A Kind of Trade With Scott

I just got back into town from the Charlotte, NC Pearl Jam show that occurred last night.  It was freaking amazing.  Just saying.  We did have a blast.  I wanted to get a post done today since I'm pretty wore out and I still have to carve up two pumpkins.

I got a nice trade package from my good friend, Scott, the other day.  He sent me some Orioles, mostly 2013 Update stuff, in exchange for me picking up a Mike Napoli auto off of Ebay that he had been watching.

Scott's a great guy, so anytime I can help him out, I usually try to do my best.  I'm sure he is recovering from last night's Red Sox victory.  That was the first World Series in forever that I haven't watched the last out on TV.  Eddie Vedder gave an update during the concert, and I checked my MLB At Bat app on the way to my wife's parents' house to get the final score.  She and I have been together for the final out of the World Series since Luis Gonzalez got the winning hit in the 2001 series.  It's all good, though.  I missed it for a worthy reason, the Pearl Jam show was AWESOME.

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Manny Machado Factory Set SP

Last night, Manny Machado won his first (of hopefully many) Rawlings Gold Glove Award.  He was the first Orioles third baseman to take home the award since 1975, the last of Brooks Robinson's 16 awards.  That's some pretty good company.  Manny was one of three Orioles to win the award last night, along with J. J. Hardy and Adam Jones.  Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis were denied.  The Orioles tied the Royals with the most Gold Gloves this year with 3.

I saw this Factory Set variation/SP on Ebay and decided to grab it.  I got it for less than $10 as an auction, so my timing was pretty good.  I figure it couldn't hurt to add another Manny RC to my PC, since his stuff is jumping in price right now.  It definitely is a cool card.

Thoughts on 2013 Topps Update

It has been a couple weeks, but 2013 Topps Update is out.  Tell me if you already heard that.  I bought a box from my LCS and during my purchase, Wendell, the shop owner, had the above Chris Davis relic waiting for me.  I paid him $20 to take it off of his hands (I overpaid a bit, but since the money went to my LCS, I'm cool with that).  In my box, I ended up with some good inserts, autos and relics.  Mostly Cardinals, for some reason.  So, I have some money down between Andrew and Weston scrapping for the cards; winner take all...

I am really happy with Update, though, because one of my favorite Orioles was a part of the Home Run Derby (to which he has a card) and also, 5 Orioles were All Stars (each has a card for that).  Among other Orioles in the set are Zach Britton (yawn), Wilson Betemit (Zzz Zzz), Henry Urrutia RC (cool) and Darren O'Day (Woo Hoo!).

Also, are RCs of Yasiel Puig (something like 4 or 5 of them) and Michael Wacha (I'll be holding onto that one, I think).

I posted before, but the Blue Sapphire parallels (numbered to 25) are really cool-looking and the one I pulled was an AL pitching leaders card.

I took part in Andrew's jumbo box break, which, for me, was nicely successful.  If I had a little more cash, I'd probably buy one more box, but since I have a Pearl Jam concert coming up, and a trip to Columbia, SC to see my brother, I need to save some money.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Update this year and don't be surprised if you see me busting another jumbo box sooner, rather than later.  Oh yeah, there's also the inevitable rainbow chase of Davis cards in this set as well.  2 cards for him, whatever shall I do?

Trade With Andrew - 2012 Topps Chris Davis Black Parallel

I don't remember what I traded him, but I got this 2012 Topps black parallel Chris Davis in a trade with Andrew recently.  The card is numbered 39/61 and it was a lot easier for me to get than Davis's black parallel of this year.  Somehow, I thought I already had this one, but nope, it turned out that I didn't.

I'm really glad that Andrew found this one for me.  I need to get on the ball and find some more of his parallels.  I saw that during the season, his stuff jumped in value due to his breakout performance.  Thankfully, I had already gotten his 2013 Topps Silver Slate parallel cheaply.  Too bad I didn't get the other parallels as easily.  Oh well.  I'll keep looking for myself all the while, hoping my blogger buddies see some for me as well!

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Update Blue Sapphire Chris Davis

Ok, so, just to start off...  This card scanned AMAZINGLY!  Oh man, look at all the colors that my scanner picked up.  This is a 2013 Topps Update blue sapphire parallel of Davis.  These are numbered to 25, and this one was numbered 5/25.  Davis has 2 base cards in this year's offering of Update, so that will give me an even bigger rainbow challenge.  I'm up to the task, though.  I actually busted a box of Update, but the blue sapphire I pulled was an AL pitching leaders card.  I would have much rather pulled a Davis or Machado.  Oh well.

