5000 discrete pieces of flotsam

Don't know what flotsam is?  Here's one dictionary definition:

flot·sam  (fltsm)

n.

1.

a. Wreckage or cargo that remains afloat after a ship has sunk.

b. Floating refuse or debris.

2. Discarded odds and ends.

3. Vagrant, usually destitute people

Describes my card collection pretty well!  And #3 is an accurate depiction of me.  Lesson over!

At the last card show I went to, one of my favorite dealers really, REALLY wanted to get rid of a 5000 count box of junk.  Junk, which I bought for $12 and then put in my trunk.  That might be a mixed metaphor or a dangling participle or a misplaced preposition.  I don't really know because I never payed attention in English class.  I just figured English was what I already speaked, so no wierd, mousy, fake blonde spinster was going to learn me nothing I didn't know before she teached it to me already.  Right?

Anyway, I bought the box because the guy had already given me several great deals and I figured I could use the junk in it as fodder for blog posts.  Most of it was to junky to even look at.  I mean, how many Albert/Joey Belle inserts can one man stand?  But there were fleeting moments of fun.  I even think I might be able to get some of them to homes where they might be appreciated (stay tuned for a later post for that!).

Anyway, here are 5 cards that I pulled that at least make me happy on some level.  Enjoy!

Always wondered what Tom Glavine looked like when he was 12?  Now you know!

This is the only card I have seen of Juan where they used his awesome nickname, Igor.  Plus it's shiny cool!

I dunno why I like this one.  Matt Williams was cool though.  And its a die cut.  And it has shiny blue lines that don't show up in the scan too well.  Cool card.

Two of my favorite things!  Oil Can Boyd and old gaudy uniforms!!  Plus its from a popular Leaf set, so its gotta be worth big bucks!  Ebay!!

My new favorite Scott Rolen card!!  Not only does the dirt personify the hustle and determination Scotty is known for, but my daughter said he needs a bath.  To which I replied that my daughter needed a bath.  To which she promptly went and took a bath.  So bonus for me.

Thanks for looking!!

Random receptions from awesome bloggers

Cool stuff from jaybarkerfan at Jaybarkerfans Junk!  The man sent a bunch of Cardinals as part of his Summer of Giving!  Here's some Pujols!  Always welcome.

 And here's a random sampling of some of the rest. Old guys, 'Big Lips' McGee and a 2 sport athlete!

Thanks!

Also, a while back I send a hammered Eddie Murray RC to dayf from Cardboard Junkie.  It was because of something he mentioned on one of his posts and I had it laying around.  I wasn't expecting anything in return, but he sent this beauty!

Thanks!

Bloggers are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite Shortstops. MINE, dagnabit you whippersnapper!

This is the third in a series of posts.  See 1st basemen here, 2nd basemen here.

I have been wanting to do a series on my favorite players by position for a while now.  I decided on "top 10's by position" as my format.  I want it to be fun and interactive though.  So I decided on a few 'rules'.

1. I can bend the rules when I feel like it.

2. The players on the list have to have played when I payed attention to baseball.  So my arbitrary cutoff date is 1980.  All players on the list must have played in the 1980 season or later.

3. No ranking, just the top 10 in no real order.  So Duane Kiper might make the list, but you won't know if he is #1 or #9 on that list

4. SP will be a top 20 and OF will be a top 30

5. This is a card blog, so each player must have an accompanying picture of one of their baseball cards.  Usually it will be one I don't have, so you all can send them to me!!

6. I'll update each page with reader suggestions (even if I don't care for them) and keep a link to all other positions on future pages

sooooooooo...

My favorite Shortstops

Ozzie Smith - Somebody on another blog said the other day that they hated Ozzie.  I can't hate Ozzie!!

Cal Ripken Jr. - One of my white whales right here

Derek Jeter - insert 3000 hit comment/pun here

Omar Vizquel - I admire longevity.  It'd be really cool if Omar got to 3000 hits!

Mark Belanger - forgotten by some, great fielder

Tony Fernandez - classy!

