A Trade with the Guru

I just want to see if he's paying attention.

Oh, the whole "guru" thing is a throwback to one of Night Owl's posts from late August where he lamented being the answer man or the perceived "guru" of the sports card blogosphere.  Not that he proclaims himself as such. But, if you're anything like me, you hold this guy and his opinions and, thus, his blog in pretty high regard.  I know I've learned a lot about the hobby and gained a greater appreciation for it just by reading his copious postings over the years.

So, perhaps "sage" is more apropos?

Well, whatever you want to call him, Night Owl is someone I greatly respect.  So it was with much excitement that was able to swap cards with him recently.

He's one of the bazillion Dodgers bloggers in the universe, so naturally I sensed an ex-Dodger theme to the cards I received.  Which works out just fine for me, since I collect a lot of players who once called Chavez Ravine home.

I got some Piazzas, a couple Jeff Kents, a few Strawberrys, and even a trio Robin Venturas.  All great and valuable additions to my collection.  [Ed. Note:  Umm, all these guys are ex-Mets, too.  How 'bout that?]

But, probably my favorite cards from the ex-Dodger delegation (and, yes, another ex-Met) took the form of these two Pedro cards:

Two very cool rookies of Petey, one 1993 Fleer Ultra and the other a 1994 Score.  If it's Pedro and it's a rookie card, I'm likely to be a big fan.

But, while I really appreciate and enjoy the cards for my player collections, it was the following grouping that really got me excited about the package I received from the Great Sage:

Yessir!  Can I tell you how much I love Topps Fan Favorites?  And all of these are from the 2005 set, which I have listed on my "Wanted!" page.  Topps absolutely hit a home run with the premise of this product, in my opinion.  I hope someday they decide to resurrect this idea for a full-scale set, rather than just relegating it to a short-print sideshow for the Archives release.

Anyhow, many thanks for a most excellent exchange, N.O.!

MK

Clubhouse Favorites, Vol. 5: Willie Mays, 1961 Topps (#150)

I was either seven or eight years old when I officially became the keeper of my dad's childhood baseball card collection.  Or at least what remained of it.  Years of flipping them (literally) or losing them in a game of marbles or putting them in bike spokes whittled down the volume of cards in his stockpile.  At least that's what he tells me.

And, naturally, Grandpa or Grammy K had something to do with the loss of cards, too.  Many were either given away or shown the garbage bin after my dad went to college.  The last discussion we had about the card collection, which was quite some time ago, Grandpa K absolutely refuted my father's claim that at least one shoe box of cards was gifted to a family friend.  Just for fun, maybe I'll stoke up the conversation at the next family function.  Hey, it's all love!

As for Willie Mays, he's a name -- along with Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron -- that any boy who grows up loving baseball intuitively knows and understands.  At least in my life and upbringing, those guys are/were the Mt. Rushmore of baseball players.

So, to have a card of Willie Mays present in my dad's collection was akin to finding gold in your backyard.  And, to boot, it's in pretty fantastic condition...unlike some of the others he was able to retain.  (Remember those marbles games and flipping contests?  They take their toll, y'know!)

Thankfully, eight-year-old Me did a unbelievably solid job of keeping all dad's cards in the status quo condition.  I mean, I look back at my 1987 and '88 Topps cards and some of them look like they have been used to scrub the bathtub.  So, the fact that I didn't harm the vintage cards any worse is pretty impressive.

I always tell myself that if I ever submit a card to Beckett or PSA for grading, this is gonna be the one.  But, I can't see that happening any time soon.

What I've Learned from the Back of this Card:  Mays sacrificed nearly two seasons of his early major league career for his country.  He played just 34 games in 1952 and missed the entire '53 campaign due to military service during the Korean War.  He returned for the '54 season and produced a monster season, batting .345 with 41 homers and 110 RBIs.  He was named MVP of the National League and, yes, the Giants won the World Series.

MK

His Insanity, My Gain

As many of you are familiar, Robert over at $30 a Week Habit is working on a mega-set project he lovingly refers to as "Serial Numbered Insanity".  In case you're unfamiliar, give it a look HERE.  A very original, very cool idea.

I made a small contribution recently and, in exchange, Robert was nice enough to shoot me a few cards to help out with my Topps Series 2 inserts list.

