I'll take it

 

I made it to the monthly show across town today. It was the first time I was able to get there since January, having missed the last two because of poorly-timed weather.

 

This is good because the big Syracuse show is in a week and I'm probably not going to be there due to the lack of a vehicle.  

 

The monthly show is definitely not the Syracuse show. I was reminded again by the ever-pervasive fantasy card tables that you can ignore at the Syracuse show because there is so much regular card show goodness. Today's show featured two tables that got my money. There were probably four tables total that offered the cards that interest me -- i.e. sports cards not encased in plastic.

 

But all things considered in the hobby (*waves hands at everything*), I'll take it.

 

This show will not be long for my world if one particular dealer decides it's not worth it (two of his seller buddies who used to accompany him at the monthly show have ditched it for Syracuse). But he was there again with all the great off-condition vintage. That includes the 1968 Topps Game Brooks Robinson card you see there.

 

I am not trying to pick up random 1959 Topps like I have been with 1957, 1961 and 1965, but I saw the wrinkly Bill Mazeroski and I had to bring it home. The Ted Kluszewski showed up not long after and implored "we're on the same team and we're the SAME COLOR" and I had to add him, too.

 

 

 Here's the one 1961 card I added this time. Tony Kubek is one of those broadcast voices of my childhood, right there with Joe Garagiola, Don Drysdale, Howard Cosell, Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer, Bill White, Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, Bob Murphy, even Keith Jackson for a time. I instinctively add Kubek cards because of that.

 

 

This dealer has a slightly smaller segment of vintage Topps football. I'm more particular about what I add from football. Really only 1976 interests me, it doesn't matter who is on the card. Preston Pearson comes from the days when I thought I was a Cowboys fan. I was a confused little guy.

 

 

Since 1976 football is the first football set I bought in packs, certain cards bring me right back to that time. The Joe DeLamielleure card is one of those. I had no idea who he was or how the heck to pronounce his name, but I figured he had to be a big deal because of the All-Pro box and how much Topps zoomed in on his face, which it loved to do for superstars in the '70s.

 

This card has eluded me for my Bills vintage binder for quite awhile, I was thrilled to spot it.

 

Not as thrilled though as finding these two cards:

 

I love the Bell Brand Potato Chips Dodger cards, unfortunately so does everyone else. These are both from the 1962 set and in ridiculously good shape for being 60-plus years old and once living in a potato chip bag.

 

At that point I shifted over to the glass case to see if I wanted to spring for any of the higher priced vintage cards. But nothing there called to me, which meant it was time to grab the most off-condition card of the afternoon:

 

Clemente has seen some things. Perhaps he went to Vietnam and back. Maybe he was just in some kid's pants pocket for too long. But thank goodness, it means I don't have to pay a bundle for a card that's just one in a set of 609.

 

 

The back, just to show the kid didn't simply focus on the front.

 

After that table stop I was off to find something else of interest. To do that I had to dodge a few kids in strollers (this is not a place with wide aisles), beards-and-beer-guts galore and squirrely kids darting everywhere (but well-mannered). Finally I spotted a $2 box. The dollar boxes were underwhelming and quarter and dime boxes seem to have gone the way of Dime Box Nick.

 

But I found some good, modern stuff, for me and a few select trade partners.

 

 

Always delighted to find Dodgers inserts in these boxes. This is the stuff I've stopped chasing for the most part but I'll still gladly take them. Of course, I have less-and-less idea of what set they come from or what they even are, but that's to be expected, both with my advancing age and mostly Topps' quest to confuse every last collector. (update, all 2025 flagship or Chrome inserts).

 

The Yamamoto was the first card I saw just sitting up front and with the way online sellers charge for his cards since the WS, I grabbed it like it was gold. 

 

What's with the Blue Jays cards, night owl? Yeah, well, I like to add Vlad Jr. cards, they're just cool and they're also good trade bait. The Romano is a 2024 Heritage Chrome card. I will add just about any parallel from the 2024 Heritage set (there were several 2025 Heritage pink sparkle cards in the box, but the excitement of those has worn off).

 

 

 Last card I'm showing. This is from a set I had never heard of -- Upper Deck Finite from 2003. Apparently every card is numbered. I looked up the team checklist and there are 17 Dodgers! This team collecting thing is never going to end!

 

So that was a happy encounter, learning about a new-to-me set from a $2 box.

 

And that wrapped things up. I returned home because my wife needed the car for grocery shopping. Hopefully by the time the next monthly show comes around we'll be back to multiple vehicles. This is getting old.

 

But I was able to get to at least one show in three months. So, I'll take it. There's a certain night owl from 10-15 years back who would say "you don't know how good you have it."