http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/hagansp/SCFFBHOFcopy.jpg

Congrats to Steven (USC_is_better) for his amazing Rod Smith collection. The wide spread amount of things you have of Rod are truly amazing, and your card collection alone speaks for itself. Awesome! Congrats!

Amount Owned/Amount Produced= % Owned
1490/1813 = 82.2% (90.7% not including 1/1s, plates)

Amount Auto/GU Owned/Amount Produced= % Owned
210/238 = 88.2% (91.7% not including 1/1s)

Amount Rookies Owned/Amount Produced= % Owned
2/2 = 100% (only had Ultra and Ultra Gold Medallion, but own many multiples of both)

Memorabilia Owned
- Home Jersey
- Gloves
- Cleats
- Pro Bowl Jersey
- Wristband
- Practice Jersey

Other Autographs
- Mini Helmets (3)
- Full Sized Helmet (personalized)
- Home Jersey
- Away Jersey (personalized)
- Multiple 8x10s
- Football
- Hat

Favorite Cards
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Smith2006LCMblack2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith99UD1of1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2006AbsTOTT_1.jpg



Scans/Pictures (always updating):
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0PC/Smith_Rod/ (http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/)
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...%20Smith%20PC/ (http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Rod%20Smith%20PC/)

Website (needs stats updated):
http://www.freewebs.com/uscisbetter/

congrats

Congrats on this honor! You deserve it!

Darin

Wow, way to go. Now 2 Broncos Supercollectors. Nice collection.

Very nice!!!

Congrats...Very cool! Rod Smith was one of the best "underrated" guys!


Here's my TOP TEN questions for the supercollector! Scan would be great too!
1. What is your #1 favorite card?
2. What is your favorite parallel or insert (not auto or GU)?
3. What is your favorite Auto card?
4. What is your favorite GU card?
5. What is the best story in regards to obtaining a specific card?
6. What is your best "steal" for your collection?
7. What is the most expensive card in your collection...what did it cost you?
8. What one specific card has eluded you till this day? and why?
9. What specific card (non base) do you have the most of?
10. How do you store your collection?

Thanks!

Congrats!

Awesome collection Steven!! Congrats on the award and keep up the great work!!

Jason

Congratulations on your selection to the Ranks of Supercollector.

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

I'll get to the ?s and some updates/scans in a few days - I'm in NY for New Years!!!

Awesome Job Steven

nice! i miss rod!!

Wow! That's a sweet collection!

Two HUGE pick-ups this past week - both from the same person.

He's had these for awhile, and is a Broncos collector himself, so I wasnt sure if I'd ever get them. Thankfully (after plenty of $$$), I did!


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2003PrestigeGDauto.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2003AbsoluteInk.jpg

usc is better! lol great collection!!

Wow amazing collection, well deserved! also like your Champ Bailey collection, nice too. I got a Ashley Lelie Memoribilia Facemask Card, lmk if you can use it.

1. What is your #1 favorite card?

My favorite card is probably the 2006 Leaf Certified Materials Mirror Black. It's also the most I've ever spent on any single card!


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2006LCMblack.jpg



2. What is your favorite parallel or insert (not auto or GU)?

Although I have plenty of 1/1s and low-numbered inserts, I think my favorite insert is the 1998 Black Diamond Quadruple Diamond. This is one of my favorite sets of all time and I remember it being "high-end" for me when I first started to collect (~$4/pack or so!). I have the complete set for Terrell Davis as well, and I only need the Premium Cut Quadruple Diamond Horizontal Elway to finish his set.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith98BlackDiamondSet.jpg



3. What is your favorite Auto card?

Although I recently picked up two new autos that I had been trying to get for quite awhile and really like, I think my favorite autograph is his 03 Donruss Classics Significant Signatures. I really like the look of the card, and although its a sticker auto, I think his signature looks really nice on it.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2003ClassicsSig.jpg


4. What is your favorite GU card?

It's really hard for me to pick just one, because I have a lot of really nice patches and even some 1/1 GUs (like the Mirror Black above!). I really like the ones with pieces of the "Broncos" name from the jersey or pieces of his nameplate, as well as some of the larger 3-colored patches I have, but this patch is pretty unique as it is from the laundry tag on his jersey.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2003PrestigePatch.jpg



