Urbandale Card Show March cards

Now that I'm back on my horse again, I'll show you the group of cards I picked up the last time I attended the monthly card show at the Urbandale American Legion Hall. I'm almost ashamed to say it was last March, but I know at least two of their past shows were on drill weekend.

 

I'll begin with last year's Bowman cards that haven't found their way into my collection yet, namely these 2015 Bowman Draft Hunter Renfroe (#159), Austin Allen (#123), Austin Smith (#180), Jacob Nix (#153), Trevor Megill (#62), Zech LeMond (#127).

While the 2016 season is now heading into the final stretch, I also took the opportunity to begin my collection of this years' edition of Topps cards. Here's my newest 2016 Topps Jedd Gyorko (#40), Colin Rea RC (#141), Alex Dickerson RC (#281), 2016 Topps First Pitch Tony Hawks (#FP19), 2012 Topps Pro Debut Minor League All-Stars Rymer Liriano (#RL), and a 2014 Allen and Ginter The Pastime's Pastime Jedd Gyorko (#PPJG). Who would have thought by the end of the 2016 season Gyorko and Liriano would be ghosts of Padres past.

And while we're on the subject of First Pitches, I picked up these additional Topps First Pitch cards - A 2016 Topps First Pitch Bill "Lean on Me" Withers (#FP15), 2015 Topps First Pitch Jeff Bridges (#FP01) and Suzy (#FP13), a 2015 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Stan Lee (81), and a couple more 2016 Topps First Pitch Irone Singleton (#FP20) and Evelyn Jones (#FP5). While I'm not a particularly huge First Pitch fan, I know a few collector's who'd be happy to find these in a trade package. Not bad for a dme box, eh?

Being a life-long comic book fan, how could I pass up this Stan Lee card, a man who I've admired for most of my teen, then adult life. The man, the myth, the legend is now 93 years old, after all. 'Nuff said.

I picked up a few 2015 Bowman Chrome cardsf, with Austin Hedges RC (#188), 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospects Kyle Lloyd (#BCP151), 2013 Bowman Chrome James Shields (#13), 2015 Topps Chrome Cory Spanagenberg RC (#132), 2015 Topps Heritage Combo Cards Wil Myers/Justin Upton/Matt Kemp (#CC10), 2011 Topps Samuel Deduno RC (#412), and a 1996 Bowman Minor League POY Gabe Alvarez (#12).

I also included these 2015 Topps Heritage Brendon Morrow (#637), Melvin Upton Jr. (#619), 2014 Topps Heritage Daniel Webb RC/Chris Robinson RC (#398), 2009 Upper Deck Goudy Matt Antonelli (#164) and an Upper Deck Goudy Mini Green Back Matt Antonelli (#164), and a 2005 Donruss Chris Oxspring (#311).

You know, you just can't turn down a couple of Padres legends, so I grabbed this 2002 Sweet Spot Classics Game Bat Dave Winfield (#BDW) and a pair of new to me, Tony Gwynns - one a 2014 Allen and Ginter (#223), the other a 2015 Diamond Kings (#133).

My last item is a 2002 Donruss Super Estrellas Posters de Jugadores Tony Gwynn (#11), basically a four-fold Gwynn poster.

You know, this Sunday marks the September version of the Urbandale American Legion Hall card show. This might be the perfect opportunity to darken their doorstep again. I know a few vendors who would more than likely be happy to see me again.

On the boards again

It's been quite some time since I last hit the keyboard to submit a "Bleedin' Brown and Gold" post. Back in September, I had a legitimate excuse, as we were in the middle of a move from our recently-sold house to our new 2-bedroom apartment.

While work has been fairly busy lately, including an annual training trip to Alaska, I don't think that's the actual issue in this particular case. Since the end of March, I feel I just hit a point where sports cards have lost their luster somewhat.

I halted going to the Urbandale Card Show. I stopped perusing the wax repack boxes and loose packs at Target and Wal-Mart stores. I haven't darkened the doorways of any of our local brick and mortar card shops. I haven't spent a single cent on a sports card purchase on E-Bay for quite some time.

I have piles of Padres cards I've accumulated up to that point in March (including a package from P-Town Tom), just tossed into boxes. They haven't been separated, sorted, inventoried, or placed into their specific player slots within my five-5,000 count Padres boxes.

And I haven't written a single post since March 15.

Why? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe its because the majority of my Padres cards are stuck away in storage, about three miles away. Maybe it's because I miss the old thrill of shuffling through them, while appreciating the photography and the stats and comments on the back of them.

To quote a line from Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, ",,,I've gotten much better."

At least, I think so...

So, in order to get back onto my horse, I'll begin with a post about a few cards I picked up through COMC, way back in March before my cardboard malaise. While I did pick up some flashy, colorful chrome, I also tried to make a conscious effort to pick up a few old-school, "vintage" Padres cards, if you can consider cards from a team that began in 1969 as "vintage."

In any case, here's a few of those cards that I picked up a few months back. One thing that was rather interesting, however is, except for the Austin Hedges card, I believe this was my biggest group of ex-Padres cards I have received in one package.

This purchase begins with the truly colorful - a 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Series 2 Pink Wave Refractors Jose Urena (#BCP45) S/N 33/65, 2014 Bowman Draft Top Prospects Green Max Fried (#TP8) S/N 68/75, 2014 Panini Prizm Prizms Red White and Blue Pulsar Jedd Gyorko (#119), and a 2015 Panini Prizm Autograph Prizms Red Power R.J. Alvarez (#68) S/N 20/125 

Eventually, I'd like to have at least one card from every player who've ever worn the Padres uniform, pictured in a padres uniform. To further this goal, I grabbed a 1980 Topps Jay Johnstone (#31), 1974 Topps Dave Hilton (#148A) San Diego, 1974 Topps Bill Grief (#102B) Washington, 1971 OPC Jim Williams/Dave Robinson (#262), 1970 Topps Rookie Stars Jerry Morales RC/Jim Williams RC (#262), and a 1971 Topps Al Santorini (#467).

Continuing with the older, one-of-every-player theme, is this 1969 Topps Dick Kelley (#359) and Tony Gonzalez (#501), 1972 OPC Al Severinsen (#274), and 1970 Topps Tommie Sisk (#374),  Jack Baldschun (#284) and Walter Hriniak (#392).

And finally, players from the ghosts of Padres past, are a 1981 Topps George Stablein RC/Craig StimacRC/Tom Tellmann RC (#356), 1969 Topps Rookie Stars Bill Davis/Cito Gaston RC (#304), 1973 Topps Rookie Pitchers Melvin Behney/Ralph Garcia RC/Doug Rau RC (#602), and a 1975 Topps Jim Beswick RC/Steve Mura RC/Broderick Perkins RC(#725)

And finally, a Gwynn, a rookie and a hockey goalie, including a 2000 Vanguard High Voltage Red Tony Gwynn (#32) S/N 133/199, 2015 Topps Heritage SP RC Austin Hedges (#720) and a 2015-16 Upper Deck Young Guns RC Malcolm Subban (#211).

To those who used to enjoy reading my humble posts, I apologize. I believe I'm on the right track again.


After all, "...I've gotten much better." I think.