Randomness From Another Collector

In my last official post on here (well last before the last one), I made mention to the fact that a fellow collector had sent me some random kindness out of the goodness of his heart.  I know I haven't been very visible lately and I know I haven't responded to many people's queries but despite that fact, Paul over at Card Boarded made an effort to jump start my renewed participation in the cardboard community.

He had sent me some "random" Penguin cards that he had lying around, just because.  JUST BECAUSE is something that is very familiar in this collecting community.  How many times have any of the readers out there received a package, just because?  I bet that answer would be over half of you.  Sometimes, the JUST BECAUSE packages are the best.  This one is not an exception.

So, I thought I would take a moment and share.  I think you can click on the images if you want to see larger versions.

Ok lets break this one down, shall we?  From top to bottom, left to right.

1.  2000-01 SP Authentic Sign Of The Times Autograph Milan Kraft - Mom said if you don't have anything nice to say, well you know the rest.  Too bad.  Kraft was drafted 23rd overall by the Pens in 1998 and never lived up to the hype.  He only played for Pittsburgh in his NHL career but that isn't saying much because it only lasted for 207 games over four seasons.  In 2003-04 he put up 40 points but no one ever heard from him again.  Must have been buried under the Civic Arena.

2.  1995-96 Pinnacle Rink Collection Ron Francis - Francis is probably one of the most underrated players of all time, and one of my favorites.  Getting him on the team was a coup in and of itself but once they did, he was a pivotal member of the Pens for many years.  I love this card...it's foily.

3.  1997-98 Donruss Canadian Ice Les Gardiens Patrick Lalime (#/1500) - Lalime was in beast mode when he came to the Pens.  He started out his NHL career in 1996-97 going 16-0, a feat only accomplished by Ross Brooks and former member of Canadian Parliament, Ken Dryden.

4.  2005-06 Upper Deck Hockey Showcase Jocelyn Thibault - I think people forget that Thibault was on the Pens for a brief moment in time.  I kind of did before I saw this card.  But it all came rushing back when I remembered that he was brought in after the lockout, paid $3+ million for a two year contract, and then the old man broke a hip or something.  He couldn't win to save his life and was the reason Marc Andre Fleury got his chance when he did.  So I guess it wasn't all bad.

5.  2002-03 O-Pee-Chee Blue Parallel Robert Lang (#/500) - Lang played some of the best hockey in Pittsburgh and in Washington.  That is, of course, because he had his fellow countryman Jaromir Jagr in both lineups.  But you have to give it to the guy.  No matter where he went, Detroit, Chicago, Phoenix...he still could put up the numbers. 

6.  2007-08 O-Pee-Chee Season Highlights Sidney Crosby - The "highlight" in particular on this card is in reference to a game on 12/20/2007 against the Boston Bruins.  Crosby scored a goal and an assist in the first period and then in the second, he threw down with former Penguin, Andrew Ference.  And that was the tale of Crosby's first (and only I'm sure) "Gordie Howe Hat Trick".  He has a little ways to go before catching Discipline Czar Brendan Shanahan and his NHL leading 17 GHHT's. 


7.  2011-12 Score NHL Shield Die-Cut Sidney Crosby - I have a few of these but not Sid.  Until now.  This card is very cool as it has the NHL shield die-cut into the top.  It's kind of "cartoonish" on the design but I still like it.

8.  2001-02 Pacific Private Stock Game-Used Gear Alexei Kovalev Relic - I'm a sucker for GU cards.  I don't know why.  Whether you think most of them are fake or not, I don't really care.  It's more of a fantasy thing I guess.  Regardless, this is a black swatch of Penguin sweater for Mr. Kovalev.  How do I know this?  I don't.  But at this time in history, he had only played for the Rangers and the Penguins.  Last I checked, Rangers sweaters didn't have black.  But what do I know?  I always liked Alex.  I liked his style, I liked his finesse, and I liked the way he played the game.  Both times he played for Pittsburgh.

9.   2001-02 Pacific Game Worn Jersey Kip Miller (#/1135) - Very cool.  Another GU card.  This one specifically says on the back that it was worn during one of the 33 games Kipper played for the Pens during the 2000-01 season.  So there.  You can't argue with that.  Pacific wouldn't lie.  They are a fine, upstanding company with a strong history of quality products and a great trust in the collecting community and I think they will be around for a long time.  What's that, you say?  Cork?  But there isn't any cork in baseball bats...

