Bidding Under the Influence #18

Date: August 28, 2022

Time of Bid: 11:32:12 PM

Cards: 1983 Topps #83 Ryne Sandberg

Price: $8.61 (+$1.05 shipping)

What Was I Thinking?:

Man, late August sure is the time of year when I am at my most vulnerable, isn't it?  I'm getting pulled over for BUIs left and right.  Thankfully, Wisconsin's bidding laws are among the most lax in the nation, so all of my privileges are still intact.

Without hyperbole, this is one of the iconic cards of the 1980s.  I am too young to have already been collecting once this set was released, so I've never owned a copy.  In fact, this is the first of the Big Three of '83 Topps to find its way into my collection.  The L/R centering isn't great, but everything else is as clean as a whistle.  Throw a Boggs or Gwynn that looks like this my way, and I'll fold a 10-dollar bill into an airplane and shoot it in your direction any day of the week.  Late-night bidding certainly has its rewards.

Bidding Under the Influence #17

Date: August 28, 2022

Time of Bid: 1:45:40 AM

Cards: 1954 Topps #166 Johnny Podres

Price: $6.50 (+$1.05 shipping)

What Was I Thinking?:

Well, this is up there with my two or three favorite Topps designs of all time.  Big portrait, little action shot, single-color backgrounds, and a nice clean logo.  I'm still working towards finishing my '59 set, but since I already have the Aaron rookie, this one might be another nice one to go for.  The price on this Podres was just too good not to snap up.

 

Completion! - 2020 Topps Update Series

A card arrived in the mail this week from Puerto Rico, kind of a long way away for a card to travel.  When it completes a set, though, it could come from Nepal or Napoli or Naples, Florida, for all I care.  Let's see what we got.

2020 Topps Update Series #U-251 Nico Hoerner Rookie Debut

Nico had one hell of a first MLB game, going 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored, and 4 RBI.  In the next two seasons, Hoerner averaged 46 appearances a season, but this year he is the Cubs' everyday shortstop.  As I write this, I am probably sitting no more than five miles away from Nico, with his team in town to face the Brewers, a far cry from the Caribbean island from where this card traveled.  And with that, my 2020 Topps Update set is complete.
 

Let's Open Some Packs: 1987 Topps Baseball Stickers

Bidding Under the Influence #16

 

Date: August 3, 2022

Time of Bid: 1:27:07 AM

Cards: 1966 Topps #192 Vic Power

Price: $0.99 (+$1.05 shipping)

What Was I Thinking?:

Vic has an all-time great baseball name.  Would he have been a more well-known player if he had spent his career with only one or two teams?  Very likely, though with 6 All-Star appearances for mediocre teams and a lifetime WAR of 15.3, well short of the Hall of Fame.  This is Power's final regular Topps card.

The $2.99 Box of Panini Mosaic Basketball From Goodwill

 The other day I shared a photo of the (opened) box of basketball cards I found at Goodwill.  Here's a video showing what I found inside.  Enjoy!

Bidding Under the Influence #15

Date: May 17, 2022

Time of Bid: 10:28:54 PM

Cards: 1974 Topps #350 Bob Gibson

Price: $3.25 (+$1.00 shipping)

What Was I Thinking?:

Sometimes things just work out nicely.

1. Hey, that's a cool card.

2. Hey, that's on my want list.

3. Hey, that's a price I'm willing to pay.

The top edge is a bit rough, a common production flaw during these years, but everything else about this card is very nice.  Throw in the warm-up windbreaker under the jersey and a shaving cream cartoon on the back, you've got yourself a stew.  (Or at the very least, an excellent piece of history.)