The 'Conforto Factor' Jumpstarts Investment in Baseball Cards

Hi friends,
    I hope you're all having a great week so far. Lots of exciting things happening in so many sports that I have whiplash from all of the channels and TVs I've got going!

   In terms of MLB, Trevor Story, is of course, the captivating story of the moment, but ever the die -hard Mets fan, I recall former 80's Met Danny Heep, a virtual blip on the radar unless you are from New York (or Houston), when he took a .400 batting average into late April, early May, before fading back into the shadows.

   Now, the 'Conforto Factor', which I named after Michael Conforto, is what I really want to tell you about. Conforto, a very young rookie with the Mets, joins a cast of young players, including fire-baller Noah Syndergaard, who we'll refer to as "NS" for sake of making too many typos. NS is on fire, and my prediction is that a no-hitter is imminent for him....this season.

   However, there is one factor that simply awes me, and it is not the power and consistency that we want in our hitters, both of which Conforto has. It is the "no fear" mentality with eyes always open watching and observing. Mike Trout has this. Bryce Harper has it. Going further back, Tony Gwynn certainly had it as well. It's almost as if an older, wiser soul resides within him. Pull up some of his at-bats online. How can he take pitches like that and know they are not strikes? He's a tough out, and he makes each pitcher earn their pay. Let me be clear. He's 23. What 23 year old has an eye like that?

   Last Fall, with the Mets down to their final out in the World Series, the pinnacle of pressure in Sports, Conforto was up at bat. The first thought is hostile crowd, huge pressure, rookie.....equals strikeout. Nope! Conforto hits a single, and extends the game one more batter before the ugly ending. But the point here is, folks, this kid has got it. When you can have that kind of cool, calm, collected mentality, along with hitting home runs with exit velocity readings of 115-118 mph off of his bat, you've got a winner.

                                               A Shout Out to MLB.com for this image!

   Taking all of this into account with the Media spotlight in NY, the World Series run the Mets will be making again this year, I have started investing a lot in Conforto rookies, whether they are Chrome or Base Set cards. So, for the many folks that have been E-mailing me on our site, www.CardboardandCoins.com to ask me, I just cannot part with any Conforto cards just yet! It's that darn 'Conforto Factor'! Funny thing, I am not alone in this, as I spoke to 2 friends that are industry "heavies" and they are doing the same exact thing. The "factor" is real!

   I have been putting plenty of Mike Trout cards up on the site, and you might want to check back as we are constantly adding more inventory with over 200,000 cards in stock.

   Who are you investing in? Which young players show you the most potential. I'd love to hear!

Regards,
Rob Eisenstein, President CardboardandCoins.com
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
That includes all Major Sports, as well as Comics and Pokemon Cards
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#Conforto @mconforto8 #mets #Syndergaard #baseballcards #cardboardandcoins #mlb

OK, I Admit it; I Really, Really Love Baseball Cards

Hi Folks,
 
   OK, I have to admit it; I love baseball cards. I have placed myself in just such a way that I am over my head with stacks of cards that I've been buying nonstop. I'm not talking junk either. I am talking 84 Topps Traded Set, and 12 pounds (yes, 12 pounds) of card assortments.

   If I only spent more of that time listing cards on the site, you'd have even more variety and I'd have more room. Somebody stop me, please !!!

A few of our latest additions:

1972 Topps Pete Rose In Action, Graded an 8

2015 Topps Heritage Mike Trout Short Print (SP)

1966 Topps Joe Morgan

Remember:, that's just a small taste of things to come. Check the site daily!

   The list goes on and on, including a slew of new Kris Bryant cards.
Check it out and help me clear some space by visiting CardboardandCoins.com

Also, note that the Long Island National @ Hofstra is coming up on 4/16 & 4/17. The show is run by JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions. Every show get's better than the one before, and that is due to a group of guys that dedicate their hearts and souls to this. I've seen time and again how they remind us that it's all about the kids. Great example of good folks in our industry, and the name "Rock Solid" fit's them just right ! Check out more info on them and their shows at www.nyshows.org

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
That includes all Major Sports, as well as Comics and Pokemon Cards
All US Shipping is FREE, Always
....and there is NO Minimum Order Size!!
www.CardboardandCoins.com

Everything seems to be Mike Trout lately; Don't forget Bryce Harper!

