Bob Walk the Planksui

Back in April, Matthew over at Bob Walk the Plank sent me a bunch of Yanks in a trade. I, in turn, dumped a few Pirates on him. Some of the most awesome cards Matt sent were Hideki Matsui cards, which is awesome because I love 'Sui and he's underrepresented in my collection. Especially relics.

Matt took care of that. Here are two Matsui relics. The first one is awesome. Check out the upper right hand corner. Do you see that that is?? YEAH, A PATCH. Now, I don't think this counts as a patch, but damn, so close. What could have been!

 

Here is another Matsui relic, and an insert #'d 18/50.

There were a bunch of other great cards, and here are my favorites of the rest. Matt, it was a pleasure. I already have some stuff pulled for you.

Hoyled again!

It's becoming a major thing. Collectors around the country are being Hoyled on a regular basis.

I've been the victim several times, and each time is always a great experience. Here's the latest group of treasures that came my way in a PWE:

The card gods are telling me to put together the 1973 Topps set. I have a lot of singles, although I suppose I should start with the Yankees team set. I have the Munson already, which is the toughest card in the Yankees checklist. I have a few others, although I definitely did not have these two that Mark sent me:

Oh man. Two things. Awful airbrush job on the Nettles. Truly bad, but still a sweet card. And the Murcer, man I love Bobby. I wish I got to see him play.

Next up, a cool Wally Pipp Conlon Collection. I was really surprised to see that the card made no mention to being "Pipped" - Wally's role in Lou Gehrig's career.I also didn't know he was a HR champ.

And lastly, a cool Wade Boggs from a very underrated Studio set.

As always, thanks Mark!

Real Heritage

The other day, I picked up this card for $1.84 shipped. It's in rough shape, but it's a great card from the set that has inspired this year's Topps Heritage set. And Mantle is in there somewhere. Score!

After it arrived, I googled this year's Yankees team card to compare the two. I was surprised to see that there wasn't one. Seems like a miss by Topps, who does a pretty good job in making sure that Heritage has a lot of the subsets and quirks from the original set.

So why aren't team cards included? My hunch is that Topps releases Heritage so early in the season that team photos aren't available yet. Not sure if that's why, but it seems logical. Still pretty surprising to me though, and I think it would have been cool if Topps had a wrapper redemption or some other promotion later in the season for the team cards.

Another cool option would be to release the cards in series.

What do you think? Bummer to not have team cards? Or no big deal?

JBF Epic Boxes: Packs 9-10

Two more of SIXTEEN total team bags that Jaybarkerfan sent me in his epic flat rate boxes full of Yanks. We are now on to box #2!

Here is how Pack 9 unfolded:

First up, another Mattingly oddball. I love his follow through on the swing. These KMart cards were always a favorite growing up. I feel like they came in a small box, like a deck of cards would. Can anyone confirm that?

A pair of Jeters I didn't have, nor had I seen. These were from my non-collecting years, so I appreciate the enlightenment.

And the card of the pack? It was tough choosing this, but I liked the cloth stickers a lot from 2012 Archives. I had actually traded this one away to someone who needed it, so the card karma gods hooked me back up.

Total cards in pack: 43
Running total: 308

Pack 10

Spoiler alert! Packs with a relic may contain less cards!

But first, this should be called the Topps Traded pack. There were near team sets of both 1986 and 1989 Topps Traded. From '86, all that was missing was Lou Piniella. From '89, two cards were missing: Bye Bye Balboni and Leon Sandcastle. Question - why were the backs of Topps Traded cards always lighter in color? To differentiate?

Next, a few cards from one of my all-time favorite sets (no joke): Tristar Projections. I love the look of the set. The scan doesn't do it justice, but the white is stunning. I love getting these cards signed too. They look awesome. Almonte is currently helping the Yanks as a 5th OFer.

Ugly Tino alert!!!! Circa!!! AHHHH!

Ok, for as bad as Circa was, Upper Deck SP was usually pretty classy. This Paul O'Neill is no different.

Here's the relic! It's also the card of the pack. Why? Simple! It's a Tino relic I didn't have. This one is super cool. It's from 2003 Stadium Club, and I love how the bat is shaped like the state of Florida, where Tino was born. Very, very cool card, and not just because it's one I needed! I appreciate when companies try to back a relic an odd shape. Helps make it more interesting.

