Joey Votto: Before and After cards

I have been trying to clean my desk off since there are about 12 piles of 300-400 cards stacked all over it, and was putting some in boxes and others in my binders. Votto is one of the players that go in my "Rookie" binder. Players that I like start there and after a season or 3 move into another binder to call home (this is providing they don't mail it in and suck).

At any rate, I was putting a 2009 UD Series 2 Votto away when I noticed through the 9pocket sheet that the same card was behind it, or was it? This is what I was seeing, a 2008 UD Timeline SP of Votto.



Now I know I have said before that these companies use the same photo's and so have many other blogs, but I just figured it was worth pointing out. I never actually checked all my Pujols cards to see if any were blatantly obvious like this one. I think the jersey in this photo makes it even worse.

I am still trying to find the bottom of my desk. There are small patches that are clear but not enough. I want to open something here, but I feel like I should try and put away some stuff first. Collecting is messy sometimes.

2008 UD Timeline Blaster

For a blaster, this wasn't terrible I must say. I ended up with some base cards I didn't have, a couple of good trade bait cards and 2 YSL's of two of my favorite players, Bernie and Boggs.

Jeff Francoeur GU Jersey, Chase Utley gold card, Blake Dewitt RC gold, YSL 5522 Bernie Williams, and YSL 5547 Wade Boggs.

Black Friday & Blasters

The alarm went off at 2:50am, I hit the snooze button twice then got out of my warm bed to head for the mall. I had only been asleep for about 2 hours so you can call that a nap. I was in the mall parking lot by 3:20am with my first cup of coffee, waiting for my friend to meet me. Some stores were open when we got there (why I have no idea), but we were there for our free annual JC Penney snow globe of which I haven't even opened yet. They opened at 4am, and thus kicked off the Black Friday debacle for us.

Our schedule was done by the hour according to which stores opened at what times. JCP at 4, Modells/Old Navy at 5, Target at 6, Gamestop at 7. Target had a line from one side of the mall halfway to the other outside, and when they opened the doors the line was no more. So I ran. I ran like the wind to the back of the store to get my brother a video game. I made it there in like a minute, literally and asked for the game and it was SOLD OUT. REALLY?! That sucked. But I got all my DVD sales.

OK, enough girly shop talk. Now onto Modells....

Modells had coupons for 33% off any licensed sports apparel for one item and 33% off any licensed novelty item. I found a Stadium Club blaster (!), although $25 I figured I was taking a chance on a Pujols auto and rewarding my valiant early bird efforts. Well, the manager did the same. He gave me the 33% off the blaster, and I only ended up paying like $16. Hooray! I also picked up 2 blister packs of SP Authentic in Modells.

Then to BC Sports... I grabbed 2 packs of Timeline's thanks to my brothers debit card. I run an errand or two for him, and he rewards his older sister with cardboard. Awesome.

12 noon: Target #2 -- Another blaster of Stadium Club was found, as well as many blasters of Timeline, which by the way are only $14.99 if you can find them in Target. Well, long story short, the Stadium Club box didn't scan, and I ended up with that one for $14.99. Yay for me, not for mom who gets to pay and put those into my stocking which now will hold nothing else, and thats fine by me.

I spent a good 9 hours shopping on 2 hours of sleep, got a bunch of presents on a small budget and did pretty ok. I didn't spend much (of my own money) on myself, I helped my mom get some things on sale so she didn't have to spend extra money, too. I'm not usually a shopper for things other than baseball cards and coffee, but Black Friday is the best. And when you get sales on baseball cards, it makes getting out of bed at 3am worth it.

Stay tuned for pack breaks... I need to refuel and perhaps wash the nap off my face before playing.

I had some free time

With me, free time can be a dangerous thing. Usually, it means I end up in Atlantic City at a poker table somewhere.

This time I made a little deal with myself. I was allowed to go play poker, but only if I put up the cards that have been sitting on my desk in penny sleeves, waiting to find a home. These baseball cards need to be loved and, frankly, I can't give them the love that they need.

So I finally got some work done and managed to list about 80 or so cards on the Bay.

I put up my 2008 Stadium Club, although, I haven't listed the Gary Sheffield Team Beam autograph numbered to 99, yet. That is probably gonna go up tonight.

A Manny Ramirez 1st Day Issue, numbered to 599 will also make it up tonight. I have the card scanned, it's just a matter of putting the auctions up.

I also managed to get up the 2008 Timeline base cards. I haven't put up the variations yet, but Marie has hers up. There are a nice assortment of cards up there. However, also missing is my Brandon Boggs auto #'d to 99.

And, I listed some numbered UD Baseball Heroes cards that I have had since the summer. This is what happens when an entire month of your life is consumed by the Philadelphia Phillies.

As a little bonus, I thought I would head over to KMart to see if mine had the same deal Marie's had. No.

But I did end up with three packs of cards (1 SP Authentic, 2 UDX) and got three YSL cards. That should thrill Marie, however, one was a Jeter. Yay for me.