Collectible of the Week: 2012 Lehigh Valley SGA Preview

John Mayberry, Jr.  Bobble Head June 26th (via Iron Pigs)

With a nod to the New Year, I thought we should start looking forward to the new collectibles we will be acquiring during 2012.  Just as card shows, flea markets/yard sales and eBay are excellent ways to add Phillies memorabilia from our past to your collection, attending SGA games are the best way to pick up a few "new" ones.  This week, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA affiliate) announced their preliminary promotional schedule for the 2012 baseball season.  The announcement is the first from any of the Phillies minor league teams.  Thanks to Matthew Froehlich (follow him on Twitter: @DaRock12283) for the heads up!

A few of the highlights of the schedule are:

Bobble Heads
FeRROUS (bobble belly) - April 11th
FeFe - April 12th
Rich Thompson - April 23rd
Vance Worley - May 1st
Jamie Moyer (HS uniform) - May 23rd
John Mayberry, Jr. - June 26th

Bronze Statues
Ryne Sandberg - April 26th
Harry Kalas - May 3rd

Best of the Rest
Winter Cap - April 24th
Vance Worley replica glasses - May 17th (this guy is a phenomenon)
Team Photo and Autograph Session - May 23rd
Iron Pigs bank - July 22nd

Winter Cap (via Iron Pigs)

Check out the press release that contains a full schedule of promotional events on the team site: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs

Keep up with all things related to Phillies memorabilia by following me on Twitter: @philscollector

Phillies TTM: Week of 1/3/12

Considering I have not sent any items out since early December, I didn't expect to make a TTM post for another couple weeks.  But, the first mail day of 2012 brought a huge surprise to me.  After 20 months on the road, my 5"x7" Phillies player post card of Dave Hollins returned home.  Sent in April 2010, this is by far my longest wait ever for a TTM request.  The 1993 Phillies remain my all-time favorite team, and Hollins was one of the guys I loved to watch play.  I am really glad to get this card back.

Dave Hollins Player Post Card

Also returned this week was my 1960 Sports Illustrated that I had sent to Art Mahaffey in November.  Evidently Mr. Mahaffey is no longer accepting mail at his P.O. Box.  The post office provided a forwarding address, but there were several stamps on the envelope that indicated there was not enough postage to get it to him.  Not sure if I missed a postal increase, or what happened....but, I have always used four stamps to send 8x10's and magazines, and never had an issue before.  No sweat though...I will figure it out and try that new address in a week or two.

Return to Sender

Hidden Gems: Steiner Sports 25th Anniversary Deals

For the past ten days Steiner Sports has celebrating their 25th Anniversary by providing customers with discounted autographs.  Today is the last day for the discounts, and so time is short to take advantage of the three OMLB (from a select group) for $99 deal they have been offering over the past week or so.

There are several balls signed by former Phillies (Gary Matthews, Lenny Dykstra, Ron Reed, etc), as well as a few signed by HOFers (Tom Lasorda, Monte Irvin, Ralph Kiner).  Also among the selection are a number of notable names from seasons gone by like Dwight Gooden, Moose Skowron and current players such as Orlando Hudson, Austin Jackson and Jhony Peralta.

A few of the Phillies-themed highlights are (pics from the Steiner site):

Lenny Dykstra "Nails" ball

Charles Hudson "Once a Phillie, Always a Phillie"

To take advantage of the offer, visit Steiner Sports online store.

Phillies TTM: 2011 Year in Review

This year I cut back on the number of requests sent out, and instead focused on filling out a few specific projects.  Over the previous two years I sent to a lot of requests to non-Phillies Hall of Famers and other notable players from the the 1950's/1960's.  I also had sent out many requests to current Phillies, which proved to be a losing battle.  The truth is, the Phillies are one of the hardest current teams to TTM.  Requests to "stars" are returned with pre-printed postcards, or ignored.  It was nice to get back to sending requests I knew would be returned.  I stuck to the plan and sent to reliable players.  This helped me achieve a 97% success rate, and complete (or almost complete) several nice projects.  

It was also nice to shake the "grim-reaper" status 2010 had pinned on me.  Last year, seven guys I had success with died within days/weeks of my item being returned.  One, Cal McLish, died before he could fulfill the request.  I received a note from a family member who notified me of his death and returned by card.  And I may very well have received one of the last signatures given by both Robin Roberts and Tom Underwood as both died within a week of my successes.  I am happy to report there were 0 deaths this year!

All in all, 2011 was a successful TTM year.  Here is the best (and worst) of my 2011 Phillies TTM experience:

Requests Out - 67

Successes - 65

Success Rate - 97%

Much improved success rate from 2009 and 2010.  I primarily relied on sportscollectors.net for good addresses, and steered away from current Phillies - who killed my average the past two years.

Hall of Famer Successes - 

Jim Bunning, Pat Gillick, Doug Harvey and Ernie Banks

Pat Gillick and Doug Harvey

Jim Bunning Number Retirement Insert

Fastest turnaround - 5 days

5 tied (Stan Lopata, Bobby  Shantz, Bobby Malkmus, Curt Simmons and Larry Bowa)

Longest turnaround - 

Sent in 2010, received back in 2011: 

• Ernie Banks (392 days)
• Johnny Briggs (284 days)
• Jack Baldshun (278 days)

John Briggs and Jack Baldschun

Ernie Banks

Sent in 2011, received back in 2011: 

• Gene Garber (93 days)
• Bob Boone (71 days)

Main Projects - 

I was really focused on the older guys this past year.  As mentioned earlier, I had been bitten by losing so many things to the current/recent Phillies that I all but shut them out in 2011.  The guys who played pre-1990 seem to be a lot more reliable and I like seeing my stuff come back!

