Back in the Game: A Trade with Night Owl

It had been a very long-time since I had received a trade package in the mail so I was thrilled to find one last week from the dean of baseball card blogs, Nightowl. As always, he came through with a great mix of Mariners both old and new. Here are some of my favorites:

2001 Bowman Chrome Edgar Martinez: Edgar didn't make any headway on his journey towards Cooperstown this year but I remain optimistic that one day he will receive the credit he deserves for a tremendous career. 2001 Bowman Chrome is one of my favorite Bowman designs and my little brother will be thrilled to add another great Edgar to his binder of one of the M's most beloved players of all-time.

2001 Topps Chrome Rafael Soriano: This card is another stinging reminder of how incompetent the Mariners' front office used to be (I think they're better now, but I would like to see some results on the field). Rafael Soriano was a stellar reliever for Seattle before Bill Bavasi decided to send him to Atlanta for Horacio Ramirez (slaps forehead). Long story short, Soriano has been even better since and Ramirez posted an ERA north of sevent (7!) while in Seattle. Yeah, we came out ahead on that one.


2010 Topps Attax Ken Griffey Jr.: Ken Griffey Jr. didn't attack much of anything besides the team buffet last season, but I'm always happy to add another new card of the Kid to my collection. I saw Griffey in a Nike commercial the other day and forgot for a second that he's retired. It still hurts.

2010 Topps Chrome Franklin Gutierrez X-Fractor: Franklin "Death to Flying Objects" Gutierrez was one of the lone bright spots for Seattle in 2010 and I'm hoping he takes a step forward at the plate in 2011. Speaking of bright spots, there all over this card! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Thanks for the great cards Night Owl!

Box Break: 2010 Bowman Draft (Hobby)

Got this box wicked cheap on eBay (about 1/2 price) so I didn't have very high hopes of pulling a big hit. That's good, because this year's BDPP is built to disappoint, and there were only two cards worth showing:

Leon Landry Blue Refractor #136/199: This might not be a big money hit but it is one terrific looking card (I love me some blue refractors). Leon Landry was a third round pick of the Dodgers and had a great first year in pro ball, hitting .349 with 4 HR's, 38 RBI's and 13 SB's for rookie league Ogden. It's worth holding onto, but if I decide to move it, it's headed your way Night Owl.

Ryan Bolden Refractor Auto #237/500: Well that sucks. Not only does Ryan Bolden have one ugly autograph, but he also happens to be one of the worst (if not the worst) players in the set. Yet another 1st round pick of the Angels Bolden hit a paltry .187 at rookie league Arizona with no HR's and a 14/68 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Not counting on this to make me any money.


Overall Thoughts: I can't complain about what I pulled because the box was so cheap, but that being said, this one was a real stinker. '10 BDPP is a huge gamble by the box and while it may pay off on occassion more often than not it will leave you feeling hollow inside. I should take my own advice and stick to singles...

COTW: 2010 National Chicle Whitey Ford Jersey

National Chicle was a dumpster fire for the most part (everyone remembers the Tim Wakefield "painting") but there were a few bright spots, not the least of which was this great looking relic of Yankee's all-time great Whitey Ford. I love that the jersey shows it's age and the pinstripe is a nice cherry on top. Pulling this card is nice motivation to go out and get a Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle game-used jersey...easier said than done of course. I hate the Yankees but I do love history. Thanks for looking!

Another Reason My Girlfriend is the Bee's Knees

I was walking through Target with my girlfriend the other day and she decided to accompany me to the card aisle (she's a good sport). I asked her to pick out a blaster of Bowman Platinum for me and she chose a winner. Here's what I pulled:

Andrew Maggi Green Refractor Patch Auto #95/199!

