Trade with JABO

This was my first trade with Kyle from Just a Bit Outside. I was able to send him some 2011 Topps Chrome to help him towards completing that set. In return, I got a mixed bag of Heritage from 2008 through 2010, all except one of which were Royals. I am hoping these were duplicates and not cards he pulled from his team sets.





Though I love me some Heritage, this card was the centerpiece of the trade for me:



This is the last card I needed to finish 2011 Update. I can now put 2011 completely behind me. Just in time, you might think, to start on 2012. But, I am happy to report that I have, so far, stuck by my decision to give 2012 flagship a complete pass. I've been in Target twice since it hit the shelf and have had no desire whatsoever to pick any up. Now when 2012 Heritage comes out in a little over a month......

Confusion Reigns

I was pretty pleased with my recent trade with Ted at Crinkly Wrappers. I got the last cards I needed to finish the Topps Lineage and Update base sets. Here are a few highlights:






There was more, but they included either non-descript players or Red Sox. Can't be showin' them.

Then something strange happened. As I paged through the appropriate binder to put the cards Ted sent in their rightful place, I found other holes in both sets. More specifically, there was 3 empty Update pockets and 4 for Lineage. I am usually pretty good about keeping my want lists up to date, so I am not sure exactly how that happened. My best guess is that I traded for them in the past, put them on the shelf in my card closet so they could be scanned first before being filed away, and they got lost in the shuffle. I have gone through my duplicates boxes and haven't found them. I can only surmise that they have fallen behind the shelving unit and are lying in the floor.

Unfortunately, I don't really have time right now to look for them and probably won't until after my job interview on the 27th. So, in the mean time, I've thrown a want list back up on the sidebar for those two sets.


But that is not the extent of what Ted sent. Oh no, my friends, it wasn't. He helped me some on my 1976 set and gave my a huge leg up on starting 1973. But more of that later.

Mail Call - Night Owl Edition

So, I am a about a week and a half into not buying cards because of my uncertain unemployment situation. I am still having withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, I found a fix in my mailbox today. I had helped Night Owl out with some Lineage 75 minis, so when he had some interesting cards available, he gave me first crack at them. Here they are:



One of my favorite of the 2011 Yankees. Still hoping they sign him for 2012. Since rumor has it that Toronto is the odds-on favorite to win the rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish, maybe they will.



I really, really hate all the damn parallels and inserts that Topps puts into their flagship product. I'd calculate out how many cards are needed to build a 2011 master set, but I am too lazy. Just on the base set you have 990 times 6 (base, Walmart blue border, Target red border, gold border, diamond parallel, cognac parallel). When you are up to 5940 cards before you even get to the inserts...well...suffice it to say it is too damn many. But, I do like the fact that they put these legacy players in the set. I've gotten several over the course of the year and I like them real well. One day, maybe I'll do a post on them, but for now let me say that this Maris is definitely the cream of the crop. Even if it does look like his one leg was amputated at the knee.

Being the guy he is, though, Night Owl didn't leave it at that. He included three cards I needed to complete 2011 Update. I am down to only needing 7 cards now.




He also included 3 of the Lineage base cards from my want list. I only need one card (I'm looking at you Adam Wainwright!) to complete that set.




So, big thanks to Night Owl.

For those that may wonder, my employment situation is uncertain, but not dire. I have already gotten one call regarding a job inside my current employer. I also have solid leads on two external jobs that are right in my wheelhouse. So, I am actually pretty excited about a change in environment. Of course, who could feel bad when iTunes random play brings this up while you are composing a post:

Saved by the Mail, Part 1

I was a little grumpy today. You see, today was the big card show up in OKC that is held every other month. I wasn't planning on spending much today, what with it being the holiday season and what not. But, the news of my impending unemployment changed my plan. It isn't that getting laid off is going to be catastrophic. Between severance and savings, I have a cushion to fall back on while I look for something new.

Indeed, in these tough economic times, I consider myself downright fortunate to not be in desperate straits like so many others. But, it does seem prudent to cut back on unnecessary spending for a while. And, despite the passion we all put into this hobby, buying cards isn't a necessary thing. But, to prove I can be as shallow as the next person, I did pout because I couldn't go to the card show. But that frown turned upside down when I opened the mail box and found not one, but two trade packs waiting for me.

These trades were of completely different sizes, one involving three cards and the other involving 156, but I am quite happy with both. I'll look at the smaller of the two now, and hit the larger one tomorrow.

This first trade is with blog reader Kary, from the cheesiest state around, Wisconsin. I don't believe he has a blog, but I heard from him in response to my free card offer. I was able to help him knock off some of his 2011 Series 2 and Update want list. In exchange, he was able to send me 3 cards from my Update want list But, in addition to helping me with reducing my want list down to only 10 cards needed, the cards he sent were fantastic.

While I would agree that the Dee Gordon card is probably the nicest one in the series, these three also had fantastic photographs. In particular, I really like the Salas card. While it is a fairly simple shot, I think the framing was fantastic. This is the kind of picture I wish I could take at the ballpark.





So, big thanks go out to Kary for cheering my up today. Not only did I get cards to help me complete a set, I got cards I can appreciate in their own right.

You Don't Have to Tell Me I Have a Problem

I know I have one. I stopped by Wally World tonight to pick up something for dinner and some rawhide chews for our new dog. I broke down and, despite swearing off Update, I bought one of those 72 card value boxes that include one Diamond Anniversary code card. Alas, it was a good hit on the ole crack pipe, if you get my drift.

I got two Yankee base cards.


The Grandy Man, who was the core of the Yankees line up this year, and a leading candidate for AL MVP.



David Robertson was absolutely phenomenal out of the bullpen this year. He went from the "six inning guy" to the "seventh inning guy and, finally, to the "eighth inning guy" when Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain went down with injuries. And he never cracked under the increased pressure. In 70 appearances, he turned in a 4-0 record with 1 save, a microscopic 1.08 ERA, and a unbelievable 13.5 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.


Another Yankee, Eric Chavez, who was a steady backup infielder when Alex Rodriguez was on the disabled list. This is a gold parallel (1163/2011).


I got two of these blue border parallels. The Lincecum above and a Asdrubal Cabrera. I have no idea what the deal is with these, except they are apparently yet another of the eleventy different parallels Topps saw fit to release with Update. Grrrr.


Dee Gordon, who I saw playing for Albuquerque at the OKC Redhawks season opener this year. I also really like this picture. Probably the best of the pack.

And finally, the best card of the lot:


Yeah, I know it is Brian Wilson. But, it is the Hope Diamond Parallel (45/60). This bad boy is going up on EBay to make me a little cash to put towards cards that are of more interest to me.

So, the only matter left to take care of is the code card. I had decent luck with the code cards this year. The best cards that I unlocked were a Mickey Mantle Diamond Die Cut that I sold for $47 on EBay and a 2001 Topps Archive Willie Mays Autograph card that I kept. I got a decent number of cards from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. And a whole lotta junk. I wasn't real hopeful what this code would turn up. But, I think I did alright.


I know Night Owl already has one, so this may go up on EBay also. I have decided to start working on 2001 Topps Heritage and this may help get me started. Of course, I am also open to trade offers, so if you have some 2001 Heritage duplicates, shoot me an email and let's see if we can cut a deal.