Friday, August 29, 2014

Another Flip Quest Update!

Life has thrown us some unexpected curves recently, so still no significant time to invest in this flip quest.  I've been working out the details on the finale for this whole thing, and it has been a bit rocky.  Once things are finalized, I'll write more.

Some educational books (yay for home schoolers and school starting!), the rody and sesame street bins sold.  $66 added to the total.

Here is where we stand:

DEAL TRACKER
CARDS
2013 Topps Mini Black #/5 Chris Johnson
2014 A&G Ryan Howard Hand #'ed to 25 mini

NON CARDS
box of educational books
Geotrax Set
step 2 locker
wii fit pad
game cube
air jordans
circular chinese dragon wall art
4 ps2 games
oriental vase
taiwanese chest
1 drop-leaf desk
drafting table
projector screen
black ottoman

Cash
$3,309.75 total

Keepers (for now)
1 drop leaf desk
Fabric of the Game Canseco Jersey
Absolute Heroes Canseco Jersey / Cap
2 Security Cameras
6 plates (wife let me know that we will be keeping 6 of the plates!)
2 comic display pieces
wii & wii fit
MP640 printer
glass top wicker basket
2 2014 Canseco cards
Jose Canseco autographed baseball

Based upon the list above, there is still about $400 worth of stuff left to sell over time.

In the mean time ... I keep getting these mystery packages!  Strange!  ;)


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

FOUND MY 29 YEAR WHITE WHALE! And the Reason for my Username!

To say I'm stoked, is a MASSIVE understatement. A VERY interesting story comes along with this whole thing too! To put it simply in one statement:

I found it.
My precious.
My reason for collecting.
The reason for my username.

THE card I've been searching for ever since I read about it in Beckett back in the 1980's. If you lived in the Huntsville area of Alabama in the 1980's, you might remember the now-defunct grocery store chain "Mouschi's" ... (It is what I base my username after.) This is probably a familiar sight for you Alabamans:



They were quite active with the minor league team the Huntsville Stars, and have had numerous signings with several of the players in the 80's like Luis Polonia, Terry Steinbach and Mark McGwire. They even made baseball cards.

The one signing that eluded them, however, was Jose Canseco. They had promoted it in their weekly ads, but it never materialized due to Jose being called up. Here is a pic of one of the ads that I got my hands on years back - it states there were 25 made:



The whole thing was mismanaged, because according to Beckett years ago, they actually produced the cards before getting the agreement! The idea was to bring the newspaper ad in, ask the cashier for the Canseco baseball card (limited to 25 copies). The card acted as a voucher that you could bring to be signed on September 2nd, 1985 at the store.

I had never seen one, until yesterday. Heck, I'm not sure if anyone else has seen this card in the past 30 years or so, either! Here it is:



and the back ...



MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!!!!

But it actually gets much, much more interesting...

The previous owner of the card was upset, because the signing never happened. He wrote a rather scathing letter to Mouschi's grocery store, and received a response (I was able to keep this letter as well for my collection!!!):



If you don't want to read it, it basically says Jose ain't comin' back to Huntsville. He's a star now. The other copies of the card have been destroyed (I HAVE A 1 OF 1!?!?!?!?!?) but you are welcome to bring the "worthless" card back for a "valuable" voucher of Terry Steinbach who will be signing. In addition to this, they would get a $25 gift certificate to the store.

The previous owner noted that he snubbed them and didn't want Steinbach. He wanted Canseco. He mentioned that it was bizarre that representatives from Mouschi's would continually call him over a period of 3 months, even after the Steinbach signing to get the card back. They offered substantially more money for it, as well. This ultimately subsided, and they began getting disturbing calls and hang-ups at all hours of the night. Finally, it all ended.

If you look at the letter he received, notice how Mr. Buttersworth (what a ridiculous name!) explicitly mentioned that the Canseco card has no value. The back story of this is that the whole chain went belly-up due to a legal altercation with Burger King. The fast food giant crushed the local grocery store chain, and it was no more.

The card front looks eerily close to a card that Burger King produced around the same time period:



I have a version of this card autographed, and have taken a picture of it next to the Mouschi's card:



Why did Mouschi's make such a concerted effort to get the only card in existence back? Could this card be the link to the downfall of the entire grocery chain? That is one theory, anyway.

Another theory perhaps, might fit as well:

What if that whole thing was a hoax???

What if someone else had taken the Burger King card, and took out the logo in the background?



What if they had just slapped Jose's pic on the front of it?



And made the background a painting along with putting a bottom graphic?



And made Jose a painting as well?



That is all well and good, but what about the advertisement? It clearly states from Mouschi's that there IS a signing:



Or does it????



Was Mr. Buttersworth's letter a real thing? Look at all the ink stains, wrinkles and rips. Heck, a real signature from ol' Edmund himself.



Or was it intentionally aged after being printed?



Hmmm, strange. Stranger still, the Mouschi's grocery store. A grungy looking picture from the 80's ...



What if that had been intentionally aged as well?



And if it weren't a "Mouschi's" at all?



But what if there never even was a Mouschi's Grocery Store? That wouldn't make sense though - I mean, I still recall their theme song "Everything's Better at Mouschi's..."

