Museum Musings:The One Thing The Postal System Did Right

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

A post office a few towns away, the biggest one in my area, used to carry fun photo frames. The frames came with a photo of a featured player and at the bottom an envelope that was team designed.  The envelope also had a stamp. It's a post office you know!

I think they look pretty cool and were given to me as gifts for a few years.

I have four overall with two from the Yankees and two from the Giants.

Derek Jeter:

A-Roid. I mean A-Rod.

Gmen! Team photo.

And one that's my favorite of the group. Sorry, but I can't let go of Super Bowl 42. It was just amazing.

 

These used to hang on the walls of my man cave before I ended up condensing the man cave some after it got moved. Now they are tucked away safely in a tote til another day when I find room to put them back out again.

How many of you have seen these or own any? Let me know!

Museum Musings:Gambling At Foxwoods

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

There were some pieces however, I plan on keeping forever. These pieces I will showcase on here.

Back when I used to work in the meat department at our local grocery store (it was a job I held for seven years; two days after graduating from high school) I was the manager of the department and was asked to go to the food show that was being held at Foxwoods. The plan was to head down to Foxwoods the night before and gamble then wake up to go to the food show the next day to pick out new items representatives were there to showcase.

It was my very first time going to a casino. I had no idea what to expect but all I knew was that I was taking any money to waste that's for sure. I figured I would go and watch others.

Upon getting to my room in the hotel, we all were handed an envelope from the store owner containing $100 for us to spend. Now, being who I am, I wasn't going to gamble $100 away and watch it go to waste. Just wasn't me. So instead, I used the money wisely on items I could physically touch even though that wasn't the intention for it from the big boss.

Anyways, I did a little bit of gambling, and I mean little. The rest was spent on food and the following items in their gift shop. I went in hoping on a gamble hoping for sport cards and came out with other items instead. And let me tell you, these items were not cheap as they ate up the rest of my money.

Normally I wouldn't have overpaid for such items, but I wanted something to bring back and what the hey, the money was free.

I looked around and saw a couple of Yankee items I decided to snag.

First was this bear bank. I am not sure why, but it looked what my wife would call "cute".

And then this sick Gehrig shirt with number. I have worn this every year since. I guess that means I have stayed in the same shape since 2007. Can't complain about that!

 

It was a fun night and an experience I will always remember especially with these items I have to keep the memory by. Unlike my co-workers who went home empty handed.

So what do you think of my items? Ever been to Foxwoods? What would you had done with the $100?

Museum Musings:1994 Starting Lineups

Back in March, I held a contest taking suggestions on what kind of stuff you guys would like to read more about on the blog. Many of the suggestions were toys to non sports to non card items. Well, to please the crowd I will do my best to post those kind of items in this new segment.

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

There are some pieces however, I plan on keeping forever. These pieces I will showcase on here.

About 13 years ago, I took all of my Starting Lineup/McFarlane figures over to the closest card shop I had at the time-it was only an hour away but closed a year later after my visit-and traded them off to the shop owner who was selling figures better than cards. I was just happy to lose bulk in my house and I added some pretty sweet cards including a Joe Montana rookie!

A few years after that, my father handed me his two Starting Lineups he had displayed on the wall for years. Normally, I wouldn't be happy about adding more bulk, but, being that these were NY Giant legends, I was okay accepting them.

Up first was this LT. This guy was a game changer. Not something the Giants have had in a linebacker in years and years.

The other was Phil Simms. Can't go wrong with a winning Giants QB.

 

I am actually seeking out the Rodney Hampton Starting Lineups for my PC. That's only because I want it to be a Super PC and feel in order to do that I need it to be jacked up in all ways. I used to think I super collected Ken Griffey Jr and had all of his figures at one point, but I ditched them all in that trade to the shop owner. There was no way I was ever going to get all of his cards. Hampton I have a chance at!

How many of you still collect Starting Lineups or use them as apart of your Super PC collection?

Museum Musings:Pieces Of NASCAR

Back in March, I held a contest taking suggestions on what kind of stuff you guys would like to read more about on the blog. Many of the suggestions were toys to non sports to non card items. Well, to please the crowd I will do my best to post those kind of items in this new segment.

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

There are some pieces however, I plan on keeping forever. These pieces I will showcase on here.

Today's pieces came back from when I had a love of NASCAR. Back in late, late 90's, I dated a girl whose father was a major fan of NASCAR. Somehow or another, I became a fan fast and never missed a race for a few years and up until 2005ish. Then I lost interest.

During that time I was fortunate enough to attend a couple races during those years and a time trial or two. I also went to a race show in Massachusetts once as well.

