The annual Club 400 Christmas Party was held on Friday December 10, 2021. This year’s guest was Patrick Wisdom. Wisdom broke the Cubs rookie home run record this past season surpassing Kris Bryant with 30 home runs in 2021. Other notables to appear at the Club 400 Christmas Party included former Cubs pitcher Ray Burris and Sammy Sosa’s good friend and former personal assistant Julian Martinez.

Club 400 Christmas Party 2021

The 2021 Club 400 Christmas Party was my 12th trip to what I call Cubs Disney World. What is Club 400? I detailed it after my first trip to Club 400 in 2018 to see Bill Buckner. That was a smaller event (which I actually prefer), but Club 400 also hosts much larger events during the summer months that have had Javier Baez, Ben Zobrist, and Willson Contreras.

Club 400 has now raised over $550,000 to charity. And most of these funds raised are going to local people, local friends. The motto at Club 400 is “Cubs fans helping Cubs fans,” and that is 100% true.

Club 400 Family

During my first visit to Club 400 I didn’t know more than a couple people. Still, the people I did meet I felt like we were friends because of our shared passion for Chicago Cubs baseball. Over time, you spend more and more time at these events with your new Cubs-fan friends, become connected on Facebook, and they become family.

Club 400 is more than baseball. More than the Cubs. More than a fun party. It’s about the people you have meet and become friends, and become as close as family. Not only that, you’re having all of this fun with family and friends while helping other Cubs fans that need a little assistance.

Patrick Wisdom Q&A

Patrick Wisdom arrived downstairs to Club 400, which is literally a basement in a suburban home. Of course, that description does it no justice. The look on Wisdom’s face was much like every other person that has stepped foot inside Club 400. You pull up in an unassuming far northwest suburban neighborhood. Walk through a garage that looks like yours and mine. Open the door that leads to the basement, or Club 400. As you walk down the steps and see all of the Cubs memorabilia on the walls you think this is pretty cool.

And then you hit the basement. Whoah. This is a Chicago Cubs museum. It literally stops you in your tracks, much like it did to Patrick Wisdom at the Club 400 Christmas Party. He greeted the crowd as he walked around checking out the space. After Club 400 owner Stewart McVicar made the opening announcement with Wisdom, it was time for the Q&A. Stu and his Club 400 podcast co-host William Geheren recorded an episode with Wisdom.

Out of the gate, a couple questions about St. Louis and the Cardinals came up. “Is St. Louis boring?” That’s what Kris Bryant said a couple years ago. Wisdom came up through the minor leagues with the Cardinals and appeared in 32 games with St. Louis in 2018.

My good friend, Crawly, asked the first question about the Marcus Stroman signing.

Sammy Sosa To Visit Chicago

Sammy Sosa’s former personal hitting coach, Julian Martinez, was also in attendance at the Club 400 Christmas Party. In a surprise twist to the night, Martinez gave Sosa a call. He then handed the phone over to Stu for a conversation and set the phone next to the microphone for those in attendance to listen in. One thing Sosa said that really got the crowd amped up:

“I will visit everybody. I still love Chicago, it’s my town. It’s time for me to come back to Chicago.”

Sammy Sosa via phone call to Club 400 – 12/10/21

Chicago loves Sammy Sosa, and hopefully he will be welcomed back with open arms to Wrigley Field in 2022. And…maybe even an appearance at Club 400 in the near future.

An Epic Club 400 Christmas Party

It’s almost unbelievable to say “this was the best party, yet” at Club 400. I was thinking it was one of the best parties out of the dozen I have attended. Then I started hearing others say the same thing. Surrounded my our Club 400 family along with a great guest like Patrick Wisdom really did make it an amazing party. How much of fan favorite did Wisdom become? He partied with us, and even shotgunned a White Claw.

Typically, after the meet and greet and Q&A portions of the evening, the guest of honor will take off. Not Patrick Wisdom. He was having just as much fun as his fans. He stuck around until after midnight conversing with Cubs fans and just having a good time.

The late-night entertainment was Jim & Justin from the Modern Day Romeos with John Benedeck on keyboards. John is the organist at Wrigley Field. They had a special guest vocalist on to sing “Stand by Me.” Former Cubs pitcher Ray Burris stepped up to lend his voice.

Next Up: Club 400 Cubs Convention

The great news is I only have to wait a month for the next Club 400 party. Since there is no Cubs Convention, a Club 400 party will take place the Friday night that the convention would have been scheduled. The special guests will be Frank Schwindel and Ron Coomer, and the event is sold out.

If you are interested in future Club 400 events, visit the Club 400 website, or follow Club 400 on Facebook and Twitter.

A new podcast touched off a bit of nostalgia for me this week. Kin Kinsley and Jason Martin debuted We Love the 80s Cards show on Youtube this week and among the topics discussed was the pair’s top three sets of the 1980’s. This inspired me to rip open a 1989 Topps pack on my daily Youtube show, Hobby Evolution.

Over the summer I decided to purge my collection of junk wax packs and began selling them two for a dollar at the Madison Card Show and the Northern Illinois Card Show in Rockford. The packs were a hit. Before I sold them all, I pulled a few random packs to save for a rainy day. One them was a 1989 Topps pack because it’s the set that began my love for Chicago Cubs baseball cards.

Not having much to talk about on the October 29, 2021 edition of Hobby Evolution I decided to rip open a pack of 1989 Topps baseball cards. It provided more nostalgia than I had anticipated. As I went through the cards one by one it dawned on me that the contents of this pack would have been a great return on investment in the summer of 1989. There are stacks of Beckett magazines and Baseball Card Magazine price guides in my storage room. Maybe I should dig one from 1989 and price out my pack.

My Beckett Baseball Card Monthly collection is rather sparse, but I did find an issue from November 1989. Typically, especially in the late 1980’s, the prices were at least a month or two old so that still puts the 1989 Topps prices in season.

With so few sets in 1989, Beckett was able to provide individual pricing for much of the sets. You’ll see names such as Dave Eiland, Terry Blocker, Sherman Corbett, and Doug Dascenzo under the 1989 Topps prices. Many names (common cards) are not listed, so we will have to go with the “common player” pricing of a nickel in the November 1989 Beckett. That is where we will start.

1989 Topps #133 Bill Long
$0.05

Bill Long was the gum card. Fortunately, the gum had cracked in half which is a good sign. That means it’s dry and this pack of cards has been kept out of humidity for 32 years. At initial glance you can’t even see the gum stain on the back, but if you look closely it is there.

1989 Topps #336 Steve Balboni
$0.05

A first baseman/designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners, the 1989 season would be Balboni’s ninth in the big leagues. The fun part of these old baseball cards is reading the card backs. The card back for Steve Balboni offered a player stat: “He drilled 1st major league Triple: 4-22-81.” Impressive since Steve only appeared in four games during his 1981 rookie campaign with the Yankees. Through the 1988 season, Balboni had only hit 9 triples in his career.

1989 Topps #768 Bill Wegman
$0.05

According to Wegman’s stats on the back of the card he logged 225 innings during the 1987 season with the Brewers.

1989 Topps #773 Keith Moreland
$0.05

Keith Moreland spent much of the 1980’s with my favorite team: Chicago Cubs. He was with the San Diego Padres for 1988 and was pictured as a Padre on his 1989 Topps card. His card back stat shares when Moreland logged his 1,000th career hit. It came on August 30, 1987 with the Cubs.

1989 Topps #364 Rob Deer
$0.05

The next card in my 1989 Topps pack is Rob Deer. Home Run or Strike Out. Deer led the league in strikeouts in 1987 and 1988 with 186 and 153, respectively. In parts of five seasons, Deer slugged 95 home runs and struck out 599 times.

