Notes from the National 2022: Part Two- Organization

 

About halfway through the unspooling of packages and bags and containers of cards I got at the National in Atlantic City on Sunday, I finally reached a point where I was able to decipher which cards came from which dealer. 

I don't know if that says more about how much stuff was lying around the National, how indecipherable a lot of the tables were, my mental state, or the lack of organization in my bag. But for the rest of this, I actually know enough about dealership to provide a conscious, definite through line.

Still, a lot of the findings from the National just prove that the bargain collectors have not been completely shut out of the hobby, and that there is still cool stuff for me to find in bins I fear I can predict.

Into part two, then..

Dealer #5...I think: Dime Variety

These boxes had a wide range of stuff. 90s stuff, modern stuff, rookies, inserts, cards I'd never seen before. Generally fun to go through. I even managed to find a set need for my 2020 Archives build, slow as ever. 

Assorted 90s sets I had little to no familiarity. I had no idea that a set called SP Game Bat Edition existed, nor that it had a pretty slick base design. 

Samplings from 1997 Fleer. This was one of those dime boxes where select cards were in penny sleeves, but that did not indicate higher price. So these still were a dime each, they just looked cooler. 

Also in sleeves were more opportunities for me to own one of the most bizarre sets of the 90s, 1996 Topps Laser. A surprising amount of these in the boxes, but only these two are guys I collect. 

Bizarre late 90s inserts. A Fleer Tradition insert from 1999 [?] that also features his short stint in Houston. And a Donruss Preferred gold-y insert of the Big Hurt.

More of these. I really like that Damon insert, and the fact that Pinnacle named an insert set Clout. The Boggs comes from a set I had to look up, Topps Embossed. Man, they took a lot of risks in the mid-90s, I kinda miss that.

Brief oddball spottings. Maddux's was a tie-in with Atlantic, Reggie's is a CLARK BAR oddball. That's kinda awesome. 

This box just had a ton of 1998 Stadium Club star cards, which I'm perfectly fine with. I always point to 1998 SC as a transitional set, in between the end of the intermediate years of the product [94-96] and the beginning of the last leg of the set as a more premium product [99-03]. 

...2004 Bowman Heritage. I had no idea I could find stuff like this in the wild. 

Some 2001 Gallery. I few I forget if I had already. Whatever, these all look cool.

A nice assortment of rookies in these boxes. Of these four from 2010 Pro Debut, only Belt's is close to a Topps XRC, but they're all welcome.

Both of these are XRCs though. None worth a TON, but still pretty cool to have. That Bundy was pretty highly sought after for a while.

From 2007 Bowman. Bruce's is not an XRC, but it's still a pretty good one. Cueto's is a XRC, as is Moustakas's. Nice to have 'em.

Neither of these are XRCs, but they're cool Futures Game ones. Also, look at how young and thin Joey Bats was. These two wouldn't know it yet, but they'd make the Blue Jays super annoying in about a decade.

Topps rookies. 'Bob's is a pretty cool find that I'm surprised I didn't have yet. McCann's isn't as sought-after as his Bowman, but it's a pretty cool one.

Both of these are pretty huge. Aramis Ramirez's bonafide Bowman rookie for 10 cents. Hunter Pence's Bowman rookie, pretty close to what's considered his rookie card. Both of these big deals to me.

This one was an eyebrow raiser. I picked it up because it looked cool to me and I didn't think I had it, but this 2015 GQ Adrian Beltre card is actually a base variation, seeded 1 in 165 hobby packs. And there it is in a ten cent bin. I'm pretty pleased with that one.

Dealer #6: INSERTS. CHEAP INSERTS.

This dealer had a lot of cool stuff, and I may have honestly detailed some of it in my last post because I forget if some of this dealer's stuff was mixed into others. But regardless. One mess of bins in particular that this guy had- INSERTS FOR 10c EACH. That never happens. Inserts are for buck bins, not this. So I thumbed through, and found SO MUCH COOL STUFF HERE. All for 10 cents. I was genuinely amazed.

These awesome-looking Breakthroughs inserts were from 2017 Finest. Nola's is a little warped, but still a must-have. 

Just to let you know, when I say 'inserts', I don't just mean modern stuff. Lots of 2000s stuff mixed in, including these from 2000s UD.

90s inserts as well, including these Baseball Heroes one from the early 90s. Those Ryan ones just look awesome.

 

Rest assured, they did have some of my staples, like modern reprint inserts and Spring Fever promotional cards, but only a few.

