Saturday, December 5, 2015

ListiaMania VII

Another week bites the dust, just a few more left in 2015, which is shocking. Time does fly when you get old. With it being the weekend, here comes another installment of ListiaMania.

Basically, I run down all the cards I got off Listia from the past week, my thoughts on them, why got them and things of that nature. A few caveats though, I'm still on my scanning embargo, so cards I received that need scanning will be saved for a later date. Also an update on the new scanner, it's in at Wal-Mart, all I have to do is go pick it up and there is no way in hell I'm stepping foot in that store on the weekend, especially in December.

Lets get started, shall we?...


Adam Jones, 2012 Topps Chrome - I am a fan of Adam Jones, so I've been flirting with starting to collect his cards, then just not doing it, until I see them. I saw this one and got it. 984 points.

Adam Jones and Angel Pagan, 2011 Topps Heritage - This Heritage set pops up again. With me winding down 2014 Heritage, 2011 is in my sights, but I could not find a single blaster on eBay. This set may be tougher than I thought. Jones was 1,008 points and Pagan was 262 points.

Adam Wainwright, 2011 Topps Lineage - I went off on the Lineage set last week, this week I will refrain. It's Cardinal card I didn't have. 1,237 points.

Joe Torre, 1993 Ted Williams - I will always forever have a soft spot for 1993 Ted Williams. In a time when sports cards were either plain and boring or gaudy looking, 1993 Ted Williams looked classy. This set is awesome, I wish I had more. 606 points.

Manny Ramirez, 2002 Fleer Platinum - I like this set solely for the 1987 Fleer design. 984 Points.

Manny Ramirez, 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces - I went gushing over this set last week, so I won't do it again. But I do love these cards. 565 points.

Ozzie Smith, 1988 K-Mart - This came in a two card lot with a 1986 Topps All-Star card of Ozzie, which I already have two of. This card I did not have, which is why I wanted to win the auction. The '86 All-Star card is in much better shape than the K-Mart card, so I'm already looking for a replacement. lol 1,014 points.

And now, the card of the week...

Starlin Castro, 2010 Topps Update rookie card - If I wasn't on a scanning embargo, this wouldn't be my pick, but alas I am, so it is. It's probably the best card I got all week, which is why I picked it. 808 points.

Thanks for reading, everyone. But before you go, looking ahead to next week, I may do two entries, one on my new scanner and one for sure on 2003 Upper Deck Vintage. A bought a quasi box of them on Black Friday and I will share my thoughts on them as I tore through the entire box in a day. So much for savoring them. lol So, watch this space.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

A Confederate of Dunzo's

A busy mail week after last's week glut of ordering, I counted eleven packages coming in, all from various stores and places. Some of the stuff that came in were baseball cards, most of which, I can't show off because I'm not scanning anything until my new scanner arrives, which Wal-Mart tells me will be sometime next week. That kinda sucks because I got my latest COMC order today and there is a bunch there that needs to be scanned.

But here are a few highlights of what I can show from my latest COMC order...

1994 Donruss Special Edition Gold - The final five cards I needed to complete the set, people are probably screaming that I should have bought these elsewhere. COMC was the cheapest after crunching numbers and figuring in Sportlots shipping. Now with these cards in the books, 1994 Donruss Special Edition Gold is dunzo!

2015 Topps Archetypes - These two were missing from my set McGwire and some shortstop who played for the Orioles, no idea what his name is. So, 2015 Topps Archetypes is dunzo!


1994 Upper Deck - Usually commons on COMC is a major no-no, but either these cards were scarce on Sportslots or the shipping was too much, so it just made sense to pay the extra ten cents to finish up the set. And now I can gladly say, one of my all-time favorite sets is dunzo!

 
Yasiel Puig, 2014 Topps Heritage short print - Much like other sets, short prints I won't really go after, unless it's a Cardinal or a player I like. Puig falls into the "like" category and for this being only $1.50 during COMC's Black Friday sale, I jumped. Jumped hard.

2014 Topps Heritage short prints - A few more short prints from 2014 Heritage, this time both Cardinals. I'm still about 25 cards away from completing the set, that doesn't include the short prints or high numbers.

Moving away from COMC, to other things...

