I'm deleting my eBay app.

LOL, yeah right.  Well, I should probably make someone at least change the password so I can't buy anything for a year after the month long bender I went on.  I have to update my want list with taking off all these cards and some inserts I picked up and also adding newly released cards from sets like 2014-15 Flair.  So y'all tell me how I did on these...

2010-11 Panini Dominion Showcase RC /50

2010-11 Panini Pinnacle Threads RC /25

2013-14 Panini Contenders Six Signatures

2014-15 Artifacts Tundra Trios (I accidentally bought the One with Kesler twice however the first one had damage to the top so this worked out well.  I'll sell the other one.)

2014-15 Artifacts Tundra Sixes Rangers/Devils

2014-15 Artifacts Tundra Sixes Straps Rangers/Flyers /3

2013-14 Panini Contenders Quad Auto Richards, St. Louis, McIlrath, McDonagh

2013-14 Panini National Treasures Quad auto /50 Brassard, McDonagh, Moore, Diaz

 2013-14 Panini Titanium Patch /15 McDonagh and Boyle (boooooo)

2014-15 Fleer Ultra Road to the Championship cards

2015 National Hockey Card Day auto

Still waiting on a couple of cards to arrive which is the downside to having to purchase most cards from Canada.  I am pretty happy with what I was able to knock off the old want list here.  I may be even more happy that knocking off some of those artifacts cards will make my want list appear slightly less crowded and neater.

BGS War / Triple Threads Rant

Obviously you already know I hate money and love cards otherwise I wouldn't be fishing on eBay periodically throughout the day for nonsense. Since I have no interest in tracking down 65 piece game used Triple Threads, I look for things I actually like.

I would rather spend money on an autograph than spend $50+ on a gray swatch card, so that's usually what I look for if I'm searching.

One of the cards missing from my PC is the 2005 Bowman Signs of the Future Robinson Cano autograph. I am currently watching two of them, but will probably buy neither because Christmas is coming and I'd rather save money for that. However, for those people looking to buy me a gift.... Here is your chance (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Here is what I don't understand, look at these two cards and explain to me why one autograph is graded a 9 and one is graded a 10 when the are identical. If I were buying one I'd probably go for the 9/9 over the 8.5/10 but honestly, I don't see a difference in the auto that is so great to be different. Maybe someone can point it out.

P.S. Here is a card designed by a bunch of "Dingbats" (Lame meter is high for this one.)

P.P.S. Love the shoddy piece meal patch assembly on this Mr. November. The Mr. looks like it's between two envelopes not bats.

P.P.P.S I'm done for now. Stupid eBay.

I've become one of "them"

Last night and earlier today it dawned on me, I have become the type of collector that used to annoy me. It hasn't gotten that bad YET, but I could see where this is heading but it's probably not for the same reasons as most of the people that bug me.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the collectors who rip open hobby boxes and/or cases, then throw away all the base cards and give away the inserts while only keeping the autographs or game used cards. Sure there are plenty of collectors who just chuck the base cards and keep the rest, but that still kind of bothers me.

Let me go back to my trip to the card show in White Plains...

I walked around looking first for autographs. However the first stop I always make didn't have any so I was forced to look for base and inserts. Note: that didn't really do it for me. Then I moped around some more just wanting to find one lil Robbie Cano auto so I could feel like the day wasn't a waste. Rather then be able to bunch a bunch of stuff, I settled for 3 cards and was giddy about it for around 3 days.

When I search for things on eBay, it always goes something like this "Year, Set, Robinson Cano auto", or "Year, Set, Adam Lind auto", I don't bother with Pujols because I already know I can't afford it. Then when I find a card on eBay that I need/must have, I just stare and say:



Yes, I do still buy the base and insert cards I need. I love pulling base and parallels of my guys, or trading for them. I still love to look at a page in my binder of the same card in 9 colors. Do I look at it sometimes and get mad that we as collectors get hosed into buy 9 of the same card? Yep, I sure do. But the bottom line is no one is putting a gun to our heads telling us we need 9 versions, we choose to get them all because we are player collectors.

Shiny mail day a few weeks ago was fun, and I like nothing more than getting a bubble mailer full of Cano and Pujols cards. But... there is just something about opening a bubble mailer that has an autograph in it, or better yet a dual gu/auto. Sigh.

Does this make me "one of them"? Please say no. I think there is a distinction (somewhere). Anyone else reach this point in their collecting habits, or something similar?

2011 Topps Series 1 Jumbo Case Break Results

Well, here is the breakdown of the hits from the case of 2011 Topps Series 1 baseball we opened last night live on UStream. You can view the video break here on the blog if you would like to or just scroll down to see the better cards of the bunch.

Special thanks to Chris from Blowout cards for hooking us up with the case.




We'll start with the game used cards:



Leather Name Plates, including a Mat (LAY-TOES) Latos black /99:



Autographs:



Case hit, Silk card Peter Bourjos /50:



SP (this was the only one I noticed, but when I sort the base cards I will post any others if I notice them):



Black parallels /60:



Kimball Champions mini:





I didn't look through the base cards yet, I am going to start that tonight. If I notice any of the "sparkle" cards I will scan them and post them. I have no interest in these cards so I can't promise I will be looking out for them amidst 500 cards here.

