ListiaMania 2

Welcome to this week's installment of my Listia haul from the week. First off, want to explain a a few things, the points behind each card is basically how many points I gave for them. There are many ways to get these points, you can do stupid things on their website, post your own stuff or buy them, personally I would never buy them. A typical week, I put up three cards that I think will do marginally well, a couple thousand points, and post items on the weekend for bonus points, usually post "junk era" cards then, because they typically get no interest. Around 4,000 points equal a dollar to give some context.

Long winded explanation over with, lets get into the cards...

Chris Carpenter, 2006 Ultra Strikeout Kings. A good looking insert set, I love the Cardinals and Ultra, so this was a no brainer. 2,242 points, a little high, but oh well.

Ryan Ludwick, 2010 Topps Heritage. Not a Heritage set I'm going to go full on with, getting the Cardinal cards will satisfy me enough.101 points, my cheapest win.

Yogi Berra, 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Framed Gold. Going for the full 100 card set, only 97 to go. Never going to happen. 3,363 points. The seller also threw in this bonus card...

Lou Gehrig, 2012 Topps Gypsy King Hallmark Heroes. Always cool to get a bonus.

 

Barry Bonds, 1996 Ultra Call to the Hall. Another Call to the Hall insert knocked out via Listia, a set I wouldn't be opposed to finishing, they're excellent looking cards. 2,689 points, not bad at all with a card that has a $12 book value.

 

Yadier Molina, 2014 Topps Triple Threads. Such a thick card (that's what she said), wow. It's Yadi, why wouldn't I get it? 2,242 points.

Giancarlo Stanton, 2015 Topps Chrome. Just because. 202 points.

Ron Gant, 1998 Circa Thunder. So, this came out of a Cardinals lot I got, the seller did a terrible job at packing the cards, 15 in total. The envelope was ripped on three of the four side, looks like it might have got stuck in a processing machine. lol Some of the cards were badly damaged, probably because of the machine and that's not a big deal, they're going into my collection, I didn't plan on trading them. The Ron Gant card piqued my interest in the lot, because it was colorful and I had no idea what it was, so I bid. Curiosity killed the cat on this one. lol 563 points, luckily not that much.

 

Albert Pujols, 2006 Topps. It was also in the above stated lot, but damaged. lol

Yadier Molina, 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter. Yadi has been my favorite Cardinal player for probably close to decade now, he's the backbone of the team, so is it unimaginable that I want every Yadi card ever made? lol 1,669 points

And now, my favorite Listia card from the week..

Albert Pujols, 2010 Topps Heritage All-Star Short Print. When I saw this card, I thought I'd watch it and would see what happened with it, I thought this was something that would draw in a lot of interest, literally only 2 bids, For comparison a few weeks ago, I put up a 2015 Topps base card of Pujols, 7 bids and over 1,000 points. So maybe this card isn't all that special or I got very lucky. Overall I like the design of the All-Star cards, with the players bursting through a newspaper, it was one of the few good things that I like with the original '61 Topps design and then the '10 Heritage. Only 2,021 points.

Looking ahead to next week, Tuesday I have story about a bad morning I had, that lead to baseball cards. Thursday? No idea. Then next Saturday, ListiaMania III, looking ahead to that and what hasn't come in yet...I would say nothing spectacular, some cool things, nothing amazing though. I go for the low hanging fruit.

No, You're the Oddball

Since getting back into collecting, roughly six months ago, I've picked up quite a few stray cards that I haven't really sorted yet, they currently fill a 550 count box and 300 count box respectively. They were got though trades, buying lots off eBay and Listia, things of that nature since I have yet to step foot in a card shop or show.

Now oddballs are part of everybody's collection, you get them while eating cereal...

Snacking down on some tastey meat snacks and aside from apparently getting cancer, you get a card!

And if you came from a family like I did, where frozen pizza was supper, because mom and dad worked all day, you got a card!

Then there are the nefarious oddballs, the ones that are unlicensed...

And then the ones where you just have no idea about...

Oddballs are a way of life while collecting, I've got my fair share of them. Some stranger than others, but the whole point of this, is I need to sort my new cards into my old cards, which I'm dreading doing.

The problem with my sorting, I have no idea where anything is, I need to look in multiple boxes sometimes to find one simple thing. I used to have an index card slipped in with the box, telling me which sets are which and what's what. That didn't last long because the index cards got in the way, taping them to the top was out of the question because it would ruin the box.

I'm going to toy with a new way, writing a small number on the side of the box and then making a checklist in Word of the sets in the corresponding boxes. It may take some time, but it's something that needs to be done.

Join me Saturday for ListiaMania 2, where I will rundown all of my gettings from this past week. The card I was waiting for last week came in, I was very happy, will it be my Listia card of the week though? Ooh, I don't know. Something might come in tomorrow, which reminds me, I have a butt ton of stuff to mail tomorrow. I wish I had this oddball stamp...

