Another Gift From Michael - 2014 Topps Mini Reimold Black Parallel

My friend, Michael, hooked me up again when he picked this Nolan Reimold 2014 Topps Mini black parallel up for me.  It had been offered to my by the same guy a couple times, but he always was catching me at a bad time.  I had been saving up for the National the first time, and the second time, I was trying to recover from the National.

It doesn't matter now, since Michael picked it up.  The card is really nice and is numbered 4/5.  I like these really low numbered cards, especially if I am able to get my hands on them.  I haven't pursued this rainbow too vigorously, since I have been concentrating on Davis, but any Reimold I can get is a good thing.

Thanks so much for not letting this card slip away from me, Michael!

Gift From Brian - 2015 Gypsy Queen Kevin Gausman Auto

A good thing that happened at this past weekend's card show was that I got to talk to my friend, Brian and his dad again.  I had met them at the previous show in July, and chatted with them for quite a while.  Brian and his dad are huge Orioles fans, and I made sure that I thought of them when I was at the National.

Brian surprised me at this show with the above Kevin Gausman auto from 2015 Gypsy Queen.  The card looks really nice, and Gausman's auto is on card.

Thanks so much for the awesome card, Brian!  I really appreciate it and I am glad you and your dad came by my tables again.

COMC Pickups - More 2014 Bowman Chris Davis Parallels

I sold a couple cards on my COMC page recently, so I was able to pick up some Chris Davis Bowman and Bowman Chrome parallels that I hadn't otherwise been able to find on Ebay (and also one other that I saw really cheap).

First is this black paper parallel numbered 16/25.  I had been watching this one of COMC for a while, but I had been hoping I could find a cheaper one on EBay.  No luck there, so COMC was used to knock it off of the list.

Here is Chrome's counterpart to the black paper parallel.  Numbered 9/25, this orange parallel looks really cool in person.  This one had a pretty high price tag for what it was numbered to, but in the end, I pretty much traded some stuff for it, if that's how you look at COMC.

Finally, I had completely overlooked the hometown flags parallel, so I added it to my COMC card and rounded out my order.

I have almost all of the Davis parallels from 2014 Bowman.  The only one I can think of that I need off the top of my head is the 1/1 superfractor from Chrome and the 1/1 white ice from Bowman paper.  I'm probably missing one or two others.  One of these days, I will complete a rainbow.  Fingers crossed.

September 2015 Raleigh Card Show Recap

I don't use my total sales at my only gauge for how successful a card show was for me.  If that were the case, this show would be measured as a failure.  I didn't sell enough to break even at this show, but luckily, I sold some stuff to some of my friends online, and that put me back in the black.  Some other things I was able to take away from this show was that I passed out some more of my blog business cards.  I had a couple guys add me to their Instagram pages for future trades.  I also had a bunch of return customers at this show, meaning that people liked me enough to come back by and say hello.

Another thing I look at is what was I able to find at the show?  Well, I didn't really feel like a lot of things jumped out at me, but when I got home and looked through the cards I got, I was really happy to see what I had.  I also used this show as a kickoff to Christmas shopping for some of my fellow collectors.

The above 1980 Exhibits Jimmie Foxx only set me back $2.00.  It scanned really nice, and looks pretty cool in person.  I have quite a few of these oversized cards, and I don't really know how I want to display or store them.  They are wedged against the side of my desk, behind a case of CD-Rs.  Gotta find a better spot for them, but at least they're safe.

Hey, look, I added a new Cal Ripken to my collection!  This is a 2015 National exclusive from the Leaf VIP party.  Apparently, my VIP pass didn't get me in.  That may have been because we were starving at the end, and went to eat some Chicago pizza.

This card, which it's hard to tell, is an acetate.  I really love these cards, and am so happy I was able to get this for $2.00.

I found a nice surprise in a bargain bin for relics and autos at the same place I got the acetate Ripken.  This Tyler Wilson Team USA card cost me only $3.00 and is the first card I have seen of him.  He has been shaky so far, but I see a lot of promise in this kid.  I hope he can harness his talent and become a successful MLB pitcher.  I needed to find some new Orioles to get behind, and I feel like Wilson may be the guy I can start to PC.  It is also kind of cool starting a PC from nothing.  I mean, there are NO base cards or anything laying around in my collection.  I owned nothing of him, and now we start with this really cool relic auto.

