Salem Red Sox 50/50s From Dylan

I only saw the Salem Red Sox once this season, and that was at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.  It was the July 4 game against the Mudcats, and I didn't do very well at all trying to graph the Red Sox.  So, I sent what I had left out to my good friend, Dylan, to complete.  His home team is the Red Sox, and he worked on my cards through the rest of the season.

The above 2010 Bowman gold refractor of Marc Brakeman was the one card that I wanted the most, and Dylan came through for me.  This card is numbered 50/50, which is kind of ironic (don't you think?).

Dylan hooked me up with a couple Joe Oliver cards.  Oliver was one of the few guys who would sign for me at the July 4 game.  Paul Abbott, on the other hand, would not.  Oh well.

I got these two Roniel Raudes cards back from Dylan.  I have gotten quite a few 2017 Bowman cards signed.  Not that I am working on the set or anything, but they are nice cards to get signed.

I had picked up a bunch of cards from my LCS for the Salem guys, and was disappointed that I couldn't get any of them done.  Dylan made it a little better for me, especially with these two Austin Rei cards.  Both of them turned out great.

Dylan kept one of my Josh Ockmey cards, which was fine by me.  I was happy to get this Pro Debut back from him, though.

Finally, Dylan included this 2015 Ginter Chris Davis relic for my PC.  I really appreciated that he thought well enough of me to add extras.

Thanks so much for the 50/50, Dylan!  I hope we can do more next season.

A 50/50 With Dylan

I have been sitting on a stack of 2010 Bowman Team USA cards since the 2012 National was in Baltimore.  I went to that show with my friend, Ryan, and picked up a huge stack of these cards out of a dime box.  I ended up dropping something like a dollar on the entire stack, and put them aside in my rookie box and waited to see if any of the kids made the majors.  The Albert Almora, Alex Bregman and Corey Seager cards are nice to see now, but some of the kids in the set are now in the minors, and some of them come nearby.

Marc Brakeman is with the Salem Red Sox, a Carolina League team that makes only one stop in Kinston, and that was early in the season.  I was afraid I wouldn't see Salem again this year, so I asked my friend, Dylan, if he could 50/50 Brakeman for me.  Dylan's home team is Salem, so he was happy to oblige me.  I now have this and a Cole Billingsley card signed.  I was supposed to get a Bregman from someone who apparently worked out with him, but I no longer talk to that guy (a damaged card from his end in a trade, and some overall rudeness killed that relationship), so I doubt I will complete this set.  Still, it is really cool to finally make use of these cards that have been in my box for 5 years.

Thanks for the 50/50, Dylan!

Some Mail From Dylan

I got a couple nice cards recently from my buddy, Dylan the other day.  In it, he had this over sized Cal Ripken from 1995 Upper Deck.  This is a hand numbered limited edition card; numbered 4,622 of 5,000.  The card is still sealed in the plastic provided by UD with a "Certificate of Authenticity" sticker/seal.  Pretty cool card that I didn't have in the Cal PC.

Dylan also included this 2016 Bowman purple chrome refractor of Ryan Mountcastle.  This card is  numbered 44/250.  I don't have a lot of Mountcastle stuff yet, so it was nice being able to add this to the collection.

Thanks so much, Dylan!

Orioles Trade With Dylan

I completed a trade recently with my buddy, Dylan, when I sent him a Bowman Sterling auto and a bunch of Red Sox prospect cards in exchange for a bunch of Orioles cards.  This Cal Ripken from 2014 Triple Threads is one that I didn't have, yet, and was happy to add to my collection.  It is numbered 1/50.  Dylan also included a bunch of other Cals that I think I needed for the collection, but I am really not sure.  It will take a miracle for me to log all of the Cals into my spreadsheet.  I don't know if I ever will have the time for that.

Another cornerstone to our deal was this Frank Robinson ring card from 2014 Topps.  I looked around, and I have been adding quite a few decent F. Robinson cards lately.  I still contend that he is one of the most underrated Hall of Famers there is.  He really was one of the all-time greats, and I think he kind of gets overlooked a lot of the time.

