Introduction and First Addition to My Monster Number
 

Hello everyone. My name is Casey White. I've been a very longtime lurker at Net54, meaning as far back as Leon not being in charge, but have just in the past week finally decided to take the plunge into collecting baseball cards again and finally joining in the conversation on this wonderful forum.

I first started collecting baseball cards as a seven year old in 1981 chasing Fernando Valenzuela rookie cards before reading "The Glory of Their Times" in 1983 or so and being drawn more toward the historical side of baseball. Spent most of the last half of the 1980s collecting higher grade 1950s-1960s star players with my dad but sold my collection when I entered high school. I've been following baseball closely for most of the last 20+ years, collected vintage baseball photos and books from 1997 to around 2000, but resisted the urge to start collecting cards again until now.

I've decided to try conquering "The Monster" myself. I'm on a limited budget but my plan for now is to buy one "common" a week and one Hall of Famer or Southern Leaguer a month. I'm sure there'll be some weeks/months I buy more and some I buy less but I'm guessing I'll stick close to that average. I've been collecting modern literature in signed first editions (mainly Charles Bukowski) and vinyl records for the last few years but have lost interest in both collections for a while now. I've stuck both collections in the closet for now but in a few months I'll probably start liquidating those once I'm sure that this collecting of baseball cards is going to stick with me. Funds from those should help me get my first Cobb, Mathewson, Johnson, and/or Young when the time comes.

I'll try to stick to cards with decent eye appeal--no big missing pieces, no major creases especially through the player's face. Rounded corners are fine. I'm OK with a little paper loss or writing on the reverse. I want cards that I am comfortable with taking out of the holder and touching with my bare hands. In fact, I'm semi-tempted to just store my collection raw in an old cigar box. Not going to do that for now though.

I'm not going to specifically look for graded cards but for now I'm not going to bust out any cards I get that are already in slabs. (As a matter of fact, I'm waiting on my first graded card, an SGC 20 Sam Crawford batting that I bought on the BST boards here, to come in now.) I have a feeling I'll eventually bust any graded cards out though, just going to give myself some time to make sure I want to stick with this before costing myself any extra money by losing the slabs.

Not going to focus on different back types for now, though I'm betting that'll change somewhat as I move forward with this collection. My eventual goal is to get to 518 fronts. No Wagner, Plank, Magie, Demmitt St. Louis, Doyle NY, or O'Hara St. Louis for me. But to start with, I'm going to focus on getting one front pose of each player. If I counted right there are 389 different players in the set, minus Wagner and Plank, that's 387 different players I'm aiming toward.

Anyways, I got my first two T206s in the mail this morning:

Mike Donlin (with bat) -- Sweet Caporal 350 Factory 30
Jimmy Lavender -- Piedmont 350 Factory 25

I'm in love with these two little pieces of history, haven't been able to keep my hands off them all morning. I look forward to adding to my collection and talking about it with all of you!

Current Monster number: 2

Hi Frank,

Can you please bump me up to 357 when you have a moment? Thanks!, Steve

Ill put my name on the list.I got 5 SL'ers.

It's been a slow couple of months. Bump me up to 78. I'm hoping to hit 100 in 2014.

Rich

Can you please update me to 88.

December was good for me, added 13:

Pat Moran Tolstoi PSA 3
John Titus SC350 PSA 3
George Gibson SC350 PSA 2.5
Gabby Street (Catching) PB PSA 2.5
Bill Bernhard SL OM PSA 2
Sid Smith SL OM PSA 1.5
Larry Doyle (with Bat) AB 350 NF Raw
Hal Chase (Holding Trophy) P350-460 Raw
Kaiser Wilhelm (Ready to Pitch) P150 Raw
Germany Schaefer (Fielding) P150 Raw
Claude Ritchey P150 Raw
Jim Delahanty P150 Raw
Jap Barbeau P350 Raw

Lucky Seven
 

I did well over the Christmas Holiday...Come On,,,,a Hooker AND a Shag?:D

All in all, I picked up 7. My new MN is 453.9

The septet....

