Trades From Around the Blogosphere

There's nothing better than coming back from a long weekend and finding a bevy of baseball card packages waiting for you. Here's a couple of trades I recently completed.

First up is a card from the Benevolent Beardy of Beardy's Baseball Blog. We worked out a deal a while ago and this card was the one that really made it for me--a 2009 Topps t206 Ichiro Old Mill Framed Relic. I now own three different Ichiro framed relics and each features a different colored swatch of Mariners uniform (white, blue, grey). Thanks for the great card Beardy!

Next up are some Ken Griffey Jr's (I realize that grammatically there should not be an apostrophe there but it looks funny without one so deal with it English majors) that I received from On-Card Autos. He put out a call for team collectors to send him Cubs in return for cards of their favorite team/players. I got some good Mariners from him, but of course my favorite cards were the Griffeys:

2007 UD Elements Ken Griffey Jr: This is the first card I've ever received from Elements and it looks pretty good in person. The background reminds me a bit of the old Black Diamond sets.

1990 Donruss 'Leaf' Ken Griffey Jr. MVP: I've always said that Griffey looks great in green and this card really bears that out. Sometimes modern cards don't seem so bad after all.

1998 Topps Chrome Ken Griffey Jr: A great early set of Topps Chrome is complimented nicely by Griffey's award winning swing. Can't top shiny Juniors--just can't.

Thanks for the trades! I will never tire of receiving Ken Griffey Jr cards in the mail.

The Long and Winding Road: A Trade with Beardy

After weeks of wheeling and dealing (mainly due to the fact that I never return emails, sorry) I finally managed to pull off a trade with one of the blogosphere's most respected members, Beardy of Beardy's Baseball Blog. He showed some interest in Cal Ripken and Willy McCovey jerseys that I had posted as tradebait and after I put him through a Scott Boras-esque negotiation we were able to strike a deal. He sent me the following Mariners plus a card to be named later (likely an Ichiro T206 jersey):

2009 Topps Chrome Felix Hernandez Blue Refractor #47/199: I love the color-bordered refractors from this year's Topps Chrome set, and the blue variation looks phenomenal when paired with a Mariner. My Felix collection has grown by leaps and bounds since I started this blog; now I just hope he doesn't leave Seattle in the next year or two.

2003 Finest Travis Blackley RC Auto: The left-handed Blackley used to be the number three pitcher in the Mariners organization behind Felix and Clint Nageotte (who?) before shoulder issues led to his release from the team. I remember him struggling in a brief cup of coffee with Seattle, but always assumed that he would be a fixture in the organization because he had such strong numbers in the minors. Apparently he was with the Diamondbacks Triple-A club last season but is a free agent as of now. I'm always intrigued by talented prospects like Blackley who just disappear into thin air.

2009 Finest Ken Griffey Jr. Blue Refractor #338/399: If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times; there is no better way to my heart than a shiny Griffey. Love the design and refractor sheen on this card despite the fact that it lists Junior with the White Sox even though he is clearly pictured in Mariners' uni. Puzzlin' the things Topps does, but it won't ruin this great card for me.

Thanks for the cards Beardy. Hopefully the package I sent you made it safely to Maryland. I'm sure we will swap again. Good luck Ravens!