• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Modern Sports Card News / What I Collect: Tanner Jones – Jose Canseco Supercollector

What I Collect: Tanner Jones – Jose Canseco Supercollector

April 17, 2017 By Tanner Jones

This is the latest in an ongoing series of articles written by readers who tell the stories of the sports memorabilia they collect and why. 

Like many of you reading, my baseball journey started as a child.  I was captivated by the game, and one player in particular: Jose Canseco.  His violent swing, and titanic home runs were addicting.  Collecting baseball cards was like owning a piece of my childhood hero.  I LOVED being able to pick up new cards of his.  From his 1987 Topps, to his 1989 Score to his 1991 Mother’s Cookies cards, I have so many stories and memories attached to each one.

My story likely continues in the same fashion as yours does as well!  As a teenager, “life” distracted me from collecting.  I became more interested in hanging out with friends and going to my church’s youth group events than I was opening up packs of cards.  The strike didn’t help anything, either.  I still kept an eye out from time to time on how Jose was doing.  Each time he signed with another team, it felt like part of my childhood was slipping away from me.  I remember crying my eyes out when he got traded to the Rangers, and I also remember being incredibly excited when he came back to the A’s (though I wasn’t paying nearly as much attention to baseball at that point).

During the “lost years”, my collection found its way into my closet, and stayed there.  The only time I would touch them would be whenever I moved.  Baseball cards were a huge part of my childhood, and while many people would sell off their collections, I never could bring myself to it.  That is, until I became an adult.

In my early 20’s, I got married to a wonderful woman and we had an amazing son.  My life filled up quickly with family time and work as I also started up a small web design firm.  In 2005, Hurricane Rita hit our area, and we found ourselves without power for a while.  Without any ability to work, I decided to pull out my baseball card collection – particularly, the Jose Canseco portion.

I brought them downstairs, and started sorting them, looking through the binder and had a fantastic time doing so.  It really turned something on in me again to start collecting.  I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with collecting, but I knew I wanted cardboard back in my life again.  Eventually, I decided to try collecting every single set of baseball cards from 1980 to 1993.  I was shocked to find out that the shipping in most cases was more expensive than the actual set itself.  A 1989 Topps set for $8?  Yes please!  Shipping for $14?  C’mon!

The game-used baseball card crazy absolutely captivated me.  I ended up buying each and every one I could for under $2, no matter who the player was.  There was something about them that just felt so high-tech.  Next level stuff.

I ended up becoming bored with this directionless way of collecting, and sold everything- except for my Canseco collection, of course!  I found out that selling cards was just as fun for me as collecting, so I decided to buy cards with the intent of selling for profit.  Over the next 10 years, I ended up doing deals involving approximately 10 million cards.  Anytime I would see a Canseco card, I would mindlessly toss it to the side and keep it, with the plan of one day sorting through everything and building a master checklist.  After having gone through so many cards in my past, surely I would have one of the best, if not the best Canseco collection on the planet!

I tried hanging onto the crazy patch cards I’d run into, the autographed baseballs of Pujols & Mantle, the 93 SP Jeter, etc. but I always found myself more interested in selling them than keeping.  Fast forward to 2013, I ended up selling everything, where only my Canseco collection remained.  I figured the timing was perfect to dig into it and see where I stood.  I was disappointed.

While I could probably corner the market on 1991 Donruss Canseco cards, I didn’t have a single Elite.  1997 Topps?  You bet! Refractor?  I never even saw one.  While I had amassed a large quantity of his cards, I found out that I didn’t really have anything special.  As a matter of fact, the best card I had was probably worth $10.  It is funny to think that the crown jewel of my card collection back then was a card I had a double of that I just gave away to someone on Twitter a month or so ago!

Frustrated, I decided to sell it all.  If I could go through millions of cards and not come up with anything special, how could I expect to build anything great?  After a few short months, I found a buyer, and he ended up purchasing my entire Canseco collection, aside from a few I kept.

