Christmas Gift From Kaleb

I'm still working on posts regarding various Christmas packages that came in from friends recently.  I'm trying to catch up on those, and not fall too far behind on TTM posts.  It is what it is, but I'll be way behind once the Wood Ducks season starts.  Oh well, I'll have stuff to write about for the foreseeable future, and that's ok with me.

My good friend, Kaleb, sent me a nice Christmas gift that had a stack of Orioles cards, and this Roy Campanella 2010 TOpps Peak Performance relic card.  I like Campy, and would like to add his autograph to my HOF collection at some point.  I'd prefer a pre-stroke auto, but I might have to settle for a post-stroke "autopen" one.

Anyway, I really appreciated the gift from Kaleb, and am excited that I might be able to catch a game with him in a little over a month.  Thanks so much, Kaleb!

Ebay Pickup - 2016 Topps Chris Davis Relic

I picked up a new card for the Chris Davis PC recently, and I didn't have to spend a whole lot to get it.  For $5.50 shipped, I got this Davis Scouting Report relic card.  It isn't numbered, but still is pretty cool.  I had hoped to pull one when I busted my boxes, but I wasn't lucky enough to get one.  I was happy with what I pulled, though.  I got a Verlander that I am sending to Noah, a Mauer that has gone to Patrick and a David Ortiz that will go to my buddy, Joey.

Usually, I have one or two of the relics that I pull that end up going into the card show box, but this year I was able to find homes for all of them pretty quickly.

I'm hoping to see one of these as a patch at some point, then I will surely be on one of them pretty fast.  I'm glad that Davis ended up with a relic in this year's Topps.  Maybe he will get an All Star relic in Update.  If that's the case, then that will mean he had a pretty good summer!

Awesome Trade With Jared

My friend Tim from the blog "I Love The Smell of Cardboard in the Morning" emailed me recently about a package he intended to ship to me.  In his closing remarks in the email, he mentioned that a fellow blogger had pulled an amazing Manny Machado dual relic/auto and was looking to unload it.  I took a look at the card and was amazed by it, but shot myself down pretty quickly.  My thoughts were "this card is awesome, but there is no way I will be able to afford to pry it away from him..."  Fast forward a couple weeks and I get a surprise follow on Instagram and then an email from the proprietor of the owner of the card, fellow blogger Jared from the blog Catching Up With Collecting.

Jared had heard that I was an Orioles fan and would be interested in the card, so I asked him what it would take to pry it away.  Then, I remembered that I was going to be heading to the antique shop in Columbia and could possibly find some cards that were on his top ten want list.

So, after my trip, I had a couple cards I thought Jared would like, and we instantly matched up on a deal.  You can read about what he got in the trade here.

This Machado card is really awesome, and I am happy that I was able to pull off a trade to get it.  It is numbered 8/10 and will go in a magnetic case, once I go to the card show in the middle of this month.

Thank you for the deal, Jared!  I hope you are as happy with your end of the deal as I am with mine!

Chris Davis Cards From Blaine

My friend, Blaine, decided to sell off his collection recently, and hit me up with a great deal that saw me land a good portion of his Orioles stuff.  The box finally arrived last week and I was amazed at everything that was inside.  There was so much stuff in there, I will have to break it up in order to do it any justice here on this blog.

Blaine sold me on the collection when he showed me what Chris Davis cards would be included.  The above patch from 2014 Panini National Treasures was the first card I saw, and it really is what helped me decide to do the deal.  This card is numbered 5/11 (kind of an odd numbering) and shows a three-color piece of jersey/patch.  Not bad at all.

Here is another three-color piece, this one is from 2014 Panini Immaculate Collection.  This is numbered 2/25.  I love the Panini Stuff from around this time.  I'm sure it wasn't tier intention for these nice pieces to be so affordable, but they are, and I have definitely taken advantage.

Here is another 2014 Panini Immaculate, this time it is just a swatch of jersey and is numbered 80/99.

This booklet from 2014 National Treasures is numbered 53/99.  I already had a couple of these, but was happy to add a few more.

