Card show with Night Owl - part one

(Time caught up to me as I was writing this so it is going to be split into two parts.)


You may have read Night Owl's post about going to a Syracuse card show last Saturday, but I am going to give my account of the same show.


Before gong to the show, I stopped at my PO Box in Ogdensburg to pick up the couple of pieces of mail that were there.


One envelope travelled from the UK and contained a sticker that, shipping costs included, I might have overpaid for, but was one that I needed to complete a team set.

Okay, that looks like a pretty common 1990 Panini sticker.

But the red back and the "American Football" up top identifies it as the Panini UK version of the sticker. This was the last of the Browns that I needed to complete my team set which is quite satisfying.

As well, the following cards were among those waiting for me at the post office. I was happy to get some 2016 cards with the season about to kick off the next day.

(L-R): 2016 Score #363 and #373

Top (l-r): 2016 Panini Prestige - Xtra Points Green #46 and #47
Bottom (l-r): 2016 Panini - Xtra Points Green #49 and 50

I really like how these Xtra Points Green parallels stand out. I hope to find the rest of the team.

After picking up those cards, I made my way down to the card show in Syracuse. I probably arrived about an hour before Night Owl did. It gave me enough time to do a quick walk by all of the tables, and I had purchased a few cards from a couple of tables before moving onto the vintage cards where Night Owl found me.

The key cards from the first table I hit were the RGIII cards that I showed in yesterday's post, and this card that I can't believe that I picked up for a quarter. (There were also a couple of cards for others that I don't want to spoil so I'm not going to show them.)

1992 Heisman Collection II #27

The sad story of Ernie Davis is quite well known and in 2008 was turned into a movie, "The Express".

This becomes the oldest Ernie Davis card that I have, not owning his 1962 Topps rookie card. Some day...

I'm trying to remember exactly what I bought before moving to the vintage table. I know the Connor Shaw cards from yesterday were bought next and I believe that these ones were too.

Top: 2014 Panini Rookies and Stars - Rookie Materials #37
Bottom: 2014 Panini Rookies and Stars - Longevity Holofoil #18 (#/99)

Terrance West will be facing the Browns as a Raven next week.

Josh Gordon has to wait until Week Five to play when his suspension ends at the same time as some Patriots player that the Browns will face that day.

Top (l-r): 2015 Panini Certified #173 (#/999); 2015 Panini Certified - Mirror Red #5 (#/99)
Bottom (l-r): 2015 Panini Certified #160 (#/999); 2015 Donruss #223

Nate Orchard (top left) and Duke Johnson are still with the team this year. Charles Gaines was in the final cuts at the end of training camp this year.

2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks - Stained Glass #61

Now that I think about it, knowing Night Owl's love of the stained glass Nomo card and having an idea what he likes, you think that I would have shown him this card that I bought before he arrived. Oops.

Anyway, from there I moved on to a vintage dealer that Night Owl later told me that he always dealt with at the Fairgrounds show. I made one purchase from him just before Night Owl arrived.

1948-49 Exhibits Sports Champions

I thought that I was buying the regular 1948-50 Exhibit card and didn't realize anything was different until I went to add to my collection on the Trading Card Database, and saw that I had writing on the bottom of my card, and the card displayed in the database didn't.

It is my second Exhibit card, after a Marion Motley one that I acquired last year. A pretty cool card of a Hall of Famer, but not the only one that I picked up at him at the show as you'll see in part two tomorrow.

As Night Owl arrived I believe that I was paying for these four cards.

L-R: 1956 Topps #105; 1970 Topps #20

The 1956 McCormack completes my team set for that year, and I thought that the Kelly would also complete a team set but as it turns out I need the 1971 Leroy Kelly, not the 1970. I remember saying that I couldn't believe that I didn't already own the Kelly because it looked so familiar. Now I'll have to see if it is a condition upgrade.

Top: 1961 Topps CFL #101
Bottom: 1964 Topps CFL #67

A bit of background...  I was born in Saskatchewan, and in 1989 my grandfather, Bob Walker, was inducted in their Plaza of Honor. (Browns connection: Former Brown Ken Carpenter was inducted the same year.) My grandfather died before I was born, and had played well before these cards came out.

I didn't, however, buy these cards just because I am a Roughriders fan. A while back, while researching various cards online, I came across a site that identified these as uncorrected error cards, in the fact that the photo on the Topps CFL Roughrider team cards from 1961-1964 was actually the 1959 Cleveland Browns. And a funny thing, this photo was never used on a Browns Topps team card.

It was fun to discuss this with a couple of dealers that were unaware of the error.

So, based on the photos, Browns cards to reside in my collection.

After this purchase, Night Owl started digging through 1972 Topps cards to put a dent into his wantlist. We talked during that time. And then continued talking as we walked the floor checking out various tables. Then we hit a dealer with all sorts of interesting cards and sets...but I'll leave that for part two tomorrow.