Just In Case You've Got These Lying Around...

I added a little item to the sidebar just now: It is a list of my Top 10 wants. By no means does it replace my wantlist, also in the sidebar, but is meant to point out some single cards that I've been looking for, or that could help me finish up some sets. It really was a Top 10 list, but then remembered one more card, so it became a "Big 10" list...of 11.

Here it is reproduced for your convenience, and it can be found on the sidebar (below "The Trading Game") forevermore.

1. 2007 Topps #15b Andrew Miller
2. 2007 Topps U&H #TRC40 Cameron Maybin (#/415)
3. 2005 Topps Factory Set (Tiger Edition) #5 of 5 Curtis Granderson
4. 2008 Topps U&H #UH318 Kyle Farnsworth
5. 2007 Topps U&H #UH215 Ivan Rodriguez
6. 2009 Topps #CBR-MO Magglio Ordonez "Career Best"
7. 2009 Topps #CBA-GS Gary Sheffield "Career Best"
8. 2009 Topps #CBDR-HC Miguel Cabrera/Ryan Howard
9. 2007 Topps #GN285 Justin Verlander Generation Now (#3)
10. 2008 Topps Miguel Cabrera Home Run Derby Contest /999
11. 2008 Topps Gary Sheffield Home Run Derby Contest /999

If you happen to have any of those just lying around, know that there is a warm binder page waiting for them over here!

Mail Day!

This post comes a few days removed from when the cards actually came, but they deserve to be recognized nonetheless.

The first pair of cards comes from Baseball Dad. In exchange for a Roberto Clemente "Legends of the Game" card that went unclaimed in the Topps "Black" Group Break, he sent me two beauties to help me get close to polishing off the team set.

2009 Topps Walmart "Black" #76 Marcus Thames

2009 Topps Walmart "Black" #176 Hamilton/Morneau/Cabrera

That leaves me with only 2 to go (Verlander & Cabrera/Quentin/Rodriguez)! Thank you so much!

The second package that came contained the first Upper Deck addition to my Granderson collection this year.

2009 Upper Deck #GJ-GR Curtis Granderson

I must say, this relic card, although not particularly well designed (what's with the fake "CG" swatch?) is a pretty nice looking card, and it looks like the more advanced UD cards (Dual, Triple & Quad Jerseys) are even nicer. As it is, this is the type of clean, crisp card that you can expect from a regular issue like Upper Deck.

I would also like to thank Marie from A Cardboard Problem for sending me her old Detroit Tigers as part of her '80's card liquidation. As expected, I had that vast majority of the cards, but she helped me fill a few holes off my wantlist. Thanks Marie!

So that's it, a short but sweet Mailday--thank you for everyone for the trades. Oh, and if you want to trade, just take a look at what I have and/or what I want, and send me an email to get things rolling!

Mail Day!

I got a package the other day from Marie at A Cardboard Problem that serves as the back end of a trade we started some time ago. I sent her a handful of Yankee Stadium Legacy cards in exchange for "future considerations" for Granderson cards or other Tigers. I must say that I was quite pleased when this is what came in return:

These are my first Topps Heritage cards of 2009. Man these cards are nice--as I have said before, I don't actively collect Topps Heritage, but every card that I've gotten has been temptation to start. So, I have been accepting more and more trades that can bolster my Heritage stash, much to the benefit of my collection. I've even started including them in my Wantlist. Featured here are new Tiger Edwin Jackson in a ridiculously photoshopped card (look at the size of the "D" on his hat!), Carlos Guillen, who as I write this, just hit a home run for Venezuela in the WBC, and the super-friendly Marcus Thames (the only Tiger autograph I got at the one spring training game I made it to a few years ago), which is printed on a darker cardboard than the others and may be an Short Print in the set.

Thank you Marie for the excellent cards, and I look forward to trading with you again soon!

For the rest of you traders, especially those of you that have blogs, or some other means of public credibility, I am more than happy to trade "for cards to be named later." Take a look at my tradelist and when you pull Tigers off my wantlist or any Granderson cards send them my way in exchange.

Topps "Black" Leftovers for Trade

Well, I think the group break was a success. I'm packing everybody's cards up today with the plan of getting them shipped on Saturday. I may contact you for your address if I don't have it, otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the cards when they come in.

