Showing posts with label Card Trades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Card Trades. Show all posts

Monday, May 6, 2019

Cards From Zach

Zach, from the awesome blog Autographed Cards, sent me an e-mail about my post last week about trying to finish the 2008 Topps Heritage set. I'm so close, yet so far. I'd be finished if it wasn't for the surprise introduction of the High Number series. That really stopped my momentum in 2008.

Zach was very helpful and even made me realize that I had made a mistake in identifying a card. I had copied the wrong name on the card number I needed, so when he offered me the player and the number didn't correspond, it seemed glaringly obvious. So I was helped out twice, which is nice.

I got three cards from the Heritage and High Numbers sets and a chrome card for the team set. Zach was kind enough to protect these cards with some 1986 Sportflics cards from my want list, which was awfully nice to do.

The want list and the 2008 Topps Heritage post have both been updated to reflect the new cards.

On a side note, I have been in the lengthy process of revamping, rechecking and organizing my collection and want lists. I know at least one potential trader has been waiting patiently for me to finish, so I can let him know exactly what I have. On the want list front, I have updated through 1990. On the collection front, it is still slowly coming together. I keep discovering different caches of cards to go through.

It is a long time coming for this organization. Since my want list was last majorly updated, I have moved twice. It is only since my wife and I were able to purchase our forever home, that I've been able to properly catalog my collection and give it room to breathe. Since my move in 2013, my collection has spent the bulk of its time stored away in a closet, rarely venturing past that domain. My move in late 2016 saw my collection get some much needed space, but no time to sort through it. Now, the time is here and the space is here, so it is the perfect time to streamline everything.

Side note over. I have to thank Zach once again for the great additions to the collection! I will be sending some 2019 Royals your way, as requested.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Waiting 'Til This Year: A White Sox - Cubs Trade

I love it when a trade comes together when I least expect it. I fully admit that there are so many card blogs that I don't keep up with as many as I used to in the early days of the blog. It's not from lack of want or trying, mind you, it's mostly a time issue. So many blogs, so little time, you might say.

It was with great embarrassment that I found that I had not yet run across Waiting 'Til Next Year until Tom e-mailed me about making a possible trade. I will certainly not make that mistake again. I plan on checking out Tom's awesome blog frequently from now on.

Tom made an intriguing proposal. While looking through his trade box, he ran across twenty-nine cards from my want list, including five Frank Thomas cards. How could I turn that down? Tom ended up sending thirty-two cards my way.

1958 Topps #138 - Earl Torgeson
1989 Score Young Superstars I #29 - Bobby Thigpen
1989 Sportflics #85 - Ozzie Guillen
1992 Stadium Club Members Only #34 - Bobby Thigpen
1994 Fun Pack #35 - Frank Thomas
1994 Fun Pack #195 - Frank Thomas
1994 Studio #209 - Frank Thomas
1994 Upper Deck Diamond Collection #C8 - Frank Thomas
1995 Ultra #273 - Jason Bere
1995 Upper Deck #235 - Ray Durham
1996 Pinnacle Aficionado #164 - Chris Snopek
1997 Bowman's Best #127 - Mike Cameron
1997 Metal Universe #58 - Alex Fernandez
1997 Ultra Gold Medallion #G411 - Albert Belle
1998 Bowman #428 - Carlos Lee
1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars #288 - Greg Norton
1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars #307 - Jim Parque
1999 Sports Illustrated #70 - Brian Simmons, Mark Johnson, Craig Wilson
1999 SP Authentic #22 - Frank Thomas
1999 Topps Chrome #93 - Albert Belle
2000 Bowman Chrome #426 - Josh Paul
2000 Skybox #208 - Joe Crede
2000 Skybox #209 - Kip Wells
2000 Upper Deck #76 - Carlos Lee
2001 Bowman #277 - Jon Rauch
2001 Fleer Triple Crown #96 - Magglio Ordonez
2001 Pacific #98 - Magglio Ordonez
2001 Pacific #462 - Rocky Biddle
2001 Team Best #42 - Jon Garland
2013 Topps Opening Day Blue #47 - Jake Peavy (1263/2013)
2015 USA Baseball Stars & Stripes #18 - Carlos Rodon
2016 Topps Pro Debut #147 - Carson Fulmer

Thanks for the trade, Tom! You certainly filled a good amount of holes in my collection. I hope you are as satisfied with the trade as I am. I look forward to possible future trades.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

The Lifetime Topps Project Trade

I will freely admit that my job takes too much of my time away from this blog. My family is also a culprit in my time away from the blog too. Both things I absolutely love and will not apologize one iota for occupying my time more frequently.

That being said, I miss the time that I would spend day in and day out on this blog, uncovering long buried hobby secrets, reminiscing about cup of coffee players from decades ago and being on the pulse of the hobby through my feverish pace of trades and daily monitoring of other card blogs.