1.  2003-04 O-Pee-Chee Blue Parallel Martin Straka (#500) - I think Straka would still be a Penguin if it weren't for the broken leg thing.  He was a solid player for the Pens.  A team leader if you will.  And he had the numbers to back them up.  I just think everyone in the league gave up on him after the injury.  I think he still plays in Europe somewhere. 

2.  2003-04 O-Pee-Chee Red Parallel Martin Straka (#100) - Marty again, only in a shorter printed version.

3.  2002-03 O-Pee Chee Blue Parallel Jan Hrdina (#/500) - Jan Hrdina to Scott Hartnell.  Ready...GO... The Penguins drafted Hrdina 128th overall in 1995.  They later traded Jan to the Phoenix Coyotes for Ramzi Abid, Dan Focht and Guillaume Lefebvre in 2003.  The Coyotes traded him again to the Devils for Mike Rupp.  Mike Rupp was signed by the Pens in 2009 but then went on the the Rangers in free agency last year.  He played in the Winter Classic against the Flyers and gave the "Jagr Salute" to the crowd after scoring which led to an altercation with Flyers thug and Pert Plus spokesperson, Scott Hartnell.  The morale of this story is, Scott Hartnell is an idiot.

4.  2008 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Sidney Crosby - I don't remember exactly how one got these.  I think it may have been through hobby shops as a giveaway with purchase or something.  I don't recall if they were just loosely distributed or came in packs.  Probably just cellophane wrappers if I was to guess.  I have a few of these.  I believe I have multiple Crosby ones but so what.  I won't stop till I have 10 of everything.  Sal, help me out on that one. 10 of everything is perfectly normal, right?

5.  2000-01 ITG Be A Player Red Robert Dome (#/200) - Dome always fascinated me.  He helped Utah win the Turner Cup back in 1996, was then drafted 17th overall by the Pens in 1997 and basically faded away into oblivion.  He was always a solid player in the IHL and other sub-NHL leagues, and has been a pretty decent player overseas but could never really cut it in the NHL.  The card is cool though as it is a parallel that I'm sure I don't have.  It comes from one of those years I disappeared from collecting.

6.  2003-04 O-Pee-Chee Blue Parallel Ville Nieminen (#500) - The only thing I remember about Nieminen being on the Pens was that he was a major pest.  Teams hated him because he was that Matt Cooke kind of player who would constantly be all up in your face and wouldn't back down.  Well at least Matt Cooke before he found Jesus or whatever happened because he is a totally different player now.  But this is about Ville.  I don't know what this guy does now.  Maybe another player that went to the KHL, I don't know.

7.  2000-01 Topps Heritage Foil Parallel Bill Guerin (#555) - The only non-Penguin in the bunch, but always a Penguin in my heart.  I'm not real sure that I have this card or not.  I will look but even if I do, who cares.  It's a Billy G.  That's all that matters.

Thanks again, Paul.  Your cardboard cast-offs now all have a new, loving home. 

Trade Post

I got an email a while back from a reader that was interested doing a trade so I obliged.  Why wouldn't I?  This is what the hobby is all about.  Since I haven't done a trade post in quite a while, I figured now was as good a time as any to chalk one up on the board.  So if you are one of the many that hates Trade Posts...change the channel now. 

My new friend Shane offered up some trade fodder that included some Penguins as well as some set need love.  We are always in need of some set building love.  All he asked in return was some reciprocation on the set needs.  Let's do it.

First there were two 2012-13 OPC Retro Penguins.  We have Zbynek Michalek and Pascal Dupuis.  Matt Niskanen was offered up too but I already had one and I'm not greedy.  These put me two steps closer to the team set of retros.  

Next in the mix was another Zbynek Michalek.  This time it was a Pinnacle Rink Collection parallel from last years collection.  The Nufex material doesn't scan very well but this doesn't look too bad.  I thought I had this one too but after I shuffled through a box or two of Pens cards, I realized I must have been mistaken.

Next up was this awesome Crosby Rainbow card from this years OPC set.  I pulled a Crosby shiny a few years ago but now I don't have to for this years set.  I thought about putting together at least the Rainbow foil set of just the Pittsburgh players but I haven't decided for sure yet.  It is tough to track all these down sometimes.