1950 Whiz Kids Team Photo

• One of my favorite pieces, I bought this on eBay for $30 (with Ashburn, Hamner, Ennis, McDonnell, Seminick) with JSA authenticity.
• Successes through TTM were - Curt Simmons, Stan Lopata, Putsy Caballero, Bob Miller and Jack Mayo

1950 Whiz Kids Team Photo

1964 Phillies Team Photo

• I talk about this one at length in the Current Projects section of the site, but I really love this picture, too.  I have had a lot of success through the mail with the '64 team and even got to meet a few more of the guys in person this year.
• Successes through TTM were - Gus Triandos, John Herrnstein, Art Mahaffey, Ray Culp, Danny Cater, Bob Oldis and Dennis Bennett.  I also got Roy Sievers, but he signed the back of the picture for some reason...I plan on getting it back out to him soon!

1964 Phillies Team Ball

• Getting this ball in the mail was a real pleasure - and even solicited a couple personal responses from the players.  I have been able to collect 16 signatures from members of the '64 team this year.  If you don't already have any team items from this group, I highly recommend that you do it in 2012!
• Successes through TTM were - Jim Bunning, Frank Thomas, Dennis Bennett, Bobby Shantz, Ed Roebuck, Clay Dalrymple, John Herrnstein and Art Mahaffey.

1964 Phillies Team Ball

1960 Sports Illustrated Cover

• Again, I provided a lot of detail about this item in the Current Projects section of the site so I'll keep this nice and short.  Kept with the themed of signed SI's I had already established and allowed me to write to a few guys I hadn't previously gotten to...
• Successes through TTM were - Alvin Dark, Bobby Gene Smith, Bobby Malkmus, Ted Lepcio, Bobby Del Greco, Joe Morgan, Tony Gonzalez.

Biggest Disappointment - 

Losing a signed 1960 Phillies team ball to Ruben Amaro, Sr.  He has a great return record (I have had previous successes with him), and I even sent $5, but still never got it back.  Not sure what happened, but it reminds you to always consider the possibility that what you send is not coming back.  Overall, not a big deal - I had 6-7 signatures (including Robin Roberts)...but more sweat equity built into the ball.

Favorite Success - 

Stan Lopata signed 1950 Inquirer insert.  I have been collecting the team inserts for the past three years.  Since then I have acquired 17 signed by the players.  Unfortunately, many of the Whiz Kids had died by the time I started collecting them, and as a result most in the collection were purchased at shows.  The collection of 17 pictures is definitely one of my favorite items - and being able to get one of the Whiz Kids to personally sign it for me is a highlight.  If you are unfamiliar with this set check out my earlier post on them.

Stan Lopata 1950 Inquirer Set

Favorite non-Phillies Success - 

I am also a big Eagles fan, and from time-to-time will send requests to former players of that team.  Growing up watching the team in the late '80s, early '90s there was no bigger Eagle than Randall Cunningham.  I picked up this Sports Illustrated on eBay, and mailed it out with $20 to Mr. Cunningham.  It took about a month, but eventually came back signed.  Awesome!

Randall Cunningham on 1989 SI

Auction Watch: Reviewing my Watch List (12/20/11)

Occasionally I share items from my eBay watch list on Twitter.  I like to think some people check them out and maybe a couple followers have actually placed a winning bid for one of them (though, I have no evidence of this actually occurring).  At the least, my tweets (attempt to) highlight unusual/interesting Phillies memorabilia and generally start some conversation.

I will usually add items to my personal Watch List if I either, want to bid on them or want to follow them through to completion and find out what they might be worth.  A lot of times on eBay I come across something I already own. I will watch that auction to see the final bid amount, and add a "comparable" to better assess the value of my own item.  Getting an idea of what it is worth is also important for assessing the prices on memorabilia I see at shows or in future auctions.

Thought I would choose a few of the things I tweeted out for anyone who is interested in the "end-game".  Below are recaps of completed "Watch List" items from last week (12/19/11-12/24/11).

1983 Perez-Steele, Phillies Nostalgia Night Postcard Set (SGA) -
Auction end date: 12/20/2011
Number of bids: 1
Final bid amount: $69.99

Description of the auction lot:  28 postcards (and an accompanying binder) were distributed as SGAs over 14 different games during the 1983 season.  There are two series of 13 cards each.  The first series depicts groups of players from Phillies history, and the second series feature solo player drawings.  The cover card and check list (shown below) rounded out the set.

Comments: I am a big fan of Dick Perez's work, and really like this set.  Since it required someone to attend 14 different games (Friday, home games), I believe it is fairly rare to find a full set intact (with binder).  With that said, I feel like $70 is a little high...but value is based on what someone is willing to pay, so maybe it is!  I am taking note of the final bid amount, but would hope to get it much cheaper elsewhere.

1983 Phillies Nostalgia Postcards

1970 Phillies Yearbook - 

Auction end date: 12/20/2011

Number of bids: 3

Final bid amount: $12.18

Description of auction lot: Billed as being in "good " condition, the Yearbook was the final to be published at Connie Mack Stadium.  Of course, 1970 was supposed to be the first season of baseball at Veteran's Stadium, but because of construction delays, fans were left to only peek through the fence at the concrete bowl.  The cover literally shows this situation.

