Trade Report: A Diamond King "Pick & Roll"

During the recent Diamond King mega-end-of-the-year-contest, I mentioned that I'm a huge John Stockton fan.  So, even though I didn't win the contest, the Diamond King wanted to know if he could send some Stocktons and Malones my way.

Now, let me go on the record with the fact that I never have and never will turn down Stocktons or Malones.  They the alpha & omega, the foundation & apex, the peanut butter & jelly, the peas & carrots, and, most fittingly, the pick & roll of my collecting life.

And, as usually happens with trades between bloggers, I was completely blown away with Diamond King's generosity with his portion of the trade.  He filled a TON of gaps in my Stockton and Malone collections.

Since he sent so many cards, I thought I'd break it into two posts, starting with the Mailman.  The Malone section was full of plenty of "style" and "shiny".

Of the many, many, MANY dozens of Malones included, this card was probably my favorite.  Not only is it a USA Basketball card (which I love) but it was produced during the hayday of my childhood collecting and I'd never once encountered it.

The card is a regular sized card with perforations between each "mini card".  You really can't beat four of the NBA's greatest big men on one card.

As for the Stocktons, I think I will forgo my usual multicard post and will take some time featuring them individually since John Stockton is my all-time favorite athlete and Diamond King sent some great cards that deserve heightened focus.

Thanks again for the cards Diamond King and I'm working on tracking down some items off your want list.

Trade Bait: Tinsel From Under the Tree

I've spent the past 72-hours watching The Wire, The Big Bang Theory, Cougar Town, and Happy Endings dvds, so I thought it might be time to step away and scan some cards.

Here are the results from the blaster of 2011 Baseball Chrome, a rack pack of 2011 Update, and four loose packs of 2011 Heritage that I received over the Christmas holiday. 

All are available for trade, so let me know if you're interested in any of these cards.

First, some Chrome, since it's tinsel like qualities are what inspired the title of this post.

The purple Granderson is numbered 193/499 and the Walden Chrome Heritage Refractor is numbered 506/562.  The Heyward and Verlander seem to be base chrome, the Hanson and Maybin appear to be xfractor-style, and the Byrd, Jaso, and Sogard appear to be refractors but none are distinguished this way on the card backs.  I'm just going with how the cards look compared to previous years -- base have white boarders, refractors have chrome across the entire card, and xfractors have patterned chrome.

The following Chrome cards rounded out the blaster: 
7 24 41 55 66 73 90 82 96 102 120 129 138 143 180 188 201 209 217
VC6 and VC49

The four loose packs of Heritage yielded me zero Royals or Rockies, but they may help out anyone who is collecting the set.

I also received cards:
6 15 33 39 72 75 93 128 137 159 205 209 222 223 232 233 240 242 262 273 274 292 374 377 383

I knew I wouldn't have the same success with my second Update rack pack as I had with my first, but it was still a fun group of cards to open. 

I never grow tired of the regular and drunk sparkle cards.

I also got the following Update cards (all with the "US" prefix in the card numbering)
11 19 56 59 117 152 153 163 177 183 217 227 248 249 253 255 263 266 286 293 307 310 317 323

I'll wait a few days before I sort these cards into team piles in my library card file cabinet, so let me know if you need any of them.

My First Golf Autograph

In an effort to beef up my golf card collection, I decided to pick up a golfer's autograph.  Since I'm a budget collector, I decided to forgo the obvious (and expensive) autographs of some of the more famous golfers -- Woods, Mickelson, Nicklaus, Norman, Palmer, Player, etc. -- and select a player with which I have a more personal connection.

I selected this 2002 Upper Deck SP Scorecard Signatures card of Jeff Maggert.  While the card is not serial numbered, the autograph is on-card and very legible, which are both very big pluses in my book.

While I've never personally met Mr. Maggert, he is my best friend's sister-in-law's first cousin.  Sure, it's not the greatest connection in the world, but it's always been enough for me to root for Jeff whenever he's been on tv.

The closest I ever got to meeting him was when my dad and I followed him for a dozen holes when he was playing in the now-defunct International Golf Tournament in Castle Rock, CO.

And if the above humble-brags weren't enough, I've also swung his old Ping driver that he gave to his cousin-in-law (who is my best-friend's brother).

Anyway, I'm glad to have his autograph and I'm hoping this will keep me motivated to build up my golf card collection in the future.

Killer Update

If you're a Braves fan, you can thank my sister for this card.

We just completed our Secret Santa gift exchange and my sister gave me a 2011 Update rack-pack as one of my gifts and this is the best card I've pulled from a 2011 pack:

Serial Numbered 30/60

I gave out an audible gasp when I saw this card.  Wicked awesome!  And I'd love to trade it away.  Make me an offer.

