A Sandy Koufax Rookie Year Pickup!

This post is titled very carefully as I know not everybody considers rookie year items that aren't Topps or Bowman to be actual rookie cards. I am more lenient in my definition of rookie and fully consider today's Dandy Sandy score to be a full-fledged rookie card.

I really love the 1955 Golden Stamps set. A number of different teams are featured; you can buy them already removed from the book or buy a full and complete book; and the Dodgers' offering features Campy, Jackie, Hodges, Snider, Podres, and a host of other great and memorable players. The Koufax is a beautiful in the stretch shot with blue sky in the background that works oh so well on a Blue Crew card.

This PSA 4 was had on eBay for less than other lower-graded copies had sold for. I wish it had been slabbed better by PSA considering how easily these can slide around the holder without interior ridges being present. It moved in transit and arrived pinched at a corner, an extremely annoying thing I will live with (what with the grade already being on the lower end of the spectrum to begin with).

It's a most welcome addition to my minor and modest Sandy Koufax PC.

Jackie Robinson, Jews, and My Birthday -- To Quote Rick James, It's A Celebration Bitches!

July 17th of 1947 was one of the key reasons that today's featured ticket stub was a must-have for my ticket collection. July 17th is my birthday, first and foremost, and owning a stub from a vintage Dodgers game on that date is just cool. When the legendary Jackie Robinson has career hit number 101 in that game and is a rookie, well, a trifecta of awesomeness has occurred!

The Pirates clobbered the Blue Crew on that day, but a certain Pirate made a contribution I had to have noted on the flip. Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg launched career homer number 321 while driving in two and walking twice. I only think of him as a Tiger but as one of the game's preeminent Jewish players I was thrilled he was a big part of this game along with Jackie.

Any item added to my modest but growing Jackie Collection is a welcome and cherished piece of history in my eyes. Rookie year pieces are harder and harder to come by without breaking the bank. When I bought this, I believe I paid $20 for this and $20 for another rookie year offering from the same seller. You can't touch '47 Dodger stubs at that price anymore so I am very pleased to have stumbled upon them when I did and had the foresight to buy them.

A Jackie Robinson Rookie Ticket!!!

Jackie Robinson items from 1947 are not always easy to come by and when they do appear they are more often than not too expensive for my taste. I have a range, but Jackie rookie stuff and that range don't always see eye to eye. That makes it all the more imperative that when something does pop up -- and it is not insanely priced -- I jump on it and don't miss my chance.

Somewhere in 2020 I stumbled upon a pair of amazing and well-loved ticket stubs from the year of our Blue Crew Lord Jackie Robinson, 1947. I had recently developed a liking for tickets and the history behind them and was also putting effort into building a modest Jackie PC at the same time. These stubs were a perfect target if the price remained reasonable. Much to my surprise, they were far more than that....they were cheap!

I paid roughly $20 per stub and knew once in-hand the next stop would be the PSA grading room for protective slabbing and long-term value. Not that I will part with them, but the value added is undeniable.

June 3rd of 1947 saw the Dodgers play Pittsburgh in a double-header and sweep both games. A lot happened within those two contests....

• Hank Greenberg: 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, one RBI
• Ralph Kiner: Career HR # 29, 4 RBI, 2 runs, 2 hits
• Pee Wee Reese: 4 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs
• JACKIE ROBINSON: Single, Double, 1 Walk, 3 Runs, Career Stolen Base # 7

I wish I had remembered to ask for the SB to be on the flip and perhaps one day I will send it in to be re-holdered and the label amended. I would have surmised this would end up as Authentic due to the paper loss on the front, but I will gladly take a straight grade of 1.

1976 Marvel Super Heroes Stickers: A True Villain in Red Skull!

Here's another of the Marvel stickers I decided to submit to PSA because I have a problem with cardboard and boredom, and the only solution is to spend money. I may have been able to wipe the wax off on a couple of these and secure a higher grade, but I was just happy to get some stuff slabbed and make a fun display way down the road.

Rare is it that I would want something related to the Nazis....but I must say Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger was captivating. I really dig the blurb on this one and it's just a fine card/sticker all around.

PSA deemed it a 6.

A Belated Hanukkah Themed Post -- Archer Sketch Pickup: Richard Brady

Another day, another Archer sketch card in the books thanks to eBay. This one sat for some time before I finally pulled the trigger and I could not be any happier with the card in-hand. The character is the devious Conway Stern and the artist is Richard C. Brady, for whom I can't locate a site or social account to link to.

I love looking at all the sketches in my Archer PC at once....so pretty. This is my second from the mind of Brady joining an utterly spectacular one of Archer himself with the most amazing ocelot the world has ever known -- Babou.

