Trade with Brad's Blog

I have a confession. Several months ago, before life got crazy again, I had a couple of trades in the works. I believe I fulfilled my ends of all of them but I have a nagging feeling that somehow one got past me.

If anyone reading this is quietly fuming over the ne'er-do-well Potch leaving cards on the table (figuratively) then please, by all means, leave a nasty comment here. I do not want to be that guy!

Trading is the best part of my return to this hobby. I've been working on wrapping up some sets and trading has helped very much. I haven't even written much about my refined collection goals focusing on Reds, Cubs and select Tigers vintage - so thus far my progress with those goals has come via card shows exclusively.

There are other goals, of course, and then there are goals I didn't even know I had. I recently completed a trade with Brad of the fine blog, Brad's Blog. I gathered up a couple of relics in his wheelhouse, and a couple of autos I won some 18 months ago in a Wicked Ortega contest and sent them his way - along with assorted other cards and a grouping of Frank Thomas cards that he didn't have for his super Big Hurt collection.

In return, I received these two awesome autos:

I have no idea how this happened.

I neither had an Aroldis Chapman card auto nor a George Foster card auto, even though I by chance ran into Mr. Foster a year or so ago.

I also got this card that I didn't know existed. I'm not sure what that swatch is from. Hopefully not boxer shorts.

Bobby Knight's legend has dimmed considerably in Indiana and the circles in which I run, but he's still Bobby Knight and I'm an Indiana University graduate. I ran into Knight once while visiting Assembly Hall on a random day back in the early '90s.

Brad threw in some nice recent Reds I needed, including this lovely Gypsy Queen frame of the legendary catcher and popinjay Johnny Bench.

Incidentally, anyone out there who has a GQ frame of anyone, any year, should feel free to let me know.

And, of course, that goes for autographs of Reds. I will labor to make a nice trade with you.

Thanks again for the trade, Brad.

Wheel (er) House Mail Cards

Some of my favorite players both from teams I collect and sets I collect arrived in a trade completed this week with All Trade Bait, All The Time.

I've enjoyed the fine blog for quite awhile but had yet to make a trade with the gentleman behind it. 

I was able to send him the card he needed to complete a 1976 subset Topps set, and some other cards, and he sent me back a nice assortment of cards (including a nice surprise shown at the end) hitting right in my wheelhouse (a word I like to toss around that irks my wife for some reason).

Tony Perez is one of my favorite players from my longtime favorite team. This card is lovely - and in person the Red uni really pops in this shot. It also fits nicely in the Vintage Red collection I've finally cataloged. I'm collecting all Reds from the beginning (not of time, but of Topps) to 1983.

I also got a 1979 Expos Perez and the card below from a set I'm not familiar with. Time to start cataloging my Perez collection.

ATBATT obviously knows me (well, he doesn't but it sure seemed like it when this package arrived) because he hit another favorite Red whom I don't mention anywhere and an awesome oddball in one fell swoop of a card. I seriously need to consider collecting the Crunch set of 22. Sweet.

There were (original and reprint) Whitakers and Morgans and Dawsons - including this perfect card from the 1980 set I'm chasing.

And a Morris and a Foster and Seavers too.

And then this nugget popped out! Seriously? That looks like an autographed Trammell, with ink to match the card and the hat. And an '87 DonRuss, which I kind of dig as opposed to the majority of DonRusses. Donrussi?

ATBATT got two signed Trammells TTM a few years ago and sent this gem along, figuring I would appreciate it. He sure got that right. It looks awfully pretty and he's a Hall of Famer, to boot!

What's that?

Chasing 1983: 745 and Counting

It's time to highlight another part of a deal that knocked massive chunks off of sets I've been chasing for 30 to 35 years.

Along with 1978s and 1981s (part of the trade I haven't reviewed yet), Paul at Carl Crawford Cards sent me 244 cards from the last set I purchased before discovering girls and trouble: 1983 Topps.

Yep, you read that right - 244 cards! I kid you not. And, reminder, this was just part - the biggest part - of the deal. I posted about the first part a week ago and a link to it is at the end of this post.