I keep up when I can, but I know I'm not as in the loop as I was a few years ago. That's OK though. I keep up enough to where I can still hold up my end of a conversation about baseball cards. I still put my stored up knowledge to good use talking shop. I still keep up on new releases and what's going on in the hobby world. The information just doesn't arrive to me instantaneously anymore. It's more after work and between time with my wife and daughter.

I still love a good trade and when I can make it work, I am all over it. When The Lifetime Topps Project e-mailed me about a possible trade, I was excited. It had been awhile since I've traded and I was hoping to make it work. First, I would have to find time to rummage through my boxes to find some trade bait. It took some time, but I managed to find a few cards that were on the want list.

Full disclosure, the trade is lopsided. I feel bad about it, but sometimes a few cards that can get someone close to a completion goal is better than hitting a whole bunch of cards that make a small ripple in an ocean.

Here's what Charlie sent over.

1993 SP
253 - Alex Fernandez
255 - Bo Jackson

1993 Ultra
177 - Scott Radinsky

1994 SP
188 - Wilson Alvarez

1994 Upper Deck
3 - James Baldwin

1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond
3 - James Baldwin
25 - Tom Fordham
43 - Alex Fernandez
57 - Julio Franco
156 - Ozzie Guillen
231 - Alex Fernandez
371 - Joey Cora

1994 Upper Deck Minors
8 - Brandon Wilson
128 - Eddie Pearson

1995 Pinnacle
226 - Frank Thomas

1995 SP Championship
137 - Jason Bere
138 - Robin Ventura

1995 SP Top Prospects
35 - Harold Williams
37 - Tom Fordham

1995 SportFlix
 157 - Scott Ruffcorn

1995 Stadium Club
33 - Joey Cora
155 - Jack McDowell

1995 Ultra
28 - Alex Fernandez

1995 Upper Deck
197 - Wilson Alvarez
254 - Jimmy Hurst
434 - Alex Fernandez
436 - Roberto Hernandez

1996 Upper Deck
387 - Frank Thomas

1998 SP Authentic
68 - Robin Ventura

1999 SP Authentic
21 - Mike Caruso

2003 SP Authentic
105 - Magglio Ordonez (1615/2500)

2004 SP Authentic
59 - Frank Thomas

2005 SPx
61 - Joe Crede

 2005 UD Origins
218  Brian Anderson

2005 UD Reflections
206 - Brandon McCarthy
275 - Sean Tracey

2007 Upper Deck
89 - Neal Cotts

2009 Upper Deck
588 - Jim Thome

2010 Upper Deck
137 - John Danks

Thanks, Charlie! These cards are awesome. Thank you for your generosity. I will keep my eye out for other cards that are on your list. This was a great trip down memory lane.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

A Few Cards From The Writer's Journey

 J.T., of The Writer's Journey fame, is one of the kindest card bloggers out there. We don't set up trades anymore. Sometimes cards just show up at my door, as in the case of this package.

I opened the plain white envelope to find a big Harold Baines Donruss card and a clear bag with a note written on a Carlton Fisk calendar page!

 Inside the calendar page were three baseball cards. One of Adam Eaton, one of Fred Howard and one of Richard Dotson. All in all, a pretty neat little package.

Wait! There's one more surprise.

These cards.
J.T. sent a bunch of them in an earlier package and I went gaga over them. Thanks for sending over a few more and thanks for the White Sox cards. I will be sending a little package out to you shortly.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Trading With Baseball Card Man

Out of the blue, I received two messages from fellow card bloggers inquiring about my address because they had something to send me. The first message was from Bart, better known through Baseball Card Man. He asked me if I had a certain card, which I didn't, then he sent me an entire set that I wasn't aware existed.

The 1988 Little Sun Black Sox was unknown to me, until a week ago. It contains sixteen cards all about the 1919 World Series and the major players involved, from the members of the Black Sox to the gamblers to Judge Landis.

It's an interesting set of cards, sepia toned cutouts on a solid green background create quite a pop.

Thanks, Bart!! This is a great addition to my collection. I will send something your way shortly.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Terrific Trade With Fantastic Catch

This one has been waiting around in the draft folder for awhile. I apologize to Clark of Fantastic Catch for the delay. Sometimes things get put on the back burner for the craziest reasons... like sleep.

When Clark e-mailed me and suggested a trade, I was chomping at the bit to trade. Then, of course, life interrupted and it fell down the queue of things on the to do list. Eventually, both ends of the trade were sent out and I know I'm happy with the result.


2008 Upper Deck First Edition
330 - Gavin Floyd

2011 Topps Opening Day
119 - Alexei Ramirez
146 - Gavin Floyd

2011 Topps Opening Day Blue
205 - Carlos Quentin (1545/2011)

2011 Topps ToppsTown
TT2-21 - Adam Dunn

2011 Topps Update
43 - Carlos Quentin
220 - Adam Dunn

2012 Topps Gold Standard
GS-23 - Tom Seaver

And a itty bitty, teeny tiny, White Sox batting helmet!