These blue sapphire parallels are not to be confused with the blue sparkle parallels that were wrapper redemptions in Series 1 and HTA packs at hobby shops in Series 2.  Those are more sparkly and these, as you can see above are more like the golden parallels from last year, except they are blue.  I like the look, to be honest.  I'm also a fan of the numerous parallels.  It gives me something to search for on Ebay when I get bored.

A Just Because Package From Ryan

I got a nice package from Ryan recently that had a ton of Orioles and other PC needs in it.  Ryan always hooks me up with nice O's stuff, even though he has the 2013 Topps Factory Set Orange parallel of Nolan Reimold that I need.  Not that I'm bitter or anything, lol.  Ryan did, however, send me 20...  Yeah, 20 of the above 2005 Bowman Chrome Nolan Reimold RC.  20 of them.  That's a bunch.  I'm cool with it though, I'll keep every one of them!

I really liked this 2012 Gypsy Queen framed parallel (copper?) of Brooks Robinson.  I didn't have it yet, so that made it even better.

Finally, Ryan included 5 emerald parallels that I needed for the set.  I really need to get on these.  I haven't added too many lately.  These 5 will help, but I need to get off my butt and make some more trades happen.  Of course, I could buy some, too, but that would take the fun out of the hunt.  I have gotten most of the ones I have completely out of trades.

So, thanks for the stuff, Ryan!  I really appreciate it.  I'll be seeing you soon for Fan Fest, that's for sure!

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Bowman Red Ice Chris Davis

Last year, I saw a few examples of the Bowman Red Ice parallels and decided that they were pretty darn cool.  There weren't too many Orioles available that I could get my hands on; I had especially liked the Nick Markakis, but the only one I saw was somewhere around $25 on Ebay.  I did, however, end up with a J. J. Hardy.

This year, Bowman has the Red Ice parallels in their checklist yet again.  I saw this Chris Davis on Ebay for $17.99 and bought it on the spot.  It is numbered 15/25 and looks awesome, as you can tell.

I am really pleased with how the card scanned.  I might have to see what other Orioles are available and try to grab a few more.  They really do look great, I think.  If only I could pull one out of a pack.

They have purple ice parallels (numbered to 10) this year and the one Chris Davis that I have seen is listed as a buy it now on Ebay for $80.  That's a little pricey for my blood.  Maybe it'll come down.

Ebay Pickup - 2008 Topps Chrome Brian Roberts Blue Refractor

I guess I was asleep on the job, but I really don't remember much about 2008 Topps Chrome.  I mean, I knew it existed, yet, I don't believe I opened much of it at all.  Of course, it was 5 years ago.  I have a ton of Brian Roberts' refractor parallels from 2007 Topps Chrome, but I don't have much at all in the way of 2008 for some reason.  Kind of weird, right?

Anyway, I picked up this beauty, a 2008 Topps Chrome blue refractor of Roberts off of ebay for around $2.00.  Funny thing is, these blue refractors aren't numbered like they are today.  The card looks great, though, so I'm really happy with it.

I got several trades in the mail today, so I won't be hurting for blog posts for the indefinite future, which is good.  I had a few folks contact me for trades over the last few months that I need to reconnect with and get some packages moving.  Work has been really bust lately, but I'm not complaining.  I am very happy being busy.  Job security, or something like that.

Anyway, keep on checking out the blog and also my COMC page.  Additionally, remember that Andrew is having a group break over at his blog, so check that out.  Especially if you have never done a group break before.  Now is a good time to head over there.  Need a link?  Check the top of this page, just below my header and you'll see the announcement!

New Stuff Listed on COMC

I just listed a bunch of stuff on COMC that I have been hoarding.  Please, everyone who is interested, take a look and buy some of my stuff so I can, in turn, make even more additions to my PCs.

Here is the link:  http://www.comc.com/Users/wregenthal

There's a bunch of 2013 Topps Series 1 blue sparkles that were part of the wrapper redemption.  I also sent off my 2013 Topps Silver Slate Cliff Lee 2/10.  Then, there is the above Topps Heritage mini hand numbered Max Scherzer.  Or the 2013 Gypsy Queen Yu Darvish SP (Judson, hit me up with an offer on there).

So, please take a look, guys.  I know there's some stuff on there that most of you want!  Thanks!

