Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Back I hope

A few weeks ago I had a run of 21 posts in 20 days.  Good times.  Then I dropped off the face of the earth, no posts in 18 days.  I think I'm bipolar.  Actually, work has been a bear for the last month.  We let people go and one is on medical leave and I have all their burdens on my shoulders.  I get home and there is no energy left for cards or posting.

But somethings gotta change!  I am getting crankier and meaner and the cure is some diversion and fun.  So hopefully back to blogging.

It is time!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Be quick!

Every Major League team has an all time-games played leader.  Most of these men are retired.  Three are still active and still on the team they hold the record for.  Soooooo......

Name the three players that are the All-Time leaders in career games played for their current teams.

One guess per person, 1st to get it right takes the prize!

Unfortunately, I will be out until about 8:30 PST, so I won't confirm a winner until I get back.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Something to read

Attention: (NO PIMPING!)

There will be a contest of (limited) skill and quickness on this blog tomorrow at 6PM PST/9PM EST.  The prize will be these:

and these

The condition on these is not always mint, but it is a good variety of semi-vintagy goodness.

The way to win will be to answer a trivia question first in the comments on tomorrows post.  So come on by around 6PM PST/9PM EST.  The answer is probably searchable, I found the info on the net after all.  Bring your Google machines and your quick typing fingers and go home happy!

As it says up top, please do not pimp this, I want someone who reads this blog regularly to win.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Holy package from Dennis

Yesterday, I mentioned that I would be posting about 2 packages from bloggers that were sent to me out of the kindness of their hearts.  Speigel was yesterday, today is Dennis from Too Many Verlanders!  This one was completely out of the blue.  Not only does Dennis have too many Verlanders (and Grandersons), but he has way too many cool cards that I like.

He sent a ton.

Like 2000 pounds.  That is how much a ton is.

With the postage rates gone up, I wonder how much is cost him to send 2000 pounds of cards.  Really, a lot of cards, and all of them right in my wheelhouse!

So check it out!
I'd been looking for some of these Pinnacle Mozaics cards.  Well, Dennis threw in a bunch of them!  They are very interesting looking.  I likey!  Other flashy stuff was abundant as well.

Here is more flashy.  Die cuts, the 2 Wave of the Future cards actually are plastic and have liquid in them.  The Fleer card on the top left doesn't look too flashy, but it is actually my first Fleer Tiffany parallel!  I thought only Topps did Tiffany.

These are all various Artists Proof parallels from Pinnace and Donruss.  There were a LOT more of these.  I especially like the Die Cut ones.


2 serial #'d Pudge Diamond Kings from tough sets!  Really cool, I don't know if I will ever complete these 2 sets because they don't pop up much any more.  And McGwires!!  Beautiful stuff, I had never even seen the Pinnacle Die Cut one.
And of course, the inspiration for the package, Dennis wanted to help with my quest for refractors!  You can see why I say he sent a literal ton.  Bundles and bundles!

Thanks oh so much Dennis, I'll be on the lookout for you!!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

nomo surprise!

This will be the first of two back to back posts where I am treated like a kid at Christmas.  Like a BAD kid at Christmas.  These comparisons aren't getting the point across... maybe like the devil on Halloween, or any Kardashian, any time.

The point is, I got stuff I don't deserve for no reason other than someone seems to like me!!!

This first post is brought to you by the letters S, P, I, E, G, E and L.  If you don't know who that is, get on over to Nomo's Sushi Platter and check out the nice work.

I guess I sent him something in the past that he appreciated, so being the great guy he is, he sent me this great stuff.  I wasn't expecting it!

Great variety, and this scan is just a sampling.  I really love the Nettles 'Senior Baseball'  card, McGwires always welcome and vintage?  Who can complain about vintage?  OK, I can.  I think Topps is dumb to rebrand old vintage for current product.  i understand the marketing attitude that drives it, I just don't like it.  Still, I'll gladly take them in my vintage collection!

He also sent refractors!  The generosity of the community astounds me.  Thanks a ton Spiegel!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Travis Buck. So pretty.

Dan from It's like having my own card shop recently contacted me about a trade for a Kelly Johnson relic I had on my trade bait page.  Unfortunately, I had sold it a couple days before.  So after I updated my bait page, we worked out a trade for some other D-backs!

My favorite is this Travis Buck.  It didn't come through on the scan, but his hair is 'refractorized' so that it looks even more squirly and girly than in the scan.  He be beautiful!  And so are the other refractors Dan sent.

