Four Down...One To Go

In June, I noted that I had yet to add any of my Top 5 Most Wanted cards to my collection. Shortly thereafter, I added the Jon Daniels auto from the 2012 General Managers autograph subset.

Shortly thereafter, I added another card from the list in this 2013 Topps Heritage Matt Harrison mini.

A couple months passed. I swung a huge deal with an eBay seller and was so excited about the deal, I forgot to mention that the #1 card from the list was included.

Well, it's time to add another. This one...I was afraid I would never find this one.

Feast your eyes on....

2014 Topps Matt Harrison acetate parallel numbered 10 of 10!

I've been watching for this card since well before it was put on the list. Never saw one. Was pretty sure I would never see one.

Until last week. It hit eBay at 99 cents, so I put in a max bid that I knew would cover it - when you think you will only have one chance at a card, you make sure you don't lose.

So, with about an hour to go, the auction was still at 99 cents. I got my hopes up that I would sneak this one out for cheap. Then reality kicked me in the shin and bidders started running it up, all the way past....$16. Still not a bad deal. 

Sometimes, you just get really excited for a card. You know that no one else will probably give a damn, but that card means the word to you. For me, right now, this is that card.

On Trajectory To Another Project

Ah, the forced title created to make a pun on part of my collection...never gets old.

I was looking through my trade bait a few days ago, and I noticed something. I had seven cards from the 2014 Topps Trajectory relic set listed. I located them in my trade box and took them out to look at.

Short story: I decided I really liked the cards. 

I don't what it is about them, but I like them. I know that Topps refuses to verify what game or event the jerseys were worn at, but that doesn't mean the cards can't be cool, right?

There's just something about them. So I decided that I needed to have a copy of every one!

<Drum roll, please>

Introducing, my new project: the 2014 Topps Trajectory Relic set!

This set boasts more than 80 cards. Naturally, I need to have every one of them! However, my collection is currently set to the base set, not including gold parallels numbered to 99 or the jumbo relics (though those would be sweet!). 

Here's what I am beginning with (pictures only):

It's late, so I'm not going to go through the trouble of detailing all of these. However, if you have a card that will fit in this project and you are wondering if I need it, you can check my project needs page! 

So what do you think? Like the cards? Love 'em? HATE 'em? Lemme know!

PS - Nick over at Dime Boxes is going dark for a bit. In case you haven't already, go give his blog a read. It is infinitely cooler than mine and has all kinds of cool stuff. After you've read, leave him a note to let him know you were there. Hopefully, he won't leave us permanently! 

Is This Thing On????

I'm just checking because I haven't heard much from anyone after my last post. Sure, Brian left a comment, but until he starts blogging again, he's on my sh*tlist.....I'm so mad at him right now, I haven't even taken a moment to tease him about is love of softball (you didn't think I forgot, did you Brian?).

So here's the deal. In my last post, I said that I wanted to start trading for the remaining Matt Harrison cards I need. I even went so far as to say that anyone who traded with me would get one entry per Harrison card sent my way to my upcoming contest.

What's the contest, you ask? Well, I am working on it. Not sure what all will be included, but one thing that will definitely be an autographed baseball with TriStar verification.

But I decided to expand the game a bit. Matt Harrison is clearly my number one PC. However, I am going to add Rusty Greer to the mix. So for every Matt Harrison and/or Rusty Greer card you send me, you will receive one entry until December 1, which is when I will draw a winner! All I ask is that you send me cards I don't already have! That simple!

Now take a look at my trade bait (frequently - it's still a work in progress!) and let's make a trade!

Disaster (Somewhat) Averted...So Let's Look At Some Cards!

Last you heard from me, I was typing a late night post from my office because my computer crashed.

Well, I am officially typing from home now. But not on the same computer. It's officially dead.

Nope, the old computer is gone. And it isn't a bad thing. I hated that thing. So, after having someone look at it, laugh, and then tell me in computer nerd jargon (no offense) that it was dead, I just went and bought another one. A cheap one - I have a nice desktop in my office, so I wasn't about to spend a ton of money on a new one.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to have recently moved almost everything blog related to an external hard drive, so I didn't to do much recovery.

So here we are, typing away on a new machine. But no one cares.

Let's look at some new cards!

I sold off a few more cards that I didn't have a place for and added some that fit better. First up:

Not really collecting Yu, but I snagged this card for 99 cents. Can't beat that, so I happily added to the collection.

This Refractor-y relic numbered to 25 is of the future of the Ranger's franchise, Joey Gallo. He didn't have a ton of success a the major league level this year - a lot of strikeouts but a few MONSTER home runs - but he hadn't played above Double A before he was called up. Some players need to progress to develop their eye at the plate. No worries there.

But here's the belle of the ball, in terms of my most recent pickups. This is the 2008 Blue Refractor Auto of Matt Harrison from 2008 Bowman Chrome. In terms of autos, this leaves me needing only the red, superfractor and printing plate autos.

Which leads me to something I think can be very interesting. I need quite a few Harrison cards. However, most of them are base cards or parallels (many of which are non- or high-numbered). I'm tired of having to buy all of my needs - I want to trade for some. So I'm going to have myself a little contest.

