Crew White Whales, and took a risk in doing so.

Welcome to the collection, Don Drysdale. Big D autographs meet each of the above outlined requirements for true White Whale status. While a sweet-spot ball would be amazing, and I still hope to add one at some point in the future, I couldn't resist putting in a bid on the above. The price was right for what I was willing to shell out and my bid held. I walked away with a fantastic Perez-Steele Sketch Postcard, and it's numbered to boot (01646/10,000).

The risk, of course, is that there's no COA from PSA/DNA or JSA to go along with it. From the Dandy Drysdale autos I've seen though it looks legit, and there are more signed postcards available online. I'm definitely going to get this authenticated; it's just a matter of when. While I'm on the subject of the great Don Drysdale, I also recently landed this from eBay.

It wasn't until right before I won this that I realized Ann Meyers-Drysdale was a UCLA alum and all-time great women's basketballer. I had to grab her signature and this flashcard ran me just a few bucks. Again, no authentication but it looks fine to me. I love the UCLA and multiple Hall of Fame inscriptions.

I Don't Believe What I Just Won.

I recently won a contest on Twitter from Angry Albert, and the prize was the Kirk Gibson Bobblehead/Bobblearm the Dodgers gave away recently. It's a really cool concept honoring Gibson's legendary homer and trot around the bases, and I was happy to pick up a second one.

It's already on display next to my Koufax, Drysdale, Manny Bobbleslam, Manny 66ers, Kyle Blanks, Gagne, and massively racist Torii Hunter Quakes bobbleheads. The water bottle contains dirt from Dodger Stadium that I picked up last year during a Friday Night Fireworks game against Houston (the night I planked on the field). A big thanks once again to Albert for making it happen! Follow him on Twitter and check out his blog here.

Trade With Pirates Treasure Room: My Johnny Bench Wolfpack Grows To One....and I Traded For A Giants Autograph.

I completed my third trade with Brian from Pirates Treasure Room. You can check out the first here and second here. Brian and I made our largest trade to date, and you can see what I sent his way here. First up from amongst the plethora of great cards I received is the sweeeeet triple relic below of Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.

Numbered 21/36, it features a bat piece and two different colored swatches, including an old piece of wool and what appears to be a small seam in the lower portion of the middle white-ish swatches. The moment I saw this card on Brian's blog, I knew I wanted to add it to my collection. It's the only hit of Bench's I have, and with my childhood favorite being Mike Piazza and some of my current favorite players being Russell Martin, Carlos Santana, and Matt Wieters, I thought it only appropriate to add a piece from one of the greatest, if not the greatest, catchers in baseball history. The scan doesn't do it near enough justice, as it's a really spectacular card, aesthetically-speaking, in-hand.

Next up, a card Dodgers' fans will hate to see. Brian had posted asking for help in purchasing a Jason Bay hit off of eBay, and I obliged. He allowed me to pick a card from his bait as my reward, and I went with the above auto of Giants' lefty Madison Bumgarner. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Why would a Dodgers' fan be interested in a Giants' auto? He better be flipping it in another deal, or we'll have to beat some sense into him." Well, all I can say is, not in the face please, that's how I makes my money. I'm keeping it. Bumgarner is one of the best young hurlers in the game, and he's on my fantasy team. So it intrigued me.

Let me quickly redeem myself with a cool vintage card of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale and some other dude. I dig these league leaders cards, and have a handful of Koufax ones from the 60s.

Three sweet new relic additions to various PCs is up next. I don't have much in the way of Jonas Hiller or Philip Rivers, so I was happy to add a pair of swatches. The Rivers is #'d, 169/190. The Tulo makes for a sweet add to my Dirtbags Collection, and I very much enjoy the design of Goodwin Champions. Kudos, Upper Deck.

Moving on to the Kemp, Kershaw, and Martin additions, Brian sent along some great new cards for those three all-important PCs. The Kemp 2012 Heritage Image Swap is pretty sweet, anchored by a great color scheme. The 2012 Gypsy Queen mini is simply awesome, and it has a regular back.

I already had the base version of the lone Martin, but failed to list it in my collection, so that mistake has been corrected. The shiny golden Kemp League Leaders card is awesome; Ginter anything is fantastic; the Kershaw/Koufax Then and Now is a phenomenal card; the Opening Day Fantasy Squad has a color scheme that just works for me; and the Dynamic Duos card with James Loney from '06 is a welcome addition (though the irony of Loney being attached to "dynamic" certainly isn't lost on this Jerry Sands fan - not to mention I approach baseball from an analytical perspective, so Loney's pitiful existence is something I've been well aware of for years....but I'm just ranting now).

Thanks for yet another spectacular trade Brian! I'll be sure to set aside Pirates and any Jason Bays for you as I come across them.

A Dandy Don Drysdale Shirt From The Left Field Pavilion.

Router died, hence the lateness of this post. I just wanted to take a minute to thank Mike from The Left Field Pavilion for the awesome shirt below.

Mike has some great shirts available, and this dandy Don Drysdale number caught my eye at the Dodger Bloggers Softball Tournament Mike organized last earlier this year. For five bucks of Card Draft # 1 money (Draft Number 2 still has spots open, by the by), it was an easy pickup.

