10 fingers and 2 toes.

Sorry about the lack of posts, for those that actually read these characters pecked out on the keyboard. Believe it of not, I actually write everything you read here. Shocking, I know, but I do not hire ghost writers or plagiarize from other locations - all this comes from my own head.

Though Bingo here did write the majority of the "Tis the season" posts.

That being said, I need to get back in the swing, so let's look at a dozen cards I received maybe 2 weeks ago, that I did scan, but have just failed to post. They are the innards of 2 PWEs, one from Night Owl and the other from Chris and Kyle at Old Foul Cardboard. Both are early members of Club PWE, as in I have traded with them and just drop crap on them at will. They seem to enjoy returning in kind. First from the bird.

I assume that Wood is a dupe, cuz ain't no way N.O. is breaking up a set he is working on. A real live '72 on the right, and a nice Score of the one time season leader in saves. 

The other 3 in his envelope have a shiny Bowman, and shiny Prizm and a nice DP card. I am grateful in one sense for the Prizm as it is a Sale, but geez - I REALLY hate those cards. I contend if you like them, you must live in a state with legalized pot. There is no other explanation. Thanks as always Greg. Moving on to Chris and Kyle, we have six more cards to share. 

Thomas rookie? You bet. Beckham rookie? Score. And plenty of shiny with the Abbot, Wells and my first Crown Royal in my collection. I always thought those CR we kinda goofy, but then you get one in your hands and they are pretty sweet. And yes, I jammed 5 in one pic. My blog, my rules. Also, the last card gets it's time in the spotlight and it's closeup.

Keep that Bip away from meeeeeeeeeeeee!

BOOM! Nothing like a nice Thome relic. Labeled Sox, pictured Phillie - probably a Phillie swatch, but I love me anything Thome. I am not sure if that is handling dirt on the swatch or actual dirt (I am thinking the first), but I feel it adds to the charm of the card. What a nice addition to the envelope, and thusly to my relic binder. Watch the mail, Kyle. 

Two stamps + two envelopes + 12 cards = I like!

Throwback Thursday - 06.06.2013

Every Thursday, I post a card showing a ballplayer wearing a throwback uniform from my collection. Hopefully, he will be wearing it well, with proper pants blousing. I'll try not to duplicate a uniform. The picture may be from the front of the card, or the back. Enjoy the uniforms from years past.

Todd Benzinger - 1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice - San Francisco Seals

290?

I can't said I am an avid book reader. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship I have with them. Many moons ago, I worked downtown and rode the train. That was a love time I had with books. Since I haven't done that in years, my love of books have waned. Wouldn't say hate - just not a priority. Mostly read Star Wars novels, but I would toss in a good mystery book here and there.

Now movies? Movies are a passion. So is television. In those, besides sci fi and action, I love a great suspenseful movie or show with twists and turns. I always was a huge fan of the Ellery Queen television show. For a while, you could get it streaming on Netflix, but I see it's missing. The show didn't run very long, but I loved the fact that about 10 minutes before it ended, Ellery (Jim Hutton) would turn to the camera and ask if you, the viewer, solved the mystery. Then, after commercial, Ellery would show how the crime was committed and finger the bad guy.

About a week back, I received an envelope from Nick at Dime Boxes. I drop a PWE on him about once a week or so, and he just waits for a while and will return the favor with a much larger envelope to make up for all the oddballs I send him. Nick included an incredible piece of paper in this group, but we are going to save that reveal until the end. It's from 1970. Comical. And while it is the size of a card, it's anything but a card. Special insert that is part of a set of 24. Can you figure it out?

First, let's hit some of the highlights.

Yup - minis. My throat hurts, so you will have to imagine the Night Owl yell. Two Beuhrles, and a straight cut Thomas to go with my regular back.

Old timers. In fact, old timers that never really got their due. Wish I could say that was a mystery, but we all know why they were denied the right to play in their prime.

Oh, some lovely Pacific. Now, it's no mystery that I hate 09 OPC, but I do love these Pacific cards. Yeah, they are simple, but really gorgeous. Dig that Pilot in the upper left. That is a throwback the Mariners need to make happen.

