A Most Excellent Surprise PAckage From Mi Hermano & Beer Review

Aloha, everybody,

I got a surprise package from JBF, mi hermano in another estado (my brother in another state), and let me tell you...it was FANTASTIC!

Good ol' Wes always comes to rock and he's still batting batting 1.000

Also in today's video: I review Most Excellent IPA from The Dude's Brewing Company, a local brewer here in the LA area.

Thanks for watching (in advance) and BIG THANKS to mi hermano.

Aloha!

What's Good for a Rainy Day? Some New Piazzas, of course!

Aloha, everybody, 

Time to play some catch up with backed up trade posts. Today's cool batch-o-cardboard came to me from Johnny's Trading Spot. 

Good ol' John sent over a great smattering of Piazzas (and a few others) that were all new for my collection. Let's get right to 'em...

Mike and his contemporaries were lucky to come along in one of the golden eras of cardboard. Sure, we refer to it as the "junk wax era" because there were so many sets popping out of the woodwork, and so much overproduction. 

I subscribe to the theory that was actually a hidden blessing. So many sets led to competition, creativity and variety in card designs. No Topps monopoly meant card companies beyond the grandfather brand could use real team logos and didn't have to play stupid airbrush games, or only use photos of our cardboard heroes from behind. 

How about a great play at the plate...Spring Training style...

It might just be the Dodgers-tinted glasses that I wear, but Piazza seems a perfect fit for the design and photography styles of the day...

Really digging this shot of big Mike waiting for the inevitable home plate collision. They even used it for the close up on his name plate. 

Speaking of cards I dig. Here's a meaningless (in the grand scope of things) but beautiful, little work of baseball art. 

Finally, another great action photo...

A great haul of Piazzas. THANKS, John. More cards coming your way as soon as I build another stack for you. 

Aloha! 

You Can't Have Too Many Great Things to Read

Aloha, everybody, 

I have to start this post off with an apology to Dennis, from Too Many Verlanders. You see, Dennis sent a package to me long, long ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. 

It wasn't because I didn't like what he sent - rather, I liked it so much, that I immediately stashed it in my library to be enjoyed in my leisure time, but I forgot it was there until now. 

When Dennis' package arrived, I was still reading "Electric October". So I put it aside to be perused when I finished the book. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it until a few days ago. All the while, the package sat there waiting, while I forgot to post about it. Ugh!!

OK, self-flagellation is over. I finished the book, and I'm currently enjoying this generous package of past collecting periodicals from Dennis. 

Most were old Beckett mags, and I love 'em. I read Beckett religiously back when I started collecting, and I saved a few from back in those days. These are great additions to my collection. 
There's so much goodness and collecting nostalgia in these mags, I'm going to spread them out over a few posts. 

Let's get started with Mike Piazza, the cover boy for July 1996. 

I love reading and reminiscing over what the card collecting world was like back then. For many of us, Beckett was the cardboard bible, and it set trends as much as it reported on them. 

Here's who collectors were chasing back in '96. Frank Thomas and Piazza were at the top of my wish list back then. 

The main attraction this mag has for me is a gallery of full-page photos that were meant for autographs. I wonder of anyone ever got every autograph needed to fill out the set. 

Autographed or not, these are great photos. I'll hold commentary and let the pics speak for themselves...

Good stuff, right? THANKS for these wonderful mags, Dennis. Sorry it took so long to post up. 

Next time, we'll get into the way-back machine and pull out a real vintage Beckett with plenty of fun reading inside. 

Aloha! 

It's not Summer, Nor is it '74. Still, These Cards are Awesome

Aloha, everybody, 

Next in the "catch up on trade posts" series, is a fistful of cards from my friend, Matthew (Summer of '74). Let's check 'em out...

I've long loved these SP die-cuts. This is a new one for my Piazza collection. Classic pose of the mighty Piazza ready to strike...

Speaking of new additions. Bat Patrol insert. Piazza in the friendly confines...

More Piazza cardboard goodness. This time, decked out in the tools of ignorance (Leaf Limited Gold parallel) 

How about a back side photo with the evil Barry Bonds...

It wasn't all Piazza, all the time. Matthew also brought the Mondesi...

This next one. This was the card that sparked everything. Summer of '74 featured Leaf Limited Lumberjacks inserts (numbered to 5000) of Piazza and Mondesi. I remember buying plenty of packs and never pulling a Dodger Lumberjack back in the day. 

Matthew mentioned in his post the Piazza was spoken for, so I jumped hard on the Raaaauuuuuulllll...

That was the card I coveted. Generous Matthew didn't stop there. He included a whole buncha Mike and Raul's friends from 1995 SP Leaf Limited, and Sportsflics...

More great Piazza cards and bonus: Hideo Nomo...

THANKS for the great cards, Matthew! Happy Sunday, everyone. 

Aloha! 

A Penny Sleeve Can't Hold Back This Cardboard's Coolness

Aloha, everybody, 

I recently received a package from Jon, my friend and the man behind A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts. 

I love reading Jon's blog posts. Everyone in our community has a different writing style, and I just happen to connect with how Jon writes. The bonus is our occasional blind trades. Nothing set up formally, just a fistful of cards flying from one collector to another. That's simple cardboard goodness, and this batch did not disappoint. 

