An Anonymous Care Package

I got a care package recently from someone on Instagram who chose to remain anonymous.  One of the guys I traded with recently messaged me and asked me for my address saying that one of his friends wanted to send me something.  Since we had traded before, I gave him my address again, and about two weeks later, I got a package in the mail.

Inside the package was a note that said: "These cards don't belong on my desk, they belong in your collection.  Enjoy! - From, Don't Worry About It."

That was pretty awesome.  The cards they included were: the above 2012 Topps Chrome black parallel of Chris Davis (numbered 37/100), a 2008 Topps Chris Davis RC and a 2007 Topps Opening Day white parallel of the Oriole bird (numbered 1,531/2007).

The gesture was nothing short of amazing.  I really appreciated whomever it was that felt the need to send me these cards.  Thank you so much, and it won't be forgotten.

Mail From Max - Awesome IP Autos and More

My good friend, Max, recently went to Cubs Convention in Chicago and picked up a ton of autographs in person.  I had reached an agreement with him to get me the above baseball signed by Bill Madlock.

Madlock (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1973 to 1987 for the Rangers, Cubs, Giants, Pirates, Dodgers and Tigers.  He had 2,008 hits, 163 home runs and a career average of .305 over 15 seasons.  He was a 4-time batting champ (1975, 1976, 1981 and 1983) and won the World Series with the Pirates in 1979.

Madlock probably won't get into the Hall of Fame, but he had a great career and I'm happy to have this baseball.  Thanks, Max!

Max went above and beyond by also including an amazing array of signed cards that he had picked up at the convention.  It appears that a lot of them were ones I had sent along, such as this 2012 Topps Chrome orange refractor of Tsuyoshi Wada.

This Wada was really nice as well.  I had sent Max quite a few of them, and I wasn't expecting to see them again, but it was really cool of him to think of me when he was getting them signed.

Max and I had a little confusion not too long ago when I was on Skype with him and we were going through cards together.  He was talking about how Jacob Turner was now a Cub, and I had thought he said Justin Turner.  So, I sent him a bunch of Justin Turner cards.  Oops.  Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

Here is another auto from Bill Madlock.  This 1984 Topps card is really nice.  I keep forgetting that I used to own a 5,000 count box full of 1984s.  I sold it a long time ago.  I just wish I could do the same with my 1987 box.

Here is an IP auto of Glenn Beckert on a 1975 Topps.  Max had a ton of 75s and ended up sending me a bunch.  I am sitting on them at the moment, trying to figure out what I want to do with them.  I may collate them and get Chris to worn on building a set when he is older.  We'll have to see, though.

This Bob Dernier was really unexpected.  I actually had sent some of Dernier's cards to another guy from Instagram and the 1990 Topps was in the package.  That's kind of funny, but Max wasn't the person who had asked for them.

This Albert Almora card was among one of the first deals I made with Max.  I was really happy to see it in the package.  I had bought a ton of these when I was at the National in Baltimore in 2012 out of a dime box.  It was really cool to see the card again, and this time it is signed.  Not bad for a dime.

It has been a long time since I have posted a 1987 Topps card on the blog.  This Lee Smith card scanned really well and the black sharpie auto accentuates the card, I think.  It just looks sharp.  The fact that Smith will eventually get into the Hall of Fame is an added bonus.

This 1980 Topps Jay Johnstone is really cool, mainly because of the hideous Padres jersey.  I love the late 70s, early 80s jerseys.  They were so colorful.

Max threw in some 2013 Panini Cooperstown cards in the package since he knows I like Hall of Famers.  This orange sparkle of Tony Perez looks really cool in person.  It didn't scan very well, but trust me, it looks nice.

Max was also able to provide me with a few Brooks Robinson cards that I didn't have in my collection.  This green parallel from '13 Cooperstown is really nice.  I can't believe that I didn't have it yet, but now I do, so that's cool.