Finally, this booklet is numbered 80/99.  The relics are kind of hard to see from the scan, but spell out CRUSH.  Looks really cool, I think.

I'll hopefully have some time to show more of what Blaine sent me in the next few days, especially since there is no playoff baseball on IV until Tuesday.

Birthday Present From Myself To Myself - 1996 Fleer Ultra Diamond Dust Cal Ripken

I did a google search recently to try to find out what the first "game used relic card" was.  I read a few threads that said that Donruss first issued a jersey card in 1997.  I thought I had read somewhere that Upper Deck issued some in 1996.  I can't seem to find where I read it, but I do recall seeing it somewhere, or at least discussing it with someone.

That being said, something did pop up in the search that interested me.  I found a very early "game used" card of Cal Ripken that I was certain that I didn't own.  The card was a 1996 Fleer Ultra Diamond Dust card.  The significance of the card is that is contains dirt from Camden Yards that was collected following the 1995 season, when Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record.  Initially, I thought I was buying the card, and the certificates, etc were extras.  I didn't know that the card was a smallish booklet (about the size of two 4 x 6 photos together.

The card is really cool, I just won't have a top loader for it, which is fine, I have somewhere to display it.

Also included was this COA from Fleer/Skybox.  This was nice to get as well.  Apparently, the dirt was obtained directly from the Orioles head groundskeeper at the time.  It is hand numbered 463/2131.  When I saw it, and the fact that I could get it at a really good price, I decided to buy it for myself for my birthday. Turns out, and I hadn't even considered it, but my birthday wasn't too long after the 20th anniversary of Cal breaking Lou's record.  Nice way to celebrate.

Care Package From Eric

I got a care package in the mail recently from my friend, Eric, whom I met on Instagram.  We have sent each other a couple care packages here and there, but haven't been able to talk a whole lot over the last year due to his going off to college.  During his summer break, we caught up, and were able to send each other a few things.

As always, Eric really hooked me up!  In the package was a signed program from an Orioles minor league affiliate with autographs from recent draft picks.  Also, there were some nice cards, like this 2015 Bowman Inception Christian Walker auto.  This card looks really nice.  Too many times have I seen Inception come along and there not be any Orioles I have really wanted to pursue.  I was happy to get this one, though.

Eric supplied a Chris Davis that I needed for the collection in this 2015 Topps Tier One.  This card is numbered 136/399 and scanned really well.

Finally, there was this 2001 Donruss Stadium Stars relic card with a piece of a seat from Memorial Stadium.  I have Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer cards that have the seat pieces (from differing sets), and now I have a Cal.

Thanks so much for the awesome package, Eric!!

Jimmie Foxx Pickup at the National

One of the first cards I picked up the Thursday at the National was this Jimmie Foxx 6-pc bat relic card from 2008 Topps Sterling.  The card is numbered 9/10 and looks amazing in person.

I found it early that day while I was walking around with Max and Andrew and looking for the Cal Ripken Donruss Elite auto.  This makes a really cool addition to my Foxx PC.  I love Topps Sterling, and was happy to add another card from that series to my collection.  I actually liked it so much, I picked up another Sterling later on in the show.  You'll have to stay tuned to see what that was.

Ebay Pickup - 2009 UD Team USA Manny Machado Triple Relic

I got this awesome Manny Machado triple relic card for a steal on Ebay recently, thanks to my friend, Fred.  He sends me links to ebay auctions every now and then, that I try to jump on, if I am able.  I was in the checkout line at Food Lion when I got the message with the link to this card, with 6 minutes to go, and I got it for less than $10.00.

Manny is having a great season, so far.  Hopefully, he can stay healthy, and remain on the field for the entire season.  He sure would have helped out last year in the playoffs.  The Orioles are playing amazing baseball right now, and I hope they can keep it up.  There is nothing like seeing your guys on the biggest stage.

