Look What I Found

Do you ever receive a trade package and simply forget about it?  Either you misplace it, or you may have actually opened it and just let the cards lay in a pile until the next package comes along.  The latter occurred to me this past weekend.  I received an unexpected package from a fellow blogger on Friday that I am still going through.  After I opened it and started setting some cards aside on my card table, I discovered a small stack of cards that I had received from a Bench trade a few weeks ago.  I am pretty sure I received this package the second week of January.
 

First up are the 4 base cards from the package.  The Sutter is my first 1985 Topps Tiffany card.  I think its time closers started sporting the beards again.  It just adds to the intimidation factor.  I wonder if Dmitri Young has a collection of his own cards.  Back in 2012 he sold a large lot of graded rookie cards.

This a hodge podge of various inserts that did not fit with any others in the package.  The McCarver is a 2004 Fleer Greats blue #ed to 500, while the Renteria is a sticker.  I was glad to see Matt Holliday catch on with the Yankees over the winter.  Not so much him being a Yankee, but rather him being out of the National League.  I bet he still has 2 or 3 more productive years left if he can stay healthy.

I wonder how Shelby Miller would have faired in St. Louis the last 2 years.  He went from an Atlanta All Star in 2015 to a Diamondback dud in 2016.  He still is young enough to figure things out.  This 2011 Bowman Orange #ed to 250 captures Berkman's lighter side.  He was a key part of the 2011 WS champs before injuries slowed him down in 2012.

These 2 2012 Update Gold cards do not seem as gold as other years.  Maybe its just my 40 year old eyes getting bad, but these seem more bronze to me.

This 2012 Topps Gold Sparkle Freese was my favorite of the lot.  These cards are simply gorgeous in hand.  Although they are not numbered, I prefer these to the numbered gold cards.  I believe 2012 was the only year Topps produced these.  I bet the 2016 clouds would even look good with this finish.