My Thoughts on The National

Forty-Eight hours from now, i will be in Chicago. the day after that, The 2011 Nation begins in the afternoon.

i have been looking forward to this show since the calender turned to 2011. There have been days in my head that have been filled with so many different things that id like to pick up at the show. of course, nobody can have it all. thats the way life is.

i am going to be concentrating on George Brett and Mike Schmidt PSA Slabs, and Rookie Card Slabs that i like, especially ones that i feel are an awesome price for the grade. That last part is something that is difficult to do online, but easier in person. Especially when youre dealing face-to-face with a seller, and you have cash to spend.

i hope that everyone that is attending the even has a safe trip, and they have an amazing time. im not sure what i'll be doing as far as online stuff while im away.
i'll have my iPad (original 3G) with me, but im not sure how much i will utilize it to be honest.

Randome Greaded Card of The Day - 1982 Fleer George Brett PSA 9

i still remember this card from the time is was released in 1982. ive always been mesmorized by the picture

7.31.11

Weather: 83, hot, not too humid, clear blue skies
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3+ miles. went to Lowes to get an air filter
Weather During Walk: sunny
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: tired
How is your diabetes today?: tired
Fasting BG this morning?: 92
Write something profound: glad this month is over, it was a shitty BG# month

7.30.11

Weather: 83, sunny and warm
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: warm, some breeze
Overall Walk Performance: sluggish
Current Mood: tired today
How is your diabetes today?: its there alright
Fasting BG this morning?: 87
Write something profound: is it Tuesday yet?

7.29.11 - Graded Rookie Card Of The Day - George Brett

Just LOOK at the Amazing centering on this card!
This card is notorious for bad, bad centering, mainly L/R, but also T/B
If you follow Brett rookies, you know what i am talking about.
i was glad that the SGC case and low" grade enabled me to win this slab
for $40. i've seen many, MANY "8's" that have far WORSE centering go for
at least twice as much as this one did.



ok, so it's natural to ask "Who is Rothman?"

so from the website of the peole i won this card from, i give you the answer:

THE ROTHMAN COLLECTION

We are extremely proud to be offering the newly Pedigreed "Rothman Collection" of over 30,000 baseball cards from 1933 to 2003, with highlights from Goudey, Bowman, Topps, Fleer and Others from those years. Mr. Steven Rothman accumulated the best of what cards were available to him during a 20+ year span, including all the rare Bowman variation cards from 1949-1955, many of which are seldom seen, making this a tremendous opportunity for seasoned collectors. We are also proud to have had the best 10,000 cards from this collection professionally certified by Sportscard Guaranty Corp. (SGC). Their expertise, care and accuracy are unequaled in the field of card grading and their holders are the most attractive of any of the grading services. Each card certified from this collection carries the Pedigree moniker "Rothman Collection" on the SGC label, ensuring that collectors will be receiving the one and only, highly prized example that Mr. Rothman searched long and hard for years to find for his special collection. Many of these cards will not soon be offered again in an equal grade and some are the Best Certified Examples Known, from any grading service!

7.29.11

Weather: 73, rain.
Did you walk today?: no due to rain
If So, how far?: 
Weather During Walk: 
Overall Walk Performance: 
Current Mood: unhappy about not walking
How is your diabetes today?: ok
Fasting BG this morning?: 85
Write something profound: four days until takeoff!

7.28.11

Weather: 75, sunny, light clouding. warm, not humid
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: nice
Overall Walk Performance: good, a little sluggish
Current Mood: a little tired
How is your diabetes today?: there
Fasting BG this morning?: 92
Write something profound: FIVE days until takeoff!

7.27.11

Weather: 75, clear, breezy, not too warm
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: slightly breezy
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: ok
How is your diabetes today?:
Fasting BG this morning?: 85
Write something profound: wow, year and a half already

7.26.11

Weather: 75, overcast, less humid
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: ok
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: ok
How is your diabetes today?: ok
Fasting BG this morning?: 90
Write something profound: one week till takeoff!

7.25.11

Weather: 78, overcast, less humid
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 2.0 miles. had to take care of an errand
Weather During Walk: overcast
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: a bit down
How is your diabetes today?: crappy
Fasting BG this morning?: 93

7.24.11

Weather: 87, hot, humid, overcast
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: hot, dead air, gross
Overall Walk Performance: so-so
Current Mood: sluggish
How is your diabetes today?: blah
Fasting BG this morning?: 91

7.23.11

Weather: 98, HHH, light breeze today, pcl
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: HHH
Overall Walk Performance: got it done after skipping yesterday
Current Mood: beat
How is your diabetes today?: beat
Fasting BG this morning?: 89

Graded Rookie Card Of The Day - Griffey 1989 Fleer Glossy PSA 9

Remember back when i started this blog thingie up i did the 9 vs 9.5 for the money comparison? Well, ive got a new example that blows Griffeys UD 9/9.5 out of the water.

i present the newest Griffey RC in my collection:



The same seller had a PSA 10 end the day after mine. the serial number on the PSA 10 was one digit off from mine, meaning that they were graded back to back, probably on the same day. Mine closed at $77 ... the PSA 10? $1,100+

im not making this stuff up people.