In pretty much a row, I found a mess of 2020 Gallery inserts, all of whom are wonderful and stand out excellently. 

Some recent Heritage inserts. Always nice to see the site of Cleveland-era Gaylord Perry on modern products. Just to think that kids are ripping packs and snickering at it.

A&G inserts from all over the map. Quite a few of those This Day in History ones, too.

Of course, the real star of this box were the GQ inserts, and believe me, there were TONS. This Phils J.P. Crawford one was just a prelude.

Lots of different GQ inserts from all over their history. I still love the playing card inspired Dealing Aces design.

I will never not adore these classic GQ inserts. The fact that there was some 2011s in there, like the Brantley and Andrus, as well as guys I love collecting, like Granderson and Rollins, made it even better.

Dealer #7- The Single Most Organized Dime Boxes I Have Ever Come Across In My Entire Life

No hyperbole. This table, which was a family business where the daughter, in her 50s or 60s, was running things while the father was the mastermind behind it, was so well-organized that I had to tip my hat. By company, by set, by year, sometimes by SERIES. There was a lot to pull from here, and I eventually couldn't help but compliment them on the time they took to do that. The woman running the tables sort of motioned to the old man, saying it was all his, and that 'it USED to be organized', but usually the dime boxes I'm used to are a complete mishmash of things in random orders, and to see order and sense and logic was new for me.

The compliment resulted in a discount. Was not my intention. People can be really nice.

Aside from the more recent stuff, like the 2019 Holiday Edgar seen above, there was also 90s and 00s stuff galore. These two I needed for my 1999 Stadium Club set.

All of these were new-looking cards from Update sets of yore. 

    Assorted recent Heritage stuff. This was Peralta's reaction to being traded to Tampa, I reckon.

Even amidst the slight disorganization when you got to Donruss and Fleer stuff...there was a LOT of cool stuff I don't see everywhere. A Rickey Henderson Dodgers card I didn't have from Upper Deck vintage? Lofton as a Yankee? Colon as a White Sox? And could you believe that this was my only Bartolo of the entire National?

There was a surprising amount of 2004 Donruss, including all of these needs and fun players. Definitely a set you don't see often.

Of course, the main draw of this dealer...

TONS OF 2022 SERIES TWO COMMONS.

Like with Series 1, I have yet to even find ANY 2022 Topps Series 2 at Target or anywhere. This table had pretty much all of the commons, and so I picked out...basically all the guys I collect. This is more than half of my eventual 192-card haul at this table, which, again, was discounted due to the politeness all around.

I'm not gonna post 'em all, so here's a page of highlights:

Some excellent photography, great uses of alternate uniforms, players in new uniforms [though Thor is already headed East again], and excellent moments in time. Though there's a lot of blah in this set, these ones make me think the right people are still getting stuff across at Topps.

Dealer #8- Hits 'n Things.

With all the discount stuff I'd been pulling ahead with, I'd finished the day well under budget, and wanted to at least splurge on some fun stuff that wasn't 10 cents, so one table had a lot of that. 2 dollar hits, 1 dollar numbered cards, individually priced stuff. In the box of marked stuff was this ultra-cool hobby box exclusive 87T chrome card of Anthony Rizzo. I hope Rizzo sticks around for a bit in New York, he's lots of fun.

All of these numbered cards were a buck. The top 3 and Santana were numbered to 50, and it's nice to get low-numbered ones of players I collect. The Choo is numbered to 568. The Nomo, from 2004 Playoff Prestige, is numbered to 500. I'd seen some pulls with that design in a Nachos Grande break and it was nice to snag one.

A Howard numbered to 29 from the much-maligned moments and milestones. I mean, it's Ryan Howard numbered to scant, I kinda had to. And that Khrush is a 2018 Topps base variation card, that was another dollar purchase. I like finding those in the wild.

Now onto the 2 dollar relics. I like finding Tex relics, this is my second one, and it's pretty decent. I also like this Choo relic from 2020 Donruss, complete with an awesome blue swatch.

I honestly wanted this one just for the novelty. DODGER Michael Young gets a relic. Not Rangers Michael Young. DODGERS. And there's the only photo Topps seemed to be able to use in 2014. 

We'll end the National posts on this- a Juan Pierre bat relic. Because I'd been collecting this long without finding a Juan Pierre game used card, and this bat is pretty damned awesome. 