Ebay Pickup - 2010 Topps Sterling Brooks Robinson

I told myself that I wasn't going to buy anything on EBay for a while.  Not after everything I spent at the antique shop a few weeks ago.  I was set to buckle down and save for the National.  Yeah, that worked out really well when I opened up my EBay mobile app on my phone a few days ago to see what my notifications were all about.  On my feed was this awesome Brooks Robinson 2010 Topps Sterling 6-piece relic card.  The card is numbered 5/10 and was at an amazing Buy It Now price.  I bought my buddy, Max, one of these for Christmas, except it was Ernie Banks.  I didn't even know Brooks had one in the set.

So, going back to my philosophy of "If you see something amazing and you can afford it, you better get it while you can, because you may never see it again..." (thanks Scott), I picked up the card.

I am so happy I did.  The card looks amazing in person.  As you can see from the scan, both bottom corners have slight dings, but I don't really care.  They take nothing away from the card.  This might be one of the nicest Brooks cards that I have in my collection, now.  I'm really excited about that.

Care Package From Garrett

I got a care package in the mail a few weeks ago from a new person I net on Instagram, a guy named Garrett.  He asked me for an Orioles rally towel, and I obliged him, since he asked nicely.  In return, he surprised me with this 2013 USA Baseball Kevin Gausman relic and a bunch of Orioles cards.

I wasn't expecting anything in return, and getting this package from Garrett was really nice.  I appreciated it, and I hope to do some trades with him in the future.

Gausman has looked a little sluggish so far this season, but I think he, much like the Orioles, will break out of it, and go on to have a strong season.  We will see, for sure.

Thanks Garrett!  I hope you all can check him out on Instagram, his screen name if card_collector02.

Pickup From The Dimwit - 2014 Triple Threads Kevin Gausman Relic-Auto

I completed a trade recently with Sam, the author of the blog, The Daily Dimwit.  I sent him a Colin Moran auto from 2014 Bowman Sterling and in return, he gave me this awesome 2014 Topps Triple Threads Kevin Gausman quadruple relic/auto.  The card is numbered 15/75 and looks amazing.

I sent Sam some additional cards, but I doubt that they measure up in comparison to this card.  I need to pick Sam up some more stuff to send his way.  Speaking of, I have a few other fellow bloggers that I need to hook up, since they have sent me care packages.  I'm getting to them and I appreciate everyone's patience.

Thanks for the trade, Sam!

A Disappointing Instagram Trade - Damaged Sonny Gray

I completed a trade on Instagram recently that I was really happy about.  I had this nice Sonny Gray Team USA relic coming in exchange for a Cole Tucker 2014 Bowman Sterling refractor auto.  He clearly won the deal, but I was trying to be nice since we chat quite a bit and he told me how Tucker was his idol and the card would mean a lot to him.

It was really unfortunate that he chose to send the card in a PWE.  The top loader that the card was in was broken and there was a snap case that had some Orioles cards from a mutual friend that was also destroyed.

I am not mentioning his name, because I really don't want to call him out.  I told him the card was damaged, and he offered to send me the Tucker back, but that's not the point.  I wanted the Gray, and it's here, but damaged.  This was only our second trade, even though we talk a lot.  I doubt we will be doing any more trades for a while.

Instagram Pickup - 2013 Topps Tribute Jimmie Foxx Relic

I got a deal on Instagram when I guy named Grant posted this 2013 Topps Tribute Jimmie Foxx bat relic card for sale a few days ago.  I saw it, and that it was numbered to 10, so I immediately told the guy that I was interested, but I needed to wait a couple days because I had bought a few other cards over that weekend.  He was nice enough to hold it for me, and notified me at the time I asked him to, and the card became mine!

Having it in hand is a lot better than looking at it on a tiny phone screen.  The card is flawless and came shipped inside a screwdown case.  I don't normally care for screwdowns, but in this case, it will keep the card in the same condition and will be harder for me to take it out and hold it.  I'm really bad about that.

I don't have a lot of Foxx relics, so adding this one was nice.  Each one I have is an amazing card, and my Foxx PC is pretty decent.  My dream is still to own a Foxx auto (on a ball).  Maybe I should start a crowdfunding campaign to get one, haha!

A Cracked Bat Care Package

Not too long ago, I got a care package from new blog reader and fellow blogger Julie.  She writes the fantastic blog "A Cracked Bat: Baseball Cards and a Hot Dog", which I recommend you all check out, if you haven't already.

