A Day At The Card Show!

It's been almost a year, but I was able to make it to another card show in my little part of the world! Nothing Earth-shattering, but I enjoyed taking my time and checking out all the glorious cardboard. There were probably close to 100 tables, yet only 5 were worthy of my money:

 

Purchase #1

 

I'm the kind of guy that will just walk up and down each isle and figure out where the deals are. The first table to catch my attention had a bunch of cards separated by player at a cost of 5/$1. That's an excellent price to add some Pedros to my collection, rounded out with a few Nomars and Boggs to boot! 

 

Favorite Card: 2001 Fleer Genuine - Pennant Aggression #3 PA Nomar Garciaparra 

 

Purchase #2 

 

This next table I was really exited for, as it had a ton of great cards, with one set of boxes dedicated to serial numbered cards, short-prints, relics, and autographs. More boxes were for other assorted parallels and oddballs. One of my goals for this day was to find some team specific "thank you's" I could send to a few of you out there. I was fortunate enough to find cards for about 3/4 of my list, which have already been mailed out and received. (The hunt as always continues for the others I feel deserve one.)

 

As for myself, I found a Red Sox short-print need:

 

I both love and hate this card. I love whimsical additions to cards. (Part of the reason the Holiday sets can be a lot of fun). At the same time, Rudy Giuliani is not a Red Sox fan and has little connection to the team. This card almost seems like a troll by a Yankee fan. Still, it's a short print I needed, and found within my price range.

 

I also found some other miscellaneous cards, including some vintage Hall of Famers, a fun Coca Cola oddball, and even a card I needed for the 1990 Glossy All-Star set!

 

Favorite card: 1969 Topps #425 Carl Yastrzemski (AS)

 

Purchase #3

 

This was the table I spent the most time on. More dime boxes, but not particularly organized.  They were mostly cards from the past few base and update sets. I took this opportunity to leaf through and find as many missing Red Sox cards as I could. Thanks to my efforts, I have now completed the 2023 and 2025 Topps Update Red Sox team sets, and have just one more card to go for the 2026 base set. 

 

 

The dealer also had some Bowman and Heritage in a quarter box, I picked up a few of those too.

 

I also took a gamble on some small team packs her had for sale. I knew most of them would be cards I already had (and probably just bought too!) but I knew I needed this Anthony insert so I figured why not?

 

 

For two bucks I got 5 cards I needed plus a bunch of extra Sox. Not a bad trade off.

 

 

Favorite card: 2026 Topps #15 Payton Tolle (Even though I already have this card, he's become a favorite and I found myself grabbing an extra copy of his rookie card.) 

 

Purchase #4

 

As my time was winding down, I stopped at one other table with some cards divided by team.  I only picked up these two cards, but they are very eye-catching!

 

Favorite card: 2026 Bowman Chrome - It Came to the League #IT-1 Franklin Arias (A fitting monster card for October!) 

 

Purchase #5

 

 

As I was leaving I decided to take a chance on an over-glorified repack box of Red Sox cards. Sure, it's going to be mostly cards I already have, but it'll be a fun box to open when I'm bored and itching to see some cards. Perhaps I'll do a blog post on it.

 

All in all, not a bad day. Most tables were for the high rollers, and that's OK with me. They also kept the Pokemon/gaming table in their own section, so I didn't have to wiggle my way through them amongst the sports stuff. The only negative I have is that one table was selling custom cards. Now I don't have a problem with custom cards, especially if their made by creative people who have some degree of artistic talent, like a few well known bloggers. No, these were completely AI generated slop, and guy thought they were worth $10-$15 apiece. Sorry, just because you prompted your computer to generate a cartoonish card of Paul Skeenes... Anyway, other than what I fear will be a growing trend in the hobby, it was a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repack Haiku #481 (DJ LeMahieu)

First modern player

To lead each league in batting

Rockies then Yankees

 

2017 Topps Update
#US230 DJ LeMahieu (AS)

LeMahieu won his first batting title in 2016 with the Rockies, leading the National League with a .348 average. Four years later (2020) as a member of the Yankees, he led the American League, batting .364 in the shortened season.

