Not Your Average, Arbitrary Post

Arbitrary: random, erratic, unpredictable. Nothing average there. The same is true for the package I received in April from Brian, who claims to be highly subjective and completely arbitrary.    He's been a steady blogger for over five years. It's been awhile since we swapped cards. He made up for lost time quickly.  Not only cards but a couple of packs were included.

2000 UPPER DECK VICTORY:

BASE

INSERTS

2019-20 OPC GLOSSY

I'd forgotten how colorful the Victory release is. I don't recall ever buying a pack. OPC was my first hockey pack bust. I didn't land any Blackhawks but it was still fun.  Now comes the hard part.  Brian packed so much into his efforts, I don't know what to share.

A Topps Living Set online exclusive and 2019 Stadium Club Fulmer #d/25, both fairly rare cards. Rare is subjective in terms of hobby scarcity. I'd say yes, a 25 card print run is rare enough. The value = arbitrary.

2019 Stadium Club from my wantlist. Breathtaking beauties and quite possibly my favorite baseball cards in this post.

Altuves:

Springer:

Oh there's more. Tigers found their way into the envelope. They don't call me a cat lady for nuttin':

2012 TOPPS #/210 

SHINERS

1967 AND 1962 TOPPS

There have been more than a few Free Card Friday's on Brian's blog. I've missed out on many of these freebies in the community. The past weeks have been difficult for most of us. These giveaways bring good vibes and smiles to all their recipients. Among my choices were bat racks and mascots!

CHECK OUT FRANK'S PHONES

LOVE THIS GRACE!

Before you get your get your feathers ruffled, I don't believe the pope is mascot to the Catholic faith. I have great respect for the Roman Catholic church. Someone else had chosen this card right before my claims. I commented that I wanted to pick the pope. I do like this card. It will go nicely with my pitching nun.

My favorite card in the package from Brian isn't baseball but an older milk carton card. I could find nothing anywhere on this one; not TCDB, Beckett or the internet in general.

GOT ABE?

I wonder what Abe would say about the times we are living in right now. His record on race wasn't perfect but in his wisdom he knew this country would split if slavery continued. Here we are 150 plus years later. Slavery abolished, thank God, and finally desegregation.  But how far have we come? Why not attempt to understand the challenges blacks can often face? Their lives do matter. No one is saying all lives don't matter. Would any white person wish they'd been born black?  I think most of us would say "not me". This all hit home a few days ago, right here in small town Michigan, not Detroit, in my predominately white town with its perfect yards and touristy shops. There is a locally famous rock in a prominent location upon which folks leave greetings for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and sometimes memorials. Not this time:

ARTICLE LINK HERE

In 2020? We are coming out of a country-wide lock-down. Folks are hot and agitated but this is more than a skin-deep ugliness.  Absolutely unacceptable.  My friends, you know I don't get political. This blog is a happy place. This is the first time I've written more than a line or two about serious issues we face as a country and frankly as people. Where is empathy?

I can tell you my little town came together to repaint that rock. Groups of people have been standing with it all day long, in a show of solidarity with those who painted the original message. Volunteers are taking turns sitting with the rock all night too, to ensure the message remains unchanged.

Sorry for the rant. I felt the need to put my voice into the universe. Thanks for sticking with me, if you did.

A Completely Overdue, Highly Worthwhile Trade

A long time - more than a year ? - passed between Brian and me without a trade.   Not because I didn't have a stash of Twinsies for him.  I spent 9 months out of touch with the blogs.  It's taken awhile to make up for the lost time.  With a slap on their backs, I packed up the Minn Twins and wished them best of luck.   I'm not sure what these fellas told Brian upon arrival but he whipped out a grand package in return.   I guess the boys were happy with their new home!  I know these fellas are:

Pretty in Pink - and black and foil

These cards are sharp - and not just around the edges!  I'm particularly fond of the 2011 Lineage foil Cobb .  I've mentioned on more than one occasion this design would've been a great one for Flagship.

Nick is the lone Tiger

This is a great grouping of rarely seen cards: 94 Stadium Club Members Only; 1990 Baseball Card Magazine Fielder and 84 All Star Parrish.  Someone did a nice trim job on Fielder!!

2003 UD 40 Million Trillion Men

Ty Cobb = Electric!  Bazooka Al and Two Ginter JVs

A clean 206 Sizemore auto and Munson's spikes!  Yikes!  I coulda put my eye out on this one!

