Christmas Mail Part Three: Emerald City Diamond Gems

The best card packages are the unexpected ones or the ones that slipped your mind. Inside a funny Christmas themed card with Blitzen the reindeer flying on a commercial airplane after calling in sick, there were ten cards ranging from 1959 to 2003, with most falling between 1959 and 1977.

That's definitely my kind of Christmas card! The contents inside the card were pretty great too! I have to definitely give a shout out of thanks to Larry of Emerald City Diamond Gems for sending these along.

But before the Christmas cheer was known, I had just seen the mail carrier place our mail in the box, after our dog had alerted us to the postal workers presence. Thirty seconds later, I brought the mail inside and started to sort it. A community college course catalog, a few bills, an Entertainment Weekly and then I saw this.
One of my fears about sending baseball cards through the mail had finally come true. The ripped open package.
Amazingly, there were cards inside! I have no idea if all the cards made it through, but ten managed to survive, even with the side of the envelope ripped open from end to end.
There was no attempt to cover it up, which leads me to assume that the contents of the envelope were too bulky and troublesome for the mail sorting machine. The Christmas card was a bit wrinkled, but no worse for wear. There was slight damage to each card, but the 1960 Topps card of Ed Hobaugh seemed to obtain the worst of it, with a corner partially mangled. A close second was the Konerko that split on a corner, separating the front from the back a little bit. Surprisingly, the most pristine looking card is the 1972 Topps Jay Johnstone.

Regardless of how the cards survived, I am grateful that vintage cards made it this far, considering the bizarre set of circumstances. I am thankful for the generous nature and great thought that Larry had when sending these to me. Out of all my years of trading, this is one of the very few mishaps that has happened through the mail. That ratio alone gives me hope and demonstrates everything that I am thankful for throughout the year.

Thanks, Larry! The cards are great and the journey has been inspirational.

Christmas Mail Part Two: Stampman12345

The second package to arrive is from someone I haven't heard from in awhile. Bill, also known as Stampman12345, hasn't had a computer for a year and a half, so contact has been very sporadic and trading has pretty much come to a standstill for him. It was with great joy and surprise that I received a Christmas card from Bill. Inside was a brief note explaining what I just recapped earlier and Christmas and New Year's wishes. Also, a 2005 Bowman Heritage autograph of Wes Whisler!

Thanks, Bill! The good wishes will last throughout the new year and the Whisler auto will become a nice addition to my collection.

Christmas Mail Part One: The Angels, In Order

I've been blessed with a number of small packages this week, that were sent in the spirit of the season. The first envelope to arrive came from Tom, of the excellent blog, The Angels, In Order. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend doing so. It is a treasure trove of information!

In the envelope was a 1998 Pinnacle Mint card of Albert Belle and a short note wishing me a merry Christmas and happy blogging. This is my first Pinnacle Mint card and I have to say that it is probably one of truly unique pieces in my collection. I'm stunned at how well a coin fits into the design of a baseball card.

Thanks, Tom! This helps brighten a very lean holiday. Merry Christmas to you and your family and happy blogging!