I probably had this 1965 Topps Embossed Brooks Robinson somewhere, but for the price of $1.00, I added this one.  It'll go in my Brooks box, and if I have another, I will likely see it when I look in there.  Regardless, these are pretty cool cards.  They don't hold up all that great over the years, but they still are a cool look at early insert cards from Topps.

This is another card that I might have in my collection somewhere.  I picked it up anyway for $8.00 because the guy was nice enough to point it out to me and it is also ORANGE!  I figured that he was having as rough a show as I was, so I went ahead and bought it.  The card is numbered 70/99 and looks pretty awesome.

I had a few people offer up this Chris Davis relic card from 2015 Allen & Ginter, but I held out.  I hoped that I could find one cheaper, and I did.  I got this in a bulk relic deal, and am really pleased that I finally knocked it off the list.

Another part of the bulk relic deal was a card I didn't expect to find, and had I not had my glasses on, I may have missed it.  This is a 2002 US SPX Team USA Winning Materials dual relic of Adam Everett and Brian Roberts.

I actually met a couple kids at the show today who knew Roberts's dad.  That was a cool story to hear.  My Roberts PC has been mothballed, so I will have to dig it out, and add this card to it.  I don't anticipate too many more cards being added to it, so I probably ought to add him to my spreadsheet and go for a few rainbows.

So, in all, while my sales were the worst I have had, I would still call this a successful card show.  I didn't blow my budget, I made a few new friends, kept some returning customers, and added some cool cards to the collection.  Not too bad for two days work.

Ebay Pickup - 2015 Ginter X Chris Davis

Chris Davis's days as an Oriole are coming to a close.  Barring a mirable, he will most likely sign elsewhere in the offseason.  So, I am enjoying him as an Oriole while I can and am picking up as much of his stuff as I am able.  I will not part with my Davis PC when/if he leaves, but I don't think I will pursue his stuff with other teams with as much vigor as I have his Orioles stuff.

I got this 2015 Ginter X black parallel off of Ebay for $3.00 recently, and like the Apollo Creed, it looks really awesome.  I honestly don't know why they haven't done different color parallels for Ginter until now.  Imagine what some other colors would look like.  They would be pretty appealing, I think.

Jonathan Schoop Pickups From an Instagram Trade

I was browsing Instagram recently when I saw that a guy had a collection of Jonathan Schoop cards posted for a really good price.  He wanted $30 for three cards, with one that really caught my eye. The above 2015 Topps 2014 Post Season patch is just a really cool card.  The relic cards themselves are tough to pull, so a patch card is doubly so.  I bought one at The National for $25, so getting this, plus extras for $30 was a no-brainer.

The patch card is numbered 41/100, and is really sharp.  I'm holding out hope that the O's can pull out a miracle this season.  Hey, stranger things have happened, right?

This is my first and only Sepia parallel from 2015 Chrome.  I was glad that he had this, because I always enjoy the Sepia parallels.  I hate that they are not numbered this year, but oh well, they're still nice.

Finally, another awesome card was this 2015 Topps Chrome gold parallel numbered 38/50.  I don't know if I am going to pursue the Schoop rainbow, but if I do, I have a good head start.  Again, I wish Chris Davis was in 2015 Chrome, but oh well.  Schoop is a heck of a player, and I am glad to add these to my collection.

The guy I got all of these from is lukescards13, and according to him, I was his very first Instagram deal.  I was happy to help him with a positive experience, and I hope that he continues collecting.

Ebay Pickup - 2015 GInter X Apollo Creed

Talk about a sharp looking card.  When I saw that Topps was doing the online exclusive Ginter X cards (essentially, black parallels to the 2015 A&G set), I was really excited.  That meant I had another Apollo Creed card that I wanted to add to my card collection.

The print run on these cards is unspecified, but they are supposed to be short-printed somewhat.  I picked this card up off of Ebay for $3.00, so I don't feel like I did too bad.  Now that it is scanned, I am happy that I got it.  Man, it looks good.  Creed, albeit a fictional character, was someone I wanted to see on a Ginter card for a long tme.  Now that the folks at Topps hve read my mind, maybe we will see a Xenomorph card in the future.  Then some of my favorite movies will have graced that cardboard.