Thanks, Clark! You definitely sent over some winners!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Trade With The Angels In Order

Trading season is heating up again. This package comes from Tom from the fantastic blog The Angels, In Order.

While not specifically stated as a trade, I will treat it as a trade to be named later. More to the point, if I find something really cool featuring the Angels, I will send it over. I am officially on the clock. Hmmm. I think I watched too much flipping draft coverage during the week.

While Chicago is adjusting to life with two managers who are more or less soft spoken, more Robin Ventura cards keep finding their way to my doorstep. There were four Ventura cards in this package, plus one of last year's managerial model, Oswaldo Jose Fidel Guillen Barrios. I'll welcome any card featuring a White Sox individual. Ventura is a player that is sorely lacking in card trades, so it's nice to see a steady stream of his cards start to trickle in.

Let's see what Tom sent over!

1990 Classic
56 - Carlos Martinez

1990 Topps
461 - Carlos Martinez

1991 Panini
260 - Robin Ventura

1991 Topps
156 - Carlos Martinez
219 - Jack McDowell
378 - Wilson Alvarez

1993 Donruss
403 - Roberto Hernandez

1993 Finest
93 - Robin Ventura
172 - Jack McDowell

1993 Stadium Club Team
1 - Frank Thomas
4 - Dave Stieb
5 - Tim Raines
16 - Carlton Fisk
18 - Jack McDowell
24 - Mike Huff
27 - Ellis Burks

1994 Pinnacle Museum
57 - Jack McDowell

1996 Collector's Choice
17 - Lyle Mouton
361 - Robin Ventura CL

1997 Fleer
73 - Robin Ventura

1998 Bowman
117 - Jeff Liefer

1998 Donruss
95 - Mike Cameron

1998 Score
62 - Ozzie Guillen

1998 Ultra
361 - Mario Valdez

2000 Aurora
33 - Ray Durham

2000 Victory
309 - Paul Konerko

2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars
82 - Frank Thomas

2002 Leaf Rookies & Stars Statistical Standouts
SS-8 - Frank Thomas

2003 Bowman
16 - Bartolo Colon

2003 Donruss Classics
66 - Joe Borchard

2008 Upper Deck First Edition Star Quest
SQ-54 - Paul Konerko

2009 Topps Turkey Red
TR115 - Alexei Ramirez

2009 Upper Deck Starquest Blue Uncommon
SQ-32 - Carlos Quentin

2010 Topps Attax Code
Jake Peavy

2010 Topps Turkey Red
TR108 - Carlos Quentin

2012 Topps Gold Standard
GS-23 - Tom Seaver

2012 Topps Opening Day
203 - John Danks

Thanks, Tom! These will go great in my collection. There are definitely a few that I can use. It's always fun going through players over a twenty-two year span. With Frank Thomas being so dominating and Paul Konerko being so dominating now, it's hard to imagine that Carlos Martinez was the first base option before the Big Hurt came up. I'm one of the few that remembers Mike Cameron on the White Sox, but he is immortalized on cardboard for all eternity. Great memories and a great trade!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Trade With All The Way To The Backstop

It's been awhile since I've posted any trade posts. I've gotten so far behind in my cards this year, it borders on the ridiculous. Yes, I'm still collecting. Yes, I'm still interested in trading. My time has been a little more limited, since going back to work and school last October, but it's paying off. I only have two classes left before I get my Associates degree and the classes that I've taken since last year, I have aced. I couldn't have asked for a better work situation. I thoroughly enjoy the work and the people there and that makes all the difference.

So, when an opportunity to make a trade with Marcus from All The Way To The Backstop... arose, I couldn't pass up the offer. It was a small trade, but took care of some pesky 90s needs, which is always a welcome sight. Let's see what Marcus sent over.

1991 Score Rising Stars
35 - Craig Grebeck
48 - Robin Ventura
66 - Alex Fernandez
94 - Adam Peterson

1992 Leaf
517 - Kirk McCaskill

1995 Upper Deck
202 - Jason Bere

1996 Select
89 - Ray Durham

1996 Upper Deck
112 - Harold Baines (Young At Heart)

1997 UD3
23 - Robin Ventura

1998 Collector's Choice
116 - Mario Valdez

It's funny seeing cards of Robin Ventura during his playing career, now that he's the manager. As Orel Hershiser has mentioned, Robin Ventura is no stranger anywhere he goes in the world and lights up a room when he enters it. I've never met Robin and I've certainly never been in a room when he lights it up by his mere appearance. I guess I'll chalk that up to Orel's vast knowledge as a broadcaster? Ventura is certainly a change from the previous regime under Fidel Castro disciple Ozzie Guillen.