Shawon Dunston - Dunno why I like him, must be residual Cubs fever from the mid 80's

Alan Trammel  - See Fernandez, Tony above

Robin Yount - Cool looking card

Barry Larkin - HOF!

Reader picks:

Put them in the comments or e-mail to me!

1. Jeff Blauser - I'm nuts!
2. Troy Tulowitzki
3. Dave Concepcion - if I redid this, he might bump Dunston

Winner!

Tuesday night at 7:57 PM Pacific time, Steve Drennen picked Joaquin Andujar and Glenn Hubbard!!  You might have guessed by now that this is the correct answer!  Thanks a ton to all who participated, and stay tuned, because if I can round up some more battered stuff, I may do this again soon.  Congrats Steve, and e-mail me your address so I can send out your winnings!

6 beat up, well loved, hammered, trashed vintage cards!  For free?  Of course!  All to 1 lucky winner, but you'll have to work for them!

Now that I have your attention, here's the rules.  Keep in mind that these rules were devised by my 12 year old son.

1. The object of this contest is to name 2 MLB players (past or present) that I have pre-selected.  For example, you could name Babe Ruth and Miguel Cabrera.  You would not be right, but that would be a valid guess.
2. The first one to guess both players (in a single comment) gets all the cards above!
3. You must comment on this post for the guess to count.  No e-mail or guesses on other posts will be accepted.
4. You get 1 guess a day.  Extras will be ignored.

Hints will be given on a daily basis.  I doubt anyone will get the two players on day one, but you could get lucky.  So, ready to go???  Here are the 1st hints:

1. Both players were born outside the United States.
2. Both made at least 1 All-Star team each.
3. Both were born in the 1950's.
4. The 2 players played different positions.

5. 1 of the players was guessed more than once on Day 1 of the contest.  The other was not guessed at all.

6. Neither player ever hit over 12 home runs in a season.

7. Both players played in both leagues during their careers.

Good luck!

Contest clues added!!

If you haven't made your guess for the day, head on over to the Hammered Vintage Contest and check out the new clues!  The new clues are in RED in the list of clues.  Good Luck!

My favorite 2nd basemen. MINE, dagnabit you whippersnapper!

This is the second in a series of posts.  See "My favorite 1st basemen. MINE, dagnabit you whippersnapper!" here.

I have been wanting to do a series on my favorite players by position for a while now.  I decided on "top 10's by position" as my format.  I want it to be fun and interactive though.  So I decided on a few 'rules'.

1. I can bend the rules when I feel like it.

2. The players on the list have to have played when I payed attention to baseball.  So my arbitrary cutoff date is 1980.  All players on the list must have played in the 1980 season or later.

3. No ranking, just the top 10 in no real order.  So Duane Kiper might make the list, but you won't know if he is #1 or #9 on that list

4. SP will be a top 20 and OF will be a top 30

5. This is a card blog, so each player must have an accompanying picture of one of their baseball cards.  Usually it will be one I don't have, so you all can send them to me!!

6. I'll update each page with reader suggestions (even if I don't care for them) and keep a link to all other positions on future pages

sooooooooo...

My favorite 2nd basemen

Rod Carew (I'm never gonna get this card...)

Chase Utley

Bobby Grich - I need a relic card of this guy!

Ryne Sandberg

Davey Lopes - Soooooo underrated!

Tommy Herr

Lou Whitaker - Sweet Lou!

Glenn Hubbard

Roberto Alomar

Craig Biggio

Reader picks:

Put them in the comments or e-mail to me!

1. Mark Lemke
2. Johnny Ray - love this pick!

Card show report +teaser

I hit the monthly show across the river this morning and came away with a ton of stuff!  Most of it won't be shown here, but I restocked my trading supplies so I hope to send some out soon!

This show was no different than normal, I spent all my time with my 2 favorite dealers.  One was all quarters today, I got sweet loot from him!  With the other (who I usually spend all my time on the nickel boxes) I decided to quit being such a cheap bastard!  Well, sorta.  I hit his fifty cent and dollar boxes!  Woohoo!  Break the bank!