This shipment brought my in-house 1983 Topps percentage from 64 percent to 94 percent. I see light ahead! Truly, this is exciting. A couple of dozen of these cards were familiar to me as I once owned them before a basement flood at my mom's house sacked a good portion of that set (and almost all of 1979, sadly) long ago. It was nice to see them again after all these years.
Below are a few favorite cards of the 1983 portion of the deal.

Back in 1979, I thought Kent Tekulve was the coolest nerd on the planet. I knew nothing about him. Might not have been a nerd at all. He's rockin' the ol' Pirates duds though. I do know that.

Nice action shot of Mr. Pushbroom Stache. Who's that guy with him? I should know this.

Jim Rice walked by me outside Tiger Stadium in the 1980s. He pretty well ignored me and the other kids nearby. I didn't think at all about autographs back then but just wanted to say "hi". Kind of hard to believe, in a way, that he turns 60 in a month.

Fergie Jenkins is my favorite Cubs pitcher of all-time. I'm efforting as of late to collect all of his playing day cards. As for Leon Durham, I met him at The National in 2011. Got a few cards autographed as the right to do so came with the VIP package my wife treated me with. I wrote all about it and other former player encounters back then.

Bill Madlock is another former player I enjoyed watching who I got to meet at that The National. He signed several cards for me.

Dave Collins will always be a Red in my book. Never a Mariner or a whatever the uniform he's wearing here is.




Never heard of the Brave but I like the card. John Denny looks a bit like God here. Just guessing.

Finally, Senor Orange, or something like that. I'm a big Rusty Staub fan. When I see an old Staub card, I get it. I should probably catalog this collection and see what I need. It seems he's found a way on to my player collection list.

Meanwhile, I posted earlier today about 2013s for trade and have already worked out a couple of deals. If you missed it, take a look please. I'd love to work out some more.



Thanks for sharing the trip down memory lane and thanks again to Carl Crawford Cards. You can find more of the details of the first part of that trade in this post.

 

 

Chasing 1978: 599 and Counting

The other day some just-because cards came my way and I'll show them off soon. It was a nice treat as I hadn't received cards in the mail for about six months after stepping away from the blogs.

Now, today, a box - 350 count, 400 count, I don't know - came in the mail to complete my first 2013 deal (several more are happening now). It was a doozy for me.


I received dozens and dozens of cards from three of the treasured sets of my youth - 1978 (the first cards I ever saw and thus critically important to me); 1981 Topps and a very healthy load of 1983 Topps (the last set from which I actively bought cards before discovering girls).

Major thanks to Paul at Carl Crawford Cards for the generosity. I sent him cards from his want list last week and he had previously notified me that he had a lot for me in return. We knew it was lopsided so I sent him a wee bit to cover shipping. I believe he ended up spending more than he realized and I hope to keep tabs on his blog and hopefully get him something extra one of these days.

Because so many cards were involved, and because I'm so thrilled to complete a deal after being away from the blog for six months, I'm breaking this trade post into a few short parts.

For my first post, a few of the beloved 1978s. I wrote a bit about just how beloved - three cards in particular - in this post some time ago.

Paul sent me 47 from the set, meaning I need just 127  to complete the set. From 76 percent complete to 83 percent in just one deal.

I met Mr. Bahnsen at The National 2011 in Chicago. He was signing cards and looked horribly bored and slightly irritated.

He signed a card for me though, so for that I'll feature his card here. You're welcome, Stan. This card reminds me that I miss the Expos.

It's funny how a bunch of commons can mean different things for different collectors. In the case of one card, it reminded me of a very specific and happy memory with my grandparents.

When I was in fifth grade - I think that's right, not 100 percent - my grandparents took me to meet two Cincinnati Reds at a mall in small town Ohio. This was a huge thrill for a young Reds fan who had already spent several years trekking to Riverfront Stadium with the family and forming lifelong team loyalty as a result. One of the players was Doug Bair.

Before he was Red.

Doug and the other player were, if I recollect correctly, sitting at tables with fans queued up for a couple of football field lengths, it seemed. This was big Reds country! When we got to the front, I greeted them and received from each a photocopied - on preciously flimsy cheap white paper - 8x10.

