8/6/21 card show report: more like card SLOW

After returning to card shows in a big way earlier this year I've had less luck the past few months coming home with lots of great new stuff, but that's fine. I've been going to them long enough to know that sometimes there just isn't much in the boxes to interest you, but you never know what the next one will bring.

I did still manage to drop $40 on some useful stuff a few weeks ago, which I believe was split up with 25 going to my usual favorite dealer and another $15 to the guy from Ohio who has great deals on vintage and who was back for the first time this year.

Here's a quick look at what I took home:

The lone trade bait card I scored that I didn't grab with anyone in mind in particular is this jersey/auto of Illinois/49ers/Chiefs WR bust A.J. Jenkins. It was one of a few $2 hits I snagged, and as usual it's up for grabs here and also available in my TCDB trade bait.

It's been long enough since I went that I can't remember how the prices for my vintage pickups broke down, but I think I got something between 10-15 cards for $10 and three more for $5 (two $2s and a $1). Better year, most of them were for me!

Up top we start with my second oldest Sparky (after his '59 Topps RC) out of 1972 Topps. I've still got a good number of his 1970s items to chase (plus a couple from 1960!) so it's fun to land something like this of a much younger George on the cheap. 1968 champ Jim Northrup is next on his '73 Topps base, putting me that much closer to a team set representing the '72 guys that were the last Detroit playoff team until '84. SS/OF (love that split!) Mickey Stanley, one of his teammates for both seasons, completes the row by appearing in the '70 Topps set.

Then we switch orientations and open with a card featuring former Tigers slugger (and '68 champ--see a theme here?) Norm Cash on a '72 Topps issue noting the previous year's home run leaders. Cash and future HOFer Reggie Jackson tied for second with 32 while "Beltin'" Bill Melton led the Junior Circuit with 33 long balls. To the right is pain-in-the-ass Billy Martin's '73 Topps manager card, the second of two sets in which he appears. I always thought it was kind of cool when they included the coaches up front as seen here.

The bottom row is quite impressive as well, starting with easily the oldest card in the bunch: a '54 Topps of Ray Boone, patriarch of one of the baseballest families you'll ever hear about. Ray was with Detroit for exactly five years: June 15, 1953 until the same date in 1958. '54 Topps is a classic of a set with the super cool old school logos so this was a beautiful find for me.

Next to him is a '72 Topps multiplayer RC that stars Darrell Porter (that's him on the left, not in the middle). I grabbed it for a buck in case any Brewers fans wanted it, but I may just keep it since he's one of those underappreciated guys from the era. His substance abuse problems are sad to think about but it's nice to remember him for 17 excellent years as a catcher.

And last up in this bunch is the most diminutive item today: Al Kaline's 1969 Globe Imports Playing Card. If the set it comes from looks a bit familiar to you that may be because I snagged Bill Freehan's version from Sportlots months ago. It's a super oddball vintage item of Mr. Tiger and was obviously coming home with me.

The last two cards today came from my go-to guy at the show, who unfortunately didn't have any room for his dime and quarter boxes this time, meaning most of the stuff he had available wasn't in my wheelhouse. I did gladly drop $2 on my first autograph of former Wolverine basketballer Ignas Brazdeikis and another $5 on a sweet looking UM jersey/auto of RB Karan Higdon, though. Iggy's card is from 2019-20 Hoops' Hot Signatures Rookies set and represents my third hit of his (two jerseys). Meanwhile, Higdon's 2019 National Treasures jersey/auto/RC is just my second hit (an autograph) of the hard-running back. Naturally I love that the relic is from a college jersey instead of a pro one.

Naturally I grabbed a small amount of trade bait too, but it was still on the low end of what I'm used to in terms of this monthly show. No problem, though, since I should be back at it next week, where I'm looking forward to digging through boxes until my back hurts while looking for buried treasure for my collection and others' as well!