Rarities

On May 23, 2002, Shawn Green had one of the greatest offensive days in baseball history. Green hammered four home runs (tying a major league record), going 6-for-6 with seven RBIs and setting the major league record for total bases in a single game (19). 

In 2015 Topps released "Rarities" and insert set in Update Series that chronicled Green's phenomenal perfomance.

But it's not the first card (and certainly not the last) to record Green's performance. Just take a look at the backs of these cards. 

These three Shawn Green cards came to me via Nick over at Dime Boxes, and they'll fit nicely into my Green binder. I haven't taken a look yet, but I'm sure I'd be able to find at least a few more cards capturing Green's four-dinger game.

Alongside the Green cards, Nick also sent along one of my Most Wanted cards: 2006 Topps Brad Penny. There's nothing special about this card, though it was one of the two cards remaining from the 2006 Topps set I was missing. With this added to the binder, I'm now just missing the Dodgers Team Card (#612)--it has been added to the Most Wanted list on my sidebar. 

Nick also kindly included a handful of Heritage Dodgers which I can now mark off my lists. The Connor Joe and Josh Sborz are new to my eyes (I've seen the Kelly and Barnes cards elsewhere on the blogosphere), and I had no idea these guys were even featured in the set. I find Joe the most interesting card here, as he's actually never suited up for the major league Dodgers. The Giants selected him in the Rule 5 draft last year, and he totaled 16 plate appearances up in the Bay Area, notching just one hit. The Giants cut bait and he returned him to the Dodgers where he played for Triple-A OKC for the remainder of the season. Anyone know if he ever received a card as a Giants player?

With the exception of the Lux, all of the above cards were sent via a very full PWE after Nick claimed Trade Pile #2. A couple of weeks earlier, Nick sent another PWE (equally packed with cards) which included one of the first Gavin Lux rookie cards in my collection (it joins his base card from S1). I dig the design on these "Spring Has Sprung" cards. 

Since we're on the topic of rookies, I had better mention this beautful Cody Bellinger from 2017 Heritage. I'm including this in my Topps Heritage binder, so I will definitely need to add another to my Bellinger binder. His rookie cards are priced fairly high, so I'm not thrilled that I'm still missing  three (!) of his four base cards from 2017 Update, too. I try not to spend too much money on modern cards, but I think I'll need to take the hit to pick up his rookies sooner rather than later. 

I'm much more willing to spend money on vintage cardboard, but with guys like Nick around I may be able to save a few bucks here and there. He sent me a few fantastic vintage pieces, including this 1968 Topps Game Claude Osteen. It's the first card from this set in my collection, and gosh does it look good. I've long been a sucker for floating head cards (I have no idea why), and the colors on this card are tremendous--not to mention they coincide with the Dodgers color palette perfectly. I had no plan to chase the Dodgers from this set, but that may change. 

A pair of 1981 Scratch-Offs also dropped out of the PWE, featuring Dusty Baker and Steve Garvey. I don't have too many Scratch-Offs, and the early-80s are still underrepresented in my Dodgers box, so these are a nice addition. 

My favorite card to come from these PWEs has got to be this 1959 Solly Drake card. Before opening up the envelope, I'd never even heard of Solly Drake. Though he didn't have a long MLB career, he and his brother Sammy were the first African-American siblings to play in the Majors. That's a pretty cool accomplishment. 

The reason this Drake card stood out to me, however, is becuase it is in absolutely phenomenal shape. The corners and sides are sharp, it's crease-free, and it doesn't have that sort of flimsy feel you get with well-loved vintage cards. I initially thought is was some sort of reprint, but as far as I can tell it's the real deal. 

I don't really care about condition on vintage cards all that much--send me all of your well-loved, creased, and ripped vintage!--but when a 61-year-old card feels as if it just came out of a pack, it feels like a bit of a rarity. 

The Card that Started it All

When I was 9 years old, I opened up a box of cereal and watching a plastic-wrapped baseball card drop out of the box and onto the floor. I picked it up and placed it on the counter, poured my bowl of cereal, and went on with my morning.

