Bob Bleepin' Walk

Bob Bleepin' Walk doesn't quite have the same ring to it as s Bucky Bleepin' Dent, does it? However, that didn't stop Matt of Bob Walk The Plank from sending me a few awesome cards in a recent trade...or maybe it was a swap...or maybe it was just a "here are some cards, send some back some time." The Dent was part of the swap, although it wasn't what started it. This was:

Nice! I thought at first I had this, but turns out I didn't have the diecut version. Ty Hensley doesn't have a ton of cards, so when a fellow collector finds one for me that I need, it's extra cool. It slotted into my growing Ty Hensley PC just perfectly.

The Dent came along with it. Matt is contemplating putting together this Donruss Signatures autograph set, which would be super cool. For what they are, I think they are exceptionally nice.

These gems filled out the rest of the package! Matt, it's always a pleasure trading with you.

The Duel

Hello! Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Between my family's holiday celebrations, as well as my son's third birthday, it's been a whirlwind of a few days. I'm still recovering. We're not even home yet, actually.

In an attempt to clean out my scanned folder a little bit, here's a new Ty Hensley I picked up from 2013 Bowman Sterling's "The Duel" insert set. Sadly, a Red Sox player is on the card along with Hensley. Devin Marrero was a 2012 first rounder as well, and he's advanced to AAA already.

I had seen this card on eBay forever but never pulled the trigger until I could win this for under a buck shipped. It finally happened!

Q & A with @YanksandBeans

A few of my best-read blog posts over the past year were Q&A's. One was with a former blogger, Napkin Doon. One was with the king of vintage, and honorary blogger Mark Hoyle. The third was with Marci Hensley, the mother of my favorite Yankees prospect, Ty Hensley.

Inspired by Better Know a Blogger Week over at Nachos Grande, I wanted to post one last Q&A this year. I reached out to Nick of The Cardboard Dugout - a blog that used to have some of the greatest box break videos known to man. Nick still collects, just doesn't blog as much, but I wanted a whole new generation of bloggers to see what an awesome dude Nick is.

For those that don't, give him a follow on Twitter @YanksandBeans. You won't regret it. On to the Q&A!

The Lost Collector (TLC): You have the best alias ever. When did you first start using “Yanks and Beans”?
 

YanksandBeans (YB): Why thank you sir. It’s strictly a Twitter thing. When I first signed up I went by my real name, but I didn’t truly understand Twitter or what purpose I would use it for. When I realized how conducive Twitter is to collecting cards, I refocused my subject matter towards collecting. This epiphany warranted a new name change. So, I put two of my favorite things together: The Yankees and farting and voila: YanksandBeans. 

TLC: How’s Regis? (for those who don't know, Regis the dog used to make many appearances in Nick's video box breaks)

YB: Regis Philbone is great! He’s taken a bit of a back seat to my Daughter these days, but I always make him rub his dirty little paws on my boxes before I break. Little furball doesn’t have much Mojo, but I can’t break tradition right?

TLC: Your box breaks were must see TV (errr, videos). Any planned for the future?

YB: The truth is, my collecting habits have drastically changed over the last few years. When I started collecting again in 08’ I bought at least one box of EVERY baseball product that came out and I’d break the majority of them on video. This went on for about 3 years.  Prior to vid breaking I watched a ton online and they were all missing the same thing…..Personality. So I did my best to make all the breaks fun no matter what the box produced. My goal was to have my viewers remember the break itself as opposed to the “Hits” I pulled.  Long story short, I had a kid, and time and money ran out quick. I am much more selective about what I buy now, I mostly spend my box break money on Singles so I’m guaranteed to get something I’m interested in. This has significantly helped my collection, but it’s the video breaks that have suffered. However this interview has me feeling nostalgic. Maybe I’ll bust and tape for old times’ sake! 

TLC note: Here is a box break from 2014 Topps GQ so you can see what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSUhlVI_wvY

TLC: Tell us a little more about your collection as it stands today. What are you focusing on?

YB: When I first started collecting again I was a hoarder, My collection went from 1 single 500ct box with all of my cards from when I was a kid in the 80’s, to over 40 500ct boxes just from breaking anything/everything I could get my hands on. It was a great way to get my collection to a respectable place but it was just too much. I was set building, player collecting like 5 guys, team sets, insert sets…It was crazy. Then one night I had a good twitter conversation with my friend Eric (@ThoseBackPages). We talked about how he collects for him an him alone. He is so focused on his collection that it inspired me to tighten up. So at this point my main focuses are anything and everything Thurman Munson, Mariano Rivera, Rickey Henderson (PSA 9’s) as well as just singles I like, mostly Game used and Autos of Yanks and Hall Of Famers. And of course there are my TTM successes which are easily the most gratifying aspect of collecting for me. Over the past year my collection has really stepped up in quality over quantity.

TLC: What is your most prized card or collectible?