TCDB Trade Recap: Cards From Loveland, CO (Again)

 A few months ago, I made a small TCDB trade with a collector named Harrison. We matched up on another small trade recently:

 

 

Slowly, I'm whittling down the Red Sox cards I need from the 2026 base set. If I'm lucky I'll have it done before the Update set comes out later this month. 

 

Favorite Card: Gotta love Pedro!

 

Thanks for another great trade, Harrison! 

 

**********

 

Speaking of the TCDB, I found out another former trade partner and member of the blogging community recently passed away. Johnny, who wrote the blog Cards From The Quarry, passed away in late July. May he rest in peace.

Blog Bat Around - Feeling Acomplished!

A new blog bat around has been started up over at Torren' Up Cards.  It's simple enough - all you have to do is list 3 achievements as a collector. Compared to what's been posted so far, my accomplishments aren't as impressive. Still, they are accomplishments, they are mine, and I am proud of them.

 

Honorable Mention:

Completed the 2024 Topps base set 

 

 

This seems like an odd one to start off with, but to truly appreciate it as an accomplishment, you have to look at where I was as a collector, and where I am now. In high school, I bought boxes of cards and loved to just sit on my bedroom floor, rip packs and have 90%-95% of a set completed when I was done. Once I graduated and started college, the hobby took a back seat to many other things. I stepped away from collecting for over 20 years. When I came back, the hobby was in a different place. No local card shops or shows to fuel my obsession (Fortunately, even that has come back since then). Instead of buying boxes, I had to get my fix from buying packs at Wal-Mart. Even if I could afford a box nowadays, parallels and inserts galore don't help us poor set collectors. The 2024 set was the first set that I completed by hand in over 30 years, and it was all done through single packs and trades with amazing people. 

 

3rd Place:

Completed sets from three other countries outside of the U.S.

 

 

Again, I must go back to my high school days. At one card show, I bought an entire box of 1988 Leaf. Although I never formally took French in school, I did manage to pick up some thanks to Donruss's Canadian counterpart (and Seasame Street - growing up close to the U.S. - Canada border, I got to occasionally catch the Canadian version of the show. I can still count to 10 in French thanks to that limited exposure.) 

 

Somehow, somewhere back then, I also picked up a big stack of the 1988 Topps UK Minis set. I didn't even know they watched baseball over there, let alone collected cards. In both cases, I had most of the cards, but not all of them. Flash forward again to my hobby revival, and those two sets became targets for completion. Again, thanks primarily through online trading, the sets got complete. 

 

The last set I actually won from another blogger back in 2020. The 1992 St. Vincent HOF Heroes Postage Stamps set was a small set of oversized postage from the Carribean islands of St. Vincent and Grenadines. 

 

I don't see many collectors mention how many different countries they have cards from, let alone completed sets. Having sets from 4 different countries (U.S. included) seems impressive to me at least! 

 

2nd Place:

This blog right here 

 

I didn't mention this, but Wednesday's Repack Haiku was officially the 1,500th post on Diamond Jesters. Next year, this blog will celebrate it's 10 year anniversary.  The fact I've continued to create so much content for such a long stretch of time astounds me. This blog, the friends I've made through it, the things I've learned through others - it's as much a part of the hobby experience for me as the cards themselves. I can't imagine one without the other. The blog gives my collecting added purpose.

 

1st Place:

Meeting Mickey Mantle

 

I've shown off my Mantle autograph many times before. It's easily the prized card in my collection. But beyond the card were the circumstances behind it. There are plenty of Mantle autographs out there, as he was known to sign a lot especially in his later years. But how many people today can say they actually got their signature in person? I'm very lucky that I got to meet one of the legends of the game.

 

Alright fellow bloggers! What are your top 3 achievements in the hobby? 

 

 

Repack Haiku #480 (Ryan Kreidler)

First big league home run

Won game against the Angels

Broke ninth inning tie

 

2023 Topps #356 Ryan Kreidler (RC)

 

On September 7, 2022 the Tigers were trailing the Angels 4-3 when the ninth inning began. Kerry Carpenter led off the inning with a home run, and Kreidler followed him with his first Major League homer to give them the lead and ultimately the win.