First up is an interesting specimen that has me scratching my head.
Take a look and see if you notice anything different about this card... 

The card itself is of a highly diggable nature. What's not to love? Steve Garvey, rare fielding photo, and a jersey patch. All cherished checkmarks. 

But...did you notice the swatch? It's black. The Dodgers don't have any black in their uniforms, so why is the swatch black? The back of the card doesn't give me any hints, but closer inspection of the photo gives me a very big clue. 

Garvey is wearing a black tribute patch to number 19, Brooklyn Dodgers great, Jim Gilliam. The texture of the swatch itself feels a bit rough, like a patch might. Is this a swatch from Garvey's sleeve patch ?!?!?!?!? Dare I believe so???? What do you guys think? Any ideas from GCRL or Sir Night Owl?  

Moving on. Some of you may know Al Downing as the guy who gave up home run 715 to Hank Aaron. In fact, that's what the Memorable Moment for this card is...

Jon dropped a few 2017 Topps Archives on me. Cool! 

Here's a nice surprise. Jon knocked a solid base hit with this Larry Doby inclusion...

How many times have I said it? Gimme all your Piazzas. Please. 
High tops alert...

I don't know how many times I've had this card and traded it away or sold it. It's returned to me once again. Must be fate. I think I'll keep this one. 

Don't you love when trade partners remember who you collect, or check your wish lists to ensure they include some stuff right in your collecting wheelhouse? Jon does this...

I collect defunct teams, and one of my favorites is the Washington Senators. This Gil Coan card is a beauty. A bit flawed because of the fold crease, but otherwise, a beauty. What a photo! Plenty of the classic checkmarks found in 50's cardboard. 

Flip it over and there's even more goodness. It seems Coan had such a terrible 1952 campaign (the Topps writers called it a "slump year") that they totally ignored '52 and reminded us 1950 and '51 were much better for ol' Gil. 

Finally, Jon dropped in a couple of sweet items for my Raiders collection. Biletnikoff!!

Shiny Archives and below, numbered 1090 of 1099. The next best to the first ten numbers, is within the last ten. Cool! 

THANKS for the great cards, Jon. Your pile is almost ready to send out from here. 

Aloaha! 

World Cup of Trading Loot for Trade Deadline Day

Aloha, everybody, 

Did you participate in the World Cup of Trading? It was the final big bash, wahoo trade-a-thon sponsored by my great hermano, Wes, of Willinghammer Rising and JayBarkerFan fame. 

Wes put up a ton of offerings for trade, and all we had to do was pick a few items and trade back. I love that Wes' events are always simple, but the end results are far from it, and often spectacular. 

Here are the goods that I selected from Wes. Leading off is my first auto from one of the Boys of Summer, the Duke of Flatbush. 

Sweet, right? That wasn't my only autograph score. This next one is from an LA Dodger, who patrolled right field with a canon for an arm, and hit monster home runs. 

Nope, not Yasiel Puig. 

Raaaaaaaauuuuuuul Mondesi. 

This joins my very modest collection of signed baseballs, and proudly sits beside another of my favorite autographed spheres...

 Yup, signed by the big man hisself. Awesome. 

You know me, I've gotta have some vintage in my picks as well. I chose this baby.

1962 World Series MVP Ralph Terry. This card also slots right into my defunct teams collection. 

Terry wasn't just a WS hero, he also tasted WS ashes. He gave up the home run bomb to fellow WS hero, Bill Mazeroski in the 1960 Fall Classic. Great pick up. 

Those were the items I chose. As I said earlier, Wes takes simple things and makes them spectacular. Don't think for a minute that was all he sent to me. 

Sit back and check out this bonus loot my bro from Alabama sent as well. It's a stack THIS THICK! 

First up, more Brooklyn Dodgers. Forgive the scanner crop. Trust me, this Jackie Robinson Bowman refractor is complete and a beauty. 

Really digging these Diamond Kings. They've become my favorites of all the DK offerings. 

Jumping to present day LA, it's Yasiel. 

How about some shiny Mike Piazza. This Bowman is gorgeous. That's right. Cardboard gorgeousity. 

 I remember chasing these 1996 Leaf Preferred steel cards. Now I've got Piazza! 

After a particularly lousy season at the plate, in 1993 Jose Offerman abandoned all batting convention and employed an unorthodox "samurai chop" style swing. Needless to say, this method didn't work too well for him either. 

Here's a favorite. It's a Don Drysdale pull out card from Stouffers. That Stouffers lasagna is one of my guilty secrets. Love the stuff. 

Here's the Dodgers' present day skipper. 

One of my favorite cards of the bunch. The spacey kaleidoscope  effect on this Mondesi card makes the world around me drip. 

Young Dodgers coming up! 

Speaking of trades, the Dodgers just announced they traded Willie Calhoun to Texas for Yu Darvish. While I'm happy enough to get Yu, I'm really sorry to see Calhoun go. 

That said, it's probably a good move for Willie. He's going to the AL where his iffy defense won't be an issue. I'm sure he's going to be raking for the Rangers as a DH for a long time. 

In a return to simplicity, Wes also included a chip shot at my Dodgers team sets want list. Check off 1976 Rick Rhoden. 

Sadly, this was the swan song of trading with Wes via bloggery. However, this is far from the end of cardboard exchanges with my hermano. THANKS, Wes! 

Aloha!