This 2009 Topps manufactured patch card was another that I needed.  I have avoided picking up these because I am still working on the letter patch set (can someone PLEASE find me the R?) but this one is a really cool card.

Finally, Max added this 2007 Allen & Ginter Brian Roberts relic to the deal.  I already had a couple of these, but it has been a while since I have gotten a Roberts relic and this brought back fond memories of the player who got me back into collecting.

Thanks so much for the package, Max.  It was full of so much great stuff, and almost all of it was unexpected.

COMC Pickup - 2012 Topps Chrome Chris Davis Blue Parallel

I'll say it again, I love the Chrome parallels.  The Blue and Red ones the most.  Those two really pop when scanned.  Ok, maybe I like the Oranges a bit too, probably because I'm biased.  Anyway, this is a really awesome Davis card.  The blue picked up really nice.

I've got a bunch of Davis's 2012 Topps cards now, so I need to sit down and figure out what I still need.  This card is numbered 140/199.

Trade With Matthew

I follow the "Topps Baseball Card Collectors" page on Facebook.  After I posted a few times asking (begging) folks to let me know if they have the two Brooks Robinson patches I need and then posting looking for Chris Davis and Nolan Reimold parallels, I met a kid named Matthew.  Matthew is 10 and is just starting out with his card collection.  I believe I am the first person he actually traded with, although I know he had a couple others cooking with Scott and Andrew.  Matthew admittedly has a lot to learn when it comes to trading cards, but I have tried to give him a few pointers along the way.  He also started a blog, which you can check out here.

So, I got 3 cards from Matthew in exchange for several Carlos Santana (the Indians catcher, not the amazing guitarist) and Yovanni Gallardo cards.  I didn't mind sending him a few extras, as I have no need for Santana or Gallardo.  Surprisingly, I didn't have the above Chris Davis Chrome refractor from last year's Topps Chrome.  This saves me from thinking I already have it and missing it every time I pick up Davis PC needs.

You saw the Bobby Bundy Bowman Chrome at the top; He is the 'other' Bundy in the Orioles' system.  He's Dylan's older brother and a pretty good pitcher in his own right.  The final card in the package is the above Billy Hamilton Bowman Platinum purple chrome parallel.  This is a really pretty card.  I think I'm going to add it to my RC collection and not flip it for anything.

So, I hope everyone gets a chance to check out Matthew's blog and make him feel welcome to the blogging community.  It's nice to see kids continuing to get involved with cards.  It's a sure sign that our hobby will continue into the future.

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!

COMC Chris Davis Pickups

Chris Davis is having quite a season for himself.  After last night's 2-home run game (his third of the season), Davis has reached 30 home runs before the All Star break.  He tied the Orioles record, with Brady Anderson's 1996 performance, for most home runs before the All Star break.  I have been gathering as many Chris Davis parallels as I can since I'm sure there will be a spike in the cost of his cards soon.  I got 3 new cards off of COMC with my latest purchase, two parallels from 2012 Chrome and the 2013 Topps blue sparkle.

I think the Orange parallel looks really cool scanned, especially since the orange matches up well with the Orioles' uniforms.

The purple parallels are really cool as well, of course.  I also have his black parallel and X-Fractor, so I am doing pretty well with his 2012 Chrome offerings.  If anyone has any 2012 Chrome parallels that I'm missing, please let me know.

Finally, here is the 2013 Topps blue sparkle parallel.  I also have his Silver Slate, but I need to add his Emerald (I have one for my set), the black parallel, gold parallel, etc.  I also wouldn't mind a printing plate.  Not to mention Pink and Camo parallels too.  Yikes, there are too many parallel cards to chase, it makes my head hurt.

My Latest Trade With Ryan

I recently sent my good friend Ryan (from 'O No Another Orioles Blog') several 2013 Topps Series One cards to help him along the way with his set and in return, he sent me a bunch of Orioles (and other) stuff.  One of the coolest cards he sent was the above 2012 Topps Chrome Chris Davis black parallel.  The card is numbered 80/100 and just looks awesome.  I know I'm not the only one, but black parallels to Chrome always look sharp.  It scanned really nice also.