2026 Playoff Rankings

Logo courtesy of SportsLogos.Net

 

What a weird season. Going into the last series of games, we didn't have a Division Champion crowned for two of the AL divisions, and a possible 3-way tie for all of the NL Wild Card teams. We didn't even know if the AL West Champion was going to have a winning record! What a mess, but the dust has finally settled and we have our 12 postseason participants. Who will I be rooting for? The first and last place teams are obvious, but what about the other teams? As I've mentioned before, there are a lot of factors that influence my ranking, but I usually start with a list of teams who have suffered the longest Championship droughts and adjust accordingly. Once again, I present my personal 2026 Playoff rankings! 

 

1. Boston Red Sox - AL Wild Card (7 year drought)

2019 Topps Heritage #1
World Series Champions (Boston Red Sox)

 

The fact that this team is even in the postseason is nothing short of miraculous. Just think, almost halfway through the season they were 32-46, a staggering 14 games below .500! Something clicked just before the All-Star break, and they became unstoppable. They get a repeat of last year's matchup in Yankee Stadium, and I hope there's enough magic in the season left to get them past the Yankees this time.

 

Prediction: (*Spoiler Alert!*) Lose to the Dodgers in the World Series

 

2. Cleveland Guardians - AL Central Champions (77 year drought)

1967 Laughlin World Series #45 1948 Braves vs Indians

 

Don't sleep on the 1-2 punch of Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. They measure up with any other playoff team's top 2 starting pitchers. The biggest obstacle is the offense, which has scored the least amount of runs out of all the playoff teams.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Red Sox in the AL Championship Series

  

3. Milwaukee Brewers - NL Central Champions (57 year drought - Never won a World Series)

2026 Topps #107 Milwaukee Brewers (TC)

 

How about those Brewers huh? Not only were they the first team to clinch their division, they also have the best record in baseball! This is one of those teams where the sum is greater than the individual players. They're going to be dangerous, especially with Jacob Misiorowski leading the way. 

 

Prediction: Lose to the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series

 

4. Chicago White Sox - AL Wild Card (20 year drought)

2005 Topps Updates & Highlights
#UH134 White Sox Sweep (WS)

Wow. Just wow. After 3 straight years of over 100 losses, including a record 121 losses just 2 years ago, the White Sox are playoff bound! That's how you do a rebuild! They'll be fun to watch.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Guardians in the AL Division Series

 

5. San Diego Padres - NL Wild Card  (57 year drought - Never won a World Series)

2026 Topps #292 San Diego Padres (TC)

 

It's often said that pitching is what carries teams in the playoffs, and the Padres have arguably one of the best bullpens in the Majors.  Starting pitching is solid but not fantastic, and their offense behind Tatis doesn't exactly scare anyone. I'd love to see this team win their first World Series, but it's going to take one incredible hot streak.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series 

 

6. Philadelphia Phillies - NL Wild Card (17 year drought) 

2009 Topps Heritage #391 The Champs Celebrate (WS)

If Jesus Luzardo can come back for the playoffs, a rotation of Cristopher Sanchez, Zach Wheeler and Luzardo is very strong. Harper and Schwarber are going to have to carry the offense though.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Braves in the NL Wild Card Series

7. Atlanta Braves - NL East Champions (4 year drought)

2022 Topps Heritage #210

 

The only reason they rank higher than the Cubs is because they're my dad's team. Plus, Chris Sale deserves another ring. This is a well balanced team that can go quite far if things break their way.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Dodgers in the NL Division Series

 

8. Chicago Cubs - NL Wild Card (9 year drought)

2017 Topps #206 Chicago Cubs (WS)

 

It seems like a lot of playoff teams this year have strong pitching and mid offense. The Cubs are the opposite. They have lots of offense, led by eventual MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong and the broken faced Alex Bregman. The pitching however has been ravaged by injuries and will need everything they have to keep the Cubs chances alive.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Brewers in the NL Division Series

 

9. Houston Astros - AL West Champions (3 year drought)

2023 Topps Heritage #475 '22 World Series Game 4 (WS, SP)

Last year was a nice reprieve from their run of 7 straight AL Championship Series. I'm not ready to have them start a new streak yet. Fortunately, they're not a good team.

