Catching Up On Some Recent Trades

I've been getting a ton of mail lately, far too much to keep up with on the blog- but here are this week's highlights:

All five of the cards above are from CynicalBuddha over at Collector's Crack. He's a huge baseball fan,  and has some really interesting collections. Definitely worth checking out his blog!

I was very pleased with everything he sent me, particularly the Grilli gold border. I love Grilli's S1 picture- It sums him up well. Buddha was kind enough to throw in a bunch of other cards. Next up, an auto...

Sent to me by Mr. Judson Meeks over at My Cardboard Habit. If you don't know Judson, you probably blog on a different planet. Judson runs a very entertaining blog, and he's an incredibly generous trader. I think I've established myself as Judson's "Pirate Guy," which I am more than OK with. 

I'm not in love with the design of these Trajectory auto cards, but I am in love with a rookie auto from a current Pirate. My thoughts on Lambo are pretty well documented.

Thanks to both of my trading partners, and thanks to you for reading!

Atomic PC Additions and Some Topps Series 1 Previews!

I haven't posted in forever. That's a fact. I feel bad too, because I was having some great interactions and building somewhat of a following. However, even when I'm not posting I'm constantly reading and browsing blogs, and you guys have provided some excellent reading material. 

I've also been neglecting eBay and COMC somewhat, but I was able to sit down the other night and put together a few orders. Here's what I hauled in:

I actually stumbled across these by accident, in a way. I was searching eBay for 2013 Topps Chrome atomic refractors, which are numbered to 10. I absolutely love the "cracked ice" look to these parallels, but the 2013's are generally way too expensive, being so rare.

 In my search I learned that in 2011 Topps, the atomic refractors are exactly the same design, but numbered to 225. Boom! There were several of each of COMC, so I was able to pick and choose. The best part is, the Liriano is 47/225, his jersey number! I absolutely hate when eBayers use this gimmick to jack up prices, but that wasn't the case here. Happy to have it!

I'm still looking for this same card, but of Pedro Alvarez. Please let me know if you see one!

Next up:

This baby. What to say here. This is more or less a case of, "Whoa. Shiny. Must. Have." It also satisfied many of my conditions for buying a single:

Price? The price was right. Really right (I think). The same card has gone on eBay for waaayy more than I bought it for, although the grades were higher.

Rarity? Somewhat rare. It's an X-fractor RC, at least.

Value? People f**kin' love this guy. I'm sure the 9 brings the value down. 

Unique? I've never owned a graded card! Plus it's a just a beautiful looking card all-around.

That was enough for me. I guess this is technically for trade if there are any Harper super-fans out there that are dying for a card like this. I'd need a great offer though. 

Moving on: How about 2014 Topps Series 1?! Who's excited?! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I'm definitely a bigger fan of S2, Update, and Chrome... but the novelty of a new product is always exciting to me. I've been avoiding the card isle all week and WallyWorld in an effort to save up for some packs of S1. I may even consider a blaster. Thoughts? Anyone out there buying a hobby box? Joining a group break? I'd love to hear some opinions. 

I've been keeping up with Topps' updates throught Twitter, and here are some of the cards that have caught my eye:

All of these autos are pretty damn nice. I've seen a ton of complaints about all of the autos being stickers. I actually don't mind the stickers for S1 and S2, because it means that other Topps products with on-card autos will remain higher end (Chrome, Gypsy Queen Five Star, etc). It also cuts down on redemptions, I believe.

A few quick housekeeping items; I 've updated my Trade Bait. There are over a dozen 2013 Topps Chome sapphire blue refractors /199 on there, as well as tons of other goodies. Check it out! I'd love to get some trades going.

Also, if you haven't checked me out on Twitter, please do so! @big44cards

Thanks for reading! Nate

Trade with Alex of Chavez Ravining

Happy Holidays everyone. Between all the stress of the holidays, I'm happy to say that I've been able to balance things well this year and not drive myself too insane. I've luckily had some spare time, which I've spent organizing my collection and setting up trades.

Two weeks ago, a guy by the name of Alex contacted me because he was interested in a 2013 Topps Chrome Adrian Beltre Camo parallel that I had, #'d to 15. It's a gorgeous card, really. I have no affection towards Beltre however, hence it's placement on my trade bait. 

Before I get into the cards: If you haven't already checked out Alex's blog, titled Chavez Ravining, you must. It's an incredibly interactive blog and has quickly become one of my favorites. 

We'll kick it off with two Target red parallels. I was very pleased with all of the love that the Buccos received in 2013 Update, as well as the All-Star weekend. 

Another Alvarez Parallel from update. Seems like Alex has a knack for pulling Pirates! I was really excited about the Cutch parallel on the right, for two reasons: A. It's nearly impossible to get your hands on fairly priced Cutch cards, and B. I didn't purchase any regular Bowman this year, only Chrome.

To the left we've got a very nice David Price camo parallel, also from Update. I figured I'd lump him in with the Pirates because he'll definitely be signing with Pittsburgh by next week.

Just kidding. But I can dream. The Pirates have actually been mentioned as a "contender"for DP... where they'll get that kind of money remains to be seen. 

On the right is a Barrett Barnes auto from 2013 Bowman Inception.  Barnes is currently pegged as the Pirates #10 prospect. He's stuck behind some great talent, but he's only 22. It'll definitely be an uphill battle for Mr. Barnes to reach the show.

Finishing out the baseball cards are a Vlad jersey and a nice Will Middlebrooks parallel. I'm not necessarily a fan of Middlebrooks, but this is one of the sickest cards in all of 2013 Topps. 