There were also cards for some sets as I had mentioned.  Shane threw in 9 O-Pee-Chee cards from this years set.  He also tossed in 9 2009-10 Artifacts cards that I needed for my base set.  That was pretty much all we had discussed.  He had a couple others in there which I took a pass on and when all was said and done, I sent him 80 or so "commons" from the base 12/13 OPC set.  Based on that, it seemed fair to me. 

But then....

THERE WAS THIS BEAUTY!!!!

For those not familiar, this is a Marquee Legend Gold Variation Mario Lemieux #G6.  These are available one in every retail Hanger/Box Pack.  The traditional Rack Packs don't have these.  But there is a special box, quite similar to the Topps Baseball/Football Hanger boxes, that contain a cello wrapped pack of cards. Those yield these little beauties!  There are 10 cards in the set and they include the likes of Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Jean Beliveau, Eric Lindros, and Brett Hull.

All I know is, this isn't just some run of the mill parallel card.  Not to me it isn't.  Now I feel like the trade suddenly tipped in my favor.  Since I know Shane is a big Patrick Roy fan, I will have to have something sent his way to even this thing up in the near future.

Thanks a bunch, Shane!!!

Quick Trade Post

Then, vacation. 

Just wanted to do a quick trade post from a package I got from my good friend Dave over at Wax Stain Rookie.  Dave does a nice job on all of his posts and video breaks.  You should check out his site if you don't already do so. 


Dave and I have been working on a trade that would send another familiar face my way for a small sampling of recent rookies.  We finally came to an agreement and as his cards are still (assuming) in-transit as mine were rescued from their yellow paper sleeping chamber yesterday.  Here you go.

What's better than a Mario Lemieux rookie card?

The answer is obvious.  TWO MARIO LEMIEUX ROOKIE CARDS.  This would be the second one I've added to the PC in less than two months.  My goal of four is half way complete.  This is another Topps version.  It isn't perfect but who cares?  It's a Mario Lemieux Rookie Card for cardboard god sake!  I think I may even try to get 6 of them now, and 6 O-Pee-Chee ones to go with it.

Also in the package were a few other cards for the old player collection PCs...

A few Billy G's.

Both featuring his stint with the New York Football Islanders.  I do already have both of these but again, I don't care.  I have some sick obsession for Black Diamond cards.  I don't know why.  Also, I think I have enough of these MVP cards to try and put the set together.  Although, do I really want to start another set that I may never finish.  Heck, I might already have it started for all I know.  I'm so unorganized.

The BAP Billy is one that I did not have.  Guerin as a Shark are hard to come by, especially in the "non-frankencard" variety.  You know what I'm talking about.  Great addition to the PC.

Finally, he was kind enough to throw in one of the rarer finds.  It's the 1997-98 Pinnacle Mint Die-Cut Jaromir Jagr Ultra Buyback Redemption Update card; a true Ebay 1/1.  It has been updated to reflect recent events.

Thank you to Dave at Wax Stain Rookie.  Hopefully you will get the same enjoyment out of your end of the deal.

I'm finally taking a well needed vacation for about a week or so to go visit family so posting will cease.  Not that I have been regularly posting anyway but...

Thank you and good night.

Trade Post & A "Sedin'ing"

Did you ever have one of those days?  You know the ones I'm talking about.  That was today.  So when I came home to find a nice giant yellow envelope in my maibox, it seemed the bad day would turn into a nice evening.  But then this happened...

For the sake of straining your eyes on my crappy webcam picture taking abilities, let me translate.  That says "? Baseball Has Bip.  Hockey Has..."  What the heck could that mean?  You can't Bip someone with non-baseball cards, can you?  Has it been done before?  I don't know.  But certainly not to me.  What did I do to anyone?  But there really couldn't be anything too horrible in here, could there?

 

I have one word...Payback.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow.  But it will come.  You are lucky your package has already been sealed up and I don't really feel like re-opening it.

So on to what I really wanted to show.  The rest of what was in here.  I got some major dentage to my 2009-10 Champs set.  Here we have a bunch of Red and Green parallels that I needed. 

What Champs trade would be complete without some minis.  Here are a few that I needed from my list.

