Pre-Tigerfest Card Show Haul!

I went to my local card show with $2.75 in my pocket. In my mind I needed one Daz Cameron card for Tigerfest in case he will be there, two if I can afford them. Shame on me for taking a twenty from my wife "just in case" before leaving the house. Lucky for me I did because I ran into some crazy exciting deals.
First, I cannot EVER walk by a nickel box. Dime boxes are plentiful at most shows but nickel boxes hold an even greater magic. That twenty came in handy right away as I spent over $3 at the nickel box alone. I don't usually pick up football, basketball, or hockey but at 5 cents a piece I couldn't help myself. Some big names and cool cards. Plus, my first wrestling cards. Here are some of the gems:

It took facebook a while to identify the top right Tigers player. It is still a toss up between Rob Deer and Dan Gladden.

My first boxing and wrestling cards.

Glittery cards.

Big names

Rookies!

That Kariya is amazine! I didn't know Classic ever made cards that didn't look like they came from the dollar store.

The Stevey Y's were 10 cents.

Andre the Giant was the man! These other guys are pretty sweet too.

The tannest Omar I have ever seen. I was unaware of this error.

Next I wandered into the dimeboxes. The douche selling started packing up during my dig so I bailed. I understand there is an important football game on but it sucked I could only go today and he packed up at 1pm when the show ran until 4pm.

Yelich for the PC!

... and Canseco!

The top three Stars and Stripes are /199. For 10 cents!

RC's!

20 K's for 10 cents.

Then I hit the motherload! A guy was selling Tigers cards 30 for $1. Unbelievable. I wish I would have seen these boxes first. There was so many amazing cards. I ran out of money without even going through half of what he had. It was heartbreaking walking away from those boxes. So .033333 cents a card! My God! Check this out:

My first Desert Shield! It may be in crap condition but I have one now.

Do I spy the start of a rainbow?

MYSTERY: Why is one Brian Hunter die-cut but not the other?

Serial numbered suckers!

Tiger variations aplenty.

Doubles my Clete Thomas PC

Filled some Inge holes.

Started a Gabe Kapler PC

My first Inaugural Season cards!

Silver Sigs!

Complete team sets GOLD!

GOLD and GOLD WINNERS team sets!

I also picked up some posters to maybe take to Tigerfest, some 25 cent cards, and a Canseco figure.

I had a couple of these when I was a kid we got from the dollar store. I know I had Kirk Gibson.

Another Edmonds to add to the PC stack helped by Julie's last package to me.

I may start a Santa PC

Last but not least, I FINALLY have in my hands this:

My pick for card of the year 2017 is now mine!

Pump the Breaks! More Tips for Success and Forget the Razz

 

 

#1 Best Tip for Successful Breaks

Lets start with the positive: www.breakninja.com is the best site I have found to help me decide what breaks to enter and how much to bid. The site has so much information on each set its crazy. This is the site I used to first verify the amount of JaCoby Jones in the Chronicles set started buying into breaks. I think the site even has some kind of ebay affiliation to help you find deals or something. I haven't investigated that yet. I have used this site for every sport too, not just baseball.

First off, this information helps you figure out how many cards the break will see and from there a little math and guestimation can help you figure out your chances on certain players/teams/hits.

Next hit shows lists like this that can be helpful in team breaks.

Then clickable links for each team along with a numeric breakdown.

This is a sample of the team list of hits.

 

Case Break Blunders

#1. -WARNING- There will be quite a bit of profanity in this post. Not because I enjoy it but I need to be very clear and quote exactly what I heard tonight so no one is misrepresented. This post is not an attack on this breaker, he has his own style and it must work for him. I am just presenting my experience so nobody has to have the same experience if they would rather not.

Tonight (01/12/2018) my brother and I felt the need to join a break. We found a player break offered on ebay by seller Rainwhiskerr for Chronicles Baseball. This person is known as Boomo or Boomo99 on youtube.
Somehow I was outbid on JaCoby Jones as it went for $20.50 plus $4 shipping. I can tell you that is about what the Jones 1/1 from the set is worth. Someone is out of their mind. It made me a little happy inside when one common relic came up of his and that was it. Anyway, I bought 7 players;

Jake Thompson .99
John Farrell 3.24
Miguel Sano 1.79
Mike Moustakas .99
Ian Kinsler .99
Jeff Hoffman .99
Joe Torre 1.26
PLUS $4.00 shipping.

