2026 Card Show #3 Recap

March was about as slow of a card month as I can remember.  I only completed 4 trade on TCDB, bought nothing on EBAY, and did not attend a card show.  Some of this was due to lack of time, while some was also watching my budget.  My daughter is getting married in June.  The groom's parents have agreed to split the bill, but with a guest list close to 300 it will not be a cheap wedding.  We have been paying ahead on some things, so I have a better idea what the final cost will be.  Being somewhat caught up until paying the caterer in May, I decided to attend a local show on Saturday.  This quarterly show always has a good mix of vintage and modern value boxes.  Saturday was no different.

They may not be current Cardinals anymore, but I still need a lot of their cards.  Hard to pass up premium brands and refractors priced 5 for $1.

Another dealer had some 5 for $1 boxes than I pulled a few cards out for trade bait.  He also had some $1 boxes where I found this Scott card.  

I only found 2 dealers with dime boxes.  One table was so busy, I did not have a chance to go through it in the 2 hours I was there.  I did find another dealer who had some nice dime cards.  I pulled about 20 2018 Aaron Judge Topps Highlights cards along with this 2012 GQ mini variation Holliday I needed.  

The show was so big they opened up another room for the dealers.  I found an older gentleman in the new room with some very nice ungraded vintage cards.  Both these league leaders from 1961 and 1967 are almost perfect.  At $15 each, I could not pass them up.

The final table I bought from were 2 older gentlemen with more ungraded vintage.  They had a box of Cardinals sorted by year and number.  I found these 2 1959 high number cards and a 1965 from my wantlist.

I also bought these 2 1962 cards.  Somehow I forgot to cross the McCarver rookie card off my list last year, so now I have 2.  I am sure another Cardinals collector will need it.  All 5 cards are in great condition.  I paid $50 total.

  
  

First New Ray Lankford of 2026

 Here it is April 1 already.  The first quarter of this year has flown by.  Nothing big to show off today, just my first new Ray Lankford card of 2026.

This is a Hero Decks card from either 2012 or 2020.  There was a Cardinals set produced in both years, but no way of telling what year this is from without the box.  That is ok with me.  I have been watching this card for awhile hoping it would fall below $10.  It never did, so I waited until I had an EBAY gift card to buy it.

Opening Day

Yesterday was the first time I attended a Cardinals home opener.  My wife's cousin had 2 extra tickets down the right field line just past the netting.  These were great seats to see the players as they entered the stadium for the pre game parade.

JJ Wetherholt had a great debut, hitting a home run in his second at bat and adding a sacrifice fly later.

Masyn Winn had one hit in five at bats.  At the old age of 24 with a little over two full seasons of experience, he is looked upon as one of the leaders of the team.

Victor Scott had a great game with 3 hits and 2 stolen bases.  I thought he could have stolen third base in the eighth inning, but for some reason he never tried.  One of his hits was a beautiful bunt down the third base line with runners on first and second.  Even with the third baseman in on the grass, he easily beat it out.

The game had a bit of everything with home runs, big scoring innings, and a Cardinals bullpen that looks to be weak.  The Rays had the bases loaded to end the game.  It was a long day, as we arrived for the pregame pep rally at 10:30.  We watched batting practice for both teams at noon, then waited for the pregame parade at 2:30 before the first pitch at 3:15.  After experiencing everything, I believe opening day is a little overhyped.  It was fun, but the premium paid for food and parking was a little crazy.  Lots that were $40 last year were $60 yesterday.  Crazy to pay that to park for a few hours.

  
My best find of the day was this ticket stub laying in the seats after the game.  Like most clubs, the Cardinals do not print many tickets.  It is not in the best shape, but it will be a great memento of opening day and Wetherholt's debut.

TCDB 2 for Tuesday #138

Just like last Tuesday's post, today's recap will feature mostly cards from one brand.  This time it is 2025 Stadium Club.  The first lot of cards came from member Geoff2568.

Nice to hit four of the six Cardinals base cards in one trade.  Despite him being in Arizona now and playing for Puerto Rico in the WBC (how strange is that after he was with the USA in 2023), the Arenado card is my favorite.