Comments: I'm all about the history of things, and I love the thought of the Phillies transitioning from the aging Connie Mack Stadium to ultra-hip, Veterans Stadium.  The story behind the construction delay and the resulting problems it caused the Phillies is great.  This item declaring "It's a New Ballgame" is one of those said problems.  I was again on the outside looking in on this one...but, I think $12 is a decent price for the program.

1970 Phillies Yearbook

Hidden Gems: Roy Halladay NLDS No-Hitter Program

On October 6, 2010 Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in his first career post-season start.  That night the Phillies sold programs long after the final pitch had been thrown to fans eager to take home a souvenir of the occasion, and those enterprising ones who knew they could make a few bucks.  The program cover featured a familiar scene: the Phillies' NL East clinching on-field celebration.  Stories had it that the team exhausted their inventory, pulling boxes from every closet in the Park.  They had to make an emergency re-order for the next night's game.  By the next morning, copies of the program were on eBay for $30-50.

The Phillies created a second edition cover for Game 2 of the Series.  The new program featured Halladay celebrating with catcher, Carlos Ruiz.  I had tickets for the second game and was stunned to see the new cover at the newsstand.  Having the two covers in circulation now definitively separated Game 1 (with the no-hitter) from Game 2.  And with inventory supposedly "exhausted", the first program became a rare, must-have for Phillies collectors...and prices online went through the roof ($75-100).

With little (to no) fanfare, the Phillies recently made a "2010 NLDS Program Pack" available for sale on their website.  The package includes both editions of the program (and a rally towel from the series) for $24.99.  While the Phillies deserve credit for making this desirable edition available to the public, as a collector I prefer to keep items like this "rare"- the prices will now be diluted on the secondary market and it becomes (in my mind) a lot more common. Also, there is no evidence of the program actually being in existence for the event.  Part of the fun of collecting programs is the thought that it was there when things happened, which is why I prefer scored over non-scored.  With that said, I still think this is a fair price, especially if you are a "program collector" and need the no-hitter version.

2010 NLDS Program: Second Edition (Game 2)

Phillies TTM: The Week of 12/19/11

Another light week in the mail.  I have not sent any items out for the past two weeks, and do not plan to until 2012.  I am really anxious to get a few things back out there though...too many recent days with no "good" mail!

1977 Phillies Team Ball -
I received the ball back from former Phillies first baseman, Richie Hebner this week.  Hebner was the regular first sacker for both the 1977 and 1978 NL East Championship runs.  I noticed that he has great success during the off-season, and thought it was a good time to strike.  The ball was out and back in 10 days total!  Plan on getting it out to P Larry Christenson next...

Richie Hebner - '77 Team Ball

Still out in the mail is the 1960 Sports Illustrated with Art Mahaffey.  Next week I'll do a year-end review of my TTM activity.

Follow my progress on Twitter: @philscollector

Don't forget to join the conversation: #philliesink

Auction Watch: Coach's Corner Sports Auction

While browsing the 'net this week I stumbled onto Coach's Corner Sports Auction (www.myccsa.com).  Located in  Souderton, PA, the company has been in the consignment business for 25 years and organize an online auction every four weeks.  I am a self-confessed eBay junkie, and rarely extend my online purchasing beyond it, Craigslist or an occasional lot through Hunt Auctions.  I have never purchased through CCSA, but after looking through some of the current auction lots on the site and the "Realized Prices" from their 12/2/11 auction I may give it a try.  Here are some of the items in the December 30th auction I have my eye on:

Lot #248 - Ryan Howard single-signed OMLB:



I don't have a Howard single-signed, for the right price I would jump at it.  Graded a 7 - fully certified by PSA/DNA.  Here is the link to view/bid:  Howard single-signed

Lot #1822 - (12) Vintage Philadelphia Phillies autographed 8x10's:

The lot includes pictures of some of my favorite 1960's Phillies - "The Original" Frank Thomas and Tony Taylor.  Because they come from the Philadelphia A's Historical Society I feel pretty good about their authenticity.  Here is the link to view/bid: Vintage 8x10's

Pro:

• A great selection of Phillies-themed memorabilia.
• Based on previous auction realized prices, the auction seems small enough for great items to sell for a smaller amount than it may through a bigger auction house.

Cons:

• Many signed items lack a certification through more widely recognized authenticators like JSA, PSA/DNA, GAI, etc.  Several of the lots have no certification - and to me that is a problem.

Here is the link to the Phillies items in the December 30th auction.  Good luck!

For daily updates on Phillies memorabilia and collectibles, follow me on Twitter: @philscollector

Collectible of the Week: Top 5 Jimmy Rollins Figurines

Last weekend I reflected on some of the times I met Jimmy Rollins and shared a few autographs I acquired during those meetings.  As promised in that post, I am continuing the J-Roll lovefest by dedicating this week's Collectible of the Week to our favorite shortstop.

Over the years the Phillies have leveraged Jimmy's popularity to offer a load of SGA's ranging from t-shirts to prints, backpacks and bobble heads.  It must be acknowledged that the team often finds great ways to reward customers (i.e. - us fans) with unique memorabilia (sometimes with variation).  They have been especially generous with their promotions featuring J-Roll.  Below are what I would consider the top 5 Jimmy Rollins figurines (statue/bobble head) currently available in the market:

5.  Jimmy Rollins SGA Figurine

Year produced: 2005

Comments:  

SGA at Citizens Bank Park June 21, 2005.  I really struggled with this one.  Probably my least favorite item on the list, I never really thought the likeness was very good on this figurine.  It can be considered as part of a bigger set (Jim Thome and Bobby Abreu were also featured that season) which is a plus.  A variant, with JRoll in a white, home uniform was also produced.

