Cards From Around The Blogosphere

A bit of a shorty this week, since I am WAY behind on the scanning and the posting. If you sent me cards in the past few weeks, and haven't gotten anything in return yet, your cards should be shipping out no later than Wed. Hopefully I don't miss anyone. Typically, I am on top of this stuff, but life has bee stressful the past few weeks, and as a result my writing, or at least the frequency of it has suffered as a result. Sorry dudes!

First up to bat are a couple of cards from Grant, the Old School Pack Buster. Grant and I have traded before, and he is a very generous trader. Along with a fat stack of random O's were the following 2 cards, both of which I really like:

2009 UD Goodwin Champions Brian Roberts black printing plate 1/1

This is now my 3rd one of one, and all 3 of them are printing plates. Brian Roberts wears #1, and this card is not only his jersey number, but the print run is also his jersey number. By eBay standards, this is a triple 1 of 1, which means it's value is infinite. The national debt could potentially be repaid with this card. I am now the most powerful man in the world thanks to the power of this card.

2009 Topps 206 Adam Jones Old Mill back mini

Why do I never remember to scan the back of these things, when that's all that matters? I now have the regular and Old Mill back versions of this card. It would be cool to try and complete myself a little rainbow, but odds of finding the Magician back are slim to none, especially since there are only 8 of them. I've got a feeling Adam Jones is going to have a VERY big season this year.

Next up is a card from Mike, of JD's Wild Cardz. I sent him a crummy Papelbon sticker auto (ewww!) and in return got this sweet Ichiro relic that is already on it's way to Bud, of First Day Issue, to satisfy a trade from a couple weeks back.

2009 Topps 206 Ichiro Old Mill jersey relic

Last up are some cards from I Am Joe Collector's group breaks. Along with my monthly Orioles slot, I also participated in his UD Premier Football break, and picked up a second monthly slot at a discount. The Athletics were offered up for $10, and I jumped all over it. As per usual, I didn't exactly "kill it" this month, but it surely could have been worse.

2009 Topps 206 David Hernandez Piedmont autograph

It's a shame that Topps had to include a second auto set into 206 that uses those horrible rainbow stickers, especially since these framed mini, on-card autos look so damned good. Hernandez had a decent rookie campaign last season, and will either be the 5th starter, or possibly a long reliever this season. He has a plus fastball, and with another season or two of grooming, could be a decent if not good starter somewhere.

2007 UD Exquisite Erik Bedard gold parallel #'d /75

Wow, what a stupid card this is. It's about as thick as a patch card for essentially no reason at all. Why Bedard was in a product called Exquisite Rookies in 2007 is absolutely beyond me. I tthink his rookie season was 5 years earlier, in 2002.

2008 Upper Deck Premier Ed Reed Premier Stitchings silver manupatch #'d 8/30

Speaking of stupid cards.... This is the second Premier football break I've participated in, and the second crappy manupatch I've received as a result. At least it's a Raven this time. These cards would have been infinitely better with on-card autos at the bottom.

2009 Topps 206 Jimmie Foxx short print

Look who finally remembered to scan the back. I got a whole bunch of Athletics base cards from this break, if anyone is interested, and I also received 2 copies of the card pictured above. Having already owned one prior to this break, I now have triples of this card. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Well, there you have it, this week's edition of cards from around the blogosphere. I'm hoping to post quite a bit over the next few days, and there will be another Pristine video break, along with a major announcement thrown in there somewhere. Stay tuned.

Another Topps Pristine 2 Pack Break

I got these from the same seller as the first break, but decided against recording this one. It was probably for the best, as the pulls aren't near as exciting this time around. The EPA must have given Topps hell for all the wrappers this product generated. If you're not already familiar, these are packaged as a pack inside of a pack inside of a larger pack. Yes folks, THREE wrappers for one pack of cards. No wonder the Earth is rapidly warming (or cooling, depending on who you talk to).

Last time we started with the 2003 pack, so this time around it's 2004 that will be first up to bat. After opening the larger outer wrapper, I found this card (and another pack):

Shingo Takatsu uncirculated refractor #'d /499

I think this is of the uncommon variety, but it's hard to find solid info on this set.

After opening the second, slightly smaller pack, I found this card (and yet another pack):

Manny Ramirez Going, Going, Gone bat relic

Ahh, the good old days, when Topps actually let you know your chunk of wood is in fact from a game-used bat. It was so long ago that Manny still had short hair.

