TTM Success - Chris Davis

I wonder if Chris Davis's hoffiric season last year prompted him to revive his TTM signing habits.  He used to sign a while back, but stopped.  Now, he has picked up again, and folks all over are benefiting from it.  I couldn't resist, so I sent three cards that I had earmarked for Fan Fest, and they all came back signed.  My son, Chris, even sent some that he is waiting to see come back.

The above 2018 Topps Chrome blue shimmer refractor was a card that I really wanted to get signed, ever since I pulled it from my box.  I am not planning on trying another rainbow with Davis, but these cards are really nice.

I also got the above 2017 Topps Gallery and 2014 Allen & Ginter Pastime's Pastimes signed and they both look great.

Davis (b. 1986) has played in the majors since 2008 for the Rangers and Orioles.  He holds a career batting average of .238 with 1,099 hits and 283 home runs.  Last season was abysmal for him; he batted .168 and had a -2.8 WAR (if that stat is important to you).  My hope is that the new analytically-minded regime in Baltimore can help fix what ails Davis.  Unfortunately for him, they didn't sign him to his contract, so they could be more inclined to release him if he starts off the 2019 season poorly.  It's sunken money anyway, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

That being said, let's not take away from the fact that Davis is human.  He is a husband, father, son, brother, friend, so I truly wish he gets it together.  I know being booed in his own ballpark has to hurt.  My hope is that he can fix his swing and get back to being the productive first baseman that we as Orioles fans grew accustomed to back in 2012 to 2016.

I mailed to Davis on December 11 and got the cards back on December 26, for a 15-day TAT.

Orioles Care Package From Noah

My buddy, Noah, sent me a really nice care package recently.  In it were a ton of Orioles cards.  The above Cal Ripken from 2014 Topps Allen and Ginter might be the nicest one of them.  While I feel like A&G has run its course, the cards still look great.

I remember when A&G first came out back in 2006, it was a unique set that I felt was amazingly done.  It has worn out its welcome, especially with the non-baseball subjects.  You end up with cards that you seriously can't do anything with.  However, when you end up with some PC stuff, it comes out pretty nice.

Thanks so much for the care package, Noah!  I appreciate it greatly.

Instagram Trade With Cameron

I completed a trade with a guy named Cameron on Instagram when I sent him a bunch of relics and autos in exchange for the above 2011 Bowman Chrome refractor auto of Sonny Gray.  This is now my second Gray auto, but the fact that it is his "first Bowman card" and a refractor numbered 330/500 makes this a really awesome card.

Another part of the deal that I pushed for was this 2006 UD Legendary Cuts relic of Jim Palmer. This was actually what started our deal.  Cameron saw something he liked on my page and we went from there.  I think it was a Bowman Sterling auto that I traded to him.  We started discussing a larger deal which netted me the Gray auto.  It also landed me a new friend, as Cameron seems like a really genuine person whom I have talked to for a while since the trade.

A throw in that Cameron included as a thank you for the deal was this 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter Adam Jones relic.  I really appreciated the card and the fact that Cameron included it was really cool of him.

Thanks for the deal, Cameron!  I know we will do more in the future!

Cards From Across The Ocean - 2014 A&G Chris Davis SP Mini

I finally made a trade with the Dutch Card Guy recently.  I sent him a 2013 Topps Mini Pink Clayton Kershaw and some other stuff and in return he sent me this 2014 A&G Mini Chris Davis.  This is one of the mini exclusives that came out of rip cards.  I tried looking it up on EBay, and didn't find any, but I'm told these carry a bit of a price tag.  I was glad to be able to get one for my Davis PC.

Thanks for the trade, Jeroen!  I'm sure it's tough getting the cards you want in Europe, but I think it is really cool that our hobby extends across the ocean!

More Orioles Cards From Ultimatecards_

I got a package of Orioles cards last week from my buddy Drew who operates under the name of @ultimatecards_ on Instagram.  He, like my other friend, Drew, is a huge Yankee fan.  It is only a matter of time before I get the two Drews mixed up.  Anyway, Drew gave me a bunch of Orioles.  One of which is the above Nelson Cruz from 2014 Chrome, and I actually needed it for my set!  That reminds me, I need to post my needs list for 2014 Chrome and 2014 Update on my wishlist page.  Hold your breath!

Another cool card in the stack was this Chris Davis from Allen & Ginter.  I don't believe I had this yet, but I need to double check.  I'm pretty sure I hadn't picked it up, since I didn't get a whole lot of Ginter this year.

Thanks so much for the cards, Drew!  This officially catches me up on all of my recent trades and purchases.  Unless something comes in the mail tomorrow, I will be scrambling for something to write about.  I doubt I will have too many problems, though, I can always think of something to write about.

Care Package From Anders in Minnesota

I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  What was once a huge stack of "to be blogged" cards on my desk is now a small pile of cards that should be taken care of by the beginning of next week.  Things have calmed down here, card wise, since I have been working on saving some money, just in case the Orioles make it to the World Series.

I also was not able to spend as much on cards earlier this month, due to picking up tickets to ALDS game 2.  On top of that, I haven't had any time to go through my boxes to find suitable trade bait for some folks, and that has severely limited my ability to send out packages these last few weeks.

Slowly, I have had a few care packages come in from some of my buddies that I have made on Instagram.  Some others have removed themselves from 'free card' consideration by taking the care packages I have sent them and fading away rather fast.

One of the guys who has stuck around after several care packages, and has become a friend is Anders from Minnesota.  He's a good guy whom I have been helping by sending supplies his way, since his LCS is something like 100+ miles away.  Ouch.

Anders sent me a surprise package a week or so ago that had a couple Orioles cards that he was able to dig up.  One of them was the nice 2014 Allen & Ginter Chris Davis that you see above.

I appreciate the care package and the note that was sent along with it.  Sometimes, really, the notes are my favorite part of the package.

Now, it's time to gear up for Game 1 of the ALCS.  Which means, I won't have time tonight to go through boxes, either.  Dang.  This is a good problem to have, though.  Go Orioles!

Ebay Pickup - 2014 Allen and Ginter Chris Davis Box Topper

I saw this Chris Davis 2014 Allen and Ginter box topper on a kid's Instagram account recently and had to get my hands on one.  A potential deal with the kid fell through, unfortunately, so I searched Ebay and found this one for $4.29 with free shipping.

The card measures 4.5" x 6.5", so eventually I'm going to have to find myself a 5 x 7 frame so I can put this on the wall.  It looks awesome.

I kind of wish they would issue an A&G set with this design.  I would go after that set in a heartbeat!

Another Good Trade With My Buddy Jake

I got another deal done with my buddy, Jake Ignaszewski, when I sent him a couple more prospect cards for his collection and in return, he sent this 2014 Topps Allen and Ginter Jim Palmer, a couple Kyle Cricks (that I gave to Chris) and a couple 1989 Orioles.

If you get a moment, please check out Jake's YouTube channel.  He puts a lot of thought and time into making his videos, and I know he could use more subscribers.  Hook the guy up!

Check out his channel here, and thank for the trade, again, Jake, you're one of the best!