One Successful Bobblehead Haul (09/07/14)

 

College has really started to take its toll on me.  I have been trying to find some time to blog about the bobblehead haul that occured a day after the Pederson signing, but I was too preoccupied to write about it.  Thankfully, I now have time to mention my recent bobblehead acquisitions.  Without further ado, it's time to talk about the bobblheads I got from the image above.

A day after the Pederson signing, I had gone with the family to the Bassett High School Swap Meet to look around what treasures might come across me. There really wasn't much right when we got there, until we walked down around a corner and I just happen to spot a guy with a ton of Dodgers bobbleheads.  I asked him how much they were individually and he revealed that he was putting them all up for sale for $10 each just for than one particular day.  I had a little more than enough money on me, so I definitely knew I was going to buy them.  I didn't buy them immediately as I wanted to walk around and see if there were more vendors with bobbleheads.  There wasn't as I walked all around the swap meet for about thirty minutes before returning to buy six bobbleheads.  The seller had a ton of bobbleheads that I already had, which left me to narrow down which ones I didn't have.  The six bobbleheads that I ended up buying were Rick Monday, Lasorda and Alston, Greinke, Curtain Call Manny, 2013 Hideo Nomo, and James Loney. 

I was really contempt with the new additions.  Most of these were definitely going for at least $15 - $20.  I had not only saved myself a significant amount of money, but also increased my collection where it is now near the half way mark.

Joc Pederson Autograph Signing at Frank and Son (09/06/14)

Today, Frank and Son had an autograph signing that I needed to attend.  Joc Pederson was scheduled to sign from 10-11 in the morning.  With all the accomplishments he did in Triple A, I just had to take the chance in buying his autograph while it was still cheap.  I've heard stories of how Puig's autograph costed $40 months before he got called up and tore through the majors.  I even remembered through other blogs how his autograph costed more than $100 at Frank and Son. 

Since Joc Pederson's autograph is important to acquire, I also decided to get my item PSA/DNA for the first time.  The event was packed with Dodger fans, but the wait was surprisingly manageable.  Joc arrived on time for the signing and the VIP line pretty much went by fast.  The regular line then smoothed progressively as I wasn't far behind.  I handed Joc my 8x10 and he went ahead and signed it in silver. 

Overall, the signing was one of the best I attended.  I didn't feel any fatigue whatsoever throughout the wait.  More importantly, I left the event happy knowing I knocked down a hyped prospect right off the list.  A big thanks to OC Dugout and Honaback and Sons for organizing this event.

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.