Ozzie Smith, 2005 Upper Deck Classics - Now this came from a lot of 20 cards from the set on eBay, it was $2 shipped, I strictly wanted it for the Ozzie. I had been watching it for weeks and a few repostings, then I finally bit the bullet. Now, something I did not know, that the scan is missing, this card is actually serial number out of /200. The numbering is on the front of the card, right by the foot. This scan is missing it, which is odd.

Finally, before this blog starts to kick rocks, I mentioned I'm done with 1994 Upper Deck, finally completed. So I've moved on to another Upper Deck. Two more actually. 1991 and 1990. Both boxes were $10 on eBay with free shipping, so that's good. 1990 Upper Deck, I don't have too much of, 1991 UD I have a solid amount of, hopefully I'll be able to finish the low-numbers with relative ease.

I've opened up a few packs of 1991 Upper Deck, it came in the mail today and I forgot...
Team holograms in every pack! lol I haven't got a Cardinals one yet, just White Sox and American League. I'd rather have a hologram than a stick of gum, especially after 25 years. But, my joy came from opening the second pack I opened and the last card of said pack...
Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Nowadays, it's not a very special card, but back in the day, it was. I will say, I got excited when I saw it, I wasn't expecting it, mostly because I forgot about it. Yes, a relic from the over-produced "junk-era" cards, but I'll gladly welcome it into my collection, just like all the cards from this box of 1991 Upper Deck.


....Except the doubles, they can f*ck off. lol

Come back this weekend for ListiaMania whatever Roman numeral. So far, nine cards have come in, so it looks like a packed weekend.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

ListiaMania VI

Welcome to another installment of ListiaMania. Last week was rather short and because of my scanning embargo, not all that exciting. This week is different though, a lot of cards came in and I've decided to postpone talking about the cards with no picture and show them at a later date,

Also doing some cleanup here at the start, hope everyone had an exciting Thanksgiving. Mine wasn't all that bad, ate, went home, passed out and then ate more. 'Murica! Then Black Friday,  I did my part as a consumer and spent, most of that was already done though since I got Best Buy's TV deal a full two weeks earlier than BF (suckers!). Also a good amount of baseball cards were bought, some will get spotlighted here in a "It Came from eBay!" entry, by the way, that's suppose to sound spooky - like from the 50's horror movies.

Alright, enough yapping, onto the festivities...

Jaime Garcia, 2011 Topps Lineage - I really didn't get the point of Topps Lineage, other than Topps wanting to bloat their market share further in a product that straddles the appeal in older collectors and new alike, they did that much better with the re-launch a year later of Topps Archives, it still isn't perfect though. Why am I rambling about this? It's a Cardinal card I didn't have and was only 250 points.


 2013 Gypsy Queen Singles -  Nope not a lot, all four separately. Around the horn, Don Sutton, Andrew McCutchen, Duke Snider and Fergie Jenkins. Going for the set and these four were MIA. Point wise, the Dodger players were cheap around 557 for Sutton and 757 for Snider, then McCuthen was 1,269 and Fergie topped out at 1,510 points.


Unkown Baltimore Orioles shortstop, 1996 Pinnacle Zenith - My collection of this set consists of Ozzie, Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and this chap now. Never heard of him though. 3,000 points 

Albert Pujols, 2013 Pinnacle - My stance on Pujols has drastically withered  this year, before it was indifference, now it's at somewhere looking fondly back and whatever is after indifference. lol 350 points.

Albert Pujols, 2006 Ultra Home Run Kings - Another Pujols, this time in a Cardinals uniform. Great looking insert from Upper Deck's first crack at Ultra cards. 2,499 points.


Sami Zayn, 2014 Topps WWE NXT Prospects - Yes, the wrestling fan strikes out yet again, this time nabbing a Sami Zayn "rookie card." Sami is amazing. If you're a wrestling fan and have yet to see Sami wrestle, well you're a bad wrestling fan. Shame on you!


Jayson Heyward, 2013 Topps Chrome Connections Die Cuts - Ah yes, the return of my mortal enemy! These monstrosity of die cuts. They look like utter sh*t, but I want them all. Not the set, I want every one of these in existence, After I get every one, I'm going to burn them. 2,795 points.


Jimmy Rollins, 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces - A set where I have got all my cards from Listia, if I'm serious about doing this set, I should probably look other places, huh? 1,000 points.


