tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44943724672475581612024-03-16T13:00:58.081-05:00Nolan's DugoutKyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-84041957547540347112021-01-10T01:25:00.001-06:002021-01-12T23:32:36.652-06:00Still here and still working through the world of collecting<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Almost two years since my last blog post. Where has time gone? It wasn’t due to the virus and it wasn’t due
to me being out of the hobby. I’m no
longer traveling, and I now work 5 miles from the office. With these glorious changes in this aspect of
life, one would think it wouldn’t take close to 24 months to post. But, 2020 has passed, thank God, and 2021 has
it’s challenges as it starts off so I’m making an effort to push forward with a
post that can be read amongst the chaos.
And so it begins….<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">I’ve been more active than before but in a different sort
of way. 2019 was a transition year where
I was on the road 75% of the time for 6 months, then 100% for 3 months, then
current status….basically 0% travel. I
would have expected a huge impact on my ability to interact here. But that hasn’t been the case. Days go by and I’m thinking “one of these
days”. Days turn to weeks, weeks turn to
months, months turn to years, years turn to …well you get the drift. But alas, here I am and in the infamous words
of Forrest Gump…”that's all I’m going to say about that”.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Time to focus. 2019/2020
started with huge holes in my collection prior to 1967. These past two years have really changed my
mentality on collecting vintage cards. I
now have Topps specific lists for every year dating back to 1951. To me, that is one helluva transition. A list is warranted, in my mind, when you
achieve more than 50% of the set, give or take a few as those early 50’s and 60’s
high numbers can take a toll on one’s ability to complete a set. I have focused on vintage more than recent
stuff as the market today has made everyone go crazy. I’m cool with capitalism and enjoy it’s
benefits every day. But the value being
placed on cards today is insane…to me.
If you venture over to my want list, you see I still collect current
cards but my approach differs than years past.
I actually have more cards from the past two years than one would think
if I held distain for the current situation.
But I’m no longer a chaser of the big hit. I couldn’t really care less if I get that one
in a 14,589 chance to hit the auto of the guy who some day may be the next 60
HR hitter. It’s gotten insane but if it works
for you, God bless. I’ll work on being the OCD set collector and move on from
there. I’ve got my connection to cards and
that works for me. I’ll take the 2,500
count box of cards to build a set over the deluge of $20 blasters and/or $100+
hobby boxes. Money is not my end
game…..collecting is.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">For what it’s worth, It’s been a huge transformation to
focus on vintage as I’ve never done so before.
In years past, it had been the proverbial…I’ll get there when I
can. That perspective has now changed. My focus has transitioned to vintage with the
oh yeah, I gotta get those too on the recent stuff. Perspective, I got that. To go from barely a vintage Topps presence to
where my collection lies today is a great feeling as a collector. I’m even looking at trying to complete the 1954/55
Bowman offerings. Those two sets have never
graced my collection, ever….until now.
And I love it. I’ll expand to
earlier Bowman sets and I suspect that will be shared here…albeit I’m hoping
prior to 2023, but I can’t make any promises as life takes over.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">At the end of the day, cards remain a constant in my
life. This is a no pics blog post offering
and more so a status update to let you know I’m alive and kicking. Hopefully, if you’re still seeing this update
and reading the post; you may be thinking, damn where has this dude been. I’m here and I’m still collecting. Venture over to my want lists and you’ll see periodic
updates. Peace to you and may you and
your family remain safe.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Until next time……..</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-56597705636133303772019-02-24T22:00:00.003-06:002019-02-25T09:16:41.607-06:002018 is gone, 2019 is 7 weeks in and finally, I write a blog post. Good news...the theme goes back to 1951<br />
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It’s been over a year since my last post but I haven’t been
absent from the hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spend even more
time on the road, if that’s possible, than I have before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have mentioned that once, twice or ten
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, every time I make my way
home, I try to find a few spare moments to enjoy this hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since last year’s Christmas included the
completion of the 1951 Topps Blue Back set, I had to set my sights on a few
other sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Partially in the form of 1966
and 1967 Topps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even the long shot
desire to complete 1955 and 1956 Topps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
really there is only one set that fits well in this situation….and you guessed
it, 1951 Topps Red Back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMEC04r6sH4krFnPfY3goUiczYIaK7_86S0qh2-RTRWtBBwyyuKjGUYNQnWkomijXOes5cp_r7rLxI18pdznqqyt_5K8vRT-LmQG0EQIcY8CRE2vum_Y5QdPy0pEy1YUqrzHiJVxdFA/s1600/20190108_001154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMEC04r6sH4krFnPfY3goUiczYIaK7_86S0qh2-RTRWtBBwyyuKjGUYNQnWkomijXOes5cp_r7rLxI18pdznqqyt_5K8vRT-LmQG0EQIcY8CRE2vum_Y5QdPy0pEy1YUqrzHiJVxdFA/s320/20190108_001154.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Although not as desirable as the Blue Back set, it has some
exceptional players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t understand
why the Blue back differs as much from the Red back set but who am I to pass
judgement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s the A set and B
set syndrome where the latter series cards are somewhat ignored due to late in the
season release and subsequently, much more valuable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wrapper alone is a 40x multiple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what, the set of 52 cards in each
color doesn’t overwhelm with excess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, the Red has a couple of team name issues on two cards, but in total
you can grab a piece of history with a bit over 100 cards.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM804sEoOac1wTjhaXXT5snjReoaCIMIy2adGnMBF98FcfZ2XIfBTBunDvCVbFhGrX0QkiZNbDEkGHeVVtReWmz6dkfSxkhBfsS6td94qSrBseg8jYzFfkLQiSfYpOjdmHKinK5sMsA/s1600/20190108_001158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM804sEoOac1wTjhaXXT5snjReoaCIMIy2adGnMBF98FcfZ2XIfBTBunDvCVbFhGrX0QkiZNbDEkGHeVVtReWmz6dkfSxkhBfsS6td94qSrBseg8jYzFfkLQiSfYpOjdmHKinK5sMsA/s320/20190108_001158.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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My Blue set started a number of years ago with a single lot
purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sale of the doubles ended
up paying for the set itself and then some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was fortunate to find that auction at a very reasonable price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a few years to finally get that last
card…see Christmas 2017 post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in early
2018, I perused a few auction sites and found a few Red back lots here and
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing that screamed “BUY ME!!!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least not for the first half of the
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, I found a lot that had
a bit over 25 cards of the set with a few dupes added in mostly in very nice
condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I ended up jumping in and starting
down the path of 51 Red.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I do enjoy me some 1951 Topps cards. You don’t find many trading partners for 1951 Topps cards so
my pursuit will end up being a purchase deal for the remainder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Or maybe a Christmas find here and
there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dIFg4nIFy3wgfWJJBlI-5dYw2XISjTwO4hSig5yRaxDVHVbqYefIbQOY-RO4fUP1SgAK-fDf9eUxwu7WVdGxOcPpZ51qr7t9GHqzJAkUQhQMv7tXOwIYmUifdmCCiwWf2lwdm6qgTQ/s1600/20190108_001216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dIFg4nIFy3wgfWJJBlI-5dYw2XISjTwO4hSig5yRaxDVHVbqYefIbQOY-RO4fUP1SgAK-fDf9eUxwu7WVdGxOcPpZ51qr7t9GHqzJAkUQhQMv7tXOwIYmUifdmCCiwWf2lwdm6qgTQ/s320/20190108_001216.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Again, the wife came through on a beauty of a specimen from this set. Two years in a row, 1951 reigns as the cornerstone package....thank you my dear. She knows my weaknesses. She knows what puts a big smile on my face. She probably hates having to venture to my blog and try to find something that isn't going to break the bank, isn't already in my collection or isn't likely anything I would look to trade for between late summer and Christmas time. This set fits that perfectly.</div>
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So, if there is anyone out there with one, two or ten 1951 Red Back cards for trade.....I welcome the negotiations as I do have a few extras myself. Of course, the list of wanted cards far exceeds the twenty or so Red backs looking to fit in with there brethren. I'm always open to trading not just these but much, much more......</div>