Rocky IV is probably second to Aliens for the title of "movie I watched most as a child" and it still is one of those films that I am obligate to stop on when I am flipping through my channel guide.  Since there is a new movie being added to the franchise this Thanksgiving, Creed, I am really excited.

I may go ahead and pick up all of the other Rocky characters from Ginter X, but I haven't decided if I will, yet.  I have the 5 cards from regular Ginter.  Picking up 4 more of these shouldn't prove too difficult.

Ebay Pickup - 2015 Bowman Chris Davis Purple Ice Parallel

I continue to add Chris Davis cards to my collection lately, and this 2015 Bowman purple ice parallel is a good one that I was able to get cheap off of Ebay.  It is numbered 31/50.  I was really disappointed that he wasn't included in either chrome offering this year, so I have to wait til 2016 to possibly see him in anything Chrome again.  Sad part of that is, he will likely be in another uniform.  Hey, Peter Angelos... PAY THE MAN!

I hope Davis can finish the season out strong and maybe end up in the top 5 in the AL MVP voting.  We shall see if that is the case.  I feel like Josh Donaldson has already written his acceptance speech, but it is well deserved.  He is having a heck of a year.

Rest In Peace, Yogi

While I will never be a Yankee fan, I can gladly say that I was and am a Yogi Berra fan.  I awoke to the sad news this morning that Berra had passed away at the age of 90 yesterday.

He truly is one of the all-time greatest players to ever play the game.  His 10 World Series rings can attest to that.

He is one of a few players that was alive during my time collecting that I really wish I could have met (along with Bob Feller and Mickey Mantle).  I have a lot of friends who are huge Yankee fans that are feeling his loss this morning.  So, Drew, Pete, my thoughts are with you guys.

Rest in peace, Yogi!

Ebay Pickup - 2014 Bowman Chrome Chris Davis Green Parallel

I'm proud of myself.  I have done a really good job of keeping up to date on my Chris Davis "haves" list.  I keep telling myself that I need to add other PC guys, but with as aggressive as I have been in adding Davis cards, I have to say I have done really well.

According to my list, I have logged 257 different Chris Davis cards onto the list so far.  Not bad.  That number doesn't include the above 2014 Bowman Chrome green parallel.  I log the cards once I have removed them from my "to be blogged" pile.  This card will make 23 different Bowman/Bowman Chrome cards that I have in my collection.  That's really cool, if you think about it.  I have a couple other 2014 Bowmans coming, but short of the superfractors, I am about done pursuing this rainbow.

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed the 2014 Bowman/Bowman Chrome design.  I do believe it was because of all of the cool parallels that were available, but one can understand how others would feel a bit of burnout with all of them.

The green parallel is numbered 12/75.  It scanned really well, and looks really cool in person.  I didn't spend a whole lot on it, so that is a bonus.  Now, I need to concentrate my efforts on Davis's 2015 Topps and Bowmans since he wasn't in either Chrome set.

Birthday Gifts From Drew - Adam Jones Hits

I got an amazing birthday package in the mail the other day from my good friend, Drew.  He has been one of the people that I have traded with the longest since I started this blog in November 2008.  I believe he and I met in February of 2009 and traded soon after.  That is a long time, if you think about it.

Drew always sends great stuff my way, and this time was no different.  Having recently returned from the "East Coast National", Drew found some really nice stuff.

The above card is a 2012 Panini Prime Cuts Adam Jones patch numbered 19/25.  I don't have a lot of Jones patches, so it was nice to add this one to my collection.

Drew also included this 2015 Gypsy Queen silver Jones auto.  This card is numbered 39/50 and the auto is on card.  Jones has a nice signature, and it really pops on this card.

Thanks so much for the gifts, Drew!

A Surprise Birthday Gift

I got a DM on Instagram a few days ago from a guy who I have followed for a long time, and he has followed me.  I don't recall that we have done any deals, and if we have it may have been only one.  However, he messaged me out of the blue asking me for my address.  I gave it to him, and thanked him.  His response?  "Why are you thanking me?  I haven't done anything."