Also, there were a bunch of 2011 Topps Baseball that I needed.  I kind of gave up on this set a while ago because I really didn't feel like picking up any more packs/boxes.  Also, with all the great hockey releases that continued to come out throughout the year, baseball became sort of an after thought.  Here are a few.  I know they look blurry but you get the point.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the O-Pee-Chee cards that were in there.  We had some from 2008 and some from 2009.  As you can see, the majority were rookies, including a Carey Price Marquee Rookie.  Very nice stuff. 

Thanks for the cards, Nick.  The evening turned out pretty well after all.  Despite the "bipping" the cards are all a welcomed addition to the set needs.  I have your package ready to go so be on the look out.  I also have some ideas for a future package. 

Just remember...You started it.

Recapping My National Plan

When I announced I was going to attend the National Sports Collectors Convention last week, I created my "gameplan", if you will, that I would follow to the letter in order to get out of their in one piece.  Well good intentions are not just paving material for the gateway to hell. 

I set out with my goals in hand, ready to attack at the moment my 5 year old Nike ACGs hit the floor of the convention center.  What I failed to remember was the sheer size and magnitude of the show.  Last time I went was 1993 and the show was held at McCormick Place in Chicago, the former "IT" place for conventions until they ran into the UNION problem a couple years back.  Of course that show seemed big.  I was only like 16 or something so everything seemed bigger (or is that when you are six?).  At any rate, I got immediately overwhelmed by the scope of what was present in front of me.

I hit a few tables right off the bat, looking for a few cards that would get my collecting juices flowing.  After browsing about a dozen or so, I made my way through the carpeted area with all the Premium vendors.  This is where the card manufacturers were along with many of the show sponsors, broadcasters, and larger dealers.  It was there that I was sort of sucked into the hype of the promotional packs being given away for pack redemption.  I watched for a bit as people were busting boxes left and right at the Panini booth and the Upper Deck kiosks, in hopes of pulling any of the rare cards that both manufacturers put into their show packs. 

As that excitement wore off, I hit a few dealer tables in hopes of scoring a great deal on some wax.  I was just looking at this point because who knew how many other dealers may have had the same thing for a dollar or two less?  Certainly not I, at that point.  It was then that I ran into my buddy Sal from Puck Junk.  We chatted a moment before he had some business to take care of with the guy from The Wantlist, the Canadian collector magazine that has all the great kind of articles that Beckett used to have eons ago when it was relevant as well as real time pricing and of course, the biggest, most comprehensive Wantlist you can imagine.  If you are a hockey collector and don't get this publication, what is wrong with you?  Go here and check it out. 

Next thing I know, Justin from The Hopeful Chase strolls by and we all decide to go to the special VIP Lounge to do some trading.  Yes, I said it.  Actual trading of cardboard took place.  So when they say there's no trading in the VIP room, they are wrong.  Since I have already sort of alluded to it being something I picked up, I might as well share.  First, I traded for this beauty.

Is that a Mario Lemieux Rookie, you ask?  Yes.  Yes it is.  Sure it is a little off center but the corners are all sharp and the back of the card looks almost perfect.  Did I mention it's a Mario Lemieux rookie?  Sure I gave up one of the most iconic football cards of all time to get it but I really had no emotional attachment to it despite is uber-coolness and if I wasn't going to cash in on this garage collection project anytime soon, the least I could do is flip stuff for my own PC.  Right?  RIGHT?!!?

Also in the mix were a few other cards that I needed including...

I have been off-and-on putting this set together.  Occasionally I pick up one or two and then I don't see or hear from them again for months.  Kind of like one of those relatives that you really want to see but then are sick of them after an hour or so.  Of course, seeing them here on this scan makes me want to start looking for them again.

A couple of singles that I didn't have for some reason.  The Rookie Finalist Lemieux I actually have never seen before so that was cool.  The Tangradi I thought I had but turns out I didn't.  I have some weird man-crush on Tangradi which I can't really explain so don't expect him to be on the Pens that much longer.

You may recall seeing this in another blog post on another blog.  Well it's mine now.  A Sweet Dual-Sweater Swatch of Flower.  The colors are actually the same and come from the dark sweaters (not the one in the picture).  The interesting thing is the two different textures.  One is definitely from a sleeve, the other, not too sure.  It's out of /35 too. 

 
So with those trades out of the way, that leaves my goals. I only had four.  Let's see how they turned out.