I need to book a trip to Grenada apparently...

See, I knew I'd pull something out of my ass. :P

Paco Tuesday! or: How I Got Nothin'

Small entry this time around...No new cards to talk about today since I've pushed all my Listia stuff to the weekend and no trades coming in this week, two big next week though, so I'll have something to blab about...

It's the start of the World Series tonight, not a huge fan of either the Mets or Royals, they've both done the Cardinals dirty in the past, especially the Royals. I am a big fan of Yoenis Cespedes though, so I guess I'm quietly rooting "lets go, mets go."....Ugh...I need to take a shower after that...

And I end today's short porch entry with something I've been neglecting...A few weeks ago, I purchased a lot of 2013 Gypsy Queen cards off eBay and in doing so, I passed 34,000 cards in my collection, the card in question that gets that lucky distinction?....

Paco Rodriguez rookie card.

To tell you the truth, I had no idea who he was, other than he was rookie, played for the Dodgers and had a Gypsy Queen card, so I pulled up the trusty Wikipedia, it seems Paco missed all the 2015 campaign due to injury and will return in 2016. Hopefully a healthy return in that.

Thanks for reading, this was very short, Thursday I'll pull something out of my ass, then this weekend comes ListiaMania 2, what will I get?

ListiaMania

Welcome to a new feature, where on Saturday's I plow through all my Listia gettings from the week. Mostly it will be baseball cards, which fits in with this blog nicely, I haven't really looked at too much other stuff on the Listia website, other people's clothes, toys, movies or video games don't really interest me all that much. Enough with the jibber jabber, lets see if I got anything good...

A lot of 2008 Upper Deck Spectrum cards are up first. There were 24 cards in the lot, that's roughly 1/4 of the base set, which for a set builder like myself, is pretty nice. In total 3,363 points. The seller also threw in some extra cards as wells, some 1998 Bowman and this 

2008 Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy, Billy Martin #2315. This is from the massive 6,742 card set chronicling the history of Yankee Stadium. Yeah, I'm not tackling that set, ever.

2015 Topps insert lot. I got this lot mainly for the card above, Maddux Archetypes. Really close to finishing the insert set only a few cards remain. 2,064 points. Other cards in the lot were a Hank Aaron Highlight of the Year and Chris Pratt First pitch.

2011 Gypsy Queen Framed Bronze, Zack Greinke. I can't stand him as a pitcher, he's a complete tool, but I want to get all the cards from this parallel set, so regrettably I had to get this. Damn Gypsy Queen. *shakes my fist*  2,242 points.

2003 Upper Deck Vintage, Jim Edmonds. Much like Gypsy Queen, anything related to the 1965 Topps design is well loved by the blog, add in a Cardinal and that Cardinal is Jim Edmonds, I was going to go all-in on this and get it at any cost. 734 points was the cost. I was looking for a fight over this card.

Willie McGee, 1983 Fleer rookie card. Adding another Willie rookie to the collection, I'm still looking for the right time to strike at the '84 Topps rookie though. 896 points.

2012 Topps Chrome, Yadier Molina. Must I explain why I wanted this? 503 points.

Matt Cain, 2013 Topps Cut to the Chase. Another set I'd like to finish at some point, six are currently in my collection, only 42 to go! Yikes. 757 points.

David Freese, 2012 Topps Triple Threads Sepia, #'d 408/625. It seems like I will go after nearly any Freese card I come upon, I guess it's because he has one of greatest moments baseball history? That's not hyperbole either people. 1,510 points.

Craig Biggio, 6 card lot. When I see shiny cards, I get distracted, much like a dog with a squirrel. This lot was no exception, I saw a shiny card and put it in my watch list. The above is the shiny card and it's a 2014 Topps Archives Gold #'d 60/199. The other cards in the lot were a 1992 Stadium Club Dome, a 2007 Topps Hit Parade, 2014 Allen & Ginter, 2015 Gypsy Queen and a 2013 Panini USA Cavan Biggio. The Archives Gold being the standout of the lot. Only 666 points. A very good pick-up if you don't mind me saying.

Cubs, 2 card lot. First off, boo the Cubs. Boo. The card pictured is why I got it, it's a 2011 Heritage Alfonso Soriano. While not completely into starting the set, I'll pick up a few cards when I see fit. 499 points. The other card was an oddball of Antonio Alfonseca.

Adam Wainwright, 2015 Donruss Preferred Bronze. Shiny card and a Cardinal to boot. My scan of it sucks though.. 499 points.

David Freese, 2015 Topps 'Til It's Over. Yet another Freese and this card chronicling the moment I referred to above. Yay! 353 points.