If you have a Matt Harrison card that I need (and don't have), take a look at my trade bait and let's make a deal. For every card you trade me, you will receive one entry into my contest. On December 1, I will draw a name as the winner of the contest. What will you win? Not sure yet. A blaster, cards from my trade bait - anything is possible. However, I will make one guarantee. The winner will receive one autographed baseball that is certified.

So that's all you have to do! Send me Harrison cards and get entered to win a prize pack that includes an autographed ball!

Ready....set.....GOOOO!!!!!!

DISASTER STRIKES!!!!

Well, a disaster for me. 

This week has been horrible for me. I had to have a "Come to Jesus" meeting with my students because they, as a whole, were not performing to even the most basic standards. Then, yesterday, someone keyed my truck. The truck is black, so the scratch really jumps out at you.

But Murphy was really waiting for me today....

I was finishing up a paper for one of my midterms when my computer gave me this screen:

From here, it just continually loops from the black and white startup screen to "Windows is starting..." 

So here I sit in my office, nearly midnight, just submitted my midterm (just in time!).

So what exactly does that mean?

Well, first it means that I need to figure out a way to salvage all of my photos. I had everything neatly organized on my computer's hard drive.

Second, it means that I may be out of commission for a bit until I can find a new computer. I hope I can find a cheap one because it is going to cost about $400 to get my truck fixed in the areas with the scratches. 

So, anyone care to donate to a Go Fund me page?! Hahaha

"Where To Go From Here" -OR- "Stuck In A Rut (Again)"

Nothing feels worse than apathy. And that, my friends, is pretty much exactly how I feel right now.

When it comes to cardboard, I've been snatching it up (for the second time) since about 2012. It started with me grabbing anything and everything I could get my hands on. So much had changed since the early 1990's (when I stopped collecting) that I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

Then things started to slow. I lost interest. I had jumped in the deep end, flew too close to the sun - pick your phrase - in short, I just took on too much too fast. I had to step away for a bit to let the urge and desire to collect to wash over me again. And like a rising tide, it did.

Since then, I have refocused on a few things. I stopped trying to build every set that was released. Instead, I focused on flagship, Ginter and Heritage. I also decided to put more effort into my player collections. My Matt Harrison PC is still a thing of beauty (in my eyes), but we'll see how I feel when his first card in a Phillies uni is released. Besides that, most of the remaining cards are either pricey, MIA, or a combination of the two.

But other than that one, I haven't focused a lot on player collections. I started a Mitch Moreland PC, and though I haven't uploaded any scans, I do have quite a few cards. My interest in the Nick Martinez PC has waned. I don't think I have purchased a card for his PC in two or three months. Rusty Greer...neglected. Oh yeah, I also have a Martin Perez PC. Forgot about that one. In my list and in my collecting habits.

So here's the conundrum I'm facing. Current products are getting so expensive that set building is out of the question. And let's face it - nothing really jumps out and says "Collect Me!" anyway. Modern player collecting is fun, but again, the parallels and prices can get prohibitive. After all, I do have OCD, so missing cards (especially those damn 1/1's) drives me crazy. But I do want something that will allow me to collect for years to come, and something that has some meat to it, so to speak. Lastly, I want something that will facilitate more trades with other bloggers and readers. I haven't been doing much of that lately (and that is my fault).

With that being said, one of the people I most admire is the Junior Junkie. His dedication to collecting The Kid is amazing. I would be lying if I didn't say that I have looked at his list on more than one occasion as inspiration to keep going.

If I'm going to start talking about collections I admire, then I have to give some credit to "Mouschi," the most insane Jose Conseco collector around. Not only is he a supercollector, he also goes above and beyond in creating his own Conseco cards. His quest for everything Conseco landed him at Conseco's home for a private signing!!! That led to him sharing the cover of Beckett with Conseco and Joey Gallo. 

And those aren't only two. Daniel, proprietor of it's like having my own cardshop, has an amazing D-Backs bobblehead collection. William (the good man that inspired me to start blogging) has an AWESOME collection of Hall of Fame autographed baseballs. Fuji has awesome flea market finds. And I wish I could be half the writer that Night Owl is. 

I got off on a tangent, but what I was trying to say is simple. All of these gentlemen have amazing focus in their collecting and/or blogging efforts. I want more of that. Instead of having a bunch of player collections with a couple hundred cards each, I want something massive. Currently, Rusty Greer would be the largest (in terms of total cards), with slightly more than 800 total cards. My next thought is Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. A quick Beckett search comes back with more than 8,000 cards. Ummmm....maybe that's too big. 

Anyway, at this point I am rambling. What do you think? Does anyone have any advice for me? I could definitely use it right about now.

Another Beauty For The Matt Harrison PC

Additions to the Matt Harrison PC are starting to come in at a much slower rate. I've acquired most of the base cards, so it seems that the only cards remaining are the expensive ones. However, I'm able to snag one of those at a decent price. Such is the case with my newest addition.

This is the 2008 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor auto. I've seen it pop up on eBay here and there, but it always seemed to be listed around $100 (or more). However, this one was listed auction style starting at 99 cents.

I put in my max bid and waited...and waited...five-day auctions seem to take forever.

No matter. At the end of the auction, I was the winner. Best part - I only paid $12 and change. And shipping was free! 

So here she is, in all her orang-y glory!

Hope everyone is well! Thanks for reading!