Overall, a great deal. Still cheaper than a retail blaster of this product. From many previous breaks of this product; I know John Farrell will have at least one hit in the case and the others were long shots but would pay great dividends if I hit. Gambling is what it is, but its fun especially when my brother bought 5 players and we watch together.
I was not familiar with the breaker and soon learned I should have listened to my own tips I posted in an earlier post and researched him. In my opinion this guy sucked. I hate talking bad about anybody but considering the guy talked crap about other breakers openly during the break I think its necessary to warn any of you. He probably only appeals to a small group of young, immature people.
The break itself was set up bad. In the beginning you couldn't see where the cards were coming from and he had a big tv playing god only knows what show behind each card he showed. He only showed hits and for 0.000001 seconds at a time. It was impossible to try to listen for 7 players. My fault maybe, but he decided to bless this world with his only talent which was turning players names into dirty words whenever possible as if he was 13 years old. Mind you; he is well over 40. Examples of his crude immaturity included: "Gay Mancini" "Anthony Jizzo" Alex Gayest" gay seems to be a theme in his jokes "Mike Shit" "Dan Vogelfuck" "Carlos Cogaya" "Jorge Bonofacial" "Drelson I will never amount to shit Lamet" the list goes on and on. He was offensive throughout the broadcast including drinking a beer and belching into the mic and saying "I think I lost some pounds on that one." Now, I know there are no qualifications needed to be on youtube or to be a breaker but I really wish I would have researched. I am not against drinking, I probably would if I was a breaker too as well as swearing a little. This was over the top. I told my brother when there were 3 boxes left I was so relieved it was almost over; thats how bad it was. I kept expecting his mom to drop into the shot sometime with a snack for him.
Overall, this dude definitely is not my style and probably reminded me too much of my immature disgusting brother in law so I am a bit biased but everything I have typed is correct to my personal experience tonight.

#2. My other break blunder came earlier this month when I received my lone card from a break unprotected in a 8x10 bubble mailer with a team bag and top loader tossed in. I posted about it the day it happened. I can understand these things happening, especially if multiple hands help out on the project. It does leave a bad taste in my mouth for entering another break with 702_Breakers on ebay. I guess I'm lucky I didn't pull a 1/1?

Forget the Razz; SOLD

I lucked into a Razz being promoted on one of my Tigers Collectors Facebook groups that had three sweet JaCoby Jones cards going for 10 spots at $2. These cards are worth way more than $20 so I ended up grabbing all ten and buying the lot out straight up. I couldn't pass up on these for that price. This seller is still in the caveman days of taping everything in skotch and box tape. It kills me. Oh well. At this point if anybody has a better JJ collection than me they have a lock of chest hair in it.

/3 Baby! Love it.

I am not tech-savvy enough to take a decent picture of Clearly Authentics yet. Sorry.

/25 makes this card a sweet deal.

Merry Off-Season to Everyone!

Your package may differ.

I have been building up a big ole pile of packages to be sent out to all of you out there. The time between Christmas and Spring Training can suck, so I decided to throw some cardboard at y'all to keep you awake. I let the cards decide who was getting a package with what was laying around and some will get PWE, some Bubblers, and a few priority boxes. Again, not playing favorites its just whatever amount of cards was sitting around for your PC's or teams. Hope your packages all find you well but don't get too excited they aren't going to pay for retirement. If you don't get one right away don't fret, it may take me until May to send all these things out. And no reciprocation needed, enjoy. Merry Off-Season.

