MrMopar's New Dodgers Autograph Thread (and other interesting items on a slow mailday)

[mrmopar]

Typical card BS, Can't win a Bowman regardless of what I bid (within reason), but win the off brand for $1 w/o any competition. I just want the auto, but I do prefer a licensed copy in a Dodger uniform. He has not played yet, so maybe I still grab a Bowman at a cheap price someday. Maybe if he never makes the MLB roster, I don't bother. I understand why it happens, it is just hard to believe there is that much of a premium placed on common prospects in bowman products. $$$ continue to soil an otherwise fine hobby.

Hyun-Il Choi



This is not new, but every time I see something related to the old fan clubs, I at least try to win and this one went cheap ($5.50). Reggie Smith Pepsi Fan Club ID card. These have to be scarce in general, just not popular enough to catch most people's eyes. I mean, how many could have possibly survived being issued and not filled in my the member to begin with, then keep it for 40 years? Better for me!

 

[mrmopar]

Not even really all that excited about these newer Garvey pick-ups the way I am about say a Pepsi club card. However, this one is pretty good. iIt's /5 with a trio of memorabilia pieces.

Picked up another Solly Drake. He seems to be fairly elusive. I learned several years back that he was a pastor in a church in the LA area, still active at the time. I tried to email a signature request opportunity through the church, but never heard back. I guess he just has no interest in signing. His signature is not super rare, but it is harder to find than the average common. Would like his 59 Topps card signed. That will cost some coin if I ever see one. I have a 57 Topps signed, so that is a good place holder, but it';s a Cubs card!

This last one is one I have sitting at COMC, but they are cheap and I want to cross it off the list officially. I was down to needing 2 in hand, until I checked baseball reference to make sure there were no additions since I last looked and there are 2 more now!! One of what was formally 2 needs should be arriving any day, however, now I am back to 3 needs! This is how @Therion must feel!!

Alex Vesia.

 

[mrmopar]

Biggest mail day in a while today. I feel like the market for what I buy is slowly softening again. Seem to win a few more items in the last couple of weeks. Still not many surprise wins, where I was expecting to lose and win anyway. Those don't seem to happen very often any more.

Duke Snider.

Beaty & Smith lot. I might have both of these cards already, i don't remember. It was a nice price for the pair, so I went for it.

A few obscure guys on some BW Postcards. Gary Moore, Kevin Pasley & Dave Sells. This may be the first Dodger image I have of Sells. The finally gem of the lot is Alan Wiggins, who never played with the Dodgers, but was a prospect. He had a minor league card, which I added last year. I always liked Wiggins as he came up with the Padres in the time when I was watching them closely. Sad story too.

Last item gets me back to 3 current in hand LA wants, only needing 1 actual autograph again if you count the COMC cards in hiding. I won't share those guys until I have one in hand, either through another ebay deal or I finally decide to try another delivery!

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo

 

[WizardofOz1982]

That Duke Snider is a great looking card.

I didn't know the extent of Wiggins' story. That is very sad. Drugs are life ruiners.

 

[mrmopar]

Just got mail delivery after taking a week to see NY, Philly & DC. Here is what I got that is worth mention from that span:

A couple guys who don't seem to have Dodger cards to get signed. Juan Rivera and Lance Carter, so I went with some inexpensive 8X10s to complement cards already signed. I prefer cards, but have a lot of 8x10s, so it works.



Then a few uncommon names on cards:

Rudy Seanez, Antonio Osuna, Mike Judd & Adam Liberatore:



Finally, a Garvey MSU card /25.



Now for what I think is a somewhat funny/interesting story about my trip, for those still paying attention at this point. The trip was for my son, who just graduated HS. Although I had never been to Manhattan, Philly or DC, he and my wife did all the planning. I was not sure what I wanted to see there, and just went with the flow. Of course, WTC, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and some other iconic sites were on my mind, but I really had no "can't miss" items besides those few. I have always wanted to see Brooklyn, perhaps where Ebbets Filed once stood, but I figured that was probably pretty boring now and we were relying only on subways and walking, plus time was limited. Spoiler, we did not make it to that spot. However, on the way back from Coney Island, we stopped in the tip of Brooklyn to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, back into Manhattan. I can now say I made it to Brooklyn!