I had always liked baseball, and I often played catch and Wiffleball out in the front yard with my dad and sister. But at this point in my life, I still didn't follow professional baseball in any kind of real way. I wore my Dodgers hat everywhere, but I wouldn't have been able to tell you a single thing about the team or players.

At some point later that day, I saw the packaged card on the counter and decided to open it. I suppose it was the first pack of cards I ever opened (though there was only one card inside, so I guess it was a pack of card?). Inside sat the 2002 Topps Post Shawn Green you see below.

I remember rushing over to my dad and asking him if Shawn Green was any good thinking I hit the jackpot. "He's alright," my dad, ever the pessimist, told me. As the card back shows, Green's 2001 season was more than "alright." He hammered 49 homers (still a Dodgers record) and batted .297. Definitely better than "alright."

I don't exactly remember what happened next, but Shawn Green very quickly became my favorite player and I began to pay very close attention to Dodgers baseball. I started to fall asleep to Vin Scully calling Dodger games on the radio, and I convinced my dad to buy me baseball cards every time we went to Target. My fervent love for baseball, the Dodgers, and Shawn Green only grew from there, all the result of a flimsy baseball card falling out of a box of cereal.

I thought about this story last week and decided to go and take a look through my Shawn Green cards. Lo and behold, I discovered that at least one or two of my binders must still be with my dad back in California, including most of my Shawn Green PC. I'll coordinate with him to have them shipped over to me in New Jersey, and I'm looking forward to their arrival. As such, the Shawn Green scan above was taken from ComC.

What card(s) got you into collecting? 

What better way to solicit answers to this questions than by holding a contest?

You can earn multiple entries in this contest, so here's what you need to do:

1 entry - Comment on this post with the card(s)/set/etc. that jump started your collection.

1 entry - Subscribe to the blog! Most of you reading this are probably already subscribers, so just let me know you are in the comments. If you are new here, welcome! Give me a follow if you'd like. At the time of writing this, the blog sits at 87 followers. I'll plan to add additional prizes if we can get that number up to 100.

1 entry - Pimp this contest on your blog by June 27th then post a link here in the comments.

That's a maximum of 3 entries per person. I plan to keep the contest open until the end of June, so you have plenty of time to spread the word and get your entries in.

Below you will see a list of of some of the prizes that will be up for grabs. I'll likely add additional prizes between now and the end of June and definitely will if the blog reaches 100 followers. I'll end up randomizing the list of entries and we'll hold a prize draft. The plan is for winners to pick their prize on a separate contest results post at the beginning of July. I'll also be tossing in some assorted goodies for all of the winners.

Prize #1 - 2020 Topps t206 Series 1 Box/Pack

Prize #2 - Allen & Ginter Relic Lot

Prize #3 - Bowman's Best Mookie Betts Blue Parallel #'d/150

Prize #4 - First Edition HOF Baseball Hall of Fame Heroes 12 Card Set

Prize #5 - 2019 Topps Hi Tek Lance McCullers Jr. Autograph

Prize #6 - Assorted Pink Refractors from 2018 Topps Chrome

Prize #7 - 1988 Donruss Baseball Hanger Pack

Prize #8 - 2019 Topps Hi Tek George Springer Green and Purple Parallels

Prize #9 - Topps Gold Label Blue Parallels (Stanton and Strasburg)

Prize #10 - 10 Cards from 2016 Leaf Babe Ruth Set 

Trade with Dion's Autograph Collection: Swapping Ink and Dodgers

I recently (well, it's been a couple of months) swapped some cards with Dion over at Dion's Autograph Collection, my second trade with him in the last few months. I sent over a handful of autographs and he offered up several Dodgers team set needs and a ton of new Shawn Green cards. 

The Big League Challenge card above was new to me, and the concept of the Big League Challenge--and not the Home Run Derby--was something unfamiliar. From what I can find online, the Big League Challenge took place in the early-2000s and was essentially a Home Run Derby played over the course of a mock 9-inning game. The card above shows a date of February 9th, 2002, but the logo is of the 2003 BLC. I can't find any info on the 2003 event, but Green participated in 2002 and did not make it very far. Troy Glaus ultimately won the entire event. 