Today I'd fume over the cheapness of it all. But back then, Doug Bair and the other player instantly became heroes. I had those sheets of paper for two decades but they must have been lost to my mom's basement flood.

Yes, at some point in the early '90s, when I was out of college and working in West Texas, my mom's basement flooded. Many of my cards - long abandoned but not thrown out - perished that day. My '78s suffered greatly. My '79s were nearly decimated - so much so that years later I haven't even begun to decide if I should rebuild and add them to the late '70s/early '80s sets I aim to finish.

Oh, and if you're still reading and wondering who the other player was that I met that day long ago, take a guess in the comments. (One guess per person please.) The first correct guess wins a small prize. Nothing grand or anything - probably some choices among a few numbered cards and relics and hopefully I can offer up a few cards from a set you're collecting or some players you like. If you're a fan of some teams, where I have some excess, I'd love to be able to ship a chunk of cards your way - but I know not everyone wants that.

This should be an interesting experiment for me to see if anyone found their way back to my blog this month!

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with some more 1978 magic.

Players really need to bring back this look.

The Astros really should bring back that logo. ;)

This is just a chap I always enjoyed rooting for. Love the uni.

Heritage Design Trade Flashback Needs

Yeah, you know you're getting lazy about headlines when you just go with keywords. 
 
Many collectors have turned their attention to Gypsy Queen in the past week or so - either furiously chasing it or disparaging it - so I wanted to take a few minutes to briefly look again at our old friend Heritage 2012. I have some needs. I have some dupes. Read on!

While I'm not collecting the full Heritage set, focusing instead on completing the wonderful Heritage of 2011, I am gathering the 2012 inserts as well as select favorite players - and Reds, Tigers, Cubs and White Sox. I received a nice assist with those efforts recently after Ross at Design on Deck contacted me. Ross took a look at my want list and I'm very grateful for that. 

I'm a particular fan of Flashbacks. I believe Ross sent me five. Here are two of them.

Here is a sampling of some of the other fine cards Ross sent along.

Probably a top five current player of mine.

Still amused by pitchers named Homer, I am.

Berkman has long been a favorite of mine, admittedly from his glory years where he led my fantasy juggernaut. Also, his resemblance to my cousin is uncanny and an ongoing source of family amusement. I pick up Berkman cards whenever I can but still need a good auto.

Before I continue with various lists, I just want to say that I truly enjoy Design on Deck. It's unique and I really love his card designs. I don't believe I've actually ever told him that but I wanted to be sure to say something here. I wish he could print and issue his cards.

I wish I had the graphic design talents. They're sorely needed.

Meanwhile, Ross, your cards are coming soon. I was waiting to pick up a few more packs and hit more of your needs and I did manage to add a couple of extras. I wish I had more but I'm sending the diamond parallels and all the Heritage extras I had from your wants. I think it unfortunately doesn't total any more than the number of cards you sent.

For everyone else, are you collecting Heritage? If so, here are some cards I have for trade:

13, 19, 23, 27, 32, 36, 37, 38, 42, 45, 47, 47, 47, 60, 69, 69, 69, 75, 82, 85, 89, 93, 103, 108, 110, 110, 112, 115, 115, 121, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 132, 137, 137, 157, 180, 192, 197, 204, 217, 221, 224, 224, 228, 241, 243, 255, 267, 271, 277, 297, 315, 328, 332, 342, 342, 347, 351, 360, 363, 363, 372, 378, 388, 388, 395, 395, 400, 400, 400, 401, 402, 408, 408, 413, BF-SK, NF-JKE, NAP-TL, Checklist 5

Please indulge me as I present my wants:

BF-EW, BF-JM
NF-JK, NF-PP, NF-PS, NF-UA, NF-UC
NAP-MC, NAP-MK, NAP-RB

14 Justin Masterson
35 Chris Sale
51 Alex Gordon
53 Dee Gordon
79 Detroit Tigers
87 Andrew McCutchen
90 Joey Votto
95 Kerry Wood
100 Paul Konerko
138 Ryan Braun/Prince Fielder (Pride of NL)
140 Max Scherzer
160 Mark Buehrle
186 Joe Mauer
193 Starlin Castro
194 Francisco Cordero
207 Mike Trout
211 Freddie Freeman
218 Justin Verlander/Jose Valverde
222 Chicago Cubs
223 Addison Reed
246 Felix Hernandez 
276 Ryan Braun
278 Jhonny Peralta
279 Matt Kemp
285 Adrian Gonzalez
320 Zack Greinke
327 Rick Porcello 
365 Jose Valverde
366 Dustin Ackley
393 Brandon Beachy
406 Al Alburquerque
422 Dusty Baker
476 Prince Fielder

Cool Cards From Mr. Habit (update)

Update: This full post, I noticed an hour after posting, was cut at the end, thus not revealing the trump card. I'm reposting.

One of my favorite regular trading partners is a fine gent with whom I really don't even work out trades - Robert of $30 a Week Habit.

We just hold cards back for one another and send them after awhile. This time, we happened to do that about the same day - in fact I believe we did it the exact same day.

I'm sorry, but this card is just stellar in every way. You cannot argue.

Robert came out on the short end of our latest exchange. I hope to make that up to him one of these times.

He sent the above Gypsy Queen bronze paper - perhaps my favorite insert set ever. I've been working harder lately to gather the bronze (and green) GQ paper frames and really should come up with a list of needs. If you have any available, please let me know.

Robert hit needs across several other areas - Reds, Tigers, Cubs - fun parallels, etc. and a SUH-WEET surprise I'll save for the end.

Here's the parade of fun.

Yes, Robert sent along the immediately above beauty from the Topps Chrome 2011 set that I'm closing in on. Awesome! What a great surprise to an already surprising package of cards.

Thanks again Robert!

Meanwhile, if anyone has Topps Chrome 2011 or needs some, check out the link and send me a note.

Crinkly Chronicles: Part 1, GQ Frames

With Gypsy Queen, Version 2.0 on the horizon, I wanted to revisit my favorite insert set from 2011: The Year of My Return to card collecting.

This card is just spectacular, whether found in green or the arguably more sophisticated bronze.

Yes, the great framed paper sets. Whether the numbered bronze or the non-numbered green (found at retail outlets or maybe just Target, I can't recall), I loved them both. I still do and when Ted at Crinkly Wrappers recently mentioned he had some, I jumped on them.

He sent me five in total. I scanned four of them. Not shown is the green Stephen Strasburg.

Here are the others he did send.

A great addition of a player I collect.

They're just sweet looking cards and I hope to continue adding these as time marches on. If you have any extras, let me know. Thanks.

Here are the paper frames that I already own. Anything not listed here, I need.

Bronze
13 Joey Votto
14 Brooks Robinson
20 Andre Dawson
22 Barry Larkin
27 Roy Oswalt 
28 Tony Gwynn
37 Ryan Braun
50 Al Kaline
54 Frank Thomas
55 Evan Longoria
58 Dale Murphy
68 Gary Carter

Green
4 Jackie Robinson
11 Zack Greinke
13 Joey Votto
20 Andre Dawson
25 Mel Ott
29 Ty Cobb
31 Joe Mauer
32 Carl Crawford
37 Ryan Braun
50 Al Kaline
53 Jimmie Foxx
60 Rogers Hornsby
67 Dave Winfield
68 Gary Carter
74 Tom Seaver
80 Stephen Strasburg
81 Nelson Cruz
82 Starlin Castro
85 Frank Robinson
86 Prince Fielder
91 Josh Johnson 
97 Stan Musial
98 Aroldis Chapman

Meanwhile, while I'm on the subject, here are my needs from the GQ set:

Gypsy Queen Wants
6 Frank Robinson
34 Sandy Koufax
38 Walter Johnson
60 Rogers Hornsby
64 Josh Hamilton
76 Felix Hernandez
79 Andrew McCutchen
87 Clayton Kershaw
90 Derek Jeter
92 Mariano Rivera
94 Buster Posey
135 Ryan Dempster
162 Cliff Lee
166 Gordon Beckham
168 Alex Gordon
172 Ryan Zimmerman
237 Roy Campanella
243 Jim Thome