Willie McCovey, 2012 Gypsy Queen Framed Gold. That scan sucks a little bit, but another parallel set I'd like to complete, probably never will though. They look a lot better in person than that scan. 3,870 points.

One more card left to show off and I thought for this new feature, I would save my favorite card of the week for last, just a heads up on future editions. So, my favorite card of the week from my Listia haul...

Ozzie Smith, 2005 Donruss Classics Timeless Tributes Silver #'d 52/100. That's a mouthful. Ozzie is my favorite player ever, I'm an avid collector of his cards, I had never seen this before and I wanted it when I saw it. I got it and yeah, it's an awesome card. 8,550 points. Worth every single one of those points as well.

That's it for this week's Listia, some solid stuff added to my collection for the cost of a few stamps. Looking ahead to next weekend and the stuff that hasn't come in yet....It looks good, there is something especially I can't wait to get.

2013 Gypsy Queen - Final Day

The final day of the Gypsy Queen blasters, so waste not, want not....No idea what that means...On with the show...

#173, Yonder Alonso.

Jim Abbott No-Hitters insert.

Bryce Harper, Glove Stories insert

#176, Tony Perez Mini

#83, Lou Gehrig.

#55, Nathan Eovaldi.

Now the final pack...

#47, Feddie Freeman

#32, Darin Ruf rookie card.

#15, Tyler Skaggs rookie card.

#182, Alejandro de Aza Mini

#100, Bryce Harper.

#20, Albert Pujols.

Hell of a one-two punch to end the Gypsy Queen's off.

 Two blasters done and dusted for. Nothing earth shattering, I would have liked more base cards, but what can you do? Final tally is 120/350 for the set, so maybe another two blasters are in my future at some point. I would like to finish this base set, because I do rather like it.

Join me this weekend as I go through my Listia haul for the week, some interesting stuff has come in already.

Next week, who knows what I will blab about. Maybe how the water pressure sucks in my shower? That's interesting, right?

I Don't Want No Scruggs: 2013 Gypsy Queen - Day 6, a 2015 Chrome Blaster and Autographs

Another week and some more Gypsy Queen, four packs left out of these two blasters, lets break that down some more. Parks are opened in real time...

#279, Lance Lynn. A Cardinal right out of the gate.

#126, Edwin Encarnacion.

Adam Jones, Sliding Stars insert

#348, Warren Spahn Mini

#159, Wade Miley. Double.

#203, Dayan Viciedo.

Now onto pack two...

#335, Alfonso Soriano. Boo the Cubs. Boo.

#233, Ike Davis. Ah f*ck it, boo the Mets too. Boo.

Madison Bumgarner Dealing Aces insert. I really like the look of this insert set.

#51, Clay Buchholz Black Mini #99/199.

#234, Corey Hart. Double.

#266, Fernando Rodney. Double.

End of the Gypsy Queen for today, tomorrow is the last two packs...

Also here today, some 2015 Topps Chrome Blaster talk. I was at the store yesterday and I said what's the hell, lets get a blaster of it. I'm not going to go through the whole thing, just some of the highlights. I've got a few Chrome cards through trades and other ways, I like this years set over the previous years I've seen, maybe the color border has something to do with it. Anyways, the highlights...

From the base, the highlights were a Jeter which is always a cool pull, Kolten Wong, Clayton Kershaw, Masahiro Tanaka, Daniel Norris rookie, Steven Moya rookie, Jacob deGrom and Brandon Finnegan rookie. That's the main base highlights, I think. lol The Sepia pack was, ugh.

Now onto the fancy stuff....

Clayton Kershaw, Prism Refractor

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Prism Refractor

Adam Wainwright, Refractor. Doesn't look like it in the scan, but it is.

Dellin Betances, Refractor. It looks a little refractory. lol

Anthony Ranaudo, Future Stars insert

...and the anomaly of the box...

Xavier Scruggs base, Xavier Scruggs Refractor and Xavier Scruggs Auto. The refractor came first, then the base, then Auto. It's strange when that happens, right? At first I thought the first two were doubles (same with the Kershaw) until I actually looked at them in the light. The Auto is my first pulled, which is cool. This is something I would usually bitch about and mock Topps about, I don't mind it too much since he's a Cardinal. lol

And to top of this entry....

Pat Neshek Auto, 2014 Topps Heritage.

Pat Neshek Auto, 2014 Topps Update.

The last of the TTM Auto's I sent out before taking a little break from it. The second time I've sent to him, from everything I read he's a great signer, so that's a plus. This time I sent some Cardinal cards, instead of Astros like last time. Here's the strange thing though, he didn't return the cards in the top holders I sent them in, in return he sent them in between a stack of 2015 Topps Series 2 cards. lol Who knew baseball players collected cards? lol

So, that's it for today, until next time....