Prediction: Lose to the White Sox in the AL Wild Card Series

 

10. Tampa Bay Rays - AL East Champions (28 year drought - never won) 

2026 Topps #408 Tampa Bay Rays (TC)

 

For years, I've compared the Rays to pesky mosquitos. They always find a way to win despite lacking a true superstar player. Now they have that superstar in Junior Caminero, and the #1 team in the AL might just be geared for a deep run.

 

Prediction: Lose to the Red Sox in the AL Division Series

 

11. Los Angeles Dodgers - NL West Champions (won last year)

2026 Topps Heritage #313World Series Highlights (WSHL, SP)

 

The Dodgers have now tied the 1991-2005 Atlanta Braves with their 14th straight playoff appearance. They've won their division in all but one of those years, and are aiming to win their third straight World Series. I have nothing against them other than your typical dynasty oversaturation. It'd be nice to see someone else win.

 

Prediction: Win their 3rd straight World Series over the Red Sox

 

12. New York Yankees - AL Wild Card  (Not a long enough drought) 

2010 Topps - History of the World Series
#HWS25 Yankees 

We've reached a new milestone in the Yankees' drought. With the 12th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Angels selected 17 year old Jared Grindlinger, making him the first drafted person born the same year as the Yankee's last title. They grow up so fast!

Prediction: Lose to the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series

To summarize my predictions: 

AL Wild Card 

Red Sox over Yankees

White Sox over Astros

 

NL Wild Card

Cubs over Padres

Braves over Phillies

ALDS 

Guardians over White Sox

Red Sox over Rays 

 

NLDS

Dodgers over Braves

Brewers over Cubs 

 

ALCS

Red Sox over Guardians

NLCS

Dodgers over Brewers

World Series

*sigh* Dodgers over Red Sox

Who do you got?

 

Trapped In Time: Remnants Of The 211th - 215th Trades

 

For the first time since I've done these remnant posts, all five featured trades have at least one card remaining. A whopping 25 cards are on the trade block, and I'm hoping a few of them will find new homes. It's last call for the following cards!

 

Trade #211 Brendan (The View From The Third Floor)

Traded 12/02/22: 1995 Topps #55 Edgar Martinez, 1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #6 George Bell, 1982 Donruss #395 Jim Morrison, 1982 Topps #754 Joe Morgan

 

Received 11/28/22: 

• 2022 Topps #104 Nelson Cruz (See Trade #218)
• 2022 Topps #211 Christian Javier (See Trade #215)
• 2022 Topps Heritage #331 Blake Snell (See Trade #215)
• 2021 Topps #130 Josh Bell (See Trade #233)
• 2021 Topps #290 Josh Harrison (See Trade #218)
• 2021 Topps - Through The Years #TTY-12 Fernando Tatis Jr. (See Trade #222)
• 2020 Stadium Club - Bash & Burn #BAB-10 Victor Robles (See Trade #222)
• 2020 Topps Heritage - Then and Now #TN-10 Tony Oliva/Tim Anderson (See Trade #222)
• 2019 Finest #75 Nolan Arenado (See Trade #215)
  
• 2019 Finest #97 Max Scherzer (See Trade #215)
• 2019 Topps Opening Day #21 Kenley Jansen (See Trade #215)
• 2019 Topps Opening Day - 150 Years Of Fun #YOF-5 Babe Ruth (See Trade #218)
• 2019 Topps Opening Day - 150 Years Of Fun #YOF-7 Sandy Koufax (See Trade #218)
• 2019 Topps Opening Day - 150 Years Of Fun #YOF-8 Roberto Clemente (See Trade #222)
• 2019 Topps Opening Day - 150 Years Of Fun #YOF-22 Derek Jeter (See Trade #219)
  