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Brian Roberts Printing Plate

For $20, I picked up a 1/1 card I needed for my 2010 Topps Brian Roberts rainbow.  $20 is really not bad for a printing plate if you think about it.  I know, printing plates really aren't 1/1s, what, with the 4 or 5 colors represented.  You know what I mean: Black, Yellow, Cyan, etc.  This one is the Yellow printing plate, but I did need a printing plate for the rainbow and I now have it.  I would really love to be able to land the Platinum 1/1, but I have yet to see it.  I still kick myself for letting the Platinum Reimold out of my sights.  Dang.

Anyway, sorry for the short post, but I'm exhausted after a long day of work, so I'm cutting myself off early and heading to bed.  I hope you all have enjoyed my PC additions, because there are still more to come!

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Copper Brian Roberts and a Group Break

I swear, Brian Roberts has a ton of 2010 Topps cards.  This time, I have located a Copper parallel, which I didn't know existed.  Oh well, here it is, numbered 188/399.  I knew they did copper parallels in 2007, of which I have a few, but I had no idea that they did it in 2010.

I know there isn't a copper parallel of Nolan Reimold's 2010 TOpps Update card.  I feel like this was a factory set exclusive, but I'm not too sure.  Regardless, it looks good and will be added to the multitude of 2010 Topps Roberts cards already in my possession.

Oh, before I go, Andrew is having a group break over at his blog, so you definitely should check it out.  For $10, you get a team of your choice and a random team from a jumbo box of 2013 Topps Update.  Teams will be going fast since there are a ton of rookie cards in there.  Head to his site and find the details!

Ebay Pickup - 1954 Topps Scoops Bob Feller

I finally was able to knock a card off of my wishlist that had been on there for quite some time when I found this 1954 Topps Scoops Bob Feller on Ebay for $12.27 + $2.00 shipping.  Usually, these cards go for around $30, so I did pretty well.

They've been hard to find, really.  I always thought this was a card from the 1954 set, but back when I first started a Feller PC several years ago, I was told that he didn't have a card in the 1954 set (that's a shame because that is a really beautiful set).

So, I am really happy to take this one off of my wishlist.  I really so need to add some more stuff to the list (especially since Christmas is coming up)!

Going For The Gold on Ebay

Here is yet another post about some Ebay pickups for my PCs, this time I added two different gold versions of Nolan Reimold's 2013 Topps.  One, above, was the normal gold version.  The card was numbered 1779/2013.  I also picked up the gold mini Topps, which was numbered 18/62.  That's a huge difference in print runs.

How can you go wrong with Topps gold?  I now have Nolan's 2013 Topps cards as follows: Base, Gold, Emerald, Camo, Blue Sparkle, Silver Slate, Printing Plate, Mini, Mini Gold, Mini Pink.

That's quite a few parallels and to think that there are even more out there that I need, well, that just gives me a headache.

Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying my PC additions because I have a ton more I need to post! 

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Mini Pink Nolan Reimold

While I was hanging out this past weekend during the Cub Scout camp out, I decided to take a look around Ebay.  One of the first things I saw was the above 2013 Topps mini Nolan Reimold pink parallel.  I hadn't seen one before and with a print run of 25, I knew I might not see one again.  So, I jumped all over it and its price of $14.99 with free shipping.

The pink parallel, even though I've never been a huge fan of the color itself (I am however a fan of the Aerosmith song of the same name), I do enjoy how it looks on a card.  I have gotten several of Nolan's 2013 offerings, so this one helps me out with the rainbow project.  I did miss the 2013 Topps Mini blank back 1/1 that ended on Ebay today.  Dang.  I don't think I'll ever complete a rainbow, but it sure is fun trying.

By the way, this card is numbered 21/25, so I really did do well in getting it at the price I did.

Ebay Pickup - 2009 Topps Brian Roberts Chrome Red Refractor

Here is yet another PC addition that I got off of Ebay recently.  This one is the 2009 Topps Chrome red refractor.  Again, with it being a red refractor, it really pops off of the page.

I don't recall opening too many packs of Topps Chrome from 2009, which is a shame because I was a real fan of the base set that year.  I just saw this card on Ebay and decided that I wanted to add it to my collection, especially since I was able to get it pretty cheaply ($4.99).  The card is numbered 21/25.  Not a bad price for a card that is serial numbered to 25.

Birthday Package From Weston

I am late in posting this, especially with all of the mail from recent purchases coming in.  I definitely wanted to get this one up before it was too far removed from arrival, so here we go.