Box Break: 2010 Bowman Draft Hobby (x3)

I purchased three boxes of 2010 Bowman Draft from Blowout Cards with Christmas cash that I got from some relatives. I've had good luck in the past with this product and I was hoping it would continue with the 2010 edition. It did not. Here's the hits:

Michael Choice Blue Refractor RC #36/199: The first time through these boxes I missed this card. I have no idea how because it has a bright blue border and I carefully sort through each pack. Still, it was a nice surprise after I thought I had found all the hits from my break. It's a great looking card and Choice is a top prospect, so I'm happy with this pull.

Taylor Lindsey RC Autograph: Taylor Lindsey was one of four 1st round picks for the L.A. Angels in the 2010 draft and had a decent first year in pro ball, hitting .284 in 194 AB's for the Angels' rookie league team. His cards don't sell very well right now, but the nice thing about this product is that you often don't know whether your cards are boom or bust for another 2-3 years. It allows me to delay the disappointment for a bit...

Alex Bregman USA 16-U RC Auto: A new addition to Bowman Draft this year is the inclusion of autographs from the 16 and under squad of USA baseball players. They fall about 2-3 per case, and while I find it a bit weird to pull a card of someone who is not out of high school yet, I'll never complain about an extra hit. Bregman was one of the top players on the squad and hopefully in a few years this card will be worth it's weight in gold...which would be like $2.00.

Kellin Deglan RC Autograph: Kellin Deglan is a catcher out of Canada who was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 2010 draft. He struggled in his first year of pro ball hitting just .191 between the rookie league and Spokane (go Indians!) but at age 18, there is plenty of time for him to develop into a star.

Zack Cox RC Refractor Auto #/500: The best hit of my three boxes, Zack Cox was drafted by the Cardinals after starring for two years as a third baseman for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The auto refractors in this set look great as the signature really pops off the card. While Cox may turn into the next Ryan Braun or Ryan Zimmerman, there are some concerns about his ability to translate to the pro game, so I already sold this off while his stock is high.

Overall Thoughts: Althought I like this product, 2010 Bowman Draft is printed in much higher quantities than the 2009 and 2008 versions, and thus it is much more difficult to pull colored refractors. The expanded autograph checklist is nice, but it also makes it harder to pull autos of the top prospects like Manny Machado and Jameson Taillon. The design isn't bad, but it isn't nearly as nice as 2009 Draft (still my favorite of the last three). I might get a few more boxes if the price is yet, but unless you can afford to buy a case (can't we all?), singles is the way to go.

Thanks for looking!

First Day Issue's Collecting Goals for 2011

1) Less retail, more hobby. I don't even want to think how much I spent on blasters and value-packs in 2010. While I have some nice hits to show for it, hobby would have provided quite a bit more bang for the buck. I think I need to start avoiding Target all together.

2) Complete the 2009 Bowman Draft Michael Saunders Rainbow (need x-fractor and superfractor). The x-fractor is #/199 yet I haven't seen one on eBay in months (no luck on COMC either). I would be happy to pay a nice bounty in cards if someone can track this down for me.

3) Buy a jersey card with pinstripe of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig.

4) Track down the elusive 2000 UD Ovation Ken Griffey Jr. Game-Used Shoe Card.

5) Trade more with fellow bloggers. I know I've let you all down.

6) Send in cards I don't need/want to COMC to trade for cards I do want.

7) Pull a printing plate from a pack. This one might be difficult.

First Day Issues Top 5 Pulls of 2010

Two thousand and ten was a banner year for me in terms of card collecting with a bevy of big money hits and rare pulls. Of course I also spent a boatload of money, but in the end, I'd say I did pretty well. Judge for yourself:

#5) 2008 Bowman Draft Gordon Beckham RC Auto Refractor #/500: This might not be the biggest pull in terms of monetary value after Beckham's stinker of a season, but considering I pulled it from two packs at a gas station, I feel it deserves to make the list. The card is in great condition and I might send it in to BGS or PSA if I ever work up the energy. It'll be tough to pull a better card from a gas station, but I'll never rule it out...

