Getting an LT Printing Plate Slabbed

I posted this card over 10 years ago after landing it on eBay for ~$15. I sent it off for grading because I couldn't resist the $8 employee deal. I knew some plates were eligible for a numeric grade but I could not recall which type were. Thankfully, this plate falls into the "good to grade" category.

PSA gave this 1/1 Yellow Plate from 2007 Topps Co-Signers a solid 8. I have always loved the Yellow and how it matches the bolts on a Chargers' uniform. LT, to this day, remains my favorite football player ever. That will never change.

Drew Breeeeeeees!

While I really only collecting LaDainian Tomlinson when it comes to my San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers fandom, I did have a couple of Drew Brees' rookie cards lying around and figured slabbing 'em for eight bucks a pop couldn't lose me any money or enjoyment.

Both came back from PSA as 9s, which I can't say shocks me. I never expect to get 10s on anything I send in. The two RCs in question are his 2001 Topps issue and a 2001 UD Vintage offering. The pair are aesthetically-pleasing and the base Topps is sought after and close enough to his best rookie that I am more than happy to have both even if I don't end up keeping both or either in the long-run.

LaDainian Tomlinson Appreciation: An /25 UD Heroes Auto in a PSA 9 Slab!

I purchased today's card almost a decade ago to the day. Why show it again? Well, I was on my "send everything in for $8 and have PSA slab it" kick and this one recently came back. While football is my fourth favorite sport of the major 4 in the U.S., LaDainian Tomlinson remains one of my all-time favorite athletes.

It was my first auto of the Hall of Fame back and it continues to make me happy when I look at it. Limited to just 25 copies and with an on-card signature to boot, it now resides permanently in my LT PC within its PSA 9 plastic tomb.

Lance Alworth 1964 Topps, PSA-DNA 7-10 Auto: Direct From Bambi Himself!

Another amazing gift is today's highlighted piece of cardboard. One of my friends and coworkers is very, very good pals with Chargers' legend and Hall of Fame wideout Lance Alworth. Todd surprised me one day at work -- and I am that slow, as it was physically at work pre-pandemic -- by dropping this off at my desk. I was speechless and couldn't stop staring at it although I managed to stop just long enough to send it away for slabbing and safekeeping.

The 1964 Topps Football set is all kinds of pretty and Alworth has such a beautiful signature as is so commonplace with players from his era across all sports. Bambi was kind enough to inscribe his nickname, jersey number, and HOF induction year.

The grade mattered not but a 7-10 auto is stellar on a 60s card! Lance is both the first Charger and the first AFL player to make it to Canton.

Thank you immensely Todd!

LaDainian Tomlinson: Patriotic PSA 8x10

I don't know how this never got posted but I was looking through some stuff and came to the realization that I never scanned this in after purchasing it through work many, many, many months ago. I didn't get a huge break buying direct from Mill Creek but any break is a good break in my book.

My all-time favorite football player and a truly tremendous shot. The photo is PSA/DNA authenticated and ignoring the truly horrific line through the middle that my scanner still does on every scan, it's an amazing centerpiece for my LaDainian Tomlinson PC.

My World Cup of Trading Loot, Courtesy of The One and Only Wes Moore!

I recently participated in Wes' World Cup of Trading. I saw a pretty cool item and decided that while it didn't exactly fit into my new collecting direction, it was too awesome to pass up and I could send some stuff to JBF that would fit much better into his collection. You can see what I sent his way here.

This was the main attraction that caught my eye. Hall of Famer and an on-card auto? I'm sold. Plus, that's one mighty fine and legible signature Bobby is sporting.

I also wanted to beef up my available traders -- even though I don't trade as much as I once did -- so I nabbed the above Blake Bortles Flawless on-card Auto numbered out of 10 figuring it could one day come in handy.

Wes allowed everyone to pick up to five more cards after the initial round of claiming, so I once again looked for stuff to beef up the trading portion of my stuff.

Wes, being the immensely generous person he is, threw in some always appreciated cool extras on top of everything. My good sir, thanks as always! I hope you enjoyed everything I sent your way as I tried to hit all of your collecting desires.

LaDainian Tomlinson Enters The Hall of Fame! (So Here's A PSA/DNA Signed Mini Helmet To Celebrate!)