Hi folks,
   Mike Trout here. Just kidding!
   Or am I?

   Every generation in baseball has that one player who stands out leaps and bounds above the rest. When I say this, I mean not only because of their ferocious swing, lightning fast speed, or their ability to wrap it all together with a friendly smile and confidently happy laugh. I don't have to tell you about a personal favorite during the last phase of this evolution, but I should mention his name; Ken Griffey Jr. Always smiling, happy to be alive, present in the moment realizing that he is in the midst of living "The Dream", and knowing his age and not taking one single moment of it for granted. Close seconds for this honor were both Mike Piazza, and being the Anti-Yankee, I still need to be impartial here and say Derek Jeter. Strong, Silent leaders, both team captains with a warm-hearted smile and both mentally present in living their dreams. Not to mention, some pretty fast-moving Rookie Cards!

   Now, back then, Griffey was spread all over the place, aside from multiple types of cards, from mainstream to the rare type, he was just the smiling face of baseball. A big kid. Now, granted that the Internet was growing during Griffey's reign on the diamond, it cannot even compare to the internet saturation of today.

   Enter Mike Trout.

   With the country very pleased seeing Piazza and Griffey voted into the Hall, and with an eye towards Jeter's turn at the Hall in a few years, American media and fans have scoured the playing fields, and they've found their man....the new smiling face of baseball.

   So now, with the way the world is interwoven like a huge quilt, Mike Trout is everywhere. Being in a good mood one morning, I think I heard someone say, "Hey, check out the Mike Trout smile on that dude over there". I went to the doctor with a cold and the doctor asked me, "I guess you don't feel so Mike Trout today, I'm guessing". Really? Or how about the new puzzle for the ages; who would win in a fight, Mike Trout or Paul Bunyan. Here is my answer....Babe's Blue Ox.

   Now, don't get me wrong. I respect what Trout has done. It is immense. When you can hit close to .300 and 41 Hr's and it's considered a close to average year for you, that's abnormally good. And being young at heart, I think he is taking in every moment of this and living it now!! That takes good upbringing and a sharp head on your shoulders. The fact that he's a New Jersey fist-pumper instead of a New York guido, well, ok, he's got one strike against him! Seriously, a cool guy from what I can see in terms of mutual respect he shows reporters and the fans and folks around him. Trout is the real deal, he's here to stay, and he is destined for the Hall of Fame, absolutely!!

   Now, not running too far behind him is one of the coolest guys to hit the diamond, Bryce Harper. Ok, now let me be straight up and honest here; I was not the biggest fan of Bryce Harper just because he was just another guy hitting 30 home runs and batting in the middish 200's...basically, a batter that you can pull out of anywhere in the world. Not such a big deal when you need him to come up with a key hit, and he's a 1-for-4 kinda guy.

   However, after seeing Harper's consistent performance in 2015, from the beginning all the way through to the end, I have to make a few observations here, but let me stand up and say this; Bryce Harper you really are impressive! When you can walk off that field at the end of 2014 and you come back the following season hitting almost 60 points higher, all season long, you are truly a remarkable hitter. Now here is my observation which is that from the end of 2014 up until the 2015 season, Harper must have devoted 5 - 6 hours every single day in the cage hitting, hitting, hitting, and honing his eye for Balls and Strikes, so now when he's at the plate he sees a huge red beach-ball coming down the pipe instead of a tiny baseball. Now, without stating his name here (Umm, Papelbon, CEO of TEACH-ME-TO-MIND-MY-OWN-BUSINESS Inc), I and many others can see clearly how sitting out that one game gave Gordon and Arenado the opportunity to lift their average and season HR totals, respectively. Nonetheless, you rock, bro, and the word "Triple Crown" looms ahead for you.! One last note on Harper; he stated during the Post-Season that he's glad the Met's won (the Division, Pennant) because we faced the Nationals fair and square each time, and that is the mark of a true gentleman, for being mature enough to see past the friendly rivalry, and to see the bigger picture at then end of the season.

