Keychains and Christmas Cards

John of Johnny's Trading Spot recently held a contest for who can send him the most Braves cards.  I took this opportunity to unload large quantities of cards on him, enough to earn second place in his contest.  My prize was this sweet little number:

May it never see a key nor jeans pocket.  There's a little more detail on the scanner:

It also happened to be Christmastime, so I got another nice card on the same day.  I didn't expect this as I was on a blogging hiatus and therefore didn't sign up for any Secret Santa festivities.  Definitely next year, but I did get a couple of Christmas cards anyway because other bloggers are awesome and like to make me feel bad for not participating in the aforementioned festivities.  Here's what John picked for me:

These are from that giant Donruss set of the early 80's, and they are huge!  Plus it's hard not to be a fan of Eddie Murray's facial hair.

2012 Topps just doesn't want to scan, does it?  This guy's name is Bastardo which is what I sometimes call people when I'm drunk (all in good fun, of course).  It's getting a spot in the silly names binder for sure.

The cards here came wrapped in a Christmas card that looks like this:

Believe it or not, the keychain was also in a card, but that one did not survive the journey/opening process and has been rendered unscannable.  Still, impressive use of Christmas cards to send three-dimensional objects!

I also got a PWE from Chris at Nachos Grande:

Believe it or not, Sport Illustrated put out some pretty cool cards in the late 90's and early 2000's with the help of Fleer.  This is just one of those, and it celebrates Junior's winning of the 1997 AL MVP award.  There can never be enough cards to celebrate that.

As an avid collector/addict of both art and baseball cards, I really love custom sets.  That good-looking fellow on the left is Nachos Grande himself.  Chris is the kind of guy who you just know has a smokin' hot girlfriend, but you're not bitter about it because he's just such a nice guy.  That being said, arranged this way it looks like Cliff Lee is about to punch him in the face.  Not intentional, Chris, but still kind of funny.

I haven't told you guys yet, but I am also on a baseball card.  It was during my stint as the travelling secretary of the 1985 Fort Meyers Royals.  I think I have it around here somewhere.....ah, here it is:

Sorry, sorry.  I just can't get enough of this card.

Thanks a bunch, John and Chris!  All this stuff arrived in my mailbox simultaneously, and they brightened my day. 

My Collecting Goals for 2014

Where the magic happens

Having accomplished most of what I wanted to for last year, now my goals can get a lot more focused on specific areas where the blog and the collection need improvement.  In no particular order, here are a few of the things I'll be working on over the coming year:

1. Complete online catalog with links to posts that feature each card.

This hasalready begun.  I have now recorded all unique specimens through 1991 in addition to those Griffeys that have already been featured on the blog which are already linked to their respective posts.  It’s a time-consuming process, but it will be a relief to have them all in one place for quick reference. 

This list will be called The Beast.

2. Cut down on LCS visits and avoid repack boxes altogether.

Trips to the LCS are fun but also very hit-or-miss – mostly miss.  It’s kind of been a big time and money suck that adds to the reams of cardboard I need to get rid of while rarely resulting in new Griffeys.  About the only benefit of the LCS is adding to my COMC selling inventory.  I won’t stop going altogether, but it needs to be less frequent.

Repack boxes have done all they can do for me.  I’m up on the products and the new players, and what Griffeys I do find I usually already have.  Not to mention that even if I do happen to pull a great Griffey redemption card, I probably couldn’t use it.  And yet they’re just so fun to open.  This will be tough.

3. Expand trading.

There are so many blogs I read that make me think, “Have I traded with this guy before?”  Some of your blogs I’ve been reading for so long that I’m shocked when I realize we’ve never exchanged any cards at all.  I’m going to try taking the initiative more often when it comes to new trading partners.

4. Be more diligent about features.

This past year I started a few features I’m going to continue for 2014.  I kind of dropped the ball on the A Griffey for All Seasons feature a few months ago which bothers me because I was really excited about it.  I’ll probably try rebooting that in the next few weeks.

The popular Design Timelines feature stalled during my quest for a single card.  The elusive 2001 Finest #90 base card has been the last card I need to complete that timeline, and other timelines have suffered as I search for it.  I’ll be shifting my focus this year and get those timelines rolling again.  They were fun to write.

I’ve also begun a new type of post I call “Griffey Progress Reports.”  These will feature cards I was missing when I covered the set originally.  They will also link back to the original post and vice-versa as well as to The Beast.

5. Support competition and diversity by using COMC and buying Panini.

I want COMC to succeed.  I like the idea, the execution, the ease of use – the whole site is aces.  Now some big changes are coming that I believe could impact the industry on a fundamental level.  I’m 100% for this.   