So, when the unsolicited package came in, I took a picture of the card and sent him a DM asking if this was his doing.  His response?  "I don't know what you're talking about.  Btw, Happy Birthday!"

That was a really cool gesture, which will not be forgotten.  The guy's name is Dylan and he sent me this amazing Chris Davis 2014 Panini Immaculate Collection auto numbered 5/10.  A really awesome card that I was not expecting.

Thanks so much for the gift, Dylan.

Instagram Pickup - 2015 Topps Museum Collection Quad Patch

I was contacted a while ago by a kid on Instagram who had this quad patch card available.  I really wanted it, but I had been saving for The National, and was doing a really good job of sticking to my plan, and not spending a lot on cards.  I had thought it was long gone when I returned from my vacation, and didn't think anything else about it, until I got a DM the other day from him saying it was still available.

He even knocked his price down because he felt that the card belonged in my collection, and no one else's.  That in itself told me that I had better find a way to pick it up.  He had held onto the card for several months, just so I would still have a chance at it.  That really meant a lot to me.

As you can see, each relic on the card is a patch, which is really nice.  They aren't any of the off the wall patches like last year's Museum Collection had.  That's ok though, the orange really works on this card.

The card is numbered 23/25 and features Jones, Cruz, Schoop and Davis.  I really like it and I'm glad that I was finally able to pick it up.

Birthday Present From Myself To Myself - 1996 Fleer Ultra Diamond Dust Cal Ripken

I did a google search recently to try to find out what the first "game used relic card" was.  I read a few threads that said that Donruss first issued a jersey card in 1997.  I thought I had read somewhere that Upper Deck issued some in 1996.  I can't seem to find where I read it, but I do recall seeing it somewhere, or at least discussing it with someone.

That being said, something did pop up in the search that interested me.  I found a very early "game used" card of Cal Ripken that I was certain that I didn't own.  The card was a 1996 Fleer Ultra Diamond Dust card.  The significance of the card is that is contains dirt from Camden Yards that was collected following the 1995 season, when Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record.  Initially, I thought I was buying the card, and the certificates, etc were extras.  I didn't know that the card was a smallish booklet (about the size of two 4 x 6 photos together.

The card is really cool, I just won't have a top loader for it, which is fine, I have somewhere to display it.

Also included was this COA from Fleer/Skybox.  This was nice to get as well.  Apparently, the dirt was obtained directly from the Orioles head groundskeeper at the time.  It is hand numbered 463/2131.  When I saw it, and the fact that I could get it at a really good price, I decided to buy it for myself for my birthday. Turns out, and I hadn't even considered it, but my birthday wasn't too long after the 20th anniversary of Cal breaking Lou's record.  Nice way to celebrate.

Birthday Gift From Ryu - 2015 Panini Diamond Kings Chris Davis Dual Relic

I got a nice surprise package in the mail yesterday.  It turned out, it was a birthday gift from my good friend, Ryu.  I wasn't expecting it at all, but that's how he operates.  He has dropped some really nice care packages on me, and I appreciate every one of them.

This time around, Ryu hooked me up with a stack of recent Orioles cards and this beauty.  This is a 2015 Panini Diamond Kings Chris Davis dual relic.  The card is numbered 16/25.  I had seen a few of these on Ebay and Instagram, but never pulled the trigger on getting one of them.

Ryu also included a nice letter in the package, which is something I always look forward to.  We all know that the letters are usually my favorite part of a care package.

Thanks so much for thinking of me, Ryu!  I love the package!

Birthday Presents From Michael

Well, another birthday passed my by on Monday.  I celebrated the day by working, going to dinner with Mal and Chris, then lounging in the recliner to watch the Orioles beat the Red Sox.  It honestly was a rather mundane day.  However, the birthday presents have begun to roll in from some of my blogger and Instagram friends.  I had gotten early presents from my mom that I showed on here a few months ago (1954 Jackie Robinson and 1960 Mickey Mantle), and my wife bought me a jumbo box of 2015 Bowman Chrome.

The first gift package that I got was from my buddy, Michael.  He picked up the above Nolan Reimold broken SHATTERED bat that had been used on 2013 Opening Day.  Michael had to surgically repair the bat, as can be seen from the medical tape all along it.  Had he not done that, he would have had to ship it in a bag.