Yadier Molina, 2014 Stadium Club - And a Yadi sneaks in just before closing! Could an Ozzie be around the corner? (spoiler: No.) I like the fact that Topps uses unique pictures for Stadium Club, instead of recycling the same pictures that they use for the flagship, Gypsy Queen, Heritage and A&G. 2,242 points.

And now, my Listia card of the week...

Stan Musial short print, 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces - An all-time Cardinal great and a set that I like a lot. I wish I could jump right in and start working on this set, can't justify it yet though. So close to finishing both 2014 Heritage and 2013 Gypsy Queen, maybe after those two are done this will be in my sights. The artwork is great as is the card stock. Top notch work from Upper Deck.

So there we have it, these week in the books. A damn fine week if I don't say so myself.

Looking ahead to Wednesday's entry...It all depends on what comes in the mail between now and then, much like everything my blog revolves around. lol

Sunday, November 22, 2015

ListiaMania V and Holidays - Not Matt Holliday

Welcome to this week's installment of what cards I got off of Listia, a short porch this time around, only a few cards. I'm not really sure why, I haven't really slowed down. I'll blame it on the USPS being bogged down this time of year. With all that said, let's start...


Alfonso Soriano, 2010 Topps Chrome. Um, no picture because the Trading Card Database currently does not have one for it and I am on a scanning embargo, until I get a new one. As for the card, a sucker for Chrome cards if they're cheap. 200 points.


Alcides Escobar, 2011 Topps Heritage. Still not full tilt all the way on with this set, but if the chance for me to get a card arises, I won't pass it up.

Chris Carpenter, 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes. Growing up, I always liked the look of the Baseball Heroes inserts, reminiscent of the 1959 Topps set, sans the Christmas light colors. 299 points.

Jim Edmonds, 2007 Upper Deck. I usually don't like going after flagship cards until I'm ready to start the set, but I don't see me starting this one anytime within the next decade, so yeah. Plus it's Edmonds. 299 points.

Albert Pujols, 2002 Topps Chrome. Another sans picture because of my embargo, but it's a pretty card, take my word for it. 5,050 points.

And now, drum-roll please, the card of the week from my Listia haul...

Dustin Pedroia, 2013 Topps Cut to the Chase. It would have been the Pujols, but it doesn't have a picture, so it can jog on, not that this card isn't worthy - I'm a Cardinals fan, what would you expect? This is a set I'm trying to complete, 8 out of the 48 I have. So, some progress is being made.3,000 points.

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This was suppose to be posted a day earlier, but not a dollar short, except for the fact my power was knocked out yet again all morning and afternoon following a small snow storm. Twice in a week and a half the power was out for multiple hours. Not fun.

Anyways, more stuff...The last time, I mentioned my newly acquired 2015 Gypsy Queen Mini Red Ozzie Smith, this came in the mail the other day...

Ozzie Smith, 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Mini Black #'d/199. A sexy looking card (not my scan though). I saw the lot on eBay and since I don't really go over a certain price on lots and loose cards, it was probably no more then $5. It was a five card 2013 Mini Black lot, with two other "who cares?" players and a Yeonis Cespedes (no scan, sorry). Killed two birds with one stone there.

Looking ahead to next week and ListiaMania VI, I expect another short porch, because well it's a short porch week. lol Even though I do have two pages of um-received, so who knows.

Before that though, we have three holidays in a row. Thanksgiving, Black Firday it's a f*cking holiday now, don't even try to deny it. But what's the third?...Oh yeah....It's my flippin' birthday the day before Thanksgiving. lol My birthday should totally be a national holiday. I mean it would be next year if stupid leap year didn't happen.

Honestly though, you know how much it sucks having my birthday fall on Thanksgiving is? It's not fun. It's happened a few times, once every seven years. At least twice in my adult hood. I just want to be left alone to my own devices and I love my family. I'm just not one to go crazy with my birthday, in fact, I like to be left alone and be it business as usual. I'm pretty straight edge (I hate that term), I don't drink so I'm not going to go out and get drunk and party my d*ck off.

A night in with my significant other, pizza delivered - because I'm not cooking on MY birthday lol, Then maybe some Fallout 4 when she goes to sleep. Now that sounds like a nice day.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Gone Fishin'

...And I came up with a Trout...