• 2019 Donruss Optic - Pink (football) #108 Jeffery Simmons (See Trade #218)
• 2018 Topps - MLB Opening Day #OD-19 Nolan Arenado (See Trade #215)
• 2018 Score - Scoreboard (football) #4 Tom Brady (See Trade #222)
• 2017 Topps Update - Topps Salute #USS-32 Josh Reddick (See Trade #218)
• 2010 Topps (football) #20 Randy Moss (See Trade #222)
• 2000 BBM Diamond Heroes #241 Hawks Checklist
• 2000 BBM Diamond Heroes #244 Marines Checklist
• 2000 Upper Deck MVP #216 Bernie Williams (See Trade #246)
• 1997 Topps #268 Scott Rolen (See Trade #236)
• 1997 Ultra #255 Scott Rolen (See Trade #222)
• 1994 Topps - Gold #158 Shortstop Prospects (See Trade #218)
• 1994 Score (football) #119 Clyde Simmons (See Trade #218)
• 1991 Pro Line Portraits (football) #267 John Riggins (RET) (See Trade #218)
  
• 1986 Topps #40 Ken Griffey
• 1985 Topps (football) #38 Bill Bates (RC) (See Trade #225)
• 1985 Topps (football) #39 Doug Cosbie (See Trade #225)
• 1981 Donrus #157 Steve Henderson
• 1981 Donruss #397 Elliott Maddux
• 1981 Donruss #485 Lenny Randle
• 1979 Topps (football) #86 Butch Johnson (See Trade #223)
• 1979 Topps (football) #315 Preston Pearson (See Trade #223)

Brendan (The View From The Third Floor) sent a lot of cards for the 4 he had traded for. As you can see, most of them went with no issue, with just these 6 remaining. I must admit I'm surprised the two cards from Japan didn't generate any interest. 

 

Trade #212 Bo (Baseball Cards Come To Life!)

Traded 12/02/22: 2004 Fleer InScribed #56 Chase Utley, 1985 Drake's Big Hitters #22 Dave Parker, 1984 Fleer Team Action (football) #74 Super Bowl XVIII, 1983 Card Collectors 1953 Bowman Color Reprint #61 George Kell, 1980 Cramer Baseball Legends Series 1 #16 Jimmie Foxx, 1976 Topps (football) #321 Mike Boryla, 1975 Topps (football) #178 Rich McGeorge, 1975 Topps (football) #183 Jim Otis (RC), 1970 Topps (football) #119 George Byrd

 

Received 12/03/22: 

• 1974 Topps #99 Brewers Field Leaders (MGR, CO)
• 1974 Topps #125 Nate Colbert (VAR: San Diego) (See Trade #306)
  
• 1974 Topps #217 Tim Foli (See Trade #306)
  
• 1974 Topps #435 Dave Concepcion (See Trade #397)
• 1974 Topps #508 Montreal Expos (TC) (See Trade #223)
  
• 1974 Topps #520 Tim McCarver (See Trade #230)
  
• 1974 Topps #522 J.R. Richard (See Trade #397)
• 1974 Topps #634 Braves Field Leaders (MGR, CO) (See Trade #215)
  
• 1974 Topps #646 George Foster (See Trade #397)
• 1969 Topps #173 White Sox 1969 Rookie Stars (RC, RS) (See Trade #262)

 

 

A lone manager card is all that remains from this trade with Bo (Baseball Cards Come To Life!). It's cool that the coaches get some recognition too in this set. Now that teams have between 10-13 coaches, it's be hard to do today.

 

Trade #213 Greg (Night Owl Cards)

Traded 12/02/22: 1990 Fleer - All-Star Team #1 Harold Baines, 1985 Topps - Glossy All-Stars #18 Chet Lemon, 1976 Topps (football) #411 Ron Pritchard, 1975 Topps #378 Derrel Thomas

 

Received 12/19/22:

• 1988 Topps Traded #9T Bret Barberie (OLY, XRC)
• 1981 Topps #598 George Vuckovich (RC)
• 1970 Topps #430 Andy Messersmith (See Trade #375)
• 1969 Topps #187 Leon Wagner (See Trade #262)

 

Greg (Night Owl Cards) batted .500 with this trade. I enjoyed seeing the Team USA cards growing up, and it was fun to see which players eventually made it to the big leagues.

