Recent eBay Acquistions: Mariners and Prospects.

I won this handful of cards on eBay over the last month or so. After a couple of shaky starts Brad Hand has begun to pitch at a high level again and I have big expectations for the 20-year-old left hander. Michael Saunders is finally getting a shot at playing everyday for the Mariners and is showing an exciting blend of power and speed. The Ken Griffey Jr. is just plain beautiful. Here's the stuff you've been waiting so patiently for:

2008 BDPP Brad Hand X-Fractor Auto #222/225

2008 Donruss Elite Brad Hand Aspirations Auto #32/50

2009 BDPP Michael Saunders Blue Refractor #47/99

2007 Bowman's Best Michael Saunders Blue Parallel #22/99

2009 Bowman Sterling Michael Saunders Gold Refractor #33/50

2009 Bowman Chrome Ken Griffey Jr. Blue Refractor #30/150

My First Check Out My Cards Purchase

Alright, judging by the response to my last post nobody here cares about football cards, so I'll go back to something that everyone loves: purchases from Check out My Cards! I was really impressed with the selection of the site as well as the prices, and was happy to nab some Griffeys, Felixs and other Mariners for a song. The shipping charges seem to be a little high, but in most cases it is still a better deal than buying this cards separately on eBay. Here's the goods:

2007 Finest Ken Griffey Jr. Refractor: I think I've run out of adjectives to describe how much I love refractors, especially of Junior, so I'll let you insert your own for this beauty.

2001 Topps Stars Stan Musial: Stan the Man is one of my favorite "old-time" players and 2001 Topps Stars is a guilty pleasure set of mine so this card was a match made in heaven. Not surprisingly, the back of the card gave Musial five stars for hitting ability.

2009 Bowman Draft Picks Michael Saunders Blue #/399: Although "the Condor" is currently toiling away in Triple-A I think he is still a big part of the Mariners future, and will probably get a call-up sooner rather than later with the way the M's offense is performing. The Bowman blue parallels look nice when paired with the Seattle unis.

2008 Bowman Chrome Felix Hernandez Refractor: A refractor for 50 cents? Only a crazy person could say no, and I am no crazy person (debateable). I couldn't be more excited to have this guy around for five more years.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Doc Holliday SP: This might be the most plain but important card from the whole purchase. With this Doc Holliday short print I have finally completed the 2009 Allen & Ginter set that I started so long ago. It's a good feeling.

Overdue Trades From Around the Blogosphere

Here's a bunch of cards in a row!

This first card is not actually from a trade, but rather a group break sponsored by Thorzul. I picked up the Reds and Dodgers and was happy to walk away with this gem:

2008 UD Heroes Aaron Harang Auto Jersey #1/50: I've always appreciated the Harangatang toiling away in obscurity for the Reds, and he has been an important part of a couple of fantasy teams. A very nice card and a true eBay one-of-one!

The next card comes from Ed at Roll out the Barrel. It was my first trade with him, but certainly not the last:

2008 UD Heroes Ken Griffey Jr. Purple Parallel #12/25: Ooooooh pretty. I love all the different parallels in UD Heroes and I am setting out to complete a Griffey rainbow. This was one of the hardest cards to get from the set with only 25 copies, so I really appreciate that Ed was willing to part with this gorgeous Griffeey.

Next, we have some cards from Mr. Scott. We worked out a trade a while back and the cards he originally had planned to send me got lost in the mail. Being the generous fellow he is, Mr. Scott found some new (and improved!) cards as part of our swap:

2007 Fleer Ultra Ken Griffey Jr. Jersey: I'm always happy to add a Junior relic to my collection, no matter whether it's with the Mariners or Reds. It's a simple card, but nice, and the pinstripe always adds a little something extra.

2010 Topps Peak Performers Josh Johnson Auto: Believe it or not, I own more autographs now of Josh Johnson than any other player. That's fine though, as I am high on the Marlins young ace even after his slow start to the 2010 season.

And last but not least are some cards from one of the baseball blogosphere's elder statesmen and wordsmith extraordinaire, Night Owl. We've worked out quite a few trades and he always send some great cards my way. Here's the latest batch:

2009 O-Pee-Chee Midsummer Memories Ken Griffey Jr: This card probably takes the cake for worst photograph of Junior ever. Not only is he partially obscured by the HR Derby Trophy (yeah, he's the man) but there's also that guy dressed like a late-90's square creeping in the background. This one probably won't back the front page of my Griffey binder, but still a new addition and a welcome one at that.

