Doon Swoon

Over the 11-year history of this blog, a guy like Napkin Doon has been here basically for all of it. I remember our first trade was in May, 2011. Previously, I had won a few cards of him from the Big Fun Game that he used to run, a Yankee swap type of blog contest.

That first trade included a handful of Tino cards, and two autographs: Ramiro Pena and Mark Melancon.  Names from the past! He also threw in a bunch of Flair cards of Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams. I remember being surprised by the package because we had only agreed on a portion of the cards, but he sent them all to me. That's just the kind of guy he is!

As he has started to reduce the size of his collection a bit, he's been setting aside non-keepers for me, especially of guys like Jeter and Rivera. He sent me a big old box of cards just a few weeks ago, and the contents definitely delivered.

See, that's a lot of cards.

But it wasn't all cards. He sent me three packing peanut NFTs of Jeter, Gallo, and Odor. If anyone tries to steal this image of my NFTs, then I will be pressing charges.

Right on top is my first Topps Holiday ornament. Fun cards. I mean, no Pacific ornament from back in the day, but I appreciate the concept.

The next card I pulled out was a Dave Winfield Kellogg's 3D stars. I don't really get these cards. They've never done anything for me at all. At least it's not curled to all hell.

The second card in the box might have been my favorite, a Bowman Platinum ice parallel of Yankees 2020 first rounder, Austin Wells. Well, that was my favorite until a Hope Diamond Curtis Granderson popped out! Numbered to 60, Topps just did so much right in 2011 with their parallels. 

Stacks of current Yankees included Gleyber, Judge, and Stanton.

I'm not surprised Napkin had a lot of spare Alfonso Sorianos, as he was the centerpiece of the haul that brought Alex Rodriguez to NY. Doon probably thought he was going to get rich of this guy.

As for Yanks of the past, there were plenty of Rivera, and Mattingly.

Poor Doon even decided to send me a few Rangers who called the Bronx home in 2021. Odor is no longer with the Yanks, but I now have an ungodly amount of his RCs. That's my first Gallo rookie, as well. I am betting he will once again hit .190 with 40 HRs. Baseball!

The bottom of the box had some odd-sized Mattinglys to top - or bottom - it all off. Man, that crouched batting stance is so cool.

This is the 45th post of mine where you're tagged, Nap. Thanks for all the fodder over the years.

Napkin Doon > The Easter Bunny

I didn't get cards in my Easter Basket this year.

It's actually been hit or miss for me on this one. Every couple of years my wife has put a pack or two in the small baskets we fill for one another. But I knew that this year wouldn't stand a chance given the current situation at Target.

I haven't even been to Target in months, so I'm not sure what sort of policy mine currently has. But it's never been one to carry much inventory anyways, so I don't even bother. It's actually nice to not have any needs in life where I need to go to Target or Walmart.

But I don't need the Easter Bunny. I still have cards coming in, whether eBay purchases or excellent TCDB trades or other random mailings. For instance, right before the weekend, an unexpected PWE arrived from Napkin Doon himself, a guy perhaps even more mysterious than the Easter Bunny himself.

The PWE contained three very shiny cards, and excellent additions to my collection.

These Refractors are from 2010 Finest. I was not collecting then, so the design is new to me. I don't think I've come across any cards from this set before, so it's like seeing a brand new set for the very first time. You could have told me it was 2021 Finest and I would have believed you.

The other card joining these two:

Beautiful! 2020 Bowman Prospects Mojo Refractor (thanks to TCDB for helping me identify this card). I have a lot of Schmidts, but this is a new one. I wish the name "mojo" wasn't official, but it's ok. It's a good looking card.

So while the basket was filled with delicious treats, my cards came from elsewhere. And that's just fine with me!

Napkin Doon stops by for an update

When I first started blogging in 2011, Napkin Doon was one of my first blogging friends. We swapped cards a few times, all while enjoying very friendly banter.

Napkin Doon's blog was fun to follow, between the in-person auctions held at his local card shop, his running of the BIG FUN GAME, and his trials and tribulations to find the best hot dog in his area...something I think his insides are still dealing with.

On this date in 2014, Napkin Doon made his final goodbye post, written here.

Since then, we remain friends and often trade card-related stories. On the anniversary of his last blog post, I decided to do a quick catch up with the legend himself. Enjoy!

The Lost Collector: It's been 7 years since you hung up your blogging keyboard. Ever thought of a comeback?  

 

Napkin Doon: 7 years!  Wow, I didn’t realize it had been that long.   Nah, I just honestly don’t have anything in the well.   I am working on a writing project on my own relating to cards, and I’ve thought about using that as blog material, but that’s all I would have so my content would be limited.  

 

TLC: I know you are still collecting these days. What are you focused on?

 

ND: I’ve been pretty good about sticking to my Topps base run project (complete base cards of HOF players and favorites), and my 1952 Bowman album.   I’m about ½ done with Bowman and have made a goal to finish it by end of 2023.   The Mantle and Mays cards are going to be rough though.   The Topps base run has been my favorite project by far, because I can knock off some great players without spending too much money, but it’s also fun to chip away at the big names.  I had made Hank Aaron a priority this year, but his death and the overall card craziness has made that a tougher go.  Some recent completions: Ozzie Smith, Fred Lynn, Toby Harrah, Dave Parker:  

 

TLC: Show us a recent pickup!

 

ND: I don’t spend what I consider big money on cards.   However, I had a 2011 Trout Rookie I was ok parting with, and basically traded it for a 1955 Roberto Clemente Rookie.    It’s graded by a Canadian company that I’ve never heard of, but that’s fine with me.  It kept the cost lower than a PSA version I’m sure.   I’m so happy to own this card!    I still have a ways to go to finish the Topps Clemente base run, but this was a big step for me.

I also just bought a T206 Kid Elberfeld but it hadn’t arrived in time to send a picture.

 

TLC: What big card pickup is next on your radar?

ND: I really want a T206 Hughie Jennings with his hands in the air (look it up, it’s cool).   I want to get all 4 of the “Big 4” Baltimore Orioles from the late 1800s eventually and he’s next.

 

Or I’d like to get a Sandy Koufax rookie.   I debated between getting a Clemente Rookie, or getting both a Bob Gibson & Koufax rookie with my Trout money but went for the Clemente.  Unfortunately Gibson passed away after that and his cards got more expensive, and Koufax cards got way more expensive along with all the other cards that have shot up in value over the past year.   As I said, I don’t spend big money on cards, so I’ll have to find some stuff to sell to pay these higher priced goals.

 

In a little more manageable price range, my next goals are a Bob Uecker rookie and/or a Mike Schmidt rookie.  VGEX condition is all I need.

 

TLC: What product are you most excited about in 2021?

ND: Not to sound negative or aloof, but nothing really.    With my focus on the past instead of the present or future, I don’t find myself looking to see what releases are on the horizon like I used to.   Plus, the Rangers stink and there is no one I’m all that psyched about collecting.  There are a couple of former Razorbacks that have started getting Bowman cards that I’ll probably try to pick up, but other than that, meh.   Truly, I had started getting away from wax purchases (not completely but mostly) before the card craze hit again, so not being able to readily buy cards in stores these days hasn’t bothered me as much as it would have a few years ago.  

 

TLC: Thoughts on Project 70?

ND: I like it! I liked Project 2020 too.  Mostly I just enjoy seeing what gets released each day, knowing I won’t buy many at all (unlike Project 2020).  I enjoy checking in with you, Lost Collector, each day to see what you think of the releases even though you don’t buy many either.   Our tastes are different, so I like hearing what you find appealing even when you are wrong.  
 
I will buy the Ermsy cards as they come out because they are awesome.  With 70 artists, Ermsy’s cards will release about 1 per month, so I can handle that.   I also look forward to seeing what an artist named Ron English puts out.  His work looks pretty wild so I hope he makes some cool cards.  If his are weird enough, I’ll probably get his set too.   
 

TLC: What color crocs do you wear when waiting in line at a retail store for cards? 

 

ND: I go to my local Walmart barefoot, thank you very much.  Crocs are for rich pretty boys.

 

TLC: Give us some parting words of wisdom:

ND: Chocolate chip cookies and beer go surprisingly well together, and if you can find it, try Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey.  It’s unbelievably good.   Also, be nice to each other and don’t make fun of how or what other people collect.     Everyone laughed at me back in 2011 when I bought a lot of 200 Mike Trout updates off eBay for $2 each, but who’s laughing now?   That didn’t really happen but close your eyes and imagine if it did.   Now open your eyes.  Were you laughing at me when your eyes were closed?  Think about it.  

There you have it. Good stuff, Nap. Thanks for stopping by, and maybe we'll do this over a peanut butter whiskey next time!

An advanced mailday from Napkin Doon

Last week, a PWE showed up from the one and only Napkin Doon.

I still have hope one day Doon will fire up the blog, but he's definitely still and active collector. And that's good enough for me.

