The Phillies are off to a slow start. Hopefully they can turn things around soon.
Prior to the beginning of the season I picked up a Trea Turner 2016 Topps Chrome RC #32. His cards are very affordable considering how much of a superstar he is.
This card came with free shipping from the seller. It was shipped using eBay Delivery Services in a plain white envelope. I don’t recall ever receiving a card this way.
I received an e-mail from eBay telling me my card had been delivered. The only problem is that when I received the e-mail I didn’t have the card in my possession yet. No card had actually been delivered.
As it turns out that e-mail informing me that it had been delivered really meant that it was delivered to my post office. The USPS will then deliver it to me.
Receiving an e-mail like that from eBay can easily make you think your purchase was delivered to the wrong place.
In July I opened a box of 2017 Leaf Babe Ruth Immortal Collection. One of my “hits” was a redemption card for a Babe Ruth Game-Used Boston Bat Relic #’ed 1/1. This card was redeemed on 7/24/17 and it arrived on 8/3/17. Now that is the type of turnaround time all redemption cards should have. Leaf isn’t known for issuing many redemption cards. Until now, I had never redeemed anything from them.
According to Leaf, redemption cards were made for a few cards after they realized some of them got damaged during the manufacturing process. It was easier to issue a redemption rather than hold up the entire product until they printed new cards to replace the damaged ones. Only a handful of redemption cards from this product have surfaced. A couple have sold for big money ranging anywhere from $700 and up. Those people drastically overpaid thinking that the redeemed card would be something vastly different compared to the other 1/1 bat relics that made it into the product. Cards like the one I received are worth about $200 to $300. The unknown picture and what the bat piece would look like could’ve driven collectors to pay that much for those redemption cards as well. I don’t think many will pay those prices anymore. If you didn’t pull the cut signature, bat barrel, or bat knob, a bat relic #’ed 1/1 is the next best thing.
Some collectors add new cards to their collection every single day. For many, the bubble mailers just don’t seem to stop. I’m very picky about what I collect. The Steelers, Eagles, Penn State, and the Phillies are the main teams that I follow. I probably follow the Phillies more than anything. Years ago I was looking for someone from the Phillies to collect, but I didn’t want it to be too easy. Players for the most part have tons of cards. Broadcasters on the other hand do not. So I settled on former Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas. Good old HK only has a handful of cards, and none of them are simple to find.
One of the last things I do at the end of the day is an eBay search for “Harry Kalas”. Most of the time what pops up doesn’t grab my interest. Mainly because I either already have it or its junk. My search last weekend turned up a card I’ve been looking for since 2012. It was the Harry Kalas 2012 Sportkings Series E Top 50 Broadcasters Cut Signature #’ed 1/1. The seller was from Massachusetts, and they accepted my first offer. It was up for sale for less than a day. The card has arrived, and has been added to my collection. I believe this is the only cut signature of Harry Kalas to feature a picture of him.
This was the first Harry Kalas card I’ve added to my collection since last summer. Its not something I get to do very often. Other cards of his I’m looking for include:
Mike Schmidt/Harry Kalas 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game – Announcing Greats Dual Auto #’ed/25
Harry Kalas 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Stitch Auto #’ed 1/1
Harry Kalas 2012 Sportkings Premium Back Redemption Sketch #’ed 1/1
Harry Kalas 2015 Topps Five Star Cut Signature #’ed 1/1
On Christmas Eve I received a package in the mail from artist Tempy Moore of Art For Yinz. Inside was this Barry Bonds 1/1 sketch card. I would personally like to thank her for sending this over. It is going to remain in my personal collection forever.
Tempy Moore is one of the best modern day artists known for her extremely realistic self portraits. She has been taking on personal commissions from athletes since 2008, and has even painted at a black-tie reception for business and political leaders at the Empire State Building in New York City. You’ve probably seen her work included in 2012 Leaf Best Of Baseball and TCSP products.
Collectibles are collectible today because at one time they weren’t thought to be collectible. I’ll give you a few seconds for all that to sink in.
I just wanted to show off some gifts I recently received from a very dedicated reader of Sports Card Info. This reader was going through their inventory and came across some interesting items they thought would fit well into my collection. Boy were they right!
What they found were six pocket schedules from the Philadelphia Phillies AA minor league team the Reading Phillies. The schedules range from 1967 to 1974. Early pocket schedules like this aren’t the easiest things to find. Upon further research, I found out that 1967 was the first year the Reading Phillies were even around. Reading has had a baseball team since 1858, but 1967 was the first year they were associated with the Phillies.
Schedules like this were most likely thrown out back then. They surely weren’t held on to like the schedules are today. Not only did these schedules survive, but they’re in excellent condition too. What a cool find! Thanks!
This past week I took a business trip for my job, that is why all you’ve been seeing is “Card of the Day” posts. Today that’s going to change! Yesterday in the mail I received one of my newest purchases for my Phillies/Harry Kalas collection. This HK card comes from 2012 Panini Cooperstown Baseball. It may very well be just a base card, but I needed it. I wish the Voices of Summer cards had parallels, but they don’t. I guess I can be glad that HK has a new card at all since he doesn’t have that many. I really like this product even though it’s non-licensed. Teaming up with the Baseball Hall of Fame was a nice approach. The back has a nicely detailed bio about HK too. Here is what it has to say:
“OUTTA HERE!”
Kalas won the hearts of Philadelphia baseball fans with his easygoing style, his mellow, baritone voice and his deep devotion to the team. His signature home run call – “Swing… and a long drive… this ball is outta here!”- was as familiar as cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell in the City of Brotherly Love. “Harry the K” called the first game at Veterans Stadium in 1971, the first game at the new park in 2004 and three World Series (1983, 1993, 2008). He was also the voice of NFL Films.
Its not that often I get to add a new Harry Kalas card to my collection. He doesn’t have that many to begin with. This one comes from one of those Oddball playing card sets. I’m still searching for some of those Sweet Spot autographs, and a 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Schmidt / Kalas dual autograph.
Press Pass sent me another replacement for my Dez Bryant 2010 Press Pass autograph redemption. This time they sent a Mike Williams 2010 autograph. Earlier this week they sent me an Earl Campbell 2008 Press Pass Legends – Bowl Edition Top 25 autograph #’ed/75. I think they’ve covered all their bases on this one. I’m quite happy with my replacements.
Last June I busted a box of 2010 Press Pass Football, and pulled a redemption for a Dez Bryant autograph. In January Press Pass informed me they would be mailing a replacement. Today I received an Earl Campbell 2008 Press Pass Legends – Bowl Edition Top 25 autograph #’ed 14/75. I think its a reasonable replacement. I pulled three Dez Bryant autographs within the last year, and all have been redemptions. I wish Press Pass would bring back Bowl Edition. Those cards seem to be really popular. Boxes yield five packs, each containing an autograph.
I was one of the lucky 12 winners in Panini’s Super Bowl XLV contest. To enter, all I had to do was show a picture of myself holding my favorite championship card. I picked my Bob Griese 2005 Donruss Classics – Classic Pigskin relic.
Take a look at what I won.
This was the picture and entry I used to win. I put myself on a Lil’ Teammate 🙂
Having a perfect season is something the ’72-’73 Miami Dolphins did, and I highly doubt any other team in the NFL will do it again. One of my favorite cards is my Bob Griese 2005 Donruss Classics – Classic Pigskin relic. It sits atop my Miami Dolphins shelf with pride overseeing all my other cards. I would love to see more cards commemorating their perfect season. There are a lot of great players from that team that don’t have modern day cards.
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