Orange you glad you use TCDB?

The TCDB trades have been rolling in, as many other forms of trading and acquiring new cards dry up. I don't post all of my swaps here, but one of my recents was a fun one.

I rarely add or peruse the basketball section of the site, but from time to time I do add a few cards of Syracuse Orange basketball cards just to keep my want a bit diverse. Luckily, it worked out in my favor for a trade with jrad1973, as I sent him a few Astros for the following cards.

While I absolutely hate baseball mascot cards (looking at you, Opening Day), I thought a card of Otto the Orange was cool to have. Typically Syracuse has four students play Otto each year, and during football they alternate each quarter. One of the best mascots in college sports!

A couple of Syracuse one-and-dones! The Carmelo is cool, especially with Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery in the back. Feels like a big event game!

It wasn't just Syracuse cards! Three Yankees were included in the package, as well. I don't hate Contenders baseball. I have no idea when or they were released. Retail blasters, I guess? But I would have never come across them if not for TCDB.

Pretty cool what resorting to TCDB can net you, especially for unwanted Astros cards!

Let the Madness begin

One of the best times of the year for sports is upon us: March Madness. This officially kicks off a time in the sporting calendar where we'll get three weeks of exciting college hoops, followed by Opening Day, and then the Masters. Sign me up. All that's missing is the mid-April start of the NBA Playoffs, which will happen in May this year.

My school, Syracuse, plays tonight against San Diego State. After a fairly mediocre season, I wasn't so sure they'd make the Tournament, so I was happy with an 11-seed at large bid. They could lose by 20 points tonight, or go on a Final Four run, and neither outcome would surprise me. 

Over the past few weeks, I've acquired a few small card collections, and some of the cards in the boxes consisted of early '90s basketball. Outside of plucking out the Jordans, Shaqs, and other Hall of Famers, I also set aside the Syracuse guys. I have nice stack going, but no clear direction. I don't know if I want to have a "Syracuse Binder" or display them in a frame or something. Regardless, I have been adding to that stack.

My next Syracuse card pickup will hopefully be a Carmelo Anthony autograph. I'm on the hunt for one.

In the latest boxes of cards that I went through, here are a few who left their mark on Syracuse and played at the next level:

Good luck to your respective schools if they are dancing this week. Who are you pulling for?

Floyd Little on the day of the Super Bowl

Just before Christmas, I showed off my Floyd Little rookie card. I'm glad I picked it up when he did, as he passed away after a battle with cancer on January 1. Yes, 2021 had already started by taking a legend.

Despite being a Hall of Famer, Little's name doesn't come up often in conversation. While he played for the Broncos his entire career, many football fans have never heard of him. As a Syracuse fan growing up, and later as a graduate of the university, Floyd Little's name is branded in your head once you step foot on campus, or "the Hill" as it's referred to in Syracuse.

Jim Brown. Ernie David. Floyd Little. All three wore #44, which is a number that sits in Syracuse lore. 

However, the University has totally botched using the number since the late 1990s, really. Thoughout the 70s and 80s, the number was used as a recruiting tool. Be the next great to wear 44 at Syracuse, they said.

And at Syracuse itself, students are expected to love the number. It's not just for sports. The school zip code ends in 44. The campus phone numbers begin with 442 or 443. It's highlighted on the football field and hangs from above the Carrier Dome. It's weaved in and out of lesson plans, on free t-shirts, and in campus promotions.

But then school made the stupid decision to retire the number for football. It's hardly the reason the program has toiled as a bottom feeder since the mid 2000s, but it was one of many head-scratching decisions to honor the hallowed number's past instead of making it part of the present and future.

Regardless, because of this, it's hard to spend time on campus and not know about, and eventually appreciate, Floyd Little. And he was always around. He went to games and worked for the program. He was full of charisma and represented the school well. It's just a shame more people didn't grasp what an incredible player he was:

• Hall of Fame Inductee: 2010
• College Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 1983
• 3-time All-American
• 5x Pro Bowl
• 1x All-Pro
• 1x NFL rushing leader
• Broncos Ring of Fame

Toward the end of his life, I decided to pick up a bunch of his cards, not because I knew people would price gouge once he did pass, but because I felt like I should have a few pieces of cardboard to honor a great. I know quite little about vintage football designs, so it was fun to come across those.

Most of these were picked up for a buck or two, although the autograph set me back a small amount, but  I wanted that one since he was seen in his Syracuse 44.

RIP Floyd. Enjoy watching this year's game from above.

Unchartered waters

I know very little about vintage basketball cards.

Most of us can take a look at any baseball card from the 50s, 60s, or 70s and know exactly what year the set is from. But if you showed me a basketball card from that timeframe? I'd have no idea.

In my quest to stay somewhat interested in cards right now, I've started to look at some vintage basketball cards. Given I'm a Syracuse University alum, I thought it was time to pick up some Dave Bing cards. Bing is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, despite being very under-appreciated. 