#4) 2010 Topps Chrome Awkwasi Owusu-Ansah Superfractor RC #1/1: I thought I might go my whole collecting career without pulling a superfractor but in my second ever hobby box of football cards I pulled this beauty. Now, Akwasi Owusa-Ansah (henceforth referred to as AOA) isn't exactly a household name, but anybody in a Cowboys uniform is a potential hobby star and I can't complain about an amazing looking card that was 1:2,500+ packs.

#3) 2009 Bowman Draft Jared Mitchell Gold Refractor #37/50: With some of the proceeds of the sale from card number one on this list (you won't want to miss that) I purchased a box of 2009 Bowman Draft from Atlanta Sports Cards and pulled a Mike Minor RC Auto and this Jared Mitchell Gold Refractor RC Auto which sold for $150. It was tough to part with because I love the design of 2009 Bowman, but I don't have the courage for high stakes prospecting, so I dropped it like it was hot.

#2) 2010 Topps Platinum Sam Bradford/Colt McCoy Dual Auto #13/25: This card came from my very first hobby box of football cards after the frustration of not pulling a patch/auto out of countless retail blasters reached it's boiling point. I ordered this box from Blowout Cards and although it didn't contain a patch auto (Topps rectified the situation later) I was awfully happy to pull a dual auto of the top rookie quarterbacks. With Bradford's strong season and McCoy's late season emergence, I was able to sell this on eBay for a cool $150. If only every box was so fruitful...

#1) 2008 Bowman Draft Jason Heyward Aflac Auto SP: Early on in 2010 I was hooked on Bowman Draft after pulling a few autos from a box of the 2009 variety. I decided to go after a box of 2008 Draft but finding one at the right price (less than $100) proved elusive. I finally gambled on a box from eBay even though I didn't really have the money for it at the time...call it hunch. About 2/3 thirds of the way through the box I hadn't pulled a single card of note until this jawdropper emerged. With Heyward's hobby star rising and the extreme rarity of this card, I was able to sell it for an unbelievable $500 dollars. The pull of a lifetime? Maybe...

Bunch O' Bowman Platinum (Shiny Goodness)

I won't say exactly how much money I've spent on the retail variety of 2010 Bowman Platinum but I've been well rewarded with plenty of shine and some on-card autos of up-and-coming stars. This is an extremely feast or famine product with some blasters containing absolutely nothing but base while other blasters produce an autograph and an auto/jersey. It's a fun break but the time to buy is now as Topps generally front loads blasters to build up buzz only to send out duds later on. I bought my brother a blaster for Christmas and he pulled a Jonathan Singleton autograph (the best in the set, selling for over $40 on eBay) and I didn't do too bad with my breaks either. Here's the goods:

J.P Arencibia RC Refractor #/999

Steven Hensley #25/99

Mike Trout Purple Refractor

Jake McGee Refractor Auto

Jiovanni Mier Blue Refractor #77/99

Box Break: 2009 Bowman Chrome (Rare Hit!)

This is the last of three boxes I purchased from Atlanta Sports Cards on their Black Friday sale--yes I know I'm very slow at posting. Without a doubt 2009 Bowman Chrome is my favorite product of the last few years (Ginter is of course excluded from this ranking--it's untouchable). I love the look of the base and prospect cards and with 10 or so refractors per box, it's a very fun break. The autograph checklist is average (which can always change from year to year) but are well designed so that the signatures really "pop" from the white box behind them. I ended up with a pretty good box, depending on how well the prospect I pulled pans out. Here's the goods:

Chase Utley/Some WBC Guy/Zack Grienke Refractors: As always, Bowman Chrome refractors look great and make a good looking set even better. The only downside to 2009 Bowman Chrome is the inclusion of WBC players. The Watanabe is numbered to 500 and I would have much preferred a prospect. No such thing as perfect I suppose.

