3.31.2011

Random Kindness

I wanted to acknowledge a random act of kindness from Crinkly Wrappers. The proprietor of that fine blog sent me a very healthy load of 2010 base set Topps to help me winnow my list.

But he wasn't done there - also throwing in an array of fine Reds, Tigers and Cubs cards from various sets that I had yet to see. Here is a sampling of some of the Reds:



Many cool cards for my growing collection. While CW says he wants nothing in return, I'm determined to reciprocate at some point down the road if I can.

Thanks again!

About Me and Mr. Kaline (now with actual scans!)

My newfound passion for baseball cards caught me off guard when it developed a few months ago - considering I more-or-less stopped collecting more than two decades ago. I guess it's part nostalgia for the cards themselves, part wanting to see what I've been missing and part middle-age me me wanting to reconnect with 14-year-old me.

Baseball cards help me remember family trips to Riverfront Stadium and, later, to Tiger Stadium with Dad. They help me recall the countless hours spent in the family room with cards spread around me as I made up various statistically driven games. I'm pretty sure I invented fantasy baseball in 1978.

My first cards were '78 Topps. I love that set as a result. Later, my grandpa picked up a bag full of '76 from a garage sale. I liked them at the time well enough but I love that set now - largely because I realize what it surely meant to him to pick those up for me.

In 2011, as I reacquaint myself with this hobby, I'm both enjoying much of the new stuff - I happen to love the clean, sophisticated look of Series One - and I'm loving picking up older cards of favorite players, which I've been doing of late at a regularly held card show not far from me.

 
Last week, I snagged three cards of the great Al Kaline. The first, from 1967, is my favorite. It's just a classic pose. Love the fact that other players are just hanging around in the background. Love the snippet of the grandstands.

I think the next card looks great too. The black and white elements of the Tiger uniform and the card itself - splashed with a blue sky and the red that sets his name apart. I think I'm kinding of like the '71s. 


And, finally, the third Kaline. I like the below card as well. I think the background is the best part - the chain link fence, the trees askew and, what is that, a radio tower? Mr. Kaline himself seems to be wearing down here compared with the '71 just two years earlier. You get the sense they found him wandering alone at the outskirts of the Spring Training camp before he half-heartedly posed for a shot or two and then went to take a nap. Why does it seem to me like he's about 48 here when he couldn't have been more than about 37?



In any case, the three Kalines were not all that I purchased at the show the other day. I'll post more through the next week or so.

Enjoy Opening Day!

3.25.2011

1976: What I Need, What You Just Might Need ... and more

Still not fully up to speed with the blog, but I continue to catalog my cards and just posted my 1976 Topps availables and wants.

Please take a look and let me know if we can help each other. Along with 1976, many other years are now up on the left side of the blog. What's more: If you're collecting 2011 Heritage, take a look at my previous post.

I'm really enjoying trading with other bloggers and while my site is currently nothing more than a trading post, I hope to be a little more interesting at some point soon.

Thanks again!

3.19.2011

'11 Heritage Availables

Please let me know if you'd like to arrange a trade for any of the below 2011 Heritage (or for that matter anyone else listed on my growing trade list pages). As for Heritage trades, I'm interested in Reds, Tigers and Cubs (and select stars for other stars listed here - just ask) - and those I already own are listed at the end of this post. 

Thanks.

AVAILABLE

7 - Carlos Beltran
13 - Cliff Pennington
17 - Jayson Werth
22 - San Diego Padres
27 - Adam Kennedy
28 - Vernon Wells
33 - Barry Zito
39 - Erick Aybar
49 - Jordan Brown
67 - Zach Duke
93 - Nick Swisher
94 - R.A. Dickey
99 - Brandon Snyder
122 - Trevor Cahill
123 - Aaron Hill
125 - Vladimir Guerrero
130 - Omar Infante
131 - Brett Sinkbeil
134 - Brett Cecil
138 - The Famous Slugger
147 - Joakim Soria
156 - Hank Conger
165 - Adam Jones
188 - Freddy Sanchez
189 - Heath Bell
193 - Miguel Tejada
197 - Casey Blake
203 - Kevin Millwood (2)
206 - Washington Nationals
213 - Angel Pagan
230 - Francisco Liriano
236 - World Series card
248 - Chris Johnson
249 - Vance Worley
257 - Scott Kazmir
261 - Reid Brignac
263 - Rangers Danger (Hamilton/Cruz)
265 - Derrek Lee
269 - Lance Berkman
271 - Jeremy Jeffress
273 - Chris Perez
282 - Aaron Harang
295 - Paul Maholm
298 - Jason Kubel
304 - Brett Myers
313 - Bautista Blasts 50th
351 - Twin Terrors (Morneau/Mauer)
352 - Ricky Nolasco
355 - Brian Matusz
362 - Greg Halman
363 - Nick Hundley
367 - Dan Uggla
372 - Jaime Garcia
383 - Daniel Hudson 
384 - Oakland A's
389 - Ryan Doumit
404 - Mark Trumbo
408 - Chris Coghlan
409 - Pittsburgh Pirates
410 - Juan Pierre
414 - Jarrod Dyson
419 - Wandy Rodriguez (2)
422 - Kendry Morales
423 - WS Winners - Wilson/Posey