7.22.11

Weather: 91 (yes, 91 at 9:30am!), HHH. Real feel of 104
Did you walk today?: no. because even for me, it really is too hot
If So, how far?: 
Weather During Walk: 
Overall Walk Performance: 
Current Mood: defeated because i cannot walk
How is your diabetes today?: winning because i cannot walk. been stuck in the 90s this month.
Fasting BG this morning?: 92
Write something profound: its fucking hot outside!

7.21.11

Weather: 83, HOT HUMID PCL
Did you walk today?: yes, because im an idiot
If So, how far?: 3.20 miles, wild dog i avoided
Weather During Walk: HOT, head breeze
Overall Walk Performance: off and on
Current Mood: tired. didnt sleep well
How is your diabetes today?: shitty
Fasting BG this morning?: 93
Write something: for the life of me, i cannot figure out why my FBS numbers are up

7.20.11

Weather: 83, hot, humid, clear skies
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.20 miles
Weather During Walk: hot, muggy
Overall Walk Performance: average
Current Mood: tired today
How is your diabetes today?: avg
Fasting BG this morning?: 86

7.19.11

Weather: 83, hot, but not like yesterday
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.20 miles
Weather During Walk: warm, stale air
Overall Walk Performance: slow
Current Mood: been better
How is your diabetes today?: see above
Fasting BG this morning?: 92
Write something profound: two more weeks!

7.18.11

Weather: 83 HOT again today, PCL
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: HOT
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: ugh
How is your diabetes today?: sucky as my numbers are still up
Fasting BG this morning?: 92
Write something profound: two weeks to go!

7.17.11

Weather: 83, HHH, no clouds
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: HHH, breeze both ways
Overall Walk Performance: tiring
Current Mood: tired
How is your diabetes today?: tired
Fasting BG this morning?: 94

Graded RC Of The Day - Roberto Clemente

ive been a Clemente Fan for a long time. a very long time. for as long as i can remember, his Rookie Card has always been one card that i wanted. in the past i was never able to bring myself to "pull the trigger" and pick one up. ive also been looking at low (low) graded copies on ebay for some time. honestly, ive never seen one like the one i own below that as soon as i saw it, my reaction was "wow, that is one that i would like to own and think i'd be able to pull it off" The centering is so amazing, the colors are so vivid, i think that hole knocked a few hundred dollars off the price.

The man need no introduction...

Here is a jewel in my collection:



oh, and if this card could talk, id love to hear its story about how that hole got there, and what for? i'd guess that its original owner punched the hole in it with his other "non favorite" cards so that they could be carried around with ease on perhaps a key chain or string or the like.

7.16.11

Weather: 81, sunny, warm, not too humid
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, not much breeze
Overall Walk Performance: so-so
Current Mood: tired today
How is your diabetes today?:
Fasting BG this morning?: 82

Thinking...some say it's a good thing (or Quantity vs Quality).

Well, I've done it again.  Of course it's not all that much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  What I want to settle on is a g-damned focus.   Something that I can delve into, have consume me for a long period of time.  

When I come up with something, I let it marinate for a period of time and then I talk myself out of it.  Never fails. lol

I was thinking about working on damn good looking O-Pee-Chee Sets, Baseball and Hockey.   Those of you that know OPC know how much of a pain in the ass they are when it comes to centering/tilt/fuzzy cuts.

I was thinking how good they'd look in sheets 'n binders.   Yea, that would look real nice indeed and that's something that could take me a while to work on. Also a good thing.  Then I was thinking that I would pick up a run of '77 to '81  baseball to get me started.  I can wash/rinse/repeat those sets with singles that meet my standards at the national and beyond the national.

I was thinking that would be a cool focus and something that not everyone is into, which adds to the coolness factor for me.

Well, I then thought about it some more.....do I want to dedicate the space and funds to something like this?  Maybe I should just go for one specific year to see how that goes? If so, which ONE year becomes a tough choice.

So naturally, as I'm typing this, I don't know wtf I want to do lol. 

Quantity vs Quality - doing the above would lead to a heckofa lot of quantity. I that something that I want to deal with given my limited storage issues?

Going the PSA route on these OPCs is really tough.  PSA 9s command some big bucks (go figure, right? lol). 

Back at square one....bullocks!