247 Matt Garza

249 Jacoby Ellsbury

301 Alfonso Soriano

302 Brian McCann

303 Johnny Mize

306 Tommy Hanson

315 Jered Weaver
316 Lou Gehrig
317 Justin Upton
318 Hank Aaron
324 Jay Bruce

328 Brett Anderson 


329 Ian Kennedy 


331 Greg Halman RC

333 Travis Wood

335 Freddie Freeman RC


336 Domonic Brown

 


GREAT ONES
GO4 Brooks Robinson
GO6 Frank Robinson
GO9 Jim Palmer
GO13 Lou Gehrig
GO15 Mickey Mantle
GO17 Pee Wee
GO19 Rogers Hornsby
GO23 Tris Speaker
GO28 Babe Ruth
GO30 Nolan Ryan

FUTURE STARS

FS14 Matt Latos

FS18 Aroldis Champman

HOME RUN HEROES
HH1 Babe Ruth
HH17 Frank Robinson
HH18 Jimmie Foxx
HH20 Johnny Bench
HH23 Mickey Mantle
HH25 Tris Speaker

Ted sent cards hitting needs from various lists and I'll feature more in an upcoming post. Thanks again for the trade, Mr. Wrappers.

Numbskull

My wife has always accused me of being hard-headed, not so much literally actually, but moreso figuratively.

When I was 20, with some college buddies from Indiana University, we spent traveled to Columbus, Ohio one weekend to check out the bar scene there - a change of pace. We had a great time meeting new people. Late that night, around 2 a.m., I walked a girl I met home. My intentions, seriously, were honorable. She had told me her friend had been attacked on campus not long before that night.

While walking her home, and now on a pretty dark street off-campus, five or six guys came the other way heading our way.

I woke up the next day at Ohio State University Medical Center. I heard tell that they brushed up against her, and that I turned around, apparently just a glance and saying nothing, and was then attacked by them. It seems one was carrying a board and used it well. I was knocked out immediately but they kept hitting. She, apparently, screamed and was left alone as some people came out of a house and threatened to call police.

I had a severe concussion and a badly swollen face and bruised mid-section for two months but nothing broken.

So, quite a lead in, right?

Back to the hard head. A couple of weeks ago, I went to bed feeling great and woke up two hours later horribly sick. I thought it must have been food poisoning, but it proved to be a bad stomach flu. I got up to hit the lue and, once inside, fainted.

Head met ceramic tile floor.

I tell you all of this as part of the biggest lead-in to an excuse ever for not posting some swell trades, some amazing trades actually. You see, in the few days I spent going in for some tests, coming home, recovering, seeing visitors, etc., several trade packages came my way. I didn't even think this time to set them aside for later scanning. I opened them, enjoyed and they all got mixed together.

I owe thanks to Juuust A Bit Outside (yet again!), Crinkly Wrappers, Tomahawk Chopping, Cardboard Collections, Play at the Plate, $30 a week habit, and, well, I'm certain there's another here somewhere I'll find to file soon.

Oh, I'm fine, by the way. I came out pretty lucky all things considered. I was back online within a couple of days and back at work pretty quickly too. I even still got out several trade packages and ramped up a couple of fantasy baseball drafts that I run each year and that are going on now.

I'll endeavor to still feature some cards from these trades in upcoming posts - even if it's just one or two key cards - as I can jog my memory of what came from who by reviewing old e-mails - but I just wanted to apologize for anyone who is inadvertently left out. Major apologies too to the two bloggers still waiting on me to get back to them about some cards they've set aside!

Please know I've been thrilled with all of my trades lately and I've been equally thrilled to hear that the recipients have been as well. Trading remains an incredible part of blogging and this hobby. 

A couple of new trades have arrived in the past few days, so I'll feature those too. As a matter of fact, here's one now.

Look at this! Would you just look!