Val Hochberg: Archer Sketch Pickup

I've got another Archer sketch pickup to document and catalog today with this beautiful Val Hochberg masterpiece. Val's artwork is absolutely fantastic and crossing her name off of the list proved to be a little troublesome as her work didn't pop up on eBay as frequently as other artists featured in the 2014 release.

I eventually found the perfect Hochberg sketch and snatched it up from a regular seller I buy from. Conway Stern first debuted in Season 1's Diversity Hire as -- you guessed it -- the perfect candidate for a diversity hire, as the card so clearly details. It's a tremendous episode and Conway's handful of other appearances throughout the show's run are always great fun.

Buck Herzog T206 Pickup: New York VAR, Piedmont Back, Double Name, Slabbed a PSA 1.5 (MC)

I added another T206 to my slowly-growing collection with this Buck Herzog pickup. An eBay score, the most appealing thing to me was the sweet double-name at the top of the card. The card boasts good clarity and I genuinely can never have enough T206s in my collection. T206s > modern.

Herzog -- nicknamed "Choke 'Em Charley" -- played in four World Series and for four franchises (including a short stint as a player-manager). He grew cantaloupes; had a love-hate relationship with John McGraw; was assumed to be Jewish by many during his career; was once traded for three HOFers including Christy Mathewson; once fought Ty Cobb; and faced hard times later in life following a stint with the B&O Railroad and time spent working at a racetrack. 

I Finally Own A Sandy Koufax 1955 Topps Rookie Card (Slabbed a PSA 3)!

There are certain cards every collector should own within the confines of his or her collecting interests. As a vintage collector and lifelong Dodgers' fan, a rookie of the one and only Sandy Koufax is one of those must-have pieces of cardboard. It took me far too long to obtain one but I finally pulled the trigger and landed an eye-appealing copy at a reasonable price.

Considering how much key rookie cards have jumped in price in recent years I find Sandy's rookie to still be relatively affordable in low and even mid-grade. Compare Koufax with some of the other luminaries and it's surprising, although in fairness while the last six years of his career were legendary it's peak and nothing productive before that. The longevity was not there and it took Koufax a while to get to those six years, so maybe it's not all that surprising.

Either way it benefits me and this gorgeous PSA 3 rookie is now mine and the obvious central cog in my quite modest PC of the The Left Hand of God.

Judah Jack "Kid" Berg: 1938 Knockout Razor Blades F.C. Cartledge Prize Fighters: PSA 8!

I found a card while rummaging through a collection at work that my boss had purchased. I instantly knew I needed to own it and after trading in a few items, the beaut was mine along with a couple other cards I had my eyes on.

Here's Jack "Kid" Berg from the 1938 Knockout Razor Blades F.C. Cartledge set. What first attracted me to the card was the Star of David on his trunks. Some cursory research reveals he always boxed with the Star on his trunks although he was more culturally Jewish than religiously Jewish. That's the same for me, which makes me like the guy even more.

Berg is a fascinating guy. He was the World Junior Welterweight Champion in 1930; the British Lightweight Champion in 1934; finished with a record of 157-26-9 with 57 knockouts; owned a restaurant, became a film stunt man, and joined the British Royal Air Force post-boxing; and may have had an affair with Mae West.

I don't have much vintage boxing but I enjoy picking up a single here and there if the card speaks to me on some level. Berg, a boxing HOFer, fits that criteria.

Oh Yea! Duffman Says A Lot Of Things....

My buddy was back in the shop this weekend and was kind enough to draw me two sketches for my Simpsons' Collection. Today's post features the character I requested, and it's a beaut!

Oh yea! Duffman and Kool-Aid Man need to team up already. Though Duffman doesn't appear often he makes every episode better. I also learned in writing this post that Duffman is Jewish.

"Duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem! Oh, yeah!"

Thanks once more amigo!

Koufax 1998 Donruss Signature Series Significant Sigs Auto: BGS 9.5-9 AU!

Every Dodgers' collection needs within it an autograph of the one and only Sandy Koufax. Longtime readers may remember I was once vying to acquire one via a contest that, shall we say, through nefarious means didn't go as I thought and hoped it would. So landing one remained a high priority. Thankfully, enough eBay patience paid off and I bought one raw for a pretty solid deal. It was sent in to BGS through Penguin (thanks as always buddy!) and it returned months ago.

On-card and complete with that beautiful Brooklyn B! This beaut hails from the Significant Signatures subset of 1998 Donruss Signature Series. I like the simple end of windup shot of Sandy and the overall design is just very appealing. This might be the greatest auto set ever in terms of the checklist. It tempts me when I don't need to expand my collecting interests in any way, shape, or form.

