What $10 Bought Me This Week

by Jeff Zimmerman on Sep 1, 2009 2:18 AM EDT

I always search "baseball" on the local Craigslist to see what items are up for sale. I have picked up anything from a bucket of wiffle balls for $1 to the original Bill James Historical Abstract. This past week I saw an ad for someone selling boxes of baseball cards for each team for $10. I figured I would get a few hundred Angel Salzars and Ed Hearns, but what the heck, my one year old needed something new to chew on. I contacted the person and to my utter amazement, the Royals box was not yet sold. One morning on my way to work, I met the seller and got my box of cards.

I decided that I take myself back to childhood and enjoy the cards. I would actually read the back for those interesting facts like:

Frank White has hit for the cycle twice in his career.

I wouldn't care for the condition and plan on showing my daughter how to put a card on her bike to make a motor sound.

Here are some of the highlights for me so far:

Bo Jackson looks good on any card.

What are the companies thinking when they choose the picture. Here are 6 that stuck out.

Storm Davis pointing to another home run he allowed
Bill Buckner with a pipe in the 5 hole showing hitters where he can't field
Appier(?) taking fielding practice
Gubiza sporting a sweet mullet
Sietzer acting as if he is about to drop a load in his pants Greorge Brett style
Stillwell giving his best Jordan imitation with the tongue sticking out.

I got my share of Ed Hearn and Angel Salazars

We used to have a good team.

If you ever get a chance to pick up a bunch of cards on the cheap, I would highly recommend it. Heck, if you ever get bored of the cards, just put them up for sale of Craigslist and find some other sentimental sucker that will pay you for them.

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Comments

You could literally sell those for like $5

Way to go Dayton Moore!

As a sad, side note, I think I have at least half of those cards.

Someday, I’ll do a post on bad Royals rookie cards that I have. My favorite right now is Mark Quinn, though I’m sure I have some Justin Hubers somewhere.

by AxDxMx on Sep 1, 2009 5:26 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

yes... :) Me too. lol

Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.

by 306008 on Sep 1, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Two words

Kick.

Ass.

I have a lot of those cards! Late 80s were when I became a collector. Great stuff!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 1, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions

gold age of card collecting

i think there was a lawsuit of something that broke the Topps monopoly, which led to Score, Donruss, Fleer and, famously, Upper Deck

i remember Topps being like the dollar on the world market: everyone had it, maybe it wasn’t always the best, or the most sought, but everyone had them nonetheless

it seems ike some of my friends were into Fleers, and of course people loved UP… i can’t recall anyone being into Score or Donruss, but i kinda like them

by Freneau on Sep 1, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Donruss was golden from around 1985 to like 1988 and then got way over printing.

Jeff Zimmerman - Protecting the world from RBI's and Wins from my mom's guest house.

by Jeff Zimmerman on Sep 1, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

It was all overprinted

Everyone has that stuff, and none of it is worth anything unfortunately.

Also, did anyone see MLB give Topps back its monopoly? The baseball card business has been slowly dying anyways, but MLB went and killed off Upper Deck’s ability to use team logos by giving Topps the sole rights. So UD can still use player images I believe (MLBPA), but has to airbrush out logos if they go with action shots. It could lead to some innovation for UD, but they might as well get out while the getting is good.

by AxDxMx on Sep 1, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

yes... Topps has a monopoly back

or exclusive rights, or whatever you want to call it

by Freneau on Sep 1, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

+1 on the Billy Buckner caption

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Sep 1, 2009 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

I think you should post cards

Of random Royals players of the 80s. Joe Beckwith. Terry Leach. Matt Winters. Rey Palacios.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 1, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

I could do that

Maybe I will, after Labor Day.

I also have some AWESOME poses that will hopefully yet find their way into Top-100 articles, my Mike Sweeney and Joe Randa cards come immediately to mind.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Sep 1, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions