Last chance to enter my contest!

Last chance to enter my contest!!

CLICK HERE!

SkyBoxes are great for tradin'

Recently, Chris from View From The SkyBox posted some tradebait. I saw a Paul O’Neill 2012 A&G jersey with a big old pinstripe that struck my fancy, and a deal was born.

I’m still surprised with how frequently O’Neill has been included in modern sets. He was always a favorite, and adding pieces of his jersey are always something I’m interested in. If you touch the jersey, you can still feel Paulie’s heart pumping. Ok, maybe not, but that’s what I’ll tell myself.

Of the additional cards, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the TANAKA RC the most. He’s so awesome. Beyond anything I would have imagined. I’m not only a huge fan of his pitching, but how professional he’s been in his approach and demeanor. It’s hard to believe he’s just 25. It feels like watching someone who is 33 or 34 and has been in MLB for years.

Here are the others. That Clemens Turkey Red is truly sweet. The background is amazing. And the Mo reprint! I've kind of come to terms with the fact that I may never own the real deal, so this is a nice consolation prize. 

 

That one time I had a good idea

Last year while watching the MLB Draft, the Yankees selected Ian Clarkin as one of their first rounders. As soon as the pick was announced, I went on eBay, found a cool Clarkin USA relic, and snagged it. I went back later, and a lot of the prices had shot up since he was now a Yankee. Opportunistic sellers, indeed.

I employed a similar strategy this year. The Yankees first pick, at number 55 overall, was Jacob Lindgren, a fast track college reliever. I did a quick eBay search, but alas no cards.

The next day, the Yankees grabbed high school righty Austin DeCarr in the third round. I took a chance, and found a cool low-numbered auto of his right after the pick was made. Again, I checked eBay later, and nearly every seller had raised his prices to ridiculous amounts. I got mine for only a couple bucks.

DeCarr decided to forgo his commitment to Clemson and sign with the Yanks for a cool million bucks, so another solid young arm has been added to the system, as well as another sweet autograph to my collection.

Enter my contest!

In case you haven't, feel free to join my contest! Original link is HERE.

TTM Success: Eric Jagielo (again)

I try not to send a TTM request to a guy multiple times. I'd be lying if I said I never did it, but usually I try to do it upgrade a past signature, or obtain an autograph on a card I really like that I didn't have at the time. Here's an example of that.

Last June, after he was drafted by the Yankees, I sent a TTM request to first-rounder Eric Jagielo. He was too fresh to have any cards, so I sent this Yankee Stadium card, which he signed. I like these better than the blank signature card, and I'm not adept at making customs like a lot of you.

Since then, Jagielo has appeared in a few sets, notably 2014 Bowman. Wanting to upgrade the above, I sent his base card, and just received it back signed:

Definitely an upgrade, and something that looks a lot nicer in my collection!

Contest time!

I haven't done a contest in a really long time. A few years, to be exact.

I also haven't done a sketch card in awhile. By no means am I the best artist out there, but I do enjoy doing a sketch card from time to time, and have done some for a few bloggers out there. I have found that I'm a bit more motivated when doing one for someone else, so that's where you come in.

The contest prize? A sketchcard of the player of your choosing!

To enter, all you have to do is:
1. Follow my blog (most of you already do).
2. Comment on which player you'd choose if you win.

That's it. No additional entry opportunities. No pimping needed (although I won't say no if you want to share the contest on your blog or on Twitter). Just one simple follow and one simple comment, and you're in! Contest entries close at midnight PT on Friday 6/20.

Here are a few sketch cards I've done in the past to show what yours might look like:

 

 

TTM Success: Austin Aune

In mid-May, I shot a TTM request to Yankees prospect Austin Aune. This past weekend, my card was returned signed:

I actually sent this to the Yanks' minor league complex in Tampa. Had I waited a few weeks, I could have just sent to Staten Island, where Aune has been assigned.

Aune is one of those highly-recruited QBs who chose baseball instead of college football. He was committed to TCU, but turned pro after the Yanks drafted him in the second round in 2012. His pro career hasn't quite gone as expected, spending the last two seasons in the Gulf Coast League and developing a little slower than you'd like to see for a second-rounder. Still, there is a lot of hope for him.

This year he makes the jump to Staten Island, and hopefully he enjoys some success. He's got a lot of athletic ability, but just needs to put it all together. He needs to cut down on the Ks, and make consistent contact while taking a few more walks. In all the interviews I've seen, he seems like a great kid, so here's to wishing Austin the best of luck this season and beyond.