Blog Kiosk: 5/19/2011

• I don't much care about having a local NFL team, but if you do care check out this petition, via Sons of Steve Garvey.
• Check out these great pics from Boston.com of Dogs in the news. The below photos is from K9 Storm Inc./Handout/Reuters.
• If you don't already know, get a limited Fathers Day cooking apron at Dodger Stadium on June 19th. Pic below features Rod Barajas sporting the apron. (Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)
• The reward for the capture of the vagrants who attacked Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium has been upped to $200k, and news just came out about a female driver who helped the attackers to escape, via ESPN.
• Imagine finding this on a hike. It's a giant pink bunny in the Italian Alps. Find out more from an art group called Gelitin. (Hat Tip: Cellar)
• This is so very cool. The Solar System Scope. (Hat Tip: The Big Picture)
• I thought this was a great story about 3 teenagers stranded on a small boat lost at sea for 51 days, via GQ.

REA: Mullin's Original Brooklyn Bum Statue

It has just occurred to me that I'm a total dingbat. Really... I am. Probably the most important vintage auction of the year has passed me by without a single post sharing some of the treasures it holds. I've just been so distracted... so, apologize for that.

I plan on making up for it over the next several days, if not weeks, since REA's annual event really is something of a collectors paradise. They handle some of the more cherished cards and memorabilia the hobby has to offer.

In fact, check out the main subject of this post. As you may know, the Dodgers have really only had one mascot in its history. It was the Brooklyn Bum who was first drawn and conceived by legendary sports cartoonist Willard Mullin. His drawing was found around anything Dodger related in the 40's and 50's, and symbolizes both the love and despair felt by the Brooklyn faithful. The Bum was both cartoonish and playful while typifying how much suffering the borough had endured following their boys on the field. Nothing is more emblematic of the team than Mullin's creation, and it's doubtful anything every will be.

In the REA offering there was a incredible statue made by Mullin of the Brooklyn Bum, and it is only one of two known to exist. See the photo below showing Mullin sculpting it. The statue dates to 1950 and was originally a prototype for a lamp to be sold to the general public. Unfortunately, the venture never got off the ground, but at least we have this statue to glare at. It is an incredible piece that should be in some museum somewhere. I'm hopeful a local collector purchased it for a future exhibit that we can all enjoy. This statue sold for $8,500.00.

(Auction Link)

Auto Collection: Duke Snider Lumber

I can never get enough of Duke Snider's autographed cards. As I've said before all Dodger collectors need to add one to their collection. Heck, you should add a bunch since they are so plentiful. And by the looks of it, Duke signed hundreds, if not thousands, of stickers for future use. So, we will all get to enjoy his legacy on cardboard for many years to come.

Here is a 2005 Donruss Leather & Lumber autographed lumber cut card of Snider. Unfortunately, I have yet to attain the companion leather autographed cut card, but I'm a patient man. Sooner or later one will pop up at an affordable price.

eBay: Furrillo and Son

I love these vintage press photos featuring ballplayers with their kids. Here is a recent item I ran into on eBay featuring Carl Furillo with his young son Carl Jr. from 1952. It's from the United Press and was taken after the 5th game of the 1952 World Series. As I'm sure you can tell the Dodgers won that afternoon, taking a 3-2 series lead. Unfortunately, this photo showed the last big of happiness for our guys as they would go on the lose the next two.

(eBay Auction Link)

Blog Kiosk: 5/17/2011- I am Getting Lost

I know posting here has been a bit sparse lately, but I've got a good excuse, I swear. I've never been much of a TV junkie, and have always tried to stay away from ongoing television shows that run season to season. Of course, there have been rare exceptions, but, for the most part, I stick to sports and movies on cable.

Over the past several years there has been one show that took the country by storm. It was a show that my friends would waxed poetically about symbolism and meaning. It was the show Lost, and their discussions would literally cause my brain to ache. So, being as stubborn as I am want to be, I stayed away. Well, no more. Due to the wonder of Netflix I decided, several days, to give the show a try. And, like a man who has recently taken his first hit of some illicit drug, I now find myself a hopeless Lost junkie. I've gone through the first season in flash and realize I cannot stop. So, please, forgive me if I might be a little absent.

• Holy Moley! I'm not much of a hockey collector, I've only got a handful of Kings related cards, but this new Panini set coming out called Dominion Hockey has me salivating just a bit. Check this card out, from The Knights Lance. I would literally kill for this card... no, really.
• 2011 Bowman Baseball is out, and I hope to have some Dodger cards from the base set up soon. See a checklist of the entire set here.
• Baseball by the Letters shares an account from former MLB'er and 1984 USA Baseball Olympian Don August.
  
• Collectors Weekly writes about the recent sale of some vintage, late 50's, silk-screened posters of Disneyland, but I really want to know about Jeff Bridges original sweater from the movie The Big Labowski.
  
• I really love the ongoing series Lasorda at His Best on his blog. Check out this great story about Joe Adcock being Dave Kingman for a day and the ensuing scuffle it precipitated.
  
• Roberto provides some good advice for autograph collectors. On another note, please stop hounding him. The man can only do so much, and you should be thankful he does what he does. Believe me, most of us bloggers do not make the kind of money that justifies the amount of time we spend putting stuff together.
  
• Most of you have probably already seen this, but check out the upcoming Andre Ethier bobblehead the Dodgers will be giving out on July 7th.
• Here is a great video of Space Shuttle Endeavor's lift-off. It's really cool.

Endeavour Lifts Off on its Last Mission from spacevideo on Vimeo.

Auto Collection: Steve Garvey "Legend of Summer"

Here is another example of how crazy I can get when it comes to chasing autographed Dodger cards. Here are two 2003 Donruss Signature Series "Legends of Summer" inserts cards of Steve Garvey. At first glance you might say that they are the exact same card, but there is one glaring difference. Take a closer look.

By now, I'm sure you see the variation. One card is sign in black ink while the other is signed with a blue sharpie. It's a unique variation that only a slightly obsessive compulsive personality could enjoy.