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. 

 

 

 

The PWE: Lessons in proper usage

I have mixed feelings regarding the plain white envelope.  It's a perfect mode of transportation for bill payment or an old fashioned HWL (hand written letter.) I've received a few eBay wins in PWE form.  One could expect a single card to arrive safely. But five cards?   Unsleeved cards in taped-down top-loaders = one PWE??  Yes shipping was free. The seller had great feedback too.

I worked for the USPS for 15 years. I understand automation. Stamping hand cancel on an envelope has been pretty ineffective for 30 years or more now.  A possible exception would be to use the service window at the post office.  But once the letter is added to the mail flow, machines do the sorting. I don't blame the postal service.  I fault the packaging.  From the many blogs I read here regularly, PWEs are quite efficient for trading with minimal mishap. Fortunately the cards arrived at their new home, happy the journey was over. 

TWO Top loaders in ONE flimsy envelope

May I present... five 2006 Fleer Greats of the Game:

                                                    Murcer, one the few Yanks I've admired.

                                                                       This bird has flown  

   

                                                       Berra - also known for his catch phrases

                                                             Horton: recently non-deceased

                                        

     Freehan's Law: Never beat yourself

These cards have green borders.  The scanner wasn't feeling well and chose them and this moment to express ...BLECH!  Yogi front and Murcer back suffered some tape damage. SUPER pet peeve!  Please tape a soft-sleeve over the loader.  It's not rocket science. Tape is sticky because it's TAPE!  

Any words of advice out there from PWE experts?  The USPS sincerely regrets any damages.