Back to Baseball trading and the Commemorative Patch discussion

I've touched on this issue before.  August of 2015 to be exact.  I enjoy collecting commemorative manufactured patches, historical stitches and retired number inserts from Topps flagship blaster boxes between 2009 and 2012.  I see few here and there, but usually not many.  Sure, I could go on any number of auction/sale sites and purchase, but what fun is that? Trading is what I enjoy doing when I get the chance.

Anyway, these gems were inserted at the rate of one per blaster box.  No more, no less.  Actually the bigger issue I had to navigate around was in lieu of collecting these cards, I gave up any chance I had at pulling an autographed or relic card.  I don't recall any of the blaster packs from those years having any odds of pulling real auto or relic cards.  I may be wrong though.  That age thing plays a role.  So for $20, one patch and a bunch of cards and inserts for set building.  I truly enjoy the set building more than the big pull.  I've had some big pulls in my life and don't spend money in bunches to find the next one.  If it comes, it comes.  If not, life goes on and my collection still grows.

I am selective on what I'm looking to add to my collection in this area.  Topps flagship 2009 through 2012 Series Two only.  An odd stopping point, I know.  But, being unique in what we all collect is what makes for good collecting and a good trade.  You take what I don't want and vice versa.  I am , if I'm lucky, 30% complete in completing these sets.  And at 150 cards per year (yes, only 100 for 2012), that still leaves a good number of cards left to acquire.

In the past, I would see a card and usually know if I needed it or not.  Not so much anymore.  Too many cards and again, age has taken its toll on this old collector.  So what to do???  Of course, put down in writing a list of cards needed just for this group and add a new tab to the blog.  Genius!!!  I get so much activity on the main want list yet I'm not feeling the same love for the new tab want list.  I'm not really sure how many people collected or want to trade these cards.  Yes, the availability of a want list is much greater when you're looking at any and all years from 1951 through 2016, but one can hope.

Back to this subject.......I was on the receiving end of a trade that gave me a large number of blaster inserts post 2012 Series Two that I am hoping will result in a trade with one of the few readers I have to check off a few on my list.  I also have some duplicates of the 2009-2012 time frame as well for those that also try to collect these same sets of cards.

Upon first review, anything of interest from the first batch of pictures?  How about these?

There has got to be something the piques your interest.  As an FYI, the Mantle card has a light half circle crease on the right side background behind the upper right portion of the star.  Beyond that, the cards are in very nice shape and hopefully yours are as well.

So where do we go from here?  It's up to you.  Let me know if we can swing a trade.  I'm around and open to trading both on these cards and others from my main want list:  See tabs above^^^^^^^^^^^

Yankee Stadium Legacy

Ok so my hockey card post has been lingering for far too long.  Time to get back to baseball.  Although there remains a few hockey cards left to be had, the list has been pared down tremendously thanks to a few select traders both from the US and Canada.  Canada more so, in the Calgary area to be specific.....thanks Tobias.  Now that November is upon us, Baseball reigns...say what????  I know...the year ended with the spirit of the goat being vanquished.  As a Chicago dweller, you'd think this would be a joyful time.  But alas, as you can probably see from a few previous semi-annual posts and this post's title, the Cubs are not my team.  I'm happy for the city, the team and especially those that suffered for up to 108 years.  Just as I felt ok with the Red Sox moving past the spirits of the sale of Ruth in 2004.  To be clear, I was good with one, not three.  So 2007 and 2013 be damned.  Anyway, I'm happy that my team, with it's small number of only 27 rings, was able to sell the assets that were doing little for today, to get a farm system that is now top 5 in the league.  Tomorrow brings a new dawn.

So, this post turns toward the improbable.  A mere 6600+ card set.  The set of every game played at "Old" Yankee Stadium.  I'm 10% of the way to completing this set.  Yes, you read that right, 10%.  It's something that has lingered for years, but never garnered much attention.  There is always too much other stuff that needs to be completed first.  And if Topps could stop releasing more product, I'd have a chance but you know how that goes.  I would love to work on this set at some point and do a tiny increments through trading, but reality is, this may be the one set that eludes completion for me.  Dare I say that!!  I have tried to get closer to the outer bands of the set. 

Game #9 in 1923:

 And game 6737 in mid September 2008:

So if you can get me closer to the first and last game, that would be a welcomed addition.  Or if you can fill the 6,000 or so gaps in between, I'd be a happy collector. For clarification, I did attend the last game at Old Yankee Stadium.  It was a magical moment as a Yankee fan.  Remind me to share the drawing that my wife made with the tickets from that game.  It's an amazing piece of art if I do say so myself.  Now if I could only find the card that matched that game.......that too would be a great addition.  I do have a few doubles from the set that are available for trade.

In addition, a few standouts made the doubles pile.  "....the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

And the one and only, "Mr November"

They both sit in a pile of ready to be sent off to another land of milk and honey.  Wanting to be replaced with those that make 10% become 11% and then 15%.  Oh what a day should the set venture out of one 800 count box into a second.  I'm not picky on what you have, only that you have some for trade.  Whether it be for the same in return or something different, let me know.  Trading is always something that gives me hope.  One can never find too many traders.  If this is of interest reach out.  Until 2017 (As I suspect)....I bid you farewell.

Trading Baseball has taken a backseat for now and I NEED your help with Hockey!!!!

I have taken a small LOA in card collecting and trading for the past few months as I've been waist deep in trying to organize my hockey collection.  I don't collect hockey any more and haven't in 15 years.  However, they need to be something other than a huge stack of boxes in the corner gathering dust.  Anyway, the process has been a long and arduous task but it is now complete.  Complete in that I need your help, yes you.