My very first Frank Robinson relic. Mr. Robinson is a huge favorite of mine. He's a Tier One player for me. Currently, I have a bead on another Robinson relic. Can't wait. I'm not a huge relic kind of guy overall but ones like these of favorite players, or Hall of Famers in general, are really swell.

This fine card comes from my great blogging friend, Ryan - formerly Reader Ryan and now the proprietor of the truly fine upstart blog, Ryan's Pitch. Ryan featured our trade the other day and mentioned he feels like he got the better end of the deal. Not at all, Ryan. I'm feeling the same way. I guess that's a sign of a great trade.

Ryan sent more cards from teams I like and players I collect (Frank Thomas) and a cool purple Topps Chrome Victor Martinez, as well.

Ryan and I have completed a handful of trades but this was Ryan's first completed deal as a blogger.

Ryan, I'm glad to read I played a role in you jumping into the blogosphere. In your very short time blogging, I'm already thoroughly enjoying your thoughts about the hobby and your collection. Thanks again for the deal.

Collect what makes you smile, everyone.

Trade Post and Home Stretch For Chrome

Just two posts ago I reflected on my first year as a card blogger and how I handled my collecting during that year - which officially ends in February. While I'm not giving up entirely on the new (I still get a kick out of opening packs and I want to collect Heritage 2012) I talked about my shift to vintage after going hog wild on new in 2011.

Topps Chrome is one of the new releases I enjoyed a lot in 2011. I originally began the set by chasing favorite players and players on favorite teams, but eventually I found that I was well on my way to collecting this set - especially since I'm not worries about completing all of the various parallels.

My goal was to complete the base set and pick up the parallels of my favorite players.

Reader Brad, currently residing in my old Northside Chicago stomping grounds, just helped me significantly with this quest. His generosity in our newly completed trade also has me adding another mini-goal to this set: Complete the Vintage Chrome insert collection.

In full, Brad sent me more than five dozen Topps Chrome cards, including a nice stack of the Vintage Chrome.  I'm not going to show any specific VC cards that Brad sent, rather I'll show three dupes that I've had for trade.

Below is my full list of wants and cards available for trade. Let me know if you see a match. Also, if you missed my A&G post from last week and need or have available various cards from the set, take a look. Finally, send me a note if you need some 2011 Lineage. I need to update that list today or tomorrow but I have some cards (and need a few).




Thanks again, Brad, for all of the help!

Now, my Topps Chrome 2011 needs/available list.

Base Cards Needed 

58, 100, 108, 112, 122, 128, 146, 149, 161, 173, 174, 176, 190, 191, 199, 220

Base Cards Available
2, 10, 12, 16, 19, 21, 21, 23, 30, 36, 37, 39, 39, 40, 40, 43, 44, 45, 50, 53, 56, 64, 69, 85, 93, 94, 97, 113, 113, 123, 123, 130, 134, 135, 136, 138, 143, 147, 147, 155, 155, 155, 167, 167, 168, 182, 184, 196, 197, 212

Refractors Needed
Reds, Tigers, Starlin Castro, Prince Fielder, Lance Berkman, Eric Hosmer, Jeremy Hellickson

Refractors Available
15, 42, 43, 45, 103, 125, 146, 172, 187, 194, 199

Atomic Refractors Needed
Reds, Tigers, Starlin Castro, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Eric Hosmer, Jeremy Hellickson

Atomic Refractors Available 
79, 119, 131, 144, 165, 215

Purple Refractors Needed
Reds, Tigers, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Eric Hosmer, Felix Hernandez, Jeremy Hellickson

Purple Refractors Available
45, 117

Orange Refractors Needed
Reds, Tigers, Starlin Castro, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Eric Hosmer, Jeremy Hellicksson

Orange Refractors Available
18, 27, 32, 36, 42, 45, 52, 57, 58, 84, 113, 123, 134, 136, 142, 147, 148, 152, 161, 165, 166, 177, 180

Vintage Chrome Needed
VC2-VC8, VC10, VC13, VC16, VC19-21, VC26, VC30-31, VC33, VC36, VC38, VC42-44, VC46-47, VC50

Vintage Chrome Available
VC14, VC17, VC25, VC34, VC49

Reader Brad of Chicago sent me this lovely purple refractor of my favorite Cub. Love it!

The Grass Is Always Greener With Vintage

Gaining focus.

It's one of my top collecting goals moving forward. This year, I jumped all over the map after returning to the hobby following a three-decade nap. I sampled bits and pieces of nearly everything new.

I couldn't focus. I couldn't find my collecting wheelhouse.

The year wore on and I struggled to complete sets I liked. I changed my mind a few times about what I liked. I got a bit disorganized.

I waffled on Heritage before buying all-in and truly falling for it. I sort of liked Lineage but couldn't get past the simpleton backs. Still, I went full force collecting the retired guys in Lineage.

I had to cut corners somewhere so I soon backed away from the much beloved Allen & Ginter. I hung on to a few favorite players and chased inserts - many that I love. I still have plenty of A&G for trade.

Topps Chrome came along and I was hooked again. The feel of these cards lured me in but not so next year. Too expensive. I have other thoughts about where to allocate my collecting dollars.

To sum up the year: Series 1 (yay), Heritage (YAY!), Gypsy Queen (paper frames!), Series 2 (looks familiar but sure), Lineage (boo), A&G (meh), Kimball Champions (YAY!), sampling Bowman (ick), Topps Chrome (yay), Update (hey, it's cheap)... on and on it went.

But at some point, it occurred to me that while I enjoy many new baseball cards - I get a bigger thrill out of and working on completing the sets of my youth (1976-83) and finding baseball cards pre-dating those years - specifically quality vintage cards from my player and team collections.

This is where the ever-generous SewingMachineGuy comes into the picture. Look at what he included just for the heck of it - with a few cards I had requested!

James Raymond Greengrass (born Oct. 24, 1927) played five seasons, from 1952 until 1956, for the Reds (known as the Redlegs for part of his tenure) and Phillies. He hit a lifetime .269, 69 home runs and 282 RBIs.

Glorious vintage Cincinnati Red! This is a friggin' 1953 baseball card! In terms of vintage, it is like nothing I've owned before.

SewingMachineGuy again demonstrated extreme generosity. Just a few months ago, he threw in a George Kell autographed card, for cripe sake! Mr. Greengrass capped an already great packet of cards - that including three short prints to help me move closer on the Upper Deck Masterpieces '08 set

Mr. Greengrass came at just the right time. (Is there ever a wrong time for glorious vintage?)

He came to wake me up to what I knew all along. Vintage is king. Fact is, I just feel better when I spend money on quality old cards. That speaks volumes. 

He came to slap me around and remind me about the importance of focus. Thanks Mr. Greengrass and, oh yes, Mr. French.

When I Was 7 + 3, It Was A Very Good Year

When I get around to posting about my 100 favorite cards of all time - and make no mistake, it's. going. to. happen. - inevitably several cards from the first Topps set I collected will make the list.

1978 Topps takes me back to my childhood like no other set. This was the first set I actively collected. My parents got me started by bringing me home a stack of wax packs at the time.

One of the cards that will always mean the most to me is this very card - the '78 Johnny Bench. I treated this with such kid gloves even then, that it's still in fairly good shape. Johnny Bench wasn't my favorite member of the Big Red Machine at that time, it was Mr. Rose (although no longer), but I still thought a lot of Bench - whom I once met down by the dugout at Riverfront Stadium.

Years ago, as a kid, many of my '78s were destroyed when our basement flooded. When I returned to collecting earlier this year, I discovered I no longer had many cards from the set. One of my key collecting goals is to build it back up and eventually complete it.

Jeff - my new trading friend and proprietor of Cardboard Catastrophes - gave me a big assist in a trade we just completed. He just posted about it here. Jeff sent me a nice-sized stack of '78s as he ended up with quite a few dupes from a lot he had once purchased. He also shipped over some 2011 Series 2 and much-coveted Kimball Champions.

Desperate to keep organized in our current living arrangement, I filed everything away right away, so that's it for the images, but I truly greatly appreciate the help.

My Kimballs for the Update Series are coming along pretty nicely, with more promised to be on the way, but my '78s - well - it likely will be a few years before I complete this set but complete it I shall.

