It's been over a year since I've started my 2013 Project...a year. And it's driving me a little batty but in a good way.
It's a little maddening, but I've enjoyed it. Just like with complete sets, this project has kept me on my toes looking for the right deals on the cards I need to finish off my binder. It's something I've never done before and is something I may even try again (along with a couple other ideas from other bloggers).
If you're unaware of what I'm doing, let me inform you. I've taken the base, certain parallels and certain inserts of the players I collect from each major set and formed a binder which I hence named the 2013 Project.
As it stands today, I'm sitting at 84% (603/716) of the collection accomplished, which means I still need help.
If you or someone you know has spare 2013 singles laying around, please share this post with them. (Ok, I'm not really that desperate, but its worth a shot.)
Here's the link to my 2013 Want List. It is completely up-to-date, and any help is appreciated.
P.S. Only 13 1/2 more hours till the trade deadline folks. Here's to hoping your teams get what they need for the pennant push unless you're a Yankees fan (no offense Yankees fans).
Alright, friends. I've started only two transaction since returning to my full-time blogging status, and I'm ready to send out the packages.
My trade lists are not totally complete as I'm coming across more to add as I'm "re-inventorying" my cards. Please feel free to check out my lists to see if I have anything you need. Be advised, though, my game used and autos need to be updated. You can always ask to see if the card you like is still available.
If you find anything appealing, please let me know and direct me to your trade page either in the comments here or my email. My want list is also not completely up-to-date. Be patient with me, and when I'm done with inventory, the lists will be made available to see.
I will slowly be making my rounds to different blogs to see if I can help with anything you need as well.
If you made it this far, let me introduce you to my favorite 80's Hair Band of all time...
I've been avoiding this topic because I have mixed feelings. However, after witnessing for myself Dan Uggla in a Giants uniform, I feel it's time to say goodbye.
Goodbye to the three time All-Star Dan Uggla.
So long to the five straight years of 30+ home runs Dan Uggla.
Farewell to the right-handed helicopter back swinging Dan Uggla.
Tally ho to the middle-of-the-order power you don't want to leave a fastball up to Dan Uggla.
Though your best years are definitely past you and your career with the Braves ended on a sour not, I will still continue to root for you (except against the Braves and Rockies). Being one of the first players I actually watched come through the minors to make something of yourself, you will be forever immortalized in my Personal Collection for years to come.
And isn't that what all players want out of their careers? Ok maybe a championship or two. Maybe...
Remember a few days back when I was talking about reorganizing my cards into my Google Drive. Well, I've been working at it pretty hardcore for the last week. Last night, I came across my 2010 Topps Updates and 2013 Topps Opening Days.
Now, have you ever forgotten you had something only to "re-find" it later on? Haha...yeah. I did that, too. Take a look.
Can I get some Short Print love?
When I started collecting 2010 Update, I was just diving back into the hobby headfirst. I had not a clue what Short Prints and Variations were. All I knew were errors.
Fortunately, my collecting skills have evolved enough to know when I pulled the Opening Day Press Conference SP for Mr. Reyes.
I know you're asking, "Tim, why are you showing these to us now?" Well, friends. It's because I don't want them. Short Print Variations are not my thing (i.e. too expensive). If you want them, please let me know. I'm not going to hold them hostage any longer.
PLEASE...Take them. (Note: If no one claims them in the next 48 hours, they will be up for auction on Sportlots.)
You know, I talk often about collecting (this is a card blog) with a tiny shot of wrestling references. One of the things I've not talked about is another of my growing hobbies, painting.
It all started one day as I was walking around Hobby Lobby with Ashley. Painting canvases were 40% off, and I saw one that was measuring approximately 3.5 in. by 2.5 in. I bought a couple and thought I could figure out something to do with them.
Then it hit me. Logos!!!
I could draw the logos and paint them in the teams colors to create my own team collage like you find at Hobby Lobby.
So far so good on the teams I've attempted minus the Astros (too advance for now).
Six teams down and only 24 to go! Who knew you could enjoy painting with something other than your fingers?
If you read my last post, I mentioned a possible sequel to my LCS trip. In this post...I deliver.
I've mentioned several times on this blog how important it is to me to have someone that let's me be myself with my card collecting. Never once did I image sharing my love with, well, my love.
But dating Ashley has been all of the above. Not only does she support me (as long as the money allows), but she partakes in her own version of collecting.
Cool cards, shiny cards, unique cards. Cards of players she likes, she's watched, she's heard stories about, she's met. Oh and James Laurinaitis and Joe Mauer! That's right. Animal's son and "the cutie".