I got a nice stack of Orioles cards from my buddy Weston from the blog Fantastic Catch.  One of the cards in the package was the above pictured Derrick Bleeker 2012 Bowman Blue parallel numbered 436/500.

I have to say, I know next to nothing about Bleeker, so I took a look at his baseball-reference page.  He was drafted by the Orioles in the 37th round of the 2012 draft and initially was an outfielder, but it appears he switched to pitching in 2013.  He appeared in 3 GCL games where he didn't allow a run.  He must be spending time in instructional league switching from fielding to pitching.  We'll have to see where the Orioles send him for the 2014 season.  I'm willing to bed he either starts at low-A Aberdeen or Delmarva.

Anyway, thanks for the package of cards, Weston!  Sorry it took me so long to get the package posted.

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Chrome Brian Roberts Purple Refractor

I added yet another Brian Roberts card to my 2010 Topps rainbow project.  This time, it was a purple refractor numbered 306/599.  I know I have said it numerous times, but I really like the colored parallels out of Topps Chrome.  I used to not be really into Topps Chrome, but 2010 really sold me on it.  That is kind of funny since 2010 might have been the worst year of Topps Chrome.  You know, with all the curving problems and near impossibility of pulling colored parallels.  Maybe its just me.

I have so many of Roberts' 2010 Topps parallels, but I saw one on Ebay yesterday that I really need to jump on, the 2010 Topps printing plate...  Uggh, I'm gonna go broke.

Ebay Pickups - More 2012 Topps Chris Davis Parallels

I was unavailable to do a post yesterday, since I was in the woods with a bunch of Cub Scouts, so I doubled up on the cards for this post.  Recently, I picked up several PC additions in a couple visits to COMC and Ebay.  I'm having a hard time remembering what all parallels are available for what sets, so I have to be diligent in keeping up with my needs (which will be posted on my wishlist very soon).

I got the top card, a 2012 Topps Wal Mart blue parallel for about $1.00 on ebay, which is pretty cheap, in my opinion.  The card looks good, but there really isn't much more to say about it.

The bottom card, however, is a Chrome sepia parallel and it is numbered 41/75.  I saw one during my first of the two buying sessions going for $19.99.  Thankfully, I held off on that one.  Patience isn't one of my virtues when it comes to card buying, sometimes, but this time, it worked out.  I ended up finding an auction about a week later, and this card was about to end and it was only at $5.00.  I was the only bidder and was able to get the card at that price.  I sure am glad I waited.

So, there are 2 more Chris Davis parallels that I needed.  I hope to be able to find some more soon!

Ebay Pickup - 1960 Nu Card Scoops Bob Feller

I picked up a few 1961 Nu Card Scoops cards last year from COMC (you can see the 1961 Feller I got here).  I knew there was a 1960 version as well, but hadn't been able to find too many of them online...  Until recently.  The above 1960 Nu Card Scoops Feller came in the mail yesterday after I picked it up off of Ebay for a few bucks.  This card, unlike the 1961 version, is an oversized card.

It has definite wear, as can be seen, but for a 50+ year old oversized card, I think it looks really cool.  I haven't added a whole lot to my Feller PC lately, so this was definitely a welcome addition.  I like how the last sentence in the text on the card states that Feller could be considered the greatest pitcher of all time.  53 years after this card was issued, that statement still can be considered accurate.

Ebay Pickup - 1963 AP Photo of Virgil Trucks

I found this really cool photo on Ebay of Virgil Trucks recently when I did a search to see what uniform number he wore as a coach for the Pirates.  Mr. Trucks was a coach for the Pirates when they won the World Series in 1960, thus giving him his third World Series ring.

I had recently seen a photo of that 1960 Pirates team celebrating their World Series win and wondered to myself if I could see him in the photo.  I don't believe he is visible in the photo I was thinking of because he was a bullpen coach and apparently a that time didn't have a uniform number (according to Baseball Almanac).  In this photo, which was taken in 1963, it looks like his uniform number is 10.  A quick check to the Wikipedia page (and we know how accurate they are) confirms that he wore #10 that season.  A check to the 1960 team shows no uniform number for him.  Oh well.  I think I might look into figuring out some more information on the 1960 Pirates and see if I can find anything of Mr. Trucks with that team.  I know there is now a great film copy of Game 7 of that World Series that was discovered a few years ago in Bing Crosby's former wine cellar (really, where else would you look for that?).

This adds one more cool piece to my Virgil Trucks collection.  Just when I thought I had about tapped out my options with that collection, I was able to find something else to add.  This is something that always makes me happy.