The highly of the PWE was this:

While that may look like a regular old Topps Series One card, it's so much more. Upon flipping the card over, it's an Advanced Stats parallel.

Unless you flip the card over, you'd never know. I actually pulled one of these in Series 2, and didn't realize it until I was logging card backs. Even then, it's just a serial number under the card number. I do wish there was a bit more to tell it apart, but I guess it makes for a nice surprise.

I don't mind the parallel itself. It's sort of fun to feature some of the advanced stats. I'm not opposed, not at all.

Nap threw in a few others, as well. I like the Albert Abreu Bowman pApEr parallel as well.

The five card PWE definitely packed a lot of punch. Thanks, Nap!

Whatcha Doon these days?

I feel like the only thing Quarantine is missing is a return from Napkin Doon. We can all dream, right? Napkin Doon has not blogged since March 4, 2014. But I can assure you he's still an active collector, building up a very impressive Topps Project 2020 run. You should all encourage him to stop being so selfish and sell his cards and take his family on a cross-country road trip.

The king of the Doon-boggles sent me a really nice package recently. Knowing I am a "card crafter", he's been setting aside boxes from blasters for me to make coasters out of. Admittedly, I need to a do a better job with my coasters using cardboard. They cardboard cracks and looks a little weird. There must be a better way. Here's an example of some I've made in the past:

Doon sent a whole bunch of blasters, showing that he's been actively collecting and even Zion hunting.

Very cool! And not the easiest thing to ship.

He also included a team bag of Yankees, including an awesome Gleyber Torres Finest. I never get Finest in trade packages, so I was pretty pumped!

He added to why Gerrit Cole collection as well. Can this guy finally take the mound, please?

A couple more fun Yanks from products of yesteryear! Flair, Heritage, and Gallery?! That's the good stuff.

Thanks, Doon. Feel free to fire up the blog any day now.

Thank you for stepping in (except for you, Napkin Doon)

Yesterday, I encountered a Twitter troll of the worst kind. It ended up being fun, but just wanted to throw a quick thank you to those of you who came to my defense. Except for Napkin Doon, who tried to feed the troll.

I woke up to a hilarious Twitter reply from someone I had no idea who it was. I had previously simply showed a Kirby Puckett RC I had unearthed in a random box of cards, which was part of a larger lot I recently bought from a local guy.

Apparently, unless I am giving this card away, Darrell has no interest in following me. And if I deleted this post, he had taken the measures of screenshotting it so it would live forever.

I came back with a cheeky response that he had in fact won the card, and then he said, "You can keep it. And unfollowed." Oh no!

I gave him the simple emoji wave and was done with it, amused for my commute into work. But then you guys all saw the interaction and sprang to life. It was awesome and very amusing.

Again, except for you, Napkin Doon.

This was some Twitter fun a boring Monday at work, so thanks to everyone for the nice things you said, and for giving Darrell a little piece of your minds.

Except for you, Napkin Doon.

Oh there's no place like Doon for the holidays

Blogging legend Napkin Doon recently went on a Topps Holiday binge, and he was kind enough to send me an early holiday package.

Last I knew, he was building the 2019 Topps Holiday set, but was closing in on completion. I'm not sure if he's 100% there or not. To help his cause, he joined Trading Card Database. You can find him here.

Santa Doon's package consisted of a few items, including two broken down blaster boxes of the product itself. Doon has noticed I'm a crafting geek and make some coasters out of old blasters, so he helped send me some supplies. These will go to good use.

And if you're wondering, here was my first dabble at coasters. More to come.

I saw a lot of critics of this set from the whiney card collecting community on Twitter. Me? I think it's great. The design is a lot better than the snowflake pattern of the last few years. I don't even mind the gimmicky present and candy cane short prints and all that. To me, this is the perfect time to be gimmicky in a fun product like this.

Doon sent me my first sampling of them, and I like them in person as much as I hoped I would. Well done here, Topps.

While I remember the pattern of the last few years, I didn't remember this one from 2017. The snowflakes are embossed and sparkly. I thought that was cool. 

Nap also sent me a nice team bag of cards, included some Clint Fraziers. I still like Frazier a lot and seems like he always get a raw deal. He'll hit 40 HRs for the Pirates one of these years.

A nice numbered card of Yankees HOFer Mike Mussina! No logo on his cap if fitting!

And here's a lazy photo of a stack of cards. There was a nice Judge Bowman, and a vintage Bobby Richardson.

Thanks, Nap. As for everyone else, feel free to flood his TCDB was trade offers and pleas to come back to blogging.