I've always been a fan of Vlad, simply because he has no right arm but rather a cannon. He also opted against batting gloves which is nicely captured on the card.

 Finally, A nice big ol' Marc Gasol Jersey. I've mostly connected with baseball collectors, but basketball cards are a big part of my collection, so this was very welcome. The card isn't too special, except the fact that Marc seems to be doing some odd dance move with a basketball photoshopped in. It's a shame he's out this year, as one of the more exciting big men in the league.

Thanks again to Alex for the trade, and thanks for reading!

My Best Trade Yet, with ARPSmith

Back in October, I stumbled across an awesome blog - ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession - run by an awesome blogger, Adam.

I eagerly scanned his want list, and luckily I had a few goodies for him. I shot him an e-mail and before long, a trade was born. I sent off some SF Giants for him, and asked for anything he could spare in return. The first bullet in his wantlist states, "Those who fill one of these needs will be greatly rewarded!"

..and let me assure you, this guy is not kidding.

I found myself with a stack of Pirates, and I could immediately tell that this collection was loaded with color! Parallels. Yes.

First off is a nice Jeanmar Gomez parallel from 2013 Update. I already have the emerald, but not the gold. Perfect. In the center is former 1B/3B Casey Mcgehee, from 2012 Update. To his right is his successor, looking lovely on that Emerald background. After two great years with the Brewers (and then one really bad one), he got a shot with the Pirates. It was more a less a disaster. 

Next up is a nice horizontal from 2011 Topps Diamond. I really like the look of the these cards, and specifically this very card. A great shot of Cutch, Garrett Jones, and Ryan Doumit. Any card with Cutch on it is gold to me. Doumit's Pirate career is comparable to Mcgehee's... no need to trash him too.   Garrett Jones just signed with Miami after the Pirates decided not to pay him. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss him. My favorite memory of him was back in June when he blasted one straight into the Allegheny. It was only the second time a homer went into the river on a fly. Quite impressive.

To the left is a Starling Marte RC from 2012 Topps. Just a gorgeous card. The gold sparkle bodes so well with the Pirates black and gold jerseys. To the right is Cutch from 2013 GQ with a nice white border. 

In the center is, allegedly, a Jose Tabata "Future Stars" Insert. There are several strange things going on here:

1) Is "Future Stars" not the most played out term for inserts? Ever!?

2) Jose Tabata will most likely never come close to star status

3) ...that's Ronny Cedeno.

I poked around the internet, and I don't think Ronny Cedeno had card in 2011 GQ. A very interest error card. Cedeno's a short stop, Tabata a right fielder. Poor editorial work here, but a cool card nonetheless!

Lastly, a nice 2013 Topps Chome orange parallel of Mr. Russel Martin. I already have the Sepia and Black Parallels... do I see a rainbow in the future?

Below it is a wonderful bonus that Adam was willing to send my way. I'm actually a big fan of Jonathan Dwyer. He was drafted by Pittsburgh, and he's been with the team for three years now. He was actually cut during pre-season cuts, but then re-signed after several injuries at the runningback position. He's a power back, something that the Steelers have been lacking lately. My favorite aspect of this card is Dwyer's number. He wore 21 in college, and wears 27 now. Not sure where the 41 came from.

Adam, thanks so much these awesome cards. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined such a complete and exciting package.

If you'd like to check out more of my Pirates PC, it can be seen HERE!

Thanks for reading!

2013 Topps Cut to the Chase - SET COMPLETE!

It's glorious. I'd never tried to chase a set of inserts before, but for some reason this set really appealed to me. I think my favorite aspect of the set is the player selection; lots hall of famers, future hall of famers, and of course... three Pirates. 

I picture myself skimming through this set ten years from now and being overwhelmed with great baseball memories- Mike Trout's huge splash onto the scene, Cutch's MVP year, Manny Machado's Web Gem of the year, and so on.

And the best part is, this is all pre-Puig- an era of baseball which I enjoyed. It could be the last set of Puig-free inserts that Topps ever produces.

A huge thanks to everyone was helped me out with this set! Its great to sit back and enjoy these, finally.

Why We Collect

Blogging about my hobby has opened my eyes and changed my attitude about card collecting. Thanks to all of the wonderful blogs out there, I've learned that collecting cardboard is about so much more than card value and money. It's about making the hobby special to you, and collecting cards that you like because of the player, team, or unique image on the card- not the value of the card. 

With that said, I'm making a much greater effort to find cards that I enjoy, not cards that will make me money. As you may know, I grew up a Pirates fan, and I spent my summer in Pittsburgh this summer with much of my time being spent at PNC park. I've grown very close to the team this year- closer than ever, in fact- and it inspired me to focus my collection on the Pirates. I've been scouring eBay for some nice (cheap) Pirates cards, and I've started a special page just for my Pirates PC. If you've got a second, please check it out! Here's the link! 

My Favorite All-Star

In honor of tonight's All-Star game, I will share with you a card I received last week of my favorite All-Star:

Actually, that's a lie. To determine my favorite All-Star, you'd have to flip a 4-sided coin with Cutch, Pedro Alavarez, Jason Grilli, and Mark Melancon on each side. Sorry, Jeff Locke.

Isn't this card a beauty?! I grabbed it as single last week off of eBay. For the sake of my dignity, I will not tell you the price because I'm sure I overpaid. I imagine the seller was able to jack up the price on that whole 50/50 = 1/1 scam, which is total bogus. Nonetheless, this is a card that I needed to have, and it's serial numbered, which is a must for me.

I'm hoping my boy Cutch as well as the other Buccos can represent our team and city well tonight.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the game everyone!