Julie has also become one of the more prolific commenters on my blog posts, which is very appreciated.

She sent me a nice package of Orioles stuff that I really liked, but overall, the above Adam Jones really stood out.  Numbered 275/299, this 2014 Tier One is a really nice card to add to the collection.  I usually overlook Jonesey when I am cruising for Davis stuff online and in trades, so when I get one in, it really helps me out.

Julie also helped to knock a few emerald parallels off of my want list.  I plan on adding more cards to this set, soon.  I'm hoping I can find some at the upcoming card show that I plan on attending (and selling at, by the way.  Come visit me.).  I also feel like I can find a bunch of them at the National this summer.

Thank you very much for the care package, Julie!  I need to get something together for you soon!

Awesome Surprise Mail From Ryu - Sonny Gray Relic Auto

I have been talking to a young man from Instagram over the last few months named Ryu.  He lives nearby, just outside of Raleigh, NC and we have struck up a friendship by discussing cards, trades and card shows.  Ryu is a huge fan of Japanese baseball players, especially Nori Aoki and Ichiro.  I had an Aoki golden parallel RC from 2012 Topps that I dropped in the mail for him, since I had seen it in a pile the night before we met.  I figured, since I knew exactly where I had laid that card, then meeting Ryu, who was a huge fan, he was meant to have that card.  A lot more talks ensued, and I felt that Ryu was a really good kid, and I wanted to do something nice for him.  So, I bought him an Ichiro RC from 2001 Topps, thinking that he should at least have his guy's RC in his collection.  I figured that it was a nice gesture and all, but it was just a baseball card.  I didn't realize just how much a simple gesture would mean to a kid, when I got a package in the mail from Ryu this afternoon.

Inside the package was this amazing 2010 Bowman Platinum relic/auto of my new PC, Sonny Gray.  Equally as amazing was the almost 3/4 page letter from Ryu, complete with a header that he wrote at the top with one simple word: Surprise!

I'm not going to repeat much of what was in the letter, except one line: "I love each and every card you have sent me..."

I have been a part of the card community since I started this blog in November 2008; well, even before that, really, when I was helping at the card shop and people like Babe, P. A. and Pete with their generosity teaching me that it isn't about how much money you can make off of the cards.  It is about enjoying the collection that you have, and being able to take some of the things that you might not need and giving them to someone who will love them.  Seeing how happy I made a young person when he received a golden parallel of his favorite player, or a rookie card of a future Hall of Famer, and also knowing that the person looks up to you and the example you set, well, that is what this community is about.

Ryu is a really awesome kid.  I knew that before he sent me this awesome card.  I've made sure to tell him as well.  I wish and hope that more young people were like him and would work to make this community even better than it already is.

Thank you so much, Ryu.  I am blown away by this card, and the gesture.  I will never forget it!

Instagram Trade With Caleb - Frank Thomas Game Used Bat Relic

I completed a trade recently with my friend, Caleb, when I sent him a multitude of Braves cards and in return he sent me this nice 2000 Upper Deck SP bat relic of Frank Thomas.  This is from the early stages of game used relics, and is a very nice card.  I agreed on it pretty fast when Caleb offered it in trade.  I wish I could remember what I sent him, I think it was an Evan Gattis card, but I forget.

In the package with this card was a few cards that Caleb sent along as a Christmas gift.  There were a few Orioles parallels in there, along with a diamond parallel from 2011 Topps of Sandy Koufax.

That actually wraps up the Christmas gifts that I got, well into January.  Thanks for the trade and gifts, Caleb!

Instagram Trade With Samthecardcollector - Zach Britton Patch

I gathered together some Reds hits and other cards for my friend, Sam L. who runs the YouTube channel: Samthecardcollector (that's his Instagram handle as well).  He's a really nice guy, and we have already completed a couple trades.

Sam hooked me up with this awesome Zach Britton relic/patch/auto from 2011 Topps Marquee.  I was amazed that Sam was ok with letting this card go.  I really appreciated his generosity.