Thanks, Marcus! There should be a return package in the mail for you by the end of the week.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

My White Sox Obsession

A short while ago, I contacted Jeff from My Sports Obsession about a possible trade. We both collect White Sox cards and I had a bunch that were not on his list. If only he could hit a few cards off of my list, things would be great.

I have an abundant amount of White Sox cards, so I don't expect a lot of hits off of my list. It is pretty extensive, but save for a few pesky commons here and there, a good chunk of the list is unlikely to be in the average collection. I've been finding that logic to be faulty lately, as more traders have come up with stuff that blows my mind. I really couldn't ask for a better community to be a part of. People always tend to amaze me, in a good way.

My encounter with Jeff's list prompted me to finally join Zistle. I'm slowly putting my collection on there. It's not perfect, but it will do to help me get a more accurate assessment of my collection.

But enough about the wonders of Zistle, on to the wonders of the cards Jeff sent over.

1975 Topps
422 - Brian Downing
624 - Jim Otten (Rookie Pitchers)

2004 Studio
52 - Frank Thomas

2006 Topps Opening Day
90 - Mark Buehrle

2008 UD Documentary
1868 (June 13th)
3290 (August 3rd)
3291 (August 5th)

2009 UD Icons
16 - Carlos Quentin

2010 Bowman Draft
BDPP21 - Rangel Ravelo

2010 Bowman Platinum
81 - Gordon Beckham

2010 Topps 206
37 - Gordon Beckham
214 - John Danks

2010 Topps 206 Mini Polar Bear
217 - Alex Rios

2011 Bowman
196 - Brent Morel
211 - Gregory Infante

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects
BCP74 - Jim Gallagher

2011 Bowman Prospects
BP74 - Jim Gallagher
BP95 - Addison Reed

2011 Gypsy Queen
116 - Jake Peavy

2011 Topps Heritage
214 - Chris Sale

Thanks, Jeff! I'm now closer than ever to completing the 1975 Topps set and you managed to finish off a few pesky sets for me. I'll be mailing your package off tomorrow. I hope you enjoy your cards as much as I've enjoyed the ones that you sent over.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Trading With Morgan

This has been sitting on my desk since the weekend, but I've been a little under the weather since then, so excuse my lateness.

Before any more time slipped by, I wanted to thank Morgan for sending me a few White Sox cards. Ranging from 1992 to 2011, most were pesky thorns in my side that just didn't make the journey to my collection... until now.

The most interesting card of the lot would have to be the 1992 National Convention promo of Frank Thomas for a magazine called Profiles In Sports. Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing the magazine, but a little online search produced images of Nolan Ryan and Mickey Mantle as other cards offered in the promotion.

The scanner doesn't do the card justice. That pale yellow color that dominates the card is actually a blinding rainbow of foil colors in even the dimmest light. It's a nice precursor to the shiny rainbow foil explosion that would happen just a few short years later.

Thanks, Morgan! The cards you sent over were great! I'm hoping to drop off your package at the post office tomorrow. I think you'll be happy with what you find in there.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Twitter Completes A Set

I use Twitter in a number of different ways. I use it as a promotional tool for this blog, but I also use it for game comments and other random things, like what's on my iPod ("Match Of The Day" by Genesis, currently segueing into "Love's An Injection" by Hanoi Rocks) or some insightful or snarky comments, depending on my mood. Basically, you get a glimpse into my actual life, in addition to White Sox and blog stuff. I've never used to to make a trade... until now.

A Twitter follower (and fellow Pale Hose enthusiast) contacted me about a card he had trouble identifying and was curious if I needed it for my collection. Ultimately, the card was identified as a 1989 Pacific Legends card of Billy Pierce. As luck would have it, that was the last card that I needed to complete my team set. I won't reveal the Twitter follower, as that user's tweets are protected, so I choose to honor that be keeping the Tweeter anonymous.

We agreed on a return card of Julio Franco in a White Sox uniform, which is always a wonderful thing to see. I loved seeing Franco in a White Sox uniform and was sad to see that the strike prevented him from more than one season as a White Sox.

Thank you! This card finally finishes off a pesky late eighties set. It will probably be one of the few times you'll see that sentence on this blog. I hope you like the Julio Franco card when it gets there.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Summer Clearance Trade With Capewood

Some of the more established bloggers do away with little trades and focus on the yearly trade. For the last few years, I've had a standing yearly trade with Cliff, of Capewood's Collections fame. Cliff would gather White Sox cards that he obtained over the past year and I would round up Phillies and Astros for him.

There always seems to be a unique array of interesting cards. There are a lot of doubles, to be sure, but the ones that hit the mark are outstanding. Sometimes the doubles are pretty cool too.

