National Catch-Up – Maddux Edition

With the 2019 National fast approaching, I realized that I have some work to do.  Not only do I have to make sure that my want lists are completely up to date (and accessible easily through my phone on the show floor without an internet connection), but I have to get my supplies and any sort of battle plan in order.  On the blogging front, things have faltered a bit due to work concerns and other life commitments.  I have a lot of work to do with writing, especially when it comes to talking about cards I’ve purchased at the National.

Here I am on the cusp of hopefully purchasing hundreds of additional cards (so many dollar box finds that I still need) and yet looking back at my scans, there are dozens of cards from my first show in 2015 that have not made their way into this blog space.  At this point, I can’t necessarily wait to figure out a theme to tie them all together, so let’s just play a little catch-up.  I’m planning to do this with my main 4 collections (since I wasn’t collecting 2016 Cubs in 2015 – for obvious reasons – and I have actually shown all the Marmol and Dempster cards I got at that show by now). The big question mark is whether or not I’ll get this done before the 2019 show starts.

Probably not a card I would have bought in 2017

Neither of these pictures scream pure excitement to me.  I guess you can’t name your set “Upper Deck DMV Photo” or “Upper Deck Cordial Handshake.”

Possible ERA title as well

He’s caught in a little bit of a whirlpool, rather than a wave.  I guess Division titles are still considered to be titles. The Braves did have a flood of them.

and rip it

I’ll stand by my decision to call most of the early 2000s Fleer cards ugly.  It’s a dual sided card with a batter on the opposite side for ripping it.  That side is no better.

Why these pictures, though?

Oh boy, those are some unflattering pictures of these masters.  I wonder if this is Cy Young’s first chrome card.  Chrome RC!

dds

This is the kind of card that I’m on high alert for at the show.   It’s relatively unassuming, and is technically a base card, but it’s numbered lower than /1000 so it’s worth spending the buck.

sdf

Of course, I also have to keep in mind that sometimes there are two versions, such as Braves and Cubs in 2005.  Having those wantlists up to date is key since it’s hard to remember all 1600+ Maddux cards I have and which ones I’ve seen but passed on and which I know about only.

Can’t tell, but this is the Craftsman insert

I love picking off cards from this era.  There are so many to chase, which a ton of different parallels and weird things going on.  In reality, it sounds annoying, but I think what I like is testing and expanding my knowledge of the era.  Plus a lot of this stuff is cheap these days.

Washed out picture

Prime Cuts is another one of those “high end” sets with the numbered base cards.  Yeah, there are Braves and Cubs versions of this as well. I only got the Cubs one at this show.

Back to Pure Excitement, I see

I’m always on the look out for shiny parallels.  When I’m at a booth, I like to pull cards that I think I might need and then do a quick sort and check my list and then put back cards I do have.  Cards like this will always go into the “to check” pile since there are so many colors.  I’m happy to have this one and I hope I can manage to find at least one more color this time around.  I guess you’ll find out in 2023.