A card show

A local mall here hosts periodic "card shows" on the lower level in a space normally vacant of anything. Dealers and whatnot come from around the area and set up. There are far too many modern graded cards, some unopened boxes, some pictures and other stuff, and of course the blessed smattering a vintage here and there. For the most part, prices are elevated for any and everything; and the cheap stuff is truly trashed looking cards that were likely used in bicycle spokes. This show is up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and I visited on Saturday.

I was happy to walk away with two cards; one to add to the Ryne Sandberg PC (playing career only) and one to add to my "Last Topps Cards of Hall of Famers" project. I've got all the cards from the current year back to nearly the start of Topps doing cards. But there are a few big ones that I may never acquire (1953 Paige, 1956 Robinson, 1969 Mantle, for example), or that I may have to be satisfied with a modern reprint. I've done this for two guys already, Phil Rizzuto (1956 Topps) and Red Schoendienst (1972). I'd love a 56 Rizzuto one day; but no way I'm forking out money for a Schoendienst. Why? His last Topps card is the disgrossting 1972 Topps and a High Number to boot.

(For the players who were elected into the Hall of Fame before Topps was a thing or before 1956 when Topps had a little competition from Bowman, I haven't decided what to do yet. I did recently trade for a modern Ralph Kiner card (his last card was 1955 Bowman) and what's nice is it's a complete career run of stats. This may be the way forward.

But the two cards I got Saturday were the 1994 Pinnacle The Naturals Ryne Sandberg: