Chopped, Nicked and Cynical

I've determined being one step ahead of the trade mail will not happen.  This is in no way, a complaint! Just yesterday, I received two more incredible packages: Off Hiatus Tony and Subjectively Arbitrary Brian.  Thank so much guys!  You do  know it will be the end of Summer before these are shared, right??

 

Mark  aka Cynical Buddha of Collector's Crack sent a great batch of cards in exchange for a big helping of 2015 Topps Update.  I was elated to see those cards out the door and on their way north - to Alaska.  It was a more than generous exchange because he included shiny cards, an auto and a low numbered Joc Pederson.  All for Update???  Let's Make a Deal!!

 

 

Another reminder from Verlander that Spring Training is upon us! 

 

 

2015 Topps Foil

 

 

Eulogio 'Frankie' de la Cruz, 31 years old and done. The card is better-looking than his short MLB pitching career numbers of  0-0 and 8.16 era and 11.57era with the Mud Hens. 

 

Have a Coke and a smile, along with a couple of great cards from 1981 Topps!

 

 

2015 Topps refractor of my favorite new catcher, James McCann.  I'm hoping big things for this young man. He appears to call a good game and hits the ball!

 

And finally, this gem of a card from Panini's 2015 Black Friday giveaway.  Thick and numbered 18/50,  Joc Pederson.  Super nice card to own!!

 

 

Mark, thank you - not just for these cards but for taking Update off my hands.  Oh I have more to ditch on some needy collector.  Just ask for it.  Please - ask.


Another fun blogger, Steve from the Card Chop, sent a another great mix :
 

 Special A&G minis with Jackson's reverse featuring an A&G back

 

 

old school Topps logos.  lovin' the throwback Stars uniform!

 

 

 

Verlanders, featuring 2008 Upper Deck.  The headline celebrates his no-hitter against the Brewers on June 12, 2007.

 

 2002 Topps Gallery - great design

 

The Gallery set is one I've paid little attention to.  I need to look over the checklist to see what I've missed.  A very clean design!

2009 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Retrospective

 

2008 Stadium Club, showing off Comerica Park

The Great Ty Cobb

Steve included great vintage too, featuring Topps from 1969, 1961 and 1971.  Steve, thank you!  Thanks for your patience too!  I've been a bit overwhelmed but no less than appreciative!!


Do we have time for one more??  Why yes, we do.  Nick from the Dimebox took a little time to put together another fun package.  These always include the odd and a vintage card or two plus cards for my PCs. 

2015 Topps foil, base and gold

Shiny goods included a sweet holo-foiled Fielder from 94 Upper Deck Home Run Allstars.

 

The late Berra. 

 

 



 

 

I love adding these sets from Front Row featuring the All Time Greats. This 1995 issue pays tribute to HOFer George Kell: 19 years, 2054 hits, .305 average.

 

Nick hit a PC with Altuve.  Altuve loves the game and it shows with every play and at bat. I hope he's in the game for years to come.  I'd love to see Altuve stay with the Astros for the better part, if not all, of his career.  Odds of course are it won't happen. The Franchise Flashback features him in a Houston Eagles uniform, a Negro Leagues team in 1949/50.  Just an awesome and colorful card! I believe Nick pulled the patch card.  Thanks for thinking of me!  A great card to add!

 

 

 

This package from Nick would not be complete without a food issue and some vintage.  1981 Drake Bakeries Steve Kemp and Topps 1964 Lumpe and 1965 Lolich.  The 65 design is a hard one to beat.

 

 

Three great trade packages!  I highly recommend trading with these fellows!  Take a moment to check out their blogs.  Forthcoming on this blog will be a small box break for the newly formed Super Traders Group.  I'm honored to be included among them. I can't do high end cards but perhaps something from the early to mid-90s would be fun, like 91 Topps or Donruss.  Ok, that's a joke.  Just calm down everyone.  I'm not THAT cheap!

Chopped Memories

On Valentine's Day, I offered up several Kellogg's cards in need of a home. The Card Chop's Steve Cornell bravely laid claim to a card which resulted in our first trade.  I'm slowly working on team sets so he lent a helping hand:

1978 Topps - hard to believe I didn't already have these cards.  In general, the 70s are my favorite decade until you hit 1977.  I'd entered junior high in mid-year 6th grade after a sheltered year and a half at Christian Heritage Academy.  I felt lost and was truly a misfit.  I'd always made friends easily and couldn't understand why I wasn't accepted by my new peers.  This was the year I became a wallflower.

I hid between the pages of teen magazines and books. School became a place to prove myself.  If the other kids didn't like me, it would be because I was the smart kid.  4.00 straight A.   Wrong-o.  My strategy backfired.  I became the teacher's pet. Now they wanted to beat me up.   In 1978, they tried.

A girl my age but a little smaller, punched me.  In all my life, I don't think there have ever been so many eyes focused on me.  Quite a crowd gathered around to watch the fight. This episode probably began my long streak of disappointing others.  As she waited for me to throw a punch or tackle her.....I....did.....nothing.  I stood there, staring right into her eyes.  She said something like aren't you going to fight back?   No.  I was not.  Little did she know, I was used to being knocked around. 

I ran into her a couple years later when she was transferred to my high school...into my home room class.  Oh goody.  I had settled into my wallflower life  - and did manage to remain mostly unnoticed all throughout high school - and here was my recent past sitting right across from me.  She approached me one day only to ask if I remembered that afternoon she punched me. Uhm, well of course.  She said she'd never been so scared in her life when I didn't hit her or defend myself.  It wasn't what she expected.  She never bothered me again.  And I resigned from my position as teacher's pet.

 

Steve's a mad man.  One look at his blog and you'll surely agree.  I hadn't expected to take a trip down memory lane, nor to share this story until I sat down at the keyboard.  The cards are wonderful and my 78 set is complete but for a Lou Whitaker rookie card.  I have Jack Morris, Parrish and the Molitor/Trammell rookies.  Steve threw in a few extra niceties, including a 78 Bucky.  I love me some Dent!

                                                                     April 10, 1979 issue