For the rest of you, since not all teams were claimed, there are some extra cards to go around. Just like the break (and out of fairness to the breakees), you can feel free to purchase any one team's cards for $6, which includes all shipping etc. I am also open to trading any or all of these cards for cards that I need--especially those from this year's sets.

Available cards can be found on my tradelist.

Teams with the most available cards include: a full Reds team set (I think--8 cards, one of which is a double Jay Bruce), 10 of the 12 Braves cards plus a double, 8 of the 10 A's plus a double, 8 of 11 Blue Jays and many, many more. Available Stars include Tim Lincecum, Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels and Ichiro, among others.

Also among the available cards are a smattering of inserts, including Toppstown, Turkey Red (8, 13, 23, 38), and Legends of the Game (N. Ryan, R. Clemente) cards. Please see my Tradelist for full availability.

As for what I need in return, I will refer you to my Wantlist.

Briefly, my primary wants from 2009 Topps include:
Topps "Black" cards of Thames, Verlander, and Both League Leaders cards w/ Miguel Cabrera: (76, 85, 127, 176)
Ty Cobb SP (#66)
Jeremy Bonderman Relic (CBR-JB)
Ty Cobb Legends of the Game (and ANY Parallels or Retail Exclusives)
Curtis Granderson Turkey Red
Miguel Cabrera Turkey REd
Miguel Cabrera Toppstown Gold

I also need ALL 2009 Curtis Granderson cards, except the "Career Best" Auto and Relic in 2009 Topps.

So that it's all at your fingertips, here is my Tradelist my Tigers Wantlist and my Granderson Needlist

Oh, and don't forget to email me to trade.

What I Did

By now you're probably familiar with the question that I posed the other day. I want to thank all of the responses that you guys left and I grappled with many of the same issues. The majority suggested that I keep the cards that I worked hard to find. Only Dayf seemed willing to part with cards from his collection to acquire other cards from his collection, and only if they were extremely difficult to find. Without further ado, here is the situation, revealed in its entirety:

I traded.

The sets that I was working to complete were 2005 Topps and 2008 Topps. When I say "sets" there is an implicit "of Tigers" tacked on. When I say "complete" I mean that I'm trying to collect every Topps Detroit Tiger card out there, base, inserts, GU, Auto, Retail-inserts, special issues etc. I consider parallels (like Gold cards) to be sets in and of themselves, and while I do collect them, don't consider them part of a complete set.

First, the 2008 Cards that I had worked so hard to acquire:

2008 Topps Clete Thomas RV26 (Kmart) and 18 of 20 (Factory Set)

You may remember one or more of these cards as some of the "Impossible Cards" from 2008 Topps. Because very very few people buy cards at Kmart anymore, and because Series II cards at Kmart seemed to be particularly hard to find, the Clete Thomas Gold Rookie (RV26) is the real find of the bunch. The other card, being only available in a Factory Set was less difficult to find, only because I was on the lookout after being tipped off by Jaybee. However, after the initial release of those factory sets, the bonus singles disappear quickly.

The offer was to trade these two cards for a five card subset from 2005 Topps. Since I got back into collecting, I have never once seen the cards online, either in photos or for sale. It wasn't until earlier this year that some folks on the Detroit Sports Collectors forum posted some shots and information about them. In fact, that was where this trade originated. The cards are designed to look just like 2005 Topps cards, but include an All Star Fanfest logo from the 2005 All Star Game (in Detroit), are serial numbered to 1000 and were only available with a purchase of a complete factory set at the fanfest. Here they are in all their glory:

2005 Topps Detroit Tigers All Star Fanfest Commemorative Set

Here is a closeup of the set's best card (Arguably. That Gibson card is pretty awesome too).

2005 ToppsAl Kaline All Star Fanfest Commemorative Set

I was apprehensive to make the trade, to say the least, but I created a worst case scenario to help. I may give away 2 cards that I will never see again, but I will get 5 cards that I will never see again. I need all 7 cards to complete my set(s) so 5 puts me in better shape over the long term. I also rationalized the trade by thinking that, since it was still 2008, I would have a better chance of coming across the Clete Thomas cards again that I would of randomly crossing the Fanfest set. I was correct, in part. Through some sleuthing, I found a replacement to the Factory Set card before accepting the trade, which sealed the deal for me. I thought that I would find the Kmart Gold in no time at all.