I hope to pick up a RC, but I started with a couple cards from other points of his career. Anyone know what year this is from without looking? Me neither!

It's from 1970-71 Topps. When I bought it on eBay, I expected it to be the size of a mini. Wrong! It's bigger than a traditional card. How would I know? I was very surprised when I opened the envelope and saw it.

See what I mean? Making uneducated purchases. Many would call that dumb. Including me.

Here's the second Bing I bought. Any idea on the year?

Well, it's later in his career, as he's a Celtic. But it's from 1978-79 Topps. It doesn't look much like it's baseball counterparts from 1978 nor 1979, although I do see some early '80s baseball cards in a few of the design elements.

It's kind of dumb of me to make these types of uninformed purchases, but we're only talking a few bucks. If anything, it's fairly enjoyable to see a completely new design from an era where we're all familiar with what the baseball cards looked like.

I'll probably work to complete the Dave Bing Topps run, as vintage basketball is picking up steam from a lot of collectors and investors. Might as well snag 'em now while I can...even if I'm buying cards I know very little about.

Sports wagering, with interest

I like to bet a little. Not a lot. Just a little.

I'll never be someone to throw down massive sums of money on betting, but a little skin in the game? Sure, why not? Plus, sports wagering is now legal in the state in which I reside, and many others are on the way, and on the way quite soon. It's going to be mainstream here in the US (if it isn't already), and frankly, I'm glad to see us catch up with the rest of the world on that front.

But one does not need to bet in just cash. Cards are a solid form of wagering!

I'm not talking about buying Bowman, which is a form of gambling in its own right. I'm talking about cards as the payment for a friendly gentleman's wager.

In December, when it was announced that my alma mater, Syracuse, would be taking on the hometown squad of Bob Walk The Plank, West Virginia University, in the prestigious Camping World Bowl, we decided to make a friendly wager out of the ordeal. Loser would buy the other a $10 card of their choice, related to the school that won. I think those were the terms.

Syracuse ended up winning the game 34-18, although admittedly it wasn't a fair fight. WVU was without their stud QB, Will Grier, who decided to sit out the game to avoid the risk of injury heading into the NFL Draft. Plus, for a perennial bowl-bound team like WVU, I can't image this game felt too big for them. For Syracuse, the game was a culmination of their best season in years, with a lot of optimism for the future with a solid team and a great coach. The game felt like it meant a little more for the Orange because of the way the last two decades have gone.

Regardless, Matt is a man of his word, and this was the card I chose:

I'll always have a soft spot for Malachi Richardson due to his performance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, so I felt like owning an autograph of him in a Syracuse jersey was the way to go.

Matt decided to charge himself some interest for a delated payment, which I wasn't expecting, and sent four additional cards my way:

The Gleyber/Adams dual relic is awesome! Matt said he actually pulled it from a pack, which makes it even cooler.

The Leyritz buyback autograph is very cool, and then Winfield jersey is great. There's even some dirt on it! I appreciate the low-numbered mini of future Hall Of Famer CC Sabathia, as well.

Thanks for the bet and following through, Matt!

Orange is the new Red

Sorry, that was a bad post title.

Adrian "Red" Autry deserves more than a bad blog post title. A four-year standout at Syracuse in the early 90s, Autry now serves at Jim Boeheim's associate head coach.

One of the first Syracuse games I went to was February 8, 1993. It was a Monday night game versus rival Georgetown. Autry led the way with 25 points in a 76-61 win. I sat way up in the nosebleeds, but it was a school night, so I felt pretty special going to a game an hour away with school the next morning.

While doing a card purge over the summer, I stumbled upon some of my old basketball cards, and found a few copies of this Autry from 1994 Classic. I opened a lot of this product when I was 10, for whatever reason. It had some good rookies in it though, specifically Jason Kidd.

I sent two copies to Autry, and he was nice enough to sign them both in only about a week's time.

One final note: man, I wish Syracuse would bring back that script for the men's uniforms. They've done it in one-offs, but I'd love to see it permanently. 

ATBATT's BFG

What a weird post title, but couldn't resist the urge to make it something completely incoherent. But some of you will get it!

I was fortunate enough to participate in Oscar's version of the Big Fun Game over at All Trade Bait All The Time.

I came away with a lot of football cards. The Mike Williams auto is cool since he's a Syracuse guy, although his off-the-field issues derailed his career - both collegiate and professional.

I'll likely use this Peyton Manning for a TTM request, as he signs for a small fee and I didn't have a card of him.

Here are the rest of the football cards, including an autograph of Pro Bowler Lavonte David. The HOF players will end up in my son's HOF binder.

I was also lucky enough to win two prizes during the contest. I didn't have this sweet vintage Yankee:

And then a bunch of packs of Babe Ruth cards. My 5-year-old loves The Babe from the movie Everyone's Hero, and often asks me for Babe Ruth cards. This helps replenish my stock to reward him!