Gold Standard, #GS-36 & GS-41

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of the Topps inserts that leave a lot of dead space.  But this set managed to capture my favor thanks to the gold coin thingie, plus there is at least a big inscription to fill the void underneath said coin.  Also, you can't beat the premise of this insert set: all the players who have reached those hallowed career milestones.  I was able to finish the Series 1 version, and I'm slowly but surely making my way through the follow-up rendition.

Cal, Verlander and Storen

Naturally, we all love die cuts, don't we?  Series 2 brought us "Topps Cut Above", which was almost universally approved by the collecting fraternity.  I'd really like to finish this set.  Great player selection, cool-looking card, nice photography.  Nothing to hate.  But, perhaps my favorite of the 2012 flagship inserts (not including the '87 minis because, you know, those are on their own pedestal) is the "Gold Futures" offering.  Loaded with young stars and sporting a sharp design, this set kicks serious backside.

By the way, speaking of "Gold Futures," it dawned on me upon looking at this Drew Storen card that this design isn't too dissimilar from another recent Topps product:

2012 Topps Football, #197

What do you think?  The team logo on the football card is encased in a football-shaped enclosure, but otherwise the idea is the same.  I know a lot of people really dig the look of `12 football and are happy that Topps didn't just mimic the baseball design.  Same here.  But, it looks like the design team at Topps didn't veer too far into the weeds for their football decor.  Just some food for thought.

Anyhow, thanks a bunch for the inserts, Robert!  And continued luck with your Insanity...

MK

Cards From My Toddfather

I am very fortunate to have met some very cool people thanks to this blogging community.  One of them is Tim from Home of the Toddfather.  He's a big-time collector of Mr. Todd Helton (thus the blog name), as well as any Rockies stars past and present.  I see now that he's also working on the Topps Chrome purple refractor set, so check him out if you have any to trade.  I've had the pleasure of trading with Tim twice before, and the cards he flipped me were incredible.

So, I was naturally excited when he emailed me earlier this week to notify me of a package that was on its way from Tennessee to Delaware.  As expected, Tim delivered in a big way.

From the stack of cards he sent me, here are some of the highlights:

1998 Starting Lineup Classic Doubles

I figured I would start out with my favorite card.  How cool is this?!  Notice also the bottom right of the card. Does that little swoosh design look at all familiar?  Perhaps a little bit like a certain 2012 Topps design?  Hmm...

1995 Collector's Choice SE, #90

A most excellent picture of Mike Piazza.  Look at the grimace on his face.  You know the ball he just crushed is headed a long ways away.  I was a fan of Collector's Choice from this era, especially the Special Edition parallels with the silver signatures.  And since Piazza is an All-Star, his card gets the borderless treatment. Nice!

2003 Upper Deck MVP, #87

I always like cards that have pictures from press conferences.  When looking through my player collections, it's nice to come across a card like this or a head shot.  It breaks up the monotony of all the action photos.  Variety, y'know?

Manny, Will and Joey

Three of my favorite players of all time in the above panel.  One quick thought about Albert Belle.  I'm glad Topps has decided to resurrect Belle's legacy by featuring him in some of their 2012 base sets and insert sets.  People tend to forget about him.  I get it, he was a real you-know-what.  But that isn't something new for pro athletes, is it?  What gives?

And then you've got this one:

2004 Donruss Studio Fans of the Game, #220FG-5

So, this is stock trader Adam Mesh.  And apparently he was on the reality show "Average Joe."  I never watched that show, so I don't know this guy from Adam.  But, he must be doing well for himself since Donruss chose him for the Mets fan subject of ther "Fans of the Game" insert set.  Either that or Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Kevin James, Chris Rock and The Situation each had prior commitments.

A very cool assortment of cards, as usual.  Thanks once again, Tim!

MK

All is Right with the World

1989 Topps, #45

The title of this post is a line the narrator -- the adult Ralphie -- proclaims at the end of my favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story.  It also happens to be the proclamation my good buddy and fellow Bills fan Mike H. bellows after every Buffalo victory.

It also happens to apply to the sporting mood of today -- at least for me.  On the baseball front, R.A. Dickey nabbed his league-leading 18th victory of the season with 6 2/3 innings of two-run baseball in St.
Louis.  And, then there's...