I was born in the 90s but didn't start collecting until the early-2000s, around 2002 I believe. For whatever reason, I've always considered this the cutoff between "old" cards and "new" cards. I was never really aware of this distinction, but as I've looked back at my collecting habits and my taste in cards, it becomes pretty obvious to me. I won't get into my own distinction between old, vintage, new, or modern cards here (that's a whole post on its own), but I will say I never had much affection for cards from the 90s. Maybe it has to do with the whole junk wax era and the saturation of products during the decade. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'm never been particularly attracted to cards from the 90s. 

That said, I've started to grow a fondness for some select sets over the past couple of years, especially 1995 Topps Flagship. Take a look at the card above. The photo is great; how often do you see "player signing autograph" cards nowadays without it being an SP or in Stadium Club? I also dig the sort of watercolor-y border and drop shadow of the photo. It definitely gives the set its own identity and sets it apart from the rest of the sets from the 90s. 

Green spent most of his career with the Dodgers, but, as I am now noticing, the cards I chose to scan don't show him in Dodger blue. (Is Blue Jay blue a thing?!?) I think this may be the first I've seen of 1992 Classic Best set, and it ain't too shabby. It shows Green as a member of the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto's single-A affiliate. Green made his major-league debut in 1993, the same year I was born, and went hitless in 6 at-bats. He appeared in 14 games with the big-league club in 1994, but he didn't manage to hang around until the 1995 season. 

But enough of Green. Dion sent over several other Dodgers, including a new Corey Seager for me to add to the binder. If Corey Seager can hit like Tulo in his prime, I'd be very happy. Let's just hope he can avoid the injury bug. Injuries derailed Tulo's career and forced him into retirement this season. 

Finally, here's a hodgepodge of Flagship needs Dion sent my way. A handful of cards from 2016-18 sets are helpful as I'm still tracking down the cards from those sets. I initially thought the Maddux was just a normal base card from 2009, but quickly realized that it's actually the Wal-Mart black border version. Alas, I still lack any base Dodgers from 2009 Flagship. In fact, it's one of only a handful of sets of which I have no Dodgers, along with 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1968. Lump in 2009, and we quickly see one of those things is not like the others. 

It was another successful swap with Dion who is quickly becoming my go-to blogger for low-end autos I have no interest in and won't fetch much on eBay. Thanks for the trade!

Cardboard from Stumptown

The last few months have been crazy, but I have some good news:

1. Moving is finally in the rearview. We're in the new apartment (I don't advise driving through Brooklyn in a Uhaul) and completely unpacked. Let's hope this is more permanent--it's my fifth move since August of 2017. 
2. With moving done, I can finally turn my attention back to cards. They were boxed up for the last several months, so it's good to get them out in the open again.
3. I finally have a scanner again. I've been so looking forward to scanning cards since I rejoined the hobby (taking pictures on my phone just isn't the same); this should help me stay on top of posting. 

With that news out of the way,  let's catch up on a trade I from way back in April. I'm severely behind on trade posts, so this will be the first of many of the next several weeks. First up, some cards from Gavin at Baseball Card Breakdown.

Gavin runs one of my favorite card blogs out there, so when it was time to move on from some Archer cards earlier this year, I knew he might be interested.

In exchange for the Archer set, Gavin sent quite a bit of fun--and vintage--cardboard my way. The Furillo and Alston above (from 1960 and 1969, respectively), as well as the LA Dodgers team card (below) from 1962, inch me closer to building complete Dodgers team sets. I'm nowhere near close completing any vintage sets, so this will take some time. Fun fact: this is the first 1962 card in my collection. 

Would it really be a trade with Gavin without customs though? 

He sent along a pair of fantastic custom Dodgers, including a card from Big League Baseball that never was. I feel there is potential for an Orel Hershiser/Bulldog connection here. The Kersh is nice as well; it's refreshing to see cards featuring the Dodgers blue tops they wear in Spring Training. 