<br />Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-79363672086543657572018-01-24T02:10:00.002-06:002018-01-24T02:13:35.162-06:00Yes, 2018 has arrived and I am still alive and kicking<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah, yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been
a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family knows that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weeks and months fly by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s difficult to believe that I am writing
this 10 months after my last post. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've
been active in trading but the blog posting side has been silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day….I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been said before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of these days Alice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in honor of the delay, I bring you my
latest arrivals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a long time coming but finally……Eddie has been
brought to his final resting place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes,
this gem was picked up and his arrival has completed the blue back set from
1951.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a long time waiting. I wasn’t
out there a lot. Life has a way of taking you from city to city as the years go
by. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>And who comes through?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the wife, as usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you babe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This set is one that wasn't always top of mind
but always illusive and nagging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It needed
to be completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oldest set (by far)
that I can say is complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merry
Christmas to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X2A0D2Ux3kc2iX-d4lO3JNUzQCwv1E4D_m_aSfQx1c2Z7u5mq71NDoK0wMYzz6oNxMYLEXPDsGHoXVWkCNy9zD4XuPXX9-NKpJeQ1nGnBd7EJ4CWvyVGMe3SpODVRrHmF03OxgMQpg/s1600/20180122_233308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X2A0D2Ux3kc2iX-d4lO3JNUzQCwv1E4D_m_aSfQx1c2Z7u5mq71NDoK0wMYzz6oNxMYLEXPDsGHoXVWkCNy9zD4XuPXX9-NKpJeQ1nGnBd7EJ4CWvyVGMe3SpODVRrHmF03OxgMQpg/s640/20180122_233308.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Eddie was not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He came along with many, many friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
of them joined the Christmas celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His arrival with others
completed three sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, three
and I don’t mean anything close to 2017 Topps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am aged
and I can attest that my beloved does stray toward the older version of Topps
sets of my youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nagging single
from 1977, Steve Garvey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call that set complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But much more to my surprise, 1971 came a-callin’. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bonjour mes amis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
by one, the 71’s rolled on through. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Checklists…check
the box…figuratively only, of course. No check marks necessary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudw4zMHBfNv8N8QMgaeQKWyvdj2wZClguz3iJMVc-5MOtyClaEnjnDFnerAlzjqQAxt2ZK_Bbsxwkdoa7uKGF5vdz3BeyQdnSPj1Bs28ijz7NX5QwEjHyjfkvH7XngJTfPF6EWI5Tlg/s1600/20180122_233349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudw4zMHBfNv8N8QMgaeQKWyvdj2wZClguz3iJMVc-5MOtyClaEnjnDFnerAlzjqQAxt2ZK_Bbsxwkdoa7uKGF5vdz3BeyQdnSPj1Bs28ijz7NX5QwEjHyjfkvH7XngJTfPF6EWI5Tlg/s640/20180122_233349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then the flood gates opened, literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perez and Flood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PLFPm6HO6Tbqc0qmi1QIH_NBMp-i2HYdWtmnzxrmrtPdHqfYVjJom6PKjbcwjrwPjFyAhTrZldVqShr0iKcmSSLaRMvW6q2puTR2S34jP6KMs7WJduZxIOm3MPYKKu9_SxkDIHsc0Q/s1600/20180122_233512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PLFPm6HO6Tbqc0qmi1QIH_NBMp-i2HYdWtmnzxrmrtPdHqfYVjJom6PKjbcwjrwPjFyAhTrZldVqShr0iKcmSSLaRMvW6q2puTR2S34jP6KMs7WJduZxIOm3MPYKKu9_SxkDIHsc0Q/s640/20180122_233512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An AL rookie Pitchers (NM no less)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiT3Y9C45qJHhWeQakjq2mwfFBUGdm7QlQExx3dZcdV9KvMYunZ3Xl50VG95_r5Fg72hV25p_1MN9087-U9L66SwCPOKx14VkIRq4bxqwvPfafOYZDSDV7ASVooZPdK_CypcGNFMAmw/s1600/20180122_233536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiT3Y9C45qJHhWeQakjq2mwfFBUGdm7QlQExx3dZcdV9KvMYunZ3Xl50VG95_r5Fg72hV25p_1MN9087-U9L66SwCPOKx14VkIRq4bxqwvPfafOYZDSDV7ASVooZPdK_CypcGNFMAmw/s640/20180122_233536.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Marshall and Pena</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCOeg23K_2u0ldikXsAJWtfkbWHl3uqs2QuWLQR2VOTN7xL6tio4_aS8ePW1QCfKJFEzhIXk7PHyAVAKWmdt6qfV9fRnqgObhyU6dGXGkMdACgfnx3slZqzmgyH-CVB0MRT7477NC8w/s1600/20180122_233522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCOeg23K_2u0ldikXsAJWtfkbWHl3uqs2QuWLQR2VOTN7xL6tio4_aS8ePW1QCfKJFEzhIXk7PHyAVAKWmdt6qfV9fRnqgObhyU6dGXGkMdACgfnx3slZqzmgyH-CVB0MRT7477NC8w/s640/20180122_233522.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, what to <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">my</span>
wondering <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">eyes should</span> appear, but
a Cub and a Red and an Oriole star reindeer….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SQd3P570CT-ZIRjM69uwEjgUj80JM2RF3YXwBc4mlQsg74mQHO5UMYqvFP9TuJSxj0hEKB_sh2235I-1IoKLs7rBwVucxA4SegWPDy7Pi7t0IWdEvFCcW7xk2oyDbwD3NL8xE_tFZg/s1600/20180122_233438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1145" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SQd3P570CT-ZIRjM69uwEjgUj80JM2RF3YXwBc4mlQsg74mQHO5UMYqvFP9TuJSxj0hEKB_sh2235I-1IoKLs7rBwVucxA4SegWPDy7Pi7t0IWdEvFCcW7xk2oyDbwD3NL8xE_tFZg/s400/20180122_233438.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42lChnDSXg98J5kmzE4Qm82UN7QDcgPfxznFbdGLzlXdHV1rP851yIkUbx7bB9P6sz8mraslYCor_hoDydR_MPpOewn_7dYkzXJy_b9oaBaGJ1iVNWHSBchbchwSJQzYp-xctxlSeMw/s1600/20180122_233416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1044" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42lChnDSXg98J5kmzE4Qm82UN7QDcgPfxznFbdGLzlXdHV1rP851yIkUbx7bB9P6sz8mraslYCor_hoDydR_MPpOewn_7dYkzXJy_b9oaBaGJ1iVNWHSBchbchwSJQzYp-xctxlSeMw/s400/20180122_233416.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOz6uVd_67CmYJR_OZh-Spn3AWsIinwMTKjE4c8lzL7TWnmrOl1NxTg8eNpy1ifT2wd4cvvaVTjTE7IRxs2jgLPxA8QFYWpNINuFbiwmES7hWGI4aDiUFDrDEXxhyphenhyphenmXDTz03U6a_0tw/s1600/20180122_233443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1094" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOz6uVd_67CmYJR_OZh-Spn3AWsIinwMTKjE4c8lzL7TWnmrOl1NxTg8eNpy1ifT2wd4cvvaVTjTE7IRxs2jgLPxA8QFYWpNINuFbiwmES7hWGI4aDiUFDrDEXxhyphenhyphenmXDTz03U6a_0tw/s400/20180122_233443.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How, how could this be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I haven’t a clue what remains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But slowly the gem exposes itself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not in a “Say What?” kind of way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in a “Say Hey” kind of way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the man, the legend, the Say Hey kid to
call the set “COMPLETE”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5IHHOZkhy_HbPeK4c0trFtEXYkT0CQ9DGJux7Uj5335Kf_p4RbLN4-QM90J7HGcqLSeV4NHzcUQpvSnN8zmNII-FdpRlSPi0V8_BTIfLaFDwZ7x-X7smzMyuWfeSYZNFU6-2Er5WDQ/s1600/20180122_233454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1115" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5IHHOZkhy_HbPeK4c0trFtEXYkT0CQ9DGJux7Uj5335Kf_p4RbLN4-QM90J7HGcqLSeV4NHzcUQpvSnN8zmNII-FdpRlSPi0V8_BTIfLaFDwZ7x-X7smzMyuWfeSYZNFU6-2Er5WDQ/s640/20180122_233454.jpg" width="446" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have received some great cards over the years but this year
speaks volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My appreciation is
unending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you to my life long
mate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for dealing with the craziness
that comes along with 40+ years of baseball card collecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for allowing me to indulge myself in
“flat men” (Credit to Mr. Dave Kroener). I depart knowing I will return…but when?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows……..</div>
Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-29817475535680387442017-03-11T22:25:00.000-06:002017-03-11T22:26:22.554-06:00Decoration for the masses, or just meEvery year, we reach a point in time where we step back and
appreciate where we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I’m not
talking about anything of a personal nature. I’m talking about baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>'Tis time for the “spring hopes eternal”
discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this juncture, we are all
equal, tied for first place and hoping for that spot in post season
baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not just any time of
the year but rather a special time of year. Baseball will soon fill the air…..all
day, every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look to A. Bartlett
Giamatti to fill my soul with all that I could only dream of expressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This to me, is pure bliss for which there is
little comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One paragraph,
multiple emotions.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart.