The bat is amazing.  I'm hoping Nolan is at Fan Fest (in December, what's up with that?), so I can get the bat signed.  It would look really cool.

Michael also had a surprise Ebay package sent my way that had this 2014 Topps Mini gold parallel for my Chris Davis rainbow.  The card is numbered 35/63.  I recently was looking at the rainbow and embarrassed myself when I realized that I have all of these color parallels, but I don't have the BASE CARD!  How did I manage that?

Anyway, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness that Michael showed in these gifts.  There is no way I can match it with his gift that I have for his birthday (Sept. 24), but I did get him something pretty cool.

Thanks so much Michael!

Card Shop Pickup - 2015 Topps Archives Brady Anderson Auto

Jacob, the "new" guy at the card shop, surprised me last week when I visited when he told me that he had a card I might be interested in.  He had just pulled this 2015 Topps Archives Brady Anderson auto out of a pack of cards.  He was right, I was interested in it.

I don't recall that I have seen any other cards signed by Brady.  Of course, I haven't looked any up, but still, one would think I would see some regardless.  Brady was one of my favorite Orioles as I was growing up, and I'm very happy that he is still a member of the organization.  He currently serves as the strength and conditioning coordinator for the organization, and a special assistant to the GM.

I really appreciated Jacob holding onto this card for me, and I was very happy to add it to my collection.

Some 2014 Bowman Chris Davis Pickups From Ebay

I picked up a few more Chris Davis cards for my 2014 Bowman rainbow off of Ebay over the past few days.  I was lucky enough to find some really low numbered parallels that I still needed, and I was able to get them for some good prices.

This black static refractor is numbered 34/35.  My scanner did a really good job in picking up the "static."  The card looks really cool in person.

This gold parallel also looks really nice in person.  It is numbered 8/50.  I feel like I need only the green refractor (which is on the way), orange refractor (which I have seen for $30.00) and the superfractor (which I missed out on, on Instagram).

Now, I had no idea this card existed.  This is a purple paper parallel.  Try saying that fast.  Anyway, this one is numbered 8/50.  I find it weird that I was able to add two of the cards in this post numbered at 8.  I didn't plan it that way.

Like I have said before, I really enjoyed 2014 Bowman and Bowman Chrome.  Bowman is becoming a highly anticipated product for me, which is good.  I love Topps, but it is nice to be able to really look forward to another product, other than Topps base.

COMC Chris Davis Pickups

I made a COMC order recently that landed me a few nice Chris Davis parallels that I needed for my PC.  I am always trying to get a rainbow, so knocking off different color parallels is always fun to do.  I didn't spend a whole lot, so that made it even better.

I saw this 2015 Panini Prizm purple flash parallel first, so this is what started this buying trip.  It looked really nice on the COMC scan, but it looks even better here, and in person.  The card is 38/99 as well.  Panini did a really good job on their parallels this year, and this one is one of the best that I have seen.  I'm going to keep picking up the Prizm parallels when and where I can.

Bowman was a really nice product this year, much like last year.  Bowman has become one of my favorite products, and the different parallels are one of the big reasons why.  This purple parallel is numbered 74/250.

The only complaint I had about this year's Bowman, at least for me, was that the silver parallels were difficult to differentiate from the base cards.  Maybe I'm blind, but I had a hard time with them.  This one is numbered 36/499.  It does look nice, though.

I also picked up this silver ice parallel.  Ok, so I do have another complaint, and that is that Chris Davis is missing from 2015 Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome.  That kind of sucks, really.  Oh well, I'll just keep on the Topps and Bowman paper parallels.

All of these cards look really nice and will be logged into my spreadsheet shortly.

Working on a Rainbow

As I continue to work toward getting some kind of rainbow completed of one of my PC guys, I picked up a couple 2014 Topps Mini cards off of Ebay recently.  They were versions of card number 47; the Chris Davis checklist commemorating him hitting 30 homers and 90 RBI before the all star break.

I already had the base and platinum 1/1 versions of this card, so, when I found a printing plate and a pink numbered 9/25, I went ahead and grabbed them.  I was more worried that the printing plate would disappear on me, for obvious reasons, so I had a saved search going for that.  I immediately jumped on it when I saw it.