5. What is the best story in regards to obtaining a specific card?

One story that comes to mind is how I got the 2004 Fleer Inscribed Black Border Red #/5. The card was being sold on ebay, and for one reason or another I completely missed the end of the auction! The card sold for well under what I was willing to pay, so I frantically emailed the seller asking him to let me know if the sale fell through or anything. He replied back that he actually had 2 of the cards, so I ended up trading him a bunch of Aaron Rodgers and Devin Hester RCs/Inserts for it!

Over the past few years I've met quite a few dealers/collectors who have helped me with my collection. I'm always appreciative when they give me a heads up on a card, or work with me to make a deal to buy/trade for a card if they have it.


6. What is your best "steal" for your collection?

I can't think of a particularly great steal I've had, in fact, I usually end up paying over book value for some of the rarer inserts. I can remember one time there was a printing plate on eBay and I offered the seller like $30 or $40 to buy it outright. He declined and said he wanted the auction to run, and I ended up winning it for like $5-10!!
Actually, just the other week I lost an auction for a 2006 Heritage Black Refractor #/52. I placed a pretty high bid, but it ended up going for over $20! I hadn't seen that card anywhere else, so I was pretty bummed, but luckily another one popped up soon after, and I won it for less than $5!


7. What is the most expensive card in your collection...what did it cost you?

(see question #1) And I don't want to tell how much I paid for it, hahah! A lot!


8. What one specific card has eluded you till this day? and why?

Assuming I can find the card, I usually manage to buy it or trade for it. There are a couple times I've been outbid by (presumably) a set collector, but I almost always pay or trade the most. There is, however, one seller on Beckett and eBay who has crazy prices and refuses to negotiate. They're a really large store, and have a few cards I need, but I don't really want to pay $110 for an insert #ed to 30.

Other than that, there's some older inserts that I either haven't seen or am not sure were ever produced.


9. What specific card (non base) do you have the most of?

Well I have quite a few of his Rookie card (1995 Ultra) seeing as he only has one (plus the Gold Medallion version). But non-base-wise, these stick out.


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith99RetroInkC.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2000FleerAutographics2.jpg


I have about 6-7 of each. I really like the on-card autos and there's plenty of space for him to sign.


10. How do you store your collection?

It feels like I'm constantly trying to organize my Rod Smith collection. I have every card in a toploader or magnetic case in chronological order in boxes. Every card has a case, even base. I keep my doubles of base and common inserts in a plastic container. Doubles of jerseys, autos, and rarer inserts/parallels are kept with the other cards.

I have all of my autos, GUed, and 1/1s scanned, as well as some of the rarer inserts. Hopefully I can get every card scanned and added to a website database.

My memorabilia is either in one of two glass display cases I have or in storage. I'd like to get all of my jerseys framed, but I have to decided how and how much I want to spend!

Thanks for the answers...it was an awesome read.

On #5 - cool story
On #6 - patiences always pays off!
On #8 - the problem Beckett/ebay seller is Burbank Sports. They are tougher than rawhide
On #10 - the constant organzing is part of my delimma as well.

Here are some recent additions!

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith99ToppsGoldLabel2_1.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith99ToppsGoldLabel2_1b.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2002ShowcaseMasterpiece1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c392/slucero/Broncos%20PC/Smith_Rod/Smith2002ShowcaseMasterpiece1b.jpg

I don't check the football forums much, but it's great to see a Rod super collector - I went to the same college as him, little Missouri Southern. :)

nice

Steven - looks great. I still have a few Rod Smiths at home that you still might need. Drop me a line sometime. Thanks!

HUGE mailday yesterday:

97 Pinnacle Totally Certified Platinum Gold /30
03 Leaf Certified Material Mirror Emerald /5
04 Absolute Tools of the Trade Materials Combo Prime /10
04 Topps Chrome Black Refractor /100

That gets my unique cards owned up to 1511 (not including oddballs, variations, etc)

Hopefully will have scans up this weekend!