How Do I Not Have These?

Do you ever see a certain card and think to yourself there is no way I do not have that card already.  I do all the time while searching EBAY for Ray Lankford cards.  I also do the same when searching for some cheap Cardinals lots.  But sometimes you second guess yourself and can be wrong.  Thus was my case with a recent trade.  TCDB member Orry04 proposed a trade with me that included some 1998 Collector's Choice Cardinals.  I thought for sure I had them.  Guess what? I was wrong.

I doubled checked to make sure I did not have these. Glad I did because these completed my team set. 

I had seen this card before, but was not 100% certain if I had it.  Now there is no doubt.

Big Jake puts my son 1 step closer to his first complete set.  Only 5 more to go.

For now he is still collecting Altuve.  I am not sure he fully understands what the Astros did, but until Jose is proven to have worn the famous buzzer, I will help him track down cards or stickers like this one from 2018.

2 For Tuesday

I should have a steady flow of mail coming in this week.  I have over 10 trades going on right now with TCDB members.  Yesterday 2 small pwes arrived with a variety of cards.

The first pwe from member griffey423 contained this 2019 Update photo sp Goldschmidt.  We worked out a 1 for 1 swap for the 2020 Topps Javy Baez photo sp I had.  This trade reminded me of the saying one man's trash is another man's treasure.

The second pwe came from member ntlwhlr.  He finished my 2015 Topps Stickers team set with these 4 Cardinals.

He also sent 3 2019 Topps Fire for my son's set.  The finish line is within reach with just 5 more cards left, but I still have a couple of big ones with Acuna and Alonso to track down. 

Minor League Cards

I love the minor leagues.  I attended my first game in 2007 in Springfield, Mo to watch the Cardinals Double A team.  At that time it was me, my wife, and 2 year old daughter.  We drove almost 6 hours to watch Colby Rasmus play.  At the time he was the Cardinals best prospect since the JD Drew and Rick Ankiel era.  I cannot remember how he did those 2 games or even if the Cardinals won.  We were so impressed with the laid back feeling of the ballpark.  It was so easy to get close to the players.  The fireworks show was also first rate.

Fast forward to 2020 and we still attend quite a few minors games.  Most of our time is spent in Peoria now.  The 3 hour drive makes it possible to attend a game and make it back home in the same day.  It also helps that the Cardinals took over the team in 2013 from the Cubs.

I always make it a point to buy a Peoria team set each year.  These cards are great to get autographed. Some of these Low A players may never have another card, so the minor league card is the only option.  Besides the team set, there is also a Midwest League All Star or Top Prospect set.  I have never purchased any of these because I do not feel like spending $8-$10 for only a few Chiefs cards.  Thanks to a trade with TCDB member dsorek, I now have a few of these in my collection.

None of these players made the big leagues.  I am not for sure if any of them are still bouncing around with other teams or not.  C. J. McElroy is the biggest name among the group.  He is the son of former pitcher Chuck McElroy.  He was the Cardinals 3rd round pick in 2011.  He had a ton of speed, but never could get on base enough to use it.

The jury is still out on these 2 guys.  Montero was the Midwest League MVP in 2018, but lost most of 2019 to a hand injury.   When he was healthy, he did not hit as well.  Not sure if he will stay in the Cardinals system unless he changes to first base.  I believe the Cardinals see Nolan Gorman as their third baseman of the future.  Hurst was 3rd round pick in 2017.  He has not manged to stay healthy for a full season.  With the surplus of outfields in Memphis and St. Louis, I cannot see him having much of a future in St. Louis.

Gorman debuted in Peoria in 2018  just 2 months after being draft in the first round as a 19 year old.  He is the first player born in this century to be drafted.  He has a ton of power, but will need to make consistent contact.  Having met him a few times, I hope he turns out well.  He is a quiet kid, but has been nothing but polite.  Nunez  tore up the Dominican Summer League in 2018, but did not fare very well in 2019.  After starting the year in  Peoria and not hitting his weight, he was sent down to rookie ball.  I am guessing he will start in Peoria again this year.  He is similar to Montero.  Both are limited to corner infield positions due to their size.  Both hit well before the 2019 season.          