Oscar, very generous of you to run the game. Thank you!

Making my 11-year-old self proud

When I was a kid, I constantly scanned the pages of Beckett and Tuff Stuff, feasting my eyes on cards I couldn't have. Sometimes, it was vintage, like 1972 Topps, which seemed like cards that were so old I would never own them. In fact, I remember being in 8th grade when I bought a lot of Yanks, and was floored when a 1972 Topps Mel Stottlemyre was included.

Beyond the vintage were shiny, beautiful cards that just weren't available at CVS or Revco, where I got my cards. Once in awhile I'd go to a local card shop and blow some money from shoveling snow, but I almost always bought several packs as opposed to spending my money on a higher end pack or single card. I'd always glance at the display case, looking at the shiny cards that belonged behind glass or in the pages of the monthly magazine. Those weren't for me. I was buying packs of Collector's Choice and Hoops, and if I splurged, Fleer Ultra. I don't think I even knew Topps Finest was its own set that came in its own expensive packs. I just wondered why they never fell out of my regular Topps packs.

We were a very blue collar, middle class family. I never had the new Jordan or Penny Hardaway or Griffey sneakers, even though I spent hours looking at them in Eastbay catalogues. Cards were like that too. I could have the affordable ones, but just not the ones behind the glass. It was better than nothing.

It has stuck with me to this day, and is part of the reason I love '90s cards so much. They represent the cards that are ingrained in my head. The cards I put on pedestals on that I saw in the magazine pages. Now, with the magic of the internet, and the fact that I have a little money in my pocket, I can now have many of those cards I wanted. In fact, I can have them for a fraction of the price, because they aren't too pricey 20 years later.

Take this card, for example:

Man, I remember seeing this set. The neon. The cardstock. The futuristic look. This card was probably $10 or $12 back when it was out. Barley won an MVP that year. Fast forward to 2016, it was basically a throw-in for me on a recent COMC order. Seriously, it was probably a quarter or something.

And the thing is, I have no use for this card. At all. I'll probably put it in my kid's HOF binder. It was just the fact that I can now own something that I never dreamed of when I was a kid. It's very superficial and pretty stupid of me, but I felt like I needed a card like that to help bring some peace of mind to my 11-year-old self.

I then snagged a Refractor, because, why not? Again, it cost mere cents. But a 1993-94 Finest Refractor?! In my possession? I had to. I picked Seikaly since he is a Syracuse guy. But seriously?! A Refractor. From 1993-94. That's big.

While I can't quite pony up for a baseball Refractor from 1993, I did pick up a couple base cards.

Now, where can I buy a pair of 1997 Air Max Griffey sneakers?

Mark Hoyle POPS UP in my mailbox

Mark Hoyle sends some of the best packages out there. When he's not single-handedly doubling my vintage collection, he's sending along other completely cool items. Check out this blast from the '80s past:

Boom! Some Donruss oversizes cards and pop-ups. I feel like these pop-ups are all over the place now, but I love getting them fresh and unpopped. I'll probably give one or two of these to my son for him to play with.

With the NCAA Tourney starting tomorrow, I'm a bit depressed with no Syracuse to cheer for. They are banned from this year's post-season and got some major slaps on the wrists from the NCAA. However, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy some hoops cards. Mark knows I'm an SU guy, and frequently sends some cards of Orange greats.

 

Mark, thanks as always!

What kind of socks to Pittsburgh Pirates wear? Arrrrgyle!

I'm pretty sure I've used this post title before. Or maybe fifteen other bloggers have used an iteration of it. I don't know. A while back, I sent Greg Z over at Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle] a bunch of Russell Martins I had laying around, and he sent me a bunch of cards in return, including some HOFers for my son.

This is a cool card of Lawrence Moten, who is still Syracuse's All-Time scoring leader, as well as the Big East's all-time leader too. I'm always blown away when someone pays enough attention to my ramblings to know I'm a Syracuse fan/alum.

Here's a Topps USA card of Yanks' prospect Peter O'Brien. Although not much of a prospect because he only has one tool, that one tool is power and that's pretty damn cool. He's already got more than 30 HRs on the year, trailing only Joey Gallo and Kris Bryant for the most in minor league baseball. Pretty nuts. I assume he'll get the call at some point late this year or next, but he'll probably never be more than a Shelley Duncan, all-or-nothing kind of hitter. Still, it could be very exciting to watch him.

And here is a sampling of the HOFers for my little guy. He's going to have such a cool binder of cards one day. I just hope he doesn't sell them for beer money when he's 19.

Oh yeah, Pittsburgh Pirates was in the title, right? I'll double up on trade posts and include some cards sent over from our favorite Pirate collector, Mr. Bob Walk The Plank. Matt had a few Tino relics for me, both of which are awesome, and even included an Ivan Nova autograph (sorry for the dark scan). I'm 99% sure this is my first Nova 'graph of any sort.

 

Guys, thanks for all the great cards!