Initial Announcement: 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen Half Case Break

With a new year comes new goals. As I mentioned last week, one of my goals for this new year is to host better group breaks. Well, the time has come to announce the first break:

2014 Topps Gypsy Queen Half Case Break

I will be breaking five hobby boxes of 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen when the product streets in April (the tentative street date is April 9). Some of the product highlights:

• 2 on-card autos per box
• 1 full-size relic card per box
• 1 mini relic per box

For those of you that are visually stimulated like I am, here are a few images of cards from the set:

So here is how it will go down. Buy in per team is $40 (this covers cost and shipping). But wait - that gets you one team of your choosing AND one randomly assigned team!!! You will receive all cards for both of your teams from five hobby boxes. Should a card have more than one player on it, the card will go to the person who 1.) has the most teams featured on the card; 2.) has the player on the top (of a card with a top-middle-bottom alignment); 3.) has the layer on the left (of a left-middle-right alignment).

Sign-ups will be completed and payment must be received by the end of February so that I can pre-order the boxes and get the best deal possible. So don't delay - sign up today!

Available Teams:

1. DBacks
2. Braves - Chris Mays
3. O's
4. Red Sox
5.Cubs - Dutch
6. White Sox
7. Reds - Guntha17
8. Indians
9. Rockies
10. Tigers
11. Astros - Bru
12. Royals
13. Angels - PATP
14. Dodgers - defgav
15. Marlins
16. Brewers - Tony L.
17. Twins
18. Mets
19. Yankees - defgav
20. A's
21. Phillies - Brad (Brad's Blog)
22. Pirates - Nate Bell
23. Padres
24. Giants - arpsmith
25. Mariners
26. Cardinals
27. Rays
28. Rangers - PATP
29. Blue Jays
30. Nats - Judson

A Weekend Ruined

...By sickness.

I never missed school growing up because I never seemed to get sick. I never missed any college classes due to sickness. Well, if you takeaway hangovers, that is - I definitely missed class a couple of times because I had way too much fun the night before. And I definitely missed a few classes simply because I didn't want to go. But I'm getting off topic.

As a sports fan, this weekend was supposed to be epic. With the BCS bowl games and the NFL playoff games as well as some Creighton basketball games on FS1, I was prepared to be in the sports zone all weekend.

Instead, I wasted away in bed, praying to God to let me live for just another 24 hours and re-evaluate my situation from there.

So what does this mean in terms of collecting and this blog?

It means that contrary to what I told a few people interested in working out a trade, I wasn't able to pull any cards or sort any of my newly acquired Heritage cards and sort out my needs for those sets. I updated my 2013 Bowman Chrome and 2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects needs this morning, however; I sorted through all of those Friday afternoon before my near death experience.

I'm working as hard as I can to get caught up, but it may take me a few days. I am really am sorry to those who I spoke with about trades last week, and I'm doing my best to get to a point where I'm ready to roll.

So I offer this video as tribute. You will most likely find it stupid, but I find it hilarious. This video (and a few more like it) were precursors to Adult Swim's "China, IL".

Anthony Rendon Player Collection

2013

2013 Bowman Chrome Magenta Refractor #'d 35/35

2013 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor #'d 31/50

2013 Bowman Chrome Refractor

2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Gold Refractor #'d 2/50

2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Refractor #'d 47/99

2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Red Wave Refractor #'d 13/25

2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Black Wave Refractor

2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Wave Refractor

2013 Bowman Platinum Base

2013 Bowman Platinum Chrome Refractor

2013 Topps Chrome Black/Silver Auto Refractor #'d 25/25

2013 Topps Chrome Black Refractor Auto #'d 4/100

2013 Topps Chrome Blue Sapphire Refractor Auto #'d 191/199

2013 Topps Chrome Base Auto

2013 Topps Chrome Sepia Refractor Auto Redemption

2013 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor Auto Redemption

2013 Topps Chrome Base Auto Redemption

2013 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor  #'d 12/50

2013 Topps Chrome Retail Purple Refractor

2013 Topps Chrome Base

2013 Topps Finest Auto Jumbo RelicRefractor Redemption

2013 Topps Heritage High Number Rookie Card

2013 Topps Update Series Camo Parallel

2013 Topps Update Series Base

2013 Topps Update Series Rookie Debut Red Parallel

2013 Topps Chasing History Insert

2011

2011 Panini Playoff Contenders Prospect Ticket #'d 186/289

My 2014 Collecting Goals

2013 was my first year collecting as an adult. When I started my blog, I intentionally did not set any goals for myself. The reasoning for this was two-fold: first, I wanted to see how the blog went. Nothing would be worse than setting goals only to quit the blog a month or two later. Second, I wanted to see how my blog grew organically, that way I could set goals that were realistic to my collecting and blogging habits. I've learned a lot in these eight months, and I am ready to set my first goal list.

The Big 5 (definite things I want to accomplish)

1. Complete the 2013 Topps Chrome Anthony Rendon auto rainbow.
• This could be tricky. I am fairly certain I won't be able to obtain the auto'd superfractor, and even if it became available, it would be out of my price range. This leaves me needing the gold, red, camo, atomic, pink and printing plates (which I probably won't pursue).
2. Complete the 2013 run of Nelson Cruz cards.
• I'm not sure how many that leaves me with, but I am certain it is quite a few.
3. Add a certified Bryce Harper auto to my collection.
• The hardest part of being a Harper collector is the cost of higher end products, including any card with a certified auto. I hope to add on this year.
4.  Make significant contributions to my 2013 Heritage Manager's Project.
• I believe there are 17 managers cards in the set, of which I already have nine signed. That leaves me eight cards. If i can get six of those eight, I will consider the year a success.
5. Add 50 followers to my blog.
• I'm currently at 55 followers, so I don't think this will be terribly difficult, especially if you help me out! Give me a shout or a #FollowFriday mention!