2010 Topps Opening Day Attax Felix Hernandez: These cards aren't half bad looking as the foil reflects quite nicely in person. That being said, I have little desire to ever buy a pack of Topps Attax.

1991 Ken Griffey Jr. Playing Card: I believe it was GSNHOF that sent me a Griffey playing card that featured the Kid as a "4". I was outraged that Junior was assigned a number that was clearly not indicative of his talent level. I can sleep easier now that Griffey has regained his rightful place as an "ace" of the ballpark.

Thanks to everyone who sent me cards! I hope it will never take so long to post them again. Have a great week and I'll smell ya later.

Card of the Week: 2006 Sweet Spot Update Ken Griffey Jr. World Baseball Classic Quad Jersey

Though not as difficult to track down as game-used hat or shoe pieces, Griffey WBC jerseys rarely show up on the secondary market and I was thrilled to pick this card up for less than $10 with shipping. In theory I also need to pick up a WBC jersey patch, but good luck finding one of those for less than an arm and a leg (last one sold for $130). Junior was terrific at the plate for the US in 2006's World Baseball Classic, hitting .524 with 3 HR's and 10 RBI's, and was named to the All-WBC Team.

Yet another Griffey to check off my list, still in hot pursuit of a game-used shoe and game-used fielding glove swatch. Let me know if you find one, I've got a handsome bounty attached to 'em. Have a great weekend!

A Bountiful Trade with Field of Cards

I've seen Gary from Field of Cards fame open a number of boxes on his blog and reasoned, ipso facto, that he must have a bunch of sweet cards of my favorites players and the Mariners. Sure enough, he sent me some great M's and Griffeys in return for some Orioles. I was really overwhelmed by wait he sent my way and felt bad I didn't have more cards to trade him, but as karma would have it Gary just won the 2010 Topps Givewaway Contest, so his generosity was rewarded. Here are my favorites from the swap:

2004 Donruss Elite Ichiro Career Best #373/1000: A great looking card of the masterful Ichiro, the serial number for this card is only one off from his .372 average in 2004, making this a true eBay one of two (alongside 374).

2003 Donruss Diamond Kings Ken Griffey Jr: Not all painted cards of Griffey have turned out great but this one certainly captures the essence of Junior. If National Chicle looked a little more like this there might not be such an uproar over the set.

2001 SP Game-Used Bat Edgar Martinez Bound for the Hall: Hopefully this card didn't jinx Edgar as he only received about half of the votes necessary for induction in his first try on the HOF ballot. First Edgar bat card though, so it's more than welcome.

2006 UD Future Stars Josh Johnson RC Auto: A cool looking rookie autograph of one of my favorite players, Josh Johnson was the stud of my fantasy teams staff last season. I was hoping he might wind up with the Mariners, but I was happy he re-signed with the Marlins instead of heading to the Yankees or Sox (for now at least). The portait of Johnson on this card is see-through, using what leading baseball card scientists call "acetate technology".

Thanks for the great cards Gary! I will get your contest winnings in the mail soon.

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.

Trade with Sooz from "A Cardboard Problem"

Though I don't actually know Thorzul personally, it seems the blogging community has decided to annoy him by posting every trade post possible, so I will continue that trend by showing the card I recently got in a deal with Sooz. She had busted a box of 2008 UD Masterpieces and was lucky enough to pull a Ken Griffey Jr. Green Framed Parallel #18/75. Wanting to obtain every Junior ever made (completely unrealistic goal) I sent some Yankees her way and she was kind enough to send Griffey out to the left coast. Thanks again Sooz! It is a great looking card and will be well taken care of. More trade posts to come soon!

Card of the Week: 2000 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Game-Used Baseball (Prime-Time Piece!)