The rack-pack also had these beauties:

Tons of great players and tons of great inserts. It was a great present with tons of trade-bait type cards!  Thanks to my sis Clair for the great cards and thanks to my fam for a great Christmas Eve evening!

Fave Five: Christmas Cards

The wife and I managed to make it to Christmas Eve Eve before we opened our presents (which actually may be the latest we've waited in the eight Christmases we've been together).  This year we reasoned that we'd best open them tonight because tomorrow we'll be preparing to host my family for a Christmas Eve BoozeFest & Mexican Feast (TM) and Christmas Day will be spent at my parent's house, so we really won't have time to open presents after tonight.  As a reward for reading this entire paragraph, the first person to request it in the comments will get the Diamond Giveaway code I pulled from the below box.

One of the presents my wife gave me was a box of 2011 Topps Series 2.  We opened it together and, as usual, she pulled all the great cards from the box. 

Here are my Fave Five Christmas Eve Eve Cards of 2011.

FIVE:  Eight Sets of Dupes (aka Classic Topps Collation)

FOUR:  Inserts

The Robinson has an original back.

THREE:  Shiny Gold Minis

TWO:  Sparkley

ONE:  Manupatch

Which happens to be my third Orioles logo manupatch, along with the Murray and Bell below, so I'd love to trade away the Bell and Lee for a logo manupatch of a team I don't already have (list of cards needed can be found HERE).

All of the above cards are available for trade, as are all the base cards I got, except for the Royals and Rockies I pulled out for my personal collection.  If you need any of these, I'd love to work out a trade.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! 

Justified and Justifiable

I love everything about the tv show Justified which starts back up in a few weeks.



I especially love the Justified theme song.  It is probably the only song that could edge out AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" as the song I'd want to play in the stadium when I came up to bat when I finally make it onto a 40-man roster.



I also love this this 2006 Just Minors Justifiable autograph card that is numbered 6/100.

 

Pride of a Nation

I just noticed that yesterday's post was my 300th post on my blog, which seems about right.  I'm a month away from the blog's 1st birthday, which means I've done about 1 post a day all year.  Not too shabby.

And since this blog is the Pride of a Nation*, I figure this is a perfect time to show off my latest Dexter Fowler / Manupatch / Autographed card purchase.

Also, I've spent my first few days of Christmas Vacation getting my library card catalog cabinet organized with my cards and I'm really happy with how it's turning out.  I even figured out a great way to label the drawers.  I'll be sure to post some pictures when I'm finished.

*Obviously the nation I'm referring to is the Republic of Kazakhstan.  It's the weirdest thing, but those guys love manupatches and mustaches.

Trade Report: Thoughts & Sox

Earlier this month, AdamE of Thoughts and Sox asked me if I'd be willing to trade away the 1948 Leaf boxing card that I'd posted.  I had zero attachment to the card and hadn't yet traded with him, so of course I said yes.

He mentioned he'd send me some "60 Topps commons".  At the time, my third grade students had turned my brain into tapioca pudding and I read that as "Topps 60 commons", of which I'd pulled a few from some Update Blasters and I was more than happy to have some more.

So I thought I'd be getting a pile of these fellas (which, again, would have been better than acceptable):

And here is what Adam sent me:

1960 TOPPS COMMONS!!!!!?!??!?!!??!  A pre-1980s mustache!!!?!?!??!!!?  Hells and yeahs!  Talk about being pleasantly surprised.  Thanks a ton for the cards Adam and your cards are on their way to you as I type this.

Tobacco Tag-along

So I scored another 1910 Murad T51, a North Western College backpacker, which brings my total up to 24/150 (16%) for the set.

Creased, chipped, and corners softened is just the way I like my T51s.

And, as I am wont to do, I grabbed an extra tobacco card from the seller for an extra buck.

This time I decided to try my luck with a 1910 Turkey Red T37 automobile card.

I almost like the back of the card better than the front.  A little information about the Turkey Red Automobile Series:

In early 1910, automobiles were evolving from a curiosity into a way of life.  It was at this time that the T37 Turkey Red Automobile Series was produced.  Inserted into 10-cigarette
packages of Turkey Red brand cigarettes, these bright and colorful drawings captured the automobile worldwide in its infancy.  An amazingly historical set, the 50 cards each measure 2" X 2 5/8", capture joyful scenes of driving on the front and offer a complete checklist on each back.

A way cool set that I may try to complete in the future.

Trade Report/Fave Five: Cool Veal Style

Dhoff recently sent me four team-bags full of cardboard goodness. Here are my Fave Five from each bag.

FIVE:  Future Royalty (and a Bip)

FOUR:  Classic Royalty

THREE:  Helton

TWO:  Eck

ONE:  Needed Hochevars and Fowlers

Thanks a bunch Dhoff and I'm sorry that I'm sending considerably fewer cards your way than you sent me.  I definitely owe you.