Earlier in the trip though, on our way down to the waterfront to catch the ferry to Ellis Island and the statue of Liberty, we stopped at a cafe to grab some breakfast. As we were sitting there, I could see a sign for a post office retail address in the window of the building across the street behind my wife and one of my boys. The address was 1 Whitehall St. I knew that street name was familiar to me, but at first couldn't place it. Since nobody can spoil the story as I write it, I can build a little more suspense for some, although others may also recognize the name. I thought and thought of where I would have known that name and as we were packing up to leave it hit me....Topps Chewing Gum had a Whitehall address! However, we did not have time to explore, so I snapped a shot of the Post Office and said that we needed to explore further when we returned.



When we got on the ferry, I looked up Topps and wouldn't you know it, their address was the same 1 Whitehall Drive, NY! Immediately I thought, did they move? How can Topps be at that address with a Post Office, but of course the building was tall, so why not. When we got back several hours later, we stopped by and Topps was still a tenant, but they were essentially closed. I spoke with the doorman and he confirmed nobody was coming in much at all. I was hoping there would be some sign of the card maker in the lobby at least, but no dice. I am not even sure I could have waltzed up to their suite had they been open. It is something to consider if I make the trip back to NYC again some day.



It would have been cool to at least step into the offices of the business that has captured my attention for most of my life, even if they are just cubicle farms like any other business you might visit. I'm sure they would have had something on the walls within the office, at the lobby to greet visitors, etc. Something a little more special than the front facade. I'll probably never know now, but if anyone here has ever made the stop when things were not on lockdown, did you make it in?

 

[Therion]

That's pretty cool. I would have never connected the address.

 

[mrmopar]

I am a little irritated at myself for buying one of these cards that arrived today. Partly the frustration of not being able to win things as easily as 6+ months ago, partly the fact that he is not as good as his current pricing reflects. However, I guess when all is said and done, what difference does it make?

It was a nice mail day, especially for low numbered autos. I'll start with a Flawless Garvey /3. I am almost certain I already had one, but with the new issues being so similar and me backing off on paying too much for any one now, I don't recall. I could probably look back through this thread to see, as I don't think the issue was that old. If I did, I now own 2/3 of the print run! I made a BO and the seller accepted. I do like the green of the emerald versions of cards these days. It provides some contrast to the brown/orange or blue jersey Garvey is usually seen in.



Next is one I just tossed out a bid on with no expectation or concern about winning and I ended up victorious. That doesn't happen all that often. Either I am all in or I usually don't bother and drop our early. Nice to score a "mistake" at a good Price. Now former Dodger Joc Pederson /5. Once again, a nice contrasting red and the auto area is clear. Neat card and I am often a sucker for low serial numbered cards, if I can score them for not much more than a basic version, which does happen from time to time.

The final card of the day is the one I may regret, but the money is already spent, so why fret over it. I am fortunate enough to be able to splurge now and again on a non-Garvey purchase and since the well has been fairly dry of late comparatively, I tossed out a high bid (for me) and won, although I was nearly maxed out. I do hate it when that happens, but it was the price I selected and was willing to pay! I like the retro design and the red contrasting color as well, plus these few new issues are his first as a Dodger. Speaking of firsts, I doubt I will chase a Pujols if he gets a Dodger auto, but that would be a huge whale if I could land one! Mookie Betts is in the same category as well, but I have yet to see a Dodger auto. I have to think he is not signing for a specific reason, which is unknown to me, otherwise why has he not had a Dodger auto yet. An old topic as well, but timely too. Why no Kenley Jansen certified autos for his entire career?! WHY???

But for now, my first (and probably last) Trevor Bauer Dodgers auto, also /5.

 

[mrmopar]

A less exciting day today. I won't show it, because I just got one a while back, but the Topps Archives buyback card with Will Smith and his all rookie team trophy. i ended up landing a 2nd copy. I always appreciate the Topps ART cards signed. I gave up on completion a fair time ago, but I still pick up new cards as I can.

The only one to show is Zim Fleer GOTG.

 

[mrmopar]

It's not autographed (printed on), but I had never seen one before. Nothing else to show after the Holiday. I have programs from racquetball, tennis, golf, tourneys, etc. Skiing was new. This is a poster, around 12x18 or so.