I also grabbed an auto that I will be sending out to a fellow blogger and a few slightly higher dollar cards.  I'm only showing a few for now because I think I'll do a separate post with some dinged up vintage that I need to get rid of!  Stay tuned.

Brett Rookie!  Min version!  Been looking for one for a long time.  As you can see, its hammered which is why I got it for a dollar!!!  Brett rook for a dollar (does a little dance, tweaks knee, cries a little, remembers Brett RC, comes back happy).

Six 86/87 Fleer cards, all autographed!  These were cheap too, so the authenticity is somewhat in doubt, but to me they are cool!

This card looks waaaaaay better in person!  And I love it!  I hear there are more of these in the 2005 Topps Pristine Legends set.  If anyone has any they would part with, let me know!

The last card for today is a beauty jersey card of Willie McCovey!  Makes me happy, but then that's why I bought it!

Check in in the next few days for the hammered vintage post.

2 trades! This Rhubarb is Cool!

To save you, the lovely readers some time, I'm combining 2 trades in this 1 post.  Ryan from This Card is Cool sent me these 2 relic cards in return for some 2009 Upper Deck base cards he needed.  The Rice is awesome and straight off my wantlists and the Tejada is a cool bonus.  Thanks Ryan!

Next up is a 9 card lot from Rhubarb_Runner from é rayhahn, rayhahn!  He got a few Twins from his lists and I get these!  A wonderful cornucopia of my collecting wants.  I especially love the Maddux (I want this whole set) and Nomo (this set too!)  McGwires are ALWAYS welcome!  Thanks!

Sorry for the crappy scan...

My favorite 1st basemen. MINE, dagnabit you whippersnapper!

I have been wanting to do a series on my favorite players by position for a while now.  I decided on "top 10's by position" as my format.  I want it to be fun and interactive though.  So I decided on a few 'rules'.

1. I can bend the rules when I feel like it.
2. The players on the list have to have played when I payed attention to baseball.  So my arbitrary cutoff date is 1980.  All players on the list must have played in the 1980 season or later.
3. No ranking, just the top 10 in no real order.  So Duane Kiper might make the list, but you won't know if he is #1 or #9 on that list
4. SP will be a top 20 and OF will be a top 30
5. This is a card blog, so each player must have an accompanying picture of one of their baseball cards.  Usually it will be one I don't have, so you all can send them to me!!
6. I'll update each page with reader suggestions (even if I don't care for them) and keep a link to all other positions on future pages

sooooooooo...

My favorite 1st basemen

Albert Pujols

Mark McGwire (love this card!)

Eddie Murray

Don Mattingly

Gorman Thomas

Dave Kingman

Todd Helton

Rod Carew (I had to put him at 1B instead of 2B because he only played 1B when I remember him)

John Olerud

Will Clark

Reader picks:
Put them in the comments or e-mail to me!
1. Frank Thomas (looking back, he shoulda made my list...)
2. Andres Galarraga - The Big Cat.  Cool dude.  I want his 'Famous Nicknames' auto card.
3. Fred McGriff - Crime Dog!  Notice that all the reader picks have top notch nicknames?
4. Mo Vaughn- "The Hit Dog", or as I call him, David Ortiz 1.0
5. Jeff Bagwell - How did this guy not get reader picked earlier??
6. Keith Hernandez - Yes, but did he get to 1st base with Elaine?  See comments below if you don't understand!

Everyone needs a mistress to trade with

Notice I didn't say what you and your mistress would trade?????  Dirty minds!  Sorry to disappoint, but in this case, its cards.  Spankee @ My Cardboard Mistress put up some bait a while back and I jumped on a Robin Yount bat card.  I threw a few cards from his wants and he sent me the Yount!

 Beautiful, aint it?

He also threw in a few expos (not pictured) and these cool Bo's.  Gotta love Bo!

Thanks Spankee!!