Here are a few photos from the races I attended,

During my love of racing, I turned into a huge Tony Stewart fan. I chased down every car he owned and even chased a few cards of his as well. It was during my dark hobby time-I will touch on this at another time-so I didn't do a lot of cards then. I did manage to snag a couple Tony rookies.

In that time, a company product magazine called LTD, produced a few really cool pieces that I had to add.

First one is of Tony, of course, it has a piece of the Brickyard from the Brickyard 400 and the paint scheme that Tony used to win that race.  (sorry for the dust)

Back side of the piece

The other one I simply picked up because it was Dale. I was into racing at the time that Dale passed and watched the race he crashed in. I had no idea he had hit the wall hard enough to do what happened but he did. I thought this cool piece from Daytona was a nice collectible.

For the most part I sold/traded off my Tony Stewart 1:64 cars including a sick see-through Jurassic Park 3 1:24 I had. But, I held onto three of them. One I didn't show but it was cool as it's inside of a coke bottle. I will show that off another time. However, I am showcasing the two "rookie cars" I held onto.

 

These pieces I don't plan on trading away or losing. Just a piece of memory history for me. 

How many of you have ever seen these especially the track swatches? I know Billy may comment on this and maybe has seen these. Also, how many of you are into NASCAR just out of curiosity?

Museum Musings:My Bingo Buddy

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

There were some pieces however, I plan on keeping forever. These pieces I will showcase on here.

Back in the late 90's, I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's house on the weekends. Part of the excitement other than playing those games I created and showcased on here awhile back or beating my grandmother in Monopoly, was Saturday night Bingo!

My grandmother lived in a senior living center and the office building held Saturday Night Bingo games. Every Saturday, my grandmother would pull together enough money for both of us to go over and join in on the fun. We would meet up with my great aunt-who was great outside of the Bingo center-while she was there however, don't mess with her.

She would buy 20 cards-yes, they used cards and magnetic chips then-and would do all she could to win. Unlike my grandmother and I who played for fun and could barely scrap together enough change for us to be able to play three cards each.

Other than bringing money to play and snacks for intermission, we also brought a good luck charm....

 

Yes. A troll. Other than Beanie Babies, these things were pure heat in the 90's. Everyone had to have one and there were hundreds to choose from. I don't remember if this one ever had clothes or not or was even a special edition, but the theory for bingo was if you rubbed it's hair before a game, good luck would come your way.

And it did. Many times for my grandmother or I. My great aunt and her money suited troll, well, not so many and the rest of us knew it. She would sometimes throw her cards, throw her magnetic device that picked up the chips from the cards and her troll. Even if I won haha. Sometimes less is more the way me and my grandmother looked at it. 

So this "museum piece" is more for the memories than anything else. It also revives my memories of returning back to her apartment after bingo and watching SNICK usually with a sugary snack. Nothing was better than the time she put strawberry pie filling in a graham cracker crust. Oh my!

How many of you remember trolls from the 90's and owned or still own one?

Museum Musings:3D Crystal Pieces

Back in March, I held a contest taking suggestions on what kind of stuff you guys would like to read more about on the blog. Many of the suggestions were toys to non sports to non card items. Well, to please the crowd I will do my best to post those kind of items in this new segment.

Over the years, I have accumulated so much junk. A good portion of it including most of my Starting Lineups and any figures were traded off. I also had a bunch of autographed items I was just looking to downsize with and traded half of those off as well. I still have some to go in that area.

Most of the items I acquired over the years were from purchases in online catalogs, local outlets, department stores, gifts from family, and from a few contests I won. I originally really wanted these items, but as time has gone on and I have gotten older and what feels as my house getting smaller, I decided it was time just to collect cards now. No more adding those markdown McFarlane figures just for the fun of it.

There are some pieces however, I plan on keeping forever. These pieces I will showcase on here.

Today's pieces were a hit about 16 or 17 years ago and still are around to buy today. They are crystal with laser engraving in the middle giving it a 3D appeal. These also came with a stand that lights up under them and gives them a beautiful glow. Sadly I couldn't find the stands they came on right now so I had to post them without. Unlike the thick durable crystal, the stands were made pretty cheaply and I believe one is actually broken.

I ended up buying three of these from a catalog when they came out. My first one is Tony Stewart. I haven't touched much on this here yet, but I was a huge NASCAR nut for a few years in the late 90's early 2000's and Tony Stewart was the man I collected and watched. I will touch more base on my once NASCAR love and more items in a later post.

The coolest one I think out of my three pieces is this baseball one. Just a player swinging at a ball but in hand it is really beautiful when you turn it around especially under the colorful lights.

And my last one was this piece from 9/11 in remembrance.

 

I currently have these displayed in a glass case on my wall. They don't take up a lot of space and fit nicely in the small case.

How many of you owned any of these or have at least seen them?

(also a shout out to @Jake1725 for helping me create a name for this series)