The same goes for Panini.  Competition can only make the hobby better, and I'm genuinely excited about the return of sets like Pinnacle and Select.

6. Get a 1/1.

This may well end up being one of those many 1/1’s from the 2008 SPx American Hero set, but I’m going to try and land a more legit one.  Maybe a cool patch or something.

Fun note: It just so happens that I landed an eBay 1/1 on COMC since writing that first part.

7. Get rid of all these cards.

That Sony box is completely full to the top with cards in neat rows.  It is much bigger than this picture makes it look and weighs more than the world.  That is about half of the cards I want to get rid of.

 

Those longboxes on the right with the team names?  Those are the overflow from that Sony box that I've bothered dividing up into teams.  The wooden tray on the Sony box is the overflow from THESE boxes in team order.  Shoot me in the face.

So when I say I want to get rid of cards, it's only half-hearted.  Let's face it: it's unlikely I'll have fewer cards this time next year.  There are just too many.  I really have no idea what to do with them all.  I suppose donating them would be nice, but what kid wants a 1991 Fleer Rob Dibble?  I have way more than that, of course, but every card in those boxes is 1991 Fleer Rob Dibble to me.  

I just made myself depressed.

8. Make the time.

How much blogging gets done relies heavily on how much life lets you blog.  I used to have hours to sit and sort and scan and type, but due to some recent changes in both me and my wife’s careers it has become more of a challenge.  This has been especially frustrating since I am no less into the hobby than I was before.  I'm just going to have to be more diligent when it comes to creating posts.

There it is - wish me luck!  And if you want some of these cards, hit me up.

On a brighter note:

2013 Collecting Goals Revisited

2013, that is.

This is a recap of a list I made when I was a noob at being a card blogger.  Here's how I did:

1. Get Griffeys!

When I concocted this list last year I had "over 2000."  Now I have 6,893 not including a small but growing stack of inductees and about 40 more on the ship list at COMC.  That's an increase of roughly 350%.  I'm going to give myself an A on this.  No A+ because I always could have gotten more...

2. Get an autographed Griffey card.

Check.  She's not the most glamorous, but it's a major trophy from my collecting heyday.  Goal completed.

3. Watch more baseball and learn who all these guys are.

I did watch a lot more baseball, but not as much as I'd like.  I know who most of the big-name guys are and have a pretty solid grasp of who is with what team and who got traded since last year.  I foresee this goal being repeated again in my Goals for 2014 post. 

Ooh, and I came in second-to-last in the fantasy baseball league I joined.  I'm calling that a win.

4. Trade with other bloggers.

I had to laugh when I read that this was a goal of mine just 12 months ago.  I've since completed many trades with lots of great dudes.  I wish I kept better track of who I owe cards to, but I'm trying.  I would like to trade even more this year.  Anyone who is interested should shoot me an e-mail at tjv504 at gmail dot com.  I welcome the opportunity.

5. Get a system and organize.

I now have a system.  It is time-consuming, but it is logical and makes trading a relative breeze.  It could be more up-to-date when it comes to organization, but we are light-years away from where we were.

6. Don't go crazy with this.

OK, so the craziness still happens, but only in spurts.  It may not be evidenced by my recent lack of blogging activity of late, but I am still very much super into this hobby on an unhealthy level.  I'm not sure how to measure crazy, so we'll call this a draw.

7. Post at least 500 Griffeys to the blog with high-quality scans.

I got to 315, but the goal was unrealistic.  I can only blame myself.

8. Get an original Topps Ted Williams card from the 50's for my Dad.

I didn't do this.  They are expensive - like autographed Griffey expensive.  Fail, but this is my year.

9. Get a solid list together of who I collect.

This is hard.  I have my short list there on the right of this blog page, but I do collect way more guys than that.  I guess this part still needs work....

10. Make a reasonable list of the Griffeys I want in my collection.

I did this.  Here it is:

1. ALL THE GRIFFEYS

I'm not trying to be cute here.  Since I acquired the '93 Finest Refractor, it's all fair game.  And there's always the lottery.  More on this when I get around to making my 2014 goals list some time in late July.

11. Get rid of all these freakin' cards!

Yeah, this didn't happen.  I have even more now.  Fail.

12. Learn the ins and outs of Blogger.

I pretty much have this down.  I know not to trust Blogger to auto-publish a scheduled post, and I know that a post I publish may never show up on my feed let alone anyone else's.  Blogger has a lot of issues that test your mettle, so I guess what I really have to learn is patience.

Overall I 'm pretty happy with how the blog and the collection have come along this year, and I'm thankful for all the other bloggers out there who have helped me out and humored me along the way.  Here's to a great new year!