7.15.11

Weather: 78, sunny, not very hot, but warm
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: good
Overall Walk Performance: good
Current Mood: ok
How is your diabetes today?: numbers are up again.
Fasting BG this morning?: 94
Write something profound: thinking about O-Pee-Chee Baseball

7.14.11

Weather: 73, sunny, breezy
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, head winds, much nicer then the last three days
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: overall blah
How is your diabetes today?: not sure why my FBS numbers are up this month
Fasting BG this morning?: 90

7.13.11

Weather: 85
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles + Target (No A&G)
Weather During Walk: warm, but not hot like the last two days
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: 
How is your diabetes today?:
Fasting BG this morning?: 90

7.12.11

Weather: 86(!), hot, pcl, gross
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: hot and breezy
Overall Walk Performance: average
Current Mood: ok
How is your diabetes today?: average
Fasting BG this morning?: 88

7.11.11

Weather: 83, light clouding,pretty warm/hot
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: hot, bright, gross
Overall Walk Performance: average
Current Mood: better then lately
How is your diabetes today?: better then yesterday
Fasting BG this morning?: 85

7.10.11 - Graded Card Of The Day - Bob Gibson Rookie Card

The man needs no introduction.....



it's got two faint "x" marks in pencil on the back, and some creases like it was in a kids back pocket when he sat down. The low grade (and qualifier) kept the final hammer on this wonderfully centered high number rookie card under $65. Try to beat that with a stick! didnt think so ;)

Also, the person(s) running the auction said that they were donating 25% of the sale to Juvenile Diabetes Charity, so biding on it was a no-brainer for me, and won it for a lot less then my snipe.

7.10.11

Weather: 77, sunny, warm
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, bright, warm, light breeze
Overall Walk Performance: better then yesterday
Current Mood: blah
How is your diabetes today?: see below
Fasting BG this morning?: 94

7.9.11

Weather: 73, sunny, slightly warm
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, some breeze
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: ok
How is your diabetes today?: eh
Fasting BG this morning?: 89

Welp, there's always the default Focus I suppose

Ok, since my default Focus since 2005 has been graded rookie cards, as of this typing, that seems what this years focus is going to be at The National.   

I have compiled a wish list of graded rookie cards that I do not own.
Here is that list:

(of course this list is never 100% and changes often)

1939 - Ted Williams
1948 - Musial, Berra
1949 - Hodges, J Robinson, Snider
1950 - 
1951 - Irvin, Mantle, Mays
1952 - Mathews
1953 - Paige 
1954 - Aaron, Banks, Kaline
1955 - Clemente, Koufax
1956 - Aparicio 
1957 - Bunning, Drysdale, Maz, B Robinson
1958 - Maris
1959 - 
1960 - 
1961 - Marichal
1962 - 
1963 - Staub
1964 - Niekro
1965 - Hunter
1966 - Jenkins, Palmer
1967 - Carew, Seaver
1968 - 
1969 - Jackson, Oliver
1970 - Munson
1971 - 
1972 - 
1973 - 
1974 - 
1975 - Brett Mini, Carter Mini, Hernandez, Rice Topps, Mini
1976 - 
1977 - Murphy
1978 - 
1979 - 
1980 - 
1981 - Gibson, Fernando
1982 - 
1983 - Kittle Fleer
1984 - Fleer Update Puckett
1984 - Topps Tiffany Gooden, Mattingly, Strawberry
1985 - Topps Tiffany Gooden
1986 - Topps Tiffany Bonds, Canseco, Clark, Bo Jackson
1987 - Fleer Maddux, Fleer Glossy Bo Jackson, Maddux
1987 - Topps Tiffany Maddux, Matt Williams
1988 - Score Glossy Biggio
1988 - Topps Tiffany Glavine 
1989 - Bowman Tiffany Griffey, Smoltz
1989 - Fleer Glossy Biggio, Griffey, Johnson, Smoltz
1989 - Topps Tiffany Biggio, Griffey, Johnson, Smoltz 

I've been bouncing idea back and forth in my head about a new focus, and nothing seems to stick.  That means that they aren't meant to be.

I've thought about doing: 

- a run of complete O-Pee-Chee Baseball sets.
- PSA 9 runs of all Topps and OPC base cards of Brett and Schmidt.

Of course I still have a few more weeks and the way my brain works, things change around a bazzillion times a day, so who the heck knows anymore? lol

If you're reading this.....first off, I appreciate it, I really do, and secondly, if you've got any input I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for the read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

7.8.11

Weather: 73, overcast, muggy
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: muggy and gross, soupy
Overall Walk Performance: sluggish
Current Mood: tired
How is your diabetes today?:
Fasting BG this morning?: 89

Is it the actual owning of the cardboard, or the hunt to obtain it?