 

[mrmopar]

Another neat Garvey oddball item arrived today, but unlike the poster yesterday, this one was signed. An Ogden program with a shot of Garvey and a few other future Dodgers (Lasorda, Buckner & Valentine). It is stuff like this that you often have no idea exists to even try to look for it, because the minor league fan base is usually so small that it's lucky half the stuff survives, let alone reaches ebay. You just have to luckily stumble upon most of it. Thankfully a few people will list stuff like this from time to time. I think of the local Rookie A team we have close by that issues cards, programs and such. If a super prospect ever came through (Felix Hernandez may have been one of the most notable), finding that stuff later may prove very difficult. I had never seen this program before.

 

[mrmopar]

Today I took possession of a new Andy Burns card /10 to add him to the Dodgers autograph collection. I thought I was maybe back down to needing just 2 others, with 1 COMC holdout I have not found elsewhere, but in checking the roster, I added a couple more. I am now 4 away, with 2 owned but at COMC. Unless I find and receive copies elsewhere, I am still not counting any COMC cards yet. This leaves Betts, Zach Reks, Steven Souza and Jake Reed. they also just called up Darien Nunez from AAA. I suspect that means he'll get into a game shortly, as he is a pitcher. No autos to be found to prepare for his debut. He may be another like Victor Gonzalez where I had to wait and hope.

Man, mail is moving slow these days, or am I just ultra impatient with all the potentially lost pieces I am facing.

 

[mrmopar]

Had a seller go dark on me too. I filed the claim and got a refund today. Left the POS negative feedback for good measure. However, I am actually not that upset. I already had the card. It was a decent price for a dupe, but not spectacular, so the joker actually saved me from buying a dupe.

The card I originally bought, but will NOT be adding....

 

[mrmopar]

Maybe one of the better Garvey autos I have been able to nab lately. This is the new Stadium Club. Prices for common Garvey autographs continue to be a complete mind blow to me. I have to assume it is the "new" money into the game in the last year, because few cared about Garvey prior.

I have seen base and even the red foil /50 selling for $50+. That is just crazy to me.

It is a great shot though and my copy is the rainbow foil /10 version. Past Topps autos with low print runs have proved tricky to find if you miss the initial offerings when the product is new. I attribute that to Topps collectors more than Garvey collectors.



Along with the wildly crazy prices for vintage and new alike, the market for custom cards seems to have taken off as well, with a number of people really appreciating the nice work some amatures are doing with cards. Banty Red especially. I misses the last couple of Garvey cards he did and they sold for close to $100 each. I have seen a lot of his creations sell for much more, so maybe a bargain? Perhaps someday the collecting world will embraces these creations in a broader manner than they do now.

One more item to share, but not a signed item. This is an offer from Sporting Life out of Michigan, another guy doing some cool work. I also missed his last Garvey card too. It also went for close ti, if not more than $100. I just can't cough up that much for a custom myself. It's larger than a 3x5 card by a bit. The flag part is a little hokey, but its a cool looking card.

 

[mrmopar]

With wins picking back up, maybe I get back to being a little more picky over who I show. Pretty big mail day overall, although most was not autpgraph stuff.

Highlights include 2 Garvey cards. One /11, the other /25. A little tip for anyone not familiar with these Donruss MVP cards. I didn't see it at first and was struggling to figure out which version people were listing when these were new. Orange, Purple, etc. Finally noticed the "MVP" was different colors! Old man issues.





Neat are a pair of Juan. 2 Marichal Archive cards. One /4, the other /17. I like the action shot of the K-Mart card and who doesn't like cards numbered to less than 10!? and the Red Sox card. At this rate, I may need to collect Marichal as a side player collection with all the autos I have added in the last year +. n Someone pulled out the /4 from the archives case, which I don't like. 2nd time I have won a Marichal like that. Hoping not a bad sign (fakes)!



The final share of the day seems a little boring, but why not. Max Muncy. The guy will be forgotten in the history of semi-decent HR hitters who do little else. Still, he's had some decent years with LA and hopefully he'll continue to have a few more.

 

[mrmopar]

A nice double sig for the winner of today's "best" item. 1964 Topps Rookie Stars signed by both Wes Parker and John Werhas. One more plug for Wes Parker in Heritage before it is too late! C'mon Topps? Is the guy unwilling to sign???



