Monday, May 27, 2013

I Could Have Swore I Had These

So I know that I'm not the only one this has happened to. A few weeks ago, I received a message from a trader named Jerry on one of the forums I've joined. He sent me a list of Helton cards he didn't see on my have list/spreadsheet and asked if I was interested. I looked through the list and thought, "I have most of these, don't I?"

Being the skeptic I was, I checked the list myself and sure enough. I didn't have them. It wouldn't be such a big deal if they were say some the weird Pacific sets from 1998-2001 or inserts I'd seen and not pull the trigger on.

Most are base cards! Take a look.


Two Topps Totals, a couple Donruss and an Ultra. What's wrong with me? How could I let these fall through the cracks?

Well, I do have a ton of Todds, and some of them start to look the same after awhile so it's actually pretty easy to do. Can I get an Amen?

Those aren't the only Helton additions via trade lately.


I picked up the UD Reserve from Jerry as well. The only difference is I knew I didn't have it. The Prizm came from North of the border from a guy named Tim. (Note: That's a really nice name to have.)


These three came as a package deal from Dale for a some 2012 A&G Relics. Yeah, buddy. Love those Bazooka cards and the Studio is #'ed 294/300. Sweet!!!

That's the latest from East Tennessee. Hope all is well wherever you are and that you have a great Memorial Day! God bless our troops, current or past, for keeping us free!!!

And don't forget I'm still here to do some dealing.

Friday, May 24, 2013

2013 PC Progress

Last year was my first huge year, set wise, in my 20-plus years of collecting. I went full force into more sets than I have in any years combined. Topps Series One, Two, Update, Archive, Chrome, Chrome Purple, Bowman and Triple Play. Three of which I'm still working on.

This year, I decided to go about collecting each 2013 set in a different way. I've planned on focusing on just a handful of sets, unless of course I fall in love with a nice design, i.e. Bowman. For all those sets that I'm not collecting and actually the ones I am collecting, I am getting together just the players in my recently expanded PCs.

Now, it's time to show you how it's going for me. I did set a few "stipulations" for myself so I could get more "bang for my buck", if you will. I did not include anything numbered below 100, autographs. or dual patch/autos. Relics, both regular and framed in the case of Gypsy Queen and Allen & Ginter, are included. All cards listed are still needed.

Time to break it down!

Bowman (I've barely scratched the surface.)

Base (Have 0/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Kimbrel 32, Longoria 51, Jay 54, Tulowitzki 79, Goldschmidt 101, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Fowler 181, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206, Hosmer 207

State/International (Have 0/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Kimbrel 32, Longoria 51, Jay 54, Tulowitzki 79, Goldschmidt 101, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Fowler 181, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206, Hosmer 207

Blue #/500 (Have 0/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Kimbrel 32, Longoria 51, Jay 54, Tulowitzki 79, Goldschmidt 101, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Fowler 181, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206, Hosmer 207

Gold (Have 1/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Kimbrel 32, Longoria 51, Jay 54, Tulowitzki 79, Goldschmidt 101, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206, Hosmer 207

Orange #/250 (Have 2/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Longoria 51, Jay 54, Tulowitzki 79, Goldschmidt 101, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Fowler 181, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206

Silver Ice (Have 3/16): Trumbo 12, Uggla 25, Kimbrel 32, Longoria 51, Tulowitzki 79, Freeman 137, Bautista 140, Moustakas 155, Gonzalez 179, Rosario 193, Cespedes 194, Haren 206, Hosmer 207

Series One

Base (Have 11/11): Complete

Variations (Have 0/3): Moustakas 100, Freeman 105, Hosmer 135

Target Red (Have 1/11): Gonzalez 5, Haren 24, Kimbrel 46, Moustakas 100, Longoria 103, Uggla 126, Hosmer 135, Pacheco 186, Jay 224, Fowler 273

Walmart Blue (Have 1/11): Gonzalez 5, Haren 24, Kimbrel 46, Moustakas 100, Longoria 103, Uggla 126, Hosmer 135, Pacheco 186, Jay 224, Fowler 273

Toys R Us Purple (Have 4/11): Haren 24, Kimbrel 46, Moustakas 100, Longoria 103, Uggla 126, Hosmer 135, Jay 224

Emerald (Have 4/11): Kimbrel 46, Moustakas 100, Longoria 103, Uggla 126, Pacheco 186, Jay 224, Fowler 273

Gold #/2013 (Have 2/11): Gonzalez 5, Haren 24, Moustakas 100, Longoria 103, Uggla 126, Hosmer 135, Pacheco 186, Jay 224, Fowler 273