My favorite football player of all-time, LaDainian Tomlinson, was recently enshrined in the pro football Hall Of Fame where he rightfully belongs. I'm super biased but I've always viewed him as the best all-around back in league history. He could run any play with ease, catch passes better than any back ever, block, and could even throw the ball out of the backfield on an option play. To celebrate, here's the most recent LT item I added to my PC of the best player in Chargers' franchise history.

This beautiful signed mini helmet is authenticated by PSA/DNA as well as LaDainian's own company. A customer had brought it in to the shop to trade to my boss, who passed. The customer basically was prepared to throw it away and I told him he should give it to one of his friends who would surely appreciate it more (he's in high school). He then handed it to me and told me to keep it as he knew I'm a gigantic Tomlinson fan. I couldn't thank him enough and it definitely has a permanent and excellent place in my LT PC.

While we're here, here are the other key pieces in my Tomlinson Collection. LT is also one of the few guys I was able to complete a Pentafecta of back in the day.

My First Lance Alworth Autograph!

Many months ago I received a great gift from my good buddy Austin. He came across the below, thought of me, and nabbed it from Listia. It's a first for my collection and it always means more coming from a friend.

Bambi! My first John Hancock of the legendary Chargers' wideout. Austin let me know upfront it wasn't authenticated but his research indicated there was a high probability that it was Lance's signature. JSA visits my work about 3 times a year and they were due in shortly after Austin passed along the card.

Success! The auto passed and now comes with a basic JSA cert.

Thanks again Austin, your generosity is much appreciated!

My 1st COMC Purchase: Batman, Bison, Hockey, and Pre-War British Tobacco!

I recently received my first COMC buy in the mail. I had been building up a cache of cards for almost a couple years and did so entirely through credit earned by completing challenges COMC offered after their breakup with Beckett.

BATMAN cardboard! I've discussed my love of these before and I couldn't resist picking up this great shot of a "Cycling Crusader" for a wee bit of COMC credit. The artwork on these cards is just spectacular and then some. This is from the Red Bat A Series released in 1966.

I'm beyond tempted to slowly put together this Red Bat set as it's only 44 cards deep and I now have six cards without putting in much effort.

MORE BATMAN! Here's the "Concrete Conquest" card from the B Series Blue Bat issue, also out of the year that was 1966. It's another 44-card set and although it's my first Blue Bat piece of cardboard I might just have to give it a go as well. Again, the artwork on this bad boy is just amazingly impeccable.

The '66 Black Bat set is a bit tricky at 55 cards but it's doable.

The colorful and puzzled Batman backs.

Despite the extra-large scan this beaut is a mini from 2005 Bowman Heritage and a Bison I somehow had never gotten my hands on. It sat on my Want List forever and I finally decided to change that. I dig everything about it, down to Matty sporting number 44.

I must give a big thanks to shoeboxlegends for making me aware of this beautiful piece of cardboard's existence. Teemu is synonymous with Ducks' history and this is all sorts of amazingly awesome. Gaudy is the best word to describe it and after seeing sbl post I immediately went and added it to this batch of COMC cards.

The back is somehow more reserved despite the color and font.

Rakell! Rakell would be priority 1A for me this offseason if I was Ducks' GM, basically in a tie with Hampus Lindholm. Both are Restricted Free Agents and I only prioritize Ricky because the Ducks' have done a much better job at drafting and developing d-men over the last handful of years. Both need to be signed long-term though and I believe both will be.

I wanted to add Rakell's Young Guns RC for the nice game shot and affordability.

This card has captivated me for years. It hails from the absolutely stunning UD Masterpieces of 2008 and the canvas shot of LT -- who in my humble opinion is the greatest running back of all-time -- is a classic and unique one showcasing his passing ability. Much like the pitchers batting pictures we all love this oddball photo UD chose instantly drew me to the card.

Tomlinson could do it all, excelling not just in carrying the ball but in catching passes from the backfield and split out wide, blocking, and throwing as he was 8 for 12 in his career with 7 TD tosses.

British tobacco cards allow me the opportunity to link to one of my favorite scenes from any TV show ever. That Yorkshire card was also a COMC addition for the aforementioned shoeboxlegends although this time it's a mere coincidence we both added this pre-war tobacco card to our respective carts. I nabbed it way back on January 5th of 2015 for some reason that now eludes me and it waited patiently for me to complete my order.