That was the 2022 National. Not sure when the next one of these I can attend will be. One would assume 4 years, as they'll probably go back to the Chicago-Cleveland-Chicago pattern they usually do. Maybe in 2026 I'll be able to afford to get a hotel and spend the week like the other collectors do. Until then though, I'll be the reclusive little character in a Brooklyn Dodgers cap and a Topps shirt, finding his way through a big convention center one dime box at a time.

Notes from the National 2022- Part One: Disarray

 

The last time the National Sports Collectors' Convention was in Atlantic City, it was summer 2016. I had just finished the coolest summer job I'd ever had, the Yankees had just brought up Sanchez, Judge and Austin, and we were all looking forward to having a good laugh about this whole Trump thing in December. It was a different time.

Attending this year's National in AC, which is my favorite location for the National because I don't have to drive more than an hour to get there, I noticed a drastically different convention climate than I had at my two previous Nationals. The National, as it stands now, represents San Diego Comic Con as it does now. Corporate had more of a presence at the National than it ever did, and there were large swaths of the room where I didn't find many independent mom'n'pop dealers. While I am fine with corporate presence if it brings hobby insiders who I am mutuals with on Twitter to the convention, it does emphasize that the hobby is embracing the ebay bro population in a way that could edge out the low-budget, 'look what I found' type collector [read: me]. 

I had a very, very good time at this year's national, and over the course of these overstuffed posts, you will see now. FOR INSTANCE:

Dealer #...uh...1, or possibly Dealers #1 through 3 or 4: Dimeageddon

Folks, if there is one thing I can claim to be as a blogger, collector and person, it is well organized. I have several binders arranged by team, and subsections by active, inactive, retired and enshrined. My friends have described me as one of the most structured and plan-oriented people they know. Blame it on the autism, I suppose. But for the first time in my career writing up card show posts, my organization has failed me.

You see, because of how I threw my findings in a paper bag, and subsequent containers, but also because I looked for a lot of similar stuff at these boxes...I am not 100% sure which cards came from which of the first three or four dealers I bought from at the National. There was so much stuff, and with so many different themes, that I cannot distinguish where one dealer ended and another began. And so these first few dealers, all of them dealing 10 cent bins, sort of blend into each other like a giant, massive blob of cardboard. 

Not that there was no quality. There was some excellent stuff in these boxes, and a GREAT DEAL OF IT. I just...can't tell where a lot of it came from. Hell, some of this stuff may have been bought at a table that I'll detail during TOMORROW's post. This is...a mess. But it is worth it, because there was SO MUCH GOOD 10 CENT STUFF AT THIS SHOW. I was genuinely worried that because of the onset of mojo collectors, there'd be less for bargain collectors like me, but that was the FURTHEST from the case. First table I went to was a mess of cards that, for the majority of the show, were priced at 25 cents each but were cut to 10 for the last day. Lots of guys with plenty of dime material to spare. One guy with stacks upon stacks of dime boxes of different sports, who was glad to help me move some out of the way. 

Okay. Let's examine some of these findings. I had no idea that Topps did inserts in flagship as early as 1996, so just the sight of a Robin Ventura Road Warriors insert was cool enough to start off.

A lot of these early bins did deliver some of the gems of 90s cardboard, like Upper Deck's excellent checklists. There were one or two Aaron Baseball Heroes ones around as well.

LOTS of 90s inserts abound. I had no idea Score's Dream Team used that design later on. I knew that Fleer's Pro Visions eventually went to the Lisa Frank zone of 90s vibrance, so I'm glad I got one of the 95 ones. I friggin love the 90s Dick Perez Diamond Kings as well. And I knew about 1992 Pinnacle's Sidelines subset, but not that there was a picture of Randy Johnson previewing his lifelong joy of photography. I love that. 6 foot 10, throws smoke, loves taking pictures. 

Pinnacle's The Idols subset has also gotten some play around here, but I didn't have many of them. I love that Larry Walker, ever the Canadian, picks an Isles guy. 

Lots more Big Units as well, from lots of different points in his career, including a rare Astros one. Also...yes, more 1995 Fleer. I know. 

How's about this- 2002 Topps Ichiros and Albert Pujols for 10 cents. That never happens, even if they're just award cards. 

Lots if different fun 2000s stuff. I have a ton of 2009 Sweet Spot and didn't have that Ortiz. Don't have a ton of 2006 Sweet Spot though. 

Speaking of Pujols and Ichiro, these cards represent the fact that their prices are going down, despite being less-than-common for their careers. I figured I'd never get the 03 DK Pujols because it was always priced too high, but here it is.