After the collection sold, I started thinking.  What if I started up my collection again, but be intentional about it?  Instead of mindlessly getting every Canseco I could find, what if I targeted the refractors, die-cuts and serial numbered cards that I could get my hands on?  It had to be organized though.  I had to have a checklist, and do it right from the beginning, so that is what I did.

Throughout the next year or so, I found myself targeting cards that I loved and bought out a few collections from some previous big time collectors.  I probably spent more time working on the checklist and sorting than anything else.  This checklist transformed from a Word document, to a speadsheet, to an online spreadsheet to eventually a full-blown searchable website with every card pictured & documented at www.CansecoCollector.com.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point, I noticed that I already had most everything that hit eBay.  My criteria shifted from looking for cards that I thought were cool looking to simply looking for cards I did not have.  My checklist has proven to be invaluable for this reason.

Currently, I sit at nearly 4,600 unique items in my collection, with over 900 game-used, autographed and 1/1’s combined. While it has been very time-consuming, it has also been an exciting and rewarding ride.

This is where my collecting habits veer off the beaten path quite significantly from many others.  In 2015, my family and I had the pleasure of being invited to Jose’s house for a private signing.  We were able to hang out with him for the afternoon while he signed several things for me, tried on jerseys, gloves, etc., chatted, fed his animals, ate cupcakes, played cards and even traded gloves!  It was an absolutely amazing time.  You can read all about it here.

To make things even better, they put me and Jose on the cover of the August 2015 Beckett Monthly magazine doing the bash.  I was given a six-page full color feature in the magazine, and they even made a baseball card out of our cover for the 2015 National in an exclusive NSCC chase set.

If you have never heard my story before, you may wonder why I had Jose try on various jerseys, gloves, hats and more.  The reason for this is because I make my own custom baseball cards for my personal collection, and wanted to have my own player-worn cards that no one else could have.  Here is a triple booklet card that I have recently made for my collection out of a jersey, cleat and glove that he wore.  The bat piece is from a game-used bat that I cut up.

My collecting experience has been greatly enhanced by the online community who takes time out of their busy schedules to notify me of rare Canseco cards that they have, or know about.  I am very grateful for everyone who tells me about what shows up.  So, for those of you who have helped me or plan on helping me in the future, THANK YOU!  Without your help, my collection wouldn’t be nearly as large as it is.  Please keep the help coming!  It makes the entire collecting experience that much more meaningful to me.

Do you want to tell the story of what you collect and why? From players to teams to complete sets, autographs, game-worn material and anything else that has kept you busy for years, we’d love for you to share your story in your own words and photos.  Send us an email: [email protected].

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Jim Abbott 1989 Fleer UpdateHottest Rookie Cards of 1989 Had Varied Fortunes Notes: Suspect Arrested in Mantle Card Theft; Canseco Hits Homers, Signs; World’s Oldest Golf Card Sells Greg Maddux BGS 9.5 1987 DonrussGrading Companies Give Much Needed Boost to Junk Wax Era 49ers collector Martin JacobsWhat I Collect: Martin Jacobs, King of 49ers Memorabilia, Memories Ichiro Collection Tony YiTalking Ichiro Cards and 3000 Hits with ‘Super Collector’ Tony Yi Tim WallachA Wall of Wallachs 1989 Topps Update Griffey-JohnsonRamblings: Reality Tie Makes Our Hobby Stand Out Bernie Williams Topps TekThe Ten 1990’s Baseball Issues that Killed the Player Collector Completist

About Tanner Jones

Behind the Moustache:
Tanner Jones is a writer, custom card maker and Jose Canseco super collector. He chronicles his adventures on his own blog. If you have any cards he may be interested in, or just want to drop a note, email him at [email protected].

Filed Under: Modern Sports Card News Tagged With: 1980s baeball cards, jose canseco, player collectors, What I Collect

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Pristine Auction Offers Monthly Elite Auction Ending Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023
  • REA Midwest Consignment Trip – Consign Today
  • MEARS Auction of Memorabilia and More Ends October 7, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window