A real Bru-haha

Right around Christmas, Marc aka Bru from the old school Remember The Astrodome and I made a nice swap on TCDB. It's really nice having someone to send crummy Astros to, and in turn, get Yankees I want.

It was around a 20 for 20 card swap, give or take. I helped him with a few Astros and set needs, he sent me some assorted Yankees from a bunch of brands. It was actually a really fun mixture of cards, especially because there were a bunch of Panini products I don't see a lot. I kind of hope Fanatics buys Panini as well, since they've been kicking Topps' butt with better designs and products the last few years. Although I guess it wouldn't be true competition if they all rolled up to the same mothership. 

Still, seeing Donruss and Prizm with official marks would be cool.

Regardless, back to the variety. I was able to add five Gleybers to the collection, including a couple with the RC logo...which apparently doesn't really mean what it used to a few years ago.

I also got my second card of Odor as a Yankees, and this one is pretty great at highlighting his fiery personality.

I won't lie, I laughed when I saw this mugshot. What a dopey card.

I still have hope for Clarke Schmidt being an impactful Yankees pitcher. It would be nice if a first rounder not named Judge panned out.

A few more Stantons. I need to do a count on his cards, but I must be approaching 175 or so. I like the Fire red foil a lot. Maybe my favorite card of the trade.

And here are the rest of the goodies.

Marc, thanks for the trade, and please enjoy your time with the beautiful baby girl you just had.

Flying up the rankings

Prospect rankings can often be inconsistent and arbitrary. Many in the Top 100 at any given time won't have an impact in the Major Leagues.

Still, wouldn't you rather your team have a few high-ranking prospects?

The Yankees haven't gotten a ton out of their most recent first round draft picks. Outside of Aaron Judge, many either didn't make it, were traded, or are still finding their way in the minors. There have been short bursts of success, but by and large their picks have underwhelmed over the past decade. That happens when you frequently pick in the late 20s and don't have access to top five talent.

In 2019, the Yankees selected a local product, high school short stop Anthony Volpe from Watchung, NJ. He was committed to Vanderbilt, but the Yanks signed him away. Many felt the pick was fine, maybe a slight reach, and perhaps not the most exciting prospect.

They were wrong.

In 2019, he played in a few games and his season was cut short by mono.

Then 2020 was a throwaway year for lower level minor leaguers.

But in 2021, the Yankees look like they may have struck gold with their 2019 first rounder. Volpe has been nothing short of amazing. In MLB Pipeline's most recent Top 100 mid-season rankings, Volpe comes in at number 15 overall. Even more impressive, he did this from not being ranked at the start of the season. That is a massive jump.

And for good reason.

Just 20 years old, he has played at A and A+ levels this year, hitting .302/.436/.609 with 21 HRs in 90 games. He has swiped 28 bases, and has walked about as much as he has K'd. He's doing all this at shortstop, while be a few years below the average age of his competition.

A lot can happen between A+ and AA and AAA. But for now, it appears the Yankees have something special brewing, and what a story it would be to see a local kid man SS for the Yankees. With all due respect to Andrew Velazquez, of course.

Volpe cards used to be fairly easy to pluck on TCDB, but now not so much. Still, I managed to get quite a few before he burst onto the scene.

Here's to hoping he continues to flourish and climb the rankings as one of the best prospects in baseball.

200 TCDB trades!

Without realizing it, I just went past 200 completed trades on the Trading Card Database (TCDB). 

I was surprised the number was this high, actually. However, most trades are quick PWE swaps, so they tend to add up quickly if you have three or four going at once.

I don't spend a ton of time with the hobby these days, so it's also a testament to show that the site isn't as time consuming as some would like to think.

Additionally, I'm likely not the easiest trade partner on the site. I don't have a ton of cards available for trade. I usually add the extras from recent products, which is when most trades happen. For example, when I busted those two excellent Stadium Club blasters, all the cards I didn't want I added to TCDB. Then, team and set collectors usually reach out with a few offers, or vice versa.

My wantlists are fairly light, as well. I obviously have added all Tino's I don't have, but I've probably only traded for about 25 of his cards all-time on the site. Most trades have centered around guys like Gleyber Torres or Clarke Schmidt.

I actually have added all Gleyber cards I don't have to my wantlist. While I don't really want to pursue his cards as a player collection, it does help me trade match with more people. As a result, I've got nearly 200 Gleyber cards now.

Some of my recent trades have netted me some nice cards of his, in fact. These are the types that roll in a weekly basis:

200 trades without it feeling like it is pretty cool. The TCDB continues to be a great place to trade, if that's your sort of thing. It's been an excellent way to trade away commons of cards that might otherwise just sit in boxes. And as a result, I've really built up a solid collection of Torres card.

On to trades 201, 202, and 203...

Orange you glad you use TCDB?