One dealer just had a ton of star cards from 2004 Donruss Throwback Threads. A set I rarely find anymore.

And here's a set that was completely new to me, 2003 Fleer Fall Classic. A green border with red highlights. That's new!

Assorted 2000s legends sets. That Sweet Spot All-Time Classics one is also new to me, I like that design a lot.

Assorted 2000s inserts. Star Attractions is from 2006 UD, those Xponentials are from the much-maligned 2009 Upper Deck X. Good to see an early Yankee Tex, though

One dealer in particular had a TON of 2000s Heritage. And not just the stuff I've come across a lot at card shows, like 2001 and 2010 stuff,

2002 HERITAGE. ROOKIE A-GON. Boston Nomo. This set's underrated.

2003 Heritage, which I also think they did a nice job with. 

2005 Heritage, which I still love finding at shows. This includes an Astros Beltran and Hudson and Chavez, which are retro logo variations, which were a lot easier to find I think back then.

2011 Heritage. Now we see what this set has turned into now. Lots of fake backgrounds.

And, as a bonus, some 2011 Heritage Minors, featuring young Jean Segura and Starling Marte. 

I actually found some set needs throughout some of these dime boxes. These two went to me 2016 Archives set.

And THESE all went to my 2017 Archives set. Including a few more I didn't scan. There were a ton of 2017 Archives 1982s in one particular box. Which is a good thing, because I've still got a lot of 2017 Heritage to go.

These boxes had some recent stuff as well, including a menagerie of legends and guys I collect from A&G

I was mostly looking for cheap inserts, and these boxes had a bunch, from Heritages even up to the current run. Also, good to see a depiction of Segura's brief run in Seattle. 

A bunch of 2020 Topps Chrome inserts. These are a lot of fun and scan well.

I scanned this one wrong, but there were a few that just stood out to me. That Luke Void Prismic Power is friggin awesome. Same with the BowChro Rhys.

Speaking of chrome, a lot of dealers had some extras from 2020 Stadium Club chrome. A lot of these were new to me. Some of these photos, like the Strasburg and Robles, are incredible. I don't even like Victor Robles [clown goofery aside], but his photo is incredible. 

Another thing a lot of these boxes had? Recent Gold Label. There was a MESS of 2016 Gold Label. I didn't have any of this. This set looks cool. 

This is 2019 Gold Label, and two retired/retiring players. Pretty cool. 

There was even some 2020 Gold Label. Even more surprising, Realmuto and deGrom are Class 3s. AND Thor's hitting! 

Onto Topps inserts. I really have to keep track of which of these 2020 Turkey Red inserts I have, but I think these were all new to me.

Other recent Topps stuff. I love that they devoted a card to Sean Doolittle's humanitarian work. Also, Harper surprisingly fits in 2008 Topps. 

Recent Topps reprint inserts abound. I'm still cool with finding new ones of these.

There were even a few from 2022 Topps, including another Cutch. Always down for new Phils Cutch cards, and this year's Topps products unfortunately have a TON.

One thing I found a ton of- PANINI STUFF. Lots of Panini stuff that was new to me, including this Marlins Marte.

Some Diamond Kings from this year, and these ones look pretty cool, complete with 90s styrofoam cup design background. 

Sets like Absolute Memorabilia and Contenders were new to me, and these looked cool.

A WHOLE MESS OF AWESOME LOOKING INSERTS. I absolutely love Panini inserts, and these have such interesting and fun designs. I think my favorite might be Modern Marvels, but Illusions is also awesome.

Recent Chronicles stuff. Obsidian is still an awesome, thick and shiny one. 

Diamond Kings inserts. Expressionists is still incredible. Also, cool that the Martinez one is a rare look at his stint in Arizona.

Legends on DK inserts. JOE JACKSON IN CLEVELAND. Ya never see that anymore. 

I did find some mojo in these boxes, though not as much as in stuff I'll detail tomorrow. For instance, I had no idea Josh Naylor started out in the Marlins system. 

Some numbered cards. Smith, who could be big in Oakland once he starts hitting, has an XRC numbered to 999. Straw's from a Donruss product is numbered to 2499.

And, as I am prone to at card shows, cheap Topps gold cards. Both of these two were numbered to 2020, and are of decent players, so I snagged 'em.

Tomorrow, you'll see the portions of my National haul that are organized, and where I can remember which dealer I got them from.