Mini (Have 4/5): Longoria 37

Cut to the Chase (Have 0/1): Gonzalez 6

Chasing the Dream (Have 0/1): Moustakas 25

Spring Fever (Have 0/3): Haren 2, Longoria 40, Bautista 44

Gypsy Queen

Base (Have 8/16): Fowler 39, Trumbo 88, Goldschmidt 112, Cespedes 172, Moustakas 209, Kimbrel 257, Gonzalez 273, Rosario 325

SP (Have 0/1): Tulowitzki 97

Mini (Have 2/17): Fowler 39, Longoria 44, Freeman 47, Jay 69, Bautista 71, Trumbo 88, Tulowitzki 97, Goldschmidt 112, Moustakas 209, Uggla 211, Haren 249, Hosmer 256, Kimbrel 257, Gonzalez 273, Rosario 325

Mini Black #/199 (Have 1/17): Fowler 39, Longoria 44, Freeman 47, Jay 69, Bautista 71, Trumbo 88, Tulowitzki 97, Goldschmidt 112, Cespedes 192, Pacheco 191, Moustakas 209, Uggla 211, Haren 249, Hosmer 256, Kimbrel 257, Rosario 325

Heritage

Base (Have 13/14): Moustakas 194

SP (Have 2/6): Longoria 439, Tulowitzki 452, Cespedes 459, Hosmer 492

Venezuelan Back (Have 1/20): Bautista 89, Trumbo 110, Uggla 115, Kimbrel 126, Haren 131, Fowler 164, Freeman 189, Moustakas 194, Arencibia 222, Jay 244, Pacheco 245, Goldschmidt 304, Pomeranz 329, Longoria 439, Tulowitzki 452, Cespedes 459, Gonzalez 466, Rosario 488, Hosmer 492

Chrome (Have 1/7): Longoria HC3, Bautista HC19, Tulowitzki HC45, Rosario HC58, Cespedes HC61, Trumbo HC65

Purple Refractor (Have 2/7): Longoria HC3, Bautista HC19, Rosario HC58, Cespedes HC61, Trumbo HC65

New Age Performers (Have 0/1): Cespedes YC

Opening Day

Base (Have 6/13): Hosmer 5, Goldschmidt 98, Moustakas 159, Uggla 161, Kimbrel 199, Bautista 207

Blue Sparkle (Have 3/13): Hosmer 5, Trumbo 77, Rosario 83, Goldschmidt 98, Gonzalez 113, Cespedes 137, Uggla 161, Kimbrel 199, Longoria 200, Bautista 207

Ballpark Fun (Have 1/2): Longoria 11

Stars 3D (Have 0/1): Longoria 7

Stickers

Base: Hosmer 80, Trumbo 99, Cespedes 111, Freeman 138, Uggla 139, Goldschmidt 229, Tulowitzki 238, Rosario 241, Fowler 242

Turkey Red

Base (Have 0/9): Bautista 36, Trumbo 47, Hosmer 49, Freeman 56, Gonzalez 65, Cespedes 70, Kimbrel 83, Longoria 85, Tulowitzki 97

Ok, so I've not done a great job, but I'm doing my best. Gees. It's actually been kinda hard keeping up with my set needs as well as the PC needs.

Some sets I'm killing, and some...not so much.

So I'm reaching out to my fellow bloggers and readers. If you have something I've listed, I'd be glad to find something to send in return. Who doesn't like a little help building their collection?

Friday, May 17, 2013

PC Pick-ups From Everywhere

Hello, everyone!!!

I can believe I've neglected to post something in more than a week. Shame on me. I apologize, but it has been a hectic two weeks in the Byrd household.

Last week, Ashley graduated from King College in Bristol, TN, and this week, my little brother graduates from high school. 

Tonight, I will be sharing my latest collection additions. It's been awhile since I've played show-and-tell, so I though tonight would be as good a night as any.


I've been slacking on a few of my PCs lately, and Jose Bautista is one of them. I added his 2006 Bowman Draft Picks for less than $1 from eBay. All the Gypsy Queen you see came from my buddy, Jeroen, The Dutch Card Guy, all the way from the Netherlands. Honestly, I can even remember where the Bautista sticker came from, but thank you to whoever sent it.


Nice shot of Cargo in the purple unis from Finest, 2011 I believe.


Four Freddies from four fellas!!! How's that for alliteration for ya!?!? The Prizm came from Tim in Canada via CCW. The GQ Mini Relic was send by Tom over at Waiting 'til Next Year. Roger from Sportscard Mask-a-Rade was ever so gracious to send the Target Red. Finally, the Blue Sparkle is thanks to Weston at Fantastic Catch.