 

4.  Jimmy Rollins/Ryan Howard Dual "MVP" Bobble Head

Year produced: 2008

Quantity produced: Unknown

Availability: This bobble was only available to leaders of group ticket parties.  With the limited original distribution, your only real avenue for getting one at this point is in the online secondary market.

Comments:  If one bobble is good, two is twice as nice!  The Phillies have handed out a couple dual-bobble heads over the years (Harry and Whitey, Phil and Phyllis), and in my opinion they never get old.  A unique way to honor a unique situation of having back-to-back MVP's on the same team.  I don't think this one is particularly rare, but from looking at prices online it has maintained a fairly high resale value.  I won't put a price on it - but, if you see one at a yard sale for under $25...pick it up!!!

3.  

Jimmy Rollins Scranton-Wilkes Barre Bronze Figurine

Year produced: 2006

Quantity produced: Unknown

Availability: Originally a SGA at Lackawanna County Stadium on April 17, 2006.  You find these every once in a while on eBay.

Comments: This set contained a lot of great Phillies from the past decade (Utley, Howard, Burrell, Rolen among others).  Produced for the now defunct AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons these statues are pretty solid and really display nicely.  Some in the set are more rare than others (Shane Victorino for example), but the player poses and unique bronze, rough edged texture of the figure make them a must have for your personal collection.

2.

 Jimmy Rollins Blood Drive Bobble Head - Gray Jersey variation

Year produced: 2008

Quantity produced: 2,500

Availability: While version #1 with Jimmy in the white, home jersey was available to all paying customers on June 4, 2008, version #2 featuring the gray, away jersey was only available to fans who donated blood later in the season (August).

Comments: Personally, the "best looking" figurine in the list.  The evaluation can be kept short and sweet: The smooth left-handed bat drop, the mirrored shades - what's not to like?!

1.  

Jimmy Rollins SGA Bobble Head - Red Jersey Variation

Year produced: 2002

Quantity produced: 1,000

Availability:  Handed out randomly amongst the tens of thousands of white, home jersey versions during the Phillies game at Veterans Stadium - June 23, 2002.

Comments:  Not only is this the most rare item in the list, but the 2002 bobble head is a sentimental favorite of mine, too.  It was produced right as the bobble head re-birth took MLB by storm and as a big fan of Jimmy's I was excited to be offered the opportunity to get his bobble head.  I attended the game with my brother (both of us received the standard version).  Bonus points have to go out to the Phillies for inserting the variants randomly into the population - fans needed to do no more than show up for a chance to receive this surprise.  And, let's face it - those red BP jersey's are sweet!

For daily updates on Phillies memorabilia and collectibles, follow me on Twitter: 

@philscollector

My Collecting Story: Collecting Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins has been the Phillies regular shortstop since the last month of the 2000 season.  And with his re-signing this weekend, he is guaranteed to continue in that role for at least another three seasons.  Since breaking out during the surprising 2001 season, J-Roll has always been one of my favorite players.  So much so, one of my dogs, Rollie, got her name as a tribute to him!  His return sparked a lot of conversation over the past few weeks, and while some were OK with him signing elsewhere, collector's send a resounding message: "Stay in Philly, Jimmy!"  After all, we've spent a lot of time (and money) collecting him over the years!

The Phillies have always been quick to capitalize on J-Roll's popularity and fed us collectors a steady diet of t-shirts, posters, pennants, bobble heads and figurines.  His image has been plastered on everything from season ticket publications to pocket schedules.  For the past 10+ years, this guy has been immortalized in memorabilia!  Early on, from 2001-2003, Jimmy was a regular guest during the Phillies' "Winter Caravan" through the Delaware Valley.  Often he was joined by other notable Phillies like Mike Lieberthal and Scott Rolen promoting the team in various area malls.  During those years I must have seen Jimmy eight or nine times, and eventually got to a point where I had nothing new for him to sign!  Ah, if only I could have gotten requests from "Future Me" - I have not had an opportunity to get anything signed by him since 2006!

I took a couple minutes this morning to reflect on those interactions, and the went through some of the Jimmy Rollins pieces I have collected over the past 10 years.  Here are a couple of the autographed items with some fond memories that are attached to them:

Replica Phillies Jersey -
I got this signed in 2002 at a Winter Caravan Stop at some mall in Lancaster, PA.  It is a "cheap" replica jersey with inaccurate name lettering on the back - but, fit my minute budget at the time.  This was at a time when replica jerseys were not as common as they are today, and I remember thinking it was pretty good for $20.  Jimmy was in a great mood and chatted with each of us as we milled through the line.

Signed Jimmy Rollins mini-bat and 8"x10" player photo -
These items were probably signed at another Winter Caravan appearance (at the Big Kahuna in Wilmington, DE) during the offseason between 2001 and 2002.  J-Roll was still really young and had just started to catch on with the fan base.  This was probably the strangest of the times I saw him.  For anyone who had never been to the Big Kahuna, it was a huge bar/restaurant/arcade set inside an old warehouse.  Unlike the standard mall appearances, this was chaos!  There were no lines and no tables.  Unfortunate players like Brandon Duckworth just set up shop standing in a mob of people at the Skee-Ball machines.  Jimmy was the main attraction, and was positioned behind the main bar where people bellied up to order autographs.  He walked around and around for two hours.  Best memory of the night was when my mom noticed the autograph on my brother's mini bat had smeared.  She wiped it off with a napkin and asked him to re-sign (and he did)!  Those were the days...

