Autograph Recap - Yeager, Mota, and Johnstone at Warehouse Shoe Sale

Today was the grand opening of two Warehouse Shoe Sales in Los Angeles and to cap those stores off, they had their own separate autograph signings.  The WSS by Sunset and Western were scheduled to have Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey, and Jaime Jarrin.  I already have Jarrin and Valenzuela in my collection and wanted to try in acquiring Cey's, but with the constant demand for Fernando, I opted for the other store down Pico and Western.

 

 

This store scheduled for Steve Yeager, Manny Mota, and Jay Johnstone to sign.  I thought that it wouldn't hurt to get Yeager considering I needed him on the '81 World Series MVPs picture that I already had Guerrero sign in May.  My parents took me and my little sister to the signing and upon arriving were shocked to see how empty it was at that moment, or 8:20 to be exact.  Anyway, once the store opened, my parents bought us shoes so we can get in the VIP line.  We spent a little over $80 to not only ensure me an autograph, buy my parents as well.

 

 

 

Me and my parents were at the front of the VIP line followed by a small group of people behind us and the regular line across as seen in the picture.  There were only two things coming into play during this autograph experience: patience and the sun.  I had seen Steve hanging around while he was waiting for the remaining two signers to show up.  They all arrived at their tent about ten minutes after 11 and ,once settled in, invited us to start signing. 

 

 

 

 

I had Steve sign my '81 World Series MVPs 8x10 in black sharpie as a way for it to stand out in contrast to Pedro's signature.  I had Manny Mota sign an 8x10 I received in one of his previous signings and gave Jay his card.  Meanwhile, I had my parents have the three sign two completely different baseballs.  One of it had only the three while the other included some signatures from my past signings.  I pretty much thank my parents for taking the time to take me and myself as I had to convince my consciousness to go with what was simpler.  This signing was a peaceful one in spite of the weird weather conditions that plagued upon me.  I just can't wait for another Cey event.



Vin Scully 2012 Bobblehead Acquisition

 

Last week, I once again ventured to the Vineland Swap Meet in hopes in finding something to add to my baseball collection.  There were pretty no signs of anything baseball related that interested me until I saw a vendor with a Vin Scully bobblehead.  I asked the vendor how much it costed and he responded $15.  There was no box in sight, but this was a whole lot better than the prices I see on Ebay and Craigslist.  I paid him and with that my search for a Scully bobblehead was over.... for now.  There is still the one from 2013 and,if I'm that crazy, the limited edition for season ticket holders that is in need of purchasing.

Congratulations to Dee Gordon on His All Star Selection

 

Of the four Dodgers that made the All Star team, Dee Gordon is the one that really deserves a round of applause.  He spent a large part of last year honing his skills in order to win back the hearts of both management and fans alike.  A lot of fans, especially myself, started to doubt if he ever was truly ready to be an impact player in the majors.  Now I can say that I was wrong in doubting his style of play.  Dee has finally moved on from being the rookie that everyone had high hopes into the All Star we all wished he would transform into.  I just hope he can repeat those numbers in the second half of the season so the Dodgers can have a comfortable run in reaching the playoffs.

Dodgers Pregame Autograph Signings (06/29/14)

Prior to the Dodgers' final game of the Cardinals series, I had taken the opportunity of the autograph signings to grow my collection.  I made my way to Viva Los Dodgers first.  I had prior knowledge that Lee Lacy was signing autographs next to the stage.  What I didn't know was that Fernando was also going to sign.  For me, this was a bit of last minute news to me.  My only guess for why he appeared was because of the anniversary of his no hitter against the Cardinals in 1990.  I was already in the back of the line for Fernando, but opted to just get Lacy considering I already have Fernando's autograph.

Lee Lacy was just on time to the signing, but we had to wait until Fernado showed up in order to start.  Fernando arrived about 20 minutes later and exchanged greetings with Lacy.  I was second in line for Lacy, as there were only two other kids in the line.  I had Lee sign my baseball on the side right next to Al Ferrara's signature. 

Afterwards, I strolled around the Viva Los Dodgers event.  Nothing really caught my attention except for two things.  I remembered the Dodgers website mentioning the mystery autograph baseball in a bag being sold for $40 of donation.  As much as I wanted to risk getting one, I just didn't have enough cash to get one.  I also saw Tony the Tiger hanging out, so I took a picture with the big cat.

I then made my way inside Dodger Stadium for Lou Johnson and Tommy Davis.  Lou Johnson's line was short, but was moving at a moderate rate.  He was conversating with fans and taking pictures, which I didn't mind.  Lou was an extremely funny guy and I would rate him along Maury Wills as signers that know how to make signings a great experience.