2 Packages Not From TCDB

Most of my posts involve trade recaps from transactions from TCDB website.  It is so easy to trade there that I have almost gone away from the 2 sites that I began my internet trading on.  The first site I joined was The Bench.  I joined that site in 2003.  I have done hundreds of trades there since then, but have slacked off big time.  A lot of the guys who traded heavily there when I joined are no longer active.  More members now are just looking for the lasted hot rookie.  One guy not like that is member David K.  He gives away a ton of great autographs and is so easy to trade with.  I sent him 3 2020 Topps inserts last week in exchange for a nice numbered Cardinal.

I have participated in the Topps Holiday promotion the last 2 years, but have always pulled base cards from my packs.  This parallel looks pretty cool.  

My other trading group is Trading Bases.  I am not sure when I joined that group, but it has been at least 10 years ago.  It a group of about 150 collectors who post on a message board.  Most have a website with a want list and trade list.  I tend to trade with only a few members there, but every now and then I receive a package out of the blue.

Member Pete P sent me this sweet 2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame Musial card.  I have traded with him a few times, but will have to bookmark his site in an effort to trade more.  Anyone who sends you a nice card out of the blue deserves my time and attention.

Back To The Smalls

Only one small trade arrived yesterday.  TCDB member udelljaru sent a nice pwe my way with a handful of Cardinals. 

 

I showed a couple of cards from the 1992 Minors set earlier this week.  The Arocha card finished my team set.  The Gulan is my first card from 1993 Stadium Club Murphy.  This set has a mix of draft picks and veterans.  I have 8 more Cardinals to track down.

DeJong is quickly becoming my favorite current Cardinal.  Besides being an All-Star, he is also active in the community.  Ever time I have met him in person, he has been polite as can be.  Hope he continues to improve this year.

I have said it before.  I hate the 150 Years of Baseball inserts from last year.  Greatest Seasons, Greatest Players, Greatest Moments.  How about just a set with highlights from the previous year, all with the same numbering.  At least the picture on this is one that has been used over and over.    

Cards From Kerry

I received a nice pwe from my favorite fellow Cardinals blogger Kerry yesterday.  He sent a nice variety of Cardinals ranging from 1979-2020. 

A trio of pitchers were included.  The Solly Hemus card is from the 1979 TCMA set.  This is only my second card from that set, lots of work to do to finish it.  The Dawley card finished the 1987 Fleer Update Glossy team set.  The Weaver is is my first 2017 A&G Hot Box Foil card.  Not as shiny as chrome, but a nice looking card anyway.

Two throwback uniforms are featured on these cards.  The 2015 Topps Target Throwback Carpenter card shows a uniform from the mid 1980s, while the Edman 2020 Topps shows the baby blues from the early 1980s that the Cardinals brought back last year for Saturday road games.  It is a toss up for me which is best. 

Kerry included 2 inserts as well.  The Hornsby is from 2011, the Edmonds from 2006.  What makes Kerry so great is he takes the time to search my TCDB collection for Cardinals I do not have.  I have a very large wantlist made up of mostly base cards, but only a few insert sets listed.  Thanks Kerry for the time and effort!

Biggest Trade In A While

I wandered from my recent small pwe trading habit to complete a larger trade last week.  TCDB member alh still sent this trade in a pwe, but it was packed.  Even coming all the way from Hawaii, these cards arrived in perfect condition. 

I was surprised to see this oversized Ozzie not in a bubble mailer, but it was well protected with cardboard.  Both it and the 1989 Fleer Glossy card finished team sets. 

I am always the sucker for minor league cards.  These 2 are from the 1992 Upper Deck Minors set.  The Hologram reminds me of a Denny's card. 

If you look really closely, you will see Ray Lankford in the lower left corner of the 1993 Topps card.  I have 4 different versions of this card.  The numbers of players on the front and the backs differ.  .  Studio Heritage cards were some of the best inserts in the early 1990s.  I love the throwback uniform Gregg Jefferies is wearing on the 1994 card.

These 8 cards almost finished my 2003 Topps Home Team Advantage set.  Only need 3 more to finish the massive 34 card team set. 

