TTM Success - Mark Reynolds

A private signing popped up with former Oriole Mark Reynolds.  I had a bunch of his cards that I wanted to get signed, but at his price point, I narrowed it down to three cards.  The above 2013 Topps short print was actually from a game I was at with Ryan.  I believe it was the Brooks Robinson sculpture dedication game. He (Ryan, not Mark Reynolds) can comment and confirm.

I also sent off the above 2011 Topps Black Diamond wrapper redemption card and the 2011 Topps Diamond Die cut card.  Both of these are really great cards to add to the album. 

Reynolds (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2007 to 2019 for the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Yankees, Brewers, Cardinals, Rockies and Nationals.  He had 1,283 hits, 298 home runs and a .236 batting average. He finished 20th in the 2009 NL MVP race.

I mailed to the signing on October 16 and got the cards back on December 12 for a 57-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $45.00.

Birthday Gift From Nate

My good friend, Nate, really dug deep, and knocked off some cards that have been sitting on my wishlist for years.  I have wanted the above 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cut Cal Ripken since 2011.  I just hadn't gotten around to picking one up.  Nate helped me out, and now the card is crossed off of my list.

Nate also helped me knock off 23 cards from my 2013 Topps Emerald set checklist.  I haven't given up on this set; I just haven't found any of these in any boxes at shows.

Still, I am a long way toward completing it, but I have made a significant dent in the checklist.  People like Nate have really been the ones who have pushed me toward getting this tough set done.

Thanks so much for the birthday gifts, Nate!  I really appreciate it.

I got my 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cuts Today

After several days of not getting any mail, I finally got a good bit today.  I got some sportlots pickups, a trade and my first of two packages from Topps for the 2011 Diamond Giveaway.  In the package from Topps were my Diamond Die Cuts, my 2011 set that I won and a free pack of cards from the 70s or 80s.  I was lucky enough to get a pack of 1988 Topps.  Whoopeeee!

Onto the Diamond Die Cuts.  I really like these cards.  I started off 2011 by unlocking a DDC of Bob Gibson and Thurman Munson.  I flipped and flipped those two cards and ended up with 6 of them:

 

I was offered all kinds of things for this Hank Greenberg, but once I had gotten it for the Gibson, I held onto it because Greenberg was a beast!  I am glad I kept it, that's for sure.  The cards were a lot thicker than I thought they would be and they came with a protective film over them.  I left the film on all but one of the cards.

Another Hall of Famer I got was this really cool Reggie Jackson.  I like the old school A's jersey.

I don't remember, but I traded something for 3 Orioles DDCs.  I ended up with Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds.

 I think what I traded was a 1952 Topps of someone.  I know, I should have kept the 1952, but I really wanted the Orioles.  Since Jones and Markakis wer eincluded in the trade, I went ahead and pulled off the deal.

I took the protective film off of the Reynolds because it was kind of wadded up at the bottom.  The cards look great, but for now, I'm going to keep them the way they are.

The one DDC that I'm SURE I will sell of trade is this Ricky Romero.  I tried to trade it on the Diamond Giveaway trade page, but no one was biting for what I wanted.  Oh well, I know there has to be a blogger or someone at the card show who will want it.

So, in my mind, the 2011 DDCs were very awesome.  I am very disappointed that the cards are so much harder to get in this year's Golden Giveaway.  I used 33 codes and didn't get a single card this year.  Fail!!