Cannot forget to add the Altuve base card for my son.

The second trade came from member SMSiegell.

Team set complete in two trades.

I also completed my 2025 A&G team set with this last short print.  This is Schoendienst card #101 in my collection.  Topps goes through a cycle of putting him in a lot of products for a year or two, then leaving him out for the next few years.  I was guessing my total would be higher.  He is one of 57 different Cardinals I have at least 100 different cards of.  I love being able to find collection stats on TCDB.

TCDB 2 for Tuesday #137

Today's post will be a lot about 2026 Topps.  First batch of cards came from ShellGuy97.  He is a newer member that must have opened a box or two.

A great start to my team set with seven of the ten Cardinals.  Sad to say the bottom for players are gone.

Great to add the Altuve to my son's collection in the same trade.

The second package came from member TnTitan1.  

With two trades my team set is finished.  Glad that did not take long.

I also added a 2025 sandglitter parallel of my favorite current Cardinals.  I am almost afraid to say that, as it always seem the player will be traded away in a year or two.

McGreevy would be close behind Scott as my favorite.  A nice guy I have met a few times that never has a bad word to say.  I doubt he will ever become an ace pitcher, but he should be a durable #3 starter.

Clearing out Some Duplicates

Like most collectors, I do not collect duplicates.  I cannot think of anyone who enjoys opening a box of cards and getting a bunch of doubles.  I have seen quite a few collectors opening 2026 Topps hobby boxes and getting two or three packs worth.  That is one of the big reasons I do not opening packs anymore, besides the value not being there most of the time.

Being a team collector, I have accumulated my my share of duplicates.  Over 20% of my trade list is Cardinals cards that I already have.  Any time I can send out a small chunk of those, I jump on it.  In early February I sent a trade proposal to TCDB member cchstove involving six Cardinals going each direction.  After a little back and forth, the trade was expanded to me sending out 18 cards and receiving 19 new Cardinals.  Perfect trade in my book.  

Starting off with a 1989 Cadaco game disc.  I love oddball, even if they look a little bland.  

The base cards included a nice 2024 Finest Arenado and a 2022 Topps Archives Snapshots Nootbaar.

Some recent inserts and parallels.  The A&G mini Masyn Winn is a rookie design variation.

Plenty of retired players including some Hall of Famers.  If you look closely at the 1993 Topps Gold Winner card, you will see Cardinals Lee Smith and Ozzie Smith on it.

Finishing things up with two cards of recent Cardinals Hall of Fame inductee Edgar Renteria.  Fans elect one or two players each year.  Renteria was voted in over Steve Carlton. Renteria had a nice career as a Cardinal, but nothing compared to Carlton.  Since voting is done online, the results usually favor those who played most recently.  This year's ballot includes George Hendrick, Brian Jordan, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols.  Not much guessing on who will get in.

    

TCDB 2 for Tuesday #136

It has been great to wake up to my news feed the last few mornings and find box scores for the Cardinals spring training games.  Even though the games do not count, it is one step closer to opening day.  A lot of Cardinals fans are predicting a bad year.  I am too, but I do not think their record will be much worse than 2025.  Problem is the other four teams in the division appear to have gotten better.  I am still a fan, and will continue to collect Cardinals.  My fandom is like a marriage, in good times and in bad times.  Maybe with the rough times it will be easier to trade for some of the cards.  

Today's first package came from member brando7288.

1976 SSPC is a very simple set featuring mostly posed photos.  I like it because you find cards of obscure players like Dick Billings on the top left and Ken Reynolds on the bottom left.  Ted Sizemore and Jerry Mumphrey have plenty of cards.  

After finding a 2018 High Tek Edmonds at the Saturday card show, here is another version.  This one is pattern 4.

I love trading for premium brands like 2019 Topps Inception.  Along with Triple Threads and Tribute, these brands do not show up often in trade or bargain boxes.

The second trade came from member stephen54scc.

These are 11 of the 17 cards in the Cardinals 2025 Topps team set.  You can see the number difference on the Graceffo card.  Ivan Herrera is the only card with a different photo than the base Topps card.