February Phanatic of the Month

Forget the snow, sleet and rain, LOVE is in the air!  

The Phanatic takes the form of Cupid for this month's Phanatic of the Month release.  Since we've had silhouette of the complete run for months, the design is not a surprise - but, it's nice to finally see the fully realized figurine.  There have been a few stinkers in the series, but months with major holidays continue to be "on target"...

Photos via @DrBobblesWorld - give him a follow on Twitter for more bobble fun!

December Phanatic of the Month Wuz Here

I've written with increased urgency each successive month since the Phanatic of the Month releases began last Spring.  Each month it has gotten tougher and tougher to secure the prize as the figurine's popularity (and eBay prices) have swelled.  

Well, December is here and I am left without this month's bobble head.  I have to admit: most of this problem is my own doing.  I punted the store stakeout on Sunday morning in favor of the annual family trip to the Christmas tree farm - choosing to grab on on the secondary market later.  Considering the bobble's sold out within minutes of the door opening, it was likely the best decision I could have made.  Tales from survivors set the scene as a "Black Friday-like" scramble... not my idea of fun.

With figurines tough to come by, it took a full 24-hours before I even saw what one looked like.  Call me a grinch, but the December design didn't really impress me much.  Unlike previous month's creations, this design puts us in familiar territory: the Phanatic in a Santa suit.  Even the inclusion of a Christmas tree has been done before.  Maybe it's more an inditement of the tired "Phanta Claus" theme, and not this particular bobble head - but, I am very indifferent on it.

If time doesn't tame prices on the secondary market, I'll just buy this ornament and call it "December"...

Thanks to fellow collector, Pat Adair for use of the December Phanatic of the Month photo.  Make sure to check out his blog  and give him a follow on Twitter (@DroppedStrike3)...

Ryne Sandberg Rookie Autograph

I did not do any bidding in Wednesday night's internet sale by Hunt Auctions, but I did scroll through the lots.  One item in particular, lot # 1126 - "1981 Phillies, Partial Team Ball," caught my eye.  It wasn't an extremely rare or valuable piece, but rather, it was interesting because it showed how current Phillies Manager, Ryne Sandberg signed his name as a rookie.

Check out the side by side of then and now:

Comparison of Ryne Sandberg autographs: 1981 vs. 2013

2003 Steve Carlton Bobble Heads

As part of the final season at Veterans Stadium the Phillies hosted several bobble head giveaway games, including June 22, 2003 - when a Steve Carlton figurine was handed out.  At this point most of us have either seen, or acquired one of the standard issued SGAs...but, would you be surprised if I told you it is not the only version that was produced?

Steve Carlton Bobble Head - signed variation

Though not as widely available as the SGA, a second version has popped up here and there on the secondary market over the years.  This variation looks much like the original, with the exception of a white pitching rubber - and a Steve Carlton autograph.  Speculation has been that this was either a random variant inserted into the standard SGAs at the gates, or sold in the Stadium team store - but, as far as I can tell, we've never received solid confirmation of either.

Steve Carlton Bobble Head - unsigned variation

In addition to these two known bobble heads, I recently uncovered the existence of a third variant!  The third version is a hybrid of the two earlier ones - same figurine, with an unsigned, white pitching rubber.

After exchanging emails with Lefty's merchandising company, Game Winner Sports, I came to find out that 3,000 of the two non-SGA variations were ordered by the Phillies specifically for Carlton. They have presumabley been selling this inventory on the Hall of Famer's official site: stevecarlton.com, for $39 (unsigned) and $79 (signed), ever since...

Hunt Auctions - November Live Auction Preview

Online bidding for Hunt Auctions', 10th Annual Louisville Slugger Museum Live Auction ends tomorrow night.  The marquee lots have been reserved for Hall of Famer, Bill Mazeroski's personal collection, but as with previous editions, this year's event puts many desirable Phillies-themed items on the block.  I have already shared a few on Facebook this week, but here are a couple more to keep your eye on... 

Carlos Ruiz, 2010 Alternate Home Jersey

Game Used Carlos Ruiz Jersey

This is an underperforming beauty.  I'm not sure whether it is Ruiz's tenuous standing as a Phillie, or if the shine has truly rubbed off this former All Star, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in this log, to-date.  At this point, it would take a lot for the jersey to climb back into the pre-auction range of $400-600.  To be fair, it was probably a stretch to begin with...

Current bid: $138

Link to the lot

1964 Phillies Pin Display

"Go!  Phillies Go!"

As a collector of 1964 Phillies I've been familiar with these pins for years - often seeing them at flea markets or card shows.  The bold, blue font screaming 1960s camp, and of course, the classic logo make it a very desirable (and, low-cost) collectible. What makes pieces like this so attractive is the fact that they aren't supposed to be around anymore.  This cardboard store display would look great in any 1960s-era collection. 

Current bid:  $80

Link to the lot

1964 Phillies Pin Store Display

Bobby Wine, 1980 Game Uniform

Bobby Wine, 1980 Road Uniform

Maz isn't the only former player to be in the mood to clean out his closet - joining him is long time Phillie, Bobby Wine, whose own personal collection is up for bid.  There are several items from "The Wine Collection" worth mentioning, but I chose this one because of the significance the uniform has to the Phillies' 1980 Championship season.  The deep blue of this "powder blue" uniform would look awesome on display, and is still well within the pre-auction range $1,500-2000.  Some lucky collector may get a deal out of it...

Current Bid: $720

Link to the lot