This absolutely stunning card came my way via eBay, and considering Junior's following and the quality of the card, was reasonably priced in my opinion (a fortnight's dollars plus two shillings). Yet another piece of game-used memorabilia in my never ending quest to accumulate everything Griffey, this card features a sweet swatch of rawhide that prominently showcases the MLB logo. Though it's difficult to connect a piece of game-used baseball directly to a player, I'd like to imagine Griffey using this particular ball to gun down a runner trying to score from third on a flyball. Regardless of the story behind the ball, it's one more step towards completing my National Griff-ography (still waiting on that M's patch) and a card that I plan on enjoying for quite some time.

On a completed unrelated note I saw Avatar tonight, and Native American allegories aside, enjoyed the movie. It certainly has some shortcomings but the visual effects are quite spectacular and the action sequences are a sight to behold. I wouldn't consider it a "must see", but then again I don't consider anything but The Natural a "must see". Make sure to catch it while it's in theaters (which will likely be until June). Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

Card of the Week: 2001 Stadium Club Ken Griffey Jr. Play at the Plate Batter's Box Dirt Relic

One of the most unique Ken Griffey Jr. items in my collection, this card was found exclusively in Home Team Advantage (HTA) packs of 2001 Stadium Club. Available as redemptions only it is unclear how many of these exist of each player, but they are extremely difficult to track down.

The "Play at the Plate" relics contain authentic game-used batter's box dirt, although the back of the card doesn't identify where the dirt was used so it could be from a local high school field. Regardless, if a card has Griffey on it I will try and track it down, and this is another step towards owning every piece of Junior memorabilia available (still need: game-worn hat, game-used fielding glove and Mariners patch). A very cool card, and a concept that was never used again (except for Topps American Pie which produced "mud cards" from Woodstock), perhaps blogger Brian of Play at the Plate fame will start to hunt these down. There were also "King of the Hill" inserts from this set that featured authentic dirt from the pitcher's mound, which are even harder to find. What do you think of these cards?

Trade with Ryan's Memorabilia (Griffey's Galore!)

A few weeks ago Mike from Ryan's Memorabilia contacted me about a trade. We both have one player and team that we actively pursue (I collect Griffey and Mariners, he collects Ripken and Orioles), so we figured a swap of Ripkens for Griffeys was perfect for both parties. I browsed through is Zistle Ripken Collection (550+ cards) and sent him some Ripkens he didn't have along with some various Orioles. He responded with a very generous package of Mariners and Juniors, the highlights of which can be seen below:

1996 Leaf Limited Lumberjacks Ken Griffey Jr. #3337/5000: A great mid-90's insert of the greatest player of the decade, this card is made out of what feels like wood and is serially numbered to only 5000 copies (which for the time, was quite scarce). Leaf was really cutting edge in some of the inserts they released and this card is no different; it's awesome.

2001 Fleer Focus Bat Company Ken Griffey Jr: The back of this card accurately describes Griffey's bat as "a lightning bolt, striking fear in every pitcher who takes the mound." Truer words have never been spoken, the Kid was the cat's pajamas. This card has a raised surface that adds some depth to Griffey and the big bat behind him.

1998 Skybox Dugout Access Gronks Ken Griffey Jr: My favorite card from the entire trade, this die-cut Griffey is from an insert set named "Gronks", a name which apparently came from Greg Gagne who described home run hitters as "Gronks". If you say so Greg, if you say so. Mike even included a screwdown holder for this card, which I haven't been able to crack open yet. Got to find a smaller screwdriver.

2007 Ultimate Collection Felix Hernandez Jersey: A classy looking relic card of one of the game's rising stars, this is my first King Felix jersey swatch. I sure hope the M's are able to hold onto him once his contract runs out, he is going to be a historically great player.

1998 Topps Finest Randy Johnson Refractor: This card takes the concept of a refractor to the next level, as both the front and back of the card are as shiny as Lil' John's teeth. Admittely the shininess makes the back of the card difficult to read, but it is so worth it.

2009 Topps Finest Ichiro Refractor: Tough call on which of these refractors I like better, 2009 Topps Finest is certainly a set I wouldn't mind acquiring some more of. I'm not sure how I feel about the back of this card though, it has a trivia question about Dustin Pedroia.

Thanks for all the great cards Mike! I was really blown away by what you sent my way, and I will make sure to find some more Ripkens to add to your collection soon.