1989 Topps #328 Rick Honeycutt
$0.05

I shared my pre-pubescent humor on Hobby Evolution as I ripped through this 1989 Topps pack. As a 7-year old, my friends and I would yell out, “Honey, I Cut the Cheese” whenever we came across a Rick Honeycutt card. If you weren’t a child of the era, it’s a reference to the Rick Moranis movie that was popular at the same time: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!

1989 Topps #278 Andy McGaffigan
$0.05

McGaffigan was somewhat of a journeyman as he was on his second stint with the Montreal Expos in 1989. His career began in 1981 with the Yankees, then spent time with the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and his first go-around in Montreal.

1989 Topps #212 Scott Sanderson
$0.05

My first Cubs card is Scott Sanderson. Sanderson played for the U.S. National Team at Inter-Continental Cup in Montreal (1975) and Pan American Games (1976) according to the Topps card back.

1989 Topps #513 Jesse Orosco
$0.05

Here’s the real journeyman of this 1989 Topps pack: Jesse Orosco. His career ultimately spanned 24 seasons for nine different teams.

1989 Topps #356 Kevin Elster
$0.05

Kevin Elster was listed as a common in the November 1989 Beckett. But, in a Baseball Cards Magazine price guide his card was listed for a dime. Elster was a highly touted prospect for the New York Mets in the mid-1980’s and a highly collected rookie in 1988.

1989 Topps #80 Cory Snyder
$0.12

Here’s where the fun begins. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I grabbed the Cory Snyder card and checked the number on the back of the card. Number 80. Then, I opened the Beckett to page 58 where the 1989 Topps prices were listed. I scrolled by #1 George Bell Record Breaker listed at 12 cents. Getting closer I passed #70 Mark McGwire ($0.50) and there it was, #80 Cory Snyder. Twelve cents. How exciting.

1989 Topps #53 Ruben Sierra
$0.15

Pretty sure I saw Sierra’s name as I scrolled through the numbers. Yup, there it is. #53. Ruben Sierra. Even better. This card is worth 15 cents (in November 1989). Sierra was #9 on the Beckett Hot List this month.

1989 Topps #206 Roberto Alomar
$0.30

I remember Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr. being hot cards in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Next to Roberto Alomar’s name was “FTC.” That stood for First Topps Card. Alomar also got the always-exciting up arrow, denoting the price trends were rising.

1989 Topps #490 Chris Sabo
$0.50

I hit the Chris Sabo rookie gold cup. This would have been a big hit in 1989. Sabo was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1988, and his baseball cards were hot. When I saw the Sabo was fifty cents, that seemed fair. Then I noticed the down arrow next to his name. And…I took a look at the Hot/Cold Lists. Sabo was #6 on the Cold List. After winning the ROY in 1988, he had an injury-riddled 1989 and his stats suffered. Sabo did go on to appear in two more All Star games in his career (1990 and 1991).

1989 Topps #465 Mark Grace
$1.50

WOW! Had I pulled the Mark Grace rookie gold cup in a 1989 Topps pack of cards as a 7-year old I would have jumped up and down screaming. This was THEE hit of 1989 Topps for a Cubs collector. Just a beautiful card, that gold cup, and it even had an up arrow next to the $1.50 price. I was almost as excited as a 39-year old when I saw the Grace as I talked about Keith Moreland in my video below.

My Pack Was Worth $3.07

When I was 7-years old growing up in Annawan, Illinois, a 1989 Topps pack of baseball cards was 45 cents at the local IGA grocery store. Hitting a $1.50 Mark Grace rookie gold cup really helped getting my 1989 return on investment in this pack. Using November 1989 Beckett pricing, my pack of cards was worth $3.07. As I suspected, this would have been one heck of a pack to pull 32 years ago.

It’s well documented on my blog that Bowman is my favorite product to rip. Not only Bowman, but Bowman Chrome, and the popular Mega Boxes. Bowman Chrome now has Mega Boxes that hit retail stores and this week they began showing up at Wal-Mart stores. I was lucky to find one and here is my 2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box break.

2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Break

Before we get to the break, here is the down low on this year’s product. The 2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Boxes carry a retail price of $39.98. Each mega box contains five packs of Bowman Chrome with five cards per pack. Additionally, the chase is the two Mega Box refractor packs of five cards each.

Just weeks ago the Bowman Chrome hobby boxes hit the market and depending where you bought them carried a hefty price tag between $200 and $350 per hobby box. That breaks down to $3.33 per card on the low side ($200 hobby box) to $5.83 per card on the high end ($350 hobby box).

At $39.98 and you are not interested in chasing the autographs, a mega box will run you about $1.60 per base chrome card, or about $1.15 per card including the mega box refractors. A much better value.

2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Checklist

Here is the checklist for 2021 Bowman Chrome mega box refractors. This does not include the regular Bowman Chrome from the base packs, only the refractors.

BCP-151 Victor Acosta
BCP-152 Logan Gilbert
BCP-153 Kevin Made
BCP-154 Helcris Olivarez
BCP-155 Reid Detmers
BCP-156 Jordyn Adams
BCP-157 Shea Langeliers
BCP-158 Kristian Robinson
BCP-159 Alek Thomas
BCP-160 Drew Waters
BCP-161 Julio Carreras
BCP-162 Braden Shewmake
BCP-163 Maximo Acosta
BCP-164 Drew Romo
BCP-165 Grayson Rodriguez
BCP-166 Heston Kjerstad
BCP-167 Miguel Bleis
BCP-168 Triston Casas
BCP-169 Jeter Downs
BCP-170 Jarren Duran
BCP-171 Cristian Hernandez
BCP-172 Gabriel Arias
BCP-173 Brennen Davis
BCP-174 Jared Kelley
BCP-175 Hunter Greene
BCP-176 Yoelqui Cespedes
BCP-177 Austin Hendrick
BCP-178 Nick Lodolo
BCP-179 Alexander Mojica
BCP-180 Gabriel Rodriguez
BCP-181 Jeferson Quero
BCP-182 Tyler Freeman
BCP-183 Zac Veen
BCP-184 Malvin Valdez
BCP-185 Michael Toglia
BCP-186 Cristian Santana
BCP-187 Spencer Torkelson
BCP-188 Riley Greene
BCP-189 Pedro Leon
BCP-190 Jeremy Pena
BCP-191 Eduardo Garcia
BCP-192 Miguel Amaya
BCP-193 Bobby Witt Jr.
BCP-194 Asa Lacy
BCP-195 Blaze Jordan
BCP-196 Luis Rodriguez
BCP-197 Wilman Diaz
BCP-198 Josiah Gray
BCP-199 Yiddi Cappe
BCP-200 JJ Bleday
BCP-201 Max Meyer
BCP-202 Luis Medina
BCP-203 Hedbert Perez
BCP-204 Garrett Mitchell
BCP-205 Matt Manning
BCP-206 Misael Urbina
BCP-207 Emmanuel Rodriguez
BCP-208 Alexander Ramirez
BCP-209 Francisco Alvarez
BCP-210 Ronny Mauricio
BCP-211 Matthew Allan
BCP-212 Alexander Vizcaino
BCP-213 Jasson Dominguez
BCP-214 Austin Wells
BCP-215 Milkar Perez
BCP-216 Pedro Pineda
BCP-217 Tyler Soderstrom
BCP-218 Robert Puason
BCP-219 Mick Abel
BCP-220 Oswald Peraza
BCP-221 Ed Howard
BCP-222 Shalin Polanco
BCP-223 Po-Yu Chen
BCP-224 Nick Gonzales
BCP-225 Robert Hassell
BCP-226 Malcom Nunez
BCP-227 CJ Abrams
BCP-228 Luis Toribio
BCP-229 Marco Luciano
BCP-230 Patrick Bailey
BCP-231 Julio Rodriguez
BCP-232 Gilberto Celestino
BCP-233 Emerson Hancock
BCP-234 Matthew Liberatore
BCP-235 Nolan Gorman
BCP-236 Jordan Walker
BCP-237 Brett Baty
BCP-238 Carlos Colmenarez
BCP-239 Jhonny Piron
BCP-240 Wander Franco
BCP-241 Adley Rutschman
BCP-242 Justin Foscue
BCP-243 Nick Yorke
BCP-244 Manuel Beltre
BCP-245 Austin Martin
BCP-246 Jordan Groshans
BCP-247 Armando Cruz
BCP-248 Jeremy De La Rosa
BCP-249 Starlin Aguilar
BCP-250 Cade Cavalli