First off, there was the usual smattering of eighties cards. A lone 1980 Topps card of Rich Wortham was the oldest card in the lot. Long ago, I completed the 1980 White Sox Topps set, but finding one of these relics from before the current onslaught of multiple card companies is always welcome.

The rest of the cards from the eighties range from 1986 until 1989. I didn't collect cards in 1988 or 1989, but I have enough of them to wallpaper my house five times over using only doubles from the main sets. Despite this fact, I still lack cards from this era. Go figure.
The nineties cards are next. The 1990 Topps Traded card of Jack McDowell is great to see. I think I'm the only one who has a soft spot for the 1990 design. It's not the greatest Topps ever produced, but it is unique and it was my reintroduction into my second wave of card collecting.

There are plenty of overproduced cards in this section, but I could find room for more 1990 Fleer and 1991 Donruss. A 1992 Upper Deck card shows Lance Johnson immersed in the National Anthem. That's something you don't see too often on a card.
A 1994 Ron Santo card lists him on the White Sox and shows him in both a White Sox and Cubs uniform. It's a card that I've always assumed was a Cubs card, from the head shot in the lower right hand corner, but it's not. I guess what I always say is true... if you assume you make an ass out of Uma Thurman.

As to be expected, the largest cache of cards is from the past ten years, with the bulk of it coming from 2010 to 2011. This is where the gamble finally pays off.
I have collected a good chunk of the 2011 sets, but my purchasing has been down this year, due to financial limitations. That has put a bit of a cramp in my collecting mojo, but with less sets, it actually hasn't been too bad.

There were a lot of cards in this section that I needed. It filled out a bunch of pesky holes in my 201 collection. But perhaps the biggest surprise was...
A Derek Jeter flip book!

I had mentioned how cool these were and that I hadn't seen any in a long time. Out of the woodwork came news of a set from the past decade that had completely escaped my radar. Cliff was kind enough to include a "surprise" flip book in the package. It has to be one of the coolest things I've seen in awhile.

Thanks, Cliff! It was a great trade, as usual. I can't wait for next year's trade!

Monday, June 6, 2011

A Trade With Trey

A little while ago, I got an e-mail from an Astros fan named Trey regarding the possibility of a trade. I'm always willing to try to make a trade work, and it's much easier now that I've separated my non-White Sox collection by team and finally got everything organized in order.

Trey recently started a blog called Rants, Reviews and Fandom that you should all check out right now!

OK, you're back. Let's get down to brass tacks. Trey and I obviously came to some sort of agreement, or else I wouldn't be writing about a trade. Writing about a non-trade might be interesting from an aesthetic point of view, but it doesn't usually make for good reading, unless it's something juicy, which it almost never is.

Anyway, Trey sent over some real gems. Let's see what arrived.

1992 Upper Deck Heroes Of Baseball
Comiskey Park - May3, 1992

2010 Bowman Draft
BDPP14 - Addison Reed

2010 Bowman Platinum
69 - Dayan Viciedo

2010 Topps Peak Performance Relics
PPR-AR - Alexei Ramirez

2011 Bowman Gold
182 - Adam Dunn*
220 - Chris Sale

2011 Gypsy Queen Future Stars
FS19 - Gordon Beckham

2011 Topps Attax
127 - Juan Pierre

2011 Topps Opening Day
141 - Brent Morel

2011 Topps Wal-Mart Black
202 - AL HR Leaders (Konerko, Bautista, Cabrera)

Thanks, Trey! These cards were great! I liked the Alexei relic a lot. I had completely forgotten about the Upper Deck hologram sticker giveaways at ballparks. I never attended any of those, so I'm sure that's the reason why.

Your cards are on the way to you. I hope you like them as much as I liked these cards.

* I chose Adam Dunn's card to represent the lot over many other more deserving cards because I'm hoping that its appearance here will kick start his well documented offensive abilities in 2011. Stranger things have happened. If he does return to his usual form soon after this posting, you can thank me. If he doesn't... well, I tried.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Thanks Mike!

Yesterday, a package chock full of Fisk cards arrived from California from a first time trader and blog reader named Mike.

First off, there were a couple of nice cards from 1976, a SSPC and a Crane Disc. Those were great to see! I love vintage fisk cards. Even though modern cards use the Red Sox pictures, there's nothing quite like the look of a vintage Fisk card.

Next up, there were multiple cards from his days playing in Chicago. Cards ranged from 1981 until 1993. Most cards I had in my White Sox collection, but lacked in the player collection. These cards fit the bill, including a 1993 Metz Baking Company card.

The next round of Fisk cards were between 2001 and 2010. In these, were two Topps cards from 2001, which were essentially the same card with different foil and a slightly different back. One was from Topps Archives and the other was from Topps Shoebox. Both used the exact same layout featuring a single panel from Fisk's 1972 shared rookie card. Both were cool, but it seems unnecessary in the same year. The card that stood out from the group was the 2002 Topps Tribute card. Reflective and shiny. All to celebrate one of the best remembered home runs of a World Series. Sweet!

