Redskins Pickups in Honor of NFC East Champs

Wow, no one was more surprised by the Redskins winning the division than Redskins fans. Yeah, it was a terrible division, but it still counts. The incredibly young O-Line played well, Jordan Reed stayed healthy and Kirk Cousins stopped throwing interceptions for now. The above Jordan Reed is from 2013 Elite, a really nice acetate card that is pretty much all clear other than the photo, a card I have had for a while but never scanned until now. With one game left Reed has 83 catches for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns, one of the best years ever for a Redskins Tight End.

Black Friday Hockey

Not all Friday Black pick-ups, but all part of a COMC shipment that contained my Black Friday cards. Starting off with the most exciting card in the package. A dual sock relic of Pelle Lindbergh. This is not near as gross as it sounds as these are from the hockey socks (which are more of leggings really), and not actually worn on the feet. Lindbergh is a pretty tragic story, an All-Star and Vezina Trophy winner who died in a car accident at the age of 26. It does make you wonder where Upper Deck got hockey socks from a guy who last played in 1985. The only bad part about this card is that the sock portion really bulges out of the card, there is no real creasing, but it creates a really weird 3D kind of effect.

Acetate Appreciation: 1998 Upper Deck Amazing Greats

These seemed pretty hard to find for cards limited to 2,000 copies, but were worth the search. Nice looking cards, a little busy but not over the top. Fairly large set for inserts at 30 cards they also come in a die-cut version limited to 25.

 All I can think of when I see this is the Orioles "This is Birdland" gif.

Cleaning out the Scan folder again

I intended to clean up my office, but that quickly took a back seat to catching up on scanning and cleaning out the scan folder and to be scanned pile. These are all from a previous COMC order, and with a new one on the way it was way past time to post some of these and scan them in. Starting with some 2011 In The Game Canadiana of Terry Puhl, one of the very few Saskatchewan born MLB players. Nice to have an auto of his and a sweet red patch from the old Astros uni even if they are unlicensed.

Binder 9

I have seen a lot people around doing this, so I took some time to go through my collection and see what I could come up with for my top 9 cards, I started limited to baseball, but there was a few that I really didn't want to leave off, so it became multi-sport.

Slightly Confusing Bowman Rockies Trade

I like to think I keep my want-list pretty organized and current. So when this trade was proposed to me, I was confused because I was sure I already had this Wilfredo Rodriguez card. It turns out the card I had is the one on the left, BCP58. The one in the trade was BCP148, seen on the right. One is the Chrome inserts in 2013 Bowman, the other is from 2013 Bowman Chrome. The only difference being the photo is cropped a little tighter on the BCP148. Someone at Topps was very fond of this photo as it also appears on this autograph from 2013 Bowman Chrome, Scout Breakouts insert from 2013 Bowman Draft and the Diamond in the Rough insert from 2013 Bowman Platinum, so every card he has had with Topps.

2015 UD CFL Box Break and Review

This is the second year of Upper Deck CFL license, and just like last year I picked up a box. (Link the the 2014 box break here). Very similar to last year, the main set is made up of 100 base cards, all offensive players. The next 50 are defensive short prints, last year they were 1 per pack, are now 1:2 packs. The new additions is All-Stars (151-175) at 1:4 packs pushing the rookies back to cards 176-200 at 1:4 packs as well. Relics stay at 2 per box with the patch parallels numbered out of 15. The big jump is in autographs, while 2014 only had 6 autographs in the set, 2015 has 86 in the base autograph variations, and 10 more in the CFL Marks set. OPC retro, Grey Cup moments and Team Logo patches are all back from 2014 as well. The only thing that disappointed me was the the box was $94, while I am sure last year the were $75. $100 after tax is pretty steep for what you are getting here.

Retro-ish PWE

I am seriously behind on posting things here, this PWE came from Doug over at Buckstore Cards and has been on the "to scan" pile for far too long. The bulk of it was 2015 Minors Heritage, with a new Jon Gray card and my first of the Rockies new AAA affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes. The thing I love about this set every year that regular Heritage is lacking is the action shots, I get that the old style sets lacked in game photos, but I still find posed shots in 2015 to be a waste of time.

2x3 PWE

A rare PWE makes it way across the border via Jeff at 2x3 Heroes. I am always happy to add some new Ben Petricks to the Rockies catcher collection, but this card blew my mind. 2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX Stars of the System is the craziest refractory card I own, it's actually hard to look at it, it kind of gives my vertigo looking at, I love it. I kind of want to get 8 more and just fill a page with them.