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Chrome Red Brian Roberts

Since today is Brian Roberts' birthday, and since I got this awesome 2010 Topps Chrome red refractor in the mail today, I figured now would be a great time to post it.  It pushed back some of my other recent PC pickups, but that's ok.  More stuff to blog about.

So, I got this red refractor off of Ebay for $14.99, which is pretty steep, but since it is numbered 22/25, I guess that explains it.  The card looks awesome.  I, again, am lamenting the fact that it was almost impossible to pull colored refractors out of Chrome boxes that year, but maybe it was just my bad luck.

Roberts' contract with the Orioles is up once the World Series is completed, so he very well could be in another uniform next season.  I really hope not.  I know he was injured often over the last four years, but it would be fitting for him to end his career as an Oriole.  At this moment, he is the longest tenured Oriole and the only active player on the team who played alongside Cal Ripken.  Kinda strange to think about.  I think he will be re-signed to an incentive-laden deal that benefits both sides.  If he can stay healthy, he can definitely help the team, regardless of his age.

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Orange Chris Davis

I picked up one of the coolest parallel cards that I've seen lately with this 2013 Topps orange parallel Chris Davis.  The orange parallel is a Topps factory set exclusive, which is pretty difficult to find, since not too many people actually open their factory sealed Topps sets.

The card is numbered 177/230.  The orange looks really awesome because it matches the Orioles' colors.  It also fits because Davis is nicknamed 'Orange Crush' because he hit 53 home runs this past season.  Oddly enough, Davis is the only player to finish a season with 53 homers.  The more you know...

This card makes a nice addition to my Davis PC and will look awesome once I add a few more cards to the 'rainbow.'  I really need to find cheaper versions of his Pink, Black and Camo parallels to really push my Davis rainbow project further.

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Nolan Reimold Camo

I'm glad I didn't hand down the decree that I would try to build the camo parallel set from 2013 Topps.  These cards are tough to find.  The camo parallels are numbered to 99 and the guys I'm looking for run for a premium.  I really want the Chris Davis for my PC, but that one is on Ebay for a Buy it Now at $19.99.

I was very pleased, thought, to find this Nolan Reimold camo recently.  I got it for around $10, but it took quite a bit to get here, and it was coming from Greensboro, NC.  Weird.

Anyway, this is another addition to my Reimold PC, so I'm happy with it.  I wish I could find the black and pink parallels now.  I just need to be patient.

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Chrome Brian Roberts Blue Refractor

Recently, I bought a bunch of cards off of Ebay and COMC for my player collections.  Some of the cards, I couldn't believe I didn't have already, like the above 2010 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor of Brian Roberts.

I opened several boxes of 2010 Topps Chrome and I also put the set together.  What stands out the most to me about the Chrome offering of that year was the fact that the cards were all curved badly.  Something else that I remembered was that of all the boxes that I opened, I don't remember getting a single colored refractor parallel.  I think Topps really had some major issues with Chrome that year.  That being said, when one does happen upon one of the parallels, they really do look nice.  I really like the blue parallels.  The card is curved, but that is nothing that I good top loader can't fix.

My Roberts PC has slowed down over the last few years due to his injuries, but he is still one one of my favorite players.  I was able to add another 2010 Topps parallel of his that I will post later.  I got PC additions of Roberts, Chris Davis and Nolan Reimold, plus I have a few other things coming.  I spent a total of close to $20 on all of these PC additions, which is great, considering how many I was able to pick up.

Stay tuned and you'll see all of the cards that I got!

Birthday Present From Drew - Dave Winfield Signed Baseball

The other baseball in my package from Drew was of Dave Winfield.  Winfield (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1973 to 1988 and 1990 to 1995 for the Padres, Yankees, Angels, Blue Jays, Twins and Indians.  He had 3,110 hits, 465 home runs and a career average of .283.  He never won the MVP award (surprisingly) but finished 3rd in the voting in 1979 (behind tying winners, Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell).  Winfield had to wait until 1992 to win the World Series, with the Blue Jays.  He had one other appearance in a World Series, 1981, when he batted .095 for the Yankees, gaining the nickname Mr. May from Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

Looking at his stats, I would have thought Winfield had led the league in more of the traditional categories (you know, hits, runs, homers, RBI, avg, etc) but he only led the league in one of them, RBI, in 1979 with 118.  I guess the definition of him would be "solid".  He was a solid player his whole career and parlayed thar into the Hall of Fame.