So whenever I'm out and about shopping for myself, I always try to sneak a few as a bit of a present for her. This trip to Knoxville was no exception. We've been in there so many times that Eddie knows to stash any stay Laurinaitis cards away because we'll be in soon enough. That was the case this trip.
Forgive me for lack of football product knowledge, but I was told the top two came from a high-end box break and straight into a draw waiting for me to pick them up. The consensus favorite was the Die Cut from Prestige with the Captain "C", honestly one of the sweetest football cards I've ever seen.
These Joe Mauer cards required a little more digging on my part but well worth the time, effort and price. Shiny high-end and "old school" mini. Right up Ashley's alley.
I know there are better things to give a woman you love, but why waste a trip if she's into the same thing as you. (Lots of sarcasm there guys. Don't try this at home too often.)
Thanks to extra money from moving as I've mentioned before, I've been able to venture back out into the buying market deep waters and find some really great cards.
In addition to prowling the likes of eBay and Sportlots, I have recently been frequenting my LCS a little more often. Today's trip was not really planned, but after getting off early enough to make a trip to Knoxville, I decided that it was a great idea to visit Eddie at Sports Treasures. (FYI: If you're ever down this way, look him up. Great stuff for pretty cheap.)
Luckily, this time around, Eddie had some Allen & Ginter singles laying around. I couldn't pass it up.
Scored these for around $1 apiece. The Hosmer is an A&G back and obviously the Trumbo is the black parallel. I'm in love with this year's design. Am I alone here?
Even the inserts this year are different than normal or at least what I'm use to from A&G. Not sure about the name on these beauties, but who cares? At least they're not a plain white cardstock.
If you've read my blog in the past, you know that I hate the idea of high-end cards, but for $2 I couldn't pass up the Cespedes Museum. I actually spent more on the Goldschmidt SP, $3.
Finally, what would a trip to the LCS be without a Rockies haul? Arenado SP, high end Cargo, Rosario, and Tulo, and a couple Prizm Tulos. Not much else could be better, except maybe some Heltons I need.
All in all, a very successful stop. You may see more from this visit in the coming days, though, because I didn't just buy for myself.
I swore to myself that I wouldn't try to collect anymore Allen & Ginter sets after all the money and time I threw in to complete the 2011 edition with the Hometown Heroes inserts.
Well, guess what...I lied.
The blaster boxes at Wally World were calling my name as I walked to find a short checkout lane before the start of the All Star Game. Let me just say this about the 2014's: I LOVE the design. So much different, yet staying classy with the new look.
A&G Back Minis
If I can keep the price reasonable, I may try again since I'm not getting on the Archives bandwagon this year along with the Fields of Yore inserts (AWESOME, by the way).
So here are the parallels and inserts I pulled yesterday. As per normal, my blogger friends get first dibs. I'd be looking for base, inserts and parallels of these players, or the Fields of Yore inserts except Tiger Stadium #FOY-07.
I know we're over half-way through the All-Star Game, but this post is in celebration of your back-to-back Home Run Derby Champion...Yoenis Cespedes!!!
In this post, I'd like to celebrate the Cespedes win with a bevy of my favorite Cespedes cards.
It took awhile for Yoenis to get the gears going in the opening round, but once he did, though, it was over before it started.
Those 30 home runs are fifth most in Home Run Derby history. That's 62 bombs in the past two competitions. With that reputation, how would captains not ask Yoenis to blast dingers every year?
I wasn't even really pulling for Cespedes to win as my family put a friendly wager on Derby contestants. Our names were randomized, as were the contestant's names, and we were matched accordingly. I was paired with Adam Jones.
Who had Cespedes, you ask? That would be my little brother.
With three of my favorite players in the Derby, I really couldn't complain. So what my brother took my $5. I got to witness as one player won back-to-back Home Run Derbies in the history of the even. I'm good with that.
I don't know about you, but I've spent less and less more on cards on eBay over the last couple years, especially since being introduce to awesome Singles sites (Sportlots.com and Justcommons.com) by some awesome fellow bloggers. Thanks, by the way.
I still peruse everyday, though, looking for Todd Helton cards I don't normally see on those other sites and at my LCS. And occasionally, I'm pretty lucky. Take these three beauties for example.
2006 was the first year I recall Topps beginning to throw a ton of colors into the mix for collectors like us to fret over finding. I will admit that after seeing one of these Chrome Black Toddfathers floating around the 'Bay I had to have one but for the right price. $2.50 sounds like a pretty reasonable price to me.
It's crazy that the only 2014 Donruss Helton alluding me is the Season Stat Line, but I ended up finding a 2003 Season Stat Line first. I really can't complain, though. It's stunning, and the picture was taken at Turner Field to boot. Sweet.