Total cards in pack: 38
Running total: 346

New to my eyes

Even if I'm still missing hundreds of Tino cards, it's rare that I see one I've never seen. Of the ones I don't have, many are parallels or high-end cards I've seen on eBay. It's not often when one pops up that I haven't seen.

Ryan over at Ryan's Pitch shot me a PWE this past week, and in it was a single card. Not just any single card. A Tino I don't recall ever seeing!

This card is from the 1999/2000 Topps MVP Promotion. Apparently Topps had a promotion where they named an MVP each week during the '99 season, and you could exchange the parallel (if you had it) for a special set. I believe that this card is from the redemption set.

It highlights Tino's big week of June 27th, 1999. He was 13 for 26 with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs, as the Yanks went 6-0 in Tampa and Baltimore. Not a bad week at all, and easy to see why he was the Topps MVP for that week.

Ryan, my man, thank you for thinking of me. This was a true surprise.

Happy Memorial Day (plus Pinedas!)

Happy Memorial Day to you all. Here's to the men and women who gave their lives fighting for our freedom. A special thanks to you bloggers our there who spent time in the Service as well.

Hope most of you are able to slow down today, maybe enjoy some baseball and a BBQ.

And if you feel like seeing some cards, here are three new Pinedas I picked up.

 

How do you cheat a rainbow?

You buy almost all of the colors at once.

I'm still missing a few of the low numbered parallels, but I found this lot of 6 Michael Pineda 2012 Topps Finest cards on eBay. It included the base card, four different Refractrors, and a die-cut. All for about four bucks.

I might try to pick up a few of the lower-numbered ones, but if not, I'm very happy with this lot of six.

Pretty cool, Topps

On social media, Topps is pretty active. Sometimes they do annoying things, like showing pictures of products I can't afford (personal problem, I know). But other times, they do really generous things, like product giveaways.

One thing I found particularly cool that they've been doing is letting fans choose a photo for a future card. In this instance, Yangervis Solarte is going to be featured in Topps Update. On Instagram, Topps is letting fans vote between two photos. It's a small thing, but it's cool none the less. It's not going to have a major impact on sales, but fans enjoy choosing things and having a voice, whether it's All-Star team balloting, choosing a new mascot, or in this case, baseball cards.

Social media is there for that purpose. To create and engage in social conversation. In this instance, Topps is doing a very good job in connecting with fans and giving them a small say in a future product. I'll certainly remember this when I do end up with the Yangervis Solarte RC in 2014 Topps Update.

Here are the two options. I like the second one:

Photos from Dad

Photos from BASEBALL DAD that is. I was going to go with "I love you dad!" (Old school, anyone?) but felt that was getting into creepy territory.

So I'm very behind on my blog posts, especially showing off some packages sent by fellow bloggers. I'm sorry. I'll blame it on being busy with the birth of my daughter. Even if that's not entirely true, when else am I going to have this good of an excuse for being so behind? So yes, I'm behind because of my 5-week-old (it's been 5 weeks already?!?!).

Anyhow, a while back, Baseball Dad sent me an unexpected package. Inside? A COMPLETE YANKEES TEAM SET of 1981 Topps 5x7 "Home Team" cards. Or are they photos and not cards? I don't know. All I know is that these are awesome and I have to figure out a way to display there.

Here are my three favorite, and the rest of the checklist is below. Jack, thank you so much! I love them.

Checklist:
Rick Cerone
Bucky Dent
Rich Gossage
Ron Guidry
Reggie Jackson
Tommy John
Ruppert Jones
Rudy May
Graig Nettles
Willie Randolph
Bob Watson
Dave Winfield

Silver Linings

I’ve noticed a lot of silver autos on cards lately. I’ve also noticed that a really fat, chubby marker was used, and the signatures look crappy. Take in point the cards below (I don't own these cards):

Fat silver, no? Now look at this:

The other day during a Gary Sanchez eBay search, I found this and won it at a reasonable price. The silver is awesome. It’s very thin and REALLY jumps off the card. It reminds me of the black wax paper we played with as kids, where you took a sharp edge and drew in it, and there was an assortment of colors underneath. The Topps Museum cards would have looked better if their pen was closer to this one.

Pine tar not included

As a Michael Pineda collector, I'm prepared for pine tar jokes for the rest of my Pineda-collecting career. It's ok, it's all in good fun.

