This Week In Mail - 3.8.26

For the most part, it was a boring week via the mail.  The top two items didn't show up until Friday and Saturday.  Part of the "boring" start to the week is that the early mail days were just set additions and I just find it difficult to be very excited by them.  Even though I do work on some modern sets, I guess I'm not a true set builder at heart.  I need a reason to build a set and even then it can be pretty boring.  

In addition to the 2026 Chrome Olympics set I decided to buy all the Olympics Topps Now set.  I don't enjoy the lottery aspect in the hobby so rather than buy these directly from Topps at stupid prices, I am just acquiring the singles from eBay at a lower price.  It takes me longer to get them, but others can play the lottery and lose.  This Breezy Johnson is the first card that's made if for the set.  You'll likely see more next week.  I'm playing the long game and waiting for even lower prices via auction on the ones I haven't ordered yet.  Also, I need to sell some more from my eBay store to get the funds.  

These are two more "Buongiorno" insert American Flag parallels /76.  I briefly talked about why I like them in my last mail day post. These two bring me up to three of the twenty cards in the set.  I have a long way to go, but hopefully a long time to get there.  I'll need the time to wait out the ridiculous Alysa Liu prices.  

Nothing special here, but did want to mention that we've watched some of the Paralympics.  It was interesting to see the difference in the Curling Mixed Doubles.  They slide the stone and just let it go.  There is no sweeping like in the Olympics.  We watched the USA sled hockey team annihilate Italy yesterday.  Seriously, Italy needed two late touchdowns to make the comeback.  I also learned that in the four prior Paralympic games, the United States team has outscored opponents something like 120-6.  I did not type those numbers incorrectly.  If memory serves me correctly, I believe they play again Monday and Tuesday.  

If you've never bought a card that you really didn't need to just because it was a good price, are you even really a collector?  I literally won an auction for this card less than five weeks ago, but this one was posted as a Buy It Now for less than half what I paid for the auction.  So, in homage to my friends at NASCARD Radio, I went <click> and snagged this one as well.  

I'm thrilled with the decision.  There is no chipping along the edges.  As long as it's not trimmed, this card is an absolute gem.  I need to check my copy at COMC and perhaps post it for sale.  

Last but certainly not least, this beauty arrived yesterday.  I have a handful of Lloyd Ruby autographs.  I have a handful of Lloyd Ruby postcards.  I did not have a slabbed, signed Lloyd Ruby postcard.  Now I do.  

Until Michael Andretti, Lloyd Ruby was considered by many to be the best driver at Indianapolis Motor Speedway not to win the 500.  The combination of that, his being a life-long Texan (Wichita Falls) and the fact that by all accounts he was one of the nicest men ever has made me a fan despite his career ending before I was born.  

I have dreams of someday commissioning someone to build me a custom case that will display (some of) my 1:24 and 1:18 diecast in the top but have cabinets below to house my card collection.  This will be proudly displayed with my Lloyd Ruby diecast.  I don't need slabbed, authenticated items for my collection but in this form it will display nicely.  All I need to do is downsize my collection and come up with the money.  What I want will NOT be cheap.  

Thanks for reading and following along with me!  

Mail Backlog

One of the reasons that I've decided to start the videos is for efficiency.  When the mail days are heavy, I get backlogged.  Then, I start dreading all the posts that I need to write.

In this video, I get caught up on incoming mail.  I believe there are a couple of things you've seen before, but most is new.  Included are some cards from Kerry of Cards on Cards.  I have some things pulled aside for you and hope to have out next week, Kerry!

This is all a learning for me, so any constructive criticism is appreciated.  You don't have to mention the tripod falling over...I picked up on that being a bad thing. HA! 

 

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Make sure if you're shopping online (including eBay) that you're using ebates.  Four times a year, the amount I get back is put into my Paypal account, and I have it for more cards.  Click on that link and once you've spent $25 (remember to go THROUGH ebates), you'll get $10 put into your account.  

My Sports Card Direct store - If you're only interested in a card or two, I can do PWE shipping and save you the money.  Just gotta let me know.  

Finally, please help me out by subscribing to my YouTube page and liking videos.  It does help out a lot.  You can also follow me on Twitter at @beansbcardblog.

First Scan Off the New Laptop -or- Another off the Most Wanted List

Just last week I posted about acquiring a card that was on my most wanted list.  It's funny how in this hobby we can go weeks, months or even years between acquiring cards like that.  Then there are other times, like this, where you get a couple of them just a few days apart.  

Also new is my laptop.  The old one was probably a decade old.  It still works and I'm keeping it as a backup, but it was time.  The new one works much faster with my scanner.  WINNING!

The first card I scanned was this beauty!  

1962 Marhoefer Indy Lloyd Ruby

1962 Marhoefer Indy Lloyd Ruby (back)

Reading bores me.  There's no other way to put it.  However, I picked up a book on Lloyd Ruby a couple of years ago.  Just learning about him, mostly who he was away from the track, made me a big fan of a man that I never saw race.  

Just two "cards" were produced from Ruby's driving days and this is the lone one that featured his Indianapolis 500 driving.  I've been wanting to pick this "card" up for a couple of years and this is the first time I've seen it come available.  Yeah, it has some writing on it.  I'll probably acquire a few more copies of this one over time.  That writing could have kept the price down.  With shipping, I happily paid around $25 for it.  

Did you notice that in the last paragraph I used quotation marks twice?  The reason I did that is because this isn't truly a trading card.  It was distributed in quite a different manner.

From Beckett.com:  "Marhoefer Meats of Muncie Indiana distributed this Indy car set in 1962 through its various meat products. The cards feature top IndyCar drivers in black and white photos. As is common with most issues distributed with meat products, the cards were produced with a wax film covering and are often found with product stains. The unnumbered cards are oversized (approximately 4" by 5-1/4") and contain rounded corners."

As I read that, I realized that it didn't fully give the story that I've read (somewhere).  These "cards" were part of Marhoefer hot dog packaging.  Because of the distribution method, many didn't survive and they aren't extremely easy to find.  Also, they are not a normal size.  Below I compared this card to a modern trading card.  

My hope it to someday pick up the A.J. Foyt card as well, but when it pops up for sale, it's usually overpriced.  There's one that pops up on eBay from time-to-time for $750.  Along with this Lloyd Ruby and some other drivers from the set, a Foyt was listed at $250, which is still too high.  At a true auction, the Foyt should be in the $100-150 range.  I can wait.  

Now that I have this card, the next part of the challenge has begun.  How the heck do I store this???

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I've decided to try selling on Sports Card Direct again.  Hopefully you'll take a look at my page and see if there's anything you're interested in.  I can always sell off the site and ship in a PWE if you're only looking for a card or two and don't want to pay $3 shipping.  I'm going to start listing more cards daily.  It's time to get out of a lot of my stuff.  

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!  Another $40 was depostied into my Paypal account earlier this month.

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!