TTM Success - Jake McGee

Slowly, I have been getting more into sending off to current players, to try and see if I can move some more recent cards from my boxes to my album.  I sent off a bunch of Spring Training TTMs, a few of which have been returned.  A good many of them remain out.  This success from Jake McGee was actually sent out prior to Spring Training, and came in right when pitchers and catchers were set to report.

I got McGee on the 2014 Topps gold at the top of the post, and these two from 2011, a Topps Finest and a Topps base.  I saved the rest of the McGee cards I had, with the intention of maybe sending to him during the season, as well.  The 2011 Finest was actually in my card show box, but hadn't sold, so it was an easy choice to send along.

McGee (b. 1986) has played in the majors since 2010 for the Rays and Rockies.  He has a 23-16 record with 415 strike outs, 44 saves and a 3.15 ERA.

I mailed to McGee on January 8 and got the cards back on February 6, for a 29-day TAT.

Instagram Trade With Lonestargraphs

I completed a trade on Instagram a couple weeks ago with a kid who's screen name is Lonestargraphs when I sent him two 2014 Topps Chrome Autos in exchange for two Zach Britton cards.  In the trade, I sent away a blue parallel Michael Choice auto (sorry, Max) and a Nick Martinez auto.

The above 2011 Topps Finest Dual Relic/Auto of Britton is especially awesome and is numbered 57/69.  Britton has really come into his own this year as the Orioles' closer and I am glad I was able to get this before values start to jump up the more he is exposed during the O's run.

Not to sell this 2011 Bowman Sterling relic card short, by any means, when I gush over the Finest card.  This one is really nice in it's own right.  I forget how awesome past offerings of Topps Finest and Bowman Sterling have been and I definitely forget about them when I do my usual Ebay searches.  I need to try to find some more of these, for sure.

Thanks for the great deal, Lonestargraphs.  It would be better if I knew your name, but oh well.  Sometimes a degree of anonymity is a good thing.  I know we will trade again, though.

Trip to the Card Shop - 2011 Topps Finest

It's rare when I can afford to spend money on a bunch of packs of cards, but when my friend Babe is in town, we always try to bust packs whenever possible.  This weekend was no exception.  She and I both picked up packs of 2011 Topps Finest. 

This was my first in person look at this year's version of Finest.  I was very impressed with how the base cards looked.

This Josh Hamilton is an example of the base card.  They look really sharp.  Finest always looks good, so I was certain this year's would as well and I wasn't disappointed.

Babe pulled this Orange Parallel Michael Pineda RC and gave it to me, just because.  I think it looks great.  I'm a big fan of the color orange... I wonder why?

One thing about the finest we didn't like was that the mini boxes weren't available.  I don't know if it was just that this shop didn't have them, or they didn't do that with them this year.  I would have liked to have busted a mini box, but oh well.  I had fun with this pack, anyway.