Each pack also contains one numbered rookie card. For as old as this pack is, it certainly could have been worse. At least I got a guy who's still in the league.

Erick Aybar numbered rookie #'d /999

Just like last time around, hidden in the innards of that final pack was an autograph. It's not Lance Berkman again, but it could definitely have been worse.

Ervin Santana Personal Endorsements autograph

I didn't say anything about it when I pulled the Berkman, but these are some UGLY cards.

So yeah, that was the '04 pack. Not too shabby, especially not for $10. Let's move right along to the '03 flavor, and see what that pack had to offer. After ripping the first wrapper, this puppy was found tucked away inside, along with another pack (naturally).

Michel Hernandez uncommon refractor #'d /99

If only it were someone else.... The Ryan Howard uncommon refractor books for like $200. Michel Hernandez might book for $2.

After opening the pack within the pack, this is the game-used card that greeted me... along with another stinkin pack!

Pedro Martinez Pristine Borders jersey relic

Hello old friend, wearing a Red Sox jersey, which is how I choose to remember you. The swatch is pretty tiny, but I can't really complain about pulling this card. It beats an Eric Chavez relic any day of the week.

The pack inside the pack inside the pack wasn't super exciting, but it did have the following 2 base cards in it, which I thought were pretty nice.

There are legends in this set? Awesome!

Now all I need is the uncommon & gold refractors to build myself a little rainbow. Based on recent eBay sales & listings, this card is pretty valuable for just being of the regular base variety.

There you have it, 2 more packs of Pristine busted and scanned for all the world to see. I've actually got 2 more packs of each on the way (4 more packs total), and they will be busted on video, most likely over the weekend. The eBay seller from whom I purchased the first 4 packs offered me the rest of his inventory at a very reasonable price ($10/pack). It will be a bit of a group break, as Jay from The Mojo Hand and I are splitting the costs 50/50. We're going to try to do something fun with it, and hopefully end up with a nice little pack break video.

What do you guys think of Pristine? Do you wish it was still around? Any ideas on why Topps chose to kill off the brand?

Bipped Again! This Time It's Personal

You're nice enough to send a guy a Jordan Zimmerman autograph, and this is what he sends in return. The nerve of some people! As I briefly mentioned last week, this Bipping is brought to you courtesy of Matt from Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius. I'm guessing that once the Jayhawks season is over, there probably isn't much to do in Lawrence, but that is surely no excuse to reach out and Bip someone.

Matt started things off by sending me a 1995 Upper Deck Armando Benitez card....

TIMES SIX!

Followed by FOUR 1986 Topps Sammy Stewarts.
All of this was innocent enough, and didn't cut near as deep as my first Bipping, at the hands of GCRL. But then I saw it...

This is "it"

The dreaded double "g" spelling of Greg, which happens to be my name. Matt knows this.
Matt knows that I have written in the past about my dislike for the nonsensical double "g" butchering of my first name. He knew.
He knew yet he sent the cards anyway. The balls on this friggin' guy!


I guess since this card was sent along as well, I can't be that mad. Another Brooks relic for the player collection. It's not actually a bat though, it's a piece of wood from a park bench that Brooks sat in one time. The back says "Congratulations, you have received a piece of wood".

2005 Donruss Champions Brooks Robinson relic

Thanks for the cards Matt.... I guess. I want you to keep it in the back of your mind that maybe, just maybe, I will seek vengeance. Probably not, cause I'm lazy, but I could.

Topps Pristine Video Break

Welcome to my first video break. Going forward I promise not to be such a goober, and to actually hold the cards in front of the camera, and not off to the side. You know, so you can actually SEE them and stuff.

Both of these sealed blister packs (one 2003 & one 2004) came from eBay, and were a ton of fun to bust. I understand why this product is no longer around, as it is very similar to Finest, but the cards are still very nice. One thing that makes no sense to me is the whole "uncirculated" thing. These things are inserted into packs. Doesn't that count as "circulation"? I understand that they come in nifty hard cases, sealed with Topps foil stickers for safety, but how does that make a card "uncirculated"?

The Video:



The Goods:

2003:

Sweet! #'d to 1599. Not sure what this card is worth, but I know it's one of the better pulls in the '03 release.

Chavez is one of those players who haunts me. This has to be at least the third Eric Chavez "hit" I've pulled since starting this blog.

#'d to 1999. Not sure why I scanned this card. Probably because it's numbered. That's about the only way a damn Yankee makes it onto this site.