Phillies, Riddell mini-helmet -
Is it just me, or are these great items to get signed?  I love them, and have used them to get many guys ranging from Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton to Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell.  This was the last item I got signed from Jimmy.  It was signed during the 2006 ALS Autograph Party.  He had at this point signed many balls, bats and jerseys for me and it was time for the helmet.  I remember him commenting on the autograph looking good on the helmet.  Thanks, Jimmy...I agree!

There are a lot of general "Jimmy Rollins" themed items that I've collected, too.  I'll cover them in a "Top 5 (or 10)" format in next week's "Collectible of the Week" post.  Stay tuned...

For daily updates on Phillies memorabilia and collectibles, follow me on Twitter: @philscollector

Phillies TTM: The Week of 12/12/2011

A decent week for returns, got back two of the four items I had out in the mail...

1980 Phillies Team Photo -
I wrote former Phillies outfielder Del Unser last January and asked him to sign my 1979 team ball.  As I have mentioned before, the 1980 Phillies are great signers TTM - and Unser is one of the best.  Clocking in at a 95% success rate, he's pretty much a gimme (with a nice request).  As Phillies fans will remember, Del Unser was a great bat off the bench for Dallas Green during the 1980 Championship season...and his great postseason is certainly one of the reasons the Phils ended up winning that season.  (Note: Younger fans should definitely check out the 1980 WS highlight film to appreciate his contributions).  His autograph on the 1980 team picture raises the signature total to 11 on this piece. What started as a "side project" has really taken off, and slowly becoming a favorite of mine.

Del Unser on '80 Team Picture

1965 Phillies Team Ball -
The team ball was a primary project of mine going into this offseason.  Because of my dad's stories of the players he watched I am a huge fan of the Phillies teams from the 1960's.  With the 1964 team ball and photo winding down, I decided to turn focus on the 1965 team.  Earlier this winter I successfully acquired Ray Herbert's autograph through the mail, and this week I added Gary Wagner.  Wagner was a rookie reliever during the 1965 season.  He appeared in 59 games, winning 7 and saving 7.

Gary Wagner - '65 Team Ball

Still out in the mail are: 1960 Sports Illustrated with Art Mahaffey and the 1977 Team Ball with Richie Hebner...

Follow my progress on Twitter: @philscollector

Don't forget to join the conversation: #philliesink

Collectible of the Week: Player Replica 1980 World Series Trophy

In the Collectible of the Week series I highlight both low, and high value pieces of Phillies memorabilia.  We have spotlighted items like $20 game-day programs to game-used items that could bring a couple hundred dollars.  This week's item is the most expensive collectible to date, and while I will never be able to purchase a player replica 1980 World Series trophy I found it an interesting topic and thought I would share...

Of course we are all familiar with the original trophies that are presented by the Commissioner and hoisted by members of the World Championship team each fall.  And many of us have seen (one or both of) the trophies won by the Phillies over the years.  These prizes are owned by the team and are (to my knowledge) never available to any single person.  As you can imagine, there is a demand amongst the players to have their own "copy" of the original they worked so hard to win.  To satisfy this demand, Texas based ring/trophy producer, Balfour has historically offered for sale miniature versions of the World Series trophy to players from the winning team.  These copies are often referred to as "12-inch" or "Half-sized" trophies, and may be produced across many years, on-demand for the player.  Because their production dates vary, materials and even engravings may be different from one to another.  

Below are three different versions of a 12-inch, player replica 1980 World Series trophy.  While each one varies a little from the other, two things can be agreed upon: they are awesome display pieces and they will cost you handsomely!

Hunt Auctions

 - Version #1

12" Player Replica '80

Version #1

Sale Date: Unknown

Sale Price: $4,750

Size: 12"

Features: "

brass pennants with team names around the perimeter of a large brass circle with a crown finial. Phillies and Royals World Series press pin facades adorn the center area with "World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies 1980" in black lettering on the front." (Hunt Auctions description)

Comments: To me, this version best represents the original 1980 World Series trophy.  It is not attributed to any one player, and the auction house comments do not note a production year.

Legendary Auctions

 - Version #2

12" Player Replica '80

Version #2

Sale Date: 4/2006

Sale Price: $11,488

Size: 12"

Features: "

The prize is arranged upon a 2-1/2"-tall, 7-1/4"-diameter wooden base, whose surrounding gold-colored band reads "

WORLD CHAMPIONS

 /

 Philadelphia Phillies 

/

 1980

." Atop the black base, a 5"-diameter gold-colored band has a silver-colored baseball at its base and a very detailed crown figure at the top. Standing prominently at the front of the display are press pin replicas representing the respective World Series combatants. Surrounding the base are 26 gold-colored flags that, in alphabetical order, bear the names of each Major League team; the banners gradually ascend in size from 5-1/2" to 9-1/2"." (Legendary Auctions description)

Comments: The key difference between Version #1 and #2 is the engraving.  Version #1 states "World Series Champions" while Version #2 has "World Champions".  Neither is considered incorrect, but is more a statement about when the trophies were produced.  Since Version #1 has the same inscription as the "original" 1980 Phillies trophy, it may be reasonably assumed that it was produced closer to 1980 than Version #2 - but, who knows...