Beginners Luck?

Recently I have been dabbling with basketball cards to fill the void left by the lack of baseball cards being released. Well, more like the lack of affordable baseball cards being released. I haven't been buying much because of the holidays and trying to buy presents, but when I have been in the mall if I got some presents for others I grabbed a cheap pack or rack pack for myself. I should reward myself for being jolly, right?

Anywho, I picked up a rack pack of 2010-2011 Panini Presitge a week or so ago and pulled this card:
Jordan Crawford auto /499



I have never pulled an autograph out of a rack pack of baseball, and RARELY if ever, pulled one from a retail pack of baseball. That was fun, I should buy people stuff more often.

Yesterday, I was in Target and just wandering around before grabbing some dinner and saw a FRESH box of 2010-2011 Panini Rookies & Stars, so I grabbed the second to last pack on the right and high tailed it to the checkout. Bada bing!

Daniel Orton 1/5 !!!!!!!!


Ok, so now I am convinced this isn't normal for being a basketball collector. There is hardly any chance of this happening on a regular basis, although if it could, I may seriously get into basketball cards. Serial numbered 1/5 in a retail pack?!!! Come on.

So for all you basketball collectors out there, is this luck or do you find that you get more out of basketball packs than baseball?

Sweet Spot Strasburg cards

Occasionally I like to type in his name and sort by highest price first just to see what crazy prices pop up. I came across the usual crazy ones that we have featured on here and in the contest. What I wasn't aware of is that Strasburg has a little collection of auto's in the 2008 Sweet Spot.

I opened a boatload of 2008 Sweet Spot, and obviously didn't pull a card of him and when you look at the serial numbering on these you will understand why most of us never saw one. The first one I found looked fake to me,2008 Sweet Spot Strasburg ball auto but upon a little further investigating they all looked basically the same. That one struck me as bad stitching, but it's probably just quality control. This one looks a little bit better, 2008 Sweet Spot Strasburg ball auto #2.

Now, if you need solid evidence that this young phenom is truly a rookie just check out these two cards:

2008 Sweet Spot Strasburg thumbprint

2008 Sweet Spot Strasburg thumbprint #2

I know signing his first few autographs must have been very exciting, but this ink was not magic quick dry ink. Why is he sticking his finger smack on the middle of the auto? Does this add value because you now have an auto with a fingerprint? I know players charge for inscriptions so maybe there are only 37 of the ball auto and 32 of the glove because to have the fingerprint was costly to Upper Deck.... One clean black glove sold for $800, and am curious to see what the cards with the prints sell for now.

There is also an uber rare 2008 Sweet Spot /10 of Strasburg.... it's the brown glove signature one. There was only one completed listing for that card, and none currently on eBay.

Click here to try your luck....

3 pack break of Bowman Jumbo

I got a message from my friend Dan saying he was heading over to the card shop if I was around yesterday, so I went over to meet him. While I was waiting for him, I got antsy and started debating what I wanted to open. I was messaging with Flash on gmail trying to make a decision, and I saw there was only one pack missing from a Bowman Jumbo box and decided to go for it.

I picked the upper left stack, middle pack on a hunch. I feel like buying these packs is the same feeling the children got in Willy Wonka when looking for the golden ticket. I had to open the wrapper slowly, like Charlie Bucket, then carefully look inside and pray. I got a ticket, it just wasn't a golden Strasburg ticket.

Well, despite the fact that the dude is a Red Sox player, it works well for eBay flippage.

Jose Iglesias refractor auto


Oh, I was excited to have picked a pack with an auto. So excited in fact, that I decided I deserved another pack. Why not? The box was only missing one pack. Pack two was just as fun, and was picked upper right middle pack.

*Imagine Wonka type opening here*

While the pack was not an auto, I pulled two cool cards but only one of which made me happy to have picked that pack.

Adam Lind blue /520
Todd Helton orange /250
Still 2 autos left in the box.... one more pack, just one more and I swore I'd stop opening. Well, apparently the lower right middle was a good idea. There was an auto.

and we have......

J.R. Murphy auto


There were plenty of other cool cards in the packs:

The front of the card is Jorge Posada and the back is Jesus Montero.
I bought a Cano gold on eBay before finding out Suzy pulled one (forgot that I even bought it), and then pulled one. Wonderful.


So my friend Dan opened a box of Bowman, and we learned at that point that Dave (the owner) had opened the one pack of Jumbo's that I didn't and there was nothing in the pack. So Dan, who has a cardboard problem as well, opened the rest of the box and pulled 2 autos and a Futures relic of Luis Durango. I can't remember which autos he got.

Being the nice guy Dan is, he gave me a whole mess of cards that I needed for my collections. Here is what I snarfed (base cards not included):



Not a bad day, right? I have another post coming up about the I.O.U.'s I gave Dan for some other cards. That being said, I am now campaigning to trade for a Jay Bruce auto, or Mets autos for pay Dan back. You'll see what I mean a little later.

P.S. I also learned how to add today. Dave is a good teacher.



P.P.S. Dave does not add this way when totaling a sale, so don't go in there and pick a bunch of stuff that is $13, it won't work.