The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it
blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon
as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You
count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of
sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight,
when you need it most, it stops…..”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passage of time and another season that was meant to
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you cheer for a team that
has 27 World Series rings or one that has none…we are brethren in this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All those that read this filled space of the
blogosphere feel a similar passion for this game we love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it be in real life, in drafting the
perfect fantasy team, in cardboard fashion or all of the above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are days that pass where the only thing
I want to do is spend my time immersed in this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone are the days of afternoon to late
evening games every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are a
few days like that and if I have my druthers, usually a little boy is by my
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh how he loves this game, his
team (White Sox), his player (Abreu).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite his love for a team that differs from my team, his passion
reaches deep into my soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I share with
him the love of this game, this hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is a connection I will always cherish and hope we can enjoy throughout our
lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond the cardboard, I also enjoy the decoration that goes
along with the game I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Particularly, one wall of the man cave/game room with some of my
favorite pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite living in the
Chicago area, the team I cheer for is a bit east of the Windy City and should
be evident in that decoration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXJ0N6cJyV3kv30iLnCUSbmc9sdK2i0NM2khCeLL2QGcYPXiNd_iw7pbc7nVODElKDL5u9SCqwYbcWUiyngT40YolVY4xGt-SNZ4YXLnsAtyZMkiwElHhrDPtjrMls6KUfSYJBVjeBg/s1600/panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXJ0N6cJyV3kv30iLnCUSbmc9sdK2i0NM2khCeLL2QGcYPXiNd_iw7pbc7nVODElKDL5u9SCqwYbcWUiyngT40YolVY4xGt-SNZ4YXLnsAtyZMkiwElHhrDPtjrMls6KUfSYJBVjeBg/s640/panorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_327618955"></span><span id="goog_327618956"></span><span id="goog_327618957"></span><span id="goog_327618958"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of these items can be found at a local card shop, flea
market or sports show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On an adjacent wall is a bat
collection that displays the stadiums visited over the past decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not mine, but my wife’s bucket list
item to visit every MLB ball park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twenty
down, two more will be completed in the next few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those two would be Tampa and Cleveland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cleveland will be the first time I don’t
partake in the visit as it will be a girl’s weekend away as I stay at home with
the kiddos, and I’m good with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cleveland will be a visited town again for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowqzR8qN3JmOTf-PdpFDzgVn3itQzdqZth8f9_z45Al-EOG9At1bd5d3IIOcQIn9bRNKOfyQCsgzTa4RaWCFXseO-4lPTIvLKSpyHzfZFYjKbkqNM2magIRXkJNPfMciam_gYEzs9bw/s1600/20170228_220306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowqzR8qN3JmOTf-PdpFDzgVn3itQzdqZth8f9_z45Al-EOG9At1bd5d3IIOcQIn9bRNKOfyQCsgzTa4RaWCFXseO-4lPTIvLKSpyHzfZFYjKbkqNM2magIRXkJNPfMciam_gYEzs9bw/s640/20170228_220306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span>
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bats are on display as a completed visit by league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tied for the moment, but not for long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baseballs above, my addition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now if I could only find the Jeter and
Griffey Jr/Sr autographed balls to add to the others in the picture, all would
be good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m 99.9% confident I know
where they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Question is…do I want to
dig through the 8 foot stack of boxes in a tucked away corner to find them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of these days………….</div>
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Back to the purpose of this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most cherished of the pictured items are
one of a kind, literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all the
why’s that go along with my continued pursuit of more, more, more cardboard, my
wife shares her talents when it comes to the decorating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it be for a birthday or just an “I
love you” gesture, the few items below are a reminder that we are both baseball
people through and through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I
present…Donnie Baseball.</div>
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A hand drawn picture of my favorite Yankee of my younger
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man could flat out hit when
he was in his prime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, that
didn’t last as long as I would have liked and he was unable to participate in the
celebration of 1996.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I can say is
that the detail required a tremendous amount of time and effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “23” is a series of drawn horizontal lines
that will never be duplicated according to the artist, again, my wife.</div>
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The next drawing encompasses a few images in drawn, printed,
and pictured fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had visited Old
Yankee Stadium a number of times and, to date, have yet to visit the new
stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will happen in time, basically
when the little ones can walk a few miles without asking to be carried most of
the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are fast approaching that
time so maybe next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always next
year. <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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The picture above is from September 21, 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final game ever played at Yankee Stadium,
“The House That Ruth Built”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
no way I could let that game slide by without being there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being at that game was the only thing on my
mind for over six months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing that
this was over eight years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I vividly
remember that day, that trip, as if it were just last fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As beautiful as the previous drawings are,
they place a tie for close second when it comes to the gift she gave me after
this trip.</div>
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The only stadium that could bring tears to this man’s
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with our tickets to the
game, this drawing is created from a picture taken that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfection, to me, when it comes to where we
were, what we saw and what was to be the end of an era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember standing there in awe that this
would be the last time I would ever see a game in this stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two words “Final” and “Farewell” don’t do
this place justice yet it is the only words that are needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it’s a concrete building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it was grass, dirt and some not so
comfortable seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, it housed
some horrible teams and a few not so spectacular players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was HOME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Home to the some of the most incredible teams
and players that anyone could be lucky enough to have seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, also home to the many fans, good or bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passion is what makes the fans of NY stand
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you liked them or not, and
by that I mean the team or the people, they had one thing in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all wanted to depart that building listening
to Ole Frank singing ‘New York, New York”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a fan from afar, I considered myself lucky enough to see this team play
maybe a dozen times over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
never watched them lose in this stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For that, I am thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
artist of these creations, my wife, I am grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, my dear.</div>
Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-72162615558675970422016-12-03T00:28:00.001-06:002016-12-03T00:30:00.221-06:00Back to Baseball trading and the Commemorative Patch discussionI'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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Upon first review, anything of interest from the first batch of pictures? How about these?<br />
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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.<br />
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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^^^^^^^^^^^Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-60212570727569041232016-11-17T00:45:00.003-06:002016-11-17T00:45:52.423-06:00Yankee Stadium LegacyOk 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.<br />
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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. <br />
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Game #9 in 1923:<br />
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And game 6737 in mid September 2008:<br />
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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.<br />
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In addition, a few standouts made the doubles pile. "....the luckiest man on the face of the earth."<br />
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And the one and only, "Mr November"<br />
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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.<br />
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<br />Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-31262394379847918612016-06-05T01:11:00.003-05:002016-12-06T22:23:36.675-06:00Trading Baseball has taken a backseat for now and I NEED your help with Hockey!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?????<br />
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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........<br />
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The puck is in the offensive zone and you have the power play. Are you gonna shoot?Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-62575127917104314112016-01-08T23:28:00.001-06:002016-01-08T23:28:07.034-06:00Christmas v2015 - More love in cardboard fashionMy 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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Next box, same occurrence, double the result. Sorry for the lopsided image but you get the gist. Sheer beauty of 65 year old cardboard.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.</div>
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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. ;)</div>
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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!!!!!!!!!</div>
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Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-15705685027482229212015-08-23T00:19:00.000-05:002015-08-23T08:54:14.063-05:00Manu-Say What?Yes, I'm doubling up in the same month for the first time in over two years. Maybe if all goes well, I'll hit three in August......yeah I probably shouldn't make any promises. This post was actually the one I had intended to write a few weeks ago, but somehow that post got hijacked as I could never tie my way from how I started collecting into this topic. Although I enjoy collecting sets, it has been difficult to complete many along the way. Something new comes out and I kind of drift off until I think about that set from 6 months ago that I never made a Series 2 purchase. I do finally make my way back which is why my want lists from recent years are usually not put up until long after the set has been available to the public. Again, I feel myself drifting, so I'll bring it back to the intending discussion point for today.<br />
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The late 2000's is when I started to really delve into the true collection process again. There were a few years prior that online purchases were to complete one subset or another and less about getting a box to open. I have since mended those evil ways so that the online purchases made nowadays are mostly boxes to fill gaps of those days gone past. Maybe once every six months, I'll see something that catches my eye, one that was still needed to complete that subset or in one case, a purchase was made to be able to send along with other cards in a trade with one of my fine readers. Sometimes what I have to offer needs to be upgraded a bit here and there. Believe me I've got plenty to trade but not everyone is looking for the standard issue and I enjoy helping fellow collectors out when I can.<br />