A later in life Sandy is found on the reverse along with the 0423/2000 serial number. The card earned quad 9.5s to garner the BGS 9.5 holder, but the John Hancock did get a disappointing 9. I say disappointing because while Penguin has explained to me BGS's reasoning, the auto being slightly darker in a couple spots in my mind does not constitute streakiness. I've seen far worse autos get a 10.

I'm not parting with this card barring anything unforeseen, so it's not a deal-breaker by any means, but my personal opinion has always been that if there is not a break in an autograph, no full streaks, and it doesn't run off of a sticker, it's a 10. So in my mind this 9.5-9 is really a 9.5-10.

Unlike the folks at Beckett, that signature has tremendous 10 eye appeal any day of the week and twice on the high holidays. And I seriously love this card.

Secret Santa Drops Off Stellar Cardboard

Everyone's favorite Matt from Bob Walk The Plank organized a Secret Santa this year. I decided it would be fun to join as I've never done it before, card-wise or in any setting. I received my goodies from my Secret Santa a few days ago and here they are, courtesy of Chris aka Raz of The Raz Card Blog.

Seager! This is one of those spiffy and appropriately-themed Snowflake cards found in 2016 Topps Holiday exclusive to Walmart. I like the design and any Corey rookie is good in my book, especially when my PC of the reigning NL ROY was lacking the card in question.

Chris was able to knock two cards off of my Most Wanted List, a rarity nowadays. First up is the Young Guns RC of Anaheim Ducks' goalie John Gibson, a personal favorite of mine. I've wanted Gibby's YG for a long time but never got around to finding one in my price range. I was stoked to see it fall out of the bubbler!

The Bison! This Kemp card -- 2006's Bowman Sterling RC -- has eluded me for years, though in fairness I never focused on actually getting it. But Chris took care of that and I enjoy Kemp rookies as much as I did years ago when he was still wearing Blue and not running into walls.

The final card is another Snowflake and another PTSIA fave: Russell Martin's 2016 Topps offering. This now gives me 335 unique Russ cards.

Thanks upon thanks for the fantastic cards Chris! Much appreciated!

1952 Num Num Al Rosen: SGC AUTH!!!

Oddball Al Rosen cards top my list of needs for the Indians' third baseman. There are a handful of his cards that price themselves out of my collection because they're rare and rarely appear. Today's post features one such card I was able to land and snag using a smallish chunk of my tax return which made it an even sweeter pickup. Released with potato chips, pretzels, and other snack items, this Cleveland-area set is even harder to find with the tab intact: 1952 Num Num!

The card was slabbed as Authentic by the folks at SGC likely due to the fact -- as the seller noted in the eBay listing -- that the card is likely trimmed. Any trimming, of course, matters little to me as these Num Nums are not easy to find and Rosen isn't usually available when any do become available for the taking online. And of course when they can be found they are usually not found with the tab.

Here's the back which goes into great and intimate detail about Rosen's life. Included in the bio: Rosen's Jewish ancestry (just part of why I love collecting The Hebrew Hammer); that he was Florida State middleweight boxing champion; he was a goodwill ambassador for a brewery; and he was single at the time the card was produced (hey ladies!).

Perhaps the coolest part of this Num Num release is that if someone collected all 20 tabs they could send them to the Num Num Food company and receive a signed ball by an Indians' player in return. However, it was an Indians' player of the customer's choosing as they could insert the name of the player they wanted on the reverse of the tab, as seen on the scan of the card back.

Batman Cards From The 1960s. Oh, and Some Nazi Cardboard.

Because for a buck a pop from my former LCS, why wouldn't I want these sweet pieces of vintage goodness?

First up is my favorite of my small purchase: Grappling A Gator. Not Will Ferrell's Gator, but an actual gator. The artwork on this fabulous piece of cardboard is just spectacular. Based on some cursory COMC research, this is from Series A - released in 1966 - and is signified by the Red Bat Symbol. Or something like that.

The back is 1/10th of what I imagine is a pretty cool puzzle of The Caped Crusader.

The other Batman card I acquired depicts The Joker In Jail. Again, the artwork makes the card, which also hails from 1966. This Bat Symbol comes in black.

The Dark Knight was my favorite of the Nolan Trilogy and my favorite Batman movie period so I was especially excited that this card was available for the taking.

Batman landing digits from lovely ladies at UCLA is the greatest thing. EVER.

I picked up a third card that day from my LCS, also for 100 pennies. It depicts terror rained down by the Nazis on a French woman and her son. The son is attempting to gauge out the eye of a Nazi soldier while a second Nazi fires a shot to stop the woman - who has grabbed a large knife - and her boy.

You can't go wrong with WWII-era-themed cards. This bad boy is card # 33 in a 66-card set put out in 1965 by Topps. World War II and the preceding decade is one of my favorite historical periods so to nab a card that covers that stretch of time is truly a real treat.