Thanks Mike, looking forward to the next softball tourney!

Trade With RoyFanDale: Straight Cash Homey. Oh, and More Draft Cards Added Plus First Dodgers Bobblehead of The Year!

I completed my first trade with RoyFanDale, whom I came across on the SCF hockey boards. He was in search of some Canucks cards, and eventually we worked out a deal for a lot of 13 hockey hits. In return, he sent me a nice chunk of change that went immediately towards a HUGE PC pickup that will debut in the coming weeks.

Thanks for the deal Dale! On a non-trade note, here are some more cards that will be available in the upcoming Card Draft Part Deux. Haven't done the updated math, but it's close to 35 cards per person, and it works out to less than a dollar per card for every entrant.

And finally, the Dodgers will give away the first of ten bobbleheads today, a dual featuring the 1962 NL Cy Young and MVP Award winners, Don Drysdale and Maury Wills. Tommy Davis will be signing autographs before the game, so if I can find something to get signed, I'll be hitting that up.

Meeting Clayton Kershaw!!!

Clayton Kershaw appeared at Living Spaces in La Mirada on Saturday. I arrived a bit before 6 am for the 10 am signing, and on only three hours of sleep. Which wasn't the most intelligent decision I've ever made. Particularly because this weekend was probably the busiest weekend I've had in forever.

I digress.

I met up with DodgerBobble and Spiegel of Nomo's Sushi Platter immediately, as they had arrived prior to me and were kind enough to hold me a spot in line. Because they're swell guys.

Outside of some line shenanigans and a bum-rushing of the woman passing out wristbands, the event went pretty smoothly in my estimation. Clayton arrived on time, began signing shortly after ten, and we were on our way to meeting the great young lefty. DB, Spiegel, and I were about 215th or so in line, and we were out by 11:30, autographs in hand. Clayton was even nice enough to inscribe "2011 AllStar" on the opposite side of his John Hancock. A handshake and the day was complete.

It was a fantastic time hanging with the guys and talking with a few other people. I knocked off an item from my Bucket List, as I finally met the great Roberto Baly of Vin Scully Is My Homeboy fame; sent two team bags worth of cards DB's way; and even pulled off a trade, sending an extra Torii Hunter minor league bobblehead Spiegel's way, in exchange for a Don Drysdale nodder. By the way, that Hunter bobblehead is legitimately the most racist thing I've seen in forever. It looks like a white guy in blackface heading off to an 1800s minstrel show.

Seriously.

Many, many thanks to Clayton, as well as DB and Spiegel for saving me from missing out on meeting someone I greatly admire.

A Hall of Fame Dodger Shortstop Meets His Successor

Pee Wee Reese spent sixteen years with the Dodgers - the entirety of his big league career. He missed three full seasons while off fighting in World War II, and was a vital member of the Dodgers throughout his tenure with the club, sporting nine seasons of 4.5 WAR or better. While my youth precludes me from having seen countless shortstops to man the position for the Dodgers since Reese hung up his cleats, it's safe to say the void at SS has been a major one.

$5.74 for some '50s Goodness

Outside of Maury Wills (overrated but better than most of the other Dodgers to man the position) and a few good to very good seasons from the injury-plagued and injury-prone Rafael Furcal, I can't remember the last decent shortstop the Dodgers have had, particularly in my lifetime.

That will all hopefully change with Devaris Strange-Gordon. After a cup of coffee that recently resulted in a trip back to AAA, Gordon will hopefully work on his shortcomings and be a fixture with the club beginning in 2012. Because the alternatives are not pretty (come on, we all know it's just a matter of time before Juan Castro's corpse makes its semi-triumphal return).

015/199, $5. USA! USA!

All I'm hoping for (and I think all anyone can hope for) is a guy who walks a fair amount, plays good defense, and steals bags at a high rate. His speed will mean nothing if he's the next Juan Pierre and is only successful about 75% of the time. As long as he can reach and maintain an 80% or higher level of stolen-base efficiency, his blazing speed and tiny wheels can be an asset to the club.

Gordon's four minor league stints featured wOBAs over .350 in three of the four campaigns, a very good sign. Of course, he sported high BABIPs in those seasons, but his incredible speed can account for much of that, as he'll certainly beat out more than his fair share of ground balls and rack up the infield hits.

If Gordon can work his BB% up to the ten percent mark and consistently work free passes, his lack of pop can be negated (as it already is based on the fact that he's a shortstop). He can certainly be a very productive player by smacking doubles and triples, limiting his caught stealings, and not becoming Hanley Ramirez with the leather.

Was this all just a poor excuse to mask the fact that I wanted to post these cards and needed a way to tie them together? Perhaps. Or maybe, just maybe, I might be dabbling once again in actual analysis. You know, what this here blog was originally intended for.

My contest remains open, so join in if you have yet to! Bonus Question # 2 drops Monday.

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Oh, and the Reese came in a large lot that also included a few cards from my Cheap HOF Vintage post - the Killebrew, Mathews, and Schoendienst. This was part of that lot as well.