NAP-9 David Price
NF-2 Glenn Becomes First
Checklist 5 of 6

REDS, TIGERS, CUBS I OWN
199 - Aroldis Chapman
103 - Brandon Phillips
381 - Orlando Cabrera
331 - Mike Leake
172 - Dusty Baker
80 - Jay Bruce
398 - Sporting News Joey Votto
41- Chris Valaika
302 - Ramon Hernandez
205 - Scott Rolen
2 - Francisco Cordero
309 - Yonder Alonso
BF-9 Frank Robinson
TN-2 F.Robinson/M.Cabrera

371 - Victor Martinez
493 - Rookie Parade
62 - Brandon Inge
154 - Brennan Boesch
105 - Max Scherzer
349 - Jeremy Bonderman
366 - Rick Porcello
24 - Detroit Tigers

228 - Marlon Byrd
485 - Matt Garza
170 - Aramis Ramirez
66 - Geovany Soto

3.17.2011

Trade Thank You #1

Just wanted to catch up on my "thank yous" as my trading post is now in full swing.

Belated thanks to Mark over at http://www.collectorscrack.blogspot.com/ who sent some great cards to complete our recent deal. Some Cub diamond parallels, a Travis Wood Topps Chrome and several more - including a very neat Tony Perez card apparently pulled from a box of Corn Flakes years ago and rescued by Mark a few years ago from the laundry room of an Alaskan outpost.

Thanks again Mark.

Please feel free, everyone, to check out my trade list - which is growing by the day as I complete my cataloging. I also picked up a blaster of Heritage in a Valdosta, Ga. Wal-Mart - while bored and on the road and without my cards - and I'd be happy to deal many of them for various Reds, Tigers, Cubs - and maybe - White Sox 2011 Heritage that you may have.

3.08.2011

I'm Rather Needy

I've been enjoying (it's nice to get organized) sorting through my old (and some new) cards and working on logging what I have for trade and what I want. I still have a few more years to go but I've made a lot of progress.

I think I've decided to chase down decent condition 1978 Topps - while building my Reds, Tigers and Cubs from other years. Otherwise, I'm looking for vintage Reds, Tigers, Cubs and certain stars - and I need to work on posting those specific needs.

If anyone would like work out a deal, let me know. I've completed my first four trades in just more than a week. (Scott: Your cards are on the way. I wasn't prepared for the blog launch and flurry of deals and fell behind on packing supplies. Expect faster service next time!)

Thanks guys (and one lady).

3.07.2011

The National

Gotta love my wife - who just surprised me with a VIP pass to the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago this August.  She's been great nurturing my recent return to my beloved childhood passion - baseball cards.

Should be fun!

Meanwhile, completely off-topic, I'm running a $25 12-keeper, fantasy baseball league (salary cap and a couple of "hooks"). 16 teams and we need two more. All money paid out. Great group of guys in this league so far. Drafting the morning of Sat. March 26. Thanks!

3.06.2011

Set Building

First, apologies for the phantom post earlier. I moved it over to "pages".

Second, I'm planning to keep this blog up as a trading post for now but I'm thinking I jumped the gun just a bit on launching. I'd like to restart fairly soon after I get my scanner situation squared away and, well, I'm thinking a title that might more accurately reflect my collecting interests might be better.

Third, thanks to everyone for the deals. I have three more I'll mention in the next few days.

And, finally, I'd love to hear anybody's thoughts about set building. Specifically, are there any sets that strike you as easier to build from the years 1975 to 1983 (Topps)? I know I want to chase 1978 - for personal nostalgia reasons - but I'm trying to decide on a second set (or perhaps whether I should just focus on my couple of favorite teams).

That's it for now....

- d

3.01.2011

Second Trade!

Many thanks to the selfless Jeremy at http://noonesgoingtoreadthisblog.blogspot.com/ who sent me a healthy load of 2010 needs and more - including a couple of Topps 60 cards. Perhaps I'll get better at full reviews eventually - and eventually scanning - but for now I wanted to give a well-deserved shout out.

Jeremy, thanks again for your patience during my unexpected time away. I'll be mailing your cards first thing in the morning, straight from the post office in the Sears (well, Willis now) Tower. Yeah, I know, big deal as long as they arrive!

Search Me *shrugs*