Any Rick Monday G/U items? 40th Anniv.

[Swoboda4]

Anyway, I got on a Rick Monday kick and thought what he did by saving the American flag was special, aside from being an all-star. So I started collecting all his Topps cards signed. Having trouble with finding 70,71,72, and 75. I brought this up before but adding other memorabilia to game used items enhances the collection (as we've seen with other members rooms).

[Juicyfruit66]

I was taught as a kid that Monday destroyed the expos big chance (I was only 3 haha).

I think I get greater appreciation out of the bats I collect from the 70s-2004 because it wasn't an over authenticated market. I go to ball games now and watch each ball and bat be handed off to a guy who writes down when it was used and by who....kind of takes away from the mystique of getting a broken gamer who's history isn't known without some background done, photo matching, etc. I guess I can compare it to card collecting boom in 90s where it became less about rarity but more about "created rarity", like special editions and signature series etc.

[Swoboda4]

Exactly. And the new hologram air tight collecting also comes with a very big price tag. So last night, with what I know as a collector, I picked up a great Sheffield G/U bat and a Cliff Floyd G/U jersey both in the $200 range. Today, if both were still playing the jersey would have been $800 and the bat $300-400 from a team authentics shop.

[Juicyfruit66]

Its cool to find a player to collect who's not the norm. I only got in the game used bat kick a few years ago but find it very fun to seek out bats from my old expos stars, the hunt is exciting. I'm by no means an expert on game used stuff but the abundance of locker plates, tbc one day jerseys, and straight to MLB shop authentics seems like kind of a warning sign the bubble will burst. The old stuff will always be worth what it is but I can picture multiple, multiple gamers from certain stars just flooding the market rendering them almost worthless in comparison. But I may be wrong, I'm by no means an expert (I just remember seeing the card companies do it and look how that turned out).

[Swoboda4]

You never know who ends up being an Expo (Daniel Murphy included) I'm only realizing it with these photo enlargements, but Swoboda's hat on the card,was painted to be an Expos cap. Love to have that original photo negative from Topps. We're dangerously close to becoming a non game used topic:

[Swoboda4]

Let me stop after this as I've highjacked my own thread. The ticket to the very last Expos game for which I was present. Tom Glavine pitched. Mike Piazza played first base. Rookie David Wright hit his 14th HR ever. It was also Todd Zeile's last game in which he hit a home run(253 HR life time, to D.Wrights current 235 HR now). In the next at bat he was introduced, went to the plate,and then taken out of the game to applause never saw that before. Endy Chavez played on the Expos that game.

[Juicyfruit66]

Omg!! You have the expos last game ever ticket! Haha I own their first home opener ticket from 1969. I found a Chavez Montreal expos bat last year and want to tell myself it was used in the expos's final out (he was the last out). Once again, lack of MLB stickers makes my dream a possibility until proven yay or nay

*i think matbe we've turned convo into game used again

[Juicyfruit66]

Pic

[Swoboda4]

Not knowing for sure if the bat was used or not isn't that bad. In the words of Jim Williams (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) as played by Kevin Spacey, as he answered John Cusack's character who asked 'How will you know what the painting is obscuring? (Williams had an important painting that was an "overpaint" Painted over probably another important painting that Williams refused to investigate further). Williams replied, "I rather enjoy not knowing." Kind of like paying a premium for an unopened pack of baseball cards from a year of great rookies.

[sox83cubs84]

You never know who ends up being an Expo (Daniel Murphy included) I'm only realizing it with these photo enlargements, but Swoboda's hat on the card,was painted to be an Expos cap. Love to have that original photo negative from Topps. We're dangerously close to becoming a non game used topic:

In the 1971 Topps set's last 2 series, blatant airburshing was evident on numerous photos, the Swoboda being one of many. Even making this more obvious are the pinstriped jersey (the Expos didn't wear home pinstriped uniforms until 1992) and the Shea Stadium background.

Dave Miedema