2004:

Cards like this are what I was afraid of when purchasing these packs. You only get one shot at an "uncirculated" refractor, and most of them are of rookies & prospects. We all know how that game goes.

I like bat relics, and I like Mike Piazza. Good times were had by all.

#'d to 1999 or something like that. It might be numbered to something lower, but I am at work right now, and can't check the back to be sure. I know it's not the "common" rookie variation, so it might be numbered to something slightly lower. Nippert is currently with the Texas Rangers, and enjoyed his best statistical season as a pro in 2009.

Certainly wasn't expecting to pull this "Big Puma" autograph. If you watched the video, you can see the look of surprise in mine eyes. This scan is plain crummy and the card looks a lot better in person. They tried to do the whole "etched metal" thing, and it looks much better when the card is in hand.

For only being a 2 pack break, there were some decent cards to be had here. I've got another pack of each on the way that I paid even less for. Hopefully, they aren't a letdown after pulling the Howard and Berkman cards.

More Trades From Around The Blogosphere

Get ready for another round of great cards from across the cardblogosphere! Bye Thorzul.

First up are a couple of cards from the nocturnal nightmare, Greg, of Night Owl Cards. He has been the primary beneficiary of my Dodger pulling mojo, and as a result, he occasionally drops me a bubble mailer chock full o' Orioles.

2009 O-Pee-Chee Materials Cuddyer/Francouer/Markakis

I must say these cards are really nice looking. The design is simple, and bright, bearing a slight resemblance to the Brady Bunch intro. O-Pee-Chee was a product that I did not purchase even a single pack of, but the Markakis relics always looked really cool to me. I'm so happy to have this card I won't even complain about the other 2 guys on it.

1987 Fleer Mini Cal Ripken Jr.

I didn't even know Fleer made minis in '87. Granted, I was 6 years old at the time, but still. Also... not the greatest picture of the Iron Man. His expression is thought provoking to say the least. What's he looking at that is making him make that face? Eddie's afro? Jim Palmer in his danged undies?

If you're anything like me, and didn't know these things were around, here is another image to give you some sort of an idea of scale.

Next up are a few cards from local reader Todd, who emailed me last week saying that he had the last card needed to complete my '09 Allen & Ginter Creature mini set. It was a pretty easy trade to work out, and all Todd wanted in return was an O's relic, and a bunch of my Markakis and Brooks doubles.

2009 Allen & Ginter Creature Minis "Grendel"

I can officially say that the Creatures of Myth, Legend & Terror set has been completed. HUGE thanks to everyone out there who helped out via trade. Without you guys, I would have never been able to finish this set, especially considering they're only found one per box, and that's at best. Oh, I'd also like to thank God, for you know, being God. Isn't it mandatory to thank God?

1987 7-11 Slurpee Coins Eddie Murray

I totally remember these things! Unlike Fleer minis, Slurpees are something that 8-year olds pay close attention to. I had one of these at some point in my childhood. There was more than one "coin" of each player as well, or at least I think there is. It's all coming back to me now! Not only did I have an Eddie coin, but there was a George Brett coin floating around my house as well. Ahhh.... memories.

2008 Allen & Ginter World Leader Minis Nicolas Sarkozy

Smarmy French bastards!

1993 Topps Finest Mike Mussina

If you've read this site for any extended period of time, you know that I have issues with Mike Mussina. The walls that exist between us are slowly being broken down, and I think there's a good chance he will be accepted back into the "circle of trust" shortly. It's been years Mike, and we've got a lot of catching up to do.

1969 Topps Dave McNally

A great card of a very "clutch" player. McNally has not only pitched a shutout in the '66 World Series (sorry Night Owl & GCRL), but also hit a grand slam to lead the Orioles to another World Series game victory in 1970.

1975 Topps Rookie Infielders Cubbage/DeCinces/Sanders/Trillo

Man, Reggie Sanders had a long career.

Moving right along to a few cards from Bud, of the fabulous First Day Issue. Bud and I discussed this trade for a while before finally reaching an agreement. These two cards were sent for a couple of numbered Mariners refractors, and an Iciro relic to be named later.

2005 Upper Deck Epic Materials Willie McCovey jersey relic

Obviously not an Orioles card, but what can I say? Color me a sucker for those old-timey gray wool swatches. The fact that it was, or at least claims to have been worn by a Hall of Famer, certainly doesn't hurt it's appeal either.

2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia Series Cal Ripken Jr.

