Rocky Mountain High

Adam is a well-known, generous trader and Rockies fan with an eye for details.  When trading with Adam, you'll likely receive a couple of cards with your team players featured in the background, on the back of the card or perhaps barely making the frame.  In return, perhaps you can save any cards featuring Coors field for him.

                               Let's just get these stickers out of the way, shall we?  Love 'em!

I received a small priority mail box packed with a couple hundred cards in December, on the very day I was leaving for Michigan.  I packed it into my carry-on for a holiday card fix.   Infield Fly Rule had surprised me again!  I'm probably surprising him now, finally sharing his generosity with y'all!   Here is each and every card, posted one at a time:

Suckers...just kidding!  It was a little difficult to pick my favorites.   I'm drawn to HOFers, quirky and oddball cards.  For those who believe quirky and oddball are one and the same, here are some examples to help differentiate:

Quirky and odd.  Ok.  So there isn't much difference. Canseco's card is a bit of both.  Not being a fan of his, I never turned this card over to check out the back.  No doubt it passed through my hands many times over the years.  Off it goes into the fun binder!   His posturing does bring back a humorous memory.  I caught a Ranger game with the visiting A's in 1997.  Jose stood in basically the same place behind the cage, in the same pose for the entire duration of their batting practice. Smiling and shifting his feet, leaning on the bat,  he stood there while fans took countless photos.  Apparently he'd been doing this routine for years!

Adam also included Tigers and hit on my player collections:

Love this guy!

Altuve  Mini - 2013

Max Max Max...if he weren't such a nice guy, I could be angry.  Hurt though, I am.  Endless nights, pillow wet with tears.  But that had nothing to do with him really.  There was a pea under my mattress.

                      1995 UC3 from Pinnacle                              1993 Upper Deck w/brother Billy  

                             1992 Ultra                           1996 Topps                  2007 UD Masterpieces
Sweet stash of Ripkens!  I'd missed Cal's appearance on 96 Topps Valentin. Adam's sharp eye added another card to the Cal collection!   All of these were needed! 

1992 Stadium Club, all needed towards the team set completion.

Jim Abbott was born without a right hand but gifted with determination.  Jim was also a star quarterback in high school. He had a very respectable pitching career with a career ERA of 4.25. 

 

1954 Topps Archives Kaline and what a beauty!  The original Archives...the ones I liked!  Reprints of the original set made these classics affordable for me, and for many collectors. 

 HOFers galore!  Three more with Mantle, Berra and Mathewson.  I'm a big fan of  Sweet Spot Classics.  Mathewson is from 2005 and the first card from this set in my collection. 

Adam, you did it again!  I got quite the high while opening this box over the holidays!  Thank you for the incredible selection of cards! Looking forward to our next swap!  Always a fun trader, check out Infield Fly Rule ! 

Return of the Jedi

Well... technically it wasn't a return but a first trade.  Blog Master, Jedi Jeff sent a surprise my way just before the holidays.  I didn't know what to expect before opening the fat little package.  It wasn't ticking, so I gained a bit of comfort from that knowledge.  The warm up cards on top of the stack were nice but left no inkling as to what may lay beneath them.

 

These cards hold some great shots! I love the intensity of Benoit's expression, looking nearly mad!  Martinez appears to have a bat in his crack.  Such an odd play. Pudge is one of my fave catchers.  These are great additions to the PC.  Then...there were these:

1992 Stadium Club

I can't  begin to count the cards I gave away years ago but they included a massive number of Stadium Club - all years!  Of course now, it would be nice to have them but some kid, somewhere, is probably enjoying a little collection of his own.  When I stopped collecting in 2002, I gave away hundreds of cards to different little collectors and sold quite a few of the nicer ones.  I needed these subtle beauties!

 

                                     2007 SP Legendary Cuts          2012 UD Baseball Heroes

             2013 Archives                             2005 UD Past Time Pennants

Following Stadium Club is not always easy but The Jedi Master layed it on thick with some Old Guys, all new to their player collections!  I am now in pursuit of the Past Time Pennants.  Gorgeous card!

 

 

I enjoy collecting Negro Leagues players. Known as the black Lou Gehrig, Buck Leonard is one of  35 Negro League players in Cooperstown.  I  want to see Buck O'Neil in the Hall.  He did so much to help his colleagues gain entry and had a more than respectable career in his own right.

 

 

Pretty shiny things are these - 2013 Cut to the Chase inserts from Topps.  Harmon will look great in the binder!

 

 

 1992 Whitehall Collection Ruthie!  I'm surprised this card scanned so nicely.  It's vibrantly colored!

 

 

Something old, something new. Love Nick in those classic threads on a 2014 Stadium Club! Now that's a uniform!  1973 Tigers team card in excellent condition and Cesar looking pretty sweet too, from 1971.

 

Jeff could've stopped right there, having already made a good first impression I was then Conlon-ized:

 

 

Classic photography, classic player names. Black and white simplicity. Bottomley with hat askew, looked like a fun-loving fellow in his day.  Jay Hanna Dean, an all time pitching great - .644 career winning percentage HOFer.  The Iron Horse - card back reads his amazing record of 2130 consecutive games played still stands.

 

 

Pepper, Schoolboy.  Hoblitzel?  What's a Hoblitzel?  He was first baseman for the Red Sox and roomie to the Babe. He was Doc after baseball, becoming a dentist.  Ol' Clarence Mitchell hit into an unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series creating three Dodger outs.

Taking a moment to tell me how he really feels...

 Got Milk?  If not, pour yourself a glass and share some of my old and stale cereal...but do NOT spill it on these:

1976

WHOA JEFF!  FAR OUT!  I love the 1970s.  Love everything about them, except war and possibly Nixon.  These cards are phenomenal!

                                       The 80s had its moments...a few are shown here, from 1983.

                                             1977                                                                    1979

 Just look at those colors!  The 79 design is one of my faves from the Kellogg's issues, 1970-1983.  I would love to complete these sets.  Anything is possible, right?  After all, Jedi Jeff did choose to bestow some greatness on me and I couldn't be more grateful!

A thank you package went out yesterday Jeff, though its contents can't compete with what you sent. I will keep saving those Southside boys for ya!