Rounding out the package were a few White Sox non-Fisk cards. A 2005 Bowman Chrome card of departed Clayton Richard with his Jack Nicholson Joker smile and three different 1986 7-11 coins.

Thanks, Mike! These were even better than advertised! I wouldn't hesitate to make another trade with you in the future. I sent a box of cards to you today. Hopefully, they'll arrive by the end of the week. I hope you'll be as pleased as I was.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Four From Number 5

A direct message from my Twitter account appeared in my e-mail last week. It seemed innocent enough. It was a message from Matthew from Number 5 Type Collection asking if my mailing address was the same as before. Since I've been in the same location for the majority of my life, I answered yes.

Yesterday, a bubble mailer showed up in my mailbox from Matthew. It was a nice bright spot. I'm in the last gasps of a nasty sinus infection that has been plaguing me for the past few weeks. The infection is finally gone, but I still have to wait for the rest of my body to notice and settle down. The good thing is that my strength and clarity are back where they should be. The bad thing is that I've neglected a lot the past few weeks and it was even a struggle to keep on autopilot.

The day had been filled with intermittent but heavy downpour rain and my backyard suffered the most.Yeah. I can probably skip the trips to Lake Catherine in Antioch this year because I have a lake of my own now! With even more rain expected (it's lightly raining as I write this), I might as well release a few perch and bluegill in the yard and build a boat. There's already a deck to attach it to.

Anyway, back to the bubble mailer. Matthew has always been a big supporter of this blog and has sent out some great packages in the past. I always look out for #5 cards to set aside, but I don't run into many, I'm afraid. I do keep my eyes peeled though. I feel compelled to contribute to one of the most unique collections of cards on the internet!

I'm never sure what to expect from Matthew. His collection takes him to some interesting places and I am always surprised as what shows up. There were four cards in the mailer. I had to look up each one.

First up there were three cards from the same set.
1977 Bob Parker Hall of Fame
3 - Luke Appling
14 - Eddie Collins
41 - Edd Roush

The card stock reminds me a bit of rice paper, but I'm probably wrong on that. Appling and Collins are pictured in their White Sox attire. Roush is listed as being on the White Sox, in addition to the Reds and Giants, during his long career, but is pictured in a Reds uniform.

These cards were big, nearly taking up the entire space inside the #000 bubble mailer. The cards were released in three series between 1977 and 1981. The first series in 1977, the second in 1980 and the third in 1981. All three cards are from the first series.

This by itself would have made my day, but there was one more card yet to be discovered. Disappeared into the recesses of the mailer and almost obscured by the three larger cards was something that I initially overlooked. It's a good thing I always check because tucked away at the very bottom was a tiny hand cut card.
Here's the back.

It looked very familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. This card had one distinguishing feature that should have made identification a snap. Eddie Collins was listed as the White Sox manager. This would narrow the search down to between 1924 and 1927. Eddie was only manager through part of 1924 through 1926. I looked through my SCD catalog at the likely suspects and struck out. I messaged Matthew back and asked if he could shed some light on identifying this card. He thought it might be a W590.

I overlooked this set in my initial searching. I had failed to look at multiple year releases. It was a simple mistake but one that could have made the search easier. There was an Eddie Collins in the set, but the team designation wasn't identified. I took to the web with this new lead and initially came up empty.

A stroke of luck brought me to a discussion board, where people were trying to come up with a definitive checklist. There were pictures of some of the cards, but they were mostly the handful that I had already seen. The lack of design on the card was discouraging easy identification since many card of this era looked very similar. The examples of W590 cards looked the part, but without visual verification, I couldn't know for sure.

Then a tiny break appeared. Someone had the Collins card. There was no picture, but the poster did reprint the text that appeared at the bottom of his card: EDDIE COLLINS Manager of Chicago White Sox.

This was enough to make a 99% accurate assumption that this was indeed a W590 card. I have no clue about reported reprints of this set, but the hand cut appearance would lead me to believe that this is a genuine original. I will treat it as such, until proven wrong.

So... this means that I have a new oldest White Sox card in my collection!

From what I've been able to gather, there were two confirmed print runs of this set. One in 1925 and one in 1931. There has been speculation about a 1928 print run, due to a notation of a player being on Boston, who was only on that team in 1928, but that card has not shown up. It was the conclusion of the posters there that the team designation may have been recorded wrong.

Backed with this message board sleuthing, I can safely say that this card was printed in 1925, assuming it is an original. This beats my previous oldest card by eight years.

Thanks, Matthew! I always have an adventure ahead of me when a package of yours arrives and this was certainly no exception. Thank you for the cards and for the experience associated with it.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Trades: Thrice

I've been busy with non-blog related projects and real life lately, so I've gotten behind in posting about trades. I'm going to do something that I rarely do, write about multiple trades in a single post.