These 2015 GQ minis finished out the package.  This is the first new Altuve for my son's collection in a while.  I do not think he fully understands the entire sign stealing drama.  I hope Altuve is as innocent as what his teammates make him out to be.  For now we will assume he is innocent until proven guilty. 

EBAY Auto

My second EBAY purchase of 2020 arrived yesterday.  This was another Cardinals player I did not have a certified autograph of.

O'Neill does not have much of a signature, but it does look great on this 2019 Bowman's Best.  Best of all it cost me $5.30 delivered.  Shipping was free in a pwe.  This may have kept anyone else from bidding, but I have received a ton of trades this way lately with no damage or lost cards.

The Cardinals have an opening in left field now that Marcell Ozuna is in Atlanta.  As of now the competition is between O'Neill and Lane Thomas.  I think Thomas is the better all around player, with O'Neill have the advantage in the power department.  Whoever is not the starter should be the 4th outfielder.  Either one of them is just keeping the spot warm for Dylan Carlson.  I am guessing he will be the starter by the All-Star break.   

Said I Would Not, But Did Anyway

I mentioned in a post last week that I had no intentions of opening any packs of 2020 Topps.  I worked out a trade over the weekend for all the Cardinals base cards.  I can slowly add the inserts as more become available on TCDB.  With that said, my plans changed. 

On Monday my son came down with a nasty virus that has caused him to miss school every day this week.  While he does like school, he was more upset with missing his last 3 basketball games of the season.  We had to make a Wal-Mart run yesterday afternoon for some noodle soup, so I let him pick out a blaster box to help pass some time and lift his spirits.

I forgot to scan the first card which was Austin Barnes.  You can search EBAY if you want to see the sweet action pic.  From what I have seen so far, Topps has done a great job with action shots on catchers cards.  I will spare all the base cards and just show the inserts.

Along with a couple of  base cards, we pulled 2 Cardinals inserts.  Although these are seeded one in every box, we pulled both of these from the same pack.

The other Turkey Red cards along with a Chrome version. 

I am with the majority of people who questioned Topps giving Hoskins a subset.  He is a nice player, but not what I would call a superstar. 

I like the 1985 set the most out of the other inserts.

We received the usual 1 per box gold and rainbow foil. 

These rookie medallion cards are really thick.  I wish Topps would do away with the manufactured relics and just include a jersey/bat card in every box.  They are about worth the same anyway. 

We did pull one of the photo variations.  These were tough to pull in the past.  I have seen a lot of guys pull at least one if not two in their blasters this year. 

Not a great box, but it did provide an hour's time of enjoyment in an otherwise dreary day for my son.  If you see anything that you need, all are for trade other than the Johnson die cut and Votto gold.

 

PWE With Some Pauls

The flow of pwe trades kept arriving yesterday with a trade envelope from TCDB member Packsux.  He sent me five Cardinals to help with some team sets.

The trade was mostly Paul Goldschmidt cards.  The Leather & Lumber is my first from that set.  The 2019 Bowman's Best finished my small 2 card team set.  They all count no matter how big or small they are. 

Another first and last with these 2.  The Update insert was the last of 4 Cardinals in that set.  The Archives Snapshots card is my first Cardinal from that set.  Dakota Hudson is the only other one.

The only non Goldschmidt was this 2010 National Chicle Mize card.  I only need the Musial short print to finish this one.  I am usually not a fan of the sketch type sets, but this one turned out pretty well.

Couple from the Weekend

It was a pretty quiet weekend around my house.  Other than a Saturday morning basketball game, and my son's first baseball practice of the season I had plenty of spare time.  The weather was not fit for doing much outside, so I spent a few hours filing away all my recent trades.  The mailman brought 2 pwes on Saturday that added to my pile of cards.  The first was from TCDB member @SWLVguy.

I thought these 2 finished my 1998 Opening Day set, but I still need a Ron Gant to finish it.  The Jordan card is pretty cool.  Though it is not as iconic as the 1990 Score Bo Jackson, it is a great photo of the former 2 sport star.

I was able to finish the 2003 Playoff Prestige set with the Haren card.  I was suppose to get the regular version of the Hutchinson 2000 Metal card that would have finished my set.  Instead I received the Emerald version that I already have.  This one will be going in Kerry's pile.

The second trade package came from TCDB member redlegs_baseball.