The Bull. Gotta love the Purina card in the lower right. Here's a little mystery for you, the reader, to solve: when Greg came to Chicago, he purchased a condo to live in. Can you name the person that worked on the mortgage application. And for bonus points, can you name the bank that mortgage was filed and completed? Don't waste time on Google - I doubt you will find something that incredibly bizarre. The answers are my mom, and he secured the mortgage at St. Paul Federal Savings Bank on Western in Chicago. Use that info at the next trivia contest you are at. You are welcome!

Nick - why did you write on this card???? Oh wait - you wrote on the penny sleeve. You kind of blew the mystery of me trying to figure out why you included this card. Then again, the suspense was heightened. Let's turn it over.

Yup. That's a throwback alright. Thanks!

Who will survive this collision? It's no mystery this is one of the greatest cards ever printed.

A SP for my Heritage set and a Beatles insert. I ain't got a "mystery" comment for these two. Ok - you have made it this far. Did you figure it out? Do you know the last item I will show? I give you the envelope's "Miss-Scarlett-in-the-library-with-the-candle-stick" card.

Oh.
baby.

I have seen these beauties here and there at card shows and online. I vaguely remember them when they came out. It would have been the very first year I was collecting, and I was 4 or 5. I think there were a few of these bouncing in the shoebox as I got older. I know I never had the White Sox booklet. I think I need to complete this set.

Anyway, the biggest mystery of this post should be the title: 290? And the mystery is this: knowing Nick and his purchase habits, what was the cost of the 29 cards in the envelope?

Repack wars: They can't all be winners

Has it really been almost two months since I did a repack war? For shame on me. Let's not waste time (as the Hawks get to kicking the Kings but in 20 minutes) and get this written up. Here we go.

Start off with 07 Topps. I could like the black more if the foil wasn't on it. The black works nice on 1971; it doesn't here. That being said, a card to add to the bunt binder is a decent pull.

Good ol' Upper Deck Masterpieces. I still need to get a box of these just for the joy of ripping them open. Rookie card and high cuffs - nice!

One of the two packs of Goudey in this repack box. This is the 2008 release. There is a mini of Kobe, but I prefer the older look, so I am giving the win to Palmer.

2008 Upper Deck. Man - I do love this look of these cards. And while I am not a fan of Ortiz in the least, we have an addition to the broken bat collection. Perfect timing.

More Upper Deck, this time their Piece of History set. Go ahead and guess how bad the 4 playe cards are when the nod goes to this card. Total snooze pack.

2008 Topps Chrome. A blue refractor of Miggy. Not sure the hit rate on the blue, but a great card.

No, I did not get a pack of 92 Upper Deck. I actually got one of those Tristar repack...er....packs. Five cards in then. With a name like "Clete", you get to have your card scanned.

More Upper Deck. This repack box was really heavy with UD and not so much with 2010 & 2011 Topps like I usually find. Sure it's a Cub, but the blue works.

Heroes. Yaz. Any questions? Didn't think so. Moving on.

As much as I love 2008 UD, I hate 2007. Horrid design. At least the photographer got a good shot.

Here is the other pack of Goudey. Why is this guy not in the Hall?

20xx Bowman. I threw away the wrapper and since all the frigging designs are identical, who the hell remembers what year this is. But a Heyward rookie card is a nice pull from the pack.

I believe I pulled this from a 2008 UD First Edition. The rest of the pack was forgettable, so we are going with this Marquee Matchup card. These cards are pretty nice in person.

Ugh. Sooner or later I get to this pack of crap. I will say this is a nice photo, with the natural dark background to the crisp white uniform.

Here comes the 2011 Topps packs. Well - pack. This is the only pack of 10 or 11 in the box. Usually I get 4 or 5. How great is this photo? What I cannot figure out is where this photo is. It's not Yankee Stadium behind Thurman. Maybe their spring training site?

Ugh #2. Here is another pack I would like to see less of. This is the only halfway decent card in the pack, and it would make it to the bunt binder if it wasn't already in a space.

