Sportlots Comes Up Big (And Silky)

It's been a while since I last visited Sportlots. I love the site - I find that I can often get commons there as cheap or cheaper than anywhere else. However, I just haven't been purchasing many cards as of late.

That all changed a few weeks ago when I decided to look and see if any sellers had posted any cards that would fit into my player collections. I can usually spend $10 on Sportlots and come away with a bubble mailer packed with awesomeness. So I logged on and ran a search for Matt Harrison.

And there is was: a card I've been looking for for what seemed like ages!

This is the silk parallel from 2010 Topps Update, numbered to 50. If you take a look at my Harrison PC, you'll notice that I don't have any cards from 2010. I'm not sure why, but I just can't seem to find Harry's cardboard from 2010 Update (his card number is US248, in case you happen to have any!). I was stunned to find this on Sportlots; I was even more stunned that it was listed at $5. I couldn't click "Add to Cart" fast enough.

As I always do, I checked the same seller for cards that would fit my other player collections. I only found two:

You can't tell, but this is the Emerald parallel of Rusty Greer from the 2000 Metal set. I really like these cards, but it is abundantly clear that my scanner does not. 

I also picked up this Gold Medallion diecut of Greer that hails from the 2003 Ultra set. Nothing really special about it, other than I needed it.

Moral of the story: always check Sportlots when you're looking for a hard-to-find card for your PC!

What's the strangest place you have found a low-numbered or harder-to-find card for your PC?

All of You are Good People

First, I must say "thank you" to those that offered kind words and words of support after my last post. I was and still am in the dumps about the whole ordeal, but after your comments and watching one of my best friends defend his dissertation and becoming an "official doctor" today, I'm inspired to get back to the grind. Sometimes, people are just obstacles that need to be hurdled, so that's how I will treat my committee. (I think that sounds worse than I intended, but oh well)

Beyond the nice words, I've come to learn that cardboard bloggers/collectors are also some very, very generous people. For example, Kin Kinsley - the man behind the blog I Feel Like A Collector Again and the @beansballcards - sent me a bubble mailer full of great oddballs!

I know what you're saying, "These are scans of oddballs!" Oh, but they are! What you can't tell from the scans is that these are 5" x 7" cards! 

Clearly, the Greer falls nicely into my PC of the player. The Gonzo and Pudge are also welcomed additions!

Not seen in the scans are Topps Chipz Kin sent, along with a few other minis and PC cards that I excitedly logged into my collection on Trading Card Database and put away into their new home. All of these additions were a surprise that came at a time when I needed an awesome pick-me-up! Thanks a ton, Kin!

TCDB Trade #2

I recently completed my second trade via The Trading Card Database. Another was interested in a couple of Cardinal parallels that I had and made a really good offer for them, so I jumped. Here's what I received in return:

The first three cards were on my Yu Darvish wantlist. The top card is an amethyst parallel (can't we just say purple?) from 2013 Topps Triple Threads. I really like the Triple Play card. I think Panini does a great job creating cards that are designed (and priced) for kid collectors. It seems that outside of one or two lines, Topps forgot that kids can't afford $100 for a box of cards. Finally, the third card is my first card of Darvish "featured" in a Dodgers uniform. Without logos, I use "featured" loosely. Regardless, I don't like to see/think of the big guy in a uniform that doesn't read "Texas" across the chest.

The final two cards I received were for my Rusty Greer PC.

The top card comes from 2001 Fleer Triple Crown. The second is from 1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars. 

Here's to hoping I can begin to swing more trades on TCDB!

An Unexpected Mail Day

Some of my favorite days are those when I receive a PWE or mailer that I was not expecting. Recently, Kin of Bean's Ballcards sent a PWE my way. It contained something I have been trying to get my hands on for a while:

This is a 2001 Dr. Pepper SGA (stadium giveaway) card of Rusty Greer. Dr. Pepper sponsored a number of these sets in the 90's and early 2000's, but haven't done so recently (I don't believe). They aren't necessarily rare, but when they do get listed on eBay, they often run $7 to $9 a card, plus shipping. I just can't bring myself to pay that much for a copy. So I am indebted to Kin for helping me out!

Kin, I am currently looking for something to send back your way. Also, by the time this posts, I should be back home in the Metroplex, so maybe we can meet up at Duane's or catch a Stars game! Thanks again for the help!

Gavin Is A Talented Man

A while back, I commented on one of Gavin's posts over at Baseball Card Breakdown. He was sharing the contents of a Box of '17 Archives he opened, and I let him know that I was interested in a Rougned Odor parallel he pulled.

Fast forward to last week. I arrived back to my place after taking a last minute, two week journey to Omaha and South Dakota (where my Alma Mater is) to spend time with friends and visit the College World Series. I opened my mailbox and found two thick bubble mailers, the first of which was from Gavin. 

He sent me the card I requested...

These are classified as "peach" parallels, evidently. When companies get to the point that they no longer use common colors, I think we may need to have a conversation about going overboard on the parallel cruise. I would have been happy if that was all that was in the package. But there was more!