I walked over to right field for Tommy Davis and was surprised to see that he had no line.  There was only one guy getting an autograph from him at the time I arrived.  The reason I am saying this is because Tommy Davis is a true Dodger legend.  He might not have Hall of Fame numbers, but did enough to help the Dodgers win two titles.  He was a two time batting champion and at one time had more than 150 RBIs.  Tommy Davis signed my photo and took the time like Lou to take a picture of me, capping off my day of signing.

My Shelves are Filled with Bobbleheads

I really haven't been blogging in a month.  A lot of factors come to mind as to why I have yet to do so.  This month has had me paying more attention to the aftermath of my graduation and the Fifa World Cup.  Don't get me wrong, I am still an avid baseball fan and I have watched the two no hitters that Beckett and Kershaw threw.  I just have'nt had enough time or a good story to blog about recently.  The only thing that I've done baseball related is increasing the amount of my bobblehead collection where it is now to the point that my shelves, as pictured, can't hold anymore. This post is pretty much where I'll be discussing briefly the new acquisitions from Magic Johnson to Brian Jordan.

Magic Johnson and Don Sutton were acquired in a single sale at Frank and Son.  I already mentioned Puig's bobblehead in the previous post from late last month. A day after buying Puig's bobblehead, I returned to Frank and Son to buy Hyun Jin Ryu as a way to keep up with this year's bobblehead giveaways.  Weeks after, I bought Eric Gagne, Fred McGriff, and Brad Penny at the Citrus College Swap Meet. I should note that I bought those three at different vendors, but for under $10 each.

Last Saturday, I bought Brian Jordan, but it came with a journey.  My family and I were in South Gate for our usual visit with our grandparents.  I found out on Craigslist that a garage sale with a 30 minute walking distance had bobbleheads.  I went walking to the place as I didn't mind going on foot while my family was watching the Fifa.  The only problem was that I noticed that there were about 20 blocks ahead for me to go through.  Thankfully, they were the small residential blocks that were bearable.  When I got to the garage sale, I immediately noticed Brian Jordan.  I asked the seller how much it was and he responded $5.  I was surprised that Jordan was at a low price, but he did not come with the box.  I noticed other bobbleheads, but they were far too expensive compared to Jordan.  Therefore, I only bought Jordan and I went off returning to my grandparents' house.  That's pretty much it as to the update of my bobblehead collection.  Not sure if I'll be as consistent from here on out, but I will make sure to give updates.

Yasiel Puig Bobblehead - Best Bargain Ever!

 

I am happy to say on this glorious Friday that I'm no longer searching the market for a Puig bobblehead.  I went with the family to the Vineland Swap Meet in search of any baseball items that I can add to the collection.  Throughout the swap meet, I couldn't find any baseball items that interested me as the Citrus Swap Meet did in previous visits.  I did discover some sports related biographies, but passed on the opportunity in order to search for something greater.  As we were getting closer to getting passed through the north side of the swap meet, I caught a glimpse of two gentlemen that had two Puig bobbleheads on their table.  I immediately asked the man how much they were worth.  He replied that they were on sale for $20.  I completely got excited after he informed me of the price.  Other sellers across the internet and Frank and Son were asking for an average price of $45, so for him to sell them at $20 was an extremely generous offer.  He did inform me that he was aware of the $45 average sale price and wanted to sell for at least $30, but he immediately went to $20.  After I bought the one Puig bobblehead from him, we shook hands and he told me that he might just keep the other one for himself.

Here is how the bobbleead ended up looking after I opened it.  Yasiel Puig looks awesome just as he is advertised.  The only one very minor complaint I have is that there is an extra blue stain hovering above the Dodgers logo.  Overall, I am extremely happy that I got the one sought bobblehead for a bargain and this comes one day after my graduation ceremony.

Pedro Guerrero Autgraph Signing at Harry's Dugout (05/03/14)

Today Pedro Guerrero was scheduled to sign autographs at Harry's Dugout.  I needed to start my second project, which is getting the 1981 World Series Co - MVPs on this 8x10.  I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get Cey and Yeager in the future for free at some event, like the Mall Tours, but Pedro is rarely around the area for such a thing.  Therefore,  I needed to pay for this one in order to get a guarantee signature for him.  I arrived at Harry's Dugout at 9:30 and quickly paid for my ticket.  The line was not long as it only stretched to the last bit of shade from the side of the building when I got there.

 

 

 

Like I said, the line was not long and I was in the store at about 10:20. 

 

 





Pedro Guerrero was taking pictures.  Not sure though if he was taking a selfie or of the fans in attendance.  I hated how my finger was still able to get in the shot.

 

Pedro signed my 8x10 and we posed for a picture.  So after 20 posts, you now know what I look like.

 

 

 

I would love to thank Harry's Dugout for setting up a great event and Pedro for coming on out.  Now I just have to wait patiently as a free Cey and Yeager signing comes in the future.