National Hobby Shop Day at Pal's!

Hey! It's National Hobby Shop Day!

Yet I didn't know it was National Hobby Shop Day on December 8th. It seems there are a lot of varying promotions sponsored by the remaining card companies, so I don't really pay attention to that stuff anymore.

But I do love that card of yelling Sam Mele!

Early that morning, I was out running Aarons and found myself in the car for a few slow minutes, looking at my phone after grabbing a small list's worth at a Targets. (Who only had crappy Panini Football and Basketball in the card aisle...) I still had to hit the grocery store, and was just taking a breath or two between missions. While looking at the facebooks, I saw a post regarding National Hobby Shop Day events at a shop I miss greatly in Denver.

Hmmm.... Pal's Sports Cards in Andover was close by, and between me and my next planned stop. Certainly there's room for a detour! After all, I'd been meaning to stop in to see if they had Monster Boxes with rows wide enough to house Top Loaders. I currently have five that I use to keep my team sorted sleeved cards, with assorted Semi-Rigid and Top Loaders mixed in. However, I need a sixth to contain them all...

Over 20 years ago, my dad welded up this Monster Box storage shelf, out of steel. He had me draw up some plans with measurements and came up with this. And I love it! The boxes slide in and out as if they were drawers, plus it's on wheels for ease moving it where I need it for sorting. 

Recently, Pal's solved another sorting dilemma of my collection. I needed a good system for holding duplicate sleeved cards for the three teams I specifically collect; the Expos, Rockies and Twins.

Pal's had a cardboard boxed shelf of six Shoe Boxes, which housed all I have, with plenty of room leftover for new additions!

So yeah, I didn't even have to buy cards if they had supplies that I needed. I checked Pal's hours on my phone and saw they were open, so it's off to Pal's I go!

Closed in the picture, open this morning!

Unfortunately, the Monster Boxes Pal's had in stock were of the narrow rowed variety, so I passed on those. But you always have to look at what's new in stock at a card store. His four-sided display case of recent hits had been moved from the center of the floor, up closer to the window. He said he was trying to free up room and asked if I thought it was still easy to see all sides of the case in it's new location. I walked around and saw no problems with access.

But I just found something that I'm going to need you to open it up for...

This 2018 Bowman High Tek Royce Lewis autograph is a MUST HAVE for my collection!

He asked if I was looking for anything else after releasing the card from it's glass prison. "I don't know yet, still looking around..." I made my way up to his vintage singles and we started talking about the Twins chances in 2019. Hard to predict which way they will go at this point, but we both agreed they made a good signing bringing in this guy to play second base...

Yeah, his 2018 season was kinda crappy, but it's hard to argue with his age and track record on a one year deal...

Though the 2019 Minnesota Twins chances hinge entirely on Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton playing up to their lofty capabilities. And if new manager Rocco Baldelli can succeed in breaking some of the worst aspects of "the Twins Way"...

It's fun to talk baseball with informed and dedicated fans instead of the ones that default into poorly thought out blame. Yeah, Pohlad's cheap, but there's a whole lot more to it than that...

Just like there's a whole bunch of awesomeness in the vintage case, front and center was another card I needed!

A 1964 Topps Killebrew was one of the earlier gaps in my Killer collection. Leaving 1959 and 1965 as the others I still need.

As he was getting the card out of the case for me, I mentioned that I'm still working to fill my 1960's Twins team sets, but have yet to write anything I need down. Working off memory alone when I found singles for sale. He said that he had a bunch of Topps singles from the 1960's that included some Twins, and brought out small plastic boxes with sleeved cards inside, sorted by year...

I will dig right in!

Let's start with 1963, since I know I have very few of them...

None of them were mint condition, but I couldn't care less about condition if it's a card I need. 

They can always be upgraded later...

And I'm proud to own cards in far worse shape!

While I dug through his cases, I was talking about how I loved cards from the 1960's and 70's that pulled back enough on the photo to show past ballparks as they looked in the day. Citing a card that showed a great deal of the left field stands of the Polo Grounds (I should have bought it...) as I was flipping through...

He told me about a friend that took a photograph of five Twins stars posing for a picture at Met Stadium in 1961. They were looking at a camera that was shooting them from a different angle, but his friend took a photo at the same time. Four of the five Twins were easily recognizable, but he did not know the identity of the fifth player in the picture. Later, he had the photo blown up and went to an appearance that Harmon Killebrew was signing at, and asked him if he recognized the fifth player.

Killebrew immediately said it was Reno Bertoia, who he called an incredible athlete. Bertoia only played with the Twins for half a season in 1961. I had this card before today, but this was a chance to dig it out again... It's one of the few from the 1961 Topps set to show a Twins cap, instead of all the hatless Senators photos Topps ran in earlier series.

Do I care that this card is missing a couple of corners and has a buncha creases? Not at all!

Up next was a box of 1964 Topps. 

I had quite a few more of these in my Twins album, so I didn't need all that he had.

But these five are all keys to the team set in my book...