483. Rube Waddell (Throwing) SC150
373. Barney Pelty (Horizontal) SGC150
213. Bock Hooker OM
261. James Lafitte OM
429. Shag Shaughnessy P350
473. Woodie Thornton OM
332. Carlton Molesworth P350

101 please

Just thought I'd update my monster #.

It is now 15.

Thanks

I will close out the year at 64.
I hope to keep focused in 2014.
Thanks.

Can't believe I'm doing this...
 

but here goes.

Was looking through my set, cataloging cards for potential upgrade. I must admit the number was larger than I'd hoped. So it looks like I have several decisions to make, other than do I go for Demmit and O'Hara...so I have a second set growing. Guess I should track it...

Set one remains at 518, set two is at 68. Write me up, Frank!

Update me to 10
 

Added 7 more to my new set bringing me to 10 total. Thanks Frank for the update and for keeping this thread going!

Added:

Sam Crawford (throwing) -- My first HOFer and first Net54 BST purchase! Extremely happy with this beautiful card.
Frank Delahanty
George Merritt
Mike Mitchell
Pat Moran
Mike Mowrey
Deacon Phillipe
Harry Steinfeldt (with bat)

All are common Piedmont or Sweet Caporal backs so far.

Going to try and save some money now and buy my first Mathewson sometime in February before I buy anymore commons. Absolutely love these cards so far, I feel so peaceful just sorting through them, soaking in all the details of these little works of art.

Now plugging away at the Southern Leaguers. I am at 420.

Hey Frank

I recently acquired 51 more T206's for my 3rd set on your list.


TED Z

Frank - I just scored my 400th T206. Thanks Jason. I'll check back in another 20 cards.

K

2, and I've only been at it for a week!

Another 4 closer........New MN 457.9:)

Here's the four:

109. Sam Crawford (Throwing) SC150
218. Miller Huggins (Hand At Mouth) P350
481. Juan Violat (Viola) P350
32. Chief Bender (Pitching No Trees In Background) P350

Added one more this week to put me at 11 total, but it's the biggest addition yet to my set:

Christy Mathewson (White cap) Sweet Caporal 150 Factory 649

Hi Frank,

Can you please bump me up to 371 when you have a chance, my friend? Thanks,

Steve

Hi Frank,

I'm at 350 now. Thanks for tracking this.

Scot

1

Bought it a number of years ago on impulse, $10 or $15. I doubt I'd buy too many more but they are great cards, I see the appeal. You guys have some impressive collections.

Frank,

It's a new year, time to start adding cards to the set again. Please bump me up to 125.

+2 up to 99.....thanks Frank :D

Sincerely, Clayton

Frank - please bump me to 410 - picked up 10 new cards and a couple of doubles (accidentally - I really need to learn to check my list before bidding) - not a "four-bagger" among them.

I am up to 84!

Now 430.

I am at 12! Really cooking now!

+2 now at 127

Casey....
 

great choice! great start.....I lost track of my monster number:o:)

128

Frank,

Please bump me up to 63 when you get a chance.

Best regards,

Eric

+ 2 more to 129.

Hi Frank, add 2 more for me please, now at 101 :)

Sincerely, Clayton

I am at 419 now - hoping to be at 420 when I wake up - these auctions just won't end.

4 more. That makes 461.9. I have slowed to a crawl but a crawlin' I still be.:D

The 4 newbies;

78. Frank Chance (Portrait Yellow Background) SC350
503. Vic Willis (Throwing) SC350
476. Joe Tinker (Hands On Knees) P150
502. Vic Willis (Pittsburg) SC350

You are getting there! Keep it up.

Up to 90

Getting down to the most expensive. If you look back a ways, I was getting 25 or 30 a month. The 4 that I just added took nearly a month. :eek:

Just added 7. Up to 53.

Mark

Hi, Frank.