Also in, another dual signed 64 Topps Rookies. I don't care as much about Woody, but adding another Jack Smith was the goal. Although Woody was the Mariners GM for about a decade stint before Pat Gillick and was in charge for 2 of their 3 divisional 1st place finishes, including that fantastic 1995 season, so that is kind of cool. Smith just died this year and was pretty obscure, plus his name is as generic as it gets. Imagine finding him if you needed to from scratch!



Final pick up is an Al Downing RC. @dano7 just got one via TTM, but I went the lazy route and bought mine. I am pretty sure I have this card already, maybe a few of them, but its a cool card, especially for normally boring 1962 Topps.

 

[mrmopar]

This adds a Dodger autograph, but not the player as I already had *******. Winning a certified Dodger version proved to be quite frustrating. I kept losing out on these archives cards and the Baller Championship set. Unfortunately it was in a time when many stupid people were paying stupid money for everything, driving prices of even the most common stuff into weird levels never before seen (no other way to explain it). I am willing to bet all of his Dodger cards drop significantly, where most others sit now. This one is /17. It's not the best signature for view/display, but it works.

 

[mrmopar]

Sizable haul today. Highlights include:

Sheldon Neuse. I can't recall if I have counted him yet, but this is about as true a Dodger card as I can hope for so far, although the patch is clearly an A's patch.

Alex Wood. This was just an impulse buy with a seller I had already won something from. Nothing special other than /15.

Brett Eibner. This is a new Dodger signature, not a new player signature. An upgrade if you will. Always appreciate these types of finds. he was not in LA long (17 games in 2017)! He hit .182!!

Logan Forsythe. I remember seeing this card after discovering him as an addition to the Dodgers and loving the action shot. This is some sort of special ed or parallel version, it is stamped "All Star Game Washington DC 2018". With the new 2022 Topps preview breaking today, I recall this year was one of my favorite designs from Topps in a very long time. Still really like them .

Finally, this card has a spell on me. I absolutely love this image. One of the best ever. A lot of people drool over the 1953 Bowman Reese and it was epic in it's time, but it is a posed spring training shot. Action photos got more common on cards, but this was still relatively early in the game. That high leg kick is just awesome! This might have been the greatest card ever made if he was sporting the Dodger blues!

 

[mrmopar]

Another pretty hefty mail day. A nice mix of vintage, short timers on Dodger cards and some dupe players, just because. I should have waited on Victor Gonzalez, but I really liked the opening day card, his first certified auto issue. His Stadium Club autos though are now plentiful and fairly cheap. I have another one coming that I didn't really intend to win.



The Oliver is probably a dupe, but I couldn't recall. The Blue Jays card is cool and it's /45

Lamar Bundy, Brandon McCarthy, Sean Pierce and Doug Mientkiewicz.

Most of these have some pretty good wear or a bigger flaw (paper loss, etc), but still an all time favorite set of mine. I'd love to complete the signed set someday, but missing too many big HOFers to make that a reality w/o a lottery win to assist me!

I didn't have Rip Repulski, which surprised me. Have plenty of his signed cards, as he was a Dodger in 1959-60 on his Topps cards. This was the only new pick-up of the 56 Topps cards.

Duke and Skoonj are always welcome adds, even if they are dupes!

 

[mrmopar]

Just 1 in today, but /5. On card, nice patches and that green really contrasts nicely. No logo though. Boo!

 

[mrmopar]

A couple in today. Both have exceptionally unexceptional signatures! The extra sparkle doesn't help for me, but I am really appreciating this 1986 design more and more. I liked it when it was new, probably the best since 1980 (I kind of liked 83 too). I see Garvey has a clear card in the 86 T design now, but showing him as a Dodger. I'll try to grab one if the prices for new Garvey autos goes back to normal someday. I seriously don't know what to say about this. The recent spike is unsettling. Maybe a bunch of schleps think that a few of us battling for the low serial numbered cards is making Garvey more desirable in ALL lines? In 20+ years, I can tell you there are not that many new Garvey fanatics entering the market due to Covid. There is no good explanation.




Gagne is an archives dupe, but it is the blue /25. I don't expect an answer, unless someone has one, but it would seem there was no PURPLE version for Gagne in this set. I believe purple were /199 normally. I can find no record of one being offered for sale.