Boy was I wrong. Weeks and months passed and there wasn't a hint of finding this card. I started to get a little Trader's remorse, thinking that perhaps this card was harder to find than I had suspected. To date, it still hasn't shown up on eBay. Fortunately, due to frantic google searching, I was able to find and purchase the card just last week. It arrived the other day and has now graced this post with its presence. So ends the saga of this trade.

What do you think, did I make the right trade? Now that you know all the facts, would you have traded or held?

What Would You Do?

I would like to present all of you with a trade scenario, and am very interested to see how you would act. I think that many of you will be able to relate.

The scenario:

You have a collection of a particular brand/team/player that spans across multiple years. After much trail, eBay searching and trading you have able to acquire two particularly hard to find cards from your current year's collection. One card was only available as a hard to find retail insert, the other was only available as part of a complete factory set. No sooner have you elegantly displayed them in your binder when an interesting trade proposal crosses your desk:

In exchange for the two cards that it took you months to track down you are offered five cards from a set that you're trying to complete from a few years before. The background on these cards is that you need them to complete your set and have never seen them online or in stores.

So here is the question:
Do you trade two cards that it took you months to track down this year for five cards that you need from a previous year's set? Those older cards won't complete your set from that year, just help fill in the holes. Meanwhile, your cards from the current year are among the final pieces of the puzzle. Do you make the trade? To you risk giving up two cards that cost you blood, sweat, time and money to get in the first place? Do you risk giving up on a subset of cards that you may never see again?

I'm curious to see what you have to say in the comments or if you've ever been faced with a situation like this. I'll reveal what I did in a subsequent post.

Weekend Trade Catch-Up (Part 3 of 3)

In the spirit of my trade partner on this one, here is a late-night post for you all to enjoy. I hope that those of you that watched enjoyed the Oscars and are now ready for a baseball-related break. Greg (not that Greg) of Night Owl Cards hit the nail exactly on the head when it came to this trade. A few weeks ago I sent him a bunch of old 1991 Topps from my collection as a youngster to help him finish his set. To return the favor, Greg set a package that was LOADED with cards to help me with some of mine.

First, a handful of stunning 2006 Upper Deck cards. I think that this set was absolutely killer and a nice visual departure from other foil laden sets. Yeah, there's foil, but that big, bold last name that sits there without obscuring the picture is just really nice. I'm a big fan of this set. And why wouldn't I be?
Up next, a few recent Topps Heritage cards to help me get my fledgling collection off the ground. I'm not actively pursuing these cards, but I've added them to my wantlist in the hopes that some people will discard their unloved Tigers in my direction. I would not be surprised if I start going after these as soon as this year. At the very least, this is a good start:
Onto the money cards. First up, a 1957 Topps Detroit Tigers team card. It is out of focus. It's corners are round. It is incredible. Thank you so much--I love these old cards and this one has found a very, very good home.

A couple of 1973s follow and are accompanied by a Mickey Lolich card befitting of a true Tiger Collector--somebody who showed off his card to friends, took it with him to school and even tried to get it autographed on more than one occasion. It too has found a good home, creases, bends and all.
One of my favorite cards of all time, which I KNEW that I had in my collection but when I started back up a few years ago couldn't find, is this Travis Fryman card:
As you may know, Travis Fryman is one of my all time favorites and this card is a big reason why. I loved these Upper Deck checklist cards with the player paintings, and as a kid Fryman with a freaking Tiger just couldn't be beat. Love It.

Finally, how could I get a card of Sweet Lou and not post it?

Thank you to the Night Owl for this outstanding trade. I will keep my eyes trained on your wantlist in the future to try and take advantage of your uncanny ability to pull Tigers.

Thank you to all of my recent trade partners--your generosity has gone above and beyond what I ever could have expected. If you're interested in trading with me, just shoot me an email and we'll work something out. Goodnight everyone, and remember-today your team is in First Place.