2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Odds

There are 33 autograph subjects on the 2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box break checklist. Odds of pulling a base autograph fall one in 10 packs, or one autograph per every five boxes, on average.

The Break

It was an exciting 2021 Bowman Chrome Mega Box break. The collation was a little wacky in the base chrome packs as you will see in the video. And then when I opened the mega box refractor packs, I was excited to pull a 1st chrome purple refractor of one of the top players!

For the 11th consecutive year Topps is rolling out its 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League product. The official release date for 2021 Topps Heritage Minors is October 27. The 2021 Topps Heritage Minors checklist features 200 base cards plus 20 base short prints. Additionally, this year’s autograph checklist boasts 65 signers under the Real One Autograph banner. Insert sets include Boyhood Photos of the Stars, 1972 Topps Pack Cover, Venezuela Stamp Cards, and Baseball Poster Cards.

Each hobby box of 2021 Topps Heritage Minors includes two autograph cards. This is a change from previous releases where boxes have included one autograph and one jersey relic per box. You will receive 18 packs per hobby box with eight cards per pack. Every box will have an additional box topper of three baseball poster cards. Here is a look at the 2021 Topps Heritage Minors checklist.

2021 Topps Heritage Minors Checklist

Prospect rankings from MLB Pipeline. Players in bold are MLB Top 100 prospects.