1.  Pick up 2 boxes. - - As usual, I went overboard on this one.  Atlanta Sports Cards had quite a few boxes that have been on my radar.  In fact, I have been on their website numerous times and had these in my cart but never pulled the trigger.  In all, I picked up 7 boxes including ITG Decades: 80s, a blaster of BAP, and a variety of Pacific products from the early 00s.  If you haven't seen them already, I'll be posting most of the breaks on the blog. So on a scale of 1-10, 1 being complete failure; 10 being triumphant success...this goal would rank a 10.

2.  Pick up 5 cards for each of my main player collections - - Well since I have 3 player collections, 15 cards didn't seem like a big deal.  Well, it was.  I picked up quite a few Mario's.  If you count the ones I got in trade, I picked up a total of 9.  As for Jagr, I'm really not on the Jaromir kick at the moment.  Looking at some of his cards, while cool, makes me want to burn them.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's the image of the up coming orange and black jersey he will be wearing. As for Billy G., do you know how hard it is to find Guerin cards?  Pretty damn difficult unless it's an auto or GU card and even then, you have to dig.  So using my scoring system, this goal ranks a 5 out of 10.  Three players, five cards each, 33% per player.  Bonus points for the extra Lemieux's.

3.  Pick up at least one autograph or memorabilia card for each of my Pittsburgh team collections - -This one kind of fell flat as well.  While I did get a few nice autos of Penguins that I didn't have (3 to be exact), the Pirates I sought out to pick up were no where to be found and I really didn't even look at Steeler cards at all.  I give this one a 3 out of 10.

4.  Sell something.  Alright, you can't say I didn't try on this one.  I had about a dozen or so cards to try and get rid of.  The only one that I had any traction on was this one.  I offered up stuff to about a dozen or so guys at the show and 7 of them were all interested in this one in particular.  Only one guy made me an offer to which I politely refused.  The others weren't really sure what to offer.  I had one guy who wanted it but really couldn't come up with a number.  I threw out a Ben, not knowing if that was fair or not, but even at that, couldn't get anyone to bite.  So I can't really give this one a legitimate score other than for trying.  We will say 1 out of 10 in this case. 

So adding up my score, with 40 possible points I scored 19 in completion of my goals.  But if you take into account that all 9 of the Mario cards were ones I needed and I picked up a Lemieux rookie, as well as three autograph Penguin cards, a hockey HOFer signed puck, an Olympic hero signed photo card, a bunch of fun boxes to bust, and some pretty cool memories from the show, I'd say that's pretty close to a perfect score.

More on this later.

My First ZIstle Trade

Has anyone done any trading on Zistle?  Do you even know what Zistle is?  If you answered no to either of these questions, I'm sorry for your loss.  For those in the know, the new functionality on the Zistle platform makes trading almost too easy.

I was contacted a few days ago by a fellow Zistler looking to give up some P-Rats for some cards from his Strawberry/Gooden/Wilson collection.  I just so happened to have been looking through a box at the time that had a bunch of cards off his list so we exchanged pleasantries and three days later, I get a package in the mail.

I thought I would share my first Zistle trade ever (hopefully not my last).  For most of you, this will be a collection of commons but since I'm a Pirates fan, these are all welcomed additions to my PC.  I think I gave up 10 or 11 cards and got these in return.

 2009 National Chicle Andrew McCutchen

 2011 Gypsy Queen Jose Tabata

 2007 UD Masterpieces Bill Mazeroski

 2011 Gypsy Queen Future Stars Jose Tabata

 2008 UD Masterpieces Black Border Willie Stargell

 2009 Allen & Ginter Jason Jaramillo

2009 UD Masterpieces Bill Mazeroski

Trade Post - - Baseball Set Help

Not too long ago, out of the blue, I got a comment from another collector offering up some set help.  Everybody's favorite Brewer fan, Thorzul, must have gotten bored one day and decided send some stuff my way for help with my sets.  I didn't know Thorzul collected hockey cards.

Oh wait a second.  That's right.  I do have some baseball sets that I was trying to put together.  Specifically, last years Bowman and Topps.  I got caught up in all the frenzy and mayhem when Bowman hit the streets last year and bought a bunch.  I also at some point decided it was a good idea to start trying to accumulate the base Topps set every year.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I've just been distracted with all the new sets for hockey, the garage collection, and other things that I forgot about baseball.  Sorry.