I just spent 20 minutes typing up a blog and it disappeared.

Mother fuck everything

7.7.11

Weather: 83, hot, pcl, hot
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: hot
Overall Walk Performance: hot
Current Mood: better then yesterday
How is your diabetes today?: better then yesterday
Fasting BG this morning?: 82

A pre-National Blog...

I am having problems finding cards that I want to buy.  Since I've lost interest in all things baseball cards after 1989, my list of "needs" is pretty small, and gets smaller each time I pick something up.

I'm also having a really hard time picking a new focus, which I'd like to have in place BEFORE heading to the national.

One thing that I am going to have to pony up and try involves my favorite vintage wax dealer... Www.BBCExchange.com

They are having a National Only promotion with PSA where they will have PSA grade cards you pull from their packs opened at the BBCE booth at the show at the cost of $15 each, with a minimum of 5 cards to be submitted.
BBCE will also handle all aspects of the process and return the cards to you at the show!  Simply an amazing deal!

For those of you that think "well, $15 per slab is simply too expensive", I want you to keep a few this in mind....let's say you want to submit a card yourself, and are in no particular rush to get it back. That fine and dandy.
Whats that going to run you? At absolute bottom $5? then you have to pay to send em the card, pay them to send the card back to you, insurance on top of all that, and of course not only the wait time to get the card back, but what if it gets lost on the way there OR back from PSA?  Keep those things in mind before proclaiming that $15 is too expensive.

Needless to say, I am mega pumped about this promotion and cannot wait to rip and submit!

7.6.11

Weather: 83, HHH, overcast. sick outside
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: gross
Overall Walk Performance: tough
Current Mood: tired
How is your diabetes today?: my right eye is blurry since waking up, not good
Fasting BG this morning?: 91

7.5.11

Weather: 80, clear skies, hot/warm, slightly humid
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, bright, warm
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: stumped
How is your diabetes today?: winning
Fasting BG this morning?: 92

7.4.11

Weather: 77, Hazy, Humid, not incredibly hot, but not nice either
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: see above
Overall Walk Performance: sluggish
Current Mood: tired today
How is your diabetes today?: eh, been better, been worse
Fasting BG this morning?: 89

i know ive written about this before...FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS (...i need one)

Collecting sports cards is a nasty habit. it really is. yes, there are far other worse things that one can do with their money.

i am a collector, much like a drug user cant quit shooting up, i cannot stop collecting. that being said, FOCUS is such an issue for me.

i am about done with my Topps Heritage Baseball Run and thats something that im going to be glad to add to yearly going forward with each new release.

i am always going to collect graded rookie cards that i'd like to own that i havnt obtained yet.

i have finished my "1984 Donruss Hall Of Fame Base Card PSA 9 Project"
i am working on my "1981 Topps Hall Of Fame Base Card PSA 9 Project"
i am working on my "1984 Fleer Hall Of Fame Base Card PSA 9 Project"

these last two, its a case of the slabs i still need are not available to buy.

That leaves me where i am as i type this.....needing something to FOCUS on in addition to the above FOCUS'

Thinking about Sets in sheets from 1980 and earlier, specifically O-Pee-Chee Baseball. Then the more i think about it.....sure i can buy them, put them in fresh new sheets....then what? grrrr

man, i just dont know anymore. nothing newer then 1989 (other then Topps Heritage) holds my interest. Hell, im even thinking about making that nothing newer then 1980.

1981 was such a turbulent year in my life personally, then add in Donruss & Fleer and BOOM! the card market goes into mass production, there isnt much from post-1980 that isnt really readily available if you think about it.....factory sets, vending boxes, wax boxes, all available for the most part, and all affordable in the grand scheme of things. 1980 and earlier on the other hand, wasx isnt all that abundant, and it aint cheap. Sets in their entirety arent mega-costly, and certainly are not "rare"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

shoot me now....please?

7.3.11

Weather: Overcast, mid 70s
Did you walk today?: no, left early to go to the Mets/Yankees Game
If So, how far?: 
Weather During Walk: 
Overall Walk Performance: 
Current Mood: ok today
How is your diabetes today?: blah
Fasting BG this morning?: 89
Write something profound: Saw Mariano Rivera blow a save after recording two outs to start the 9th inning.

7.2.11

Weather: 73, sunny, not too hot
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: about 3 miles and mowed the lawn
Weather During Walk: sunny
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: fed up
How is your diabetes today?: fed up
Fasting BG this morning?: 91

7.1.11

Weather: 73, sunny, clear skies
Did you walk today?: yes
If So, how far?: 3.25 miles
Weather During Walk: sunny, bright, slight head wind
Overall Walk Performance: ok
Current Mood: head cold, allergies, something going on
How is your diabetes today?: see below
Fasting BG this morning?: 96