If you stuck around this long, you deserve a treat:

My Greatest Griffey Acquisition of 2013 (and Ever)

[Warning: Refractor Porn ahead.  Safe for work, but not for wallet.]

We all have dreams.  Sometimes those dreams are reasonably achievable such as owning a house or getting married.  Other may seem impossible such as winning the lottery or a date with Pam Dawber; but even so, they don’t stop being your dreams, do they?  It's kind of their function to be unattainable - that's part of the fun.

I had a dream when I was a kid to own all the Griffeys.  It wasn’t an unreasonable notion back then, either.  At least it didn't seem that way before I got a hold of this:

The highlight of this book for me was the checklist of every Griffey card made up to that point.  I would reference it all the time, checking the little boxes one-by-one with every new acquisition. 

There's one box on this list that I thought may always remain unchecked.  I believed then that if I could just get that card and fill that little box, I might be able to someday reach my goal of completing the whole thing.  When I came to realize it was becoming less and less of a possibility for me to do that with all the new inserts and autographs cards coming out, I became less and less of a Griffey collector.  I lost my drive.

Nowadays we have a massive market filled with 1/1’s and printing plates and little books filled patches, and I have accepted that my dream of owning every Griffey is completely out of the question, and in that acceptance I have found a peace that allows me to enjoy collecting on a whole other level - one of childlike enthusiasm and a real appreciation for what I have.

In case you couldn't tell, this is the follow-up post to my Top Ten Griffey Acquisitions of 2013.  Sorry to keep you waiting, guys.  I’m sure you’ve all been waiting with bated breath to see my top grab of the year.  Well, wait no longer…

1993 Finest #110 Refractor (!)

Yep, that’s the refractor.  This was the king of cards when I was a kid.  It was my ’52 Mantle.  My 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent.  My Everest.

 

Nowadays there are plenty of Everests.  So many, in fact, that owning one is not quite as alluring as it used to be.  Why spend hundreds of dollars for a fancy 1/1?  There are more 1/1’s every year.

If you filled a room with Griffey collectors, a common question may be “What are your best Griffeys?”  Some may say they have the cyan printing plate from 2007 Upper Deck, or perhaps one of the 2008 SPx American Hero 1/1’s, and those are some sweet Griffeys to have; but how many of us would lie awake at night as kids and dream of holding a cyan printing plate in our hands?  Or the 2013 Topps Tribute Purple Parallel?  These are not iconic cards - they’re just rare.  That’s the difference.

There are estimated to be 241 Finest Refractor Griffeys, pretty far from a 1/1.  And yet you can rest assured that everyone in that room of Griffey collectors knows about it.  It's legendary.

Everyone who collected Griffeys in the 90’s remembers the all those zeros and the little exclamation point in the Beckett listings.  Most of us Griffey guys were kids back then with no expectation to ever be able to afford this card.  Now we are adults with careers and direct deposit, and those poor lost souls who are still into the Griffey game can actually have one if they can sufficiently hide the evidence of their purchase from their wives.  

Go ahead and count me among the chosen...

I don't foresee getting a card that will top the '93 Refractor in 2014, but I'll keep looking.  A Griffey collector's work is never done.

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I took a ton of pictures and scans before I put this thing into the safe deposit box,a nd I'm not about to let them go to waste.  So, Refractorporn, anyone?

Griffey Progress Report: 1995 Leaf

I've made it abundantly clear how into '95 Leaf I am, and after a lot of searching and spending, Buy It Now's and Best Offers on COMC and card shows and the like, I've finally amassed all the Griffeys from that set, including long-time holdout Statistical Standouts.

1995 Leaf Statistical Standouts #2 #/5000

This is among the most well-designed inserts of 1995.  It's heavily embossed with a holofoil signature and realistic texture across the front. 

Sadly I'm now on the lookout for another one.  I snagged this one with a best offer on feebay, but when I went to take it out of the case a bit of damage occurred.  It must have been in there since it got pulled almost 20 years ago, and the high-gloss back fused to the inner plastic.  You can see the damage as white specks on the back there.  I supposed it still counts (it's numbered, dammit!), but it remains on my want list.  Luckily the seller was really cool about it and sent me a full refund without asking for the card back.  So, here it is.  Bittersweet...

1995 Leaf Gold Leaf Stars #4 #/10000

Another beauty, this card is rich in color and a cool holofoil effect that permeates the front.  The most obvious design feature apart from the gold foil trim is the internal star die-cut.  Most die-cuts are found along card edges, but this one is right in the card.  Topps Laser would go nuts with this feature the following year, but in 1995 this was a pretty cool effect.