Please, everyone, check out Sam's YouTube page, he needs more followers and is a great guy. Thanks again, Sam!

Christmas Package From James

My "to be blogged" pile is pretty huge at the moment.  So much so, it is mid-January, and I still haven't shown off all of my Christmas gifts yet.  I'm getting there, but I don't want to dump them all into one post; I want to try to give each person/package their own post and truly do the gifts justice. It is never the quantity or "value" of the gifts you receive that is important, but the thought itself that should hold meaning.

That being said, the best part of this gift might not have been the awesome cards that I scanned, but the letter that was included along with them.  You see, my good friend, James, and I have been trading for a year now.  He was the second person I made a successful deal with on Instagram, and we have been good friends ever since.  Of all of the people on Instagram that I consider friends, James writes me the best notes and includes them in each package.  Sometimes, the notes are my favorite part of the deal.

Anyway, along with another great letter, James also included some really cool cards that I wasn't expecting.  The above Delmon Young card is a fine example.  Young forever endeared himself to O's fans on October 3 when he hit the three-run double to put the O's ahead of the Tigers in ALDS Game 2.  The fact that I was there makes it all that much more special.  So, James giving me this card and adding the facts about Young, I will slab this card in a mag and will never let it go from my collection.

Another card James sent was this on-card auto of Herm Starrette from 2014 Heritage.  It was really funny that he sent me this card, because I think it was offered to me by three different guys in trades, and I never took the bait.  I wanted the card, I just never felt like I had enough to offer for it.  Thankfully, my patience (and James's generosity) paid off, and I now own the card.

Thanks so much for the Christmas package, James.  I was really happy to open it, and I'm sorry it took me so long to post it.  I hope the post has done the gift justice, because I appreciate everything you do!

Instagram Trade With Blaine

I completed a trade with my friend, Blaine, on Instagram last week when he made me an offer I couldn't refuse for my 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle.  I initially wasn't interested in moving the Mantle at all, but Blaine persisted and we finally struck a deal.

I got a god bit of cash, and also this nice 1960 Topps Sandy Koufax.  I like the 1960 set, almost as much as I like the '62 set.  So, this was a main component to the deal.

Once we had an agreement on the amount of money and the Koufax in place, Blaine helped sweeten the deal by adding this nice Joe Morgan relic to the pile.  Since Chris and I met Morgan a few years ago at the National, I have been picking up some of his cards here and there, so I was happy to add this one.

The final piece that sealed the deal was this Triple Threads relic/auto of Kevin Gausman.  I really liked how this card looked and when I got it in person, I liked it even more.  It has a matte finish to it, that I think really works well.

I also got a surprise when I opened the package from Blaine.  He was just a little short on the cash that we agreed to, so he added this Schoop auto from Stadium Club.  I didn't mind getting this instead, so I appreciated the gesture.

So, thanks for the deal, Blaine.  I guess the old saying is true, everything has a price!  I figured to upgrade that Mantle at some point, anyway.  It was on the lower end of the grading scale, and I wanted to try to find another one at the price I paid, in better condition, and I feel like I can do that.

Christmas From Max - Chris Davis Game Used 2014 Topps Mini

One of the things I am most thankful for since I started trading on Instagram a year ago is the fact that I have met so many new friends while offloading a bunch of stuff.  One of the people I have met on there that I have formed a real great friendship with is my buddy, Max.  He's so young, but conducts himself as if he were 20 years older.  Max and I talk almost every day, and we can complete a trade really fast.

Max went above and beyond with what he sent me for Christmas.  I got a huge pile of Orioles cards that I need to go through and see if I need them for my PCs.  He also sent me a few vintage Hall of Famers that I will hoard til I start on those sets.

One of the biggest pieces that Max sent was this game used bat card of Chris Davis from 2014 Topps Mini.  I didn't have this card yet, and I was really happy when I saw it.  I can now add it to my spreadsheet!

I'm really grateful that Max thought of me when he was picking up Christmas gifts, because I know money is tight for him.  The thought is definitely what counts, and he scored big time!

Thanks so much Max, for the cards, and most of all, for your friendship.