1 Robert Hassell – AZL Padres – #43 MLB prospect
2 Spencer Torkelson – GCL Tigers – #4 MLB prospect
3 Carson Tucker – AZL Indians – #16 Cleveland Indians prospect
4 Tyler Freeman – Akron RubberDucks – #59 MLB prospect
5 Andre Nnebe – AZL Brewers – Unranked prospect
6 Zavier Warren – AZL Brewers – #14 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
7 Heston Kjerstad – GCL Orioles – #7 Baltimore Orioles prospect
8 Austin Hendrick – AZL Reds – #4 Cincinnati Reds prospect
9 Jarren Duran – Worcester Red Sox – #25 MLB prospect
10 AJ Vukovich – AZL Diamondbacks – #10 Arizona Diamondbacks prospect
11 Aaron Ashby – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – #8 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
12 Riley Thompson – South Bend Cubs – #28 Chicago Cubs prospect
13 Jhoan Duran – St. Paul Saints – #5 Minnesota Twins prospect
14 Cole Henry – GCL Nationals – #7 Washington Nationals prospect
15 Milan Tolentino – AZL Indians – #26 Cleveland Indians prospect
16 J.T. Ginn – GCL Mets – #5 New York Mets prospect
17 Christopher Morel – Tennessee Smokies – #20 Chicago Cubs prospect
18 Brice Turang – Biloxi Shuckers – #3 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
19 Misael Urbina – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – #12 Minnesota Twins prospect
20 Jordyn Adams – Tri-City Dust Devils – #3 Los Angeles Angels prospect
21 Francisco Alvarez – Brooklyn Cyclones – #10 MLB prospect
22 Aaron Sabato – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels – #16 Minnesota Twins prospect
23 DL Hall – Bowie Baysox – #72 MLB prospect
24 Isaiah Greene – AZL Indians – #28 Cleveland Indians prospect
25 Shea Langeliers – Mississippi Braves – #69 MLB prospect
26 Jake Snider – Bradenton Marauders – Unranked prospect
27 Alexander Vargas – GCL Yankees – #12 New York Yankees prospect
28 Riley Greene – Erie Seawolves – #7 MLB prospect
29 Trevor McDonald – AZL Giants – Unranked prospect
30 Colin Barber – Asheville Tourists – #7 Houston Astros prospect
31 Brett Baty – Brooklyn Cyclones – #45 MLB prospect
32 Erick Pena – AZL Royals – #6 Kansas City Royals prospect
33 Jeferson Espinal – AZL Diamondbacks – #29 Arizona Diamondbacks prospect
34 Grayson Rodriguez – Bowie Baysox – #8 MLB prospect
35 Nick Gonzales – GCL Pirates – #62 MLB prospect
36 Alex Santos – GCL Astros – #8 Houston Astros prospect
37 Owen Caissie – AZL Cubs – #9 Chicago Cubs prospect
38 Wander Franco – Durham Bulls – MLB ROOKIE (NO LONGER RANKED)
39 CJ Van Eyk – GCL Blue Jays – #13 Toronto Blue Jays prospect
40 Jeter Downs – Worcester Red Sox – #5 Boston Red Sox prospect
41 Petey Halpin – AZL Indians – #19 Cleveland Indians prospect
42 Micker Adolfo – Birmingham Barons – #11 Chicago White Sox prospect
43 Travis Swaggerty – Greensboro Grasshoppers – #16 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect
44 Pete Crow-Armstrong – GCL Mets – #5 Chicago Cubs prospect
45 Tyler Gentry – AZL Royals – #23 Kansas City Royals prospect
46 Avery Short – Hillsboro Hops – Unranked prospect
47 George Kirby – Everett AquaSox – #33 MLB prospect
48 Ivan Herrera – Springfield Cardinals – #7 St. Louis Cardinals prospect
49 Michael Harris – Rome Braves – #89 MLB prospect
50 Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays – #36 MLB prospect
51 Austin Cox – Quad Cities River Bandits – #12 Kansas City Royals prospect
52 Edward Cabrera – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – #29 MLB prospect
53 Diosbel Arias – Frisco RoughRiders – Unranked prospect
54 Jordan Nwogu – AZL Cubs – #26 Chicago Cubs prospect
55 Anthony Servideo – GCL Orioles – #26 Baltimore Orioles prospect
56 Dillon Dingler – GCL Tigers – #4 Detroit Tigers prospect
57 Wilderd Patino – Visalia Rawhide – #24 Arizona Diamondbacks prospect
58 Jordan Westburg – GCL Orioles – #6 Baltimore Orioles prospect
59 David Calabrese – AZL Angels – #24 Los Angeles Angels prospect
60 Jeremy De La Rosa – GCL Nationals – #11 Washington Nationals prospect
61 Shane Baz – Durham Bulls – #19 MLB prospect
62 Adinso Reyes – GCL Tigers – #24 Detroit Tigers prospect
63 Hunter Greene – Louisville Bats – #26 MLB prospect
64 Hayden Cantrelle – AZL Brewers – #28 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
65 Keoni Cavaco – GCL Twins – #11 Minnesota Twins prospect
66 Heliot Ramos – Richmond Flying Squirrels – #80 MLB prospect
67 Jordan Brewer – Tri-City ValleyCats – #21 Houston Astros prospect
68 Werner Blakely – AZL Angels – Unranked prospect
69 Bo Naylor – Akron RubberDucks – #6 Cleveland Indians prospect
70 Robert Puason – AZL Athletics – #10 Oakland Athletics prospect
71 Ed Howard – AZL Cubs – #7 Chicago Cubs prospect
72 Erik Rivera – AZL Angels – #29 Los Angeles Angels prospect
73 Freddy Zamora – AZL Brewers – #11 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
74 Zac Veen – Fresno Grizzlies – #50 MLB prospect
75 Jairo Pomares – AZL Giants – #9 San Francisco Giants prospect
76 Matt Manning – Toledo Mud Hens – MLB ROOKIE (NO LONGER RANKED)
77 Jordan Walker – GCL Cardinals – #57 MLB prospect
78 Yolbert Sanchez – AZL White Sox – #15 Chicago White Sox prospect
79 Luis Matos – San Jose Giants – #77 MLB prospect
80 Patrick Bailey – AZL Giants – #8 San Francisco Giants prospect
81 Jesse Franklin – GCL Braves – #17 Atlanta Braves prospect
82 Brandon Lewis – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – #25 Los Angeles Dodgers prospect
83 Simon Muzziotti – Clearwater Threshers – #16 Philadelphia Phillies prospect
84 Glenallen Hill Jr. – Visalia Rawhide – Unranked prospect
85 Gunnar Henderson – GCL Orioles – #74 MLB prospect
86 Josiah Gray – Oklahoma City Dodgers – MLB ROOKIE (NO LONGER RANKED)
87 Sammy Infante – GCL Nationals – #14 Washington Nationals prospect
88 Nick Loftin – AZL Royals – #9 Kansas City Royals prospect
89 Ji-Hwan Bae – Greensboro Grasshoppers – #22 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect
90 Matthew Liberatore – Memphis Redbirds – #47 MLB prospect
91 Yhoswar Garcia – Clearwater Threshers – #18 Philadelphia Phillies prospect
92 Freudis Nova – Asheville Tourists – #24 Houston Astros prospect
93 Cade Cavalli – GCL Nationals – #39 MLB prospect
94 Vidal Brujan – Durham Bulls – #21 MLB prospect
95 Blaze Jordan – GCL Red Sox – #9 Boston Red Sox prospect
96 Diego Cartaya – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – #28 MLB prospect
97 Andre Lipcius – West Michigan Whitecaps – #22 Detroit Tigers prospect
98 Orelvis Martinez – Dunedin Blue Jays – #44 MLB prospect
99 Kyle Harrison – AZL Giants – #99 MLB prospect
100 Grant McCray – AZL Giants – #26 San Francisco Giants prospect
101 Hunter Bishop – Eugene Emeralds – #6 San Francisco Giants prospect
102 Simeon Woods Richardson – NH Fisher Cats – #4 Minnesota Twins prospect
103 Isaiah Campbell – Everett AquaSox – #18 Seattle Mariners prospect
104 Colt Keith – GCL Tigers – #12 Detroit Tigers prospect
105 Casey Martin – GCL Phillies – #13 Philadelphia Phillies prospect
106 Jared Shuster – GCL Braves – #9 Atlanta Braves prospect
107 Xavier Edwards – Montgomery Biscuits – #70 MLB prospect
108 Braden Shewmake – Mississippi Braves – #8 Atlanta Braves prospect
109 Vaughn Grissom – GCL Braves – #13 Atlanta Braves prospect
110 Bobby Miller – AZL Dodgers – #78 MLB prospect
111 Tanner Burns – AZL Indians – #11 Cleveland Indians prospect
112 Josh Jung – Frisco RoughRiders – #48 MLB prospect
113 Justin Foscue – AZL Rangers – #83 MLB prospect
114 Brandon Marsh – Salt Lake Bees – MLB ROOKIE (NO LONGER RANKED)
115 Gage Workman – GCL Tigers – #14 Detroit Tigers prospect
116 Alfonso Rivas – South Bend Cubs – #30 Chicago Cubs prospect
117 Antoine Kelly – Carolina Mudcats – #10 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
118 Alek Thomas – Amarillo Sod Poodles – #40 MLB prospect
119 Jeremy Pena – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – #4 Houston Astros prospect
120 Hudson Haskin – GCL Orioles – #16 Baltimore Orioles prospect
121 Oneil Cruz – Altoona Curve – #52 MLB prospect
122 Garrett Mitchell – AZL Brewers – #51 MLB prospect
123 Masyn Winn – GCL Cardinals – #4 St. Louis Cardinals prospect
124 Justin Lange – AZL Padres – #8 San Diego Padres prospect
125 Jamari Baylor – GCL Phillies – #19 Philadelphia Phillies prospect
126 Reid Detmers – AZL Angels – #23 MLB prospect
127 Ivan Johnson – Daytona Tortugas – #16 Cincinnati Reds prospect
128 Miguel Vargas – Great Lakes Loons – #6 Los Angeles Dodgers prospect
129 Kristian Robinson – Visalia Rawhide – #8 Arizona Diamondbacks prospect
130 Maikol Escotto – Bradenton Marauders – #20 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect
131 Victor Mesa Jr. – Jupiter Hammerheads – #18 Miami Marlins prospect
132 Eduardo Garcia – AZL Brewers – #12 Milwaukee Brewers prospect
133 Bryce Ball – Rome Braves – Unranked prospect
134 Grant Lavigne – Fresno Grizzlies – #19 Colorado Rockies prospect
135 Ronny Mauricio – St. Lucie Mets – #53 MLB prospect
136 Jose Tena – AZL Indians – #12 Cleveland Indians prospect
137 Miguel Amaya – Tennessee Smokies – #4 Chicago Cubs prospect
138 Brennen Davis – Myrtle Beach Pelicans – #14 MLB prospect
139 Nick Lodolo – Chattanooga Lookouts – #31 MLB prospect
140 Nick Pratto – Northwest Arkansas Naturals – #65 MLB prospect
141 Jordan Groshans – New Hampshire Fisher Cats – #55 MLB prospect
142 Cole Roederer – Myrtle Beach Pelicans – #24 Chicago Cubs prospect
143 Zach Daniels – GCL Astros – #22 Houston Astros prospect
144 Gabriel Moreno – Buffalo Bisons – #32 MLB prospect
145 Jared Kelley – AZL White Sox – #5 Chicago White Sox prospect
146 Corbin Carroll – Hillsboro Hops – #20 MLB prospect
147 Nick Bitsko – GCL Rays – #12 Tampa Bay Rays prospect
148 Kody Hoese – Great Lakes Loons – #13 Los Angeles Dodgers prospect
149 Burl Carraway – AZL Cubs – Unranked prospect
150 James Beard – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – Unranked prospect
151 Heriberto Hernandez – Charleston RiverDogs – #11 Tampa Bay Rays prospect
152 J.C. Correa – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Unranked prospect (Carlos Correa’s brother)
153 Mike Siani – Dayton Dragons – #11 Cincinnati Reds prospect
154 Daniel Cabrera – GCL Tigers – #16 Detroit Tigers prospect
155 Ethan Hankins – Lynchburg Hillcats – #21 Cleveland Indians prospect
156 Greg Jones – Bowling Green Hot Rods – #84 MLB prospect
157 Austin Wells – Tampa Tarpons – #6 New York Yankees prospect
158 Kohl Franklin – South Bend Cubs – #10 Chicago Cubs prospect
159 Jeremy Ydens – Fredericksburg Nationals – Unranked prospect
160 Kala’i Rosario – GCL Twins – #30 Minnesota Twins prospect
161 Ryan Vilade – Albuquerque Isotopes – #5 Colorado Rockies prospect
162 Tyler Callihan – Daytona Tortugas – #12 Cincinnati Reds prospect
163 Nick Yorke – GCL Red Sox – #96 MLB prospect
164 Matthew Thompson – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers – #7 Chicago Whote Sox prospect
165 Tink Hence – GCL Cardinals – #11 St. Louis Cardinals prospect
166 Aaron Bracho – Lake County Captains – #15 Cleveland Indians prospect
167 Quinn Priester – Greensboro Grasshoppers – #49 MLB prospect
168 Ethan Hearn – AZL Cubs – Unranked prospect
169 Ben Hernandez – AZL Royals – #15 Kansas City Royals prospect
170 George Valera – Lake County Captains – #63 MLB prospect
171 Dylan MacLean – AZL Rangers – Unranked prospect
172 Casey Schmitt – AZL Giants – #17 San Francisco Giants prospect
173 Freddy Valdez – GCL Mets – Unranked prospect
174 Antonio Gomez – GCL Yankees – #25 New York Yankees prospect
175 Justin Toerner – Springfield Cardinals – Unranked prospect
176 Evan Carter – AZL Rangers – #9 Texas Rangers prospect
177 Coby Mayo – GCL Orioles – #17 Baltimore Orioles prospect
178 Oswald Peraza – Somerset Patriots – #58 MLB prospect
179 Jordan Balazovic – Wichita Wind Surge – #81 MLB prospect
180 Yordys Valdes – Lynchburg Hillcats – Unranked prospect
181 Bobby Witt Jr. – Northwest Arkansas Naturals – #3 MLB prospect
182 Asa Lacy – AZL Royals – #66 MLB prospect
183 Max Meyer – GCL Marlins – #30 MLB prospect
184 CJ Abrams – San Antonio Missions – #6 MLB prospect
185 Garrett Mitchell – AZL Brewers – #51 MLB prospect
186 Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays – #36 prospect
187 Nick Gonzales – GCL Pirates – #62 MLB prospect
188 Wander Franco – Durham Bulls – MLB ROOKIE (NO LONGER RANKED)
189 Spencer Torkelson – GCL Tigers – #4 MLB prospect
190 Blaze Jordan – GCL Red Sox – #9 Boston Red Sox prospect
191 Antonio Cabello – Down East Wood Ducks – Unranked prospect
192 Matthew Liberatore – Memphis Redbirds – #47 MLB prospect
193 Liover Peguero – Greensboro Grasshoppers – #85 MLB prospect
194 Jeter Downs – Portland Sea Dogs – #5 Boston Red Sox prospect
195 Hudson Potts – Portland Sea Dogs – Unranked prospect
196 Gabriel Arias – Columbus Clippers – #82 MLB prospect
197 Terrin Vavra – Bowie Baysox – #13 Baltimore Orioles prospect
198 Hudson Head – Bradenton Marauders – #12 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect
199 Elehuris Montero – Albuquerque Isotopes – #4 Colorado Rockies prospect
200 Canaan Smith-Njigba – Altoona Curve – #27 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect

Base Short Prints

201 Alexander Vizcaino – Hudson Valley Renegades – #19 Chicago Cubs prospect
202 Noelvi Marte – Modesto Nuts – #11 MLB prospect
203 Adley Rutschman – Bowie Baysox – #1 MLB prospect
204 Liover Peguero – Greensboro Grasshoppers – #85 MLB prospect
205 Julio Rodriguez – Everett AquaSox – #2 MLB prospect
206 MacKenzie Gore – El Paso Chihuahuas – #56 MLB prospect
207 Bobby Witt Jr. – Northwest Arkansas Naturals – #3 MLB prospect
208 CJ Abrams – San Antonio Missions – #6 MLB prospect
209 Marco Luciano – San Jose Giants – #5 MLB prospect
210 Nolan Gorman – Springfield Cardinals – #24 MLB prospect
211 Triston Casas – Portland Sea Dogs – #18 MLB prospect
212 Asa Lacy – AZL Royals – #66 MLB prospect
213 Max Meyer – GCL Marlins – #30 MLB prospect
214 Mick Abel – GCL Phillies – #64 MLB prospect
215 Tyler Soderstrom – AZL Athletics – #42 MLB prospect
216 Kevin Alcantara – GCL Yankees – #16 Chicago Cubs prospect
217 Luisangel Acuña – Down East Wood Ducks – #8 Texas Rangers prospect
218 JJ Bleday – Pensacola Blue Wahoos – #71 Miami Marlins prospect
219 Yoelqui Cespedes – Winston-Salem Dash – #2 Chicago White Sox prospect
220 Pedro Leon – Corpus Christi Hooks – #2 Houston Astros prospect

Real One Autographs 2021 Topps Heritage Minors Checklist

ROA-AG Antonio Gomez – GCL Yankees
ROA-AH Austin Hendrick – AZL Reds
ROA-AL Asa Lacy – AZL Royals
ROA-AM Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays
ROA-AR Adinso Reyes – GCL Tigers
ROA-AV Alexander Vargas – GCL Yankees
ROA-BB Brayan Buelvas – AZL Athletics
ROA-BBA Bryce Ball – Rome Braves
ROA-BE Bryce Elder – GCL Braves
ROA-BH Ben Hernandez – AZL Royals
ROA-CB Carter Baumler – GCL Orioles
ROA-CK Colt Keith – GCL Tigers
ROA-CM Coby Mayo – GCL Orioles
ROA-CMA Casey Martin – GCL Phillies
ROA-CS Casey Schmitt – AZL Giants
ROA-CT Carson Tucker – AZL Indians
ROA-CV CJ Van Eyk – GCL Blue Jays
ROA-DC Darryl Collins – AZL Royals
ROA-DCA David Calabrese – AZL Angels
ROA-EC Evan Carter – AZL Rangers
ROA-EHE Ethan Hearn – AZL Cubs
ROA-ER Endy Rodriguez – GCL Mets
ROA-ERI Erik Rivera – AZL Angels
ROA-FV Freddy Valdez – GCL Mets
ROA-GM Garrett Mitchell – AZL Brewers
ROA-GW Gage Workman – GCL Tigers
ROA-HC Hyun-il Choi – AZL Dodgers
ROA-HH Hudson Haskin – GCL Orioles
ROA-HK Heston Kjerstad – GCL Orioles
ROA-JB Ji-Hwan Bae – Greensboro Grasshoppers
ROA-JC Jeff Criswell – AZL Athletics
ROA-JE Jake Eder – GCL Marlins
ROA-JL Justin Lange – AZL Padres
ROA-JP Jairo Pomares – AZL Giants
ROA-JR Jose Rodriguez – AZL White Sox
ROA-JT Jose Tena – AZL Indians
ROA-JWE Jordan Westburg – GCL Orioles
ROA-KA Kevin Alcantara – GCL Yankees
ROA-KF Kohl Franklin – South Bend Cubs
ROA-KN Kyle Nicolas – GCL Marlins
ROA-KR Kala’i Rosario – GCL Twins
ROA-MA Mick Abel – GCL Phillies
ROA-MB Mariel Bautista – Dayton Dragons
ROA-MH Michael Harris – Rome Braves
ROA-MM Max Meyer – GCL Marlins
ROA-MS Marcus Smith – AZL Athletics
ROA-MT Milan Tolentino – AZL Indians
ROA-NB Nick Bitsko – GCL Rays
ROA-NG Nick Gonzales – GCL Pirates
ROA-NL Nick Loftin – AZL Royals
ROA-NY Nick Yorke – GCL Red Sox
ROA-PH Petey Halpin – AZL Indians
ROA-RD Reid Detmers – AZL Angels
ROA-RH Robert Hassell – AZL Padres
ROA-RP Robert Puason – AZL Athletics
ROA-SI Sammy Infante – GCL Nationals
ROA-ST Spencer Torkelson – GCL Tigers
ROA-TH Tink Hence – GCL Cardinals
ROA-TR Tekoah Roby – AZL Rangers
ROA-VG Vaughn Grissom – GCL Braves
ROA-WB Werner Blakely – AZL Angels
ROA-YC Yoelqui Cespedes – Winston-Salem Dash
ROA-YS Yunior Severino – Cedar Rapids Kernels
ROA-YSA Yolbert Sanchez – AZL White Sox
ROA-ZW Zavier Warren – AZL Brewers