Team collecting is weird Redskins style

Yup, I bought a sticker autograph of Jackson Jeffcoat. Why you ask, because this is the only Jackson Jeffcoat card to picture him in a Redskins uniform, and he probably would not have even got this card if it wasn't an obvious sticker dump by Panani using up stickers leftover from his rookie cards with the Seahawks last year. This is from a promotional set call NFL Player of the Day, I don't much about it other than it has a Redskins back-up linebacker and special teamer on the checklist. The craziest thing is I had to actually outbid someone for this.

The back of the card lists his career highlights as being the son of Jim Jeffcoat and running a 4.63 40 yard dash, which is good for a 245 pound linebacker according to someone at Panani. Jeffcoat did record a sack and an inception in 3 games with Washington last year, but hasn't seen much time this season.

Coffee, Donuts and Hockey Cards

Finally a use for a Tim Hortons gift-card I received about a year ago. Not that I dislike Tim Hortons, but I will always take cheap gas station coffee and avoid the crazy line-ups at Tims. The lure of hockey cards was enough to pull me and the gift card made this a no-brainer. No word of a lie, there was at least 3 police cars in the parking lot in case anyone was wondering. These check in with 3 cards per pack at $1.99 or $1.00 with a drink, so not to bad for the cash. Here was some of what I came home with, other than a small black coffee.

Acetate Appreciation: 2011-12 UD Black Diamond Bruins Championship Rings

Just in time for the start of the NHL season, a card from a set that I have wanted since they came out. I think these Stanley Cup Championship Rings were one per case in 2011-12 Upper Deck Black Diamond and were always out of my price range when I did see them. Then a random search on the Bay turn this up, from a Canadian seller for about $10 shipped. It more than I wanted to spend on a Shawn Thornton card, but impulse got the better of me and I hit buy it now.

Going Platinum (or team collecting is weird)

Team collecting, the cardboard equivalent of cheering for laundry. Why else would I have so many posts on a quest for an oddball Aaron Ledesma card, and why else would I make an order for a card of Charlie Culberson, one of the worst Rockies players in the teams history. That's what I did, even though Culberson spent most of 2015 injured, only playing in 5 minor leagues games, and hit .195 over 210 MLB ABs last year, he was included in the weird baseball card game Platinum Series Baseball. Even though this is an unlicensed product, Culberson is obviously in a Rockies Colorado Baseball Club jersey so this became a need for the "One of Every Rockies Collection".

Recent Rockies Additions

Another "clean out the scan folder" post loaded up with Rockies that I have picked up over the last who know how long. Starting with my favorite of the bunch, David Dahl. One thing Bowman Platinum did right is parallels. Not just different color borders, but changing the whole background, and the camo parallels are the nicest of the bunch. Topps is lacking big-time in this, while Panini is doing it fairly well in the Prizm line.

A Football trade in Football Season

My second straight football focused trade, again mostly Redskins, starting off with one of my favorite players, Brad Edwards, from one of my favorite sets, 1992 Pinnacle. As much as I like the 1992 design, I was really lacking in the football output from that year.

2013 Ramon Hernandez, The Return

Just when you thought I ran out of Ramon Hernandez posts, this little beauty shows up, and by little I mean "Mini". 2013 Topps Mini Ramon Hernandez to go with the full size rainbow. You know I wasn't letting this get away, and for only $16.00 this came along two other black bordered minis, a Drew Storen and Jhonny Peralta which have since been sold on COMC.

Football Filled Zistle Trade

Some nice Redskins coming my way via zistle, including 4 Topps Fire, these look really good with the Burgundy and Gold background. The Silas Redd is a Flame Foil parallel which don't look as good as the base set to me, but still a cool card.

August 2015 Sportlots Mailday

 Another card from high on the wantlist to cross off anong with a couple fillers, the reason for the order was a Private Stock Ben Petrick mini. Being a Rockies catcher automatically earns you a spot in my collection. I you are not familiar with the story of Ben Petrick it is worth find out more about. I have gone into it in the past so I will just give a link for the interested.

Bobblehead Mailday: Charlie Blackmon

I am not a huge bobblehead fan, but once in a while I will splurge and pick one up. There was no way I was passing this one up. A Charlie Blackmon bobblehead with an actual beard. That's right, actual weird black felt glued on his face where a beard should be, this automatically goes as both the most unique and grossest bobblehead in my small collection.

Random Rockies Pick-ups

Mini's! One of these is not like the other, franchise icons Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton with Juan Sosa in the middle, don't feel bad, I don't know who Juan Sosa is either.