I was told that I have the gold on the way, from my friend, Michael.  The black parallel numbered to 5 will be a tough find.  I hope to get one of them soon, and I have another saved search to help me out.

I may also bust a box of 2014 Mini at some point.  They always seem to be affordable, and are a fun product to break.

Care Package From Eric

I got a care package in the mail recently from my friend, Eric, whom I met on Instagram.  We have sent each other a couple care packages here and there, but haven't been able to talk a whole lot over the last year due to his going off to college.  During his summer break, we caught up, and were able to send each other a few things.

As always, Eric really hooked me up!  In the package was a signed program from an Orioles minor league affiliate with autographs from recent draft picks.  Also, there were some nice cards, like this 2015 Bowman Inception Christian Walker auto.  This card looks really nice.  Too many times have I seen Inception come along and there not be any Orioles I have really wanted to pursue.  I was happy to get this one, though.

Eric supplied a Chris Davis that I needed for the collection in this 2015 Topps Tier One.  This card is numbered 136/399 and scanned really well.

Finally, there was this 2001 Donruss Stadium Stars relic card with a piece of a seat from Memorial Stadium.  I have Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer cards that have the seat pieces (from differing sets), and now I have a Cal.

Thanks so much for the awesome package, Eric!!

Making Things Right

I have been really lucky in my time trading baseball cards online.  I'd say that 99.999% of all of the deals I have made since I really started trading online (in 2008) have been successful.  Very rarely have I lost or been scammed out of anything.  Right when I joined the Instagram trading community, a 12-year old kid scammed me out of a Manny Machado signed baseball, only for me to get it back after contacting his dad.

A year later, I got a surprise message in my inbox on Instagram from that very same kid.  His opening sentence of the message said "Hey, I'm the guy who scammed you out of the Manny Machado baseball..."  It turns out that after I had messaged the kid's dad (and the dad telling me that he had in fact shipped my item and that his son would have never scammed anyone), the kid came clean to his dad and told him that he did, indeed, defraud me out of the ball.  He went on to tell me that his dad had "severely" punished him, and he had learned from his error.  He also said that he had acted immaturely, and hoped that one day, I would be able to forgive him.  In the meantime, he wanted to make things right by sending me a care package, if that was ok with me.

Well, it didn't take me long to let him know that I was glad he felt the need to reach out and ask for forgiveness.  He could have avoided me on Instagram and I would have never known the difference (he has a different screen name now), yet he let me know up front who he was.  I appreciated the gesture.  I told him that no care package would be necessary, but he insisted.

He really came through.  Above is a nice Cal Ripken relic that I didn't have in my collection.  The card is a 2001 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects relic card.

What I initially thought was just a throw in mini of Oriole Dylan Bundy really caught me by surprise. This is a 2015 Gypsy Queen black parallel numbered 3/5!  Wow.

This was really unexpected.  I wish Bundy was healthy, but apparently, he has a growth (which amounts to what seems to be a new bone forming in one of his shoulder muscles) in his shoulder that had sidelined him for much of this season.  He will be out of options next year, so he must make the O's squad, or be placed on waivers.  I figure that the Orioles can make do with him, since they have been so adept lately at stashing Rule V picks on the roster.  We shall see, though.

Anyway, I was really glad that the kid reached out to me to make things right.  It was his sincerity that won me over and I am glad that I don't have anyone to think ill of in the community.  I'm hoping he can take this as a learning experience and grow from it.  It seems like he has, and I always hope for the best.

Care Package From Caleb

Back before I left for the National, I got a care package in the mail from my buddy, Caleb.  I sent him a bunch of Braves stuff and a relic from a Braves minor league team.  In return, he sent me this Bowman Sterling Chance Sisco auto and the below 2014 Bowman Chrome refractor auto of Jonathan Schoop.

With Matt Wieters leaving via free agency this off season, the Orioles will have to make do with Caleb Joseph and most likely Steve Clevenger until Sisco is ready for the majors.  Sisco is probably the best prospect that the O's have now, since Kevin Gausman is in the majors and Dylan Bundy has been hurt so much.

I really want to get to a minor league game to see Sisco play next season.  I missed out this year.