I actually got several Chris Davis cards from Ryan in the package.  I already had this 2013 Topps Emerald parallel in my set attempt, so now I also will have one in my Davis PC.  Ryan was sly enough to figure out that the photo for this card was shot on September 6 (Cal Ripken Statue night) after Davis' 9th inning home run against the Yankees.  That was an amazing game and I'm really happy that a card is in my collection to remind me of it!

Finally, there was a 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Chrome Andrew McCutchen card in the package as well.  My McCutchen PC is growing rapidly, so I was really glad to add this card!

Thanks for the trade Ryan!

Birthday Package From Scott

I got a nice birthday package today in the mail from my good buddy Scott.  Inside the package was a good bit of Orioles cards from various years.  The highlight of the package was the below Wei-Yin Chen purple rookie refractor from 2012 Topps Chrome.

This is a really pretty card.  I like the different colored refractors, so getting one of Chen (and a RC) was a plus.

I'm pretty sure I didn't already have this Cut Above Cal Ripken.  I may have pulled one from 2012 Topps Series 2, but I can't remember.  It is a nice card and it is nice to be able to continue to add new Cal cards each year, long after he has retired.

Here is a nice 2010 Topps Chrome Mark Reynolds.  I'm sure I had several of these cards, but probably traded them away long before Reynolds was complacently devouring sunflower seeds as an Oriole.  I'm glad I have it now and will add it to my Reynolds PC.

Finally, you can file this one under 'blast from the past.'  I forget sometimes that former Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen pitched for the Orioles.  Hentgen was signed before the 2001 season to be a part of the Orioles' rotation, but injuries ruined his time in Baltimore.  It would have been nice for him to be healthy in Baltimore, but it wasn't meant to be.

So, thanks for the birthday package, Scott!  I really appreciate it!

Set Complete - 2012 Topps Chrome

Well, that was easy.  I was able to complete the 2012 Topps Chrome set by making 2 trades.  One of the trades ended up being a tad redundant because the second trade was for a complete Chrome base set.  Now, I have a ton of Chrome singles, in order, missing quite a few in order to complete another set.

I got the completed set from fellow blogger Brad who is the proprietor of the blog: Brad's Blog.  All I had to do was send him some Phillies relics and autos and he hooked me up with the set.  Pretty easy transaction.  I got an email from Brad seconds after I had committed to a trade with a friend of mine from the old card shop named Zach for all of his commons.  So, now I have a ton of Chrome commons, haha.  Oh well.  I made two trades in a day when it has been forever since my last one, so I'll take it.  I wouldn't mind making more trades (wink wink nudge nudge), so hit me up.

What a Game...

I'm glad I took tomorrow off of work.  I stayed up for the Orioles-Yankees game and just when I thought I was going to put a brick through my TV after Pedro Strop made a 6-1 lead evaporate, the Orioles busted out in the bottom of the 8th with 4 runs on 3 homers.

One of the homers was by my new BFF, Mark Reynolds who has hit 8 home runs in 7 game and 3 of those games have been multi homer games.  Oh wow, is he on fire or what?  It was so awesome to watch the game on MASN and see Camden Yards packed for once.  The crowd was hot for every pitch, which was something I hadn't seen in forever.

If this is what playoff baseball is like in Baltimore, I might need to get on some kind of medication.  Oh wow.

Some More Topps Chrome

I went to the LCS the other day, mainly because we were bored, and picked up another few packs of Bowman Platinum.  The proprietor of the shop was sold out of Topps Chrome, but did allow me to look through his singles for some Orioles.

He hooked me up with the Chris Davis X-Fractor.  They scan kind of funny.  Definitely doesn't do the X-Fractor design justice, but it still looks kind of cool.

