1999 SP Signature Mariano Rivera Autograph

Spending a little time reflecting on the comings and goings of the week.  Spending most of my time growing up in St. Louis, I got to watch a lot of great players play the game in person.  One of the players that I missed a chance to watch in person was Mariano Rivera.  I have seen the Yankees in person, but they lost.  Go figure.  Anyway, I really enjoy this card.  Great player with a great autograph.  I hope Rivera isn't finished, but if he is I will feel like he is the one modern great whom I have missed in person.
Enjoy the card!

1999 SP Signature Mariano Rivera  

2012 Topps Golden Giveaway Die Cuts

I received my first three Golden Giveaway Die Cuts cards from Topps this week.  Last weekened, I posted the Die Cut cards I received from the Diamond Giveaway last year.  I mainly tried to trade away any regular Topps base cards for the Die Cuts.  I especially tried to focus on Cardinals or Rays.  This year I trying out the same strategy, but I am hoping to get a little further with completing a team set of both.  I am still a little short from last year.

Overall, the die-cuts aren't quite as appealing this year and the website Topps is using is still poorly run with lots of glitches.  I wasn't really sure the purpose of collecting rings last year and am equally uninterested in the coins this year.  Anyway, on to the good stuff.

I have three die-cuts so far this year and think I have a David Freese on the way in the next few days.  Don't worry, I will post it when it shows up.  In the meantime, enjoy!

2012 Topps Golden Giveaway Chris Carpenter Die Cut

2012 Topps Golden Giveaway Evan Longoria Die Cut

2012 Topps Golden Giveaway David Price Die Cut

Brock, Gibby, and a Sutter

A few new cards to show off this Saturday.  These cards came from Joshy who trades on Facebook and runs his own trading group.  Really easy to deal and very reliable.  I traded him a Stan Musial Forbes Field Relic card which had been featured in a post last month.  He traded me four cards and added some nice throw in Rays and Cardinals to finish out the trade.  

2005 Donruss Leather and Lumber Lou Brock Jersey 147/250

2001 Pacific Private Stock Darren Dreifort Bat Card

2004 Leaf Certified Cuts Bob Gibson Jersey 39/50

2010 Topps Tribute Bruce Sutter Jersey 24/50

I love the post office.

Some of the trades that are posted on here are trades that are consummated on Facebook.  I understand that people can be a little leery of trading there, but it is generally really safe.  There are some outstanding trade pages and individuals there who love cards and are safe reliable traders.  About a month ago, I made a trade with Bob Cruz, whom I have made several successful trades.  Usually, I flip him some Red Sox cards and he gives me back some Cardinals or Rays and we both walk away really happy.

The day of this particular trade he had posted a beautiful 2011 Topps Tribute Hanley Ramirez jersey/autograph and was in the market for a Josh Hamilton autograph.  Bob agreed to a 2007 Topps Co-Signers Josh Hamilton autograph.  I was out of town the week after the trade, but returned home to find the card wasn't there.  Being an excellent trader, Bob mailed out a few cool Rays and Cardinals cards to make up for the lost cards.  

2012 Topps Heritage Evan Longoria Bat Card

2011 Bowman Sterling Brandon Martin Autograph 

2012 Topps Series Kelly Shoppach 

2012 Topps 1987 Minis David Price and Evan Longoria

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Minis Bob Gibson and Evan Longoria 

But, the story doesn't end there.  I was really grateful that Bob sent me the cards and happy to have something back in place of my lost mail.  However, today I was completely stunned by my mail.  I've been waiting for a package from Topps all week and was expecting to see it today when I opened my mailbox after work, but instead I saw......

Note the date on the package is April 3rd, 2012.  Exactly one month ago and the package has a tracking number, which the Post Office didn't use or update.  I opened the package and found.....

A big thank you to Bob for a great trade even if it took one month to turn around.  I love the post office.  

A Pair of Topps Tribute Cards

I am always looking for a way to rid my collection of those pesky Cubs cards and this past week managed to trade a lot of cards to a collector in Chicago for a pair of Topps Tribute cards.  I've had several other Tribute cards on my blog in the past weeks, but I really like the design of these two cards from the 2010 set.

2010 Topps Tribute Alex Rodriguez Triple Jersey Card 18/25

 2010 Topps Tribute Albert Pujols Quad Bat Card 04/25

These two cards kind of remind me a little bit of the 1998 Stadium Club Triumvirate cards from back in the day.  I really like the background design on the card, but sometimes wish that the Tribute cards didn't have the designs over the relic pieces.  Oh well, I guess it's better than branding them with a logo.  

2011 Topps Diamond Die Cuts

I've entered a few codes for the Golden Giveaway on the Topps site this year and am having my first three die-cuts shipped out to me this week.  Last year, I did the Diamond Giveaway and tried to only focus on the die-cuts.  I never got a single good vintage card and figured I could get Don Mossi from somewhere else.  I tried to turn around all my unlocked cards for the die-cuts and even unlocked a few myself.  Once I got a die-cut I tried to flip it around for a Cardinal, Ray, or just someone good.  Sure, I walked away with a Mark Reynolds and Aaron Hill, but overall not a bad haul.

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Ryan Braun

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Billy Butler

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Chris Carpenter

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Jeremy Hellickson 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Matt Holliday

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Austin Jackson 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Desmond Jennings 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Jon Jay

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Josh Johnson

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Aaron Hill

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Yadier Molina 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut David Price 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Albert Pujols 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Colby Ramsus

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Mark Reynolds 

2011 Topps Diamond Die-Cut Scott Rolen 

More Trade Highlights

I put a little sneak peek up for today's blog on my Facebook and Twitter page last night.  The last two post on my blog, the Shelby Miller and Matt Kemp card, were from the same trade.  Today's blog entry is some more highlights from that same trade.  After almost thirty years of collecting, and a few hundred thousand cards, I am trying to sacrifice some of the quantity from my base card collection for some quality in other areas.  The Kemp, Miller, and an Ozzie Smith card were the primary cards that I was targeting in this trade, but ended up with some other really nice pieces.  Today, I will start with the Ozzie.

2007 UD Premier Ozzie Smith Patch Card 

My other highlight card was a 2011 Bowman Platinum Jeremy Hellickson jersey/autograph.  The card is serial numbered out of 99 and took a lot of convincing to get it into the trade.  I have a few other Hellickson autographs, but did not have a copy of this card in my collection.  

2011 Bowman Platinum Jeremy Hellickson Jersey/Autograph 98/99

The rest of the cards in the trade were icing on the cake.  I got a couple of autographs, a few cool relic cards, and a plate as a throw in to make the trade complete.  Here are some highlights:

1997 Upper Deck Rey Ordonez Game Jersey Relic

2011 Topps Finest Michael Pineda Dual Jersey Autograph 

2009 Topps Tribute Prince Fielder Triple Jersey

2003 Topps Chrome Dennis Eckersley Record Breakers Jersey

2009 Upper Deck USA Baseball Triple Jersey Kolten Wong

2011 Bowman Platinum Brandon Guyer Autograph 

2008 Topps Opening Day Ryan Garko Plate 1/1