Please bump me up to 65 when you get a chance. I picked up two more over the past couple of weeks, including this McElveen with a slight color shift that I think is pretty cool:

134 now

95


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Another four knocked off the list. My new MN is 465.9

The newest additions:

148. Hugh Duffy P460
76. Frank Chance (Batting) SC 460
312. John McGraw (Glove At Hip) P460
227. Hughie Jennings (Both Hands Showing) SC350

You are getting in the home stretch.



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80, solely attributable to my avatar.

Hi, this seemed like a great spot for the first post. I am new again to the hobby after a (typical?) ~20 year post-teen layoff. Looking forward to working on some subset of the monster, though haven't decided which. I definitely prefer chasing the errors & short prints. First, I need to catch up on some other sets and the icons I couldn't afford on my allowance way back when...

After. Trade with a fellow net54 member and a single ebay pickup, I'm up to 24!

up another eight
 

You can move me up to 422... thanks!

Up to 99


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Hey Frank, can you please bump me to 93.

I only picked up 5 in the past two months, but one of them was a big one for me:

Slowing down but moved to 436.

I am in the home stretch. I only need 23 more counting the big 3.
Thanks to Rob and Bill on this board I was able to knock 4 off in the past couple of weeks
CN

Up to 83. My goal is to be over 100 by the summer.

Rich

And it continues...3 more of the tougher remaining bunch.....I grabbed:

436. Carlos Smith (Shreveport) P350
287b. Sherry Magee (portrait) P350
15. Home Run Baker SC460

That gives me a new Monster Number of 468.9....Hot Diggity

43
 

I guess throw my name on the list for 43 (All HOFs).

Matt

0 :( hoping to start very soon! :)

My new number is.........
 

19 (1)(1)(1)! Growing bigger every paycheck!


update: Make that 20!!!!! Woohoo.

That is awesome. Good luck.


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Hi Frank,

Can you please bump me up to 404 when you have a chance? Thanks! Steve

Jason- that Matty Tolstoi is beautiful.

470
 

Hit 470 this morning (50 more to go). My collection is all SGC50 or better.

The final 50 is becoming difficult to locate and expensive :)

Bump me up to 67.

Matt

53

35 commons
18 hofers

+1 more for me Frank- thanks!

Sincerely, Clayton

Hi, Frank.

I picked up two more T206 cards on the BST. My new Monster number is 67. If you would please update this, I would appreciate it.

Best,

Eric

Frank,

When you have a moment, mark me down for three more. New total is 430.

Slow and steady.

Regards,
Marty

Frank,

Please update me to 84.

Thanks,

Matt

I am now at 33

115

Hey Frank,

Thanks for doing this every month. I am now at 28!

Another five tougher additions makes a Monster Number of 473.9. The altitude is beginning to be come a factor for sure.:D

The latest five:

438bv. Frank Smith (Chicago & Boston) P460
219. Miller Huggins (Portrait)P350
71. Scoops Carey P350
239. Addie Joss (Portrait) P350
295. Rube Marquard (Pitching Follow Through) SC460

Every month??? PRN & ASAP is the only way to satisfy this crowd. :D

On a related note, obviously this thread is going to outlive all of us.

Folks climbing the ladder have requested that those near the top remember to downgrade their MN should they sell before their demise. It should also be remembered that a Monster Number is something that you cannot take with you, therefore a codicil to your will is strictly required to transfer custody of your MN to the heir of your choosing. Such heirs should be instructed to apply for Board member status upon your passing and formally request a name change via PM. Your understanding of this request is greatly appreciated.;)

Great use of the word codicil!

I would expect no less from the 'marm.:D

I lost my MoJo for while, but I'm up to 426 thanks to t206hof.

I am up to 54.

Mark

185!

What's your Monster number?
 

It's about time I participated in this thread. My number is 516.

I've been holding my breath.:D

There are now over 40,000 cards on the list, hopefully no duplicate entries.;)

now at 439.

Moving up to 141

276.