Huggins and Scott

 - 10th Year Anniversary version

12" Player Replica '80

10th Year Reunion 

Sale Date: 7/2008

Sale Price: $3,000

Size: 12"

Features: "

This championship trophy (measuring approximately 12" in height and 7" in diameter) was issued in 1990 for the tenth reunion of the Phillies 1980 World Series victory and features 26 gold-colored pennants (each bearing the team name of a major league franchise and ascending in height from 6-1/8" to 9-3/8") positioned around the perimeter of a circular black wooden base...

The gold-colored band affixed around the base reads, "Phillies 10th Reunion – 1980 World Series Champs" in black lettering along with facsimile signatures of the players." (Huggins and Scott description)

Comments: This actual trophy was attributed to Steve Carlton.  Because it was produced for a certain occasion (the 1980 team's 10th year anniversary), we know the exact age of the piece.  It also contained a Balfour sticker on the bottom - something not included on either of the earlier versions.  While not an "acutal" piece for piece replica of the original - this trophy is nice for several reasons: Price, it would look great on display and it can be tied back to a key player on the 1980 team.

My Collecting Story: Phillies Weekend Wrap-up

On the heels of last weekend's Philly Show, this week's Holiday Sale and Poppel.com signing just about drained my last dollar of 2011.  The annual sale held by the Phillies is a good place to pick up some game used jerseys, hats and bats, as well as a load of autographed items.  Normally you find the goods from second-tier players like Eric Bruntlett or Mike Sweeney featured - but, this year there seemed to be a nice selection from stars like Pat Burrell, Jayson Werth and Jimmy Rollins.  In past years I have been able to pick up a couple unique items that build on my collection without breaking the bank (Carlos Ruiz '07 BP jersey, Ruiz '08 batting helmet, Brett Myers and Randy Wolf game worn hats and a few game used bats). This year's big item was a Jayson Werth game-used alternate home uniform from the 2008 season.  Complete with dirt stains, this instantly becomes my best gamer!

Jayson Werth Alt. GU Jersey

Also, I picked up a "Four Aces" Group Leader bobble-head and a few nice signed pieces that will fit nicely into my collection - a Billy Wagner single-signed ROMLB and 12 assorted autographed 8x10 player photos.  The 8x10's include Scott Rolen, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, Jamie Moyer and Jayson Werth.  I am looking forward to handing a couple of these pictures in the Phillies room immediately!  Larry Andersen was wandering around the CBP store and I caught him to sign the 1993 World Series program cover - glad I didn't pay to get him last weekend!

Autographed Phillies Player 8x10 Photo Cards

Billy Wagner SS ROMLB

Phillies Four Aces Bobble Head

Larry Andersen on the '93 WS Program

After the Holiday Sale I shot up 95 to Bucks County Technical HS for the Poppel.com card show. The show brought in two 2008 Phillies (Greg Dobbs and Chad Durbin) - but, at $30 a piece, after all I have spent over the past 6 days I had to pass on both.  Instead I took the budget route and decided to add two signatures to my ongoing 1993 Phillies poster - Wes Chamberlain and Ben Rivera.  I have met both in the past, but wasn't sure I was going to have the shot to get them on the poster.  At $15 each, they fit the budget and helped me get a little closer to completing this project.

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Phillies TTM: The Week of 12/5/11

Jim Bunning Wall of Fame Postcard

Slow week for me.  I did not send any items last week, keeping most of my current project home in case I decided to have any of them signed during last weekend's card show.

Jim Bunning Wall of Fame plaque postcard:
The is the third card in the Phillies Wall of Fame plaque card set that I have received back signed.  I really like this set, and wish the Phillies would add to it annually with a card for each new inductee.  The set was a SGA during the 2005 Alumni Weekend.  There is a card for each WOF member through 2005 inductee - Bob Boone.  There are still several guys in the set who are living (Bowa, Maddox, Luzinski, Carlton, etc) - and I'll get them eventually, too!

On this particular card - let me say this: Jim Bunning is awesome.  I have had several successes from him over the past few years.  He clearly can get paid to sign his name, but regularly returns fan mail for free.  I will really enjoy having this card in my collection.

I probably will not get too much more out before the end of the year, but did send the 1980 team photo to Del Unser and the 1977 team ball to Richie Hebner this week and hope to get them both back before the calendar year switches...

My Collecting Story: December 2011 Philly Show Wrap-Up

NL Champs picture - Holland

I attended the third and final day of December 2011 Philly Card and Memorabilia Show at the Valley Forge Convention Center. The closing day was dedicated to the 1983 NL Champions and featured five Hall of Famers (Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Jim Bunning) and all-time Hit King, Pete Rose.  There was also a pretty good supporting cast of contributors from the Championship team - Charles Hudson, Al Holland, Ivan DeJesus, Bob Dernier and long-time Phillie Larry Christenson to name a few.  For someone looking to fill in early-1980's team balls this was a treasure trove.  My activity was fairly limited - but yet, very expensive.  Here is a rundown of the signatures I picked up:

I continued to build onto the 1980 team poster (11"x17" version of the Dick Perez SGA from 1990) by getting Pete Rose to sign.  With Rose, I now have 11 signatures in total.

