A Sunburn and a New Puppy: a Trade Post

So I was gone for a week or so there.  Did you miss me?  I missed you.

I was aboard this floating monument to excess:

In my entire tenure there (outside of the Mississippi River delta, at least) I was without phone and Internet - it was wonderful. 

We had some fun, got into a little trouble, and tore the roof off the sucker in general.  Two of my friends got married (to each other), and I lost a little money in poker but made it all back at the craps table.



My one good hand all week



We stopped off in Progreso and Cozumel, and we drank lots and lots of rum.

I mean lots.

Nearly there.....

Close enough.


But now I'm back on dry land.  The sunburn I picked up at Playa Mia lingers in that stage of healing between itching and peeling; my keys and cell phone once again weigh down my pockets; and I find myself having to occassionally drive a car, prepare my own food, and face the world with steadfast sobriety.

Before I left I pre-wrote five posts to be published in my absence.  All were on cards from 1991.  I wrote them, set the little date dealy on the right side toolbar, and left it.  When I got home I noticed none of them published.  Clearly I missed something.  Anyway, I started publishing those one at a time since my return to civilized society.  Now I'm fully back and raring to write snarky stuff about Griffeys again.


While I was gone I received two trade packages from a couple of Dodgers fans/all-star baseball card bloggers. 

The first is from Jim at GCRL.  The star of his package was this oversized Rusty Staub postcard:

Rusty went to my high school in New Orleans and once signed an autograph for my Dad when he was 10 (my Dad, that is).  My Staub collection is a bit rusty (humor joke!), but thanks to Jim I have this great new addition as well as these:



The technical name for a group of Kittles is a "bench."  A bench of Kittles.



I feel like Chuck Finley cards are incomplete without his trademark Chuckstache
 even though 98% of Chuck's cards are from the post-Chuckstache era.



I believe this is an Angels team set which means Chuck
is in there somewhere.  I'm no seal-breaker, though....




I love Cal Ripken - he's one of my favorite players to collect, and everybody loves the guy.  I find that sending someone Cal Ripken cards is a lot like giving someone a bag of Skittles.  Regardless of whether the recipient actively likes Skittles or not, you know they're going to eat those things at some point.  Skittles are good.



Maddux is more like Mike & Ikes.



I don't know what it is, but I really like mascot cards now.  I've been setting them aside ever since I pulled my first one from a pack of 2012 Topps.  They're all so....furry.




Just a sweet mullet.





I also collect Griffeys.  Were you aware?

Many thanks, Jim.  Everybody should go send him their double-play cards and whatever Dodgers he needs.....


I also got a trade package from Mr. Night Owl, standard-setter for card blogs everywhere.  I scoop up a fistful of '75 Topps minis for Greg at my local monthly card show whenever I can make it.  There's a kindly old gentleman there who has boxes and binders of the things and lets them go for pretty cheap (as far as I know), and you all know how much fun it is to help someone with their want list.

Anyway, here's a fun mix of cards from Night Owl:

I've been wanting one of these since I learned of their existence.  Bonkers card.

Cow, MooTown Snackers.  Coincidence?  That Flair card is sweet.

Chuck has a real "Do you think I'm sexy?" thing going on in that Triple Play card.



Classic Kittle.  This may be my Halloween costume this year.





A beautifully miscut '75 mini, and one of the silliest
names in baseball.  He coached Griffey from the bench
in Cincinnati for a short time.  Didn't do great.



In honor of Mr. Owl: Griffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeys!!!!

That mid-90's Bowman Chrome is a beaut, but the real star of the show is this guy:

This was one of the few base cards I don't have.  I learned this because I started writing the post for that Topps set before scanning.  Then while scanning I realized I had the Opening Day issue but not the flagship base card.  Derp.  Felt pretty dumb.

Plus that picture is sa-weeeeet........

Thanks, Greg!  Go update your '75 minis want list ASAP.  I think the next card show is right around the corner, and I'm just going to end up printing that thing up before I go. 

Everybody, go send Night Owl some Dodgers.  I would tell you to read his blog, but I bet dollars to donuts most of you already do.  Keep doing that.

Oh, and we totally did get a new puppy.  More on that later.....

Assenmacher and Serpico: a Trade Post

I received a pair of trade packages in the mail this past week from a couple of baseball card blogging all-stars.  Take a gander:

This first one came from Jim over at gcrl.   He's crazy about the Dodgers and double-play cards (of which I have another stack saved up), and he seems to know what I like.



I've always been a Maddux fan ever since my lttle league team was the Braves.  That Cy Young Winner card on the top right has always been a favorite, as has the '89 Topps.



The Thrill - that Bowman card on th right is a new one on me.



A pitcher at the plate!  I normally send these to Dime Box Nick, but this one stays...





My favorite Upper Deck set and a numbered SPx - yes. 



That is some kind of hat/hockey hybrid Franken-mullet. 
This will fit nicely in my Bad Hair Day collection.  Great name, too.


Have I mentioned I also collect Griffeys?



This is the one-per-box 5" x 7" checklist.  That hologram is huge!




I've never see a Black & Gold redemption card before.  It's got a tiny little Griffey on it.  Part of me wants to cut it out, and if this were 20 years ago I probably would....



I have pulled these out of repack boxes before, and they look amazing.  I've never seen the Griffey before.  This was a very exciting find!

Thanks, Jim!  I've got a healthy stack of double-play cards I'm mailing to you Saturday.


If you read Nachos Grande you may have seen his series of Topps Heritage American Heroes.  It's a very cool set I'd like to pick up someday.  You may also know that Chris puts up growing trade stacks you can claim if you have cards to trade him.  Well, I'm sitting on a trove of Barry Larkins, and he posted this guy:

It was my buddy Jason's birthday Tuesday.  He and I pride ourselves on the wacky presents we get for each other (for Christmas I got him an autographed photo of Michael Dukakis).  Jason is positively obsessed with Serpico.  The man, the story, the Pacino movie - all that.  When Mr. Grande posted this card, I pounced.  I also nabbed a few others from the same stack including a Roger Clemens and a Vince Coleman among others, but the star of the show was Detective Frank Serpico. 

I was then inspired to hop on eBay and pick up this relic for pretty cheap:

It's gonna be fun to give these to Jason!  I appreciate the help, Chris.

Oh, Chris has stickers, too.  How cool is that?

Thanks again, Chris!  We should do a proper trade involving lots of cards.  I have stacks of Reds an no intention of hanging on to them.  I need to do a better job of shedding cardboard weight.  I think I'll work on a mass trade strategy today.

Happy hump day, everybody!