Other Important Things That Need To Happen

First and foremost, I need to become more efficient at sending out cards. I started out great - then life got in my way and it started taking me too long to send out promised cards. I'm working on that.

I also want to become a better host for group breaks. I did an Allen & Ginter break in 2013, and it wasn't bad. But I want to stream my breaks in the future, so I plan to create my own UStream channel to accompany my YouTube channel (that I rarely use). I would like to host at least 3 breaks this year, beginning with Gypsy Queen.

I would like to find at least five (5) new trading partners. I want to expand my "sphere of influence!"

Lastly, I would like to make my blog more attractive. This includes a custom logo, "prettier" background and unique .com address. 

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave me any suggestions you may have!

Drunk On Parallels

I've realized that I have a problem: I am a parallel chaser. Few things give me the satisfaction that working on a parallel rainbow does. Whenever I see a good deal on parallel cards? I jump. Case in point:

2013 Topps Update Series Gold Parallel - 296/2013

2013 Topps Update Series Emerald Parallel

2013 Topps Update Series Red Parallel

2013 Topps Update Series Base

   

I was able to pick up this lot of four Nick Tepesch parallels for a mere .99 cents, with free shipping! Which means that I officially need the Silver Slate, Blue Sapphire, Pink, Black, Camo, Blue Sparkle, and Walmart Blue parallels to finish my rainbow. A printing plate would be nice, but I don't have to have one.

Side note: it's really disappointing when the stats Topps uses don't match one another:

Notice that "Career Chase" says he has zero wins, while the short blurb about him talks about his first career win. Get it together, Topps!

Then a card comes along that is decently priced that I just have to have, and my OCD steps in and tells me to complete the rainbow to have order in it all:

2013 Bowman Chrome red refractor #'d 2/5

I paid just a few cents over $11 for this baby. I love it, but that's probably because a) the red refractor matches the Nats colors, and b) Zimmerman is my favorite pitcher on the Nats staff. But this means that I need every single refractor from 2013 Bowman Chrome for Zimmerman.

I have a serious problem.

2013 Year In Review

I spent most of yesterday being sick. Not because I drank too much Tuesday night - I didn't drink at all Tuesday night - but because I had food poisoning or a virus or something evil fell upon me. I was able to read a lot of posts about collecting goals and blogging goals and things of the like. So, now that I'm better (that's a relative word - I feel absolutely horrible but I'm at work), I'm going to reflect on 2013 a bit.

Warning: I'm about to talk about feelings.

Outside of getting back into collecting and starting this blog, 2013 was one of the worst years of my life. My grandfather (like a father to me) had a series of strokes that have really taken a toll on him. The once everyday golfer now has trouble walking. I visit him everyday, but it kills me to see him in this condition.

My significant other (the "on again, off again" variety) of more than 10 years and I decided to end things permanently on my birthday. The same weekend, my best friend and college roommate and I had a falling out, and we haven't talked since. Happy birthday!

I went the entire year without a raise at work. Not because I don't deserve it - since our company took on a partner, I have been running our land department as well as our acquisitions department, essentially quadrupling my work load - but because....well, I don't know why.

The list of crappy things goes on.

But, since I started this blog back in April, I have been very active in collecting. I complete my first set in more than two decades (thanks Gypsy Queen). I have been able to go from collecting everything Rangers to being able to semi-focus my collection on a few player collections, miscellaneous yearly sets and Texas Ranger team sets.

I've been able to "meet" a handful of other bloggers who are amazing trade partners and even better people.

And most importantly, I've been able to enjoy a hobby that has taken my mind off of what was overall a terrible year.

So all in all, I guess 2013 didn't win the battle of wills. I did.

Here's to 2014, which is already looking to be a better year!

Moby Dick Ain't Got Nothin On Me!!!

Don't you hate when people alter lines from movies in an attempt to fit their situation? I do, and yet I tried it there. Denzel would probably slap me if he ever saw that.

Anyway, the Moby Dick reference was thrown out there to tie together the post with my newest eBay addition. I caught a whale. A white whale to be exact.

I have one of the four printing plates (a.k.a. white whales) for the 2013 Triple Threads Nellie Cruz "Boomstick" card. Last week I posted about the ruby parallel 1/1 I got of this card, now I have another 1/1 for it.

Believe it or not, I'm not rolling in cash. Someone said it seemed like that might be the case with my last post, but I assure you, I am pretty frugal. haha I browse eBay, look for bargains on cards that end at a weird hour, such as this one. I got ot for $28 shipped, all because it ended at 3 a.m. (ish).

If that doesn't work, I search for cards/auctions that have ended with no buyers, in which case I send a note to the seller and offer a certain amount for the card. Sometimes they take it, sometimes they don't.

Lastly, I look for "Or Best Offer" deals. Sometimes, I may submit a lowball bid, but I back it up with numbers and prices of similar or same cards that sold and the price that was paid for them. Often, the seller will come down quite a bit on his price and either accept my offer or throw out a reasonable counteroffer.

Anyway, I don't know how this got turned into a post about my frugal shopping habits, so I'm going to stop talking about it.

Hey, check out my first white whale above!