YB: This is an easy one. I mess around with Group breaks once in a while and I had a Thurman Munson cut auto from 2013 Triple Threads pulled for me. His autos are rarer than Ruth’s, it’s a dream card. I’ve had many offers on it, but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. However, there’s a small disconnect there because it didn’t pull it myself.  That honor would go to a vertical mini booklet card with game used pieces from Mantle and Ruth pulled from a box of 2010 T-206. I got my box a few days early and didn’t even know these mini books existed. The card literally fell out of the pack into my lap. You can see both of these and some of my other faves currently on display in my Fortress of Collectitude in the attached scan.

TLC: What was your favorite card release of 2014? How about all-time?

YB: 2014 will be known as the year my box breaking came to a screeching halt. I don’t even think I broke a box of Topps Flagship this year. I think Tier One had some really impressive things going on this year, more so than in the past.  I always love Tribute and Archives. But my pick of the year goes to Topps High Tek. I missed out on the Tek craze of the late 90’s and I find its resurgence refreshing. I love the Acetate, plus it fills almost every type of collectors need, great for player collectors, great for set builders, ON-card auto’s and most importantly…Serial #’s ON THE BACK of cards. I could do a whole entire tirade on this subject alone. As for all time, that’s tough. I love all the 1986 cards from the big 3, just holding that old cardboard brings me back to the purest time in my life. I also have a sweet spot for Tribute simply because I’ve always had luck with it. But gun to my head, have to choose one……It’s got to be Topps Allen and Ginter. The Cardstock is perfect, the subject matter is even better. I love the inserts, minis, rip cards, framed autos, On-card autos, The Ginter code... I mean this set doesn’t stop producing. Opening a box is like going to the circus, you don’t know what’s going to come next.

TLC: You love to do A&G TTMs of the non-baseball players. Give me 5 people you’d love to see on a future A&G set?

YB: I do love my A&G TTM’s, they’re probably one of the proudest pieces of my overall collection. I’ve even started showing them off recently. I’ve devoted an Instagram account entirely to TTM successes (Account name: SignMyCard).  This is a great question. I have reached out personally to Topps on Twitter regarding items that should be in A&G, I feel that myself and Chris Olds are personally responsible for the Wrigley Field relics in last year’s Ginter release (I probably had nothing to do with it, but it helps me sleep at night). So as for my top 5, I’d like to see Lorne Michaels, The Mythbuster guys, Howard Stern, Billy Beane, and Keanu Reeves and Alex winter Dual auto from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I also love what Topps did this past year with the inclusion of “Major League” guys peppered throughout their products. I think we need the same thing with “A League of their own”. It kills me that you can’t get a Jimmy Dugan card anywhere! But I’ll get over it, there’s no crying in Baseball Cards.

TLC: Any message for the “blogosphere”?

YB: I’ve collected every way possible. I’ve bought products with the intent to flip. I’ve built sets in hopes they’d be worth something in the future. I’ve blogged about cards, made videos about cards, traded cards, sold cards, I’ve even dreamed of opening my own shop. It was only when I narrowed down my focus to cards that would mean something personal to me that collecting took on a whole new life. I realized I don’t NEED to complete every Topps insert set, I don’t NEED to own every Mariano Rivera color variation from Topps Chrome. Once I became comfortable with this thought it was so freeing. This is what works for me; it may not work for everyone. The bottom line is, collect in a way that makes you feel excited and fulfilled, if you feel anything else, it’s no longer a hobby. If you’ve never felt that feeling I’m talking about, the solution is simple. Save up about $70 and buy a box of 1989 Upper Deck. If you’re lucky enough to see Ken Griffey Jr looking back at you then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Oh and when are we getting cards made up of Bloggers?….I’d be first in line for that set.

Nick, thanks so much for answering these questions. The hobby needs more dudes like you. Guys - go follow Nick and prepare to be entertained!

Until the next Q&A, take care!

Cash or credit?

One of my favorite scenes in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is when Kevin dupes the reservations department at The Plaza Hotel. He uses his TalkBoy to disguise his voice, and when the customer service woman asks for method of payment, Kevin responds with, "Credit card? you got it!"

It's ridiculous, but it's funny. I always laugh.

Anytime I get a 1995 Studio "credit card", I always think to myself "Credit card? You got it!" I will always be amused by this set. It's just so different and so cool, especially from anything else up to that point.I remember being enamored by this set the first time I saw it. In fact, the Tino from '95 Studeio is one of my favorite Tinos, even though it's just a regular old base card (and he's a Mariner on it!) that can be had at any time for $.18 on SportLots.

I saw this Boggs gold insert pop up on eBay for $.30, and I gladly placed a bid and won it. It's too fun not to own, and maybe, just maybe, will kick me a kick in the pants to chase down this whole set. That would be fun. I just hope I have enough of my credit card balance.

A few holiday packages going out

I'm not Santa, I can't get to all of you in one night (or one month), but I did drop a few holiday packages/PWEs in the mail this morning.

Hopefully it brings a little cheer to everything during the hustle and bustle of this last week leading into Christmas!

I don't even needs cards from this guy

Ryan of Ryan's Pitch has become a good friend of mine. We send each other PWEs a few times per year, and we chat baseball and cards on Twitter.