Prize Package II from Play at the Plate

Another contest over at Play at the Plate and yet another great (or more accurately, lucky) guess netted me four packs of 1991 Topps Stadium Club plus some randoms of my favorite players and teams from Brian. The packs were a ton of fun to bust, vintage wax is always a treat, and they really live up to their billing with some great photography (they seem like prime candidates for TTM's). Here are my favorite cards from each pack:

Andrew Dawson: "The Hawk" on the fly between first and second.

Mark Whiten: Hard-Hittin' Mark Whiten was one of my favorite M's during his short stay in Seattle. I remember he hit a ball so hard it got stuck in an outfield wall. He also had four HR's and 12 RBI's in one game. That's a season for most Pirates players.

Cal Ripken Jr: The best player to pull in Series II packs, this was definitely a case hit (for 1991 at least). Love the old Baltimore orange, sure would make great jersey cards.

Sam Horn: Don't know much about him, but his sons sure do seem to be causing a ruckus these days.

As mentioned, Brian isn't content with just being generous. He's like Mother Teresa; he gives until it hurts. Here are my favorite Mariners that he also included in the prize pack:

2002 UD Originals Kaz Sazaki Jersey: Kaz and his splitter had a great run as Seattle's closer, finally bringing some stability to a Mariners' bullpen that always seemed to be in chaos. The front of this card features his 2000 UD Rookie Card whereas the backs of the 1991 Stadium Club featured the respective players rookie cards.

2001 SP Game Bat Ken Griffey Jr Trophy Room: A cool insert from a product I never busted, the sight of Griffey in Mariners' blue never fails to bring a smile to my face. And he's back for 2010! Hazaa!

Thanks for all the great cards and another fun contest Bryan!

Prize Package from Play at the Plate

Recently, Brian from the phenomenal Play at the Plate blog held a contest for his readers to guess the total number of runs that would be scored in the World Series. As luck would have it, my guess of 59 runs was exactly right, and today's mail included the prize package promised by Brian. This is the first contest I've won since joining the blogosphere, and I couldn't wait to see what Brian had in store for me. Inside were 5 packs of 2009 baseball cards, a team set bag, and a "hot pack"...let's see what's inside!

2009 Bowman Chrome Pack 1:
1) Tae Kyun Kim World Baseball Classic
2) George Kottaras
3) Torii Hunter Refractor

2009 Bowman Chrome Pack 2:
1) Brad Harman WBC
2) Hanley Ramirez Refractor
3) ICHIRO!!!!

2009 Goodwin Champions:
1) Adrian Gonzalez
2) Ben Roethlisberger
3) Franciso Liriano mini
4) KEN GRIFFEY JR!!!

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights:
1) Wilkin Ramirez RC
2) Brayan Pena
3) Xavier Paul RC
4) Nelson Cruz All-Star
5) Freddy Sanchez All-Star
6) Carlos Pena HR Derby
7) Nolan Ryan Legends of the Game (Gold)
8) RAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLL ToppsTown
9) Randy Wells
10) Cesar Izturis
11) Sean West
12) Ryan Langerhans

2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom:
1) Jason Varitek
2) Conor Jackson
3) Ian Kinsler
4) Ryan Howard Deckle
5) Hideki Matsui
6) Javier Vazquez
7) Derek Jeter
8) Carlos Zambrano

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights "Hot Pack":
1) 1990 Leaf Jay Buhner
2) 2002 Pacific Atomic Maurice Morris RC #307/465
3) 1999 Donruss Freddy Garcia Stat Line #367/397
4) 1990 Topps Ken Griffey Jr.
5) 2002 Fleer EX John Olerud Game Used Bat!!

Brian also included a team set bag that included some sweet Griffey's, Olerud's and Edgar's, as well as a Carlos Guillen RC (#524/2000), a few Titans and Packers..and best of all, a 2008 Topps Roy Halladay Game Used Jersey! Wow, I was blown away by everything I got from Brian. His generosity is almost unmatched in the blogosphere and he is a great trade partner.

Thanks again Brian, you've made my day yet again!!

Card of the Week: 2001 Fleer Futures Ken Griffey Jr. Bases Loaded Game Used Base

With today's thrilling news that Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to Seattle for at least one more season, how could the card of the week not feature Junior? As a Mariners' fan I am ecstatic to have another go-round with the Kid, and equally excited that 2010 baseball card sets will have Griffey in them (earth to Allen & Ginter). I'm not sure how well he will perform in the field, but his presence in the clubhouse can't be overlooked, and he deserves to be with the M's as long as he wants to (he's like Bobby Bowden, except he doesn't seem like Bengay and Poligrip). Hopefully Seattle will surround him with some talent for one last shot at a World Series.