And this guy! Not a Twin, but the second year card of the most popular Montreal Expo in their early days! An awesome card that I've wanted for a long time. Only thing that would make it better would be Staub wearing a Houston Colt .45's home jersey, featuring that giant gun across the chest!

Back to current days...

I didn't buy this 2018 Topps Archives Signature from Pal's on National Hobby Shop Day, but a few weeks earlier, when I bought that box of Shoe Boxes. The last decade has really taken me away from buying current wax. It's that damn lottery ticket mentality...

A box of Topps Archives Signature is around $50, or more. For that $50, you get one buy-back card, autographed and gold foil stamped, in a Topps "sealed" case. I've watched many you tube videos of people opening these boxes and pulling a card worth between $5 and $20. Immediately going away disappointed by it. I'm never buying something like that. I will happily drop $20 for this card out of the display case, after someone else spent $50 to see it first. Berrios is a great talent and that is a beautiful picture. $20 from me all day long...

Guilty? I accuse Teh Becketts...

The new Becketts, sporting a retro logo and Don Mattingly on the cover caught my eye, while I was walking around the store. It was their "80's issue", and had a feature counting down the top cards of the 1980's. Okay, I'll bite... (Despite the retro logo not quite being the Becketts header I remember from the 1980's... Early 90's yes, but whatever...) I was curious to see how many cards in their Top 80, that I had in my collection. The quick answer was 62 of them.

So now I will rank the cards I am missing from their Top 80, ranked by how much I want them. I can't include any images, because I don't have the cards!

Top 80 1980's Cards I Don't Have, According to Teh Becketts 

(Along with their rank on the printed list):

#1 (44) 1984 Fleer Update - Pete Rose

That's a no brainer... That card is one of my top wants from any era or team...

#2 (21) 1989 Upper Deck  - Dale Murphy Reverse Negative

1989 Upper Deck was a landmark set in my -and a lot of junk wax collectors- mind. 

This card has long felt like it needs to be in my possession.

#3 (46) 1981 Topps Traded - Tim Raines

#4 (7) 1984 Fleer Update - Roger Clemens

I once owned both of these cards, but lost them to tragic burglaries.

#5 (66) 1982 Fleer - John LIttlefield (Error)

This card has long intrigued me after reading about it way back when I first started collecting. 

But I wont pay what it sells for...

#8 (67) 1982 Donruss- The San Diego Chicken

A novelty that belongs in my 1982 binder...

#7 (55) 1987 Classic Games - Bo Jackson

A novelty for other reasons.

#8 (22) 1984 Fleer Update - Dwight Gooden

An iconic card, but was never really a fan...

#9 (63) 1986 Donruss The Rookies - Wally Joyner

Okay? Sure...

#10 (69) 1987 Donruss Opening Day - Barry Bonds (Error)

Eh...

#11 (33) 1981 Fleer - Craig Nettles (Error)

Really?

#12 (76) 1982 Topps Kmart MVP - Maury Wills

Nothing against Maury Wills, and I get the story that he didn't have a 1962 Topps card for reproduction, but you are trying to convince me that a card in the MASSIVELY overproduced 1982 Topps Kmart box set is one of the 80 best of the entire decade?

#13 (16) 1989 Bowman Tiffany - Ken Griffey Jr.

#14 (24) 1984 Topps Tiffany - Don Mattingly

#15 (30) 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany - Will Clark

#16 (38) 1987 Topps Traded Tiffany - Greg Maddux

#17 (47) 1983 O Pee Chee - Tony Gwynn

#18 (71) 1984 Topps Nestle - Don Mattingly

Now here is where Teh Becketts really pissed me off. Including that many parallels as top cards of the 1980's? No one I knew collected Tiffany sets as they simply weren't available at the mass level. Sure, they are more rare, but that wasn't what people were collecting back then. Stop applying the investor market mentality of today to the collecting hobby of 30-40 years ago! Same with O Pee Chee, no one wanted them. Nestles? Who had these cards?

Yeah... Teh Becketts... Can you be more out of touch with the hobby you attempt to represent?

Ick... I need to wash that out of my mind with cards that are no where near investor grade...

Let's get to 1965!

I was ecstatic to see Pal's 1965 Topps boxes.

No Twins team set in my collection is as underrepresented than 1965.

1968 would be next, but he didn't have any 1968 Topps Twins I needed. 

But that's okay...

I put a huge dent in my 1965 needs. (That's a really big glove...)

Even if I didn't know which ones they were...

I don't even care if they're dirty!

Speaking of dirty...

I didn't buy another Billy Ripken Fuck Face card at Pal's. I have enough of them, and don't really need any more... Still, the story behind this card is rather fascinating and that Becketts of the terrible countdown, featured a story of a Fuck Face super collector that offered more info on the card than I was aware of. Showing all the known variations of Fleer's cover up of one of the biggest controversies to ever hit baseball cards.

Between that and the Don Mattingly interview, Becketts made me feel less dirty about dropping $9 on their shill...

They don't even price anything older than 1980 in the guide anymore...

