TCDB 2 for Tuesday #117

As I write today's post, the Cardinals have the longest winning streak in the Major League this year at 9 games.  Not even the most optimistic Cardinals fans could have predicted this.  I doubt the great play will last much longer, but it is fun to watch.  I still believe they will finish around .500 and not make the playoffs.  

Enough rambling, on to the trade recaps.  First up is a package from member jamestagli.

Great photography set on a color matching background is a must have for this collector.  

Some Topps rainbow foil cards scan the same as base cards.  2025 Topps is one of those.  

The second trade package came from fellow Cardinals collector timriess.  This was our 21st trade since he joined TCDB in 2020.  

Ozzie Smith is 4th on my player collection list.  He will most likely pass Mark McGwire this summer.  Seeing Ozzie on a card design from his playing days is cool.

Although Donruss blue parallels are not as nice as Stadium Club red parallels, they are still welcome additions to my collection.

I will always be a Tommy Edman fan.  It is not surprising to see him having success in LA.  

Finally, a nice 1997 Donruss Preferred base card.  This base set was broken down into bronze, silver, gold, and platinum cards.  

    

More Goodness from Ron B

For the past two weeks, a large stack of cards has been sitting on my computer desk waiting to be scanned. Since it rained most of Saturday and Sunday, I made it a point to clean up my card area.  This stack of cards came from frequent trading partner Ron B.  Like all his other packages, it was loaded with great Cardinals and a few Altuve cards for my son.

I have very few Starting Lineup cards in my collection.  It is rare for me to find the card without the figure.  Happy to add this 1992 to the collection.

Along with the SLU card, the Walker is the only base card from the trade.  The Davis is a silver parallel.

I know these are not worth much, but I like the 1989 design from 2024 Topps.  Reminds me of my younger collecting years when you could find packs for $1.00 or less.

The highlight of the Topps parallels was the 2021 Update Justin Williams Memorial Day camo numbered to 25.

My Bowman lot included a nice blue Gorman numbered to 150 and a DeJong refractor numbered to 499.

The Chrome portion had some nice refractors, including a 2023 blue Contreras numbered to 150.

Some big names in the A&G mini lot.

Some random Topps inserts.  The Yadi is a refractor.

Finishing up the Topps brand cards with a trio from Heritage.  The 2017 Grichuk is a blue border parallel with a print run of 50.

Assorted Donruss parallels from the last few years.

Prizm parallels and a Walker insert.

2 parallels from 2023 Select.  The Graceffo is an orange flash prizm.  Very sharp card in hand.

Four other Panini brand inserts.  The Brock 2015 Cooperstown is numbered to 10.  

My son is getting very close to 800 different Altuve cards.  These 9 put him at 798.

 

      

TCDB 2 for Tuesday #116

I will jump right into the recaps today, as I only have 6 cards to show off from 2 trades.  First up is a four pack of Cardinals from member marcbrubaker.

I do not mind the unlicensed cards of prospects that do not have many Topps brand cards.  The top 2024 Panini Prospect Edition cards would look great autographed.  

I like the color match border on this 2025 1990 insert.  Nice of Topps to use a photo I have not seen before.

The last two cards came from member ervalad.

One of these is for my team set.  The other, I hope to get autographed sometime this year in Peoria.  Campos should be there most of the year, barring an injury to the catchers in Double A or Triple A.  

From One Bad Team to Another

The Cardinals have been awful the last few days.  Last night was their first win in six games.  They are four games under .500, and in fourth place.  That is bad, but it could be worse.  The Rockies have the worst record in baseball at 4 and 18.  I feel sorry for them being in the NL West.  Every other team in that division is above .500.

Despite the bad records, there are still fans like me who collect cards of bad teams.  TCDB member mgratton is from Colorado and collects his home team.  We worked out a small trade last week for a handful of Cardinals in exchange for a small stack of Rockies.  

I doubt you'll find a Cardinals collector who doesn't want Musial cards, especially base cards from premium brands.  

Ozzie Smith is another Cardinals favorite.  This 2024 Update insert highlights his 1985 NL Championship Series home run against the Dodgers.  Topps should have used a photo of him hitting left-handed.  

 
Ponce De Leon is not a Cardinals great.  Most Cardinals fans will remember him for the line drive he took off his head while in Triple A, or his dugout argument with Yadier Molina.  He was released shortly after that.  I am just happy to cross this 2019 Finest short print off my want list.    

  
    

Two from Twitter

I still call it Twitter.  X does not sound right.  I follow a weekly post on Wednesday nights that features vintage cards for sale.  Most are the graded type, but every now and then, I find some ungraded Cardinals that fit my budget.  Last week, I bought two cards from two different sellers.  Both pwe's arrived on Monday.  

This 1965 Topps card set me back $7.  It's slightly off-center, but overall in great shape.  Good deal for a card with two Hall of Famers on it.

This 1959 Topps high number is in the same condition.  It's not as off-center as the scan shows.  I had to do a double take when I saw Hemus listed as infield-manager.  I did not realize he was still an active player for a couple of years he managed the Cardinals.   This one cost me $5.    

  
    

EBAY Auto

Two weeks ago, I received another EBAY gift card from a recent blood donation.  This time, I chose to get a certified autograph from a Cardinals player I did not have. 

I have met Scott three different times in person and was impressed each time.  It was a no brainer to add his autograph to my collection.  This 2024 Update card only cost me $2.25 after using my gift card.  

TCDB 2 for Tuesday #115

This is just a quick post today before I head out to my son's baseball game. He gets his first start on the mound for the high school varsity team. It will be a tough game against a state-ranked team, but fingers crossed, he will do okay.  First trade package came from member supergajit.

2023 A&G X looks great with the gold border and black background.  It is great to see Arenado have a nice start to the season.  

A pair of shiny cards, one base and one parallel.  The Bader color match looks great with the blue jersey.

I have 36 different cards of Fredbird.  Seems like a high number, but I am not complaining.  

The second trade package came from member mac412.

Cross off another team set from the wantlist thanks to this 2019 Pro Debut Knizner.  I had a copy once before, but used it for an in person autograph.

These are a pair of nice inserts. The Big League electric orange parallel really stands out for a non-chrome card.  The 2006 Fleer Pujols is another nice color match card.