As for the card, this comes from 2001 Fleer Futures and features a piece of a base that was used in a game in which Griffey played (we think). I really like the design on this card, and that it's not just a smooth white piece of the base. Game-used base cards came and went in a hurry, and were mainly used by companies who couldn't gain access to jerseys or bats of players like Griffey, Jeter and Ichiro, due to their exclusive contracts with other manufacturers. This card brings me one step closer to collecting all the different types of Griffey memorabilia cards available, though I am still on the lookout for a piece of game-used fielding glove and hat. A great day for Mariners' fans, the Kids is back in town!

Baseball Card Bonanza: Trades with Brian (Play at the Plate), Collective Troll and Wicked Ortega

Wow! Just got a bunch of trades in the mail and they couldn't come at a better time; it's wet and miserable here with about two inches of snow on the ground. Nothing better to cheer me up than some well-timed baseball cards from Brian, Troll and Wicked Ortega. Let's go to the cards!

First, the cards from Brian (Play at the Plate). I sent some Rangers Brian's way and he was very generous with what he sent me, including a bunch of new Griffey's:

2000 Fleer Focus Pocus Ken Griffey Jr: I had actually been lusting (in a healthy manner) after this card for a while so I was thrilled to get it in a trade and not have to buy it off the Bay. This is a great insert of Griffey, and the photo doesn't do justice to how shiny it really is. I miss cards like this, you can never go wrong with shiny.

1995 Classic Ken Griffey Jr. Phone Card: No Ken Griffey Jr. collection is complete without a phone card! Now I can finally catch up with Junior and not have to worry about those nasty roaming charges or dropped calls. Thanks Classic!

2001 Upper Deck Vintage Koren Robinson Rookie Jersey: I almost fell off the couch laughing when I saw this card. Koren Robinson had a short and troubled career with the Seahawks after battling alcoholism. I think he came back with the Green Bay Packers a few years ago, but I haven't heard from him lately. While alchoholism is no laughing matter, relics of draft picks busts always are (and always appreciated, thanks Brian).

Next, the cards from my first trade with the Collective Troll. He sent some great M's my way, lots of different players, years and brands. Even though Troll said he was out of Mariners, I think I will still send some more Rays his way, because he is the hardest working man in Blogbusiness. Here are some highlights from the cards:

2009 Topps Don Wakamatsu: This year's Topps set is really growing on me, as is the Mariner's first year manager, Don Wakamatsu. He guided a underwhelming M's squad to an 85-77 record, not bad after going 61-101 the year before. I love the photo, think he's calling for a cup of coffee.

1992 Classic Best Ken Griffey Jr.: This is my first card featuring Ken Griffey Jr. as a minor leaguer, even though it was released three years after his major league debut. Junior looks like he is about to sneeze in this photo.

2007 Topps Trading Places Jeff Weaver: If you look closely at the photo of Weaver in the M's uniform it looks like is giving someone the stink-eye, although almost every Mariners' fan was giving him that look by the end of his time in Seattle. It was not a pretty sight.

Last but not least, some cards from my first trade with Wicked Ortega of My Past Time...I Love It! Alfredo is a great guy to trade with, and I am sure this won't be our last deal. Here's what he sent:

2009 Upper Deck X Ken Griffey Jr. X-Ponential-5: I've got to be honest, I love these inserts in Upper Deck X. It's shiny, it's Griffey...and that's all she wrote.

2009 SP Authentic Ichiro: This is my first encounter with 2009 SP Authentic and I have to say, they are really nice base cards. Crisp photography, a nice cardstock and a metallic sheen that makes the players jump out of the picture all add up to a great set.

2009 Upper Deck X Ken Griffey Jr. X-Potential-3: Another UD X Griffey. Now if anyone has the X-1, X-2, X-4, X-6, and didn't have a home for them, you know where to send 'em.

Thanks again to Brian, Troll and Wicked Ortega for some super cards! I will have some trade packages headed your way soon!