At any rate, a package from Milwaukee arrived despite the 30 inches of snow and the 4-5 ft. piles covering our neighborhood mailboxes.  Thorzul was kind enough to send 8 cards my way in the name of set help.  I thought I would take a moment and share my first baseball cards of 2011 that aren't 2011 Topps. 

2010 Bowman Chrome Neil Medchill

This guy was drafted by the Angels in 2005, the Mets in 2008, and the Yankees in 2009.  I really hate how Chrome scans.  Does anyone out there have a better way to get these to scan correctly?  They come out black when I scan them and I do an auto photo fix so you can at least see a little of the background.  I've tried doing the photo instead of scan thing but it just doesn't work out the way I want it.

 2010 Bowman Topps 100 Ivan DeJesus

2010 Bowman Topps 100 Simon Castro

2010 Bowman Topps 100 Zach McAllister

I decided to take on the Topps 100 set.  These are supposed to feature the top 100 rookies in baseball last year.  Although looking back, I don't know how many of these guys will actually be considered TOP.

2010 Topps Legendary Lineage Duke Snider/Andre Ethier

Quite a few collectors were not fans of these inserts.  I kind of like them but my only thing is in an album, you have to cock your head to the side to really see them.  Plus, I think where Topps dropped the ball was by placing different combinations of players on some of the cards that made no sense at all.  I get players on the same team, I even get players at the same position.  But there were some interesting pairings that left something to the imagination.

 2010 Topps More Tales Of the Game Intracity Sweep

2010 Topps More Tales of the Game Mile High Humidor

The interesting thing about these two is that I did need TOG-6 and TOG-8.  What I didn't know was that apparently in the Update set, they came out with a More Tales of the Game set.  These cards are MTOG-6 and MTOG-8.  So I needed these too, I just didn't know it yet.

And finally, one for my Pirates collection that I don't think I had:

2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Gold Doug Mientkiewicz #56/2008

Thanks again, Thorzul.  I always appreciate a little set help.

Trade Post - - More set help

One of my readers hit me up on email the other day and let me know that there would be a little something on the way in the mail.  Michel, another set collector from Texas, decided to help me out with a couple sets and also threw in a few surprises as well.  If anyone has ever traded with Michel, then you know that he is one of the great traders out there and will always surprise you with what he sends.  Let's take a look.

As you can see by the picture, there are some 2010-11 Score and Donruss Hockey in this mix.  You can also see part of my 3 year old's face in the corner there.  He is always curious when new cards come in.

First, the 2010-11 Score Hockey.  I had 145 cards left to complete the set.  This set overall has been a bit of a disappointment for me.  When the original sneak peeks were released earlier this year, I had some high expectations for this set.  Yes it is a low-end product.  Yes it is probably meant for the kids because of the low price point.  But, with a design reminiscent of the 1990-91 set, this was sure to be a hit with 30 something year old collectors that remember the "good ole' days" of collecting. 

Then the set was released and after some quick buzz, a lot of set collectors, including yours truly, realized that this was falling a little flat in a few areas.  The biggest issue for me was the sheer size of the set compared to the collation in the pack out.  At 550 base cards, a box will only net you 252 cards.  With each pack containing a glossy parallel - 36 (just like the football counterpart) and every two packs containing an insert or rookie, it is a bit tough to put together since most boxes are only going to get you 195-200 base cards.  The other issue was the lack of the rookie redemptions to which Panini later scraped their plans without telling collectors and included the cards in the pack out, but short printed the top players instead.  I've already addressed my enthusiasm for that idea.

Now, I'm not saying I don't like the set as a whole.  It has that epic 90-91 design that helped launch many collector's down their hoarding, I mean collecting, path 20 years ago.  There are also some nice inserts for a low end product including the Snow Globe Die-Cut cards, the Net Cam cards which feature a photo from the net cam angle, and the Canada/USA Greats cards.  After 10 rack packs, 2 hobby boxes (although I don't think there is a distinction between hobby or retail), 2 blasters, I still don't have a complete set.  So, Michel sent me 21 from my list. 

The next few were from the 2010-11 Donruss Hockey set.  I am down to 9 on this set because of some great deals on rack packs at Meijer.  I am going to go out on a limb here and say that despite the low-end nature of this release, this might be my favorite Panini set so far this year (that isn't saying much).  The design is simple, the photography is good, and the backs actually attempt to mix it up a bit, departing slightly from the typical Panini-esque card back.  I think I have already reviewed these before and said that I wasn't too thrilled by them.  For some reason, however, these have continued to grow on me.  I think that is due to the insert sets.  The Les Gardiens set, the Ice Kings, Tough Times, and Elite inserts are all well done.  At any rate, Michel sent me 6 from my list so I am down to 3...Nick Lidstrom, Evander Kane, and Kyle Okposo.