Which is wrong on many levels...

Sure, you can buy their special "Vintage" collectables magazine...

And give them even more money than they deserve...

But don't encourage them...

I don't need their opinion tainting the stuff I like.

Andy Kosco?

No! You need to buy Acuna Autographed die cut Supafractor Deluxe Laser beam cards with diamonds and jersey patches inside!

Enough about Teh Becketts... 

As I've been unpacking my 30+ year collection into New Baseballcardland, I look at what that magazine was 30 years ago and it makes me kinda sad. The hobby today is so much more cutthroat and less fun...

My Pal at Pal's brought up some small albums that he said were a consignment from a collector in Wisconsin. They were filled with 1969-1972 Topps, but had many gaps where other had picked through them before me. No complaints as there were not only Twins I needed, but Expos and Seattle Pilots as well...

These cards were in even better condition than a majority of the sleeved cards.

Yeah, that munched corner is pretty bad, but this is the last 1969 Expo I needed, that is shown wearing an Expos uniform.

Too bad it's dirty, this Reese has some nice bright color on it...

Looks like Mr. Sutherland has been rolling in the mud...

You don't get too many registration problems with 2018 cards. So it makes these all the more novel...

Non-Twin and non-Expo, I simply fell in love with this card once I saw it... 

It will find a happy home in my 1969 Topps binder...

A cleaner 1970 Topps Reese, with almost as nice color!

The more 1970 Topps Twins cards I find, the more I like them! 

The Twins got some really great photos out of Topps this year...

Yay!! A Pilot need!

Heheheheh... Dick Wood...son...

Don Bosch was really making himself known to me today...

Future Phillies manager looking surley...

Damn the Twins have some great photos in this set...

I gotta check, I think my 1970 Topps Seattle Pilots team set has to be almost complete...

Okay, nothing too special here, but that's still a batting cage shot...

The only 1971 Topps card I needed, but it was in pretty good shape!

With only the 1972 album left to look through, I took a quick gander at some of the current Twins boxes along the wall. I've looked through these a bunch of times, and cleaned out everything I've needed each time I drop by. But new stuff still pops up in them from time to time...

Like a recently retired Twins first baseman, shown in 2007 Bowman's Best form? I have nothing from this set, so I'll gladly take this one!

And this too!

But let's get back to before I was born...

That 1972 Topps album featured some real beauties. 

I'm tempted to go back and pick up some of the sweet cards from the set, featuring teams and players that I don't collect. There's so much to love with 1972 Topps, even beyond that psychedelic border!

Patchy dirt grass!

Palm trees!

Old outfield wall ads!

And those elusive uber-rare high numbers!

There were a small amount of 1974's at the end of the album, including one Twin that I needed.

Then one more 2018 -and the only Colorado Rockies card of the day- that needed to come home with me.

I'm watching Arenado's contract situation with the Rockies anxiously close. They need to spend what they need to spend in order to re-sign him. Nolan is the greatest all around third baseman that I've ever watched play. And he needs to be in Rockies purple much more than Dodger blue or Giant orange in 2020...

As he was ringing my purchases up, he mentioned it being National Hobby Shop Day, but that he only found out a week or so ago, and had no promotional items to give away. So he threw a few cards in on my purchase at the end. Including this Albies. I'm not collecting them, but the Chromey Refractory 1983 Topps Anniversary things are very nice looking cards... I'll even take a Brave!

And for freebie, I'm very happy with this... a 2014 Target Field All Star Game card featuring Charlie Brown! I don't know much about it, but it definitely qualifies for residency in the Twins binder!

I was satisfied munching a few of the chocolate covered pretzels he left sitting out. I figured that was the extent of his National Hobby Shop Day festivities. Which was fine by me!

To me, celebrating a hobby shop comes from all the reasons I mentioned here. Not in all the free promotional giveaways sponsored by the card manufacturers. A hobby shop is for looking up card you need, conversing about the sports and athletes you care about. Where you can go for needed supplies and see things that you don't normally get.

I've been lucky in having great hobby shops close by throughout my collecting history. There have been gaps when I don't have a good card store near by, and my collection has been neglected in those times. So I'm grateful for shops like Pal's, and to others that are no longer open...

Like Mike's Sports Cards of Englewood, Colorado and Coach's Corner of St. Anthony, Minnesota.

******

One more thing before I call this story complete... With all the sweet new old vintage that I acquired today, I have to to show this off here...

As I was unpacking a box that hadn't likely seen daylight in 25 years, I found this incredible Amoco Certicare promotional poster, autographed by Harmon Killebrew!

He signed it in pencil, which is rather odd. I vaguely remember a card show he was signing at back in the late 1980's, where I got my Minnesota Twins Surf Book signed, my mom got a baseball signed, and we ended up with this poster as well. Not sure the circumstances, I'd forgotten all about it.

It's too bad it got creased, and a wrinkle under his signature. I should look into framing this...

Even with no intentions of celebrating it, I had a great National Hobby Shop Day. No bells and whistles required!