I like to give everyone their own post because I appreciate the time and effort that people go through to look through my want list (or just set aside cards for me without looking) and I enjoy each and every package that shows up at my mailbox. If someone took the time to send me something, I think it's only fair to write about it.

I've fallen behind, in posting and returning trades. This should be the first step towards fixing that.
The first package came from Andy, a Cubs fan that has relocated to Texas. I talk to so many people because of this blog that it didn't dawn on me that Andy had contacted me a year ago about a trade. Andy's trade package included cards from the 80s up to 2009. It contained many pesky singles that have eluded me.

Thanks, Andy! I did find one card from Andy's want list that he sent. I am looking through my other boxes to see if I can find some more. It's a little harder to find some cards because I recently revamped my boxes and put cards into teams, since I deal with more team and player collectors. Something should be sent out very shortly.
Next, I received a package from John from The Pursuit Of 80's(ness). John is always generous with White Sox cards and this time was no exception. His preferred method of trading is the blind trade. I do get a lot of doubles this way, but there are always some cool surprises and I have never been disappointed by a trade from John. I found a lot of cards that were keepers including gold cards, purple chrome cards and a 7-11 disc of Frank Thomas, to name just a few.

Thanks, John! I have some Red Sox cards to send your way shortly.
Finally, I received a package from Rhubarb Runner of “é rayhahn, rayhahn”. There was a Juan Uribe jersey card, both sides of the UD Documentary White Sox playoff appearance, 2011 Opening Day cards and a few other assorted goodies. Perhaps the most interesting were a pair of game-worn Allen & Ginter cards. I had never seen these cards out of the protective frame. They are surprisingly rigid and plastic feeling.

Thanks, Rhubarb Runner! I've learned something new today. I'll look through your want lists and see if I can match anything.

OK, I think I'm all caught up with posting. Now to concentrate on return packages.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Vealtone Magic

Last week, I alluded to a package that Dustin from Coot Veal and the Vealtones sent over. It held one of my pet peeves as a collector, a Cubs card disguised as a White Sox card. While partially correct in the team name department, the card used modern day logo and registered team name to convey this and in the process ended up using the wrong team's identifying information.

I got a pretty good post out of that and it was cathartic. The more information that I can get out there about the White Sox and Cubs origins, the less that things like this will happen. At least that's the dream. If people can keep the Nationals/Senators (Twins), Senators (Rangers), and Nationals (Expos) teams straight, the Chicago teams should be a piece of cake, right?

What I failed to mention was that there were other cards in that package and they were really good. The oldest cards were from 1958. There was a Jerry Staley which was a keeper and a Sherm Lollar which was a filler. Both are awesome cards.

I then found a few Sandberg cards that I'm putting together for my Cubs fan friend. Some Fisk cards, including three pesky 1981 cards that have escaped me until now. A smattering of nineties cards followed, including a Cincinnati Reds dressed Konerko complete with White Sox logos.

As the package entered the twenty-first century, there were Buehrle cards, more Fisk cards, chrome, parallels, a Thome mini card and a few cards knocked off the 2008 UD Documentary list.

Thank you, Dustin! This was a blast to sort through! A return package will be a little while, but it should be filled with some goodies for you.

Monday, March 28, 2011

More Cards From Jay

My fine arts background and love of baseball have finally paid off. I've been doing various freelance projects for Jay at Buccos, for cards. It has produced great results for both Jay and I. He gets some newly created cards to round out his collection and to seek autographs with, and I get glorious cards.

Until I find a steady job doing this type of work, this is my payday. Somehow, I don't think it will ever be as satisfying as this arrangement. Sixties cards are pretty sweet and Jay send over nine of them. Just enough to field a team!

1961, 1964 and 1966 Topps all arrived in the mail today and what a joyful sight they were! While I'm still waiting for my Topps Million Card Giveaway cards to get here, I can bask in the luxurious glow of vintage Pale Hose from a decade before I was born.

Let's see what Jay sent over.

1961 Topps
157 - Cal McLish
170 - Al Smith
185 - Herb Score
205 - Bill Pierce

1964 Topps
130 - Gary Peters
148 - J.C. Martin
283 - Tommy McCraw

1966 Topps
354 - Smoky Burgess
413 - John Romano

Thanks, Jay! These cards really brightened my day! My sixties collection just got a tiny bit bigger.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Diamonds, Gold, Copper And Micro

When I sent off a few used Diamond Code cards and a couple of well placed Cubbies to JayBee of the spectacular bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog, I had no idea what to expect in return. Frankly, I would have been happy with a smile on JayBee's face as my reward, but I got some awesome cards too.
That itsy bitsy, teeny tiny, little speck in the center of the picture is a 1991 Topps Micro card of Eric King. I have only recently been brave enough to explore the option of these minuscule parallels and being thrust into the water by another blogger's generous supply of 1993 Micro cards, it doesn't seem as scary or as impossible anymore.

