2 Reasons I'm Over Parallels

I posted a blog a couple of days ago about not bothering with inserts and parallels until I'm at a show or I already found a way to get all the better/harder to find later cards. I thought I would share a couple of my mail days to show you why I stopped bothering.

Mail Day #1

2011 Topps Finest Robinson Cano Finest Moments Auto /274


Mail Day #2

2011 Topps Finest Robinson Cano Finest Moments Auto /20


While writing this I realized something ironic. While I may be done chasing base card parallels it seems as though they still have me sucked in. I'm still buying parallels, they are just autographed now. Yay. The difference to me is that when I get an autograph it thrills me to no end but when I win a refractor version of something the only thing I'm thinking when it arrives is, "oh good I can fill one more pocket on the page of these exact same cards in my binder." Then I'm over it. I am more likely to flip through all my plastic snap cases of autographs then I am to flip pages in my binder unless I am putting the cards away.

Eventually I will try and find the Finest parallels and inserts, or maybe one of you guys have some to trade. In the meantime if anyone has the purple refractor auto of Cano /5 to trade, let me know. One was already sold on eBay and there is one currently for sale in this auction. I want this card pretty badly to complete the Finest set of them, but unless one of you guys feel like buying me a birthday present it may be out of my price range for the time being considering the other one on eBay ended around $108.

I'm going on an eBay break until after Christmas because any money I have from now til then will be saved for shopping. I have one more mail day to show you guys, and one more I've been waiting about 10 days for it to arrive. I don't want you guys to think I lied.

P.S. Please keep me in mind for any 2011 Finest, 2011 Bowman Chrome, and 2011 Topps Chrome cards of my guys you come across. I am definitely interested in trading and have plenty of cards to flip.

B2B Connection

So now that you made it to the blog I bet you are wondering what the hell is a B2B connection. Well, I am getting bored with the term 'mail day' or whatever, so I came up with this. I shall dub this 'Blogger 2 Blogger' because it sounds different. I can also say that I will probably forget about it by the next time someone sends something, so I will enjoy my (un) clever name for now.

I got a package in the mail today from Field Level View, which included all kinds of good things. Jason had been making a nice pile of cards for me, some of which I was aware of, others came as a total shock. I think I may have forgotten about some and honestly that made opening this bubble mailer way more fun.

Take a look at my newly acquired loot and feel free to tell me which was your favorite.

Some sweet Yankees from the 2010 Bowman Platinum including Gary Sanchez, Jesus Montero,
Slade Heathcott, and Austin Romine. All of which I would love to collect but can't afford any new endeavors. So if anyone pulls any cards of these guys, feel free to send them my way or we can work out a trade.


Pujols Diamond Anniversary

Pujols, Dunn, Votto gold card

Some Yankee prospects from 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition


2010 Donruss EEE Gary Sanchez This kid may be the one that I would most like to collect if I hit the lotto. His cards are pretty damn pricey and so far with good reason. Let's hope he keeps hitting the ball as well as he has been as he moves up in the minors.


Nice cards, right? They sure are, but there were WAY cooler mojo cards in the envelope. I suppose you will want to see what they were, yes? OK, I won't keep you in suspense any longer.

2010 Donruss Elite Ben Gamel auto /50 He was born in 1992, that is enough to make me feel ancient. I will have to put on my reading glasses and do some research on this little tyke. I do like that the auto is a die-cut. Not too often we see them anymore.


2010 Donruss Elite Ron Blomberg auto /299 Love it! I am a big fan of any Yankees autos, especially of the old timers. He could probably be Gamel's grandfather...


2010 Bowman Sterling Albert Pujols/Ichiro dual game used jersey card /199

Well, I think it is safe to say that I absolutely love the dual relic card. I'd like to think of it as a quad relic. The other cool thing is that Albert's side is not white or gray. I am sick of only having white or gray swatches of anyone, unless they are dirty white or gray swatches then I will love them as much as a patch.

Long Fly Ball to my Mailbox

There is only one person who knows how long it has taken me to post this mail day, and that guy is my friend David over at Long Fly Ball to Because. I would be embarrassed to admit how long it has taken me, so I won't. But I will post some of the cool cards I got in the mail.

There were a bunch of cards for both Sooz and myself in the giant bubble mailer. I swear we loved them all. Part of the fun of the bubble mailer was the sweet giant index card with the Yankees logo and a note from David. I don't have cool stuff like that, I sometimes don't even think to put a note in a trade. If I do, it's either on a midget sized post-it note, or a piece of paper laying around on my desk.