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Once I started looking to complete sets again, the big box store offered boxes that didn't break the bank and allowed me to get a wide variety of cards for a mere $20 here and there. And if they discounted those boxes, I could really do some damage on collection gaps if I was lucky enough to find them. 2009 Topps brought a new twist to my collecting. The blaster box included a manufactured card that really caught my attention. Although those packs don't really offer the ability to get any big hits, knowing that one of the manu-cards was always included made it a nice box to pick up.<br />
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They were new and interesting. The problem was in order to complete the set, you'd need to purchase way too many boxes at the one per box ratio. But still, I kept on purchasing these boxes to get the manu-card. The patches were cool, old-school style pieces that allowed a collector to grab a glimpse of the 80 year old All-Star game patch from the Polo Grounds. You don't see that very often. Then 2010 Topps hit the street and there were more Manu cards to collect. Again, some really nice looking cards from long ago years be it World Series or just generic patches from the last year at Yankee Stadium. As Topps has a way of doing something that in hindsight isn't probably the best thing they could have done, the Update series manu-cards were sloppy. They were crooked, had excess glue and the gray backing made little attempt to stay firmly placed on the actual card itself so it appears to be floating.<br />
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2011 rolls around and although the 2010 Update set left me wanting better, I still looked to see what Topps was going to do different. I won't get into the online card trading program that was now in full swing. That's a subject for a different day. So back into the manu-cards I dove. Not the same type of patch, these were more team specific and less game oriented. Not a bad product in my mind and the quality was better than previously mentioned. I still liked the concept and looked to collect these.<br />
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Then in 2012, Topps started to include some very interesting pieces as manu-cards. I really enjoyed the two different types that Topps was producing. Both very player specific which was different from any previous manu-card produced. Yes, there were players on the cards but the patch itself was more driven to a team or past event. I'm sure Topps could have chosen any number of players to place on a random Yankees or Reds patch from a mid 1970's World Series card.<br />
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The name stitched cards, to me, are the nicest. A big piece of cloth (and yes I know these are not in any way meant to be game worn products) was a nice way to make it appear to be tied to the player. I'm sure some look at these cards as being wasted cardboard just as I look at any Panini product, but that is what makes my collection different from anyone else's. Some cards are meant to hold a special place and some are meant to be given away if they find their way into my collection.</div>
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In 2013 and through today, I didn't even look to see what Topps was going to put out in these blaster boxes. I felt complete with what I had seen and I tried to purchase some hobby boxes to switch it up a bit. I think I have one of these cards from 2014 but that was only because someone was kind enough to purchase a box for me for either my birthday or Christmas. Maybe you have some of these and look to trade for others. I do have a few extra. Or maybe they fill your collection and it doesn't fit in. Either way, if you're so inclined to trade any, let me know. I have a special place in my collection for these cards and would welcome trying to find a way to complete the 600 or so total manu-cards from those years. Thanks again for checking in and hopefully you'll be reading my blog again soon as I make the attempt to be here more often than I have been. Happy collecting my friends.</div>
Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-39975833135024132702015-08-07T23:49:00.000-05:002015-08-08T15:32:18.327-05:00What brought me here? Do I have a story?I have been a Topps collector for many years, decades in fact. Collecting in the 70's was based on how many packs the parents would bring home on their occasional trip to a local store. That got me through and I'm thankful that I still have every one of those cards even if they were abused, or loved depending on your viewpoint. Dependency at its finest. I dropped off the radar all together in 1980 until I went back to it in 1982. Not much of a span but to collect 1980 and 1981 Topps cards wasn't always easy at that time. Collecting in the 80's through the mid 90's seemed to be too easy as you could find cards every store you walked into. It was fun as a teenager moving into adulthood. Prices were within reason and you could complete a set if you worked on it. You weren't really thinking of how much money you were throwing away to get those last 7 cards needed to complete that 1986 Topps set.<br />
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Once more and more companies joined the fray and the insert craze began, the completionist (if there is such a word?) that I am started to unravel. How could one possibly keep up? Topps begat Fleer and Donruss who begat Score who begat Upper Deck and Bowman who begat Leaf who begat Stadium Club, Ultra and Studio......the Genesis of the downward spiral that was the 90's of card collecting. Early on I thought I could manage them all. Who was I fooling? College had ended and kids started entering my life. Who has time for all of that?<br />
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So again the collection had it's time (very little in reality) on the side. Over time I found a way to dedicate time to collecting without putting too much strain on the rest of life. "Back in the day", there seemed to be a card show every weekend and to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon wasn't obtrusive. The quotes in that last sentence speak of my experience. I refuse to use the term age there as it is difficult to accept the number of years in which I have existed. It just can't be reality can it? I managed to grow the collection one card show at a time.<br />
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The millennium hit and so did the $20 box of cards at your local big box store. For $20, you get your fix and live to tell about it. Sometimes that hit was a dud and sometimes life altering packs make there way into your hands. I was fortunate (or maybe not depending on who's viewpoint your looking at) enough to get a big hit in a box of 1999 Upper Deck Ionix.<br />
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After that, the completionist in me set in again. Ebay became my biggest friend in collecting. There was no way I could complete the POH 500 HR Set by opening packs. I had to purchase each one until the set was complete. I don't believe it is complete today as I may be missing a couple...Man Ram and the Big Hurt come to mind, but at the time prior to the "alternative substance" group became part of this once elite subset, they were all mine. Complete and accounted for. But then...3000 Hit Club, Yankees Signature single, double and triple signature cards, Master Collection........Ahhh!!!! More Ebay, more buying. Upped Deck was killing the bank account.<br />
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After that settled down, it was time to go back to collecting sets. I didn't abandon it altogether it just wasn't the focal point for a few years. So there are some lean years in my collection that I wish I would have given more attention to at the time, circa 2000-2003.<br />
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I may have stated this before, maybe not, but I now try to focus on the Topps product line and not even all of it. I love the Topps Heritage line but pay no attention to the Archives line. Go figure, right? I have zero interest and I mean zero even in the relic/autos of the Panini brand of unlicensed cards. It just doesn't do anything for me. I don't over indulge in packs and or boxes that exceed the $100 threshold. I am interested in collecting cards, not necessarily in getting the big hit by spending $50 on a pack of cards that will have 3 cards numbered less than 50 in hopes that I get that 1 of 1 that will hit Ebay to pay for the last 35 purchases that have yielded nothing more than a Hall of Fame autograph card numbered to 49. There may be only 49 of that card, but there are 49 different auto cards numbered to 49 for that same player in the same year. How do you put 9 cards of those three packs into an 800 count box to fit the organizational structure that is - my collection. Not going to happen.<br />
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So I am now not an Ebay daily, hourly, minute by minute watcher. I'll wander over once in a blue moon to see what's grabbing my attention on those saved searches that haven't changed in five to ten years. I'll make a purchase from the new LCS in my town every now and again too. The camaraderie and friendships gained doing this blog and trading to fill my, and others, want lists far outweigh the hours spent staring at the monitor watching the seconds tick by on that "I need it now" auction purchase. So thanks to those that read my blog and especially those that continue to help a brotha out with filling the gaps of the ever growing want list on this blog. That want list is still lacking in many lists but if you get a chance to view it and think we could swing a trade, let me know. I'm always open to helping you out too.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-55108302635090096092015-06-14T01:26:00.000-05:002015-06-14T01:26:09.119-05:00Picked up by the wifeFor the record, I am not a frequent flyer when it comes to posting due to the amount of travel I do for the j-o-b and other personal reasons. But you know, I have stated before that I am a lucky man as my wife, for the most part, tolerates my habit. She definitely sees the insanity in the collection I've accumulated over a number of decades. But she has also participated in the addition to the insanity by making some purchases for me both with my knowledge and without. About a month ago, I was out of town and she decided to take the little ones to a flea market in the Chicago area, which is where we call home these days. She asked me if I wanted her to look for anything for me and of course baseball cards was the first thing out of my mouth. She knows that as a given but it still is stated every time she asks. <br />
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So anyway, I'm a hundred plus miles from home when I get a call from her. She said she is in such a rural area that she's been trying to contact me for 15-20 minutes to no avail and the vendors are shutting down for the day. She knows my wants start with vintage as I have plenty of post 1970 cards to go around and duplicates/triplicates/etc are not part of the plan when buying cards. She proceeds to tell me about a binder she saw and she wasn't sure if the cards were real or reprints. So she told me a little about what she saw (all White Sox with a smattering of Cubs) and they sounded legit so I asked her to buy them for me. Hey, for the price of a mere blaster and hanger box filled with todays million dollar .200 hitters, I figured I'd go out on a limb and take a chance. So I'm in my car maybe an hour later and she starts sending me pictures of what were in this binder. Now mind you, I'm driving and looking at what she sends in almost disbelief. The pictures below are a brief summary of what was found in the binder.<br />
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I'm loving this. I have a few cards from the 1953 set (of course Rivera is a duplicate but who's complaining), more from 1954-1956 and adding these bad boys to the box made me a happy man. They may not be the best conditioned cards, but in my mind, have been well loved and will fit well into my collection. This is basically page one of 60+ pages filled with cards from 1953 through the 1990's. On to the next page....<br />
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Who doesn't love a random Norm Cash rookie card among these other 1959 beauties. I have few 1959 cards but have grown fond of the design. I hope to see more of the late 1950's cards filling out boxes in my collection in the future. Moving on, my largest vintage collection is of the 1960 set. I have been fortunate enough to find these in quantities that put me at a greater than 50% completion rate. I remember back in the 80's when I was a much younger lad and there was a dealer that would send you five 1960 cards for a mere 50 cents including postage. I wish I had sent him triple what I did but I'm sure he knew my name well enough as I couldn't put two quarters into an envelope fast enough to see those hit my mailbox regularly. That lasted for all of a summer way back when. So to find a few of that set also gave me joy....<br />
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So basically, I'm finding Topps cards (and a few other companies in later years) from almost every year starting in 1953. Not every year but enough to know that I was happy she saw them, thought of me and decided to drop a mere $30 on a binder filled with Chicago White Sox and Cubs cards. Roughly 600 in total. 1953 through 1994. Mainly Topps, a few Upper Deck and Donruss but the majority are by far the flagship brand. Yes, there were some lovely 1986-1989 Topps overproduced cards to fill the massive amounts already in my possession but a small price to pay when adding the cards shown here. Below are a few other highlights but I could have scanned and posted so many more from the 1970's as well.<br />
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Needless to say, if she's out at another flea market, I can only hope she stumbles across another find like this. I repeat, I am a lucky man to have a wife that tolerates me and my love of the cardboard in baseball fashion.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-90131747725380448742015-03-01T01:32:00.000-06:002015-03-01T01:33:32.543-06:00Random Thoughts on Topps Buyback programHere I am less than two months from my last post. Much better than the five month gap from the previous post and the seven month gap prior to that. Progress....who knows. At this pace, I may actually get more than 5 posts in for 2015. Let's hope so. I have been meaning to get this post done but I needed to wait until I was home to get scans of what I wanted to post. For what it's worth, I enjoy perusing the blogs I read on a more regular basis but taking time to post is not something that will be a daily or even weekly event for me. So there you have it....let the sarcasm begin.<br />