   So, miles of smiles from Trout and Harper, but Trout smiles more, thus the spread of Trout-mania. Let's just stop for a moment and think about the lives that Bryce Harper and Mike Trout lead, and let's stand back and realize just how amazing this is at their age.

    By the way, when folks start using Mike Trout in place of saying "Top Dog" or"King of the Hill", please remember this post!

   As a shout out to Mike Trout and the previous smiling icon of baseball, Ken Griffey Jr., here are some of our newest offerings of these players:


2012 Topps #446 Mike Trout "Rookie Card", NM-MT


2015 Topps Update # US227 Mike Trout, PACK FRESH, NM-MT+


2013 Topps Heritage Mike Trout 430a SP SHORT VARIATION LOW POP HIGH # ANGELS


1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD RC #1 HOF MVP Grade 8.5 NM-MT+


1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD Grade 10 GEM MINT RC # 548 HOF MVP


1990 Bowman #481 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 8.5 NM-Mt


1999 Finest #200 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 10 "GEM MINT"


Remember:, that's just a small taste of things to come. Check back here daily!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

TAGS: #Cardboardncoins #MikeTrout #BryceHarper #baseballcard #rookie #griffey #jeter

CardboardandCoins, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Baseball card, Rookie, Griffey, Jeter

Where Are the CARDS on CardboardandCoins.com?

Hi Folks,
   It's been some time since I touched base, and I just received a question from one of my direct buyers who filled out the contact form and said, "Hey, Rob....something is missing from your site. Like Cards?". Oh yeah, that.

   Well, I can blame this one and that one and the dog and everyone else, but the latency falls on my shoulders with that. Now, don't get me wrong, we have 80+ products posted, covering baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, coins, Pokemon Cards, and Comic Books, but this batch was only the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

  Now here follows my excuse, which again, falls on me; Getting items listed on the website is one of the most massive undertakings I've had to work through. Between preparing the scans, getting the grading done by the entire grading team and then creating the Ads...this all takes time. When you add in someone who is a "petty perfectionist" (me), you are looking at an hour per Ad. Yes, I know, not normal. I am now working with templates and csv files to expedite things and I'm putting a lot of faith in finding the right solution or combination, So, please bear with us as it may take some time but you will see more and more quality products that you look for and expect to find in your favorite shops.

What are some of the hottest items that just got listed?:

1) 2012 Topps Update US144 Mike Trout RARE Gold Border Parallel, Grade 9.8 MINT+

2) 2010 Topps #148 Rob Gronkowski Rookie Card, Patriots Legendary TE, Grade 9.8 MINT+

3) MEGA VENUSAUR EX 2/146 ~ HOT! ULTRA RARE HOLO EX Pokemon XY Base Set


Again, that's just a small batch and a taste of things to come.

Stick around, really, you're gonna like it here!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
From Wheat Cents to Baseball Cards, and Beyond!
http://www.cardboardandcoins.com


TAGS: #Cardboardncoins #MikeTrout #Gronkowski #baseballcard #topps #pokemon #venusaur #holo #rare

Pete Rose Inches Closer To Cooperstown...

Hello Friends,
   As the regular Baseball season winds down along with the Magic Number for my Playoff-destined New York Mets, I can't help but think of one player more than any other down the stretch. No, it's not Seaver, Strawberry, Gooden, or Piazza, all of whom are true champs, but this one fella is larger than life: Pete Rose.

Why Pete Rose?

  Pete Rose was and still is the epitome of drive, determination, and fire. Pete could eat a bowl of nails and still play that same day. He gave his heart and walked off the field at the end a success, whether the Reds/Phillies/Expo's...whoever...won or lost the game.