The Star company put out a few minor league sets in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  I can see why the company did not last long.  These cards are about as boring as you can get, but I will never turn down a Cardinals minor league card.

This does not look like a baseball card at all.  It reminds me of something from a MAD set.  It is really a 1992 Confex Baseball Enquirer card of Andres Galarraga.  If you blinked you would have missed his time as a Cardinal.  He only played in 95 games during his only season in St. Louis in 1992.  I have no clue why he is wearing a hard hat.

I never played the Topps Attax card game.  Cannot say I know anybody that did.  I would imagine Pujols would have been a great guy to have judging by his ratings on the card.  

First Bubble Mailer in a While

Most of my recent trades have come in a plain white envelope (pwe).  With the cost of postage being close to $3 for a bubble mailer, most collectors are finding cheaper ways to send cards.  I have even gotten 2 pwes from the same collector for one trade.  As long as the cards arrive in good shape, I really don't care how they get to me.  I will add some collectors go a little overboard with the scotch tape when using a pwe.  It should not take me 5 minutes to remove 6 cards from an envelope, but that is a story for another post. 

I did receive a rare bubble mailer from TCDB member Lugnut80 earlier this week.  I was able to send him a stack of late 1990s set fillers for a nice handful of Cardinals.

 

There are a ton of variations to the 1988 Topps Stickers.  Most of them have to do with the player on the back.  This one has Andre Dawson.  I chose not to scan it though, because that would be 2 days in a row of a Cub making an appearance on this blog.  I do have my limits.

These 2 finished my 1997 Bowman's Best team set.  These would have looked so much better without the large dots and swirls.

I received another 2 sided card with this 1997 Donruss Limited Dmitri Young.  The other side features Brewer Antone Williamson.  I think we know who had the better career out of those 2.

 Rounding out the package were a couple of 2019 inserts of Matt Carpenter.  I am not sure what to expect from Carp in 2020.  I doubt he is the same guy who hit 36 home runs in 2018, but he is also not the same player who hit .226 in 2019.  At least I hope he is not.  If Carp can learn how to hit against the shift, he could return to being a .300 hitter.  If he continues to try to pull the ball out of the park every time up, he will see the bench more in favor of Tommy Edman. 

2019 Fire Still Burning

It almost feels like Christmas Eve today.  Tomorrow 2020 Topps is scheduled to hit the shelves, although if you scan EBAY now you can already check out some of the cards.  I do not have any plans to open any packs, but if my local Wal-Mart gets some blasters in this week, that may change. 

While a lot of collectors have moved on to 2020, my son and I are still trying to complete the 2019 Topps Fire set.  I was able to complete a trade on TCDB with Marc B. last week that almost cut our needs in half.  While he may not be blogging, Mark is still writing card related posts here.  Mark managed to send 11 cards safely in a pwe.

It is almost painful trading for a Cubs card.  Good thing this is the last one needed. 

Some bigger names in this lot, with Andujar and Lindor being the highlights.  Not sure how much longer Frankie will be in Cleveland.  I would guess he will be traded at the deadline unless the Indians somehow come up with enough money to sign him. 

These 11 cards took our wantlist down to 13.  If anyone has any of these, shoot me a message.

37 Ronald Acuna
42 Taylor Ward
91 Jon Duplantier
100 Cal Ripken Jr.
128 Pete Alonso
134 Amed Rosario
150 Juan Soto
162 Scooter Gennett
163 Starling Marte
168 Eloy Jimenez
174 Ryan McMahon
176 Max Scherzer
197 Jake Arrieta

Cheap EBAY Win

I won my first EBAY auction of 2020 last week.  I was a little surprised the card arrived so quick since it was in a pwe.  The auction description noted this, but I had no problem with it since it was not a high dollar card.

Not the biggest of names, but a pretty nice card for less than $3 delivered.  It is also my first Cabrera auto, if you want to call what he scribbled on the card an auto.  Cabrera came to St. Louis as part of the Tommy Pham trade with Tampa Bay.  He has 2 things going for him: he is lefthanded and throws in the mid 90s.  If he could gain a little more control, he has a decent chance to be the second lefthander in the Cardinals bullpen behind Andrew Miller.