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I have been fortunate enough to pull some decent buyback cards since Topps decided to venture into that business. I'm not sure if it was an abundance of cards sitting on their desks after the 2011/2012 online promotion or if they just didn't want to put forth the effort to set up the web page so that we could have a little extra fun by trying to collect some older cards, if you were lucky enough to do so. As I said, fortunate has been the theme for me but there are a few of these cards that I can only scratch my head and wonder; what the hell was Topps thinking when they made these secondary market purchases. With that in mind, I present a variation of the most recent successes or lack thereof:<br />
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One of the better pulls from a pack. An unmarked "We Are Family" 1979 Pirates Checklist. Not one that I need for my set but still I look upon this as a successful pull. 35+ years old an in fairly good shape. One that had I needed it for my set, would have been a welcomed sight and successful purchase. I'll now move on to those that may not qualify as such.<br />
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Ok, a Dodger, but if you look closely enough, this card has seen better days. The corners look as if they've been sitting in an open box without any protection and the crease across the upper right corner makes me believe this card traveled from LA to New York by courier pigeon who made a few extra stops along the way. The crease is a front only surface crease and the back looks, well, ok for a fill in. But not something many collectors would purchase to complete their set. If it was a 1974 Winfield, I'd give a little grace, but a 10 cents common? Geez...........but<br />
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Now for the coup d'état:<br />
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Really? Are you flipping serious? It is from 1969 but, damn Topps, did this work it's way to Woodstock for some card trading only to get shoved in somebody's back pocket before Jimi got up and played his arse off? Who in their right mind would go to a card show or do business with a shady seller and buy this thinking it was ok to pass this on as a promotion? It's comical to look at this and think whoever placed this in the stack for insertion thought this was a good idea.<br />
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Oh well, I suppose it's better than pulling a Walt Weiss 1989 Topps card in pristine condition. At least this 1969 card gets some attention whereas the Weiss card would get shoved in a box with hundreds of other cards as if it was pulled out of a pack when the mullet craze was in full force. On to the next phase of Topps insert conversation...........................Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-13207775503310284972015-01-06T23:19:00.001-06:002015-01-06T23:22:55.806-06:00Christmas SurpriseOk, so I've been MIA for a few weeks or months. Well let's just say it for what it is, basically all of 2014. Two whole posts in twelve months is not what I had in mind when I started this blog. New year's resolution...more posts in 2015. Now that should be an easy task. I look back and see I posted on January 2nd, 2014. I guess I'm a little late this year. But this years post references 2014 so I'll straddle the fence for this one post and give half to 2014 and half to 2015. That means I have to fulfill my resolution with at least three more posts this year. Actually I see myself speeding past that this year. Work travel is no longer every other week and then some. Maybe a bit of that in January and February, but it should get to a manageable once per month at most timeframe soon. I digress.......<br />
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Christmas was and always will be my favorite time of year. I'm lucky enough to be able to take some time off and enjoy it with family and friends. This year was no exception and I hope all of you also had a wonderful holiday season. As it normally is in my house, I am an anomaly when it comes to receiving presents. My motto is, if I want it, I'll buy it. It doesn't matter what time of year. So finding a list to put together is not always the easiest of tasks for me. But it will always include cards. That being said, this past year has been a slow card buying year. I need to purge more than acquire. I'm actually making that happen by selling the hockey cards that have only been collecting dust for 10+ years to a more caring and appreciative soul. What started out as a 40 year collection has dwindled down a bit but still takes up more room than I'd like to see. Why is it some people just don't want a set or three of 1991-92 Score Hockey cards??? Anyway, that project continues....<br />
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As I was saying, I am usually the one person that has cards on the brain but family doesn't like to buy what I don't collect. It's been easy to say, Topps, Bowman and any variation of those. But still the single pack of Bowman Platinum sits on a shelf waiting for some friends to join the fun in an 800 count box. It gets lonely in there so I have reserved box dedication to those sets that have at least 100 cards to fill the box. I assure you those Bowman Platinum's one day will see the inside of a box, but right now for those 15 cards..........lonely is the night. Back to the list.....both last year and this year, I had a very easy time telling family what I wanted. Topps Update Mega Box. The two-fer special that includes Topps Update and Topps Chrome Update, both of which will have no problem seeing the inside of a box. So this year I received 6-8 of those boxes from a few people. Needless to say, I enjoyed opening those over the past week or so. Unopened boxes don't stay unopened long in my presence. No huge hits in either but still the Chrome set is complete except for one missing card and the Regular Update is close to being the same. Hint, hint...look for those lists to be added in my ever growing want list tab.<br />
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After seeing those boxes cluttering the room, I thought I was done for the cards coming my way. But I had a surprise waiting for me from my lovely wife. For some reason she decided to venture onto my blog to see what she could rustle up for me. To hear her tell it, she spent weeks/months searching, finding, deciding and changing her mind like a bottle of shampoo. Rinse, lather, repeat. But what she ended up purchasing was a couple of cards from the bottom of my list. Many cards fill the gap between the first year listed on my blog to the second year listed but those 17 years are filled with more wants that haves, so they go unlisted...for now. To culminate my Christmas present opening, I present to you the shock of gifts that I would have bet good money would never have been something I would have expected from my wife.<br />
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Yes, 1951 Topps Blue Back. Two of the remaining eight cards needed to complete that set. Shock does not even come close to what I felt when I opened that last gift. And not even some bike spoke driven, fell in the mud kind of cards. These are in a condition that put some, if not most, of the other 1951 Topps cards in my collection to shame. The brightness of white glistens. These cards must have been set aside and not touched for decades.<br />
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Needless to say, I'm now back in the game for the remaining 6. I want to complete this set more than any other set I own. But you don't find many people that are willing to trade for these. I have a few doubles, not nearly as nice as these just in case any of you have a few 1951 cards set aside for trading. <br />
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So I again want to say...you'll hear from me more in 2015 but most importantly, a gracious thank you to my lovely wife for these cards. I can only imagine what could come my way next Christmas. I need to start adding to my want lists so she has more to choose from.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-87465574749842935442014-08-14T03:07:00.000-05:002014-08-14T03:07:06.348-05:00Where have I been?????Interesting that you ask. I've been here all along. I just have little to no time for my beloved hobby. January was my last post and that seems like an eternity ago. I spend my days in front of the computer working longer than I should. In addition, I try to maintain some semblance of focus on the important things in life...being a husband and father. The latter usually suffers more than it rightfully should. So here I sit, again in front of a computer, far from home and typing out words that, in the big scheme of life, don't really matter much so I thank you for coming back to read and hopefully enjoy what it is I place in written form. <br />
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I am not, nor will I ever be a daily blogger. However, once every 6 months is also not what I expected to accomplish when I started this blog in 2013. Writing in this blog is good for my soul. This hobby relieves stress for me. It allows me to connect to my inner youth. It has also taken more than a few coins from my pocket. All is good when I can sit and focus on sorting, tracking, and plain and simply "playing" with cards. I wish I could do more of it but neither work nor family should suffer if that is to occur. We now move on to the August 2014 rendition of "What are these cards doing in my collection"???<br />
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All of us that read, write and trade, simply enjoy this hobby. There is nothing wrong in the approach anyone takes to collecting. There are a myriad of ways it can be enjoyed. Whether it's collecting certain player(s), team(s), sets, image settings on cards....it is personal. This is where I digress into my collection and try to figure what to do with some cards found in the random pack of baseball cards. I am all about finding the treasure in a random pack. I have been fortunate enough to find some very nice cards in that fashion. I have also found cards that, on the surface, do not match my love for the hobby. For example:<br />
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"A Piece of Hollywood" Shirt. How about a piece of shirt (without the r of course) from Hollywood. What relation does this have to baseball? I don't buy a pack or box of cards to find this. I have no love for this nor do I put this anywhere near my collection. It sits in a random corner, waiting to be traded, sold or picked up and torn to shreds by a 5 year old that sees it at eye level and wants to place the blue swatch on a Thomas the Train dining car as a table cover. Can you help me understand why? Others that fall into a similar pile include:<br />
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Really, a wrestling, swimming and fencing relic card? Thank God there were no pubic hairs floating around in the first two, Ms Hill or Mr Thomas. Here is where I may differ from others as there are a few individuals that like these cards. I applaud you but feel free to help me get rid of them in a trade before the 5 year old finds them.<br />
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I can also point to some baseball related relic type cards that one will find in a random pack picked up at the local card shop or big box store that won't be mentioned. Yes, they are baseball related, with baseball players on the card itself but to call these relics is not logical, in my mind. And maybe I'm misinterpreting these "pulls" from a pack of cards. Maybe it is just me that has an issue with them. I'm good with that so feel free to call me out. For reference, as I place these images in this blog entry, the more I write, the more each section becomes that much more relevant to the collecting world I enjoy. Yes, this is baseball related, but a class ring? To what, high school? Anyone can buy one for a mere $50 to $75. Maybe I'm dating myself with that pricing as I haven't been in that market to know what is today's value. Useless to me. For what it's worth, here is the card I speak of:<br />
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I'm sure I will contradict myself with these last pictures. They have some level of collectability to me so I'm not throwing them out completely but again, you can find thousands of these daily at every ball park in the country if you really wanted to find them. My question is why are they in a baseball card.<br />
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You could say that these are as collectible as the piece of wood in a bat card but at least the bat, in theory, was a "game used" relic. And yes, "game used' can be interpreted very liberally. We can argue all day about how the actual piece of wood could be from little Billy's bat that some schmuck sold to Topps or Upper Deck as "authentic" but the intent is to get you "closer to the game". The ticket gets you closer to the seat that you rested your a** in for four hours on any given summer evening.<br />
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Interestingly, as counter point to this entire entry, I do enjoy collecting the Topps manu-relic/manu-patch cards inserted in the boxes sold at retail outlets across the US. So yes, I understand the hypocrisy in that so I will leave you this entry knowing I speak of WTF's out of only one side of my mouth. The other side is open to interpretation. And yours is appreciated.<br />
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Until next bat time on this same bat channel, I bid you adieu. Let's hope I'm not writing my next entry in 2015.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-89120029103479692032014-01-02T22:23:00.001-06:002014-01-02T22:28:18.417-06:00Orderly and Confused pt deux......a little later than expectedFirst I must say for anyone that reads my blog and has anticipated part deux, I apologize. It has taken me almost four months to get to this post. You can say I've been busy. Understatement. Just ask the wife and kids. I have made a few trades intermittently during this time but for the most part, when my work day ends, I haven't been much in the mood to put my thoughts in print fashion. Mostly I've tried to wind down by thumbing through a few hundred boxes looking for a few cards to send off to a fellow trader. Or opening a couple of packs here and there to enjoy my hobby (or obsession, or neurotic behavior, if you will). So as we move into 2014, I will look to post more often than once every three or four months. I think I've crossed that line at work that will allow me to be successful in that statement. So look out 2014, this blogger is staring you down. I'm starting out quick on January 2nd to make my mark. Let's just hope I don't end up a premature ejacu-blogger and wander off into oblivion for a few months. Anyway, back to my dilemma....<br />