   Growing up in the 70's and 80's, and collecting baseball cards during that time, the buzz was always about the coveted 1963 Topps Pete Rose Rookie Card. Not Mickey Mantle, who enjoyed the media hype of New York, or else he would have wound up with the same unimpressive fame as Jim Thome's 600+ HomeRun Career, had Mantle wound up in a media quiet zone vs. New York (I'm obviously not flattered by Mantle, nor am I brainwashed by Mantle rhetoric!).

   I'll go on the record here and say I am one of the biggest PRO-ROSE-HOF folks out there. Did he jump into the stands and beat up fans, get drunk and beat his wife, or knock kids off their bikes if they got in his way? No, that's what the OTHER people already inducted into the Hall of Fame have done before being voted in!! He gambled, he bet FOR his own team, as that is finally now coming to light. Not AGAINST his team...FOR his team. From where I come from, that's called putting your money where your mouth is!. Why? Because it was in his best interest to win those damn games at all costs. I'm not saying what he did was right...but again, I ask, did he use "The Clear" rub-on steroids like that wonderfully nice guy, Barry Bonds did? How about Clemens, another honor roll guy. I'd love Mike Piazza to get another shot at Roger Clemens when he's not all tough-guyed up on drugs (Did George Steinbrenner know? Did he care? Sore Topic!). Piazza has too much class, and is too much of a gentleman to deal with guys like that. On this topic for another time, the only one I can show some respect for in that batch is Jose Canseco. He didn't hide it, come out and didn't say, "Duh, I didn't know this was illegal". He made bad choices, but he owned it. I teach my son that what they did was wrong, but to take something out of what Canseco did, and he took responsibility for his actions. Now, back to Rose.

   Rose had none of these problems. So it's irrelevant. He's not Communist Cuba, the embargo is over, and it should be for Pete as well. Is he the most upstanding citizen in the world? Would I want to meet him in a dark alley? Hell no! At 74, I saw Pete at the National back in April (See story here), he's still built like a tank and takes no "shoot" from anyone.

   What did I say to him when he was signing a bat and for my son? I told him that he's always been a source of inspiration ever since I was a kid my son's age, and I thanked him for being a role model. (I also said Giamatti and Selig were punks and were not even half the man he was; I got a wink for that from Pete along with a "thank you"!).

   Look, I'm watching guys get tagged out trying to stretch a double into a triple in a tight game. Why did it have to be ONLY Pete Rose that slid head first? Are they too pretty to do it. Hook in there with your hands and intimidate like Pete. Pretend it's Ray Fosse standing there!!!

   The only guy since Rose with any type of deep love for the game was Ken Griffey Jr., another true professional and an asset to the game, but one who did beat Rose out in the "smiles while playing" department. Love the Griffey family !!

   These new jacks to the sport need to "Hustle" like Charlie Hustle, and this is a shining example for what all of us should be doing in our lives.

   It was great seeing Rose broadcasting during the All-Star game, but he looked so uncomfortable from that side of the field. While watching the All-Star game, it got me thinking....LOOK HOW CLOSE ROSE IS getting back to Baseball....this guys about to get himself into the Hall of Fame!!

   This is a Pro. A Surgeon. A strategic hard-headed powerhouse with a love for the game. I'll be on that huge lawn up in Cooperstown when Rose makes his Hall of Fame speech, because you know what, Pete Rose IS baseball and Pete Rose MEANS baseball. Baseball runs through his veins.

   Pete had that Rocky "Eye of the Tiger" for over 25 Seasons playing and managing, and he never flinched once. Just don't block home plate or he will bowl you right over....but that's what the game is about and isn't that what life is about? Find what you love doing, and do it better than anybody around you and don't let anybody get in your way no matter who they are and how tough they appear? True toughness is in the heart, not in the fists! Although, Pete communicated quite well with both when someone crossed the line asking for it.

   Listen carefully...the lessons Pete Rose etched into the diamond are still echoing today to help teach us all lessons about ourselves and about life!