Weekend Trade Catch-up (Part 2 of 3)

The second package that I received came all the way from the UK, courtesy of John the creator of the Pursuit of 80's(ness) blog. John, out of the goodness of his heart, reached out to me with an offer. He'd send me a bunch of Tigers cards and I would trade him whatever I thought was fair in return. One HUGE package later, and I've got my work cut out for me.

As you may know, I was absent from the card world from roughly 1995-2005 and had no clue what sort of cards were made in that time. John's package certainly helped me get a better sense. While he sent far too many cards for me to list and post, I will gladly show off some of the highlights.

First, a trio of cards of the Big Daddy, Cecil Fielder:

I always liked Cecil Fielder and am glad he was able to pick up that series ring after he left the Tigers. I also still feel as though he was screwed out of the World Series MVP by John Wettland. Do any Yankees (or other) fans have thoughts on this?

Next up, a Diamond Kings beauty of Tony Phillips. Now, I'm not as enamoured with Diamond Kings as some, mostly because there weren't many good Tigers around when these cards were being made (there were a few, but not a ton), but I must say that this card of Tony Phillips, a fan favorite during his stay with the Tigers, is a keeper.


Now, I had not heard of Upper Deck Ovation before opening this package, and seeing Tony Clark and Dean Palmer on these cards lets me know that they were from the Tigers' lost decade, but man these cards are awesome. The combination of thick card stock, raised laces and baseball-like texture is just really, really cool. A photograph won't do it justice, so I recommend going to your local card shop and asking if you can touch an old Ovation base card. I guarantee that you won't get any weird looks or snide comments, just a knowing nod from a fellow collector that recognizes the inherent greatness of these cards. He'll pull a well worn Ovation from a box under the counter, worn thin from thousands of touches over the years and you'll remember what it was like to feel a card that has been untainted by the mylar and hard plastic that has encased our card worlds.

While I took a few more shots, one of a nice looking Upper Deck Al Kaline Cooperstown Collection card and another of a Kyle Sleeth First Year cards from Topps' Cracker Jack set, there is really only one more card worth posting. It features the single nicest photograph from any set of 2008 and is one of the more stunning and memorable card pictures that I've ever seen. The only drawback is the damn verizon ad covering the Whale Building. This brings back longing memories for watching baseball in Detroit, something that I get the chance to do maybe once a year, if I'm lucky. It is also reminiscent of the view that I used to get at Camden Yards, before they built that God-Forsaken Hilton hotel beyond left field that blocked the skyline and ruined the view. Geez, don't people think about aesthetics anymore? Anyway, decide for yourself, but I'm guessing that you'd be hard pressed to find a nicer shot than this.

Weekend Trade Catch-Up (1 of 3)

I've had a number of trades come in over the last few weeks, but with life intervening, a backup computer for the weekend and the general size of these trades, it has taken me a while to give them the respect that they deserve. So, instead of putting them into one long post, I'm splitting them into three. That way, if I can't get all of the pictures taken and uploaded I won't feel bad.

The first trade comes from Greg of Lake Effect Baseball Cards (Sorry I missed the link when this originally posted). Greg shot me an email asking for some choice items off of my tradelist, which I was more than happy to provide. In exchange, Greg offered a handful of top-notch cards that either filled some holes in my collection, added to its general awesomeness, or both.

I'll cut to the chase and show you the money piece first.
This is a Granderson blog after all folks, and this here card takes care of the "Career Best" cards that Granderson has in 2009 Topps Series 1.

Additionally, some fine looking parallels were included in the trade.
This Gold Edgar Renteria from 2008 Topps is a great addition for me. I think that over the last few years (when the Topps cards have had big borders), these Gold cards have looked exceptional. This card is no exception. The only downside is that its a poorly photoshopped version of a player that had an underwhelming season, after costing the Tigers two players with the Best Names ever.

In a case of "when it rains, it pours", I went from having no "Black" parallels to having two in just a few weeks. The first came from Jaybee and now Greg sends another one over.