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As you may recall from last years entry, structure and order is of vital importance to me in my collection, at least from the layman's view. Boxes in order by year and then alphabetical within that year with one exception. Topps Flagship will always be the first set encountered in a year. Beyond that, alphabetical order rules. I look at the four or five dual row boxes that contain the hundreds and hundreds of relic, jersey, bat, auto cards, et al. They are currently in alphabetical order by last name of the single individual on the card. First name, Bobby Abreu through last name, Joel Zumaya. Easy to keep in order, easy to identify where they belong in the boxes. In addition to these cards, I do keep some single relic cards in a different box based on the set in which they belong. For example, you will find my Upper Deck 500 HR bat/auto cards all together along with the Upper Deck 3000 Hit Club bat/jersey/auto cards. They are a subset within themselves and that makes sense in my mind. <br />
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A few other subset minded cards fall into that same situation. The Yankees Signature Series single, double and triple auto cards. Again, acceptable order. But now this is where things start to unravel...<br />
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Where does one put this when trying to maintain a sense of order? I own a few clubhouse collection cards from other years but nothing close to being complete as the others mentioned above. I don't keep collect nor do I order cards by team so that goes out the window. Do I sort by the first player (as my wife has suggested in a moment of confusion as I explained my concerns). That could work but what if I wanted to see if I had a Fred Lewis relic? There's no way to find this if that were the order of the day.<br />
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How could you possibly put one ahead of the other for this card? Ripken rules, Jeter rules???? And who is listed first? Ripken going from top to bottom, Jeter going from left to right. The Yankees are "my" team and there is no way I could make Ripken priority. At some point logic will prevail, but it may be when I'm six feet under and this is card #426 of 985,438 on the auction list as my kids sit in the wings waiting for their portion of the proceeds. You see why it is I can't figure this out.<br />
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Yeah, enough said. Here we have three members of the years gone by Yankees folklore. I actually think Donruss was trying to help me out with this gem #'d to 10. The players last names are in alphabetical order, oldest to newest. and finally most desired home jersey to flannel grey away to the somewhat modern day polyester away jersey. But still, let me see how many Maris relic cards I have.....Ooops I'm missing one. I know I own this but who else is on the card? Could it be Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Berra??? Where in the hell is that damn card in one of these damn boxes? Deep breath, deep breath. Count to ten. It will show up. It has to. My kids haven't a clue how to find this and seeing that four of them are girls, they wouldn't even know why to look for this one particular card. But Nolan....the blog namesake. He does, he's a smart four year old. He knows a smidgen about these cards as we share our moments of daddy screaming...DON'T GRAB IT BY THE CORNERS!!! NO, NO, NO, DON'T DROP IT!!!!<br />
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Ok, I'm back. Anyway, as I was saying, I reach out to my fellow bloggers for input. I'm curious how you handle this type of situation in your collection, if you do. Maybe you don't. Maybe this is just one card settling between a 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco Rated Rookie card and a cherished 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken F*** Face card. But maybe one of you has the key to making my neurosis go away, at least in the short term. I'm asking for help. Who's offering free advice for this wandering soul? I guess I'd be willing to shell out 5 cents for that psychiatric help. <br />
<br />Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-72073363962899634722013-09-11T23:35:00.000-05:002013-09-11T23:37:11.009-05:00Orderly and Confused pt 1My collection is one that has taken me 40+ years to acquire. The pace at which I collect these days is much less than previous so I spend more time trying to trade than trying to buy. There are more gaps in the collection than I'd like to admit so trading through these channels has allowed me to get closer and closer to my OCD completion of what I have surrounding me. My baseball card collection is structured. As you view this panoramic view of the room set aside for my cards, they appear to be just boxes on shelves.<br />
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Upon a closer look, starting at the bottom left, they are all in order by year, alphabetically by company with one exception. Topps as the mainstay of every year, is the first set you come to in each year. After Topps, sweet alphabetical, structured order. Once you reach the lower right shelf of the left section, moving up the order continues going left, then up, then right, and so on and so on zig-zagging across the room. Now if I could only say the cards within those boxes were also in order, that would be a miracle. I've started to make that a reality by going backwards from 2013 but I think I've been stuck on 2005 for six months.<br />
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Once you reach the bottom right of the picture, that is where things start to unravel. The randomness of what is left just sits there without attention, without structure, without a sense of being. In this area are random cards and other card related items. Nothing that would warrant being put into the structure of the rest of the area. What you don't see in the picture is behind the camera. 200-300 boxes of hockey cards that have gone unattended for 10 years. That's another post sometime down the road. The magnitude of this collection is one that my wife's friends and family look at in awe. Wondering why a 40+ year old guy collects cards thought of as kids stuff. And for those that collect and enjoy the hobby, nothing else needs to be said.<br />
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It's one thing to have the random cards that will never make there way into the system you see as 30 cards from the 1998 Skybox Thunder set won't get any more completed. Those will sit until there is a person looking for these in trade or I decide to rid myself of thousands of cards at once. Also part of what you don't see are the double rowed shoebox sized boxes that hold the autos, jersey and bat cards among other memorabilia cards that have filtered into the mix. And these are where I begin to lose my mind with the structure of the collection. <br />
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Part 2 of this post which will cover that next question of order. One that no matter which direction I take, it will not be an acceptable answer to me. Until the next post...............Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-43041919996241440262013-07-15T00:12:00.001-05:002013-07-15T00:12:08.758-05:00Variation....not my thangHere we are again, two plus months after my last rendition. I hope nobody has been on pins and needles waiting for the pining of a random collector. Aside from the constant time consumers of kids, new job, travel,
honey-do lists, etc, there are few things that give me peace when I have
time to myself as do baseball cards. With this post, I thought I'd switch things up a bit. I've written about trades with fellow collectors that continue to this day, what I'd like to collect and finish and the "keeper" collection in my few posts. I figured let's get into something that I have but don't need or a better term want in my collection. <br />
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As I may have mentioned previously, I have a obsessive compulsive problem with my collection. Or at least, so I'm told. I don't stray into jerseys, bats, balls, or other memorabilia as there is only so much room I can dedicate to this hobby. I'm fortunate enough to currently have a 12'x25' room where I store all of the stuff I've collected over the past 4+ decades. Two eight foot tables filled on top with the unsorted and out going items; underneath the 100,000 card hockey collection that has collected nothing but dust for a decade. Then there is the three wall shelving that holds the ever growing baseball card collection. As I look to the future, I see some room for growth in the last couple of shelves. Part of this space is filled with the random cards and other things that I really should look to pass on to someone that has an interest in such things. I have over 5,000 of such cards filling space so if you have any desire for these, feel free to reach out and I can spend an hour going through them for some specific player or team. This post is dedicated to those types of cards.<br />
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Let's start with the Say Hey Kid himself. A card from the long ago decade of the 80's. Card #24 of "The Willie Mays Story" first printing, mind you, from some company that goes by RGI. They were so kind to include the names of the others pictured. Whitey Ford and Tom Thresh of the NY Yankees from 1962. Yes, it says Thresh. Apparently, editors were too much for this company so they went about their business with reckless abandon.<br />
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Next up....the Wizard. This 2"x2" piece of cardboard is from our friends at Fantastic Sam's. There is an entry form to the superstar sweepstakes that has a grand prize of 4 tickets to a 1988 championship game. It doesn't really say in what sport. Maybe a 1988 high school wrestling championship within 20 miles of the winners home. Not that there's anything wrong with wrestling. What I find even more humorous is first prize. Win a Pro player for a day. Yes, your very own pro player for a day. Again, I'm sure the word "Pro" is used liberally in this contest so one never knows who you would win. But in any form or fashion, you have them for the entire day. Maybe you could have used them to help with the laundry or mow the lawn. <br />
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Now joining the parade, Mr October. Nothing better than the than the thought of a Quaker Chewy Granola Bar and Reggie. This was a few years past the REGGIE bar craze, but still...a granola bar? The late 80's brought out anyone willing to buy some paper and plaster a picture of a baseball player on it to make a buck. It only made sense as everything produced in those years were somehow tied to baseball cards. You can't go 50 feet in any direction and not find a late 80's baseball card, can you? And speaking of an 80's baseball card from those that really speak to the baseball world.....<br />
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Yes, the "You look Mahvelous"....ooops sorry, wrong Fernando. But a True Value, it surely is. I love the MLB logo and name of the Los Angeles Dodgers but please, don't use the logo on the hat. That's just not acceptable. Let's just make it airbrush blue. He does look marvelous though, doesn't he? Just for the sake of time and space, here are a few more gems from the magical era of the 80's; pre-steroids of course. No MLB logo to be found, but the team emblems are there for all to see. I wonder if any lawsuits came of this? I'm not talking about the Clemens posterior injection kind either. <br />
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I did go back a few years for this next one. But still I wonder what market they really thought would buy their product for the cards.<br />
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Lefty as we knew and loved him, just squeaking in his 300th win to finish the 1983 season. He also squeaked in his 200th loss, in case you're not paying attention at home. Ralston Purina??? Pure marketing genius. Puppy Chow and baseball cards. It just rolls off the tongue. Hand in hand. Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Robin, Lennon and McCartney. At least Topps had their name sprawled across the front of this one to give some credence.<br />
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As we wind down, at least we're getting back into the realm of baseball. Bazooka, yes thank you. Baseball and bubble gum. George "Pine Tar" Brett. He was a hitting machine back in the day and he did chew gum for a good portion of his career. Maybe had we not moved into the tobacco era, things would have been different. Yeah, probably not. I guy can dream can't he? And now....drum-roll please.....the finale.....<br />
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Did you notice the name of this blog? This is the name sake of the little guy in the picture with me. No collection would be complete without the Ryan Express. However, Donruss tried to join in with the Coca-Cola company in 1992 with a set 26 cards that highlighted the career of this legendary player. Problem was, he was still on the mound. Did I miss the update version set of 4 that completed the 30 card set? Didn't think so.<br />