The TCDB trades have been rolling in, as many other forms of trading and acquiring new cards dry up. I don't post all of my swaps here, but one of my recents was a fun one.

I rarely add or peruse the basketball section of the site, but from time to time I do add a few cards of Syracuse Orange basketball cards just to keep my want a bit diverse. Luckily, it worked out in my favor for a trade with jrad1973, as I sent him a few Astros for the following cards.

While I absolutely hate baseball mascot cards (looking at you, Opening Day), I thought a card of Otto the Orange was cool to have. Typically Syracuse has four students play Otto each year, and during football they alternate each quarter. One of the best mascots in college sports!

A couple of Syracuse one-and-dones! The Carmelo is cool, especially with Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery in the back. Feels like a big event game!

It wasn't just Syracuse cards! Three Yankees were included in the package, as well. I don't hate Contenders baseball. I have no idea when or they were released. Retail blasters, I guess? But I would have never come across them if not for TCDB.

Pretty cool what resorting to TCDB can net you, especially for unwanted Astros cards!

What a fancy little holder

Currently, my favorite ad campaign on TV is from Progressive. No, it's not Flo. It's actually Dr. Rick.

Dr. Rick is a coach who helps new homeowners from becoming their parents. Each scene is humorous and relatable, from a parent talking loudly on speaker phone in store, to having too many throw pillows or decorative signs, to hovering over the plumber while he works on a nearby sink.

While slightly fabricated, I think we all have moments where we feel ourselves becoming our parents. For me, lately it's walking upstairs only to find every light on in my house...despite no one being in the upstairs, and grumbling as I turn them off. Or threatening to go into the playroom with a black garbage bag if the toys aren't picked up.

I recently had another moment.

A package arrived from Bru, a long time trading friend and blogger. We completed a small TCDB swap (the best place to trade), and he threw in a nice stack of extras. This was the card on top, which was a Tino I needed:

Instead of letting out a "yessssssss" for the Tino card (which was new to my collection), instead I said to myself, "Oh. What a fancy little holder!" That was in response to the penny sleeve that had a built in pouch for a mini card, mitigating the risk of it sliding all around because that's what pesky minis do.

I was more captivated with the actual case than the card. I had never seen one of these. And like a complete geezer I actually said "what a fancy little holder." I didn't call it a penny sleeve. I didn't say anything macho. I called it "fancy." And "little." And "a holder."

I need some Dr. Rick in my life, I think.

I'll get to the rest of the cards Bru sent me another time, but I need to go examine my life for a bit.

Too big, too small, just right

One of the most fun parts of the Trading Card Database is that I often trade for Tino Martinez that I have never seen. If it's on my wantlist, I'll trade pretty much anything I have listed. However, there are instances where I've been surprised at what comes back.

For example, I was not expecting this card to be oversized when it arrived. It was simply listed as a 1998 Upper Deck New York Yankees All-Star #460 with a print run of 10,000. No clue, but I didn't have it. So when this showed up, I was caught off guard.

Here's how it compares to a regular card. When pictured, as it was on TCDB, it looked like a standard card. But it's not. It's quite large. In the end, I felt bad for requesting this card and the person having to use a larger than usual envelope. It wasn't my intention at all. 

I'm not a fan of minis, but in this instance I at least knew what I was getting in this trade. I would not be caught off guard with the annoyingness of the size on this trade, as I was well-prepared for it.

Ahhhh, that's better. The last Tino that came in via TCDB was jussssst right.

Old friends on TCDB

In addition to all the new trading partners I've found on TCDB, nothing beats it when a blogger friend sends a friend request or a trade offer. I have made some swaps with a few bloggers on there, the latest from Paul of Scribbled Ink.

Paul is a TCDB veteran, and even gave me a bunch of tips when I first started (including a few traders to avoid). I saw Paul had a couple cards I had wanted, and we were able to work out a small deal.

The card that caught my eye was Trevor Hauver, the Yankees 2020 3rd rounder. I only have a card or two of his, but Paul had some of the college Prizes for trade, so I focused on this:

And I also requested this. I have no desire to collect this guy, but his girlfriend is Haley Cruse. So yes, I was basic and figured I'd snag a card of this lucky guy.

Paul also threw in a really nice looking Jonathan Loaisga Chrome RC X-Fractor. It's awesome looking.

I appreciated catching up with Paul to make this simple swap!

10 years (and 2 days)

Two days ago, my blog's 10th anniversary came and went without a whimper. That was my fault. I had February 17th engrained in my head, but when I went to double-check yesterday, I realized I had actually missed it by a day. February 10, 2011 was the day.

I didn't have anything grand scheduled even if I did get the day right. To tell you the truth, it makes my slightly uncomfortable to think about doing this for 10 years. It's a bit of a secret part of my life that I don't really let people I know in real life in on. I also don't take it particularly seriously. This could be my last post and I'd be fine. 