I may be fool for going after the gold parallel set of any Topps year, but I am close in enough to continue the pursuit of fool's gold. What better to fuel my fix for pyrite than a 2009 Brian Anderson Topps Gold card? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing!

That is unless you count copper. I'm not sure how copper ever trumps gold in the real world, but in the Topps world, copper is a much rarer commodity. A 2010 Topps Copper card of Mark Buehrle will always be welcomed.

What say you? Faux metals aren't your thing? Huzzah! 2011 Diamond Anniversary parallels of Omar Vizquel and Brent Morel will certainly fit the quota. All shiny and sparkly. I can mesmerize Charlie Sheen for hours just by tilting these cards back and forth. Amazing.

To top it all off, a new and improved Smelloscope uh, I mean, ToppsTown features Manny Ramirez's back after what I assume to be a strikeout. Even the ToppsTown card is shiny and distracting.

Thanks, JayBee! These cards were awesome! Thanks for a great trade and as you predicted, I loved what you sent over.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Another Amazing Package From Chewing Liquorice

An abundant amount of cards have been sneaking into Illinois (probably through Wisconsin) from Canada. Another outstanding package of cards arrived in my mailbox from Geoffrey of Chewing Liquorice fame.

Inside were assorted cards from the eighties and nineties, plus a couple of autographed cards. Autographed cards usually throw me for a loop. I'm always amazed that the card that I am holding in my hand was, at some point, in the hands of the player pictured on the card. It's still thrilling after all these years.

There's a reason why I usually avoid asking athletes or celebrities of any kind for their autograph. I do tend to get starstruck and I do sometimes get tongue-tied, when it's an autograph of someone I like. Just ask John "Bermuda" Schwartz and "Weird Al" Yankovic. I couldn't even say Bermuda without screwing it up in front of John and I blathered like an idiot to Weird Al about how one of my friends could be a doppelganger. Not my finest moment. To top it off, I was informed that I could have brought a camera to document everything, despite what the rules stated.

Before I start babbling incoherently, let's dig into this package.

1981 Donruss #160 - LaMarr Hoyt
Donruss cards are awesome! How else, as a kid, was I going to learn that LaMarr's actual first name is Dewey?

1982 Topps #720 - Greg Luzinski
One of these days, I'm going to have to take in a Phillies game in Philadelphia, just to experience Bull's Barbecue.

1987 Topps #61 - Bobby Thigpen
How can I not love a Thiggy rookie?

1991 Bowman #347 - Johnny Ruffin
1991 Bowman #362 - Rock Raines
1991 Bowman #366 - Frank Thomas
A trio of '91 Bowman. Early revamped Bowman cards can make me smile.

1991 Conlon #98 - Rip Radcliff
Have I mentioned how much I love these cards? Not in the past 24 hours? That's too long not to declare my feelings for this set.

1991 Upper Deck #641 - Phil Bradley
I remember expecting great things from Bradley when the Sox traded Kitty for him.

1992 Fleer Smoke 'n Heat #2 - Jack McDowell
An insert card of a Cy Young winner? Awesome.

1992 Manning 1919 Black Sox Color Advertising Card - Joe Jackson
A curiosity that tops off the 25 card set very nicely.

1992 Score #635 - Tim Raines
Raines running is a thing of beauty.

1992 Studio #156 - Tim Raines
One of the sweetest smiles in baseball.

1993 Fleer Diamond Tribute #4 - Carlton Fisk
A great card of Pudge commemorating his 2,226th game caught.

1993 Stadium Club Murphy #127 - Tim Moore
Nothing against Tim, who did put up decent numbers in the low minors, but this shows just how bad the Sox draft process was in the nineties.

1994 Pinnacle #57 - Jack McDowell
A card proclaiming his Cy Young dominance.

1994 Topps 1954 Archives #27 - Ferris Fain
They don't make cards like this anymore.

1995 Stadium Club #367 - Robin Ventura
Robin to Frank's Batman. Those were the days.

1995 Stadium Club Ring Leaders Phone Card Regular - 1983 All-Star Game
I had to look this one up in SCD. Apparently there are silver and gold editions of this contest card. Cool!

1998 Collector's Choice #338 - James Baldwin
The Sox ace for a few years.

1998 Collector's Choice StarQuest #SQ41 - Frank Thomas
Nice insert!

Autographed cards.....

1991 Upper Deck #283 - Ken Patterson
I was sad to see Ken go to the Cubs.

1993-94 Fleer Excel #36 - Ron Coomer
I honestly forgot that Ron was in the White Sox system before he made the majors.

Thanks, Geoffrey! These cards were awesome, as usual!
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