Gavin's package contained a number of other great cards (including an autograph of failed Dodger prospect, Tom Windle), but it's not so often I add new Shawn Green cards to the PC. I was devastated to learn Green was traded to the D-Backs in the winter of 2005 (for Dioner Navarro and a handful of other prospects who never panned out, if you were wondering). It's still tough to see him in that purple pinstriped jersey. 

Thanks for the wonderful deal, Gavin! 

It's Trading Season: Cards from Infield Fly Rule

I recently completed a swap with Adam of Infield Fly Rule. I had a few Rockies in need of a new home and some fun shiny stuff, so I reached out to Adam and we quickly came to an agreement. 

I've been largely working on building my Dodgers team sets from flagship for the past few months, and Adam definitely helped put a dent in some of my want lists. 

With the exception of 2015, I''m pretty close to completing most Dodgers sets from the past decade. 2011 Update Series has been a particularly hard set to finish off, so this pair of Ethiers was well-appreciated. I'm six cards away from completing the 2011 set, with four of those needed cards hailing from Update Series. I'm hoping I can knock out this set some point this spring. 

While I can probably knock out most of the sets from the 2010s this year, the Dodgers sets from the 2000s will probably take me much longer. Take the fun black-bordered 2007 set, for example. Including Topps Traded, the Dodgers checklist contains 33 cards. With the addition of the Proctor and Drew cards above, I now have three cards from the set.  I definitely need to get a move on here. 

My lack of cards from the 2000s is quite surprising actually. I started collecting back in 2002 after finding a Shawn Green card in a box of cereal while making myself breakfast. In fact, that card inspired me to really start paying attention to the Dodgers and baseball, and I've been hooked ever since. In hindsight, it's probably the most important bowl of cereal I'll ever eat. 

Despite the fact that I started collecting back in the 2000s, I only have a handful of cards remaining in my possession and they are mostly in my Shawn Green binder. The rest have been lost to bicycle spokes, ill-fated trips to Goodwill, and various family pets over the years. Most everything else was donated or sent across the blogosphere when I stepped away from collecting a few years ago. 

Still, I never managed to track down many Dodgers from the start of the millennium, so these two from 2004 are a push in the right direction. I've always been a huge fan of the 2004 set--you gotta love those foil silhouettes--though the cards aren't ideal for folks with iPhones. Lighting was not on my side, so much of the foil work on these cards is difficult to read. 

Another needed card from the 2000s, this time from the 2006 set. Hendrickson was a tall lefty listed at a healthy 6'9". His time with the Dodgers in 2006 and 2007 was fairly forgettable, but it's hard to ignore his impressive feat of pitching in the big leagues and playing in the NBA, one of only 13 players to ever do both. It's also hard to ignore the approaching fog behind Hendrickson. Quite the photo. 

Of course, Adam included quite a few other fun pieces in this trade, and I'm extremely thankful. Thanks for the trade, Adam!

My First Trade in Five Years

I recently completed my first trade in nearly five (!) years, this time with Dion of Dion's Autograph Collection. 

Dion reached out to me in search of some autos, and I had several I was willing to move to help me move closer to completing some sets. And he certainly helped out with that.

Dion sent over a generous hodgepodge of Dodgers from over the years, including the cards from the 70s seen above. It's a bit hidden, but that Walt Alston card is the second card of his I've acquired in the last few weeks. 

Most of my Dodgers team sets outside of this millennium are still in their infancy, with the exception of a few sets from the late-80s and early-90s. Dion managed to triple the number of 75s in my collection, while simultaneously alerting me to a few holes in my checklists. While my checklists include all of the normal player base cards from a set, they are often missing other Dodgers cards that aren't player specific, e.g those spectacular MVP cards from the 1975 set above. Where do you all find your checklists for older sets? 

I recently shared my thoughts on 2019 Heritage and quickly realized I still didn't have a 1970 Dodgers card in my 70s binder. Dion fixed this with a well-loved rookie of Jack Jenkins and Bill Buckner. One of these guys is more well-known than the other.  

More cards I needed from 1983 and 1984 sets, including a fun Ron Cey. 

