126 Autos or 1 Chrome Mega Box. Choose Wisely. Part 1.

I recently connected with a guy unloading cheapo Reds autos. He saw a group post I often make about my willingness to buy any Reds auto that I don't have for a dollar. I snagged 126 tasty autos for $131 shipped. Beat that deal.

A quick perusal of Wally-Mart's site tells me that a 2026 Topps Chrome Mega Box is $133 with tax. I don't know if that's a proper competitive price, but whatevah, you get the idea. Autographs fall about one in sex mega boxes. So, did I choose wisely? Uhhhhhh, yeah.

I made a few mistakes. 7 of the autos I already had and I circled 4 autos from his scans twice. So the count is still 115 new-to-me autos, 14 factory and 101 in-person. Friggin' thrilled.

 

 

Chris Okey auto/mem combo with the camo and the catcher's gear is a great start. Miguel Perez isn't exactly a superstar (0 for 3 lifetime in the bigs, oof), but these Black Chrome cards just can't miss. The Alejo Lopez is mistake #1, as I already had it. That's my third variation of that Reiver Sanmartin release and I have like 20 Ryan Wagner autos at this point.

 

 

Serial numbered goodness. Nobody here made the majors with the Reds, but no matter. Golds /50 are a quick snag.

 

A few minor league issues tossed in, from my appropriately named AAA Louisville Bats. I go see them often when they come to Columbus, forcing myself to be a man without a country. All except Luis Bolivar are new names to the auto collection.

 

 

Freddie Benavides got a little pro action with the Reds, then became a beloved Minor League coach, a beloved MLB bench coach, and a two-time beloved interim manager, once when David Bell was suspended and then a few years later when Bell got canned. 

 

Closing with the most interesting card of the bunch. The Memphis Red Sox had no affiliation with the Reds, as they were a Negro League team in its waning years after MLB integration. And Charlie Davis, aka "The Whip" never played on an MLB team. His Negro League highlight was certainly relieving Satchel Paige in an All-Star Game in 1953.

But I have now learned that MLB had a special "draft" in 2008, at the behest of Dave Winfield, in which each team chose an overlooked Negro League player as an honorary draft pick. The Reds chose Davis and someone produced a homemade card for him to sign and it has found its way to me 17 years later. Does this qualify as an official Cincinnati Reds auto? Hell. Yes.

28 down. 87 to go.

Go Redlegs.