Manly Firmness

That's a phrase in The Declaration of Independence, if ya didn't know. Here are my most American signed cards, in honor of our manly firmness:

Go Redlegs.

Tremendously Valuable Autograph Booklet Cards

There is a lot of sarcasm in that title.

A few years ago I decided my collection is incomplete without an actual booklet auto. I'm am so far removed from high-end collecting that I'm not even sure 'booklet card' is what these are called. But that must be right.

Turns out, these are pretty pricey. UNLESS you go both unlicensed and deeeeeep into the roster of a fledgling small market team. Huzzah, my wheelhouse. 

 

Alejo Lopez is 2022 Panini Absolute Rookie Whatever /60. Lopez peppered 180 plate appearances for the Reds 2021-2023. He's currently on the Mariners' AAA team.

Tony Santillan is 2022 Panini Absolute Rookie Whatever /99. Big Tony has been a middle reliever for the Reds since 2021. He was impressive in 2024 and 2025 but is strug-gull-ing this year. But aren't we all.

Booklet autos. Check and check.

Go Redlegs. 

Vintage Card Show Pick Ups

These are from a couple months ago. My scans folder is too bloated. I scoured the "condition too poor for proper display, please someone take these" boxes as well as some dude who threw a bunch of cards into a kiddie pool, which is annoying. I don't need gimmicks, I just need cheapness.

 

1977 Sertoma Stars, for the curious, was released by a 'hearing aids for children' organization in Indianapolis for local shows. I have the Reds from this set, and I couldn't pass up a Buck Weaver for a buck. I'm thinking about sending that Lyman Bostock out for grading. Gotta be at least an 8, right?

 

 

60's base. Yessir. Brooksy on that well-worn checklist. Anyone else prefer marked vintage checklists? I enjoy that someone actually got a use out of them. 

 

Mmmmmm. Snacky Cakes.

 

 

1973 Topps Football. Not among my favorite football sets, but snagged a couple names here. 

 

1964 Topps upper left. Checklists are a supplemental set from 1973. The Bengals one is a variation with TWO asterisks on the copyright line. Highly coveted variation, I'm sure. Pitts is 1974. Cardinals team card is from the 1967 Philadelphia release. And what's that? A rare 1970 Topps Hockey sighting. I love that set, but hardly ever find any. Every show has one lonely hockey guy, but the vintage is scarce.

 

And on the way out saw an old guy auto I didn't have for three bucks. Easiest purchase of the day. Eddie only played for the Reds for one year and his Reds cards consist of a 1952 Topps high number (which I'll never own), its reprint, a 1953 Topps (which I do own), and its reprint. Slim pickins. So this was quite an autograph coup, for me.

Go Redlegs.

Reds IP Auto Collection - C

Gimme the creases and the smudges from in-person autos over the mollycoddled pack-fresh nonsense.

Here's last names starting with C. 99 of em. 99 colossal, captivating, confidently classy cardboard creations.

The standout is Davey Concepcion. Chico Cardenas on that '62 is a favorite. Love Luis Castillo in a Blue Wahoos uni. Colin Cowgill is a custom, in case you're trying to figure out the set. '84 OPC Cesar Cedeno lookin' fly. As is Johnny Cueto on that Ginter. I somehow have an auto of Zack Cozart in a Dayton Dragons uni, a Team USA uni, and a University of Mississippi uni, but none in a Reds uni. 

Also of note is that I am not a boy named Sue. 

 

Auto count: 99

Unique Reds: 52

Biggest name: Dave Concepcion

Current roster: None on the roster have a C name, but Cowgill is our 1B coach

Oldest Card: Chico Cardenas (1962 Topps)

Oldest Player: Tony Cuccinello (Rookie Year 1930) 

Quantity champ: Tim Costo (10), runner-up Sean Casey (8)

Missing autos I want the most: Nick Castellanos, Aroldis Chapman, Shin-Soo Choo

Go Redlegs.

$20 Junk Wax Set

Twenty bucks for a complete 1993 Action Packed football set PLUS the Quarterback Club inserts set PLUS the 1000 Yard Rushers insert set PLUS the Moving Targets insert set? Easy purchase.

 

Base cards with their embossed puffy goodness. These felt special way back then, though I knew they were just as prominent as anything else.

 

vv

 

Moving Targest wide receivers insert. The same design but with a little target logo in the corner. Okay, sure.

 

1000 Yard Rushers insert is the same thing, but a different logo. A little lazy? A lot lazy.  

And the Quarterback Club. Same damn thing. But you HAVE TO get that extra David Klingler card in the master checklist if you wanna move some product. Truly the Mike Trout of mid-90's Bengals quarterbacks.

Go Redlegs.

Trade Inventory Boost

Tiny show up 'round these parts. My goal was to increase my TCDB trade inventory. So I bought this:

Big ol' box of parallels and inserts. Nothing amazing. Just quantity I'm hoping to flip for some 90's inserts. 

It's mostly 2020's, so the young kids will have something to look at while I'm withering away in the corner listening to old Iron Maiden cassettes and ripping packs of 1991 Stadium Club.

 

Rough look at the contents here. I went into a manic-focus zen state and got them all logged on my TCDB For Trade page, here. Find some stuff and trade me some stuff. Or, if you have no stuff, I'll sell you some stuff for mere pocket change. But I'd rather trade.

Go Redlegs

The old left-hander, rounding third and heading for home

Y'all surely know that Nuxy was the youngest MLB player ever, suiting up for the Reds at age 15 during WWII. 

He also produced this amazing quote: "I was pitching against seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders, kids 13 and 14 years old... All of a sudden, I look up and there's Stan Musial."  

 

In his debut at age 15, he got the first batter out but then clanked up 5 walks, 2 hits, 5 runs, and a wild pitch. He did get another out, though, for a crisp 67.50 ERA. Badass, if you ask me.

 

Came back to the bigs 8 years later. Pitched in 14 more seasons for the Reds, made our Hall of Fame, and broadcast our games with ol' Marty for about 90 years. 

ff

 

Signed are a 1978 TCMA The 1960's #0065 and a 1989 Pacific Legends #161.

 

Go Redlegs.