Collector's Showcase of America

Three times a year, the Collectors Showcase of America (CSA) hosts shows at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The shows feature over 200 tables where nearly every kind of sports card and collectible is on display. In addition, scores of current and former sports greats are available for autographs and photos. Even though I'd heard about these shows in the past, I had never attended one until recently. But now that my collecting juices are flowing once again, I made a point of attending the July CSA show. And now I see what I was missing all these years.

 

My nine-year-old son and I were like kids in a candy store as we perused the various tables, examining the multitudes of vintage cards looking for particular singles to plug holes in our collections. The deals we got were exceptional, and the dealers we met were very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Having now sampled a CSA show, I can guarantee that I won't be missing any more shows in the near future.

 

Over the next several days, I'll post pics of some of the best cards and other items that I purchased. Here's a quick sample of a few of my favorites:

 

 

This completed my '71 Topps Dodgers team set. Not in the greatest condition, but I got a great deal on it. So I'm more than happy with this purchase.

 

 

I've had my eye on this card for years. Because of its high number and the fact that it's the rookie for two future all stars, this card usually commands a hefty asking price. However, I got a superb deal on this one. After my recent acquisitions of Steve Garvey and Frank Robinson (also high-numbered rarities from the '72 set), this Cey rookie completes my '72 Topps Dodgers team set.

 

More to come ...

 

 

Tommy John and Me

As Lao-tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." For me, my baseball card-collecting odyssey began with this well-worn Tommy John card.

It was 1976, and the neighbors across the street were holding your standard garage sale. Figuring there must be at least a few cool toys for sale, I (a kindergarten-age kid) dragged my dad with me to look over the wares on display. And indeed, there were plenty of action figures, toy guns, and Matchbox cars available for purchase. But I quickly lost any interest I had in those items as soon as I fixated on the baseball card collection that our neighbors' teenage son was selling.

I started thumbing through the cards, which consisted primarily of 1975 Topps, looking for Dodgers (probably glancing past rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like George Brett, Robin Yount, and Gary Carter in the process). I quickly came across the Tommy John card and knew I had to have it. Not the sexiest card admittedly, but Thomas Edward John—seemingly in a very good mood on the day his photo was snapped—was sporting the right team color, and that's all that mattered to me.

Two cents. That's what my initial foray into the baseball card universe cost me. And now that I'd had my first taste, my appetite was stoked for more, as I scraped my pennies together in the days that followed to buy as much cardboard as I could. And, thus, another collector was born.

Tommy John was certainly a worthy subject for my first card buy. Though he's most famous for the surgical procedure that bears his name, Tommy was an excellent pitcher—the very definition of the crafty lefty. My favorite  Tommy John memory remains his complete-game gem in Game 4 of the 1977 NLCS to clinch the Dodgers' berth in the World Series. Because he fell just shy of the 300-win mark (finishing his sterling career with 288 victories), Tommy John may never be enshrined in Cooperstown (though hopefully the Veteran's Committee will eventually give him the nod he fully deserves). But without question, he was one of the greatest hurlers of his era and, most important to me, a stellar Dodger.

Welcome to Davalillo's Bunt!

Of the many simple pleasures in life, few are more enjoyable than ripping open a pack of baseball cards. Whether an elementary school boy, a teenager, or a middle-aged professional, we all become kids again whenever we hold an unopened pack in our hands, contemplating what might lie inside the wrapper: the hot rookie, the sought-after insert, the elusive final card to complete a set. The possibilities seem endless; the suspense, delicious.

Until recently, my card-collecting tendencies had lain dormant since my late teens. I occasionally got on eBay to find a vintage Dodger card or two. But for all intents and purposes, my baseball card habit had long since been broken. But as my eldest son developed a greater interest in sports--and with it, a nascent desire to start accumulating cards--my passion for printed cardboard revived as well ... with a vengeance. I've once again become a full-blown baseball card junkie whose craving for a Topps tab, an Upper Deck upper, or a Fleer fix is almost constant. And, man, do I enjoy the rush!

At the same time, I've rediscovered the enjoyment that derives from being part of the community of collectors. Whether it's reading reviews about the latest released sets, receiving advice about cards I should consider acquiring, or hearing stories about successful pulls or personal connections to particular cards, there is a lot to appreciate about the information sharing that takes place among those in this hobby.

It's for this reason I decided to start a blog: to have a platform from which I can offer my two cents about the latest and greatest in the cardboard universe and tell my tales of small victories, occasional frustrations, and offbeat discoveries in my card-collecting odyssey. As a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan whose entry into the hobby occurred during the halcyon days of the Garvey-Cey-Lopes led teams of the mid- to late-70's, don't be surprised if a disproportionate amount of my focus is on cards of the Boys in Blue. But I'll mix in plenty of other topics as well.  So Giants fans need not necessarily recoil in horror from this site.

So for those of you who've happened to stumble upon this little corner of cyberspace, go grab some packs, rip 'em open, check out your latest acquisitions, and let's talk cards!