Specifically Pacific Legends

I've been a fan of history since childhood.  It was always my favorite subject in school.  Yes, I am THAT nerdy kid.   These cards find a home in Julie's Big Binder of World History, currently at six pages.

    1958 Topps - love that Tiger mascot!    1954 Bowman - so clean!   Freakin' 1941 PlayBall!!

These cards represent only a portion of Brian's kindness.  I will share one more - an oddball.  I love this card because it's local to me, an apparent giveaway from 1976.  The Troy Hilton is long gone as is any Sports Collectors Convention in Michigan. There is a Midwest Sports Spectacular in Ohio each year in January.  Not the best time of year for a road trip but possibly worth the challenge!

I WORK IN TROY!

Brian, let's not wait so long to do this again!  Thank you for these cards!!!

His highly subjective blog posts are worth every bit of your time!  You'll learn something new, or find a great conversation and chuckle there!

Look for my next post - Dupe, Dump or Dwindle: Round One.  My player collections are changing or disappearing altogether.  Will you want these cards?  There's a catch! 

Thanks for reading!

In Memoriam: the 2018 Detroit Tigers

PWEs BIG ADVENTURE

I know you are, but what am I?  Rhetorically speaking.  Four PWEs made their way through the big adventure that is the postal service.  Their trip ended safely within the confines of my roadside mail depository.  It's amazing the number of cards which fit neatly inside the sealed borders of a letter/legal sized envelope.

Brian  HSCA and #supertrader, sent this group of cardboard via pwe:

 Great shot of Tettleton in catcher's gear!

 The late Tony Phillips.

These beauties from 2003 Gallery, which sent me searching for a box to bust!

All nine of the cards arrived unscathed. Brian also sent a padded mailer just a couple weeks prior to the pwe.  Here's what it looked like upon arrival:

stomped  (stamped?)

waving hello

Because Brian knows proper card packaging, the cards inside were unharmed.  I'm not sure how they weren't lost from the mailer.  It had a rather large hole on the backside. Here's a sampling of the goodness found within:

Kaline in Blue, a 2013 Topps reprint

1993 Kraft Singles Fielder, whereas a block of cheese would seem more fitting.

Four colorful cards.  Fryman is from a special set issued in 94 by Pinnacle - The Naturals

2011 Lineage 75 mini-relic and lonely Clete Thomas, 2008 Ballpark Collection.

Brian - thanks for your generosity!  You are definitely a #supertrader, which I already knew.  ;) 



Bubblegummer Jeff Jones sent a nice thank you via PWE in return for some set help:

Daniel Norris became a Tiger via trade late last year.  Hope to see him blossom in Detroit!

2002 Upper Deck: great shot, though the runner was likely safe.  Love dirty uniforms!

Parallels: 2013 Topps camo #/99 !  and a chunky 2006 Bowman gold

Foodies!  89 Cap'N Crunch and 88 Nestle Chocolate boy bar

Listen to the roar!

Thanks to Wish They Still Came with Bubblegum!

A PWE thanks to #supertrader and 2x3 Heroes Jeff Wilk for these sports schedules.  He offered them up on his blog recently.  I couldn't say no to the great designs.  In the current age of political correctness, one of these mascots may become extinct.  If you guessed the jailbird in prison stripes, you could be right!  Seriously though, the Blackhawks schedule is a thing of beauty. 

Around of applause also goes out to a successful PWE from Gavin and Baseball Card Breakdancedown.  I was expecting two of these cards, but Gavin made sure to get his money's worth from a Forever stamp. 

 

Somebody's ready for baseball!

 

 

Ken Caminiti for the PC!

Face off between two of my favorite young catchers!

LOU LOU!

The two cards I was expecting are originals.  Not necessarily 1/1 but darn close!  The few that exist are special creations and aged differently.  Gavin is a talent in demand.  He displayed his latest creations on a recent post.  I found myself asking for one in particular. Look at these cards! 

The mini is shinier, appearing fresh from the pack.  The beauty on the right is breathtaking!  It could be an original 30s Goudeys!  The paper is dense and textured.  It feels old! Corners are rounded and the card is slightly dirty and faded.

The backs are true to original designs.  The font style and color give these cards a look of authenticity.  And they are authentic, to Baseball Card Breakdown!  Thank you thank you!  I've begun a collection of Gavins and hope to add many more!

 

PWEs - a great way to send a dozen or so cards for less than a dollar.  I plan to take advantage of this shipping method.  I can get more cards in the mail quickly, to my old trading friends and new #supertrading partners.