Pete Rose on the 1980 Perez Poster

Also added Ron Reed, Al Holland, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan to a 1983 team ball.  A couple interesting interactions with the guys:

• Morgan nipped the thread and didn't like his signature, so he tried to "fix" it, retracing over the misplaced "J" - then turned it to another panel and said, "I'm signing it again!".  I'm not planning on selling anytime soon and even though it doesn't (at all) enhance the ball's value, this is one of those things I'll be telling my kids about someday.
• Al Holland was a great guy.  He spoke with my brother and me for several minutes, answered questions and talked about how much he loved Philly. 
• He said the clinching of the NL title (pictured above) was the highlight of his career - noting how much it not only meant to the players who were not given much of a chance going into the season, but that for the organization it was great to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS.  
• He also revealed that former Phillies reliever Ed Farmer was the one to provide him with his famous moniker - "Mr. T"after his first Phillies save. He downplayed the analogy saying he only wore two, modest chains.

1983 ball - Morgan, Rose, Perez

1983 Ball - Holland, Reed

Purchases -

I have to say, the show featured a lot of reasonable deals on Phillies memorabilia.  The show has historically catered to the high-end buyers, but this one was completely different as there were many affordable items to be had.  Because of my spending on autographs, I limited myself to three more signed 1950 Phillies Inquirer photos.  I added Bill Nicholson, Milo Candini and Ken Heintzelman to the 14 that decorate the wall of my Phillies room.  These are really nice, and help me get closer to the full, signed set.

In closing, rumors are circulating that this may be the final round for the venue - and let's be honest, it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.  Looking around the place you get the sense that the folks at Hunt Auctions use the Tom Hanks line from 'The Money Pit' when scheduling each event - "Home, Crap Home".  It stinks of boiled hot dogs and old newspaper, but I have come to look forward to the trips there every couple months.  If this was the last time for VFCC, it was memorable to say the least.

The crowd for Mike Schmidt & Pete Rose

Phillies TTM: The Week of 11/28/11

Another successful TTM week!

1977 Team Ball -

This is still a fairly new project, but so far it has gone out and come back home twice - first to Massachusetts to Jim Lonborg and now to Florida and back from Tommy Hutton.  Hutton who now is a broadcaster for the

Florida

Miami Marlins was a solid hitting first baseman/OF for the Phillies during much of the 1970's.  I chose him as the second target for the ball because of his excellent offseason return record.  I think I'll add Ron Reed this weekend during the Philly Show, then get it back out in the mail.

1980 Phillies Team Photo

- 

The 1980 Phillies are unbelievable! 31 years after they thrilled Philadelphia with its first World Championship, they are still giving...This team is one has some very consistent TTMers - and I am reaching out to every one of them!  Last week I got a return from Lee Elia and got the picture back out the next day to all-star shortstop, Larry Bowa .  Bo signed and returned the picture in less than a week (fittingly, signature #10 on the picture).  Bowa, who was one of the best at his position during his career is a sure bet (year round), and has been for years.  Like the 1977 ball, I am considering having Ron Reed sign the picture this weekend.  Either way, the plan is to have it en route to Del Unser next week.

Larry Bowa on the 1980 team picture

1965 Team Ball

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Another new project for me, I have previously collected Art Mahaffey, Johnny Briggs and Tony Taylor   through in-person signings over the past year.  My first TTM attempt was made to SP Ray Herbert.  Herbert came to the Phillies before the 1965 team and was a rotation regular.  This was the first time I had written to him, and was pleasantly surprised to find the ball back in my mailbox in five days.  After a day's rest I got it back out in the mail today to RP Gary Wagner who shows a 95% success rate at his home address.

Ray Herbert on the 1965 team ball

Humorous side note to all this activity...Because I am regularly sending and receiving packages from my TTM hobby - and frequently buy items online - I owe a lot to my mail lady.  She does not bend when the package asks her not to.  She wraps packages in plastic on rainy days to keep them dry.  And most importantly, she never keeps any of these "gems" for herself!

We upgraded to a new mailbox and mailbox post in September.  And even though it may look a little nicer than the old one, the mailbox is significantly smaller.  You would think mailbox size might be a primary consideration for me, but in the moment it wasn't.  The price I pay is that I need to space things out a little more, and it is hard to mail some of the bigger paper items (they just fit).  All of my "normal" activities combined with online holiday gift purchases yielded the following note from my mail lady yesterday:

I think I owe her a year-end gift!

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Collectible of the Week: 1983 Phillies 100th Anniversary Roy Rogers Glasses

1983 was a memorable year to Phillies fans for many reasons.  First, it marked the 100th season of the team's history and featured a season-long celebration.  Second, the Phils fielded four Hall of Famers - Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan (and ineligible Pete Rose).  And, third, the Phillies made a remarkable trip back to the World Series after a torrid September pennant run.  1983 can also be seen as a transition from the old guard where guys like Rose, Ron Reed, Tug McGraw and Larry Christenson gave way to the "next generation"of players, Charles Hudson, Juan Samuel and Von Hayes (among others).  In a lot of ways, it was the perfect season to reflect back on the team's long, rich history - and close out the original "Golden Age" of Phillies baseball.  As we prepare for the 1983 NL Champion Phillies reunion at this weekend's December Philly Show I chose to spotlight one of the best items (if I may impart my opinion) to come out of this celebration - a glass set produced by Roy Rogers fast food restaurants.