Dan Haren/Ryan Zimmerman X-Fractors #/250: Everyone loves x-fractors so why did Topps decide to do away with them for 2010 Bowman? The world will never know, but I didn't have to worry about that because 2009 Bowman Chrome delivers two per box. I was happy with the players I pulled, although now that Haren is in the AL West I wish bad things would happen to his pitching arm. I'm a terrible person.

Ryan Ludwick Blue Refractor #/150: These blue refractors are absolutely breathtaking (and I don't throw around that term like that doctor in the Hamptons on Seinfeld) and if I had the money and the diligence I would seriously consider putting together the full set. Since I don't, I'll probably just send this to Kerry at Cards on Cards (of amazing Albert Pujols 1/1 fame).

Kyle Weiland Orange Refractor Auto #8/25: I'd never pulled an orange refractor (a real orange refractor, not the value-pack variety) so I was very excited when I saw the orange sheen of this card as I opened the pack. I was thrilled when I found out it was an orange autograph (1:1,500 packs) of Red Sox farmhand Kyle Weiland. The 6'4" right hander was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft and posted a 5-9 record with a 4.42 ERA and 120 K's in 128 innings. Hopefully, he has a break out season in 2011 and I can cash this in for a nice Griffey.

Overall Thoughts: Love the product, loved this box. What more I can I ask for?

Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Sterling Stan Musial Mystery Pack Gold #2/5

Since I would never buy a box of the colossal money bonfire that is Topps Sterling (if you like 10% ROI this is your set) I had to turn to eBay to pick up this slick looking card of one of my favorite players. The gold parallel looks great in person and is about as thick as most standard jersey cards. I scored a bit of a deal because the card was listed in the football rather than the baseball card section, and while I'm sure Stan the Man was talented enough to play any sport, he definitely played for the Cardinals and not the Rams. Very happy to add this card to my collection and I will certainly look to add some more Sterling to my collection. Thanks for looking!

Box Break: 2006 UD Artifacts (Not Bad)

This is the second of three boxes I got from Atlanta Sports Cards on Black Friday. 2006 UD Artifacts has 3-4 hits per box in just 10 packs so there isn't a lot of wasted base cards (which is good, because they are kind of boring). The autograph checklist is pretty strong, so I was hoping to pull a big name, and this box was definitely better than Fleer Platinum. Here's the goods:

Derek Jeter Base Card: Pretty standard, but better than later years of Artifacts. That does not look like a Gold Glove shortstop to me. Just saying.

Mark Loretta AL Artifacts Jersey #317/325: I don't know if there is a more boring player to pull from a pack than Mark Loretta. Jose Lopez? Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad player, just not one I ever want to pull a jersey card of again.

Huston Street MLB Game-Used Apparel Jersey #193/250: Another yawn.


Graig Nettles Auto-Facts Autograph #75/300: While I didn't pull an autograph of a Hall-of-Famer, Graig Nettles and his 390 career HR's is a pretty nice consolation price. Please take notes Topps and Panini, this is how you should design a sticker autograph card. A very slick looking card that hides the sticker well.

Overall Thoughts: For 30 bucks this is a pretty fun box to open, although I wouldn't pay much more than that. The jerseys are kind of boring but the autographs look good and there are plenty of star players to pull. I would be willing to trade the jerseys if anyone wants them but I think I will hang on to the auto for a while. Thanks for looking! Stay tuned for box number three!

Double Rainbow!!

Alright it's just one rainbow but it's my second in the past month so that's got to count for something (so many apostrophes in that sentence). I realize that most people have never heard of Akwasi-Owusu Ansah, but since I pulled the superfractor I was legally obligated to complete the rest of the set after starting with the most difficult card. I was actually able to track down all the cards in about two weeks thanks to some friendly eBay sellers (goodness does still exist in the heart of man--at times) and a little good luck. I think it looks pretty wicked cool altogether--now I just need AOA to turn into a superstar kick returner ala Dante Hall, or a rapper. I would listen to a rapper named AOA and I don't even like rap. Here be rainbows:

Thanks for looking!