Fave Five: My Cardboard Mistress' Group Break

I picked up the Rockies in the massive group break that Spankee put together.  While I didn't walk away with a Tulo autograph, I did manage to pick up some sweet Rocks for a low price.

Here are my Fave Five from the break.

FIVE:  Hits

FOUR:  Cargo

THREE:  Helton

TWO: Tulo

ONE:  Dexter

Thanks for the great cards Spankee!

Fave Five: Jaybarkerfan Fun Game Prizes

Sure the Jaybarkerfan fun game took place many months ago.  Sure I received the package well over a month ago.  Sure I set it aside to be shown off after the MOvember/Mustache Set was finished.  Sure I forgot that I set it aside.  But the cards are still cool and worth showing off. 

(And I have no idea whether the rumor I am starting is true that JBF is on a blogging strike until I do finally show my prize results on my blog.)

My Fave Five Jaybarkerfan Fun Game Prizes

FIVE:  The Boz and some Football autos

FOUR:  My 1st Numbered Mailman

THREE: Bronco Rookie Fabrics

TWO:  Shiny Kidd

ONE:  JoHo Autograph

Thanks JBF!  It was a great party you threw and I'm sorry about your ficus plant!

Fave Five: 2012 Collecting Goals

Sure, it's a touch early to be making plans for next year, but I thought I'd get a head start on setting my 2012 collecting goals.

Obviously I'm going to keep picking up Hochevars, Fowlers, and Stocktons whenever possible and I'm going to try to get organized by getting my cards filed away in their library card file home.  But I need specific collecting goals to keep me motivated over the next year.

The nice thing is, unlike most of my new year resolutions (i.e. lose weight, read more than 2 books in a year, stop killing hobos, etc.), I really want these goals to come true and I will have fun accomplishing them.


So, here are my Fave Five 2012 Collecting Goals

FIVE:   Vintage Cards

 I want to get my 1910 Murad T51 and 1948-49 Leaf (baseball) sets to at least 50% completion by the end of next year.

FOUR:  Mustache Portrait Collection 

Yikes, that's some bad scanning

I want to build a mustache portrait collection that is at least 100-cards strong by the start of next MOvember.

THREE:  Manupatch Collections 

 I want to complete both my letter and logo manupatch collections.  The MLB logo collection is 66% complete and the letters collection is just under 50% complete.

TWO:  Denver Broncos Super Bowl Rookies

Obviously this isn't a rookie card, but it's the only Broncos card I had scanned at the moment.

A rookie card of every player on the Denver Bronco's 1997 Super Bowl winning team.  When a rookie can't be found, I will make due with any card that can be found.  HERE is the 1998 roster.  Key players include Elway, Davis, McCaffrey, Sharp, Romanowski, Atwater, and Elam.

ONE:  Eck Trifecta

A rookie, a relic, and an autograph of the greatest mustache/mullet combo in history, Dennis Eckersley.  I also wouldn't mind getting my Eck collection above 100 cards.

There you have it.  Even if I don't reach these goals, even attempting them is going to make 2012 a great year of collecting in the Manupatches and Mustaches house.

Why, Yes Virginia, There is a (Secret) Santa

Once I saw Bad Wax's Secret Santa idea, I knew it was something of which I wanted to be a part.  I've had fun searching ebay for cards to send away in trade (Dennis and Greg know what I'm talking about) and the thought of receiving a "surprise" gift in the mail sealed the deal for me.

Earlier this week, I received my package, and, just like in real life, the package didn't make it to Christmas before I opened it (but to be fair to me, I had no idea it was a "Christmas gift"). 

And, suffice to say, my Secret Santa is this year's winner.  I am almost ashamed to send off my Secret Santa gift, because it pales in comparison to this one.

My Secret Santa hit upon four of my personal collection categories and sent along a staggering nine cards. 

First, my Colorado Collection increased to 14-cards with this LenDale White autograph.

Next, my Eddy Mac collection got a card closer to hitting the Trifecta with this jersey relic.  Even better was that a piece of Rod Smith's jersey is also attached.

And I love that they tell when and where Eddy wore the jersey.  If the card back is to be trusted, this jersey could have remnants of Mile High Stadium's final season's turf on it.  Anyone have a home cloning kit handy?

My Secret Santa didn't stop there because he added another Dexter Fowler autograph to my collection.  These Goudy Graphs are one of my all-time favorite autograph cards.  This one is pitch-perfect from top to bottom.

And, last, but certainly not least, my Secret Santa sent along SIX!!!! team logo cards for my MLB Manupatch collection.

When these beauties started spilling out of the bubble mailer, I was dumbstruck by the kindness and generosity that my Secret Santa displayed.

I don't know if you blog and I don't have your email, but if you see this Mike D, thanks a ton!