Winfield was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001 (his first ballot) with 84.5% of the vote.  He is my 94th Hall of Famer.

So, thanks again, Drew, for the awesome birthday presents!

Birthday Present From Drew - Paul Molitor Signed Baseball

I got a package in the mail today from my very good friend, Drew, from Drew's Cards.  The package was a birthday present that I have been waiting for with great anticipation.  Drew already let it be known that there would be two Hall of Famers in the box that I needed and he definitely didn't disappoint.

The first ball, my 93rd Hall of Famer was Paul Molitor.  I think, historically, Molitor is vastly underrated.  Molitor (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1978 to 1998 for the Brewers, Blue Jays and Twins.  He had 3,319 hits, 234 home runs and a career batting average of .306.  He led the league in hits 3 times (1991, 1993 and 1996), once collecting 225 hits (1996).  He was only a 7-time All Star in his 21 seasons in the majors and never won the MVP Award, finishing 2nd in 1993 (losing to Frank Thomas).  He did, however win a World Series ring with the Blue Jays in 1993 after losing in his only shot with the Brewers in 1982.  In the '82 series, he did his part.  He went 11 for 31 or  a .355 batting average. 

Probably the oddest statistic, at least to me, is that Molitor never won a batting title.  I really would have thought he had at least one batting crown in his trophy case, but it appears he does not.  He did bat over .300 in 12 seasons where he played 100 or more games.  He hit .353 in 1987, only to lose to Wade Boggs, who batted .363 that year.  Not a bad guy to lose the batting crown to.

Molitor was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004 (his first ballot) when he was named on 85.2% of the ballot.

Thanks for the ball, Drew!  Stay tuned to see the other ball that he sent!

A Gift From Nolan and Jenny

I got a package in the mail from Nolan and Jenny Reimold yesterday that I was expecting, but I wasn't quite sure what would be inside.  Jenny mentioned to me the Nolan had some extra equipment that he was going to get rid of and she asked me if there was anything I would be interested in.

Naturally, I said yes, since Nolan is one of my favorite players.  Inside the box was a pair of game used cleats, which Nolan had signed, and also a signed batting glove.

The cleats are really awesome.  I've actually never seen any with the metal spikes, since the two years I played in little league, I only had the plastic cleats.  These were really awesome and I would really feel bad if I stepped on someone's hand or slid into someone's leg wearing these.  Ouch!

The cleats had a little bit of dirt and grass on them, so you can definitely tell that they have been used.  I took a look at Nolan's 2013 Topps card, since you can see his feet in the card, but these cleats did not match those in the photo.  That would have been cool, but since that picture was taken in 2012, I figure that was an old pair of cleats and I should be looking at his 2014 Topps card to see if I can see them there.  As you can see from the top photo, Nolan signed the cleats in silver sharpie.

Also included in the box was this batting glove, which Nolan had also signed.  I love the glove, so it definitely will get displayed with the 2011 gloves that Jenny and Nolan sent me in exchange for the Bowie bobblehead that I 'traded' to them that Thanksgiving.

I talked to Nolan at Fan Fest this year and thanked him for the gloves and now I will have to meet him at this year's Fan Fest and thank him again.  I've already messaged Jenny thanking her for her generosity, but it can't be said enough.  Thanks Nolan and Jenny!  I know they read my blog, and so does Nolan's brother.  I've built a pretty respectable Nolan collection, if I do say so myself.  I'll have to put a page together on here next to my Virgil Trucks collection page so everything can be seen in one place.  That will definitely be a good rainy day project.

Anyway, thanks for the awesome stuff guys, thanks for reading and here's to a healthy and MVP-caliber 2014 season!

Ebay Pickup - 2013 Topps Emerald Nolan Reimold

I made yet another addition to my Nolan Reimold PC today when I received the above 2013 Topps Emerald parallel in the mail.  Funny thing is, I needed this for my Nolan PC and I need to get another for my 2013 Emerald set that I am still working on.

The 2013 Emerald set is coming along slowly, but it is coming along at least.  My Reimold PC is pretty impressive, but I would love to be able to add some of the elusive 1/1s like the 2010 Platinum that I heard was in a shop outside of Charlotte, only to find out later that it had sold.  Blehhh!!!

Anyway, I'm still looking for parallels of all years that Nolan has a Topps card and it is a lot of fun when one comes along that I need.  I will be updating the wishlist to reflect some of the more recent PC needs.  Keep a lookout!