Since it's been awhile since I've been posting again, I figured now would be a good time to showcase my purchases from the September Urbandale American Legion card show. I wasn't able to attend the October show due to drill weekend, but I did attend the November show, which I'll detail some of those goodies later.
The December show, held on Sunday, Dec. 18, was a whole different story. With blowing snow and temperatures in the sub-zero range (including a -31 degree windchill at 8 a.m. that morning), I figured a) the vendors may be a little thin that day, (especially those coming from longer distances) and b) it was too damn cold to go anywhere. We threw a few logs on the fireplace and stayed home all day.
You just have to love Iowa sometimes. Especially when you have friends who still live in San Diego call you up, reminding you about how gorgeous the weather is out there.
I'll start out with a 2015 Topps Pro Debut Pennant Patches Matt Wisler (#PP-MW), 2012 Bowman Sterling Prospects Autographs Travis Jankowski (#BSAP-TJ), 2016 Donruss Ted Giannoulas (#151), 2016 Donruss Optic The Famous San Diego Chicken/Ted Giannoulas (#165), and a couple of 2016 Wacky Packages MLB Padres Deep Friar (#35) and Padres Head Shavers (#36).
I'm not a huge fan of manufactured patches, but how can you not like El Paso's Chihuahua with an attitude. When it comes to the San Diego Chicken, we talk to him every time he's in Des Moines at an Iowa Cubs game and I have almost every Chicken card made (now that sounds like a good idea for a blog column). However, Donruss has released a large amount of serial numbered, memorabilia and certified autograph cards of the Chicken this baseball season. These two cards should at least help get me started on getting back in the Chicken groove again.
Of course, I had to get me some Gwynns. 2015 Panini Contenders Old School Colors (#14), 2003 Diamond Kings (169), 2015 Panini National Convention VIP Party (#59), 2014 Topps Allan and Ginter (#223), 2011 Topps Kimball Champions (#KC59), 2013 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions (#101), 2000 MLB Showdown Unlimited Foil (#359), and a 2013 Topps Allen and Ginter Across the Years (#ATY-TG).
Since we do live in Des Moines, which is home to the Triple A Chicago Cubs affiliate, I have do collect a few Iowa Cubs cards. The only stipulation is, however, they have to be wearing an Iowa Cub uniform. The following cards fit that criteria to a "T" - a 2010 Topps Pro Debut David Cales (#302), 1999 SP Top Prospects Kyle Farnsworth (#46), 1996 Best Autographs Brooks Kieschnick (#36), 1998 SP Top Prospects T10 Kerry Wood (#4), and a 1994 Action Packed Ozzie Timmons (#40).
Here's a couple more Padres cards, as well as a pair of MLB showdown strategy cards I picked up. The Padres cards include a 2016 Topps Archives '69 Topps Super Tyson Ross (#69TSTR) and a 2016 Diamond Kings Framed Colin Rea (#156). The MLB Showdown Strategy card is courtesy of the 2001 MLB Showdown Pennant Run Strategy Mike Piazza/Go Up Hacking (#S6).
I used to actually play in an MLB Showdown league at a local card shop. One season, we each bought a booster box and three packs. They were all opened and then we drafted the players like a normal team. My first pick was a foil Randy Johnson, who was the ace of my staff that year. I think I actually finished fourth out of nine teams that season. This was one of, if not the best, strategy cards in the game. I still have most of my cards in the hope that I can someday find someone to play again.
For that matter, I still have a bunch of MLB Sportsclix figures from Wizards of the Coasts. We used to play in a league at another neighboring card store here in Des Moines and I was actually a referee for Wizards of the Coast for this game. That's another game I'd still love to play again.
And of course, I had to pick up a few hockey cards. I found these 2015-16 Upper Deck UD Portraits of Dylan Larkin (P95), Artemi Panarin (P110), Jack Eichel (P61), and Connor McDavid (P100) for a buck apiece. While these may not be their rookie cards, they are affordable cardboard for the quality of players.