As might be expected, much of the the Phillies promotional power that year was thrown behind the celebration of the team's Centennial.  There were several stadium giveaways that highlighted the special players and events of the team's history - Dick Perez postcards, and a couple posters for example.  Almost all memorabilia produced for the season featured the Centennial Season logo.  The Roy Rogers Collector's Glass set includes six 5 1/2" drinking glasses and one 9", heavy glass pitcher.  Each piece of the set features the classic 100th Anniversary logo - the green diamond with historical "P's" marking each of the four corners.  The rim of each drinking glass is marked with gold painting.  Often the glasses are found separately without the pitcher.  Though less often found with all pieces present, the value of this set hasn't increased much over the past 25+ years - it could still be expected to be available between $10-$20.

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Auction Watch: New Additions

I was browsing eBay over Thanksgiving weekend and picked up a few new items for my collection (I'll post pictures when I receive them):

Citizens Bank Park posters (2) -
The listing said these 11"x17" posters were a 2004 SGA, but I am not sure (unless it was some kind of HOF Club premium).  If you know where they originated, let me know!  Ended up splitting the pair with my brother.  I will probably just put mine away for now, but think there is potential to get this signed someday.  $5.99 winning bid.

1983 NL Pennant Clinching Photo -
I bought this 8"x10" photo with the goal of getting members of the 1983 NL Champions to sign around Schmidt and Holland.  Even though the team featured four Hall of Famers (and the ineligible Pete Rose), they are very good through the mail signers.  I am planning to get a couple of the tougher guys at the Philly Show on 12/3, then send it around to others through next spring/summer.  I really wanted to get an Official 1983 World Series ball - but those prices got ridiculous.  $1.50 winning bid.

2011 Lee/Madson Sports Illustrated -
Ahhh...Brotherly Lovefest!  The bliss of September 2011 feels so long ago.  The Phillies lost during the NLDS and coverboy, Ryan Madson is no longer a member of the team.  Both facts probably explain why I got this magazine so cheaply.  I needed it for the Phillies SI cover collection that stretches back to  the Richie Ashburn edition in 1958. $.99 winning bid.

My Collecting Story: Veterans Stadium Turnstile

Veterans Stadium was the home of the Phillies from 1971-2003.  I missed the stadium's heyday in the '70s and '80s and only started to regularly attend games with my dad in 1987 (though I had been to several over the previous 4-5 seasons).  By this time the Vet was no longer the baseball mecca that had hosted five LCS and two World Series.  Nor was it the place where future Hall of Famers played.  In fact for much of the 15+ years that I watched games there, the Phillies were non-contenders and the Vet was going through constant renovations and fighting for it's life. Despite the cosmetic changes there were some things that never changed during those years (or for the entire life of the stadium), like the boiled Phillies franks, the Phanatic and those green Perey turnstiles that guarded each entry gate.

I have previously written about the Final Innings sale the Phillies held in 2003, and how the team used it to purge a lot of items from Veterans Stadium.  Well, as I discovered during the 2004 ALS Autograph Party at CBP, not all Vet items were sold during that sale the previous winter.  The ALS event is generally a way to get autographs from members of the current team.  But there are also a lot of side activities like grab bags and silent auctions that feature quality Phillies memorabilia.  I know it is hard to do - but I have learned over the years to keep my head up and be aware of all that is available during the event.

During the 2004 event a small display of green Veterans Stadium turnstiles were tucked into a corner and instantly caught my eye.  Phillies Charities were asking $200 per turnstile and I needed a while to think about it.  I took the contact information for later consideration.  I finally called the Charities employee after a little more than a week of weighing the pros and cons of buying the turnstile and arranged for a pick-up date.  It is now one of the centerpieces of my personal collection, and looking back I probably didn't need to take so much time deciding if I wanted it.

Maker: Perey (New York, NY)
Height: 39"
Features: Green, with a lot of "character".  This thing has been through the war, and definitely shows every one of it's 40 years.  My dad made a wooden mount for it - but besides that it is as I found it that May in 2004.

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Phillies TTM: Week of 11/21/11

This week has been a busy one for my mail lady (even with a day off)!  I had returns Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - which makes no mail today (Thanksgiving) a little easier to handle.  Received back this week were:

Bob Boone Wall of Fame plaque postcard -
The postcard is one of the pack that were part of a giveaway for Alumni Weekend a few years ago.  They are modeled after the Hall of Fame plaques we are used to seeing.  A disappointment in the set is that there are many deceased players included, and the Phillies have not kept adding to it with new inductees each season.  Despite that criticism, they are nice cards and there are many of living players included, too.

I sent this back during the first week in September so getting it back after a relatively long time was a nice surprise.  Boone is a consistent signer via the Nationals.  This is the second one in the set that I have had signed (the other is Curt Simmons).  I decided to add this to the projects list and sent one to Jim Bunning yesterday.

Bob Boone Wall of Fame card

1980 Phillies Team Photo -
This is one of my most active current projects.  Third base coach Lee Elia provided a quick return this week - 5 or 6 days - and brought me up to nine total signatures on the team photo.  Elia in general can be hit and miss.  As I mentioned last week I got this out to him because of a string of recent returns from his house.  The photo was back out in the mail the next day to Larry Bowa.

1980 Team Photo: Lee Elia

Pat Gillick Postcard -
Any one who has followed the Phillies over the past 10 years (at least) will understand the impact Hall of Famer Gillick had on the team.  Gillick is a consistent signer via his home (and sometimes via the Phillies).  I decided to go off script after a couple followers of my Twitter account reported quick returns.  "Stay Pat" didn't disappoint.  This is a nice postcard featuring Gillick during his HOF induction, holding his plaque.

Pat Gillick Phillies Postcard

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