Dion also included a ton of modern cards in this package, including a pair of new cards for my new Justin Turner PC. That Donruss oddly lists Turner as a 2nd baseman, even though Turner has played primarily at third for the Dodgers since arriving to LA in 2014. Hell, Turner hasn't played predominately at second since 2011. Oh well, it's still a pretty cool card. Who doesn't love a dirty jersey?

A pair of new Kershaw's also found their way into this trade. Bask in the full emotional range of Clayton Kershaw. 

An errant Shawn Green card found in a box of cereal nearly 17 years ago was one of the catalysts that led to my Dodgers fandom and, later, my baseball card obsession. I hadn't added to my Shawn Green PC in quite some time, so this fun die-cut was a welcome addition. It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but it's also #'d to 99. Cool beans. 

There were quite a few more cards included in this wonderful trade--too many to photograph in the dull light of my apartment, however. I really need to get a scanner. Thanks, Dion!

This swap with Dion was my first trade in nearly five years. How I managed to go that long without exchanging cardboard through the mail defeats me, but I do know this swap marks my forceful return to the hobby.  

A Quick Thanks

I've received quite a few generous packages from bloggers over the past month. I've had cards scanned for a while, but I just never got around to doing any trade posts. I figured I would take this time to catch up on a couple of trades I made before Christmas. 

But before we do that, I'd like to thank William of Foul Bunt for the terrific Christmas card he sent my way. It's been a while since we last chatted, but it's nice to know that William is still doing good. Hopefully, I'll be sending some Orioles your way soon. 

The first trade package, and second last of the year, came courtesy of Nick over at Dimeboxes. It was our third trade, so we are pretty familiar with each other's collecting habits. He sends me Dodgers, and I send him a random hand full of cards and let him decide which mini collection they fit into. Just joking, Nick. 

In all seriousness, Nick is a fantastic trade partner. If my word isn't enough, just check out the gem you see above should. I don't stumble upon a ton of Koufax cards, so anything I receive in trades is well appreciated, especially a masterpiece like that.

Nick also hit up one of my bigger PC's with these awesome new Shawn Green cards. The Generation E-X card on the left is your standard shiny/crazy piece of awesomeness produced way back at the turn of the century. The Cracker Jack card on your other left is actually a set I used to buy in my first card collecting binge back in '05. The odd Mars-like background is definitely an weird, but weird is good. 

Nick also sent a few new Beltre's my way. I am a big fan of Topps t-206, so that card is most welcome in my PC. But I'm not so sure about the other one. I'm joking of course, but check out the back of the card. 

I find it a bit funny that the card actually uses the word 'PHAT' when referring to Adrian's glove, and even more funny that Nick had the same reaction with a similar card in a blog post a few days ago. 

Card companies be crazy, dawg. 

My love of Beltre's phat glove must be well known, because Gavin over at Baseball Card Breakdown sent me a couple of new cards in our latest trade. It will actually go down as the last trade of 2014, and he made it count. 

I'm really not sure what to say about this card. It is fantastic all the way around, and I can assure you that it looks much better in person (as do most cards). 

Here are some things I like about this card (in no particular order):

- Shiny black border

- Old-school Topps logo

- Complete stats on the back

But, as much as I love this card, I got something even sweeter from Gavin.

A Clayton Kershaw 1/1 Glow-in-the-Dark Sketch Card. I couldn't get a picture of it glowing in the dark to save my life (though it glows just fine), so thank goodness for the GIF Gavin posted to his blog a while back. 

Here is the back of the card, which includes a signature from the artist himself. The artwork is phenomenal, and the fact that it glows in the dark just tops it all off. I'll probably be hitting up Gavin for some more awesome sketches in the near future. 

With that, 2014 is finally over. It was my first full year blogging, and I truly enjoyed it. After only completing five trades in 3 months in 2013, I completed 65 in 2014. Along the way I met some awesome people and made some cool new friends. I'd like to thank all of those with whom I traded this year, as well as all of the people that took time out of their day to check out this silly blog of mine. I'm looking forward to another great year.