Tips for a Fun and Successful Tigerfest 2018

Detroit Tigerfest 2018 Is Upon Us

Tiger fans are fortunate that our organization puts on Tigerfest. I am sure they get 10,000 complaints about the event to every 1 praise. The event can really be a nightmare for a lot of people. I've been in shock many years at the deterioration of the organization and planning of the event from when I started going over a decade ago to the laughable shit-show it was last year. Don't get me wrong, I have fun every year and am very appreciative the Tigers put the event on but the amount of people squished against each other in such a small space, the lack of player cooperation, 4 hour lines, and absolutely zero staff to be found anywhere makes the event a rough one to say the least. I do however have some tips to help 'fest-goers enjoy their day a little more. These are based on past experience and every year is different so first tip;

1. Adapt. If you haven't been to this even before it may be a shock. If you have, don't get stuck in thinking it will be the same and lines will run similar to previous years and so on. Also, I don't know what is allowed in the event for bags. I usually take a backpack but security has gotten tighter recently so be able to lose the backpack and still have all your stuff somehow.
2. Take someone or something fun. Years ago I used to take girlfriends, that way I got double the autos. It is a LOOOOONG day so you will need to either build up or make up some brownie points. Careful though, Jeremy Bonderman flirted with my wife one year and I have yet to hear the end of it.
3. Try the tag team and trade approach. If you have a friend going and don't mind standing alone playing on your phone or whatever, get in different lines all day and then throw your autos in a hat and take turns pulling. It gives you better odds of getting who you want. 
4. One year I took my wife and sister and had those two stand in a different line than me all day. I got a ton of autos that year. You may have trouble finding people to do this for you. 
5. The lines are excruciatingly long standing on cement all day. Wear comfy shoes and clothes and layer! It could be -10 degrees outside and 80 degrees inside the buildings. 
6. Take entertainment. Even if you are going with someone. Make sure you have some netflix stuff downloaded. Bring back up batteries or extra devices as you wont find a plug to charge on. I used to bring my Sony PSP system. I had extra batteries and I could watch movies and play games while standing by myself. This year I will have 3 different phones and I may pack my portable DVD player.
7. Keep an open mind. Everyone there is some degree of Tiger fan. From the children crying all over, the idiots who don't understand personal space in line, to the drunk fat chicks whooing every 5 minutes. Drink it in as a Tigers event and try to enjoy it all. Baseball is a long way off in Motown, this is as close as it gets right now.
8. Stick to one line! The players signing autographs rotate every half hour. You won't even get a fraction of everybody. Last year I got two autographs in 6 hours of line waiting and neither guy ended up on the roster for the full year. If you jump lines you may end up getting the same guy twice. Sometimes a good thing as in the first year I went when I got Magglio Ordonez 3 times. But more often its the guy you could care less to see you get stuck with. Don't bother trying to chase players either as there is no line that is short enough to jump in to get to the player currently signing. The fastest line I ever stood in was 45 minutes in 10 or so Tigerfests.
9. Get your picture taken alone if you go to that line. I had a really sweet picture with Magglio one year that is now trash because of an ex-girlfriend taking up half the shot.  

Me and my wife (when we were dating) a hundred years ago with Tim Byrdak. Keep in mind the staff does not know how to frame a picture.

For the more advanced Tigerfesters here is how I pack for the event:

• I have a binder of all active players with at least two cards I want signed for each guy doubled up in each sleeve. The card facing out is my first choice and the other is second in case I get someone twice. It happens. Again, the event is organized by chimps. Also, I bring balls, game used stuff, 8x10s and 5x7s. I used to make a paper checklist showing what I brought for each guy so I was fast to have it ready. Now, I write with a sharpie on the card page for the player if I have an item like a 5x7 I would rather have signed first priority. 

Here is an example of my prioritizing. I would rank cards 1-3 and also make notes right on the pages of other items I wanted signed before I turned to cards.

• Last year they did not put out a player list at all. We went in blind. I was able to trade with a guy in line for a Mike Pelfrey card since I didn't bring one. This year they listed about 15 players so far but I doubt they release the full list. I look at who signs locally at card shows for past players and make sure I take their cards. Coaches, managers, prospects, broadcasters are all possible on top of the active roster. 
• I bring extra cards in case I need to trade or am able to help somebody out who doesn't have anything to have signed. You would be surprised how many people go to Tigerfest without even a ball to have signed and stand in line to have the program or ticket signed. Concessions are open and sell balls if all else fails. I used to bring "scrub" pictures and balls. Generic pictures any prospect I didn't have a card of could sign or a non official ball they could mark up so I had something for anybody who could possibly be there.

All this may be very, very overkill for such a short event but; what else baseball related is going on right now? Plus, no players sign for adults at Comerica Park on the home team side so this is the only chance I have of getting some fresh scribbled ink.