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For what it's worth, these are a snippet of what I have that to me are quality cards that have accumulated over the years of buying massive lots. But I am a completionist for the mainstream sets not the oddball card just to fill space. Do some of these get set aside for the personal collection, of course. There are some Ryan Express and Mr Jeter cards that will have their own place. But the thousands that sit in one of three dark 3200 count boxes, are just waiting to be appreciated more than they have been. Bring them into the light and give them some air. They can be a fine addition to any collection.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-83501428411656432662013-04-27T23:58:00.001-05:002013-04-28T09:32:29.956-05:00Props v2...a little later than thought.It's amazing how quickly time goes by. Here we are approaching the end of April and I have made all of one post for the month. Time to double that output. This edition is all about giving props to a trading friend from a few weeks gone by....<a href="http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/">http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/</a>. It's not every day one comes across a trader that is looking for a 60 year old card that you have doubles of and has similar cards to trade back. Now mind you, my collection from way back then is sparse and finding anyone to trade these is few and far between. But I was meandering through some blogs and found something that caught my eye. As background, I lived in the Detroit area for the past 20+ years so my collection of older cards that I'm happy to acquire sometimes is limited to Tigers. The card shows that I used to attend regularly at Gilbralter Trade Centers put most every other shows to shame. You could spend the entire weekend and not really see everything. For those that used to and possibly even still do attend them know of what I speak. Hundreds upon hundreds of dealers packed into tens of thousands of square feet with nothing but sports cards. It was a collectors dream when you knew you could find most anything you wanted.<br />
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As I bring myself back to the present and more specifically to this trade, I revel in being able to help a fellow collector in completing something that is not the common type of trade. So here I sit with an extra 1950 Bowman Tiger and 1952 Bowman high # Tiger card that has made it to a wanted list of this fellow trader.<br />
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Are they perfect, no. Are they beaten up, no. So I make contact and find that the trader has some Yankees that are on his trading block. We go back and forth and decide on a good trade. My return, a couple of 1951 Bowman Yankees, a 1952 Bowman Indian and a 1956 Topps Yankee.<br />
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For me, this is kind of hard to turn down, but more was to be had. Upon further review, we noticed a 2007 Bowman Heritage want list on each others blog as well. Not that I have a ton, but enough to help out. Just for the record, I try to only trade cards of which I have doubles. I made an exception this time on the Bowman Heritage as I figured I had so many needs that helping a fellow collector out is something I'd enjoy being on the receiving end in return at some point. So at the end of the day, 50-60 cards later going in each direction, I received more than a 1-1 trade for the Bowman Heritage plus other needs on my ever expanding want lists. I gave what I had of 2007 Bowman Heritage along with specific player cards on his want list. An ever expanding pile of cards....nothing but satisfaction.<br />
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It's hard to find these kind of trades but when they spring up.......you sit back and wait for a miracle of a package to appear. And one surely arrived.....safe, sound and the cards now in their proper location. Sorted in an 800 count box properly identified and in order by year. If I am anything, I am a creature of dedication and order...at least when it comes to my baseball card collection.<br />
<br />Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-8087531878572327542013-04-10T22:43:00.002-05:002013-04-10T22:43:54.682-05:00Props v1After a couple of weeks being busy with the holidays and such, it's time to get back to doing some good work on the card front. This post however is one that is giving props to a fellow blogger. This blogger has taken it upon himself to create a March Madness type of competition using MLB teams. The person I speak of is <a href="http://www.uncledocscardcloset.com/">http://www.uncledocscardcloset.com/</a>. I follow the blog as I saw an opportunity to do some trading in the fashion of Donruss. I haven't had much Donruss related lists on my page but am slowly getting them up so that we can reduce the want lists from both of our perspective. <br />
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I was fortunate enough to stumble across the page of the MLB tournament with but one team left, the NY Mets. Being a Yankees fan, I had to swallow some pride in taking the Mets, but who was I to shy away from a fun way to root for a team that most of the time, I couldn't care less for. Plus they are playing the Cardinals in round one and that makes it even better should the underdog 12 seed make their move early in the season. As of this post, both teams are 5-4; so a tie going into Thursday's action.<br />
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I'm not sure where round 2 goes should I get there but hey it's fun whether I do or not. So thanks to Doc for allowing me to take the reigns of the NY Baseball team, albeit from the National League. Should you be so inclined to see the tournament, take a look at Doc's blog and maybe you'll find some treasures of what he has for trade and what it is he's seeking or just visit the latest tournament updates throughout the season. I know I have.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-5520651573571833532013-03-22T22:59:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:07:19.415-05:00Gold in them thar hillsI've had a desire to collect "some" parallel sets for decades. It takes a concerted effort to finish off a set with cards that were distributed one per pack at best. In comparison, it's easy to finish a set of regular cards with, what should be, a statistically equal distribution of cards. The early 90's brought this type of insert in full force. Topps Gold in 1992, 1993 and 1994 with a somewhat limited version in 1995 with the Cyberstats inserts. Leaf Black Gold in 1992. 1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond. These are my people, these are my sets.<br />
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The early sets got more of my attention, most likely due to the novelty of the idea. At the time, they seemed to come in packs even less than stated. You open a box of cards and end up with a few hundred regular cards but only a handful of these precious parallel cards. They held a good value at the time but as with any product, once the new years edition of cards was on the shelf, those became yesterday's news. And at that time, new product was coming at a fast and furious pace as the market was getting flooded with cards from everyone under the sun.<br />
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<span id="goog_1591781050">But still, these are part of my first tier list of wants. Not everyone looks for or collects these. There are those that may have a few hidden here and there, so finishing these off is that much harder. I've purchased collections of thousands of cards to find these stuck somewhere in a box between the regular issue cards.</span><span id="goog_1591781051"></span> But really, it takes more than a handful to make a dent in the completion of these sets. The market just isn't there anymore for overproduced early 90's cards, even if it's the slightly less quantity version you seek.<br />
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There were attempts at duplicating these sort of insert sets. Ultra Gold Medallion, Stadium Club First Day issues, and even Allen & Ginter minis, etc. But as these came to be, the novelty had worn out its welcome to me. Do I like these newer parallel cards, yes. Am I looking to complete any of them as a full set, no. At least not anytime soon unless I can find hundreds in one transaction. But I am looking to complete the first few sets. You can never forget your first, can you? Even if it's a first few. They all hold a special place in my collection. Easily found, already known to be in exact order waiting for the next one or twenty to join the rest. Already with a list that is dying to be consolidated and to ultimately become extinct.<br />
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Yes, the roids were going strong these years, so I guess it's only fitting that they get little attention today. Pumped up regular edition cards with a little PED splashed across the front. And as the Bonds of the world get to be on top with HR numbers as these do with value in comparison to the regular set, what do people want more than anything....to finish the regular set. We still like the Maris' of the world. A little rough around the edges. But solid and timeless.<br />
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The marvel was once shining upon these stars of the collecting world. You can't turn away from the glitter even if you want to. Yes Big Mac, you did hit the HR to pass Roger, but once the next batch of andro hit the shelf you were relegated to the back end of the box. I ask, one per pack...could it be done? Can you complete that 700+ set at that pace?<br />
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So I take my message to the people. Who out there can help me with my pursuit or obsessive compulsive behavior, if you must? Anyone? Bueller...Bueller...<br />
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To see my want lists for these or other sets....<a href="http://nolansdugout.blogspot.com/p/want-lists.html">http://nolansdugout.blogspot.com/p/want-lists.html</a> Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-52524681766809705162013-03-18T00:10:00.001-05:002013-03-18T00:17:22.254-05:00Trades Pre-BlogI have been following a few blogs over the years and made a couple of trades a year or so ago. Recently I started to look more into making some trades with other bloggers. I have a fair amount of cards and a fair amount of needs for my collection. I don't collect any players or teams specifically. I'm more of a set builder. To look through a set from card #1 to the end can be time well spent. As I started looking at the blog-o-sphere, I was overwhelmed with the number of people that have this passion (or obsession to some people) for writing about and sharing their thoughts on the hobby.<br />
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I reached out to a couple of people and have been surprised by the response I was given. I expected hesitancy to this newcomer without a face or name to be known from day one. Yes, I can share a flawless Ebay rating but that doesn't mean much. Some writers are very specific in their wants, some not so much. In each, I find a little something different. It's easy to open an 800 count box that is in order and pull out a few cards that another needs. For others, I try to dig into my boxes that have no order, no special tie to the set building collector that I am. Whether it be early 90's Pacific cards, which for the record in my mind really are some of the nicest cards that pushed the envelope with the "bling" factor of regular cards or finding the oddball Denny's card of a player or team that is of interest to the other trader. These are the rare finds that hopefully heighten the delight of the package when it's received. I take it upon myself to really look to make a good trade for both parties. <br />
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When I was recently asked about a blog of my own.....I thought there is no way I can do that. Time constraints, family commitments, etc would not allow that. But I reorganized my free time a bit to squeeze this in. Why not. It's part of the fun of this hobby. Finishing a set without spending a fortune on unopened product and helping another with the same, in whatever fashion that takes. So here I am, a couple of weeks into my blogging career and it's time to recognize the few traders that welcomed my email approach to making a trade.<br />
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First Victoriano (aka the Waxcaptain) at <a href="http://waxcaptainsdugout.blogspot.com/">http://waxcaptainsdugout.blogspot.com/</a>. I start here as we've made two trades so far and I would say we have more to go. What started as a nice single auto card for a single relic card on the first trade became a many for many trade. The throw this in and I'll throw that in kind of trade. And the second trade was just as good. My want lists have been dwindling with every package received. As I find more in my travels through box after box, I'm already finding more to send to the Waxcaptain. My thanks goes out to this fine blogger and trader.<br />
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My second trade involved Mark at <a href="http://clubhousekaz.blogspot.com/">http://clubhousekaz.blogspot.com/</a>. This trade started as I noticed Mark was looking for 1997 Stadium Club cards to fill his set. Not the most traded set but I have a fair amount of this set for trade. I pulled what I had of his want list, found a few more Heritage cards extra for him as well and we were off to the races. Heritage came back to me from many years and this was a trade that made us both happy collectors. Thanks Mark for digging deep to find some of those cards to send my way.<br />
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Next up was a trader that had the most extensive want list and trade list I've ever seen. Curtis at <a href="http://condition-sensitive.blogspot.com/">http://condition-sensitive.blogspot.com/</a> collects Rockies and a few other items. I found myself finding all sorts of cards that was on his list. After a couple of emails we pared down the list so that we were both getting what we really wanted out of the trade and another one was in the books. Thanks Curtis for helping out.<br />
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The last trade I made pre-blog was with Charlie at <a href="http://lifetimetopps.wordpress.com/">http://lifetimetopps.wordpress.com/</a>. This was the largest trade to date as we sent each other 200+ cards. I tried to finish his 90's Topps sets and Charlie sent back a multitude of cards from 1982 through 2012. This is a trade that takes hours to search for the other person but the reward is great when you can sign off on that many cards in one setting. Thanks Charlie. I look forward to seeing a few 100% completed sets appearing on your site soon.<br />
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And as we speak I have a trade in the works with Dr Hoffman at <a href="http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/">http://cootvealandthevealtones.blogspot.com/</a>. We haven't yet put the finishing touches on this trade that has some cards from the early 50's going in both directions. I'll update that one at a later date.<br />