1995 Leaf Slideshow #8A & B

These were printed on translucent plastic with (you guesses it) more holofoil features in the front.  I didn't know until I made my original 1995 Leaf post that there are two versions of this card, one from each series.  I finally have them both and can create the entire "disc."  College is really starting to pay off...

1995 Leaf Opening Day #4

I'm not really sure what this card is, but it exists and there's the logo.  I didn't know until I saw it on COMC that Leaf even made an Opening Day set.  The back is pretty cool, though.  I love fireworks on cards.

Thus after years of lovin' on '95 Leaf, I've finally landed them all.  Here is a scan 18 years in the making:

 

 

 

How Many Peavy's? A Trade Post

How many Peavy's would it take to earn all this excellent custom and autographed goodness?  Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown is putting me to the test, and I hope I'm up to the challenge. 

You see, I mentioned in a previous post that I am puzzled by how frequently I pull Jake Peavy cards.  It's not like I've got anything against the guy; but I just keep finding his stuff in packs and mystery long boxes from the LCS, and I can't help but wonder "Why me?"  It got to the point that I started setting his stuff aside just out of curiosity as to how high the stack would get.

And wouldn't you know it?  Somebody wanted that stack.  Gavin knew I was into Ron Kittle and also somehow cracked the code that I'm a bit of a casual Ken Griffey, Jr. fan, and here we are.  Naturally he is way more on top of his trade game than I, so I got a nice padded envelope just a few days later.

Topps really outdid themselves with this release from 2004.  Sure, Kittle is far from the most valuable cards from this series, but I would have been ecstatic to pull a redemption card for this one.  Great sig, too.  Immediately one of my absolute favorite Kittles.

Here are a few Saints cards Gavin threw in.  I'm not too familiar with Perriman, but I remember kick returner Lonzell Hill.  The standout here is Craig "Ironhead" Heyward who people still talk about with affection down here.

 This is a "girly" card that Gavin threw in.  My favorite part is the back (as is often the case):

I cannot get over how much information is here.  And sure, she misspelled that president's name, but look at those measurements!  We'll let it slide.

If you subscribe to Gavin's blog, you probably know that he's one of those custom card guys who likes to personalize his cardboard.  Those posts are always a blast to see, and now I get to make one of my very own (with his cards, of course).

The scan takes away from the sparkly, tactile look of this card.  If I didn't know any better, I would think just by looking at it that it was some kind of cool insert or parallel.  Check out what he did with the back.

Signed and numbered 1/1, just like a little piece of art.  Right up my alley.  This is now my second blogger-customized 1/1 Griffey card.  Love it.

The alterations here are on the super-thick screw-case.  Had all this glow-juice been applied to the card itself, I probably would have gone all Brad Pitt from the end of Seven.  I am sadly unable to photograph the glow effect, but trust me - it's cool.  There is also a subtle sparkle border here that shows just how much thought goes into its creation.  This picture does not do it justice.

Thanks for the excellent trade package, Gavin!  I'm still trying to assemble the right trade package for you, but I will have them out soon.  Gonna need more Peavy's, that's for sure.

I Won a Contest!

I'm not big on tooting one's own horn, but that is how this trade package happened.  Many of you know the Nachos Grande Blogger Bracket Challenge, and despite my relative noob-hood to the blogsphere and my more or less complete misunderstanding as to what kind of posts people write for this thing in round 0, I ended up taking home the grand prize.

Thanks to everyone who read and/or voted for me, including my friends and family whom I notified of the voting via Facebook.  I'm certain most of them don't even read this blog, but say my Aunt Patti someday gets curious about how many Tiffany Griffeys were made or the wacky inserts of 2000 Pacific, she may happen upon this blog and finally get her thanks. 

Anyway, I really did have a blast writing fiction and playing around with card designs in MS Paint, and there were tons of excellent posts in the contest that made me laugh to beat the band.  Here are the subject cards I wrote about:

Poor John Burkett.  I really made him out to be a sociopath.  I googled his name and my post didn't come up, so I guess I'm thankful he may never see it.

Chris also threw in a few of my favorite things, those being Griffey cards, including a few I needed for the collection.  Take a look:

Two great Juniors from a favorite Upper Deck set and a Topps Stars that I needed!

Two sweet combo cards including one Cooperstown Calling with the Iron Man that, again, I needed!

And finally another great Upper Deck card, one of those cool 2000 cards showing Junior announcing his newly-adopted Red-ness, and a checklist that (you guessed it) I needed!  I don't even think that one is officially on any Griffey checklists, but I'm counting it.  Cards like this are why you need friends in the hobby.

Thanks again for the great cards, Chris!  If anyone got really attached to one of their subject cards from the contest and wants to own it, drop me a line and I'll PWE it out to you.  I must admit I'm pretty attached to that Bigfoot card.