Thank you for the deal, Dylan!  Not only did he hook me up in this deal, but a couple days later, I got an unopened 2015 Topps Orioles team set, which I haven't been able to find around here.  That was really awesome of him!

Christmas gift from Dylan

I got a package in the mail from my friend Dylan for Christmas and was really happy with what he included.  He also had something in there for my son, Chris, which was really nice of him to do.  In the package was a nice page-long note and two baseball cards.

The above 2014 Panini Classics triple relic of Frank, Brooks and Boog was one I didn't have in my collection, yet.  It is numbered 8/99 and looks really cool.  I knew it was coming, because Dylan was afraid that if he got me something, I would already have it.  I have heard that issue before, but I don't know why someone would think that.............

Dylan also included this Ruth/Foxx card, which I needed for my Foxx PC.  Not bad.  He doesn't have a whole lot out there, so it was nice to be able to add it.

Thanks so much for the gift, Dylan.  Chris also loved his gift.  I appreciate you thinking of us!

Instagram Trade With Dylan

I completed a trade recently with my friend, Dylan from Virginia when I sent him a Rafael Devers auto that I pulled from a pack of 2015 Contenders baseball.  In return, he hooked me up with this really nice Rickey rookie.  I had an extra one of these before, but traded it away.  This one is in much better shape, even though it didn't scan all that great.

Dylan sweetend the deal with this 2015 Topps Chrome Christian Walker pink refractor.  This is a nice card to see in person.  I found it a bit odd that it wasn't serial numbered.  I thought for sure that the pink parallels were numbered.  Oh well.  It is still a nice card.

Finally, Dylan surprised me with this Cal Ripken standups card from 1985 Donruss-Leaf.  It is an '85 All Stars standup, and as you can see, it features Cal inside the Hubert H, Humphrey Metrodome.  I don't think I had this in my collection until now.  I think I would know, especially since this is an elongated card, and it would stand out.

Thanks so much for the trade, Dylan!

Nice Mailday From Dylan

I got two packages in the mail from my friend, Dylan, who sent me an Adam Jones Sports Illustrated in one package, and some Orioles (and a set need) cards in the other.

The above Joe Adcock is a card that Dylan picked up to help me with my 1959 set, and he hit a home run.  The card is in awesome shape.  Additionally, Dylan made a little pocket list for me to make it easier for me to find the rest of the cards that I need for the set.  That was a really cool gesture, and I was thankful for the effort he put in.

The Adcock leaves me with 30 more that I need in order to complete the set.  One of my main goals for the National is to come home with those 30 cards.  I've got my fingers crossed.

Dylan also included quite a few cards that I needed for my various PCs.  He had complained a few times about how difficult it was for him to find cards that I needed.  This is something that I hear a lot, which is why I added the Google docs spreadsheet to my wishlist.  One can at least tell which Davis and Reimold cards I have.

Anyway, thanks so much for the packages, Dylan.  I liked all of the cards!

Care Package From Dylan - 1968 Topps Brooks Robinson

I got a nice package in the mail yesterday from a new friend, Dylan, whom I have sent a few cards to recently.  He is a Yankees fan, and also collect big-name prospects.  I figured that since we had been chatting a bunch, and hadn't made a deal yet, I would still send him a small care package for his birthday.  So, when his birthday rolled around, I sent him a couple vintage cards and in return, Dylan picked this up for me at his LCS.

I really didn't expect Dylan to send me this nice 1968 Topps Brooks Robinson, but when he showed me the picture, I was happy nonetheless.  I already had one in my Brooks PC, but I needed one for the set.  Although I haven't started the set, yet, it still is never too early to knock off the big names.

Thank you so much for the card, Dylan.  You really didn't have to reciprocate a care package, as yours was for your birthday!  Thanks anyway, it is greatly appreciated!