Like the Gold, a feast for the eyes (except not in this case where it seems my picture is blurry but my backup computer is too slow to make it worth re-taking and re-uploading. Don't stare too hard, folks)

Finally, a 2009 Miguel Cabrera Toppstown card and an Ivan Rodriguez Upper Deck insert round out the envelope. Thank you to Greg for the wonderful trade, and I'll keep my eye out for those Geovany Soto and Alex Gordon cards that you're looking for!

Mail Day(s)!

In case you haven't noticed, posting has been rather scarce this week, and it has been killing me. You see, my wife and I are in the process of shopping for our first home, and it is an altogether exhilarating and exhausting experience that saps up most non-work hours. Anyway, over the course of the week, I got a few great packages from fellow bloggers that I thought I'd recognize.

The first comes from the very generous Mark over at Mark's Ephemera. He sent me, out of the blue, a few 1980 Topps Tigers that I needed to help fill out my collection.

From Grand Cards

A lot of good stuff here, including a prospect card of "The Reverend" Al Green, and to-be 80's mainstays Tom Brookens and Milt Wilcox. The team card, with a teeny-tiny little picture of Sparky Anderson's head is a good cap-off. Mark has an excellent blog that does a good job of showcasing some off-beat and vintage items that don't get covered much elsewhere. On top of that, you can't beat a blogger who will send you cards out of the blue and ask for nothing in return but to continue writing blog posts that he enjoys. Given the recent situation, I guess I kind of balked on my end of the deal. Sorry Mark! Anyway, thanks to Mark for the great cards, I am slowly but surely filling my 1980-present team sets. Once I'm done, I'll have to hop onto the "vintage" train.

A second package came from Jaybee, who writes what I believe to be the single most informative Topps blog out there. He has helped me discover countless cards that I didn't even know existed, and has inadvertently led me on multiple wild goose chases to find cards that I'm convinced are one in a billion (ahem, 2008 Topps TB1 Miguel Cabrera...SHOW YOURSELF!). Anyway, I was able to help Jaybee out with some "hard to gets" of my own, and he certainly repaid the favor. To start, he send a few Tigers from Topps "Hot Button Baseball". Apparently, these cards hate getting their picture taken because they came out blurry every time I tried. I have embedded the picture as a smaller size for the sake of your eyes:

From Grand Cards

These cards crack me up. Clearly, they are from a game that was out just before I got back into collecting. I'm going to assume we've got a 2005 edition here--Pudge's first and Troy Percival's only year on the team. What kills me about these cards are the labels assigned to each player. Troy Percival has "High Heat" and was sidelined with a season-ending arm injury after a few short weeks. Pudge Rodriguez is "look for a walk" although in 2005 he took 11 walks. ELEVEN the entire season. Wow. "Power Surge"ons Eric Munson (future back-up catcher for the Astros) and Carlos Pena had the ability to live up to their names but really didn't in Detroit. I will say that Pena, when he got hot, seemed like he could hit every single ball out of the park, and do so with authority. He would go on hot streaks, the likes of which I have never seen, during which time he was incredible. However, he was the ultimate Hot and Cold player in Detroit. I'm glad he found his way in Tampa Bay, I always did like him.

Jaybee also made a nice Dent in my 2008 Tigers needs, filling a few key holes:

From Grand Cards

A few 1998 Topps Opening Day cards fill my set needs even more:

From Grand Cards

I like the Opening Day cards with a stamp, logo or different color scheme on them. I often got these cards at Opening Day, which made me feel like they were special. I didn't realize that they were an actual set of cards that you could buy cheap, which was rather disappointing. I still think that these cards would work well as a parallel to the regular Topps set, replacing the "first day issues" and the like, but what do I know.

A smattering of 2007 Topps, including a Granderson Generation Now and Co-Signers card were also included, as was an old Mike Henneman Stadium Club card and a Sticker of the old Tigers logo.

From Grand Cards

I love that logo. Love it. In fact, I spent two years (2005-2006) trying to find a shirt with that logo on it. I finally found one at a shop close to Comerica Park while heading to game 3 of the 2006 ALDS with some friends. I stopped in the shop and said, "I've been looking for this shirt for years, and now that the Tigers are finally good they have one I can get." Well, a few crotchety old fans in the store misheard me, thinking that I said "Now that they're good I can get a shirt" and started ripping into me for being a fair-weather fan and only caring about the team now that they're good etc. I stayed above the fray and ignored them, but couldn't help but notice the mass quantities of new stuff they were buying, while I wore my 1997-era Jersey and a worn-out Cap.