With that being said, I don't want to minimize how much I've enjoyed collecting and sharing my collection with others over the last decade. My collection has grown so much and in such cool and unexpected ways. So has the hobby, and I've grown and adapted with it.

I often do still feel "lost," so I think my name still fits. Things come and go that inspire me, and rather frequently. Perhaps it's picking up 1990s NBA rookie cards one month, and then I move on from that and pick up the Yankees latest three draft picks. Thanks for that one, ZZ.

Or it's big bubble mailers to and from bloggers for years, and then eventually two-card PWEs from Trading Card Database.

One consistent is Tino Martinez, and here are the two latest from him, bringing me to 1,058.

Regardless, thank you so much for following along! I don't anticipate a "here's to the next 10," but let's go with "here's to keeping going as long as I am still enjoying it." That feels better.

Two kind TCDB gestures

Card bloggers are known for establishing relationships and going out of their way to make fellow collectors happy.

While relationships on TCDB are less personal for the most part, I'm starting to see that same generosity flow through.

Two recent occurrences really stood out to me.

I've made a few trades with member kapa64. One trade we were going to make, he couldn't locate one of the cards he was going to send me. Sadly it's happened to me a couple times, so I get it. The card either gets misplaced or TCDB incorrectly marks it as still in your collection after it has changed hands. Usually people are understanding, so of course I was. Not a big deal. It's just baseball cards.

A few weeks later, a PWE from him showed up with the card he couldn't find. It was nice of him to go out of his way to send it when we didn't have a trade in the works. The card is from 2002-03 UD Superstars, a multi-sport set. I haven't seen this Tino often, so really appreciated him sending it after I had written it off.

The next was was from Jim aka jimetal7212. He braved a card show recently, and knowing I was THE Tino guy (his words!), grabbed a low-numbered card in hopes I didn't have it. Turns out I did - womp womp - but Jim was kind enough to still send it my way. Look at this beauty!

Jim also said he is a regular reader and accesses my blog through TCDB, which I thought was equally cool.

I thank both of these guys for their generosity, and for further proof of why TCDB is awesome.

There's no right or wrong way to use TCDB

I too once resisted the idea of joining The Trading Card Database (TCDB). It seemed daunting. But as blog trading slowed down, my collecting interests stalled, and new products dried out on shelves, I decided to join the site as a way to acquire some Yankees base cards while getting rid of cards I didn't want. I'm glad I did. 155 PWE trades later, I've had nothing but positive experiences. 

It's interesting how people who don't use TCDB need to go out of their way to tell you they don't. They seem so obsessed with it that they must let you know. It reminds me of how Mets fans talk about the Yankees more than their own team.

There is a misconception that one needs to load and log their entire collection for it to be a successful foray into the site. That's not really the case at all.

Sure, you may prefer to do that. Nothing is stopping you. But it does not have to be all or nothing. It certainly isn't for me.

For example, I only have 1,867 cards in my collection that are logged onto the site. 1,001 of those are Tino Martinez. The rest are mostly logged as a result of trades, something the site does for you once you mark a trade completed. These are usually Gleyber Torres or Aaron Judge or new Yankees cards from products I can't find, like 2020 Stadium Club.

I actually have zero desire to track and log the thousands of other Yankee cards I own. And it doesn't keep me up at night.

In addition to the 1,867 cards in my collection, my wantlist contains 7,798 cards. Do I really want nearly 8,000 cards? No. But I add those to help others find something to send me in swaps. 

I didn't log all of those cards on my wantlist. I simply click on a player - like Tino or Gleyber - and choose the function "add all missing cards to wantlist." Easy. 

My for sale/trade list (which is really just 'for trade') consists of 2,205 cards. That is a paltry sum compared to many. If I somehow snag new cards - a rarity these days - I pull out what I want, add what I don't to the site. Into a trade box they go. I've usually had my most trading success right after I add some new product the site, as it pings others who have those cards on their wantlist. Often that's when a trade is born.

Trading can be a little cumbersome, and it did take me a bit to figure it out. I'm not even sure I'm doing it in the most efficient manner now, and would be curious to hear tips from others. But I like moving five or six cards for one or two I want. Here's a how a trade can look:

Or this. This is a successful trade for me. Five cards of a team I don't care about, including four of a player I don't like. For two guys I collect:

Clarke Schmidt and Giancarlo Stanton for Miguel Cabrera cards taking up space? Sign me up. I know that's not worth some people's times, but I'd rather do a small trade like this that relies on a PWE than pull a bunch of cards, and then have to visit the post office to send off a bubble mailer.

My advice is to simply use the site how you want, and don't stress about it. If that means logging every last card you have, cool. If it means logging a player collection(s), go for it. If it means dabbling a bit to see how the site will be most useful to you, that works. If you just want to add few commons and try to swap for a few cards that better fit your collection, have at it. And if the site isn't for you, I wish you well.