...Wow, was that f*cking lame or what? lol

I recently passed 35,000 cards in my collection and the 2015Topps Chrome Trout was what did it. Pretty cool. It came out of the Angels/Dodgers lot I bought off eBay last week. Three great lots (I got a Cardinals one the week before) from the same seller. I just need to find boxes to put these three huge stacks of cards now...

Speaking of eBay, something I want to mention while it's still fresh, but I was going to wait until a counterpart of it also arrived, but it's coming from Canada, so it may take longer, but anyways, nabbed this off eBay...

Ozzie Smith, 2015 Gypsy Queen Mini Red #'d 9/50.

Kinda pretty, huh? Mini's don't really do much for me, but like anything, there are exceptions and Ozzie is that exception and at only $4 shipped, it's a good exception.

 Now, before I go, I just want to say...My scanner sucks, I know this. Next week, hopefully getting a new one, with some Black Friday deal going around, get a decent one that doesn't wash my scans out. So yeah...I won't be scanning anything for a week, not that I have much coming in, although there is a sizable stack from the Angels/Dodgers lot.

That's pretty much all I have to say, keep it short and sweet huh? ListiaMania V this weekend, which could be very quiet because only 4 cards have come in. So, that could be boring. lol

Saturday, November 14, 2015

ListiaMania IV

You know the drill, so lets get this started, notice how I didn't say party? Ha!

Chris Carpenter, 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen - Cardinals and Gypsy Queen fan, so yeah. 336 Points.

Chris Carpenter, 2010 Topps Chrome - Should be evident why I wanted this, no? 304 Points.


Chris Carpenter, 2011 Topps 60 - I like this insert set (says the guy two cards from it - Shush it!). 448 Points.

Albert Pujols, 2013 Bowman Platinum - My stance on Pujols has soften greatly over the past four years, I still think his contract was a money grab, but you can't blame a person for that. Plus he went to the Angels, the Angels are a perennial third place team, even more so now being behind the Texas Rangers and the Astros. 1,010 Points.

Albert Pujols, 2010 Topps Logoman - These cards were for HTA stores and apparently are hard to find/get, I have no idea, but they were made to celebrate Topps' getting of the exclusive MLB License. 2,499 points.

Ozzie Smith, 2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's - It's an Ozzie Card, that I didn't have, is there any wonder I wanted it? 6,780 points. Ouch! I thought this nearly broke my Listia points stash...But just wait...

Chris Carpenter, 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces - This is a interesting set, I like the faux canvas the cards are on, I guess I'm a sucker for that. Good looking card in hand. 299 points.


Nate Schierholtz, 2007 Topps Rookie 1952 Edition Chrome - Topps Heritage Chrome and the like are like "take my money all day long" I don't have many though, but I like them. 2,323 points.

Chase Headley, 2007 Topps Rookie 1952 Edition Chrome - Got from the same seller as above. 1,160 points.

Yasiel Puig, 2014 Topps Finest - A good looking card (that scan is no bueno). 3,363 points The seller also threw in these bonus cards as well...

Alex Rios, 2014 Topps Chrome

 
Mike Foltynewicz, 2015 Topps Chrome - A couple Chrome bonuses, including a rookie from this years release. Cool.

Albert Pujols, 2007 Topps Turkey Red - So, this card was only labeled as "Prince Albert" and didn't have a picture, luckily I had been looking at this Turkey Red set recently and remembered that the Prince Albert card was actually a Albert Pujols checklist. Nice story. 200 points. If it had a picture and was named Pujols, I doubt it would have been that low.

Jhonny Peralta, 2014 Topps Update Chrome - A Cardinal card I did not have. 499 points.

Duke Snider, 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Framed Gold - Yay! Another Framed Gold, 4 out of the 100 in the set, so only 96 more to go. lol 2.020 points. The seller also threw in this bonus...

Mark Trumbo, 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Future Stars - A bonus is always cool to get.

Now, like always, the last card is desginated for my Listia Card of the Week...

Ozzie Smith, 1996 Upper Deck Diamond Destiny - Now usually, I wouldn't have picked this my card of the week, I probably would have picked the Pujols logo man, but this card right here broke my Listia credits bank 11,050 points. Wow, that is a lot of points for a single card, but I'm justifying it because it's an Ozzie I didn't have.

That's it for this week, looking ahead to next week has some more of the same for LMV.

As for posts next week from the blog, a couple more It Came from eBay! and some random thoughts about Fallout 4 since I can now play it, because I got a TV. lol