Along with several team set needs, Gavin also included some PC wants. For example, he sent this Prism Juan Gone:

Interesting side note: when these cards were released, they came in three-card packs. These were the "base" set cards; however, to protect the "prism" part of the card, inserts from a set call "Gems of the Diamond" were placed on both sides of the "base" card. This led to the insert set being larger than the base set. Weird.

Gavin also included this beautiful Rusty Greer Gold Label. I wish the current Gold Label product was as beautiful as this one. 

This Ivan Rodriguez Upper Deck Legendary Lumber relic also found its way into the package. It's my understanding that this is an actual piece from a game-used bat, but I don't understand their need to place stitching on the "ball." Regardless, it's a Pudge relic that I didn't have before, so I am grateful!

Lastly, Gavin included a couple of customs. The first hit my main PC:

Matt Harrison! How awesome is that?! My first custom for the PC!

The second was one that I had seen before on his blog, and it gave a great smile:

This sketch card was featured on BCB back in March when Gavin recapped a couple of packages from Night Owl and myself. I remember reading the post and then getting a pretty good laugh from the sketch. Now I know how Jerry Koosman feels...but I won't complain. I'm honored to be on a card with the certain first-ballot hall-of-famer. Gavin, I can't thank you enough. This may be my favorite card in my collection.

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

It's That Time of Year: My Annual Collecting Crisis Has Arrived

In what seems like an annual event, I once again find myself in a collecting funk, so to speak. I honestly don't know what is to blame for it this time because there are so many possible culprits. For instance, I have been at school studying, teaching and conducting research until at least midnight on an almost daily basis. I'm finishing up coursework this semester and will begin my dissertation in January. I'm trying to figure out if I want to teach or consult, or perhaps a combination of both. Beyond that, I still stress about my father's health. Speaking of stress, this election didn't really help. The campaign was truly divisive, and what's going on in the streets is just as, if not more, concerning. So yeah, I have a few things on my mind.

But I find myself now evaluating what I want to get out of collecting. I know I really enjoy sets like Heritage, Allen & Ginter and Stadium Club, so I think I want to continue building those. But other parts of my collection are no longer interesting to me. For instance, I think I am ready to jettison my Joey Gallo PC. Also on the chopping block:

My Texas Rangers Stadium Give Away (SGA) bobblehead collection. For whatever reason, I just lost interest, almost overnight. Another odd collection that I am ready to get rid of?

My Funko Pop! Marvel bobbles. No. More. Interest. I know these aren't baseball related, but they were definitely part of my collecting habits.

I don't want this to seem all doom and gloom for me. While I may have lost the itch for a few things, I have found myself enjoying different parts of my collection. For instance, I have been attempting to scan, front and back, every Ranger card that I have with the hopes of have a "Ranger Cardboard Encyclopedia," of sorts. This project is definitely fun, but it involves a lot of work. It makes me realize how many cards that I don't have. 

Furthermore, I also enjoy getting my sets into binders. It definitely makes my OCD more at ease when everything is in order. As I am learning for myself (but I've been hearing from y'all for a few years now), pages and binders can get pricey. But it feels that the project is well worth the work and cost.

I also feel excited to continue building my Rusty Greer and Matt Harrison PCs. 

So there's my crisis. I am looking to jettison some things and add some things. I guess I just need to figure out where to start. 

PS - If you have any interest in the above-mentioned items (Gallo, bobbleheads, Pops!), let me know. I'm ready to move 'em out!

My First Sportslots Foray

After seeing numerous posts about sportslots from many (if not most) of the blogs I read, I finally decided to make the dive and spend some PayPal cash on some PC needs. For whatever reason, I never really thought about buying anything from this site until I found one card I've been looking for:

This is the 2012 Heritage Minors Real One Auto Black Border of Luke Jackson. I had been looking for this card for a couple months and finally found it on sports lots. I looked at some of the other cards this seller had, and ended up buying roughly 20 Rusty Greer cards from him as well, all at .18 cents a piece. Can't beat that. Here are a few of them:

This is one of Greer's first "pro" cards, hailing from a Charlotte Rangers team set. Dude looks like he needs to be driving an ice cream truck. Creepy!

The scan didn't come out great, but this is a beautiful card from Flair. I', a big fan of their work. Too bad they didn't make it!

However, this is my favorite Greer card of the bunch, hailing from the 1995 Leaf Limited set. The red and white stripes and the blue bar at the top make me feel all warm and fuzzy and patriotic inside. The "Texas Rangers" script is reminiscent of the Constitution, too.

AMERICA, F*ck Yeah!

Lastly, I am making some changes to my team set project. Nothing major - I'm just re-doing the link locations in my Photobucket account so that things are more organized and into albums rather than just dumped into the "Upload" library. I have everything fixed through the 1979 set, so give me the rest of the week before looking at what I have if you want to work out a trade!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!!!