Oh and it's numbered. 19/30, if you can't make that out. Kinda hard to see.
Now, let's step back into the time machine and head for the present.
There are another million colors of this bad boy, but the "base" insert was the first I could snatch up. It was even cheaper on eBay than Sportlots after shipping of course. That's insane.
I'll continue to scour the world of FeeBay, as the kids call it nowadays, for those elusive Heltons. I may even find the red and green plaid 2006 Topps Chrome version. If there is such a card. I'll have to get research on that, stat.
Sometimes, things in life are spontaneous: a weekend trip to the beach, dropping $100 on a poker hand, ordering dinner instead of breakfast at Cracker Barrell.
Then again. Some things are accidental: ending up in West Virginia on the way to the beach, winning the $100 plus on a pair of twos, ordering dinner instead of breakfast at Cracker Barrell.
With this post, I will introduce you to the "spontaneously accidental rainbows", or SPACRs, in my player collections.
Here are a few of my mini SPACRs that are a bit odd.
One of the most underrated second basemen of all-time in 2008 Chrome, X-Fractor and Blue Refractor. Love the blue!
Two-time All-Star Steady Freddie rookies in 2011 Chrome, Refractor and Orange Refractor.
Longo in 2011 Chrome, Refractor and Diamond Anniversary Sparkle, or whatever its called. Notice the slight zoom on the Diamond Anniversary Sparkle. Weird.
The Trum-bomb in 2011 Bowman, Gold and Green. I'm pretty sure that is the only Bowman Green I own.
Ok, Joey Bats is technically airbrushed into the throwback Jays uni on the Black Chrome, but c'mon. It's the same picture.
Finally, an odd trio with Trumbo in 2014 Red Hot Foil, Toys R Us Purple and Power Players (code unused).
Now let us pump up the jams for the WCW SPACRs. (Ed. Note: World Championship Wrestling, whose slogan was "Where the Big Boys Play". Kudos if you get the reference.)
These 2011 Bowman Platinum Trumbo rookies literally look like I could find Lucky Charms under them.
My only Hosmer rainbow results in 2012 Walmart Blue, X-Fractor, Purple Refractor and Base. Not too shabby.
I love the colors on my 2012 Dan Harens. With just those four, Mr. T would be proud because they're pretty BA. Ha!
Ok. One of these 2012 Kimbrels may be an Opening Day, but should the Chrome Red count for a little extra? I think so, too.
Look at that sweet Longo 'bow from 2012. Just like the case with Kimbrel, the SP makes up for the fact one is an Opening Day stinker.
Last but definitely not least...
Yet another 2012 rainbow. This time featuring F-squared. Check out the colors just for the Chrome. Boy, an orange or red would sure fill that out nicely.
Do you have any SPACRs? I've love to see them, no matter the player or team. Send me the pictures or links to my email address or in the comments. Or maybe you can help make my rainbows more colorful? That would be awesomely appreciated. You can drop a line for that, too. I wouldn't turn down the help. Who knows? We might could help each other out.
Since I've started organizing my cards, I've been trying to come up with better ways to catalog them.
From what I've experienced, spreadsheets are the best way to go for me. I've had some troubles, though, finding the right method of spreadsheet use.
At first, I used Microsoft Excel. The problem with using Excel was I had to save the spreadsheets to a flash drive and could only access them through my laptop.
So I downloaded an app for my phone called Documents to Go where I used a generic spreadsheet, but could access it on my iPhone and iPad. However, I ran into a few snags with it as well. The app synced to my desktop, and after an update for the app, it was unable to sync anymore making newer versions of the spreadsheets unavailable on my desktop.
Around this time, I started up here at the Home of the Toddfather, and cards were coming in and leaving faster than I could keep edit. I was missing cards physically and digitally. At that point, I did the unthinkable. I gave up...for a little while at least.
Finally, the answer hit me as I sat bored at work one day. You see, my job requires the use of Google for it's everyday "chores". Gmail, Google Chat, Google Calender, Google Drive...
That's it, I decided. I can use Google Drive to help better maintain a record of what I need for certain sets and what I have in my player collections. What a great idea!
Google Drive allows me to edit the same document from my laptop, work computer, iPad and iPhone while saving all the changes from each and allowing me to organize each book into different folders.
Basically, it is everything I've needed for my organizing (referred to as many by my OCD).
So slowly I've been recompiling my lists, completely retyping everything in order to better understand what I actually have stashed away in my seemingly millions of boxes.
It will be a slow and steady process, but with a little hard work and some free time now that softball is over, I should be able to put a hurting on this daunting task.
Now that I've shared my baseball card organizational configuration, tell me about yours. I'm quite curious if people share my feelings or have something better and easier.