Yorkshire cakes is just a funny phrase which probably explains why I liked it. That and it was a lonely dollar to purchase. A dollar of store credit earned through challenges. Basically, a what the hell buy.

The rest of this COMC batch of goodies will be written up and scanned in the upcoming weeks.

Super Bowl Contest Winnings

I won the annual Super Bowl Contest held by Mark at Collector's Crack. I was fortunate enough to correctly predict the Broncos over the Panthers and I somehow nailed the total points scored which secured the victory. I've scanned the cards of my favorite current Chargers and borrowed Mark's pic of the pizza-related prize.

Thanks for the goodies Mark, appreciate it!

Contest Winnings: Just Award Blog Of The Year To Bob Walk Already

I was recently one of a handful of contest winners over at Bob Walk The Plank. Matt and I have traded a few times before and I always thoroughly enjoy reading his blog and seeing the cool Pirates' stuff he's acquired. I was excited to see what I had won and after opening the bubbler I was speechless.

Still speechless. LaDainian Tomlinson/Deuce McAllister dual on-card autos, numbered 44/50. My all-time favorite football player whose signatures aren't exactly cheap as a contest prize for coming in second. Second, for heaven's sake. I feel like the ultimate winner and this is just the first of the three cards Matt sent my way. It would have been more than enough. But Matt is Matt of course, for those who have dealt with him before; he wasn't done.

Etem! I love Dominion and I'm happy to add my third Emerson ARP from the product to my collection. Just look at that shoulder emblem crest patch. It's numbered 18/99.

And finally, a jumbo swatch of Adrian Gonzalez #'d 39/75.

Matt, I can't thank you enough for the amazingly awesome cardboard!

1967 Topps Posters Roberto Clemente, A Collecting Shift, and My 2016 Goals.

I thought I'd start 2016 off with a representation of what the year will hold collecting-wise for me. I've begun a fairly prominent re-boot to my collection in the last couple of months. I've almost cut my eBaying down to nothing and have made a strong push to complete the various sets on my Want List, and I plan on those things being the major goals in the new year.

I want to complete all of those sets plus 2016 Allen & Ginter when it hits. I'm going to just focus on my main essential PC guys -- Kemp, Kershaw, Martin, Getzlaf, Campanella, Wheat, Seager, Rosen, Alworth, John Gibson, Tomlinson -- as well as vintage and oddball vintage in-particular, as with the below poster. An occasional non-PC item that I just really like will probably be purchased here and there but I've been fine cutting those types of transactions out so I'll continue with that move.

I want to trade more and hold some giveaways to condense the collection and give back to our stellar card and card-blogging community. I've got some really cool stuff I picked up in 2015 (and even in 2014) that I have yet to post so I want to clean out the drafts folder and get everything posted and showcased.

Anyways, I snagged the above 1967 Topps Posters Roberto Clemente from my LCS, aka work, for just $2.50. I love Clemente and the shot used; I have a very small PC of him that I add to when it doesn't break my wallet.

Manti Te'o 2013 Prestige Rookie Relic

I wanted to say thanks to my good buddy Austin who recently stopped by the shop I work at to pick up some cards and drop off a card he picked up for me.

My first relic of Manti Te'o. If only the Chargers' D stopped anybody.

1970 Kellogg's Lance Alworth, BVG 8.5!

My modest Lance Alworth PC gets another bolt (get it?!...I'm so mildly witty sometimes) with my latest pickup. It ran me a paltry $5.20 delivered and I love everything about it.

I don't seek slabbed cards for the most part but for a product that's notoriously tough to find in non-chippy condition no matter the year, I wasn't going to pass it up when it fell into my lap for the price it did. This 1970 Kellogg's card of Bambi, graded an 8.5 by Beckett, features a tremendous posed shot of Lance with ball in hand and his other ready to stiff-arm a defender. It's quite the Heisman-esque pose.

Not Neglecting My Secondary Player Collections: LaDainian Tomlinson Auto!

LaDainian Tomlinson is my all-time favorite football player and he will never cede that distinction. I'm not a big football collector but I do enjoy picking up his cardboard. The price isn't always within my ballpark -- and I've already completed a Pentafecta of him so I can live nabbing hits only here and there -- but I've wanted to land another auto of his for some time.

My second LT John Hancock is this on-card beaut out of 2002 UD SP Authentic. It ran me pocket change over a blaster and I absolutely love it!