Anywho.... Here are the sweet cards that will get added to my collection and the pile of cards awaiting entry into my spreadsheets. You can stay tuned to find out what is going on with my backlog of work here.

Drumroll..................

2009 T-206 Robinson Cano Old Mill GU


2006 Bowman Heritage Robinson GU

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Albert Pujols All Star Game jersey

2009 T-206 Robinson Cano Polar Bear mini
2009 T-206 Albert Pujols Polar Bear mini

These cards will definitely fill in some of the holes in cards from recent years that I need. The mini cards have been pretty hard for me to grab, but the serial numbered Cycle card of Cano I have. Sometimes it's just so odd when you can find a steal of a deal on eBay on a serial numbered card but then the SP gives you such a hard time.

If you guys haven't read Long Fly Ball to Because, I suggest you do so. NOW! =) Oh and follow him on Twitter, he's a good guy and a big baseball fan.

Catching up on my PC

Lately I have ended up with some of the cards I was missing out of 2011 Topps and some prospects and rookies. I have to thank fellow bloggers and readers for hooking me up with the cards, and thinking of me. It's always nice to get something unexpected or expected in the mail because someone knows that I would appreciate the card.

I've said it so many times but that is what makes blogging even more fun. When I can pull a card that may have no value to me, but I can instantly think of where I will be sending it because I know that person would love to have it. I hope that younger kids that are just getting into collecting or thinking about it end up doing things the way we do around here.

With that being said I have to thank one of our Twitter friends and readers, @eRockFTW for sending along a couple of autographs that I would like. I sent over some football cards to him and his roommate and he hooked me up in return.

2010 Bowman blue refractor auto Corban Joseph I read up on him in last years Baseball Prospectus since I haven't picked up this years and they project him to either be a stud or a dud. It doesn't seem that he could be an average player judging by what they said. He's young so we'll see how he ends up panning out.


2010 Topps Chrome Ivan Nova auto


I love autographs of prospects but I just can't focus my energy or money on chasing them with the price that Cano and Pujols demand, so it's nice to have a couple to add to my Yankees prospect collection.

One of our buddies from the blogosphere, cynicalbuddha, sent me an e-mail telling me he had a certain card I hated but wanted. We agreed to swap the the appropriate cardboard (or almost, I probably owe him something else for it) and here it is...


Robinson Cano Leather Name Plate



Robinson Cano Diamond Anniversary


Finally, our of our readers wrote us an e-mail saying he enjoyed the blog and saw that I was looking for the Cano black glove card and he wanted to send it out. He also included a bonus glove card for us, and I wanted to say thank you to Todd for your generosity because I probably wouldn't own this card anytime soon if you weren't kind enough to send it out. I definitely owe you one, so if I ever pull anything you are looking for please shoot me an e-mail.


Robinson Cano Leather Name Plate /99



C.C. Sabathia Leather Name Plate

So my random question now is... Does anyone have any Yankee prospect auto's they want to get rid of or trade for? Let me know, I am going to try and get a few of them

Cards that made our day

Yesterday I went to check my mailbox and mail some stuff out when I found a package from Todd Uncommon. It was a heavy, dense package that felt like it was going to be lots of fun when I finally got it home to open it. It was glorious.

I guess some of you want to see what was in there, then there are some of you who will stop reading for fear of bipping my association. I assure you, they can not track who reads our mail posts. Besides, I cleverly disguised the title so that even the bippers clicked. *eeeeevil laugh*

Todd Uncommon RULES, not O'Doyle.


Here are the awesome cards we were generously given (I will assume by now that you know who got which cards.):
Robinson Cano 2005 eTopps

Derek Jeter 2005 eTopps

Yankees 2005 eTopps

Robinson Cano 2006 eTopps

Albert Pujols 2006 eTopps

Derek Jeter 2006 eTopps

Albert Pujols 2004 eTopps

Derek Jeter 2004 eTopps

Adam Lind 2007 eTopps

Derek Jeter 2000 Fleer Long Gone insert

Derek Jeter 2001 Fleer Series MVP (Jeter needs a new one of these cards.)

This was a really fun package for me because I have had my eye on picking up the Lind RC for a while, and the Pujols cards I have only won 1 over the years from eTopps. I LOVE THEM ALL. I know Sooz thought the cards were awesome, and we both really appreciate the gesture and generosity from Todd.