I attended the TriStar show this past Saturday. I wasn't able to meet up with Marc from Remember the Astrodome as he was there on Sunday. But I spent time with my friend Daryll, the hotel show promoter/dealer and I did bump into an old friend who I hadn't seen in many years. Jon O. is an Astros/Colt 45s collector and was a part of our small, regular crew that hung out at a couple of LCSs and did all the shows together. We had a nice time reminiscing and, in particular, telling stories about our old, and now departed friend, John Baucum a.k.a. John Oriole.
But I did more than chat up my friends. I also knocked a huge dent into my 1971 and, to a lesser extent, 1975 want lists. The show itself was one of the better TriStar ones I've attended here in Houston. More dealers with solid offerings, less tables/booths with folks selling roasted cashews and sunglasses. Yes, those have been a thing in the past.
This post has a few of the non-set chase cards I picked up. I semi-collect Allie Reynolds. I've noted several times he was my father's favorite pitcher.
I bought the '56 Spook Jacobs card because, well, it was a buck. And they put 'Spook' on a Topps card. BTW..his given name is Forrest Vandergrift Jacobs. I found a nice story about him online. He passed away about eight years ago. One of the local SABR members writes about old players and he had a column about Jacobs in which he explains the nickname. But I have my doubts.
I was unaware of this JFK set and I need to look into it. I grabbed a handful of these from Daryll's oddball bin.
I also found a signed Gump Worsley card. I have tried to nab one on eBay a few times but never was able to do so.
Oh, rants. Yes, I almost forgot that I mentioned rants in the title. Well, I'll spare you my annual whining about being out $27 before I get to the first table at TriStar shows ($12 parking plus $15 admission). I'll spare you but I won't stop being annoyed by it.
The Post Office! I went to mail some packages on Monday. Normally when I'm sending someone a few cards I just fold up a 9-pocket, use those hard sleeves for strength, and stick a stamp or two on it. Never a problem. Monday I had large envelopes to send so I took my card PWEs to hand over the counter. The lady said they were parcels! Parcels? They barely weigh an ounce. She proceeded to add about two or three bucks postage to my stamps on each of them. ┌П┐(ಠ_ಠ)
Here, I can't go on. Listen to some Isaac Hayes live. The Shaft soundtrack is what I played in my dorm room every night the first year I lived on campus.
Very sorry for the loss of your brother. I had missed that. I lost my dad to cancer in February 2002 when I was 17 so I know all too well what his kids are now going through.
ReplyDeleteCondolences on the loss of your brother. I lost my brother (and childhood card-collecting buddy) in 2014 to ALS.
ReplyDeleteOh, and nice use of special characters in your Post Office rant! :D
I have one card from that Kennedy set. So sorry to hear of your brothers pasing.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. Tristar won't be coming to the Bay Area this year, but I've gone a bunch of times in the past. Can't stand paying $10 parking. Luckily my buddy would set up at the show, so I'd get in using a vendor badge. And the post office is one of my least favorite places to go to. There's a reason I only send out packages two or three times a year.
ReplyDeleteThat being said... I love your Worsley autograph! And Jackie O is looking mighty fine in that photo.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
ReplyDeleteI've had PWEs, like you described, reach me on a forever stamp. In some other cases the USPS holds them hostage sighting insufficient postage for up to a dollar. I think it depends who's working that day and what kind of mood they are in.
Condolences. As for the PO back in the day... I'd have no problem putting 9-11 cards in a PWE and off it went, never a problem until about 2015. So I now only drop 5-9 in one PWE. Anymore I'll use two cut rows of three (but cut from 9 pocket pages), and drop two stamps.
ReplyDeletei like that spook jacobs card
ReplyDeleteOur local card show has reasonable admission and free parking but getting there costs many times the admission. If it was more I’d skip them altogether so can relate to sticker shock.
ReplyDeleteBob, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. Like Billy Kingsley, I lost a parent to cancer when I was in my teens, so my heart goes out to everybody in the family.
ReplyDeleteWow, that TriStar show makes me feel better about my usual show situation. $10 admission, free parking, but I go through 6 or so gallons of gas (and 4 hours of driving time) going there and back.
Love the Gump auto. I didn't realize that there were "legend" autographs in that set.