My day at the Natty
totallyradd
Posts: 943 ✭✭✭✭
I was pretty excited about this years National. I started saving up for it in March. Sold off hundreds of CDs, cashed in my credit card rewards points, sold bobbleheads, and flipped some cards all for one nain goal: 1954 Hank Aaron PSA 6. (For those of you that never carried close to 3000 in cash before, that's a pretty big rush in itself).
Got there right at 10. That line to get in was something, like watching a parade! Went right to the Topps line. Got a spot and waited, and waited and waited. Got to the front to find out that the Bowman Platinum promotion was over. I may have still been able to rip to get those 52 parallels, but the guy was kinda curt with me, and wasn't of much help. I was annoyed at that point, but wasn't gonna let it ruin my day.
Went straight to BBCE after that. Got two boxes of 83 Topps (one Michigan box), one 85 Topps, one 86 Topps, one 86 Donruss, one 92 Bowman. They were nice enough to hold my stuff so I wouldn't have to carry around 50 pounds of cardboard all day.
From there I went to PSA to get my newly found Mantle sig authenticated. The line took awhile, but I saw a few people renewing their memberships and getting the "What could've been" Ruth Cracker Jack card. I renewed and got that and the book.
Afterwards I strolled around starting my hunt for the Aaron. On the way I found a 53 Topps Mathews in a 6 I was looking for to complete my 53 Braves set. Mission accomplished.
Once that was completed it got slow. I found one Aaron in a 6, but it wasn't as centered as I'd have liked and from my scouting report was a few hundred more than I planned on spending. I guess these guys have to make up for tabling, flights, food, rooms, etc somehow. So I continued the hunt. I found a few places with 5's and saw a lot of 7's on the way. At the end of the day though, I only found ONE 6 on the entire floor. I ended up striking out on my goal.
Around 2pm I went back to BBCE, where there was about 15-20 members hanging out. I was too shy to say anything, but those of you there probably saw me wearing a Milwaukee Braves hat lurking around watching some guys break packs. I ripped an 82 Donruss, 82 Fleer, and 86 Donruss after watching you guys having a good time. Had some minor hits with Yaz, Kirk Gibson, Jim Rice, and Steve Garvey.
I stuck it out until 3 for the Blowout Cards raffle and headed back to Milwaukee.
Throughout the day I was also looking out for a 53 Topps Robinson, or a 50 Bowman Robinson (I didn't even SEE one of those on the floor). The 53 Robinson's were again a bit more than I scouted out for in the grades I was looking for (4-5). On the way out I picked up a Topps Series 2 box which I'll break tomorrow morning.
Had a good time, struck out on my big ticket items, but enjoyed looking at all the amazing cards everywhere.
Hope the rest of you have a great time and those that are looking find their white wales.
Finally, did anyone see that guy at the booth selling a Nolan Ryan rookie Gem Mint 10 for $300? I woulda bought it in a heartbeat, but there's no way anyone in their right mind sells that card for that little. Seemed a little fishy to me.
Got there right at 10. That line to get in was something, like watching a parade! Went right to the Topps line. Got a spot and waited, and waited and waited. Got to the front to find out that the Bowman Platinum promotion was over. I may have still been able to rip to get those 52 parallels, but the guy was kinda curt with me, and wasn't of much help. I was annoyed at that point, but wasn't gonna let it ruin my day.
Went straight to BBCE after that. Got two boxes of 83 Topps (one Michigan box), one 85 Topps, one 86 Topps, one 86 Donruss, one 92 Bowman. They were nice enough to hold my stuff so I wouldn't have to carry around 50 pounds of cardboard all day.
From there I went to PSA to get my newly found Mantle sig authenticated. The line took awhile, but I saw a few people renewing their memberships and getting the "What could've been" Ruth Cracker Jack card. I renewed and got that and the book.
Afterwards I strolled around starting my hunt for the Aaron. On the way I found a 53 Topps Mathews in a 6 I was looking for to complete my 53 Braves set. Mission accomplished.
Once that was completed it got slow. I found one Aaron in a 6, but it wasn't as centered as I'd have liked and from my scouting report was a few hundred more than I planned on spending. I guess these guys have to make up for tabling, flights, food, rooms, etc somehow. So I continued the hunt. I found a few places with 5's and saw a lot of 7's on the way. At the end of the day though, I only found ONE 6 on the entire floor. I ended up striking out on my goal.
Around 2pm I went back to BBCE, where there was about 15-20 members hanging out. I was too shy to say anything, but those of you there probably saw me wearing a Milwaukee Braves hat lurking around watching some guys break packs. I ripped an 82 Donruss, 82 Fleer, and 86 Donruss after watching you guys having a good time. Had some minor hits with Yaz, Kirk Gibson, Jim Rice, and Steve Garvey.
I stuck it out until 3 for the Blowout Cards raffle and headed back to Milwaukee.
Throughout the day I was also looking out for a 53 Topps Robinson, or a 50 Bowman Robinson (I didn't even SEE one of those on the floor). The 53 Robinson's were again a bit more than I scouted out for in the grades I was looking for (4-5). On the way out I picked up a Topps Series 2 box which I'll break tomorrow morning.
Had a good time, struck out on my big ticket items, but enjoyed looking at all the amazing cards everywhere.
Hope the rest of you have a great time and those that are looking find their white wales.
Finally, did anyone see that guy at the booth selling a Nolan Ryan rookie Gem Mint 10 for $300? I woulda bought it in a heartbeat, but there's no way anyone in their right mind sells that card for that little. Seemed a little fishy to me.
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Comments
My Sandberg topps basic set
My Sandberg Topps Master set
He's a good guy to deal with, well connected, and comes up with some incredibly high end cards.
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
I didn't look at it super closely either, maybe it was some type of reprint?!
Thanks
Jeff
To be honest, no direction, but...
1966-69 Topps EX+
1975 minis NrMt Kelloggs PSA 9
All Topps Heritage-Master Sets
With 9's in the 4-5k range, 300k is a huge jump even though it's the only 10 out of approximately 6500 submitted.
Spence has the post war HOF rookie registry locked up with nearly a full point lead over everybody else. He doesn't need the 10 to maintain his #1 position. And nobody else can even begin to approach him by adding the Nolan Ryan 10 to their set.
you must be sports columnists.
Aaron 7's were about 2500-3000 from various dealers. One guy in the far back corner (kinda near the Probstein tables) had a few of em, along with Clementes and Williams, and that was like all he had. He said he'd love to trade to work with me, but I didn't bring any of my dupes.
Good luck if you make it down there Jeff
- Corey