Some words on Troy Tulowitzki

Last night when the alert about the trade came up on my phone, shortly after the Rockies lost a walk-off game against the Cubs, I didn't believe it. It was dark, and raining, setting the mood perfectly. I had trouble actually saying the words to my Blue Jays fan soon to be wife. This surprised me because Troy Tulowitzki was never really my favorite player. I always loved watching him play and appreciated that when he was healthy, I was watching a generational HOF type talent. I was shocked, I thought Carlos Gonzalez would go, but Tulo moving, with no warning, still a few days away from the trade deadline, to the Blue Jays, shocked. I cried when Cam Neely retired. I cried when Sean Taylor died, and cried again watching the Sean Taylor "A Football Life". This was close.

When Todd Helton retired, we were all ready for it, it was time. When Ray Bourque was traded it made sense, and was validated when he finally lifted the cup. Even thought he didn't do it as a Bruin, every Bruins fan shared in his joy. Even when Ubaldo Jimenez was traded you knew it was coming, weeks were spent on internet forums on what the return for Ubaldo would be and what teams what to offer. I drooled over Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, and the return softened the blow. This was different. There was talk of the Mets stable of young pitching, but the feeling was the Rockies wanted too much, and no one had enough to pry Tulo and his long term, team friendly contract. Enter the Blue Jays. And Jose Reyes. Gone is the homegrown, last link to Rocktober, unassisted triple play turning, cycle hitting for, Gold Glove winning, Silver Slugger having, All-Star, carrier of Todd Helton's face of the franchise torch, does everything and does it better than everyone else Short Stop.

Jose Reyes will be the lightning rod that will allow Trevor Story or Christian Adames to not be the guy that replaces The Guy. Every time Reyes boots a ball, or just doesn't have the range or arm to complete a play, we will miss Tulo. Every time he makes a highlight on sportscenter with a blue and white jersey, we will miss him. But that is the beauty in it, he will still be there, not here, but somewhere. He will be Matt Holliday, he will make All-Star games, possibly postseasons, and eventually, he will come back to Coors, and we will be glad he is there.

Now there are prospects to follow. More trades to come, CarGo, Jose Reyes, Nick Hundley, Drew Stubbs, maybe Jorge del Rosa. None of these will surprise anyone, the first brick has been knocked out, the rest of the wall will follow. It had to happen, Tulo was here for 10 years and reached the playoffs twice, once with Carlos Gonzalez. I wasn't working. They define insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. This is something different. It had to happen.

This was not was I indented to write. I was gonna list stats from bbref and try to explain with numbers the player Tulo was. This is different.

Zistle Trade #45

How can you not lead off with this card, being a National League fan, Paul Konerko means very little to me, probably about as much as Todd Helton would mean to a White Sox fan, but this card is amazing. Base card gems like this is what make collecting fun, not low numbered parallels or cards with a piece of cloth that may or not be from a players jersey, cards like this.

Acetate Appreciation: 1995 Stadium Club - Clear Cut

A rare case of a card that scans better than it looks in real life. The weird bluey-greenish-teal dominates the card while the color wheel thing in middle doesn't really add much either. Stadium Club is usually know for quality stuff, but this one leaves a lot to be desired.

A Gintery Zistle Trade

For the most part, I don't like Allen & Ginter's, but I won't get into that here, because my most recent trade is heavy on the Ginter. Sometimes I question what I collect, usually when looking for Trenidad Hubbard or Jayhawk Owens cards, but these guys were at least Rockies, members of the 1995 playoff team, and players that have some nostalgia factor from my youth. But Chef cards, that's just weird. Two new additions to that collection with Anthony Bourdain and Daniel Boulud, you probably either know who they are, or don't care, so I will move on.

Goalies From Sportlots

Scratching a small hockey itch with a package from Sportlots, two throwback style cards using the beautiful 1954-55 Topps design, adding to my growing Irbe collection. The Whitmore was the card the started the order, somehow he got a card after spending 5 mostly forgettable games with the Bruins in 2000.

Reg Leach - 1 Card Mailday

A card that has been sitting as a BIN in my watchlist for about 6 months, finally, in either a moment of weakness or strength, became mine. After picking up the Bobby Orr a few months ago, this became my next target for the 1971-72 Bruins team set. This is was from what I could tell, the best non-graded card I could find, reasonably well centered, and actually very good for OPC, and with fairly sharp corners. Now that the card is in hand I am very happy with it, one small surface flaw under the 'S', but a really good looking card all in all.

Leach is much better know for being a member of the Cup winning Flyers team, playing on a line with Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber and leading the NHL with 61 goals in 1975-76, and adding a NHL record 19 more in the playoffs, being named the Playoff MVP despite losing in the finals.

Zistle Trade #43

Two more red hot foil Rockies for the collection, Eddie Butler who was born in 1991, and LaTroy Hawkins who was drafted in 1991.