There are many gaps in the sets I have and I'm recruiting some hockey collectors to help me complete each of these sets.  Yes, a lot are early 90's that can be found on every street corner in Canada but that doesn't mean they have to go without their friends that make up the team from 1-396.  Yes, these may also be sitting in a corner in your house waiting to be traded away and I'm the one who wants them.  And by doing so, I'm giving premium trade value in return.

If you look to the far right tab on my blog, you will see the list of cards needed.  Read through it, open up boxes that haven't seen the light of day in years, enjoy hockey cards again while watching the Finals.  How better to spend a few hours by picking out a quantity of cards someone actually needs from those sets and getting good trade in return.  Let's send each other 800 count boxes filled with hockey lore.  The USPS will appreciate the business and each of us will watch from the window waiting for the mail man (or woman) to drive up and drop off a box of hockey goodness.

What do you say?  Are you in?  Are you up to the challenge?  C'mon man, let's do this and make our mailboxes happy to be filled again.  Ok, I know.  A little over the top.  But hey, I really want to hype this.  Hello?????  McFly?????

So, hit me up if you think you can help.  Send me your want lists for anything I have listed.  I can only hope somebody has want lists from the late 80's to late 90's.  To those of you willing to take this leap, I say........

The puck is in the offensive zone and you have the power play.  Are you gonna shoot?

Christmas v2015 - More love in cardboard fashion

My wife loves me.  Or maybe she loves that I'm not frivolously spending money at Draft Kings laying $150 to win $2.  Either way, I'll take it.  For the record, I'd bet my heart and not my brain when it comes to fantasy football or any other sport for that matter.  Last year, she surprised the living bejesus out of me by buying me a couple of 1951 Topps Blue Back cards for Christmas.  Numbers 8 and 18.  If you look down a few posts, you'll get a glimpse of them.  You won't have to scroll for long as I'm not a frequent flyer when it comes to posting on my blog.  Anywho, I was floored.  Who wouldn't be, right?  If you were the fly on the wall in any conversation between she and I about my obsession of baseball cards, not to count the ever aging hockey card collection that hasn't been touched in 15 years, you'd never think she would actively participate in adding to the madness.

She did and now another year has passed and I'm curious what she worked on this year.  I'm not one to lay down 20 items on a list.  If I want it, I buy it.  So I look to Christmas as whatever I get, is good.  Shirts, Ties, Socks, whatever.  But I also drop hints on a few items that wouldn't be bad to get.  For three years, it's been the Topps Update/Chrome Update Retail only box.  This year I rec'd four boxes and have a few cards still needed to complete that set.  Hint, hint.....one tab over from the home page is my extensive and constantly growing list of wants.  By all means, peruse and drop me a message if you want to trade.  I'm always open to trading.  My list is far from complete and as time goes by, it will grow.  95% of everything on the list has doubles for trade so don't be shy.

Back to the gift giving.  The wife and I are usually last, as I suspect is the case in most houses after the kids have ripped through everything.  I get her some items that she wanted and some that she had no idea she wanted.  I believe I did good again this year.  She can attest to that though.  I start opening my gifts.  Most of the boxes are shoebox size.  Nothing that screams baseball cards but again, that's ok.  I rip open the wrapping to find another box inside, and then another and another.  I get down to my first gift and it's a 1976 Cincinnati Reds Team unmarked checklist.  That was the last card I needed for that set.  Happy for that.  Complete now fills that slot.  Next box, same thing.  Open box, another box, repeat.  I do this about 5 more times and low and behold, the last five cards needed to close out my 1979 set.  I'm liking the trend.

Next box is a little larger and a lot heavier.  Only one box inside another to find a 2015 Complete Topps set.  I've gone back and forth on complete sets over the years.  I like them but they stay sealed. No reason to open it if I'm collecting through pack ripping, right fellas?  Once I shared that tidbit of news, she was almost disappointed that she got me the set.  Oh well, scratch that off for next year.  Still some really good stuff so far.  So we move on to the next few boxes that come to me.  For reference, she is also opening gifts and it's not just about me tearing into these one right after another.  So my turn again and same event.  One box inside another inside another. Next card that pops out, a 1951 Topps Blue Back.

For what it's worth, I love this set.  I was fortunate enough to find a lot of these for sale and made out by selling the doubles and basically having 40+ cards in my collection for next to nothing.  I doubt that will happen again but I sure would enjoy it if it did next time with some red backs.  A man can dream.

Next box, same occurrence, double the result.  Sorry for the lopsided image but you get the gist. Sheer beauty of 65 year old cardboard.

I'm the kid in the candy store with these cards.  But I still have some boxes left for me.  Can this get any better. Uhhh yep.  I'll take that one all day, every day.  PSA graded and in very nice condition.

 

 

And not to drag this out, the final card.  Even better.  Ex-Mt at 65.  I can only hope I'm graded at VG-EX by that time in my life.

 

 

 

Ok, so to start the day, I only needed six cards to complete this set and she found five of them.  Her goal was to check the box on this 52 card 1951 set but alas, # 51 was not to be found after months of searching.  My dear, you have outdone yourself again and I thank you.  I better start working on some other lists before summer time so you have a few months to close out some other vintage sets on 12/25/16. ;)

 

So to close out...yo Eddie, where you at????  Mr Waitkus, please come to aisle 1 as you have 51 other friends waiting to spend eternity with you.  Where are you Mr Waitkus?  I don't have all day.  Eddie? Eddie?  EDDIE!!!!!!!!!