Boyhood Photos of the Stars

72TBPS-1 Chipper Jones – Durham Bulls
72TBPS-2 Paul Konerko – Albuquerque Dukes
72TBPS-3 Garret Anderson – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
72TBPS-4 Jackie Robinson – Montreal Royals
72TBPS-5 Willie Mays – Minneapolis Millers
72TBPS-6 Babe Ruth – Providence Grays
72TBPS-7 Dontrelle Willis – Louisville Bats
72TBPS-8 Andruw Jones – Durham Bulls
72TBPS-9 Ken Griffey Jr. – San Bernardino Spirit
72TBPS-10 Joe Mauer – New Britain Rock Cats
72TBPS-11 Brady Anderson – Pawtucket Red Sox
72TBPS-12 Miguel Tejada – Modesto A’s
72TBPS-13 Tom Glavine – Sumter Braves
72TBPS-14 Manny Ramirez – Kinston Indians

Pack Cover Cards

72TPCC-1 Nick Gonzales – GCL Pirates
72TPCC-2 Spencer Torkelson – GCL Tigers
72TPCC-3 Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays
72TPCC-4 Blaze Jordan – GCL Red Sox
72TPCC-5 Heston Kjerstad – GCL Orioles
72TPCC-6 Tyler Soderstrom – AZL Athletics
72TPCC-7 Jordan Walker – GCL Cardinals
72TPCC-8 Robert Hassell – AZL Padres
72TPCC-9 Pete Crow-Armstrong – GCL Mets
72TPCC-10 Luisangel Acuña – Down East Wood Ducks
72TPCC-11 Ed Howard – AZL Cubs
72TPCC-12 Jeremy De La Rosa – GCL Nationals
72TPCC-13 Reid Detmers – AZL Angels
72TPCC-14 Bobby Witt Jr. – Northwest Arkansas Naturals
72TPCC-15 Robert Puason – Stockton Ports
72TPCC-16 Marco Luciano – San Jose Giants
72TPCC-17 Adley Rutschman – Bowie Baysox
72TPCC-18 Austin Hendrick – Daytona Tortugas
72TPCC-19 JJ Bleday – Pensacola Blue Wahoos
72TPCC-20 Asa Lacy – AZL Royals
72TPCC-21 Wander Franco – Durham Bulls

Venezuelan Stamp Cards

72TVS-1 Austin Hendrick – AZL Reds
72TVS-2 Blaze Jordan – GCL Red Sox
72TVS-3 Spencer Torkelson – GCL Tigers
72TVS-4 Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays
72TVS-5 Marco Luciano – San Jose Giants
72TVS-6 Mick Abel – GCL Phillies
72TVS-7 Francisco Alvarez – Brooklyn Cyclones
72TVS-8 Pedro Leon – Corpus Christi Hooks
72TVS-9 Nolan Gorman – Springfield Cardinals
72TVS-10 Riley Greene – Erie Seawolves
72TVS-11 CJ Abrams – San Antonio Missions
72TVS-12 Bobby Witt Jr. – Northwest Arkansas Naturals
72TVS-13 Julio Rodriguez – Everett AquaSox
72TVS-14 Wander Franco – Durham Bulls
72TVS-15 Nick Gonzales – GCL Pirates

Baseball Poster Cards

72BPC-1 Robert Hassell – AZL Padres
72BPC-2 Austin Martin – GCL Blue Jays
72BPC-3 Asa Lacy – AZL Royals
72BPC-4 Heston Kjerstad – GCL Orioles
72BPC-5 Austin Hendrick – AZL Reds
72BPC-6 Patrick Bailey – AZL Giants
72BPC-7 Tyler Soderstrom – AZL Athletics
72BPC-8 Ed Howard – AZL Cubs
72BPC-9 Garrett Mitchell – AZL Brewers
72BPC-10 Kevin Alcantara – GCL Yankees
72BPC-11 Robert Puason – AZL Athletics
72BPC-12 Nick Yorke – GCL Red Sox
72BPC-13 Max Meyer – GCL Marlins
72BPC-14 Alexander Vargas – GCL Yankees
72BPC-15 Mick Abel – GCL Phillies
72BPC-16 Matthew Allan – Brooklyn Cyclones
72BPC-17 Wander Franco – Durham Bulls
72BPC-18 CJ Abrams – San Antonio Missions
72BPC-19 Triston Casas – Portland Sea Dogs
72BPC-20 Riley Greene – Erie Seawolves

2021 Topps Heritage Minors Checklist Review

As a Chicago Cubs collector I am a big fan of the 2021 Topps Heritage Minors checklist. It boasts 16 current Cubs prospects in which 12 cards will feature those prospects in a Cubs minor league uniform. The other four players were acquired after the print deadline, so they will be in their former team uniforms.

The 2021 Topps Heritage Minors checklist for autographs is almost double that of the 2020 Topps Heritage Minors. However, this year’s hobby boxes guarantee two autographs. There are some notable omissions on the checklist such as Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe. All in all, it’s a great checklist and the price can’t be beat.

This past Saturday was another Northern Illinois Card Show in Rockford. The show is now in my monthly rotation (pending my schedule) to set up as a vendor. Rock Church on Harrison Avenue is the location and it’s in the church gymnasium. It is a really nice space, and the gym stage even has a ping pong table, air hockey, and foosball table.

I had a new location from my first appearance at this show. John Craig, the promoter, had me in the back corner straight ahead from the entrance. I loved the spot from the start. Since I have three tables of bargain boxes, space is a necessity. Being in the back corner allowed for ample space for my customers to take a seat and dig through the cards.

Sold Out Northern Illinois Card Show

As I pulled up to the Northern Illinois Card Show, the parking lot was already pretty full of vendors unloading their goods. The show was a sell out for vendors, which is great. It was also nice to see some new vendors I had never met allowing me to introduce myself and promote my own show. John and I have a great relationship and promote each other’s show. We encourage each other to recruit vendors from our shows to appear at the other.

One vendor I was looking forward to meet was Tony Gordon, who runs the Salvation Army show in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. It’s a show I have not yet attended, but do plan on driving over for their November 6 show. Tony has an amazing selection of vintage and pre-war cards. There was a Billy Herman Batters Up and a 1952 Topps Phil Cavarretta that caught my eye. But going into business full time starting this week, I need to restrain myself from impulse Cubs buys.

With a sellout crowd of vendors it also led to a different layout than my previous appearance in August. The vendor tables were set up on the perimeter of the gym, but then there were also interior tables.