Other than Freddie, Dan Haren is probably my fastest growing PC. It seems like I stubble on someone trying to drop a Haren like it's hot! A GQ, Finest, and Platinum Gold. Love the Gold. It even looks that good in person.


Can't forget my boy, Eric Hosmer. A Triple Play from Tom, a Prizm from Canadian Tim, and two 'Bay purchases in this lot. For the record, I own three of the "Slate" parallels (Freeman, Hosmer, Longoria), and I'm not impressed. Throw a Opening Day logo on it and suddenly it's $.50, not $5.


Lastly, I was so proud to pull off a card-for-card swap for this Walmart Blue Freddy Sanchez from 2012. It is literally the first Sanchez I've gotten in more than a year. Sad, I know. Other than Bichette, Jr. and Dykstra, Sanchez is my smallest PC by far, even though I have a "Trifecta" of him (RC, Auto, Relic).

Thanks to everyone who have sent me trades in the past few weeks. Jeroen, Tom, Weston, Roger. You are all great and appreciated! If I've left you out, trust me. It is not on purpose. Everything I get is appreciated!

I'm ready for some more trades! TELL 'EM ROCK!!!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Impossible?

It's no secret. I'm not huge on the many different colors of Topps. If the colors don't fit into my player collections, normally, I try to ship them to someone who can really appreciate them. (See Mark with you Walmart Blues.)

Recently, through some good future, and of course eBay, I'm inching closer and closer to filling out the rainbow of Freddie Freeman.

Take a look.


As far as I know, the only Freddies missing are Opening Day Blue Sparkle, Target Red, Camo, Pink and Black. If there are more, please someone tell Topps to cut it out! (Hahaha! Full House reference.)

Can anyone out in the blogosphere help a brother out? Trades, advice about, or directions to my missing Freemans would be greatly appreciated and handsomely reward if successful!

Curiosity...Let's Hope It Doesn't Kill the Byrd

I was sorting through cards a few days ago when I stumbled on a small stash of a certain player in which I've not noticed a big demand. Once I name said player, I bet you'll start to wonder why as well.

That player? One, Magglio Ordonez.


Magglio was a six-time All-Star, batting champion, MVP runner-up and AL Central lifer.

When I look back on the era of Maggs, I but him in the same category as Brian Giles, Jermaine Dye, and even Vlad Guerrero and Todd Helton.

Every one of them extremely important to their respective teams, and it showed when they missed time.


Ordonez was definitely not the best of the bunch. In my humble opinion, that was a tie between Todd and Vlad, but Magglio was a very good player for quite a few years. Just not great.

Here's my question. Is there anyone out there who collects Mr. Ordonez? I'm not looking to move cards unless asked. I am merely curious. If you do, or don't for that matter, what do you think of Magglio's career?

Again, curiosity is getting the better of me.

Friday, May 3, 2013

The Final Countdown: '90s Base Edition V

Well, ladies and gentleman. I'm only about, I don't know, five days late with finishing this thing, but it is time to reveal my favorite base set from the 1990s.

For the last time, let's review.

#5 - 1995 Score
#4 - 1995 Topps Embossed
#3 - 1997 Leaf
#2 - 1994 Fleer Extra Bases

Finally, number one! My All-Time Favorite '90s Set...1994 SELECT!!!


There is nothing not to love about this set. I love the design. I love the colors. I love the photography. I love the nameplate. I even love that every card, except for the rookies, are horizontal!!!

Speaking of photography. There's not only two awesome pictures on the front.


There is a just-as-awesome pic on the back!!!


As you can tell from ole Chuckie Carr here, Score/Select had a great time shooting with some of the players. Thumb through a set if you don't believe me. (See John Kruk.)

Hmm...Wonder if a certain Dime Box Guy has seen this CC gem.


The overall quality of these cards are great. Kinda gives you the feel of a "high-end" set nowadays.


Chicks may dig the long ball, Mr. Glavine, but I'm just digging the guy that actually caught you batting.



The rookies in the set are quite a bit different from the rest of the base, but I love them, too!!! Check out the names in this rookie class from Series One.

Series Two, ahhhhh...Not so much.


You know it's rough when Steve Trachsel (a.k.a. Mr. I lobbed one in to Big Mac so he could break the HR record) is the biggest name rookie in the Series. Oh well. Can't win them all, I suppose.

That's all folks. The countdown is over, and I really want to know what you think. What are your favorite set from the last decade of the last millennium? And what do you think of '94 Select?