Results of the show

The last time I went to this show was in the mid-1990s and I remember being disappointed. I had to pay to get in and had to pay to park and I didn't see much I wanted to buy. This time was much different. I still had to pay to get in and park but I found lots I wanted to buy I'm just going to highlight a few items today. I'll probably get more posts out of this trip.

2005 Biography Mike Schmidt HR Materials

These cards had been randomly inserted in Donruss Leaf products. There were 10 different players featured. I can't say for sure what the cards of the other players actually featured because I've only seen the Schmidt cards. The Schmidt cards celebrate his first 55 home runs (why 55, who knows?). The 'base' card has a die cut number from 1 to 55 on the front with foil behind the numbers. I have #46. This is the materials card, with a game-used jersey piece. There is also an autographed version.

2003 Topps Tribute Contemporary Tribute to the Stars Dual Relic Todd Helton

I picked up 15 relic cards for $3 each. This one has everything going for it: gold foil, refractive finish, a photo, a game-used jersey and bat cut into the shape of a player with a bat on his shoulder. And the jersey piece has a stripe.

1964 Topps Art Maahaffey

As hard as it is to believe, when I was a kid I didn't really follow baseball that much. I grew up in Philadelphia and was 12 years old in 1964 but the famous collapse of the Phillies that year hardly has left a ripple in my memory. But for some reason, just about the only Philly I can remember from that area is Art. He was 12-9 for the Phils in 1964. I also have his 1960 rookie card. This is the first 1964 card I've owned. All this for a buck. Along with this card I picked up a bunch of 1950s and 1960s Phillies cards for 1 to 2 bucks apiece.

1993 Upper Deck Iooss Collection Nolan Ryan

I already had a card from this set but someone was selling the entire 26-card set for $3.00. Walter Iooss was a famous baseball photographer. The 26 players represented in this set are about as fine an example of the state of baseball in 1993 that you can imagine. Each card is beautifully composed and Iooss explains on the back what he was trying to do with each subject. Beckett lists this set for $30.

2003 Fleer Rookies & Greats Jeff Bagwell

I got a box containing 35 different Jeff Bagwell cards for $8.00. A pretty good deal. This card is from, what I have to guess, is a pretty obscure Fleer set. I had the Mike Schmidt card from the set which I accidentally found on eBay. Fleer produced a lot of different sets over the past 10 years or so of its existence. If anybody can name them all of them off the top of their head, well, that person needs to find something better to do with their time.