It's funny watching first-hand the price of cards drop, sustain, rise, and fall again. I started collecting Pineda when he came to the Yankees. Once he got hurt and missed two seasons, the prices of his cards plummeted. Then, he had a great spring training and won a spot in the Yankees rotation. His prices went up. He then was one of the best pitchers in the AL in April and he looked like he was primed for a huge year. And his prices went waaaay up. Then the pine tar thing happened. Then the DL happened. And then guess what happened?

Yep, his card prices shot back down.

So I picked up the beauty above for just over $5 shipped. A few weeks prior? It would have run me at least $20. If anything, it's taught me a valuable lesson. Strike (sell) while the iron is hot. Take advantage of the market and of guys who come out of no where to make a big splash. It happened with Puig. It's happening now with Jose Abreu.

And no, there was no pine tar on this swatch. Although that would have been kind of cool...

Plank you, Bob!

A few weeks ago, I got a package from Matt over at Bob Walk the Plank congratulating me on the birth of my daughter. It was very unnecessary, but incredibly appreciated. Matt was the second person to send me cards for the birth of my baby, and it still baffles me there are people out there who don't know me, but still send a gift. I have family members who didn't make nearly as much (or any) effort.

Before I show the cards, Matt sent me a truly epic package before this, one that I still intend to blog about. It came before the baby, and I got backlogged, so I apologize for that, Matt. It's in the queue.

Here are the three cards Matt send, all of which are new to my collection. I've gotten surprisingly few 2014 Heritage sent to me from other collectors so far. Usually I can put together a team set pretty quickly through blogger packages. This Soriano is a Chrome Refractor.

I can never get enough framed mini relics, and although he is no longer with the Yanks, I really enjoy this Hughes. Just a great looking card.

 

Matt, thanks again!

The finest mistery on Listia

Or the Mystery Finest, that is. For less than 500 credits (429 actually) on Listia, I was able to add a new Tino card that I didn't have.

This particular card is a 1998 Topps Mystery Finest Bordered Refractor. I never really understood the "mystery" portion. I think the cards may have come with a film that covered them, and you had to peel it back to reveal the card? They also came bordered and borderless, and refractor and refractorless. The '90s!

Either way, I needed it, and won it for a decent price, credits-wise.

I got cards on my anniversary!

Today is my wedding anniversary. This morning, my wife gave me a really nice card, and in the card was something else. Something she's actually never gotten me. Baseball cards.

Tucked in the envelope was a jumbo rack pack (36 cards) of 2014 Topps Series One. Of course, we've all had out fill of Series One, but this really is the thought that counts. She told me how she stood in the card aisle for 10 minutes and had no clue what to get. She said, "Some said 2013, and I didn't even know they made football cards?" It was adorable, and I appreciate the effort. She even gave me the receipt, but of course I wasn't going to take them back.

I can totally understand how overwhelming and foreign it must've been. If I was going to buy her makeup or nail polish or something, I wouldn't even know where to start in the beauty row. The fact that she went out of her way to pick up something I love is one of the many reasons I love her.

So what did I get? Here are the highlights. I'll probably be sentimental and put the 36 cards away in a plastic case.

TTM Success: Xavier Hernandez

Xavier Hernandez has one of the greatest baseball names ever. There are just certain guys you never forget, and the name "Xavier Hernandez" is one of them. He was a Yankee for only one season, but I feel like I knew the name well before and well after.

Hernandez was a member of the 1994 Yankees, a team that got robbed of a post-season berth. He appeared in 31 games for a total of 40 innings, and even notched six saves. He pitched until 1998 for the Reds, Astros, and Rangers.

Hernandez signed these two cards for me in just eight days!

JBF Epic Boxes: Pack 8

Let's rip another team bag full of Yanks from the Jaybarkerfan Epic Boxes!

Bernie Williams bats leadoff! I love older Bernie cards. He was such a nerd. The 1990 Topps is his RC.

Ring of Honor cards are pretty cool. The design is a little dark, but I really think it's a strong concept for a set.

ODDBALLS! How amazing are these?! These are some amazing Hostess cards. I love that Steve Kemp was included for the Yanks. It may be my only Yankees card of him, some to think of it. Don Baylor's facsimile signature on this card is a lot nicer than the one he actually signs cards with.

And the card of the pack? Jeets saluting the crowd after another milestone! This was when he became the Yanks all-time hit king.

Total card in pack: 42

Running total: 265