2009 Upper Deck. There were a couple cards better than this, but I choose Cole for one reason, and one reason only: I AM TIRED OF PULLING THIS CARD!!! The only Starquest cards of this edition I have ever pulled have been of Cole Hamels. I kid you not. I think I have 6 or 7 of these. Side note: I bought a repack box yesterday and I pulled a Starquest card from the pack of 09 in it - Cole. (sigh)

Yup. Two Tristar repack packs in the box. Looks like Reggie is outside a high school.

Tristar Prospects (or something like that - again, threw away the wrapper). Total garbage except for this Middlebrooks.

2009 UD First Edition. I had no clue someone finished the Yankee Legacy set. The best part (or worst, depending how you look at it) is how crappy the image on the card is. The pixelation is really back, like this image was pulled from a You Tube still.

Like the title suggests, no big hits in this box. Got a few cards for the personal collections, but nothing ground shaking. Lot of PWE fillers in this box.

Building the club.

Free.

Just the word is amazing. Free embodies all the that perfect in the world. Free is never having to have enough money, searching for spare change, worrying about coming up short. Free is joy and happiness. It could not even be anything wonderful, but if it's free, it's awesome. When it comes down to it, is there anything on this blue ball of a planet better than something that is free???

Oh hi.

Touché.

Many of you have been trading partners with me, and in that I have your address which permits me to drop a PWE on you at will. I have about 1.64 million more readers that I have not traded with yet, but might enjoy receiving a PWE from time to time.

It also says 1.659999 millions of those readers find you better looking than Brad Pitt.

So how about you join all the cool kids? Up top, in the links bar, I have added a page for Club PWE, the coolest, hippest club in the history of the world. At least the coolest club on this website.

So click on the link above. You will be taken to a simple form to fill out. I won't share this data with anyone else for under $100. We'll have good fun!

Throwback Thursday - 05.30.2013

Every Thursday, I post a card showing a ballplayer wearing a throwback uniform from my collection. Hopefully, he will be wearing it well, with proper pants blousing. I'll try not to duplicate a uniform. The picture may be from the front of the card, or the back. Enjoy the uniforms from years past.

Jermaine Dye - 2001 Fleer Ultra - Kansas City Monarchs

Rolling the dice.

Fairfield Company.

It might take a few seconds for some of us to ID who Fairfield is, but a look at their Facebook page should help those that can't place where you know the name. When I get bored, I like picking up a repack box. Or anything repack-y. It's a total gamble, but you never know what you get. I have added far more cards to my collection through the 20 pack repack boxes at Walmart (no idea the company), but Target Fairfield repacks have done me fairly well. I talked a month or so ago about a Bucky Dent auto I pulled from a pack of Goudey. 10 pack repack at Target. The dual Ducks auto? Another Fairfield hit. There are a few more jersey pulls I have never blogged about.

Lately, the budget has been tight, but I still like ripping open packs. GQ, Heritage and Series One are pretty complete, and I am waiting on Allen and Ginter to be released, so I have turned to Fairfield's hanging 100 card count rack packs for some fun. Just five bucks, and I get a good 15-20 cards out that I want or need. However, the packs list the ratio of a hit (relic or auto) at 1 out of every 8 packs. I have bought four packs so far, I have 3 hits. 75% compared to 12% - I am WAY ahead of the curve. Granted, the hits aren't going to pay my daughter's college, but I still like a bonus.

 

I just pulled this Maine jersey a couple hours ago. Not a bad card design, but available if you are interested. Maine is not a collection of mine, nor are the Mets.

Pulled this Rodriguez auto about a week ago. Actually, the whole rack pack was pretty sweet with the number of cards I added, plus the cards that will be traveling around the US in PWEs. Again, this is available for trade. I am looking at you, Baseball Dad. But the first rack pack I bought a few months back had the best pull of all, in my opinion. I think you will agree.

This was still in the penny sleeve (with $15 written on it in marker). But how great a pull for $5? I needed a jersey card of Frank. Now I just need his autograph to finish off the trifecta.