 

Trade #214 JF (TCDB)

Traded 12/16/22: 1995-96 Kraft Peanut Butter Discs (hockey) #NNO Ed Belfour, 1993 Leaf #268 Delino DeShields, 1993 Leaf #280 Rob Dibble, 1993 Leaf #283 Cecil Fielder, 1993 Leaf #406 Tino Martinez, 1993 Leaf #416 Walt Weiss, 1993 Leaf #418 Chris Sabo, 1993 Stadium Club Toys "R" Us #36 Gerald Williams, 1992 Score #162 Omar Vizquel, 1991 Topps Archives 1953 #284 Bob Lemon, 1991 Topps Toys"R"Us Rookies #30 Robin Ventura, 1989 Topps Big #102 Roberto Alomar, 1988-89 Frito-Lay Stickers (hockey) #NNO Cam Neely, 1985 O-Pee-Chee #4 Jim Wohlford, 1972 Topps #11 Bobby Valentine

 

Received 12/22/22:

• 2017-18 Upper Deck (hockey) #298 Matt Nieto (See Trade #225)
• 2016-17 Upper Deck (hockey) #12 Mike Smith (See Trade #225)
• 1988 Donruss #384a Denny Walling
• 1988 Donruss #441a Greg Gagne
• 1988 Donruss #459a Jim Dwyer
• 1988 Donruss - Stan Musial Puzzle #25-27 Stan Musial (PUZ)
• 1988 Donruss - Stan Musial Puzzle #34-36 Stan Musial (PUZ) (See Trade #399)
• 1988 Score #546 Todd Benzinger (RC) (See Trade #397)
• 1987 Burger King All-Pro #1 Wade Boggs (See Trade #226)
• 1987 Donruss #655 Luis Aquino (RC)
• 1987 Topps #332 Joe Price (See Trade #276)
• 1987 Topps #619 Jerry Reed
• 1986 Topps Traded #7T Steve Bedrosian
• 1986 Topps Traded #68T Mickey Mahler
• 1986 Topps Traded #109T Tim Teufel (See Trade #236)
• 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee (hockey) #343 Andrew McBain (RC) (See Trade #225)
• 1967-68 Topps (hockey) #30 Reg Fleming (See Trade #225)

 

There's just something about 80's cards I guess. I'm not surprised the 1987 and 1988 cards didn't generate interest. I would have thought the 1986 traded singles might have at least gotten a nibble.

 

Trade #215 Jeff (Wax Pack Wonders)

Traded 12/28/22:  2022 Topps #211 Christian Javier, 2022 Topps Heritage #331 Blake Snell, 2019 Finest #75 Nolan Arenado, 2019 Finest #97 Max Scherzer, 2019 Topps Opening Day #21 Kenley Jansen, 2018 Topps - MLB Opening Day #OD-19 Nolan Arenado, 1974 Topps #634 Braves Field Leaders (MGR, CO), 1969 Topps #516 Earl Weaver (MGR), 1967 Topps #60 Luis Aparicio, 1966 Topps #76 Red Schoendienst (MGR)

 

Received: 12/23/22:

• 1988 Card Collectors T-206 Reprint #NNO Matty McIntyre
• 1983 Galasso T-206 Reprint #NNO Carl Lundgren (VAR: American Beauty back)
• 1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints #10 Lefty O'Doul
• 1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints #18 Jimmie Dykes
• 1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints #99 Hal Chase
• 1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints #NNO Melvin Harder
• 1977 Dover Publications Classic Baseball Cards Reprints #NNO Fred Merkle
• 1968 Topps #159 Don Kessinger (See Trade #298)
  
• 1962 Topps #68 Ken Hunt (See Trade #377)
• 1961 Post Cereal #78 Hal Brown (See Trade #226)
• 1960 Topps #367 Bill Tuttle
• 1959 Topps #263 Buddy Daley (VAR: white back) (See Trade #282)

Finally some cards from Jeff (Wax Pack Wonders). I know there hasn't been any shortage of reprints in the hobby, but these are some pretty sharp looking cards and I thought these would appeal to someone. I particularly like the O'Doul and Dykes cards.

 

 

An older card - that's all it takes to save these from the purgatory of my personal collection. Last chance to acquire some great cards!