Ryan always includes a really thoughtful, hand-written note when he sends cards. His handwriting is so spectacular that he could honestly not even send cards, and I'd still be happy I got mail from him. Trust me, it's that good. He must've gotten an "A" on every test/essay in college in those little blue essay books, because his beautiful script would make any answer look correct.

However, because he is the man, he also sent me two sweet cards!

I thought I had this Tino when I first saw it, but then I flipped it over and saw that it was a promo card for Topps Gallery Auctions. Does anyone remember these? I sure as heck don't. I love oddballs like this.

Ryan also sent a great Andy Pettitte minor league card. I have no idea what Pettitte is doing here. Pitch chart? Scouting report? Line up card? Lunch order?

Ryan, thanks again my friend.

Vintage from a PWE Professional

There are a lot of PWE professionals out there. I'm not sure who sends the best ones, but if there was a competition, Mark Hoyle would be tough to beat. His PWEs are always very thoughtful, and more often than not, contain some great vintage.

Case in point:

I'm nearly certain that is the last Munson Topps card I needed. I have to go check to be sure, but I think that is the case. I love it. Just a great card from a great set.

Oh, and there was more!

I mean, that is a lot of '72s. I need to know complete this team set. And I will.

And here are a few more goodies. I love that Nettles.

 

Mark, thank you so much!

Tino Magazine from P-Town

A few weeks back, I got a larger-than-usual envelope from P-Town Tom. I opened it up and found this amazing gem:

A Yankees Magazine from February, 1996 featuring Tino! This was an issue right after he was traded to the Yankees. It's funny, when the Yanks got Tino, Mattingly wasn't retired yet, although everyone knew it was a matter of time. I forgot that, but remembered once I read about the trade in the magazine.

Anyhow, Tom found this at a card show and was kind enough to think of me. I love it that so many people think of me when they come across a Tino card or item. Means a lot.

I read this magazine from start to finish. It was a lot better product then than it is now. I loved the minor league updates, and there was even a section called "Card Corner." Alliteration!

Tom also sent me a Pineda, and a few HOFers for Joey's binder.

 

Thanks again, Tom!

Doing Yard Work in December

I still search Listia once in awhile. I'm not on there  alot, but every so often I'll log on via my phone app and do a quick search, mostly for my PC guys.

If Tino shows up, usually it's for a 1990 Upper Deck or some other card I have a bunch of. However, this beauty showed up as part of a two card lot, and I had to pounce:

That's a 1998 Pinnacle Yard Work insert. Not sure how this one escaped me growing up, as I feel like I hoarded Tino inserts back then. He was fresh off of his 44-HR season, so it was really special to see my favorite player popping up in insert sets.

The second card of this lot is one I had, but it's still nice - a serially numbered (to 1750) 1998 Upper Deck SPx card. Not a bad dupe to add.

Zippy Zappy, you scared me.

Zippy Zappy over at Torren Up Cards scared me last week. The Zapster is one of the most generous guys out there, and I was worried we lost another one. Luckily, he was just messing around, and was referring to his string of consecutive weeks with a TTM return coming to end. But lo and behold, he got back in the W column this past week.

Well, I don’t want to contribute to him shutting down his blog (he’s not!), so just to be safe, here are some cards he sent me AGES ago that have been sitting in my scanned folder. I am really bad at posting mega packages, so to guys like Zippy Zappy and JBF, my apologies. They just kind of daunt me even though I LOVE receiving them.

First, Kenny always sends me some cool SI Yankees stuff – whether it’s newspapers or pocket schedules – and this magnetic schedule is awesome. I envy Kenny for his dedication to the SI Yanks. I would love to frequent their games, but just can’t with my little rug rats, plus they play a lot of day games.

Here’s a Bowman RC auto of Eric Jagielo, one of the Yanks first round picks in 2013. I sent Kenny a Jagielo he didn’t have, and he returns the favor with an auto. Hardly seems fair.

Sean Henn! This guy must’ve autographed thousands of cards for card companies. I feel like I have more Henn autos than any player out there.

Here’s an auto of 2015 Yankees starting shortstop Brendan Ryan.

Shiny Dellin! Oh nelly these are nice cards of the 2105 Yankees closer.

I say “2015 Yankees closer” because this guy may be ready to walk. I don’t blame the Yanks. I do want Robertson back, and quite badly, but if he’s commanding the deal he’s looking for, I’d say let him go. It’s not a loyalty thing, I really like him and he’s homegrown and has been great over the past four or five season. It’s just that those resources can be better spent elsewhere. Is Betances ready for the 9^th? I’m not sure. It’s not quite fair to use the Rivera/Wetteland example, but I’m also not going to freak out if the Yanks go into spring training with Betances or Andrew Miller as the closer. Could be a lot worse. Also, the card design on this D-Rob looks like one of those ugly graphic tee’s the players wear.

Two Rizzutos I needed!

And two Pinedas I needed!

Tyler Wade. Remember the name.

And last but not least, a Tino that wouldn’t scan well because it’s just that shiny!

 

Thanks again, Kenny! Be on the lookout for something from me.