Emptying the Need to Scan Box

I can't remember who had it first, but it was love at first sight. David Paveloff, cult hero.

Zistle Trade #42

A trade I have been meaning to post for a while, featuring what might by one of my favorite non-Rockies cards, a Tim Wakefield rookie. I still remember the 1992 postseason when he was a rookie coming off an 8-1 regular season (ok, I didn't remember his exact record), watching that knuckleball dance around. Sid Bream was out by the way.

Bowman "Black" Collection - Kyle Freeland

The Bowman Black Collection autos are one of my favorite things that Topps does, and that is pretty  obvious by the amount of cash I have shelled out for them over the years. So there was a serious "WTF" moment when I saw this card. For one thing, it's not black, and it's signed with a blue pen and not the usual silver marker. Sometime I think it not so bad, but then I see it next the ether Black Collection auto and release this is a terrible card. It looks like most if not all of these inserted in 2014 Bowman Sterling are like this, but all of the 2015s that I have seen have gone back to the regular black.

Kyle Freeland was the Rockies top pick last year, 8th overall, and went 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA over 10 games between two levels. He has yet to pitch in 2015 because of shoulder fatigue.

Bubble Gum Trade

As gross as the title sounds, I did not trade bubble gum with anyone, I just really suck at coming up with witty titles.A quick trade with Jeff Jones from wish they still came with bubble gum with what else? Gypsy Queen, sparing any readers there might base cards, the above Bruce Sutter is a short print, a Hall of Famer, and a beard card.

Zistle Trade #41

Zistle trade with fellow Canadian scottbdoug, and how much more Canadian can it get other than O-Pee-Chee, and nice little stack of wood borders from the 1987 set. These put me up to 133 out of 396 cards, not to exciting to most people, but this was the first set I remember collecting as a kid. Thanks for the trade!

Zistle Trade #40

Quick zistle trade with mattdamick filling some 2014 Redskins needs, Ryan Grant and Trent Murphy both made the 2014 Washington roster, nut neither really made a huge impact.

Cardboard Collections Trade

As with most trades this time of year, Gypsy Queen set needs are coming in, today from Cardboard Collections. Always nice to get Mike Trout out of the way, he usually seems short printed, but this year he is card #1, and this completed page 1 in the set binder.

Just a Taste: 2014-15 Masterpeices

Another trip to the LCS for supplies leads to a few packs, this time it's the $10 per pack Upper Deck Masterpieces, so lets see what $20 bucks gets you.

Dollar Store Trading

Another trade with fellow Canadian, Sportscards From the Dollar Store, a sweet orange swatch from an "Event Worn workout jersey", and as weird as it is seeing Tulo in an orange jersey, it sounds like seeing him in a different jersey might be a permanent thing sooner than later.

COMRockies (Parallel Madness)

Still working the the most recent COMC package, starting with my favorite card of the bunch, a camo refractor of Rosell Herrera, numbered to 15, these are pretty hard to find for a reasonable price. I am not a huge fan of Herrera as a prospect, but this was too nice a card to pass up.

Another Subjective Trade

I still have no idea who Kennys Vargas is. After posting my Gypsy Queen box break including an autograph of Mr. Vargas, I noticed a comment by Brian from "Highly Subjective and Completely Arbitrary" saying Vargas was his favorite Twin and he had the power of two regular guys called Kenny and he wanted to trade for the card. Once I realized he was being serious, a trade was born. Starting with some Gypsy Queen for my set, including two short prints and Wilin Rosario that as far as I can tell is the only card in set featuring catcher gear.

COMRedskins

Working my way through a large boc from COMC.com that also included a pile of mailbox service cards. Starting with Sean Taylor, I try to add a Taylor card whenever I can, this one numbered to 150 from 2005 Leaf Certified Materials, a set that really suffered from parallel overload.

Bowman Black Collection - Forrest Wall

Bowman Black Collection card #12 in the collection, Forrest Wall, the 35th overall draft choice of the Rockies in the 2014 draft. Starting 2015 as a 19 year old in A-Ball with the Asheville Tourists. All the scouting reports rave about his hitting and after hitting .318/.416/.490 in his pro debut last year, he look like an exciting prospect to follow.

2015 Gypsy Queen Trade/Wantlist

Wants 

Updated Feb 27, 2019

Base:
Complete!

SPs:
Complete!