What if the logo was just made yesterday by some dude with too much time on his hands yesterday evening?





Curious. Surely, no one would go through all this trouble of doing various copies, only to write up something that everyone else could enjoy!



And even make a rounded corner version to mimic unlicensed 1980's cards, while using a plastic baggie from a Mother's Cookies card to give it an authentic look!



I'm sure that there are a number of theories out there. I guess we will never know the truth! :)

Monday, August 18, 2014

Flip Quest Update - most cardboard is now gone

The majority of the cards are now gone. I moved most all of the cards, as well as the baseballs. Here is the update!

DEAL TRACKER
CARDS
2013 Topps Mini Black #/5 Chris Johnson
2014 A&G Ryan Howard Hand #'ed to 25 mini

NON CARDS
box of educational books
Geotrax Set
step 2 locker
wii fit pad
game cube
sesame street cubby system
air jordans
circular chinese dragon wall art
4 ps2 games
oriental vase
taiwanese chest
rody
1 drop-leaf desk
drafting table
projector screen
black ottoman

Cash
$3,243.75 total

Keepers (for now)
1 drop leaf desk
Fabric of the Game Canseco Jersey
Absolute Heroes Canseco Jersey / Cap
2 Security Cameras
6 plates (wife let me know that we will be keeping 6 of the plates!)
2 comic display pieces
wii & wii fit
MP640 printer
glass top wicker basket
2 2014 Canseco cards
Jose Canseco autographed baseball

Another mysterious package came in as well. I wonder what it could be? (Don't worry - though the box is hurt, the contents are not!)

Friday, August 15, 2014

Flip Quest Update!

This is kind of getting monotonous for me, because nothing huge is happening. I do, however, have a few good updates:

I picked up another lot of cards (sorry for horrible pics!)

Nice chrome & purple refractor heritage lot






nice selection of A&G mini sp's inserts etc - incl. a cool Jeter, JoFer mini black rookie, and more.


Abreu Tanaka Bryant Trout Puig Springer die cuts etc.


Relic of Buster Posey & Billy Hamilton various die cuts autos mini gold #/58 etc.


Manziel (SOLD ALREADY)


Chris Johnson mini #/5


Ryan Howard Hand #/25


D'Arnaud Hand #/25 (already sold)


(already sold)


(already sold)


I was able to sell:
Storage bins
Toy Box (marked as a bin in my previous posts)
the platters (FINALLY)
an educational book

So here is where we are at:

DEAL TRACKER
CARDS
Stadium Club Beam Team Josh Hamilton Autograph
Pasttime booklet Strawberry/Gooden dual jersey
Pasttime booklet Clemens/Piazza dual jersey
Tier One Kaline Bat
Marquee David Ortiz Quad jersey
Pasttime Boggs dual jersey
Premier Patches Schilling patch
Premier Patches Vlad Guerrero patch
National Treasures Michael Young Book
Goudey Miguel Cabrera jersey
Large lot as shown on 8/8/14 Post
Large lot as shown on 8/15/14 Post


NON CARDS
box of educational books
Geotrax Set
step 2 locker
wii fit pad
game cube
sesame street cubby system
air jordans
circular chinese dragon wall art
4 ps2 games
oriental vase
taiwanese chest
rody
1 drop-leaf desk
drafting table
projector screen
black ottoman


Cash
$2,978.00 total

Keepers (for now)
1 drop leaf desk
Fabric of the Game Canseco Jersey
Absolute Heroes Canseco Jersey / Cap
2 Security Cameras
6 plates (wife let me know that we will be keeping 6 of the plates!)
2 comic display pieces
wii & wii fit
MP640 printer
glass top wicker basket
2 2014 Canseco cards
Jose Canseco autographed baseball

Since this is becoming more of a drag these days to keep up with, and hardly anyone posting, I'm now gearing up for making my final purchase(s) to end the flip quest. With all the items I have gathered as well as cash, if I were to stop today, I would conservatively have $3,500 plus the goodies in the keepers heading when all is said and done. Not bad, considering what I started out with :)

Here is a package I received that is going to be revealed at the end of this whole thing.



I wonder what it is?!?!?! ;)

Friday, August 8, 2014

Flip Quest Update

I have had a hard time keeping up with this puppy recently because of the latest project I've been working on.  It is nearing 2am, but what the heck ... might as well update what's going on!
I sold ...
Panthers Jersey
Scrapbooking Machine
new vintage game table
a few educational books
I also picked up a number of cards which I'm selling in a lot.  After all is said and done, I've come ahead $67.50.




Various different varation backs - one has no # and one (the sasquatch) is apparently a case hit.

Unbeknownst to me, that golden age quad card that you see Rose's head sticking up out from the bottom is a rare card that fetches $10-15. I would have thought it was a dime card otherwise! Various football, including a gold refractor auto, and several gold minis #/58. Probably $40-50 worth of football.

Elvis Presley and Hank Williams worn swatches. Dave Righetti autographed baseball w/inscription Gary Sheffield autographed baseball w/inscription Willie Nelson worn swatches - a few with some nice color breaks!


I also got an autographed Jose Canseco baseball, but I'm going to go ahead and keep it for now ... will probably try to cut it up later to make a custom :) 
Check the deal tracker page to see where I am at!