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

[mrmopar]

Following a small mail day, comes a large one. Back to some lower numbered ink too...

Garvey /10.

Beaty /10.

Price /25.

Jones /31.

One more Heritage real one that I had the red, but not the base...Harkness.

Closing it out with a Zac Rosscup auto. I had his signature, but on a photo only. I don't like to do that, but I had no other choice at the time to get a bargain signature. Happy to have a card now and since I am not aware of a Dodger card, this is probably as good as it gets for me.

He is one of the way too many short time Dodger pitchers of late. Rosscup managed to last a part of 2 seasons with LA, between 2018-19. Selected off waivers from the Rockies in July 2018, he played 11 innings in 17 games and was 0-1. The Dodgers released him after the 2018 season ended. Almost a year later, apparently regretting their decision to release him, they signed him as a free agent. He pitched 3 innings in 7 games before the Cardinals bought him in late July. He's back with the Rockies this season.

As I ponder the future of my collection, I still love getting little nuggets like Rosscup, but wonder just how many of these little nuggets only meant something to me. It seems that people selling autographs of scrubs these days want a lot, especially if the player had just made a debut. One of the Dodger's newly debuted players this season had no autographs on ebay, but no longer after he made his debut, 1 showed up for $100! Seriously??? I was not a buyer and still need that player, but if I had bought one for whatever cost I deemed reasonable, I bet I'd struggle to get $3 for it now if I was tring to sell! This is a hobby of passion for me and I collect what I like, I just wish it didn't cost me so much money at the same time!

 

[dano7]

 

[mrmopar]

Today's lone star was this Archive Garvey 12/12. After losing so many of these, I have been able to win a fair number. Interestingly, I still need more of the higher serial numbered versions, which are often on terrible card choices (like an 85 Topps), so not willing to spend $15-20+ on them! Oddly enough, I won this and then won another, copy so that one will be shown shortly...



Side note. 79 was the much less discussed 2nd year of baseball cards for me. The first year was something special, but the 2nd year meant that I was willing to come back for more and it solidified a lifelong collecting passion. I remember pulling some really nice cards (Palmer, Rose, Carew) that had great action shots and the AS banner. The Garvey is not quite as great of a shot, but better than a goofy portrait or posed "action" shot.

 

[mrmopar]

Continuing to fill in blanks when the prices are right. Red Heritage Ross Stripling /67.

A new baby Dodger. He seems to be the only new one that isn't commanding dead 19th century HOF autograph pricing! I mean holy hell, this has gotten beyond ridiculous. I really want to know who is dropping $500+ on guys like Jake Vogel, Wilman Diaz, Luis Rodriquez. Call me bitter, but anyone paying these prices...I hope you get stung and are holding these after a massive price drop. You deserve it (and you have too much money to spend on untested baseball cards apparently as well)!

Carson Taylor. Another catcher for the Dodgers! Apparently he is no good, because I was able to get this for under $10.

 

[mrmopar]

This is the other Archive I won, IU believe the same day I won the other. I like this one a little better because it is 6/12.

 

[mrmopar]

A couple from Archives Snapshots. I am pretty much done with that issue now, although may pick up variants if the prices are good. Todd Hundley B&W /25 and base Victor Gonzalez. I swear that if these were not certified issues, I would argue the Hundley's are fake! Who knows, maybe they still are???



The big hit of the day is a lightly signed Andy Messersmith 1970 Topps. Messersmith decided at some point that he would no longer sign any autographs, making specific items hard to come by. Thankfully, I have several of his Dodger cards. I would really, really like to have his 1978 Topps and OPC as well as his 1979 Topps and especially his 79 OPC signed though. If he ever changes his mind and has a reasonably priced signing event, I am down for those 4 cards!

 

[mrmopar]

My bucks purchase came today and was my only mail. It's a heck of a good mail day though!

Jim Bunning 8x10, since I can't find a nice card. Of course, Bunning was not known for his time in LA, at the near end of his career. The 37 year old was 3-1 for the 1969 Dodgers in 9 games. They had stole him from the Pirates for a couple minor leaguers who never panned out. I guess they got what they needed from him, because he was released after the season ended. He would pitch 2 more seasons with the Phillies before calling it quits, going 15-27 over that 2 year stretch. he retired with 224 Wins, 2855 Ks and a 3.27 ERA.