My First Dime Box.

Way back in March of 2012 I hit up my first Dime Box on a trip to Spiegel's LCS. I spent a grand total of $2 but, as with so many Dime Box experiences you read about in the blogging world, I was able to pick up some really cool cards. So thanks, Nick, for the idea. The scans look terrible unless you click on each, for some reason. So click on each.

 
I'll start with rookies of a Hall of Famer and a not Hall of Famer. Sam, the Bagwell is yours if you need it. Roy-Z, let me know if you're interested in the Delgado.

I found some pretty cool metal/promotional cards in the large Dime Box. The Jones has not been peeled and the Wood says "Promotional Sample" on the back.

I had to represent for the Jewish people when I saw multiple Shawn Greens. Roy, let me know if you want one of the Greens.

I plucked a couple of '70s cards from the clutches of the 10 cent bin. The Boone has already been dealt to Brad R. I love the colorful design of '75 Topps. This paragraph is Night Owl-approved.

Though I don't consider '70s cards to be vintage, two of the above definitely fall in the vintage category. The Martin slipped into the wrong scan.
 

Back to some '70s cardboard with another trio of ten penny pieces. Sam, are you in need of some Lemonjello?

Three modern-day "rookies."  At least I assume there's a good chance more than one, if not all, aren't the prescribed rookie card for each player. Not that I particularly care.

And finally, a card I only picked up due to name recognition. A need for you, Roy?

All in all, it was an enjoyable adventure digging through rows and rows of ten cent cardboard. An adventure I look forward to undertaking again and again.

A Christmas Gift To You: So, About That Sandy Koufax Beckett Auto Contest....

It has certainly taken me long enough to get around to this, but I have finally randomed a winner from the "Help Me Win A Sandy Koufax Auto" contest from way back when. I think I mentioned it, but I didn't win. However, your support was much appreciated and I will one day land that elusive White Whale to end White Whales.

I suppose it's at least appropriate that now that I have finally gotten off of my lazy tuchus to find a winner, it would be announced on Christmas. Someone will be getting free cards! That will arrive after Christmas....

Without further adieu, the winner - after three random.org randoms - is:

1st random:

2nd random:

3rd random:

Congrats to Matt Pederson of Cardboard Conundrum fame for winning! Matt, I'll include something extra when I send out your trade package. By the by, I received that bubbler you sent me a couple of weeks ago but haven't gotten around to busting it open yet. Apologies for forgetting to tell you.

But wait, there's more! Because it took me so long to get to this "pick a winner" point, there will be a second winner. I spun that random wheel a fourth time in order to reveal our last winner.

4th random:

So more congrats are in order, this time for Arno from I'm Ballsy!. Arno, I'll make sure to send along something extra whenever we complete our Billingsley Triple Threads trade.

Once again, congrats to both winners and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone that voted for me and put out the word to vote for me.

Trade With Nomo's Sushi Platter: Two New Kershaws and A Plethora of Random Goodness.

I completed my seventh trade with Spiegel of Nomo's Sushi Platter. You can check out our first here, second here, third here, fourth here, fifth here, and sixth here. Mike sent over some awesome player collection additions, beginning with two new Clayton Kershaws which take my Kid K Kollection beyond 170 unique cards.

Next up, a bunch of new Chase Utleys. A Dodgers' draft pick AND a Bruin. A wonderful combination.

Some Ryan Brauns found their way to me, and I'm happy to take them off of anybody's hands.

Some random additions: a Carlos Santana (thanks Uncle Ned!), an awesome Longoria Mini RC, a Jerry Sands dupe, a fantastic David Wright mini, a pair of Nomos for Arno (as he'll appreciate them more than I ever could), a sweet Kenley Jansen Chrome RC, and random Hamels.

Penultimately, I have no idea what the meaning of this is, but he has a distinctly Jewish name, so I'll go with that. It's numbered 114/206 and is a miiiiinnnniiiiii. Never a bad pairing of cardboard traits.

And finally, I got Ewwwwribe'd. Mike, I thought we were pals?

Thanks for the great cards Spiegel!

My First Shawn Green Auto, You Goyim.

It gives me great pleasure to honor a great Jew this morning on this, my Sabbath. Well, I rest a lot, in fairness, but Sundays are my kickback days when, on every other Sunday, I play kickball. I'll be off to play said kickball in a few hours, but before I do I must present you with my first Shawn Green auto.

Numbered 057/399, it hails from the Limited Greats subset of 2011 Panini Limited. I love that Shawn included his number 15, and for just a measly 99 cents plus two bucks to ship it, it was stereotypically and awesomely cheap. I now have the great urge to re-watch The Hebrew Hammer and Judy Greer in particular.