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I probably could have expressed my thanks even better, but I'm not here to write a novel. Just share some thoughts on the great traders I've encountered to date. Check them all out and you will be happy with any contact you may have with these traders.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-16565656403363475892013-03-17T00:16:00.000-05:002013-03-17T15:32:51.963-05:00Is it or isn't it???I shared my finest hits pulled from a pack. I have had many boxes come and go without anything as well. But I have one that seems to cover both ends of the spectrum. The hit without the hit. You open the pack, maybe catch a glimpse of the side of the cards and see the thickness of a card stand out. You pan through the cards in anticipation, enjoying them as they pass knowing you're getting closer to that card. As an aside, I find myself enjoying the older players more than the current players as today's players have so many cards of relic status. This one was one of those "Oooo, I like that." Spending the last couple of decades in the Detroit area before moving last summer, this one had some local flavor that appealed to me. I'm not a Detroit fan in any way, but this player, whom I remember watching back in the day, was a quirky kind of guy. Plus he had a couple of years off the chart. And see this pitcher in the designated hitter era before interleague play, with a bat in his hand, made the card even more of a novelty. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych is a nice jersey card to add to my collection. I turn the card over and see the jersey was from a celebrity game from the 2005 All-Star weekend festivities. Well, not ideal, but still an card that held my interest. And it's a numbered card to 300. Not five but not one of thousands. I put the card in a penny sleeve and hard plastic, which are always nearby when opening packs. I move on to the rest of the box of 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights. As I do with my relic and auto type cards, this one gets put into a box with its kind for future viewing enjoyment. I take one last look at the jersey portion of the card before I place it with the rest and......what the????<br />
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Am I missing something??? Yes, I think so. The jersey card sealed in a new pack with new plastic over the box without the jersey. Well, how do I go about doing anything about this? The box was purchased a couple of years after the cards were new, so Topps isn't likely to do much for me. So here it sits, in a box of relic and autographs, being the standout with neither. What should have been, could have been, is now the "you gotta see this" conversation of oddball cards. I guess it could have been worse. I could have had a pack with a common card that was one of five others in my doubles box.Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-41959031819322455022013-03-11T01:03:00.000-05:002013-03-17T13:24:00.512-05:00Biggest PullsNow that I've finished the listing of what I have accumulated in my collection, I want to turn my attention to sharing as well as listing. My intent was not just a blog only for trading. Part of this hobby is the anticipation of an unopened box. The enjoyment of the cards and hoping something nice pops up in the pack in your hands. I've done some buying over the years and I've had my share of disappointments when opening a box. But there is such a rush when you are thumbing through the cards in your hands when you come across a card that is just too amazing. The explosion of autographs and relic cards have put this opportunity into high gear for everyone. I've had a fair number of those occasions over the years, but there are two that take the top spot for me. The occasions were twelve years apart. My first occasion came in a Kmart way back in 1999 as I bought a retail box of Upper Deck Ionix. At the time, I didn't realize how much impact this one lucky find had on my collecting, but I do now. This one card put me on a mission to collect some high end cards through cards shows, Ebay and other avenues of purchasing. I have most of this set but this one is the only one pulled from a pack of cards for me.<br />
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The 500 HR club Frank Robinson game-used bat card, autographed #1 of 20. Excited was such an understatement and I still had to go back to work for the remainder of the day. This was the dawn of such cards in the market and I will never forget that feeling.<br />
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My other "most awesome" pull came from a Target combo retail box from 2011. The $14.99 special that included some regular Topps series one packs as well as some packs from the Heritage set reminiscent of the 1962 set. I have a passion for the Heritage cards and only wish I made some purchases from the first few years more than I did. I couldn't wait to open the packs as I drove off. The newest edition of Topps and Heritage in one glorious box. Little did I know when I pulled out of that parking lot, I'd be looking at one of the all time greats.<br />
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Sandy "freakin" Koufax. An absolute beauty of an autograph. This is not the only auto card I have of this man, but still pulling this from a pack of cards created such a rush that I'm amazed I didn't just drive into another car as I was mesmerized by what I was looking at.<br />
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I could go on, but I'd enjoy reading comments on what others have pulled out of packs that have put their collection and excitement in high gear. Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-64174920071422156202013-03-10T14:47:00.000-05:002013-03-17T13:23:25.093-05:00Round 4...the finale<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The weekend is slowly coming to an end and the list of cards I have is as well. The 80's and prior lead to a much smaller list, for sure. I've chosen to focus on only baseball cards but my hockey collection is fairly large as well, so if you have any hockey needs from the late 60's through the early 2000's, I may have some cards to help out on that front. I'll end up selling all of my hockey cards at some point, but why not put it out there to help fellow collectors fill some sets. But back to the list of baseball cards.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Topps<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Bowman<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Score<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">89</span> Upper Dec<span style="font-size: small;">k</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">8</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">8</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">8</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">8</span></span> Score</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">7</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">7</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">7</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">6</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">6</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">6</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">5</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">5</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">5</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">4</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">4</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">4</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">3</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">3</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">3</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">2</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">2</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">2</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">1</span></span> Topp<span style="font-size: small;">s</span><br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">1</span></span> Donruss<br />
19<span style="font-size: small;">8<span style="font-size: small;">1</span></span> Flee<span style="font-size: small;">r</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">195<span style="font-size: small;">1</span> - 1980 Topps<span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1949 - 195<span style="font-size: small;">2</span> Bowman</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In <span style="font-size: small;">addition</span>, I have </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">m</span>any, many, many odd ball items <span style="font-size: small;">of unique issues<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Plus, </span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1979-84 TCMA</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1990 Swe<span style="font-size: small;">ll Great</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1990 Pacific Legends</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As an aside, my better condition cards for trade start in 1974 with some also in 1960, 1968, 1969, 1970<span style="font-size: small;">. I <span style="font-size: small;">have</span> do<span style="font-size: small;">ubles in other years, but their condition would be <span style="font-size: small;">less than opti<span style="font-size: small;">mal and only filler<span style="font-size: small;">. I'd more than happy to scan <span style="font-size: small;">images</span> if there is a concern for any traded cards.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I do have <span style="font-size: small;">many <span style="font-size: small;">relic and autographed cards <span style="font-size: small;">too<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">.<span style="font-size: small;"> I'll slowly upload some of my favorites as I make future posts.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">So thanks for allowing me the space to fill this blog with the 50,000 foot level of my collection. I'll work on the details as I <span style="font-size: small;">make my way through my collection. </span>If you're interested in trading, send a me<span style="font-size: small;">ssage<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494372467247558161.post-30592823959281246612013-03-08T23:53:00.002-06:002013-03-17T13:23:44.485-05:00Round 3...the 90'sThe week has passed, work travel included and time for an update. We travel back and become preoccupied with 19, 19, 1990 something. A little take on the Bowling For Soup fans in the house. I know a decade off but still the last century seems as if it just ended. It appears I have much more to list than I thought I had.<br />
<br />
1999 Topps<br />
1999 Topps Gold Label<br />
1999 Bowman<br />
1999 Black Diamond<br />
1999 Fleer<br />
1999 Stadium Club<br />
1999 SP Authentic<br />
1999 Ultra<br />
1999 Upper Deck<br />
1999 Upper Deck Ionix <br />
1999 Upper Deck MVP<br />
1999 Upper Deck Ovation<br />
<br />
1998 Topps<br />
1998 Topps Gallery<br />
1998 Topps Gold Label<br />
1998 Bowman<br />
1998 Bowman Chrome<br />
1998 Bowman Best<br />
1998 Collectors Choice<br />
1998 Donruss<br />
1998 Donruss Preferred<br />
1998 EX2001<br />
1998 Fleer<br />
1998 Leaf<br />
1998 Pinnacle<br />
1998 Pinnacle Inside<br />
1998 Score<br />
1998 SPx<br />
1998 Stadium Club<br />
1988 Studio<br />
1998 Upper Deck<br />
<br />
1997 Topps<br />
1997 Topps Finest <br />
1997 Topps Gallery<br />
1997 Bowman<br />
1997 Bowman Best<br />
1997 Collectors Choice<br />
1997 Donruss<br />
1997 Donruss Preferred<br />
1997 Fleer<br />
1997 Fleer Circa<br />
1997 Leaf<br />
1997 Metal Universe <br />
1997 Pinnacle<br />
1997 Score <br />
1997 SP<br />
1997 Stadium Club<br />
1997 Studio<br />
1997 Ultra<br />
1997 Upper Deck<br />
<br />
1996 Topps<br />
1996 Topps Finest<br />
1996 Topps Laser<br />
1996 Bowman<br />
1996 Bowman Best<br />
1996 Collectors Choice<br />
1996 Donruss<br />
1996 Emotion XL<br />
1996 Flair <br />
1996 Fleer<br />
1996 Fleer Circa<br />
1996 Leaf<br />
1996 Leaf Limited<br />
1996 Leaf Preferred<br />
1996 Pinnacle<br />
1996 Pinnacle Aficionado<br />
1996 Pinnacle Summit<br />
1996 Score<br />
1996 Select<br />
1996 Select Certified<br />
1996 SP<br />
1996 Stadium Club<br />
1996 Studio<br />
1996 Ultra<br />
1996 Upper Deck<br />
1996 Zenith <br />
<br />
1995 Topps<br />
1995 Topps 3D<br />
1995 Topps Embossed<br />
1995 Topps Finest<br />
1995 Bowman<br />
1995 Collectors Choice<br />
1995 Collectors Choice SE<br />
1995 Donruss<br />
1995 Emotion<br />
1995 Fleer<br />
1995 Flair<br />
1995 Leaf<br />
1995 Leaf Limited<br />
1995 Pinnacle<br />
1995 Score<br />
1995 Score Gold <br />
1995 Select<br />
1995 Select Certified <br />
1995 SP<br />
1995 SP Championship<br />
1995 Stadium Club<br />
1995 Studio<br />
1995 Summit<br />
1995 Ultra<br />
1995 Upper Deck<br />
1995 Upper Deck Electric Diamond <br />
1995 Zenith <br />
<br />
1994 Topps<br />
1994 Topps Gold <br />
1994 Topps Finest<br />
1994 Bowman<br />
1994 Bowman Best <br />
1994 Collectors Choice<br />
1994 Collectors Choice Silver Signature <br />
1994 Donruss <br />
1994 Fleer<br />
1994 Flair<br />
1994 Leaf<br />
1994 Leaf Limited<br />
1994 Pinnacle<br />
1994 Score<br />
1994 Select<br />
1994 SP<br />
1994 Stadium Club<br />
1994 Studio <br />
1994 Ultra<br />
1994 Upper Deck<br />
1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond <br />
<br />
1993 Topps<br />
1993 Topps Gold <br />
1993 Bowman<br />
1993 Donruss<br />
1993 Fleer<br />
1993 Flair<br />
1993 Leaf<br />
1993 Pinnacle<br />
1993 Score<br />
1993 Select<br />
1993 SP <br />
1993 Stadium Club<br />
1993 Studio <br />
1993 Ultra<br />
1993 Upper Deck<br />
<br />
1992 Topps<br />
1992 Topps Gold + Winners <br />
1992 Bowman<br />
1992 Donruss<br />
1992 Fleer<br />
1992 Leaf<br />
1992 Leaf Black <br />
1992 Pinnacle<br />
1992 Score<br />
1992 Stadium Club<br />
1992 Studio <br />
1992 Ultra<br />
1992 Upper Deck<br />
<br />
1991 Topps<br />
1991 Bowman<br />
1991 Donruss<br />
1991 Fleer<br />
1991 Leaf<br />
1991 Score<br />
1991 Stadium Club<br />
1991 Studio <br />
1991 Ultra<br />
1991 Upper Deck<br />
<br />
1990 Topps<br />
1990 Bowman<br />
1990 Donruss<br />
1990 Fleer<br />
1990 Leaf<br />
1990 Score<br />
1990 Upper Deck Kyle Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10559272475382259655noreply@blogger.com0