FOOTBALL!!!

Thanks to our dear POTUS, the beginning of the NFL season was bumped up a day to Wednesday to accommodate the Democratic convention's apex moment (or so they tell me).  Well, that's okay with me.  The season can't begin soon enough!

And to help ring in this most wondrous time of the year, I felt it appropriate to post my all-time favorite football card.  And it happens to be of my all-time favorite football player, Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas.

I believe I was 12 years old when I conned my dad into driving me to the closest sports card shop (which was not so close, might I add) so that I could buy this card.  I don't really remember what I paid for it, but it was absolutely worth it.

Since then, I've come across two other copies of this card, including a somewhat off-centered version from -- of all places -- one of those Target repacks.

Anyhow, I can't say I'm a lover of 1989 Topps football.  It's an incredibly bland design.  But, the photo they chose of Thurman is a classic.  It's replete with a sun-induced scowl that perfectly sums up the somewhat cranky temperament that both Thomas and the team took on during the late-80s and early-90s (aka the Bickering Bills).  This, and the Super Rookie moniker, more than make up for the milquetoast appearance of the card otherwise.

What's that you say?  You want a Super Bowl prediction?  I guess that's a pretty fair request at the dawning of another NFL season.  Plus, every Tom, Dick and Harry with an internet connection has given theirs.  So, what's one more?

Well, I'm not enough of a homer -- nor am I on drugs -- so I can't tell you the Bills will be visiting the Big Game in February.  Heck, at this point, ending the league's longest playoff drought would be a success for this team.  I think it's certainly a possibility, but we'll see.

So, here's my Super Bowl pick:  Packers over the Broncos.

[Ed. Note:  I'll spare you any faux-analysis of the above prediction. There's enough of that out there as it is.]

Happy Football season, folks!  Without a doubt, all is right with the world...

MK

Clubhouse Favorites, Vol. 4: Gabe Kapler, 2010 Topps Update (#US-231)

Something clicked for me in 2010.

This was the year I decided to make the Topps factory baseball set a staple of my Christmas wish list.  It was also the year the Topps Update series became a collecting necessity, as I bought a hand-collated set off eBay shortly after Christmas had come and gone.

I'm not sure what caused me to flip the switch to full-on Topps mode.  Maybe I was subconsciously hypnotized by the new era of MLB exclusivity that Topps had just entered.  Or maybe it was just something as simple as really liking the design of the base cards.

Because I really, really, really like the looks of 2010 Topps.  Especially the Update series.  It features some of the best photography that Topps has ever put forth.  Just my opinion, of course.

Therefore, it was tough for me to select just one card from this 330-card set to highlight.  But I knew my selection had to be one of the many interesting horizontal landscapes.  Gabe Kapler's card struck me as unique and whimsical enough to merit the nod.

In a lot of ways, the 2010 Topps set reminds me of 1991 Topps in regards to the clever photography.  And it's the photography in that '91 set that has stood the test of time, still finding fancy with even the most critical collector. At least that's the impression I've gotten.

What I've Learned from the Back of this Card:  Tampa Bay was Kapler's sixth (and, as it turned out, final) professional stop.  I remember him being quite a heralded prospect for the Tigers back in the late-90s.  In 1999 -- his first full year -- he slugged 18 homers.  It wound up being the power apex of his career.

MK

In Case You Didn't Know, Bloggers Rock!

2010 Topps Peak Performance relic, PPR-JR

Man, sports card bloggers are awesome people.  But you probably already knew that.

I received an envelope back on Thursday with a familiar return mailing address on it.  It was from none other than Corey S., the mind behind the mission at Tim Wallach blog.  Check out his project if you haven't already.  And if you have any Tim Wallach cards laying around, he's the man to send them to.

In any event, Corey was nice enough to send me -- out of the blue -- some tremendous Mets cards, including the Jose Reyes relic above.

And these:

Rey, Sir Thomas, and Johan

This one, too:

2010 Topps Legendary Lineage, #LL18

There were a few others, as well.  All very cool, and all great additions to my player collections.  (I think the Legendary Lineage insert will go towards my Wright collection, rather than the Carter.)

A big THANK YOU to Corey!

MK