Thanks Dan!!

Who is this Arpsmith guy?

For a guy with no blog, arpsmith sure gets around.  See here for his latest.  Well, he also worked out a fun trade with yours truly.  I sent stuff I didn't want that he wanted, and he sent stuff he didn't want that I wanted.  See, a trade.  Worked out awesome!

So he sent me refractors.  Nice ones.  Lots.
A couple older ones (always cool!), numbered, colored etc.  Very pretty, eh?


And here is a shot of some of the big ol pile that came with them!  Very nice, helps me a ton on my goal for the year!

Thanks arpsmith!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Rooting AGAINST my favorite player

I've decided I'm crazy.

When a normal person watches a sporting event in which their favorite player is participating, the natural thing to do is to root for that player.  Right?  Well, here is an example of how collecting cards has totally screwed up my priorities!

I'm not a Giants fan. I'm not a Patriots fan.  But my favorite football player is Wes Welker.


I love Wes because he reminds me of me.  Not the stupid comments about Rex Ryan last year (OK, I make plenty of comments I regret too).  No I like Wes because he is an undersized, undrafted tough little producer.  I like the sheer number of catches he makes.  The way other teams try to bully him physically, but he just bounces right back.  Reminds me of me in my tiny little football career.  (I didn't even make the team at a 2 year college, so I'm definitely not bragging!)  He isn't perfect, but he is my favorite active player.

So why am I rooting against him?  Cards.  I don't have many Welkers and no RC's or high end cards.  I'd like some.  And if he has a big game on the Big Stage, they will retreat even further out of my price range.  So if Welker catches a game winning touchdown, I'll celebrate his accomplishment, but mourn a little for the cards I'll never own.

What a sad sob story. huh?

Go Wes!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Joe brings it!

Joe over at The Sandlot and I recently completed a fun trade.  I send him Mets and Piazza's and he sent me:

A regular and a jumbo Gallery of Heroes from 98 Topps Gallery!  They made these for at least 3 years that I am aware of, but this year is the nicest looking in my humble opinion.  I am collecting this set, but only have #'s 3(Bonds), 12 (Chipper) and 14 (Nomo).  If you have any for trade, let me know!

The jumbos are really cool for display.  I doubt I'll get the whole set of those, but I now have the Arod and Ripken.  They look great together!

Big Mac's and hoops funkiness!  Right off my wantlists, and beautiful!

And what trade these days would be complete without refractors!  Joe sent a bundle.  I imagine that back in the early days of refractors, a Mantle refractor would have been big bucks.

Awesome package Joe!  I'll be on the lookout for more Piazzas!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Mustached trader strikes again

I apologize for the abundance of trade posts (but I love having that problem!) and also for making the trade posts so short (but I'm slammed at work and home right now).

Anyway...

Eric over at Manupatches and Mustaches is a great blogger and fun to trade with.  He collects mustachio'd players.  I didn't send him any of those, but I have some for the next package (I promise this time Eric!)   I recently sent him some John Stocktons and Karl Malones and he sent me refractors!  Here's a small sampling of the bounty:

Thanks a ton Eric!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Refractor Quest - January Report

Collecting 1000 refractors from scratch in a 1 year period sounds daunting.  Since I don't buy packs, it sounds even tougher!  I know the blogging community will be there to help.  Trading is awesome in our little community.

I have semi-devious plans to attract fractors as the year goes on.  I have a couple of quite nice cards that I plan to 'auction' off for the highest number of refractors in return.  But still, it going to be a big challenge, right????

Here is the monthly progress report for January!
As of January 31st, I have the following:
230 - Baseball Refractors
11 - Football Refractors
34 - Basketball Refractors

275 total Refractors!

More math...

I have 27.5% of my goal of 1000 Refractors
I have been accumulating refractors at a pace of  8.87/day
I am on pace for 3246(!?!?) Refractors

Holy *bleep*fractor*bleep*!  So far the trades have been rooooling in! Obviously.  It's been awesome.  I am very tempted to go back to my original plan of 2000 refractors this year, but things have got to slow down.  Right?

I hope not!

Huge thanks to all who have helped me along so far, with a special shout-out to Brad from Philly, who sent the largest fractor pack, 89 total refractors! Thanks again Brad!

Platshke's got a draft going


Hey all, There's a card draft going on over at Platshke, Thy Sweater is Argyle!  With a creative name like that and a reputation for great trading, it should be a good one!

$20 gets you in.  Head on over!