My Lineage Obsession

Editor's Note (9/28): My Lineage needs/wants have drastically changed and I expect to update them in the next day or two. Thanks!

(This post includes a) Lineage for trade; b) news about the quest for my first set; c) a hearty thank you; d) a new auto; e) there is no "e".

My pursuit of the '75 minis from the Lineage Experience will end at one. With everyone, everywhere choosing to collect these cards, I cry "Uncle!".

Eventually - perhaps a very long time from now - I may snag four or five from my player collections. That's all I really wanted anyway.

But as for the rest of Lineage, I'm still on the hunt for the retired fellas and other favorites from the checklist. See below for what I have available to trade and what I'm seeking.

But first, I want to thank the Jeff Laws of My Sports Obsession for shipping me a few Lineage legends, several much-needed cards for my '76 quest and more.

Jeff and I - after several deals - are now at a point where we're just sending mailers back and forth every so often. I have these unspoken arrangements with a handful of bloggers, it seems, and they work great and generally are much less fuss.

This go-round, he sent me several old-timers from the Lineage set. I won't post all of the goodies, but I scanned a few.

I think this is a nice-looking card and Morgan is near the front of the players I collect.

Jeff also sent along the below gem - an auto that I noticed he posted several weeks ago. (Sorry about the neck strain.)

Not a huge name but a great addition for me - a lifelong Reds fan.

And Jeff added this legend - my very first cloth card.

Mr. Laws (who by the way lives no more than a couple of hours north of me in Indiana) didn't stop with Lineage. He took the time to look over my 1976 needs and sent me a couple of cards I needed and a couple of others cards where I needed upgrades.

Here are some of them.

So, I'm now dangerously close to completing '76, the first set that I personally have labored to put together. This set means a lot to me, as I wrote about a few months ago.

I have 15 cards to go (and another 30 for which I'm seeking upgrades)! Here's my 1976 list for those who might have and/or need some.

But back to Lineage. I have needs and wants and perhaps you do too!

Here's what I have for trade:

3 Jimmie Foxx
10 Jim Palmer
20 Justin Morneau
32 Jon Lester
35 Hanley Ramirez
41 Vladimir Guerrero
41 Vladimir Guerrero (refractory-thing)
51 Hunter Pence
55 Nolan Ryan
56 Shane Victorino
59 Duke Snider
65 Josh Johnson
67 Nelson Cruz
72 Rickie Weeks
85 Al Kaline
100 Babe Ruth
101 Madison Bumgarner
110 Thurman Munson

118 Todd Helton

126 Shin-Soo Choo
132 Nick Markakis
133 Zack Greinke
145 Adrian Gonzalez
149 Kevin Youkilis
152 David DeJesus
153 B.J. Upton
173 Adam Dunn
189 Jaime Garcia (refractory-thing)
192 Willie McCovey


Here's what I need:

2 Derek Jeter
5 Felix Hernandez 
13 Cal Ripken Jr.
19 Larry Walker
21 Edinson Volquez 
40 Stan Musial
47 Lance Berkman
48 Carlton Fisk
52 Andre Dawson
53 Mike Schmidt
57 Willie McCovey
60 Reggie Jackson
64 Joe Morgan
76 Roberto Alomar
90 Tris Speaker
98 Evan Longoria
99 Honus Wagner
103 Joey Votto
106 Cy Young
108 Hank Aaron
112 Johnny Cueto
120 Ichiro
121 Roy Halladay
137 Johnny Bench
141 Ozzie Smith
143 Miguel Cabrera
146 Freddie Freeman RC
148 Aroldis Chapman
154 Fergie Jenkins
156 Austin Jackson
158 Monte Irvin
159 Yonder Alonso
170 Tom Seaver
171 Ryne Sandberg
178 Albert Pujols 
181 Frank Thomas
182 Frank Robinson
186 Mel Ott
187 Justin Verlander
190 Bert Blyleven
195 Chipper Jones All-RC
196 Ichiro All-RC
197 Andre Dawson All-RC
200 Tom Seaver All-RC