Finally, the surprises were once again, a plethora of Pittsburgh Steelers for my team collection.  Did I mention they were in the Super Bowl?  Did I mention it was for the 8th time?  Did I mention that...nevermind.  Here is what was in there...

2010 Topps Chrome Maurkice Pouncey and Rashard Mendenhall

2010 Topps Platinum Mike Wallace, Troy Polamalu, and Rashard Mendenhall

2010 Topps Prime Troy Polamalu and 2010 Panini Threads Rashard Mendenhall

2009 Finest Hines Ward

Thanks for all the good stuff, Michel.  I will be searching thoroughly for some stuff off your lists.

Trade Post - Denting Some Sets...

A package came today. Not just any package but the first pseudo trade package of 2011. I know there are many of you out there on your 100th or more trade of the year already but I have been stuck organizing, sorting, rifling, whatever verb you would like to use, to describe the task of going through 1 million cards. There hasn't been much time to look at trade lists and get things moving.

But no longer, I say. I need to get on the stick and start doing what makes this hobby survive...trade. So with that said, my good buddy Nick decided to strike first with a "small" package of items to help my set needs.

Rather than scan the cards, I'm starting to think that pictures and video might be the way to go, especially with larger lots and card.  But I digress.  Here is the stack of cards that fell from the confines of the yellow envelope they arrived in.  If anyone has ever traded with Nick, you will know that he takes great care in packaging the cards, each one in a penny sleeve, encased in a team bag, and usually sandwiched between some stiff cardboard.  Sure it may take longer and cost more to ship but as a collector, you can appreciate the care taken to keep the cards from damage.  I can't count how many times I received an Ebay package from a non-collector with less than stellar packaging. 

So what was in the package, you ask?  I'll show you.

 

There they are.  In all their glory.  As you can see, there is a variety of sets represented here.  We have 2010-11 Upper Deck, 2007-08 O-Pee-Chee, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee, and 2008-09 Ultra.  There are also a couple of surprises in here too.  I will get to those in a second. 

Starting with the 2010-11 Upper Deck, there were 42 (Dick Hoak) cards.  I needed 43 (Troy Polamalu) to complete my base set.  I now only need card number 105, which if you believe the checklist, should be Andrew Burnette.  If any of you readers out there have this little bugger floating around, let me know.  Series II should be out before we know it and there will be another 250 cards to hunt down.

Next we have 2008-09 Ultra.  There were 14 (Todd Blackledge) cards from this set in there.  My needs consisted of 22 (Duce Staley), thus...8 (Tommy Maddox) cards remain.  I have actually considered picking up another blaster of these since they are prevalent in most retail stores around my neck of the woods at the discounted status of $12.  Although, $12 for a small box of mostly doubles, triples, and quadruples may be the wrong way to go about this. 

My needs for 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee are a bit more daunting.  I was 86 (Hines Ward) cards short when I woke up this morning.  I am now only 83 (Heath Miller) cards shy.  Colton Orr, Brian Gionta, and John-Michael Liles have now joined the biggest set of every card collecting year.

80 (Jack Butler) cards is what I was down to for the 2007-08 O-Pee-Chee set.  Again, these are huge sets with 600 cards in the base set (plus another 200 in the update sets).  Nick was kind enough to send me half of them.  HALF!!! 40 (Myron Bell) cards total put a 50% dent in my set.  That's awesome!!

And last but not least, a couple of surprises that I wasn't expecting.

If you can't see, those would be the 2010 Topps Chrome versions of Troy Polamalu and rookie Emmanuel Sanders.  Everyone knows Polamalu is a stud but Sanders has proven himself worthy of a spot on the team as the #4 receiver.  Limas who?

Thanks, Nick for all the cards, the set help, and the Steelers.  I appreciate it a bunch and there will be something in it for you, don't worry.

Did anyone notice all the little weird things after a bunch of numbers in this post?  It seemed like every time I typed a one or two digit number, a name popped up.  Must be some new feature on blogger.  Weird.

Go Steelers!!