Aloha, everyone,
Not too long ago I wrote about Spiegel, my old collecting friend who was getting back into the trading game after retiring his own Dodgers blog a couple of years ago.
Just as you might suspect, Spiegel isn't the only ex-Dodger blogger who was away for a while and is now back in. GCRL Jim is another. Jim and I recently turned the U.S. mails blue when we swapped fistfuls of Dodgers cardboard.
We Dodgers collectors are blessed, as our team has historically had plenty of representation in card companies' checklists. That means no matter how large our collections are, and however much we swap among each other, the chances of receiving plenty of new (for us) product in our mailboxes are pretty good.
Take for example, these 2007 SP Legendary Cuts cards of Roy Campanella and Maury Wills.
I've loved these black n' red beauties ever since I saw a dealer selling a large stack of them a couple of years ago. He wanted fifty cents a piece for them, and I wasn't convinced they were worth that, so I walked away and never had a chance to pick through that set again.
Speaking of beautiful cardboard...
Just lookit that. I don't need a card to be selling for $100 on ebay for me to appreciate it. A grand design and good photography goes a long way with me.
Sure I've got 2009 Dodgers, but I didn't have O-Pee-Chee versions until GCRL hit me with them.
Sir Night Owl wrote about receiving a team set Dodger card tonight, and just like the team bag says, these are a bunch of 2012 team set Dodgers...
Just enough to make me need to complete the set. Ha!
Here's an interesting pair, both from 2005. Playoff Prestige and Throwback Threads both used the same photo of the Penguin. The Prestige card was even lazier in its use of the same photo on the back.
GCRL set me up with a whole lotta cards that were brothers in sets that I've never seen. Like these...
And the hits just kept on coming. Here's a string of Dodgers batsmen...
Except Manny's bat is nowhere to be seen.
And here's some pitching.
Another set with amazing photography and design....
Finally, one more photographic work of art on a little slice of cardboard...
Dig that sly smile on Jackie. It's the same look Dodgers collectors have when we open packages from each other.
THANKS for all the great cards, Jim!
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
I just have to admit it. I can't resist repacks.
I didn't start out looking for a repack, but darn it, before I knew what hit me, I found myself pulled back into the repack cycle once again.
It all started a few days ago I saw a beautiful Kenta Maeda insert that someone pulled from a pack of 2017 Heritage. Well, I thought - in my unrealistic hunter/collector logic - if that guy can pull a Maeda, surely I can too...or at least an Adrian Gonzalez base card.
So off I went to my local Target. No Heritage in sight. Ugh!
OK, what else was available? Nothing but flagship Topps. More ugh! I didn't want to drop $20 on a blaster, as my original plan was just to find a couple of lucky packs.
The box containing individual Topps packs was picked through and disorderly. I figured some 12-year old messed them all up, and then I figured some 35-year old, cherry picking, pack sniffer had a go at the box. My chances at an lucky insert were dashed. Thrice ugh!
A reasonable man would have just walked away and gone to a different store. That's what a reasonable collector would have done.
And then, I saw it.
Look at who was staring at me through the window. Kenta!!
50 cards! 4 packs! A mystery bonus! All facade of self-discipline was gone. I hadda have it. Before I knew it, I was in the self-checkout line, repack box in hand, and my heart rate rising.
As soon as I was home, I started in on it. First up was the bonus. It was another one of those mini-mites. This time it was a White Sox catcher. The only mystery to me was "who would want this?"
Next I went for the 50-card repack. Here's what I found...(I mean, besides the 20 or so Astros cards that brought great feelings of regret and buyers remorse)
A 1987 Sportsflix Darrell Evans.
And prospects cards....so many dead prospects....
Even Drew Hall looks like he knows he's never gonna make it in The Show.
Anybody collect Durham Bulls with unspellable names?
Anybody collect Yankees prospect checklists with Bernie Williams listed?
I got a few O-Pee-Chees for those so inclined...
The Astros even infiltrated the O-Pee-Chees...
Who wants Rick Sutcliffe with perfect hair on O-Pee-Chee?
I still had four packs to find some magic...
The best card from each of these packs...
The Morgan is one of those Bergman Bests. Maybe Nachos Grande would like this?
Another insert. This time Mike Trout.
Last chance for a Kenta Maeda...or Carlos Ruiz...any Dodger would do at this point....
From Stadium Club (and I had to try hard to find a card to showcase from this pack)...
Last pack, last chance...
Ugh!
Repacks...never again!
Aloha!
Aloha, everybody,
As the above title notes, I received a package from the dean of card bloggers, the GBOAT (Greatest Blogger of All Time), the venerable, wise old owl - who probably won't appreciate being referred to as old. Indeed, if the blogger world had a president, this man would be that...Mr. Night Owl.
We all know it's a good day when a package of cards arrives in the mail, but it's a very good day when I find a package from Night Owl.
Lots of folks send Dodgers cards to N.O., and if I'm lucky, I receive some of the cardboard runoff from his bounty. Night Owl ends up with plenty of dupes and upgrades, and that's where we fellow Dodgers bloggers come in. The trickle down economics theory may not work out in the real world, but it sure does apply in the blogosphere.
Let's have a look at (just a sample of) the goodies that came to me from the frigid and snowed over east.
Leading off is an absolutely beautiful hologram 3-D card from the 30th anniversary of Dodger Stadium. THIS is how to do 3-D illusion right. The stadium image lifts right off the card surface and stands upright...
Young Joc on a sweet Diamond Kings rookie card edition...
What about the Brooklyn boys? Sir Night Owl always delivers...
I love how this shot of Campy shows the tools of ignorance in their full glory. Compare that chest protector to the almost tiny flak jackets catchers wear today.
These are from 1979 TCMA Star of the 50's. I now have six of these Dodgers. Time to find out how many more I need to complete the Dodgers set.
Jumping to the LA club and a Dodgers star from the 60's...
The 70's brought awesome 'staches to the Dodgers...
Here's Charlie Hough, the Dodgers' resident knuckleballer for many a year...
Steve Sax brings us into the 80's on 1985 O-Pee-Chee...
The next decade brought Raaaaaauuuuuuuuullllll....
Looks like a cold day in Chi-Town in this shot. Mondi's wearing winter headgear and the ivy has gone brown.
If you think Dodgers baseball in the early 00's, you've gotta include the one who got away, Adrian Beltre...
Numbered cards? Yes, please...
Brown had such an unlikeable personality, but I'll admit, I liked it when he took the mound. He was lights out!
Here's one for the Tatooine crowd...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish they'd shipped Tracy to Tatooine.
Speaking of the great ones who got away...
The card is dark, so it's not easy to read the name of this Dodgers prospect. It's appropriate because it was a dark day Paul Konerko was traded away. I'll never forgive Tommy for that one. The Dodgers received Jeff Shaw, one of the elite closers in the game at the time. Pfffffffffffffftttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, the one who didn't get away.
The Teenager on a pre- LA Dodgers, Oklahoma City Dodgers card!!! Wow!
Now THAT'S what you get when the president sends you cards.
THANKS Night Owl!
Aloha!