1964 Coke Bottle Caps: Lance Alworth!

I like oddball releases, particularly those that are food-related. If the price happens to be exceptionally reasonable on top of that, well, I'm beyond smitten. Such was the case when I came across this Lance Alworth Coke Bottle Cap from 1964.

Less than $5 delivered landed me my newest Bambi. I love it!

Getting Handed The Entire Contents of a 6-Hit Box.

One day a couple of weeks ago at work a really good customer was in selling some stuff to us. He bought a box of 2015 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Football while he was there and we were talking about some of his pulls as he broke the box. Right as he was about to leave he came over and handed me the box and said he wanted it to go to somebody who would better appreciate it. I thought he meant the store. He actually meant me. So yeah, I was handed the entire contents of a more than $100 box for absolutely nothing, just because. Thanks KN!

Todd Gurley is the only name I recognized from the six autos in the box, and that's both because he was suspended last year and was the best running back in college, going 10th overall in the draft to St. Louis.

Some random cards will dominate the final two scans. Melvin Gordon was the Chargers' first-round selection this year. The Welker is #'d out of 99 and shiny. Beckham is a beast.

A few cards of former UCLA QB Brett Hundley.

1965 Topps Lance Alworth Tall Boy, SGC 60!

I present the best card in my modest but growing Lance Alworth PC. Bambi is the only vintage Charger I have any desire to collect and invest money in and he has two big cards that any Alworth Collection would be incomplete without. His 1963 Fleer RC will be mine one day but it's massively pricey for a decent-conditioned copy. His 1965 Topps card while pricey is much more reasonable and attainable.

And attained it is! I love vintage Tall Boys from any sport and '65 Topps Tall Boys are quite the awesome things in-hand. I was fine with a mid-grade copy and not breaking the bank and thankfully the above SGC 60 popped up for an extremely reasonable price of $28 delivered to my doorstep. A simple portrait shot of a smiling Lance, clean corners, and great eye-appeal make me one happy camper. I could care less about the very-off left-to-right centering.

Here's the back with a great '60s cartoon and a small write-up regarding Lance's success his first couple of seasons as a pro. That '63 will take some time but for now I'm quite happy with my recent Lance additions and hopefully I can find a nice '66 in the interim now that I own his second and third-year offerings.

1964 Topps: Lance Alworth (2nd Year!)

Certain rookie cards are unfortunately out of my budget for the foreseeable future. For the vintage guys I collect, it's disappointing, but if I can snatch a second or third-year card to serve as somewhat of a placeholder, I'll be happy and content all the same until the day I can dish out the requisite dough for the RC.

Lance Alworth is one of those guys whose rookie is super pricey. I will one day own his 1963 Fleer card, but in the meantime his second-year card from 1964 Topps will be just as enjoyable to own. The '64 design has really grown on me in the past month or so, as it has a very American feel to it with the color scheme and stars.

Those old Chargers' powder blues are just nails, every single time. The card is VG-EX and ran me just under $12 delivered. It's especially cool considering Lance was the '63 AFL MVP and the Chargers won the 1963 AFL Championship.

Bambi is the only vintage San Diego guy I collect and this '64 joins the 1970 Topps and 1971 Topps offerings I already possess. The '66 is probably the next affordable issue I desire, although I'd love to spring for the 1965 Tall Boy one of these days.

The Empire of JBF Bolts Again.

I know what happens when you call something with the famous Wes of Jaybarkerfan's Junk a "trade." He never lets you get the upper hand in what becomes a highly amusing war - from the outside - as you're bombarded with so much cardboard you feel you can never send enough back his way. So I'm just going to call what he sent me a "damn, Wes is so damn generous" batch of San Diego Chargers' goodness and continue to set stuff aside for him for the future.

The jewel of the bubbler is easily this absolutely stunning 4-color rookie patch out of Inception of receiver Keenan Allen, which also happens to be numbered out of 25. Anytime the powder blue makes an appearance, it's a good day. Three distinct colors of stitching never hurts either.

I decided to scan the rest together as I was short on time. A numbered Ryan Mathews relic, a Charlie Whitehurst swatch, and some random goodness of Tomlinson, Brees, Rivers, and Fouts rounds out the rest of the goodies Wes sent.

Wes, as always, you continue to amaze. Thanks buddy!