He is also what many consider a borderline HOFer to boot, and there is clearly no way with those stats that he'd get the call in 2021 if he were eligible, but still a huge add for me.

 

[mrmopar]

A pretty good mail day today. Garvey Archives /21 starts us out.

Nex is a nice Duke Snider /25.

This is a future Dodger, but a card design I really like. Robin Ventura.

And to go with Ventura, not Dodger related, but another Lone Star sig at what I thought was a steal of a price! Arod!

 

[mrmopar]

Another hefty mail day...got most of the stuff I was waiting for in the last 2 days.

I'll start with one that is not scarce, but is not seen as much as i'd like, Jim Gilliam on a 55 Topps.

This johnny Schmitz 52 Bowman is another nice vintage add.

Last direct Dodger item is a 1979 TCMA minor league card of Alex Taveras with the Dukes. He is not a common signature, so like to add them at a nice price when I can.

From here, is goes to former/future Dodgers in other uniforms (or none at all). This is a cool card, but only Harang represents the Dodgers. It's fun when multiple players were Dodgers, but not the case here. Still a nice trio and numbered to /15.

Garvey head shot

The last one is a new signature and checking a Dodger off the wantlist. New addition in 2021 is Andrew Vasquez. He didn't seem to have any certified cards, so I jumped on this one when it went on sale. I paid close to $7 for it, which for me and who he is so far is high, but sometimes they disappear just as quick. I really wish more graphers would be willing to let the market decide instead of tossing cards out of guys who just had their debut for $30-50. Have seen that several times this year with Dodger pitchers who maybe pitched 3 games! vasquez was one, but not from this particular seller thankfully. Dodger wantlist is back down to 5, with 7 more sitting in COMC jail right now, waiting to be shipped. Won't see those until 2022 probably!

 

[dano7]

Always love signed vintage!!!!

 

[mrmopar]

So here is what looks more like a real Hundley signature to me. Had to get both a thick and thin version, just in case.



Thjs was a nice score as well, a 59 Heritage real one Wills. Got it from Probstein and it was a pretty good price to boot, I think, compared to some of the other Wills Heritage cards I have been trying to win.

 

[mrmopar]

These also came in recently. I miss this type of thing and with newspapers all but disappearing completely, soon we won't have even box scores and little articles to clip p\out. Maybe that habit died a long time ago, but I used to clip out obits, significant event headlines and box scores, along with nice pictures from the newspapers. I also saved the special sections like these, the posters a lot of newspapers did and especially the bubblegumless cards that some newspapers have provided. This is a segment of collectibles that will probably not be missed by most, but many collectors are probably sad to see them on their way out all the same.

First one is a special ASG insert from Sn Diego for the 1978 ASG they hosted. The 2nd is a special insert for the upcoming 1984 World Series from Detroit. Awesome items that I got real cheap! Both have a Garvey connection too.

 

[mrmopar]

Another "vintage" Garvey auto on a cachet. I'd say the signature matches right around the date on the cover. Could have been signed later I suppose. Garvey's modern signature still has some characteristics of the old version, but after signing 1000s and 1000s of autographs and him being over 70 now, it's gotten a little sloppier and hurried looking. I like the older sig, as most would as well.

 

[mrmopar]

Getting close to emptying the scan file for new pick-ups. I love getting packages daily, but I don't mind saving some money as well.

Grandal Archives /74 with a J Turner appearance.

Jose Pena 70 Topps.

 

[mrmopar]

The last of my waiting to post items. I either need to buy more stuff or my posting is going to get boring...

Jack Savage minor league card. This signature looks pretty basic. It might not even be by his hand. Could be one of those cards where someone just decided to sign it with a generic signature.

Pretty sure this is a dupe, but these Montgomery autos are all pretty cool designs.

 

[mrmopar]

Well, like the sucker I am, I restocked the pile. Nothing exciting yet, but I have some stuff incoming.

Earl Mossor.