There's no right or wrong way to use the site. It can be exactly what you want it to be. 

X marks the spot

I was actually fairly slow to pick up the newest Allen & Ginter Tino Martinez cards. I haven't even taken inventory of any that I don't have, given the back variations and whatnot.

However, slowly but surely, a few have made it's way to me. Just last week, friend of the blog Mr. Scott reach out asking if I needed the Tino from Allen & Ginter X. Given I don't have any idea where one might find Allen & Ginter X, my answer was a quick "Yes!" In lightning fast speed, these two cards arrived:

That's the Ginter X base and mini. The base would look great signed in silver ink.

Then, via TCDB, I was able to bring in the standard base card from A&G:

Lastly, through a small eBay pickup, I got the silver foil version, which I thought was a nice add to A&G this year. They shine looks pretty good on these cards, likely because of the pastel backgrounds.

I'm still in need of other A&Gs, notably the mini and its variations. If you come across any, you know where to find me!

A few TCDB trades

I haven't had much going on lately on the the TCDB. It's mostly my fault, as I have't added anything new for trade. Without buying new cards, there's not much trade bait to add, so no one gets pinged or notified when I add new cards for trade that match their wantlists.

I did strike up two trades last week to try and get something going.

The first was with Ed from BOCards. I sent Ed a few Orioles from 2020 Topps and 2020 Big League, and got these to cards in return. This is my 1,029th Tino.

I never see Topps Heritage Minors in the wild, so I was able to snag six of them from 2020 for a few cards from CardsInTheBasement. He's working on Heritage sets, so I helped him with a few 2020 needs.

I have a big stack of cards to add to the site, so hopefully I can get a few more trades like this going. If you're on the site, feel free to add me. My username is thelostcollector.

Phenomenon

When Collecting Cutch challenged us to post about our favorite John Travolta movie, I wasn't sure which direction to go. 

Pulp Fiction is an obvious choice. I like it, but wouldn't say I love it. Randomly, I really like Look Who's Talking, but I think that more has to do with watching it as a kid. Can't really miss with Grease, but I've seen it so many times (family favorite so it was on A LOT), that I actually sort of despise it now.

But when PWE showed up yesterday from a TCDB, it hit me like a bolt from the sky. Phenomenon. 

That's my favorite. I haven't seen it in a long time, but I certainly remember the story well. An average guy who can do extraordinary things. I sort of relate that back to this guy, who impresses me more and more by the day:

The story starts when George Malley, Travolta's character, sees an unexplained bolt of light from the sky. It sort of looks like this when it hits him:

Bam! The story goes on to show George suddenly being in touch with parts of his brain that most aren't, from quickly learning languages to being able to move objects to predicting disasters. He became a true phenom in every sense of the word, which is the name given to many young players in baseball. First-year phenoms or future stars:

(Although I must admit that it's quite a stretch by Topps calling Mike Tauchman a future star)

Ultimately the story has a sad ending, which I won't spoil. 

And while unconventional, I definitely think that this movie is my favorite of all of Travolta's hits. And if you want to read more on Travolta and how he unfortunately lost his wife to breast cancer, take a look at Collecting Cutch's contest post here. And let's continue to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The Finer Things Club

One of my favorite episode of the office is when Pam, Toby, and Oscar form "The Finer Things Club" to discuss a book they are reading. The club becomes the envy to many in the office, with Andy and Jim trying to join, while others disrupt the civilized conversation.

At one point, I'd say Topps Finest was the most exclusive club Topps ran. But now, not so much. Finest usually comes out each year without much fanfare. I guess it's old news now. I don't think I've ever even opened a pack, let alone seen one in real life. It's probably online exclusive now by now, or something. I don't know.

But TCDB has been a great resource to pick up some Finest singles. It really is a great place to trade, if that's your sort of thing.

The first single I received was this DJ LeMahieu. The design is familiar, as it's the famous 1993 Finest All-Star. I can't not think of Don Mattingly when I see this. This card was from the Finest Flashbacks set, which was an exclusive box Topps sold online, with a limit per customer. The re-sale value of the boxes was very high, I believe. In fact, I have one of the Ben Baller Chrome boxes coming this weekend, and I plan to never open it. So if you're looking for one, Ive got a deal for you...

Here is what the 2020 Finest base set looks like. This is your run-of-the-mill Finest set, unrelated to the Flashbacks set. It's fine. Very Finest. If you told me this was 2017 Finest, I would have believed you. They all blend together a bit now...as do A&G...as do Stadium Club...as do Donruss...as do Gypsy Queen.

These also made their way to me via TCDB.

I still like Finest. But it definitely doesn't reek of being the most exclusive offering anymore. Maybe that'll change again one day.