While I was unloading my car another vendor asked if I was interested in buying a 5-row box of baseball cards. Ratsy on the Blowout Forums is from northwest Indiana, and he set up at the Madison Card Show a couple months ago. After I set up, I took a look at the contents and we agreed on $60. I’ll show off the contents in a later article.

Crowd Turnout Was Great

Attendance at the Northern Illinois Card Show was much higher than the previous show I set up at in August. Even though attendance and sales were down two months ago, it allowed me more time to network with other vendors and pick up some good deals as a buyer.

There was a big rush of people during the morning hours, and like many card shows the afternoon was a trickle and pretty slow. Still, I was very happy with the turnout.

Bargain Box Sales Were Down

At one point towards the end of the show John approached and asked how my show was going. My response: “It’s been okay.” I hate that response, and as soon as I muttered those words I wanted to smack myself. It’s like coming home from work and saying your day was, “fine.”

Was it okay good, was it okay bad? So, I’ll go into a little more detail on my “okay” day. While the attendance was far greater than the previous Northern Illinois Card Show, my table attendance was only slightly up. And that is okay. The bargain box customers either didn’t come to the show, or something with my set up needs to be adjusted.

Since I began selling bargain boxes at my first Madison Card Show in April, a constant internal struggle was how to organize the bargain boxes. Mine are very disorganized. They are sorted by sport, but that’s as organized as it gets. Should I organize by team? By year? By era?

One sales tip I learned at the Wisconsin Dells show from a bargain box seller was the “Fill a Box” method. A vendor had 100-count boxes that you could fill for $20, so essentially a built-in discount (20 cents per card) on the quarter boxes. Customers at the Northern Illinois Card Show in Rockford use my boxes regularly, but for some reason I do not get that same traffic at the Madison Card Show.

Overall A Success

It was a great outing in Rockford. While my sales were not quite to my expectations, it was a decent sales amount. I was able to make some great bulk buys to enhance my own bargain boxes along with some inventory I can put in my eBay Store. Additionally, I was able to network with a few new vendors that will likely set up at future Madison Card Shows. Overall, another fun day. The next Northern Illinois Card Show in Rockford will be on Saturday November 13.

Another Madison Card Show was held at the Sheraton Hotel on John Nolen Drive this past weekend. The show has now ran monthly for six straight months. A record number of vendors came out this month that filled 48 tables. This is my Madison Card Show review for the month of September.

Madison Card Show Review For September

A total of 29 vendors were in attendance and the 5,300 square feet ballroom at the Madison Sheraton Hotel was filled with 48 vendor tables. This was a record for both vendors and tables surpassing the June output of 44 tables.

Vendor Turnout

As usual, there was a nice variety of items from the vendors from vintage singles to ultra-modern high end singles. A few vendors had modern sealed wax for sale, but there was a lack of brand new unopened product. Supplies are also in demand by customers, and is something that is lacking at the show.

While exact numbers are not known, many of the vendors expressed this was the largest turnout of the six-month run of the Madison Card Show. After a dismal turnout at the June show, each month since has seemed to bring in more and more buyers.

Attendance

An estimated 400 people came through the doors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. despite the Ryder Cup being played out just two hours away, and the Wisconsin Badgers football matchup against Notre Dame that kicked off at 11 a.m. in Chicago. The room was crowded during the morning hours before the always-expected afternoon drop off.

All in all, mostly positive reviews were passed on by both customers and dealers. The show hosted a couple first-time card show vendors, as well as many customers either attending the Madison Card Show for the first time, or a card show in general for the very first time.

Madison Card Show Review

Unfortunately, there was a couple reports of theft or attempted theft. Vendors will be informed of this threat moving forward and more eyes will be watching would-be thieves.

The next Madison Card Show will be held on Saturday October 23 at the Sheraton Hotel at 706 John Nolen Drive in Madison, Wisconsin. Free admission for customers and the show runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Vendor tables are available by emailing madisoncardshow@gmail.com or call or text Beau at (309) 945-8986.

Next Show October 23

Additionally, check out the Rockford Card Show on Saturday October 9 at Rock Church at 6732 Harrison Avenue in Rockford, Illinois. Show hours run 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Free admission and to secure a table contact John at 815-519-8551.

The Card Life is a new TV show dedicated to passionate collectors in the hobby. It airs new episodes every month on Bally Sports regional networks (formerly Fox Sports regional networks).

Brandon Verzal is the brains behind the show that is hosted by San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm. Strahm is a baseball card collector himself. Brandon reached out to me in May 2021 and asked if I would be interested in filming a segment for the show as he was driving from Nebraska to Green Bay. The Card Life TV show, sponsored by Loupe, was going to film Packers running back A.J. Dillon break boxes on Loupe.

I was in! Brandon arrived a few weeks later and we hung out in my Cubs Cave for a few hours talking baseball cards, our backgrounds in college sports and media, and of course my Cubs collection.

Below is the entire Card Life TV show that aired during the month of August.

It was a great experience sharing my Cubs baseball card collection with Brandon and all of the viewers watching on Bally Sports Networks. Also cool…that’s my friend Ryan Haack, as he was featured on the same episode.

One of my life bucket list items is to own Chicago Cubs season tickets. In case you were not aware I am a pretty big Cubs fan. Owning season tickets never made sense because I lived in rural western Illinois about four hours from Wrigley Field. In 2014, I moved much closer to the “Friendly Confines,” only about a two-hour commute from Madison, Wisconsin.

That is really when my desire to own season tickets came to the forefront. The Cubs season ticket waiting list was long even during the rebuild years of 2013 and 2014. I signed up in 2015, and found myself about 60,000th in line.

The Cubs made a run to the NLCS in 2015 and top prospects like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Jorge Soler had arrrived to Chicago. And then 2016 happened. A Chicago Cubs World Series win. Needless to say that Cubs season ticket waiting list didn’t budge an inch. Out of 60,000 fans on the waiting list, I probably only moved a couple hundred spots those first two years.

A Chicago Cubs baseball dynasty never came to fruition, and heading into the 2021 season it didn’t look like the Cubs would compete for another title as that window with our favorite stars was quickly closing. Still, I found myself at 22,000 in the Cubs season ticket line.

Much to my surprise, I received an email (and later that day a postcard)from the Cubs ticket department in September 2021 essentially saying that my turn could be coming up soon.

Hi Beau –

I saw you did not complete the survey we sent out regarding your interest in Cubs season tickets. Since it is highly likely that your spot will come up on the waitlist this Fall, I’d love to connect to talk through the process and answer any questions you may have.

What are your thoughts on connecting to discuss Cubs season tickets in more detail?

I read the email and was going to trash it with no response. For some reason the emotions of Cubs baseball and their poor showing over the past four years washed over me. So, I responded. This was my unedited response to the Cubs ticket department.

Hi Evan,
Thank you for reaching out. The Cubs organization has been the love of my life (Cubs are now second to my wife – my apologies) since I was a young child hearing Harry Caray and Steve Stone on the broadcasts and family members quizzing me on the names of players like Scott Sanderson (RIP), Steve Trout, and Leon Durham.

In December 2017, I began a pursuit to collect one million Chicago Cubs baseball cards. As of this letter my current count is near 670,000 Cubs cards. And I’m still married. 

When I signed up for the season ticket list it was a bucket list item to be a Chicago Cubs season ticket holder despite living in Wisconsin among cheeseheads and only getting to a small handful of Cubs games each season. Sadly, Cubs season tickets are no longer among a bucket list item for me. 