Mini Red:
288

Mini Gold:
288

Mini Black:
78, 116, 126, 144, 155, 213, 288

Full Size Relics:
Nolan Arenado, Yadier Molina (Bat)

For Trade

Base:
7, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 29, 36, 40, 47, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 63, 65, 66, 74, 75, 78, 90, 93, 100, 102, 104, 109, 110, 111, 115, 116, 119, 120, 123, 127, 128, 130, 134, 137, 141, 142, 145, 146, 147, 149, 152, 154, 156, 160, 162, 164, 173, 176, 177, 178, 179, 184, 188, 189, 190, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 203, 204, 209, 210, 214, 217, 218, 221, 222, 225, 231, 236, 245, 251, 256, 257, 259, 261, 264, 268, 270, 272, 274, 276, 278, 279, 282, 284, 286, 287, 289, 291, 293, 295, 297, 298

SP:
302, 312, 349

Autographs:
Abraham Almonte, Anthony Ranaudo

Relics:
Cole Hamels

Framed Mini Relic:
Yadier Molina, Taijuan Walker

Framed Bronze (#499):
25, 63, 236

Pillars of the Community:
David Ortiz, Jose Abreu

Glove Stories:
2, 6, 9, 12, 15

The Queen's Throwbacks:
3, 6, 13

Walk-Off Winners:
2, 7, 12, 14, 18, 24

Mini:
2, 4, 22, 52, 73, 75, 104, 108, 132, 142, 146, 153, 164, 167, 186, 188, 220, 227, 231, 235, 255, 272, 279, 288, 299

Mini SP:
307, 324

Mini Variations:
6, 7, 21, 40, 44,  55, 65, 76, 100, 114, 125, 133, 176, 178, 188, 189, 190

Mini Silver:
117, 140, 285

Basics of Baseball Minis:
Squeeze Bunt

2015 Gypsy Queen Box 2

This will in no way be as detailed as box 1, the main reason being the breakdown was the same, same amount of autos, relics, minis, mini parallels and inserts. My two autographs above, two guys I haven't really heard of, I thought Abraham Almonte was Alexi Amarista, but he is not.

2015 Gypsy Queen Box Break and Review

 

I case you haven't visited this blog before, I like Gypsy Queen. I don't buy a lot of packs, but I always save up for two boxes of Gypsy Queen and try to build the set with short prints. This year is no different. Here is the run down of box 1.

Like Christmas in April

Nevermind the fact that it is snowing here right now, I will be inside ripping packs, results, review and want/tradelist to follow.

Check Out My Tek (Acetate Appreciation)

I was pretty excited when my order from COMC.com arrived, it had been a long time since I got my stash shipping and it included all my mailbox service cards, including all my Topps Tek. I was excited to post them until I saw how crappy my scanner makes them look, but I felt the need to show them off anyway. The one that did show up was the "Disco-fractor" auto of Carlos Gonzalez, numbered to 50 and on card.

Junior Junkie PWE

These cards have been laying around for a bit as I am hugely behind on scanning, but here they are are finally. A nice PWE from The Junior Junkie highlighted with a couple Charlie Blackmon, including an auto from last years Stadium club, and while I don't collect Heritage, this Blackmon beard shot was on my wantlist.

One Card Korean Mailday

Pretty sure this is the first package I have received from Korea. This is only the second Japan-fractor of Jon Gray that I remember seeing and after missing out on the first one, I managed to get this one. Numbered to 35 and only released in Asian versions of Platinum, I don't expect to see to many of these pop up. Kind of a sad reminder that Platinum was scrapped this season.

The Last of the Expos

As each season opens we get farther removed from the Montreal Expos. The last Expos game was played in 2004, 11 seasons ago. As of right now there is only one Expos on an active roster, with one on the DL and a few more bouncing around the free agent market and Mexico. (Unless I missed someone).

Bartolo Colon

Expos Career: 17 games in 2002
Nationals Career: Zero
MLB Career: 443 games from 1997-2015
Currently in the Mets rotation

Colon is so old he played for the Indians for 5 seasons before joining the Expos in 2002 as a 29 year old. The 42 year started, and won the Mets season opener this year.

Contest Pimpage

In celebrating Opening Day The Home Run Apple, is having a contest, go check it out.

Custom Card: 2003 Topps Nick Hundley

I knew it had been a while since I posted a custom, but I didn't realize that July was the last one. 2003 has been a design that I have tried and scrapped more times than I care to admit, it's the foil, it just doesn't seem to ever look right. I always kind of liked 2003, it's like a moderned up 1983 in a way, and the blue looks good for the Rockies. This time I felt like it was close enough to post, even though the font doesn't totally match.

Nick Hundley comes into 2015 as the Rockies main catcher after Wilin Rosario terribled himself out of the job. I was hoping Hundley would be included in Heritage this year, but this custom will have to do for now.