Jaybee closed the package with two GEMS.

From Grand Cards

From Grand Cards

I am a big fan of Allen & Ginter, and to have a A&G Justin Verlander MINI rookie card is quite the catch. I love that they make little mini top-loaders for them too. So cool. This is a great card, and may inspire me to try to pursue a mini- mini collection (read that right and it makes sense) of Tigers. Great card.

The other masterpiece is the Black Dmitri Young card from 2006 Topps. This is the first "Black" parallel card that I've ever gotten, and I must say, they are quite nice. The sparkly black border really gives the card a mystique that the regular cards just don't have. As they are low numbered (this one to 55), pulling together a team set would be a daunting (and expensive) task that I'm not willing to take on, so I'll just have to figure out a way to make sure that this beauty of "Da Meat Hook" is showcased appropriately. Thank you so much to Jaybee for these cards, they are a combination of fun, much-needed and welcome additions to my collection.

Last but not least, Steve at The Easy Life, and I started working on a trade a few weeks ago. When it was all hashed out I ended up with this:

From Grand Cards

From Grand Cards

From Grand Cards

Hmm. You may recognize that last card as the subject of a rather lengthy post I wrote a few weeks back. Indeed, that "impossible card" has now found a safe home in my collection, and without my needing to harm countless Target blasters in the process. A few Topps cards plug a couple more holes and a Thames chrome and Magglio Black Back SP will be held in reserve if I ever attempt to start collection Topps Heritage (an inevitability, I'm sure). Steve runs a great blog over at the easy life that is well worth a read. He also just pulled a Gold Matt Joyce card from his first 2009 Jumbo Pack, so we might have some more trades to work on in the future.

Thank you to Mark, JayBee and Steve for the Grand Cards. If you haven't gotten them already (I was a bit of a late shipper due to the reasons noted in line 1) your cards are on their way. Enjoy!

Trading Philosophy

So it turns out that all this “blog” stuff can be useful for trading cards with other people. Who knew? In the interest of making life easier for prospective traders, I thought that I would post my Trading Philosophy and keep it available for easy reference.

I collect Detroit Tigers. I collect Curtis Granderson. If you have cards that fall into these categories, I will likely be interested. On occasion, I may also collect other cards. For example, Rookie Cards of Hall of Famers, 2007 and 2008 UD Masterpieces have also fallen under my collecting radar.

My philosophy is simple: I am willing to trade anything for cards that I need for my collections. I don’t care about the value of the cards. That said, I’m not going to make trades that are patently unfair, but I’m certainly not going to be splitting hairs.

My primary collections are this:

Topps Detroit Tigers—Base, Inserts, GU, Auto etc.
Curtis Granderson—All Brands/Cards

Secondary collections may include:
Upper Deck Detroit Tigers—Base Only
Hall of Fame RCs
Detroit Tigers in Topps Chrome, Heritage, Goudey, A&G, All Time Fan Favorites, Topps Retired
Zach Putnam—All Brands/Cards

Tertiary collections may include: Other Tigers Cards, other interesting cards

All of my Detroit Tigers wants are available (in checklist form) in the Wantlist in the sidebar. If you have a card that isn’t on the checklist, it means that I don’t know of its existence and likely need it. The wantlist is a spreadsheet. There are tabs on the bottom for different categories, and little arrows to make the tabs scroll. My Granderson wants are part of my Ultimate Checklist series, which is ongoing. If in doubt, ALL of my Granderson cards (except '08 M&M) can be seen in my Curtis Granderson Collection (also in the sidebar).

My tradelist is also in the sidebar. Every single card that I’ve acquired since 2007 is in that spreadsheet. Tabs across the bottom also help categorize things. Cards may be cross referenced into different categories. You can also organize these cards, the way you would a spreadsheet, by player, team, brand, card number etc. I constantly upgrade my Wantlist and my Tradelist to reflect the most accurate information available.

If you are interested in trading with me, just send me an email.

That’s it…Happy Trading!