Trade With Joe

This story starts the same as any trade story. One of my wonderful readers, Joe, contacted me about a potential trade. He was looking for some Blue Jays cards, Halladay in particular, and I was just looking to score some O's. Joe got himself a nice little stack of Jays, including a Halladay N43, and I was able to add the following shiny and fabric filled cards to my collection:

2004 Topps Chrome Jack Cust gold refractor

At least in Oakland they let him on the field. When I first got back onto baseball, the radio announcers were always trying to hype Cust as the next Oriole slugger.

2008 Topps Finest Ray Rice refractor

My very own Purple Jesus, and my new favorite Raven. I have him in a fantasy football keeper league, and will most likely be adding his name to the players I collect.

2009 Topps Chrome Willis McGahee refractor

I ordered these cards just like the Ravens depth chart, Rice first, McGahee second.

2001 Upper Deck Game Gear Jamal Lewis jersey relic

It doesn't matter to me that he's in Cleveland now, or that his career has been in obvious decline for 2 seasons now. There will always be a special place in my heart for Jamal. He was a beast of a back in his day, and propelled my team to it's only Super Bowl Championship the same year this card was released.

2009 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts Frank Robinson jersey relic green parallel

I think this gives me 2 of the color parallels now. I've got purple, and now green. As far as game-used cards go, the design really works here, and looks classy to boot.

Joe, thanks for the great cards, and if you ever want to trade again, don't hesitate to drop me a line. Since it took me nearly 2 weeks to actually get this trade posted, I'm sure your cards have already arrived.

If anyone else has Orioles cards to trade, the lines of communication are always open. Despite the rate at which I have been busting boxes, I really should be saving my money right now, and trades are my favorite way to get new cards without spending any money. Aside from theft, I believe it's the only way.