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

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.

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

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

It Came from eBay! - Cardinals Lot Edition or: How My Long National Nightmare Is Over

One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is perusing eBay for cards, and my favorite search is looking for lots involving the St. Louis Cardinals.

When looking through these listings, you learn a lot of things, most importantly - two things really - people vastly over value cards or have no idea what they have.

As I'm typing this now, I'm looking at listings that were newly listed under the Cardinals lot search and this popped up...

A three card lot of Ozzie Smith relics, a little over $5 a card and most importantly, Free Shipping. While I do enjoy a good relic card, the price is too much for my blood.

Then you have old cards like these above. Dirt cheap (shipping is$2.50). I'm really not into the vintage phase, I'm sure I'll get there at some point in my collecting lifetime, but I still like shiny things and am easily distracted, so these don't really do it for me. Plus I know these will go for much higher than a quarter. The condition of the cards are terrible, by the way, I have much worse looking old cards in my collection than these.

Terry Pendleton was great, but who needs that many cards of him?

I love Ozzie and it's probably meant for dealers, but come on. $3.50 shipping to boot.

See what I mean about over value? You could get the whole team set in a bubble pack for $7 with free shipping.

Now that's just a few examples of what you see in eBay's little corner of baseball lots. Everyone in a while a gem is posted and should be pounced upon.

And one such lot was posted last week and I jumped on it. Let me pull a screen up...

 That's a picture of cards in the lot from the auction I won.

This lot was fantastic. 221 cards, mostly cards from 2015, it included sets that I hadn't bought like Diamond Kings, Finest, Allen & Ginter just to name a few.

Out of the lot, I counted about 41 doubles I had, which for a Cardinals collector isn't too bad. About 181 fresh cards, and I'm going to show a few of them off...Lets start with the oldest...

1990 Swell Baseball Greats

 These were the oldest of the bunch. I only have one of these in my entire collection, of Bob Gibson, but the seven of these that were in that lot will be welcomes with open arms. I would have much rather got these than say some '90s Topps or Donruss.

  

2005 Topps Total

 We jumped ahead 15 years later to the next oldest cards, a time when I wasn't collecting at all and I shake out 13 cards from this set, including the two above.

2006 Flair Showcase

 It's shiny and may be worth the price of the lot itself, this and a Chris Carpenter

2006 Ovation

I was/am such a sucker for Ovation cards.

2009 Topps 206

The scans I've seen of these never made the set too appealing to me, but in hand they're pretty cool.

 

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter

 

2013 Bowman Platinum

Shiny Card. I like this set a lot.

2013 Topps Finest

 A Wacha Rookie, a shiny one to boot.

 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter

As I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of the A&G cards, I find them too plain, but I'll glad take them in a lot.

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So, in the middle of writing this entry, a huge windstorm started here in the Midwest and I was without power for roughly 14 hours and it basically took all the excitement I had writing this. lol if that makes sense.

In summary of the lot, it was awesome, I went back to the eBay seller and bought two more off of him, this time Dodgers and Angels and to help bolster my Puig, Trout and Pujols collections. Between the three lots, over 600 cards for about $23, that's roughly the price of a blaster with about 10x as many cards.

There are great lots on eBay, you just have to be diligent.

And to top off this weird entry, I finally bought me a new TV after weeks of not having one. Best Buy had a preview of their Black Friday sale yesterday online, so I nabbed a 40 inch for $150 which was right in my price range. I will get it on Friday, I had the option to pick it up Saturday at my local Best Buy or sent by UPS and get Friday, so a day early sounded good to me.

Come back this weekend for ListiaMania IV, I've already forgot what I have got, some decent stuff if I remember correctly. I'm not sure, I'm dead tired right now.