This one is just plain UGLY and not quite sure why I bought it, other than trying to complete the run and it was cheap. Maybe I am in the minority again, like the shoe card I mocked before, but I am wondering who thought this was a good idea for a card design. A reverse negative of a photo is not something most people want or need!

 

[mrmopar]

The calm before the thunder! One in today, it's a black Heritage parallel /50 Ruiz. Be nice to see this kid have a decent career. I am not heavily into his stuff, but have a few neat items.

 

[Therion]

Yeah, the reverse negative autos are weird.

 

[mrmopar]

Just got the "fat" base Hundley, so now I have "fat" and "thin" base and "fat" B&W. Seeking a "thin" B&W if I can find one and it's a reasonable price and I'll call it good. I have only seen "fat" blue versions, #'d/50, but apparently everyone that pulled one of those is INSANE and wants too much money! I have seen 1 gold /10 and it was a "fat" signature. I still think there is something off about these "fat" signatures. Maybe just being paranoid.

 

[mrmopar]

The thunder had started!

I have been fairly vocal about my Garvey collection taking a back seat, so to speak, as some weird phenomenon is occurring where people I have never done battle with (as far as I can recognize) before are beating me and paying way more than I would have ever paid for Garvey stuff. Seriously, I have had maybe 5 real threat rivals in the entire time I have been on ebay. Some have come and gone, some have stuck around like me. I got to recognize the IDs even after ebays feeble attempt at hiding it. None of the Garvey dedicated are winning the majority of auctions right now. anyway, there are still a few cards that come along that i really would like to own. once you pass on stuff, picking up what you really want becomes more important.

So, to start off the Monday mail day, I received 3 Garvey cards. 1 was a "must win", 1 was a "try to win" and one was just cheap enough to add, although I did need it still.

My must win was this Topps Project signed card. I like it. It's different. Not sure how many versions there are, but I have seen the auto/10 and a "base" unnumbered auto, plus a regular base card and a glossy parallel that may have been numbered, but I don't recall now. this one was the auto /10.



The try to win was another logoless Panini card. This is /25.

Finally, a basic Donruss Retro base auto.

Besides the triple shot of Garvey, the other 2 cards were former/future Dodgers. I was finally able to get the base Heritage Griffith card, after winning several of the red /67 versions. This one was $5, so pretty happy about that!


The other is former Dodger Alex Verdugo. I really like this Topps design a lot. There is a Bellinger auto I wanted, but kept getting spanked. Even after the dismal year, people are still overpaying for Bellinger, so wait longer I will...I lost a copy of this because I forgot to put in a snipe bid. It ended for $3! Who knows if I would have even won, but damn, why can't that happen to me? This copy was closer to $10, but still a decent price in my mind. After a brief flash of potential in LA in 2019, Boston got him and he had a nice year for them in the shortened 2020 season and another decent year in 2021. Maybe he can keep building on that next year. His auto isn't much to look at, and that card would have been awesome as a Dodger, but still a very cool addition.


Last item, not autograph or Dodger related, but is related to another collecting interest of mine, the kids clubs that numerous teams had in the 70s and 80s, typically sponsored by a soft drink company for some reason? Pepsi, 7-UP, Dr Pepper, etc. I know for sure of clubs with the following teams: Dodgers, Mariners, Rangers, Tigers, Padres, Brewers, Yankees and possibly the Reds. There very well could have been more. I don't recall any Coke clubs, but maybe I will discover something new one day. I'll take anything along these lines if you have it or know where I can find it, within a reasonable price range, of course. Membership applications, membership cards, newspaper ads, giveaway items (sweat bands, shirts, bags, etc), patches, photos or anything else related to the club promotion. Most of the clubs offered kids a chance to see a select number of games (usually around 5-7) in the cheap seats, get some swag and have a membership card for a pretty nominal fee. Great idea!

This is a preview of sorts to part of the thunder that is still to come, but for now a 1977 Texas rangers Dr Pepper club patch. Smaller than a baseball card, I have a similar patch for the Mariners that i got in 1979-80 time frame, but mine was a Pepsi patch. Had never seen this one before, so had to have it.

More to come soon...