This Schoop auto is numbered 250/500.  It is a really nice-looking card.  I have quite a bit of Schoop autos and relics now, and it looks like he might just become one of my main PC targets once Chris Davis leaves Baltimore behind.  Schoop is a really good player.  I just wish he would stop attending the Adam Jones school of hitting.  He swings at so many down and away pitches, it looks like a carbon copy of a Jones at bat.

Anyway, thanks for the cards, Caleb!!

Instagram Deal With Nick - 2015 Topps Chrome Christian Walker Auto

Is the 2015 trainwreck season over yet?  Holy balls, it has been brutal.  I don't see it getting any better, either, with Chris Davis being represented by Scott Boras.  I don't have any good feelings that the Orioles will grow a pair and actually sign him.

So, I guess I need to embrace the next first baseman in the minors, Christian Walker.  I actually do like Walker, having seen him in his days as a Gamecock.  I went to a few Cocks games with my younger brother who lives in South Carolina, so that gives me a good reason to follow him.

I got this 2015 Topps Chrome RC auto off of Instagram in a trade with a nice kid named Nick that I have traded with before.  We did a straight-up trade for Chrome autos.  I sent him a Corey Spangenburg auto for this Christian Walker.  Not bad at all.

Walker has had a pretty decent season at AAA Norfolk.  The playoff-bound Tides have benefited from a surging Walker.  He has 18 home runs, 136 hits and a .257 batting average this season.  From what I understand, offense comes at a premium at Harbor Park, so Walker's numbers are actually pretty good.  It looks like he will the the O's starting first baseman next year, so I need to start getting excited, right?  Mehhh, maybe in November I will be feeling it.  I'm not at this moment in time, though.  May just put a bag over my head for a while.

Thanks for the deal, Nick.  I do appreciate it.

Instagram Deal for a Brooks Auto

I made a deal with a guy from Instagram recently that involved a 1948 Bowman Marty Marion RC that I found at a card show for a really good price.  When I picked mine up for my '48 set, I had gotten a message from a guy with the instagram screen name green68camaro (which sounds awesome in itself).  He was from South Carolina, around where Marion was from, and wanted me to let him know if I saw any others.  Fast-forward to a couple card shows ago, and I found him a great one for only $15.

I bought it, he paid me, and I sent it on its way.  I got a message a few days later when he got the card apologizing because he only paid me what I paid for the card.  He had forgotten shipping cost.  It wasn't a big deal to me, but he said he would make it up to me.

Well, I got a letter from him and this card was inside.  This is a 1996 Big League Chew Brooks Robinson auto.  The funny thing about this card, though, was that I got one as a throw-in when I bought my 1992 Donruss Elite Cal Ripken auto.  So, in order to keep the one this guy sent me, I let him know that I was going to pay forward his kindness, and send my Brooks auto to someone else for free.  I sent mine to my new friend, Brian, that I met at my last card show.

This is a really cool card, and I'm glad to finally have one.  I love my Brooks autograph collection, and it seems like I have a ton.

Thanks for the deal!

Care Package From Dilan

I have been doing card shows for some time now, and I have had business cards to hand out for a couple years.  I haven't really gotten much of a response from the business cards until I got a DM on Instagram from a guy named Dilan.  He said that he had picked up one of my business cards and liked my set-up at a show back in June (maybe it was May).  We got to chatting, and I remembered who he was, so we hit it off pretty well.

At the last show I did in July, he was hanging out with my buddy, Ryu, at that show, and came by my tables to say hello.  Dilan is a really cool guy, and I enjoyed chatting with him.  When Jericho passed away last month, Dilan sent me a DM with his condolences, and also wanted to tell me that he was sending me a little something.  That was so nice of him to think of me.  In the package was this really cool blue parallel from 2014 Panini Prizm of Adam Jones.  The card is numbered 44/75 and scanned really nicely.  I mean, it really looks cool on here.  Wow!  I love these different Chrome and Prizm parallels.  I hope both Panini and Topps keep this up, because I think these all look so cool.

The other card in the package was this 2014 Bowman Chrome Top 100 card of Kevin Gausman.  I didn't have either card yet, and it was an awesome gesture on Dilan's part.  I look forward to the next card show (weekend of September 26) so I can chat with him again.

Thanks, Dilan!!