One can never have too many Cal relics, can they? This card could admittedly look a little better. It's off-center, and the swatch is a plain shade of gray, but I like it anyway. I think Goodwin is going to be VERY cheap to pick up by the boxload later year, and with none of previews for next year looking that great, maybe I'll be able to finally finish off this set. Wouldn't mind hitting one of the redemptions either. Both the Landmarks and Entomolgy cards are pretty cool.

2005 Topps Rooke Cup Eddie Murray

Eddie Murray is a straight up bad mother, shut your mouth.

Last up to bat is just one of the many great cards sent to me by David, of the 2008 Allen & Ginter Cardscape. This one card was selected because it's yet another Markakis that I didn't yet have. Thanks David!

2008 Topps Target Exclusive T205 Nick Markakis

The refractor version of this card has been in my collection for a couple of years now, but for some reason the regular base version alluded me.

Big thanks to Night Owl, Todd, Bud & David for the trades. It was a pleasure and a privilege to deal with each and every one of you. Even you Bud.

Even More Trades From Across The Blogosphere

Yes, that's right Thorzul, another dullard of a trade post.

First up we have some cards from Jay, of the recently defunct The Mojo Hand blog. I don't know about you guys, but I miss Jay, and hope he makes his triumphant return to the blogosphere post haste. I'm not just saying that because I recently won a Griffey Jr. autograph in his contest either. The Mojo Hand is greatly missed. This may be the first trade I've ever posted that does not contain a single Orioles card.

09 Donruss Certified Materials Kenny Britt Souvenir Stamps

While this card is still sort of cool, it's not near as cool as the older incarnations that actually used old postage. There's something about seeing "Stamps.com" on a football card that doesn't sit quite right with me. Britt was my rookie WR du jour this season, and spent time on all 3 of the fantasy teams I managed. WR is the one position where most of the youngsters I have a good feeling about go on to have pretty good rookie campaigns. At every other position, "my guys" don't ever pan out.

2009 Bowman Chrome Joe Flacco green refractor #'d 75/99

If my Ravens are going to take down the evil Patriots and the hooded one this afternoon, my boy "Cup a Joe" is going to have to play better. He holds the ball too long, and ends up taking too many sacks as a result. This is the second season in a row that I feel like they are just a big, play-making wide receiver away from a Lombardi Trophy. It would be great to be proven wrong today.

2008 Upper Deck SP Lawrence Jackson Rookie Threads auto

I don't know much about this guy, aside from the fact that he was a low first round pick of the Seahawks in the 2008 draft. It's too early to call him a bust, but I certainly haven't seen him on Sportscenter either.

2009 Topps Finest Dwayne Bowe refractor

A few years ago Bowe was the rookie wide receiver that started my run of psychic prognosticating ability. He's still one of my favorites in the game, and for the sake of his career I hope he is able to make it out of Kansas City soon. A trade to the Ravens would make me the happiest fan in all the land.

Next up are a few of the cards sent to me by Ed, of Roll Out the Barrel fame. He posted his '08 Allen & Ginter wantlist a week or two ago, and I still have 3 boxes of doubles laying around. It seemed like a match made in heaven. I didn't even want anything in return, since box space is very much in demand these days. Well, Ed sent me some cards back anyway. I can't say I'm disappointed about that either.

2004 Topps Oriole Prospects Nick Markakis/Adam Loewen

A new Markakis! Thanks Ed. This one is a bonus, cause it's also got Adam Loewen on it too. I still believe in Adam. This will be the year he goes Ankiel on us. Mark it dude.

2009 Topps 206 Koji Uehara "Rookie" short print

It would have been smart of me to scan the back of this card too. We all know why it's not here.

2009 Topps Heritage High #'s Chrome Nolan Reimold Rookie Star

Great looking card right there. Can't wait to get the base version as well. Believe it or not, I haven't opened a single pack of Heritage High. For some reason I always lose interest by the time series 2 and high number sets come out. Wanna go ride bikes?

2009 Goodwin Champions Great White Shark Animal Series

My first Greg Norman card. Gotta love the Shaaaaaahhhk.

Big thanks as always to both Mojo and Ed for the great cards. Just like last week, if anyone needs me I'll be on the couch, in front of the TV, biting my nails.

GO RAVENS!!

P.S. If you haven't yet voted for your hobby favorites in the 2009 Gummies, you have 14 hours left to do so. I am currently trailing the Troll by 19 votes for Best New Cardblog. It's been pretty close the whole time, and there have been over 270 votes cast. Pretty impressive if you ask me.