There was so much excitement around the team when I signed up in 2015 or 2016. It was the pre-World Series hype. We Cubs fans were on cloud nine with what Theo and Jed and built. Mr. Ricketts was fan friendly anticipating delivering us the long-awaited World Series trophy.

And then something changed. More and more, the Cubs organization seemed to chase the almighty dollar catering to corporate sponsors. More and more the everyday Cubs fan was being pushed aside. Season ticket benefits were being taken away. Prices for the average family continued to rise and they were squeezed out. 

While I am enjoying the current Cubs winning streak, it’s too little too late. I understand the business of baseball, and my decision to pass on season tickets is not directly tied to the loss of our favorite stars: Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant. But it still hurts.

I will continue to collect my Cubs baseball cards with my goal to reach one million. I will celebrate the milestone at Wrigley Field. I will continue to attend a few Cubs games each season. And I will continue to love the Chicago Cubs with all my heart. But I will not spend my hard earned money on Cubs season tickets.  Cubs fans deserve better than how we’ve been treated since 2016.

P.S. Please pass a message to Mr. Ricketts: We want Sammy Sosa welcomed back to the Cubs family.

All my best,
Beau Thompson
One Million Cubs Project
http://www.Onemillioncubs.com 

I didn’t expect much of a response. Evan did reply, and it was about what I would expect. Mostly form letter with a couple sentences acknowledging my letter.

Hi Beau,

I’m happy to hear how passionate you are about our Chicago Cubs. To collect 1 million Chicago Cubs baseball cards is no easy feat and I’m very interested to hear about your journey to collect the last 330,000 Cubs cards.

In regards to the organization and team, I understand your frustration with the organization since our 2016 World Series season. However from 2015-2020 the Cubs frequently had one of the highest payrolls in baseball. We offered some very competitive contract extensions to our top guys, and while they might still be back we will also be active in free agency this offseason. The Ricketts family also spent hundreds of millions to renovate Wrigley Field for our fans, which was in bad shape when they purchased the team.

Mr. Ricketts took over the organization and achieved the goal many thought was years down the road of winning a World Series and the ultimate goal here is to get back to the World Series and win another. After all these years of waiting to become a season ticket holder with the Cubs, I would hate for you to miss out on this opportunity.

Please note if season ticket seats are available during your assigned seat selection appointment time and you decline to purchase, you will be removed from the Cubs Season Ticket Holder Waiting List. The current list size is 90,000+. While the opportunity might not be right for you at this moment in time, do you know of any friends, family, coworkers, etc. who might be interested in purchasing season tickets through your account?

Please let me know if this option is of interests to you.

Did my passionate cry for help fall on deaf ears? Apparently, so. I will continue to attend Cubs games, but I don’t want your season tickets, Mr. Ricketts.

Attending the National Sports Collectors Convention is not cheap. There can be travel costs involved plus parking at the Donald Stephens Convention Center is $15 per day. And then it will cost you $20 just to get inside. If you are within driving distance, I am going to tell you how to attend the National for free.

How To Attend The National For Free

First things first if you have to fly to The National there will be some extra costs involved. But, if you’re within driving distance it is pretty simple to spend the entire week at the National at no cost. You’re probably asking how this is all possible. Allow me to explain.

Buy The National Super VIP

The Super VIP pass is costly at $200. If you purchase this plan, it gives you a number of benefits. It also gets you swag, and this is the key for how you can attend the National for free.

What if you only want to attend one or two days? You might think the $35 for admission and parking for the day is a better option than forking over $200 for the Super VIP. It’s not, though.

Admission and Parking

Admission and parking for all five days would set you back $175. A parking pass is included with the Super VIP pass. The parking pass is not included with a regular VIP package. Of course, entry to the show is also included. In fact, with the VIP packages, you are allowed onto the show floor 30 minutes before the general public.

The VIP Lounge

Another perk to the VIP package is usage of the VIP Lounge. It opens on Wednesday ahead of the early entry sneak peak of the show. The lounge also hosts free autograph guests. This year’s autograph signers were Cecil Fielder, Wally Joyner, and Jan Stenerud.

Additionally, the lounge sponsor, Pristine Auctions, gave out mystery envelopes on a first come, first serve basis before the signers arrived. The gentleman next to me pulled a Mickey Mantle signed 8×10 authenticated by PSA/JSA. The lounge also provided pizza, sliders, and drinks. A bonus free meal.

Swag Bags

At this point you are still wondering how to attend the National for free. It’s all in the swag bag. When you check in for your VIP pass, you are given a bag of goodies.

These bags contain advertisements from sponsors, as well as special National exclusive items from corporate sponsors like Panini, Leaf, and this year the return of Wild Card.

The cards within these bags are highly sought after, and each year it will vary on the contents. With the Super VIP you receive free autograph tickets from all 18 VIP autograph signers. Additionally, with the Super VIP pass you receive two of each item within the swag bag, and this is the key on how to attend the National for free.

How To Attend The National For Free? Sell.

If you keep everything in your swag bag, you won’t be able to attend the National for free. How to attend the National for free? You have to sell the items in the swag bag and it should more than pay the $200 you spent on the Super VIP package.

My Results

Like with any new product on the market you have to move your items quickly. I was listing my VIP items the first two nights of the National. And everything nearly sold overnight.

I Profited From Attending the National

Not only did I get free entry into the National all five days, I parked for free all five days. On top of that, my net profit on sales from my freebies from the Super VIP package was between $50 and $75. And that’s how to attend The National for free.

Two years in the making and the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention lived up to all its hype and then some. The biggest card show was held at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois just across the interstate from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. These are my top five takeaways from the National.

Top Five Takeaways From the National
Hobby Energy is Contagious

Rumors of the hobby on the decline were greatly exaggerated. It seemed like every collector you bumped into commented this was their first National. Even better, the show lacked drama, theft, and other crimes. The 1991 National in Anaheim has always been the pinnacle of card shows, and that show was marred with theft. The 2021 National may very well have eclipsed the show thirty years ago as the greatest ever, and very few crimes were reported on the show floor. Trade nights were held into the early morning hours at the neighboring hotels and each day brought more excitement to collectors.

Crowded, Not Over Crowded

Many feared the convention center would be shoulder to shoulder without a space to actually peruse the vendor booths. While there was a huge turnout for the show, it was well spaced with plenty of room to browse. It seemed every square inch of the space was used and the National show planners did a fantastic job with the layout.

Slabs Everywhere

Finding raw cards was actually fairly difficult, unless you were digging through bargain boxes. It seemed everything under a showcase was slabbed.

PSA is still the king of graded cards, and their slabs were the most prevalent. SGC had a major presence among the vendor booths. I saw very few BVG, CSG, and HGA graded cards.

Something For Everyone

While slabs were a hot commodity, especially for the high end cards, the show had something for every price point.

One booth had nickel boxes with several monster boxes on their table. There were plenty of dime and quarter boxes and the very popular Singles Club dollar boxes.

Plenty of vintage was on hand with cards dating to the 1880’s. DJ Skee dropped $1.1 million on a Mike Trout 1/1.

Friendships Are The Best

People make the place, and The National was the place to be. My friend, John Newman, from Sports Card Nation podcast sums it up: “Hobby Is the People.”

It was also great to catch up with Rich Klein and Mike Sommer (WaxPack Hero) in the Singles Club booth.

Mike also had me on his podcast that he hosted from the COMC booth. It was a tough act to follow as I took the hot seat immediately after Dr. Jim Beckett.

All in all, the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention was a big hit. Moving forward it’s likely that this show will be the new benchmark for others to follow. Those are my top five takeaways from the National. What are yours?

Top Five Takeaways From The National Video