I got this Tsuyoshi Wada RC, which I needed for my Orioles PC.  I have two guys sending me a ton of Chrome singles in separate trades, so I should have this set taken care of, but I wanted a few singles that I could slide into top loaders and put in my player collections.  Wada hasn't thrown a pitch for the Orioles in the regular season.  He went down with an elbow injury in spring training.  Supposedly, he was the better of the two Japanese signings this off season, with Wei-Yin Chen being the second best.  Well, if Chen is second to Wada, I definitely want to see what Wada can do.  I hope he is 100% next season, because Chen has been amazing.

Finally, I picked up this Xavier Avery RC.  I have watched Avery since he played for Single A Frederick.  He is a good ball player who should be a regular major leaguer for years to come.  He got some itme in the majors this season, starting off with a bang.  The league caught up with him and he was sent down after appearing overmatched.  He is now back with the team as a September call up, so he should see some playing time as the Orioles continue to put some late season pressure on the Yankees and Rays.

Thoughts on 2012 Topps Chrome

So, I bit the bullet and decided to buy a box of 2012 Topps Chrome last week at my LCS.  I figured that it would be a fun break and I may get a couple decent autos, as well as some of the different refractors.

There aren't a whole lot of Orioles in this year's Chrome, but one I pulled was Chris Davis.  He is quickly becoming one of my favorite players, so I was glad to get this card.  Would have been nice to get a parallel of him, but that might be something I end up pursuing soon, just for the fun of it.

I got this nice Ryan Braun die cut.  This card will likely be up for trade.  I don't have a Braun PC.  I think he is a really good player, but I just don't see myself holding on to this for much longer.  If interested, shoot me an email.  Oh yeah, a bunch of you guys commented way back when I posted Topps Series 2 that there was interest in the inserts and parallels, yet no one has emailed me.  If you are interested, send me an email.  I don't bite... hard.

This Drew Smyly auto is actually the second auto I pulled, but for some reason it posted first and I'm too lazy to move them around.  You'll be ok.  This card is already spoken for.  Dustin will get this one soon, once he comes up with some Orioles that I need.  No rush, Dustin.

I also pulled this Kirk Neuwen... Niewen... Nieuwenhuis, yeah that guy, auto.  He was on my fantasy team for a good bit of the year and did ok.  I'm not a Met fan, so this one will also either be traded or sold.  I'd prefer sold, unless someone has something nice that they would send.  Again, send me an email and let me know.

Oh look, its a Bryce Harper RC.  Nice, I don't have to get one off of ebay.  Is this one for trade or sale, you ask?  That's a clown question, Bro.

Awesome, a Stephen Strasburg refractor.  I enjoyed this card for about 160-180 innings before I was told by the higher ups that I had to shut it down.  Also not for trade, sorry.

AWESOME!  I got the gold parallel, numbered 8/50 of Andrew McCutchen, my new PC.  I was REALLY happy to add this card to my collection!  I will probably look for the McCutchen Rainbow out of this year's Chrome.  If you want to trade me one of the other colors, EMAIL me and we can work something out!  McCutchen is a great ball player and should be the NL MVP, even though he has cooled off lately.  I mean, he has carried the Pirates all season, so I imagine he is exhausted.

Finally, another card that has been spoken for.  I traded this card for a Wei-Yin Chen base Chrome.  Did I overpay, you ask?  Well, since I bought the pack of cards that the Chen came from and still had to trade to get it back, you might think yes, but since it will be going to my son, Chris, I don't think it is too much trouble to swing a trade with him.  Especially since this Lincecum is going in a top loader and being put in my box for safekeeping anyway.

So, in all, I was really satisfied with this year's Topps Chrome.  They weren't warped like 2010's and I actually pulled two different colored parallels out of one box (unlike NONE from maybe 5 boxes of 2010).  2010 really soured me on Chrome, even though that is the only Chrome set I have built.  I may actually attempt to build this Chrome set.  If anyone has any duplicate base cards they want to unload, let me know.  I might be interested.