NOT Trade #1: coding and trading

Always nice to get a padded envelope in the mail. The really cool thing about this one is how the trade went down. See, I was at TC's website and was able to score a lot of really cool cards, vintage to newer. Then, all I had to do was pay for the shipping, and bam - cards in hand. Just that easy.

And by "that easy", I mean it cost me more than shipping. Cuz TC is Topps, and the website was the Diamond Giveway. All those packs yielded all the codes that I redeemed. A couple weeks back, I finally gave up on trades, and since there was only a month left to have your cards sent, now was a good time as any to bring them home. All total, I received 13 cards. Technically, there is one I could care less about (86 Orel Herchiser), but I am pretty pleased with my trading. In fact, only the Orel and a 73 Jorge Orta were cards I unlocked. The other 11 came through via trades. I won't post them all right now, but let's look at a few, shall we?

Love the blood clot uniform on LaRoche, so I couldn't pass it up when someone made me an offer. The 70s were a messed up time uniform-wise. The Bobby Winkles manager card is great not just cuz of a name like Winkles, but you also have a coach names Salty Parker. Just don't nickname them like that anymore. I had a CRAPLOAD of offers for the Mike Andrews. Only a rookie Mantle would have pried that away. 73 Topps had some amazing pictures.

Love the McNertney for it being a Pilots card. How great is that helmet on his head? Their caps rank up there as one of the more unique in the history of the game. The 63 Cunningham had an interesting path to my hands. The very first code I entered when the site went live unlocked an Ian Desmond diamond die cut. I must have rejected a dozen trade offers daily for that. Nothing was decent or made me sit up and take notice. A few White Sox cards were offered, but they were always late 70's or newer - pass. One day, I got a trade offer of a 63 Tommie Aaron for my Desmond. I sat on it a few days and finally decided I would more enjoy that then the Desmond, so I pulled the trigger. Be shocked all you want - if it was worth more it didn't matter. I liked the 63 better. Well, offers came in for the Aaron, but more crap until that Joe Cunningham was offered straight up. A 63 White Sox?? No brainer! It may be a bit off center but this baby is crisp. Just a little wear on the bottom and a barely noticeable ding in the top left. So it became an Ian Desmond for a Joe Cunningham. I am very happy for that trade.

I got 11 cards delivered with the 2010 Million Card giveaway, and so far I have two cards in the 2012. I unlocked a Steve Carlton, which I traded for a Duke Snider. I also unlocked a Robin Yount I traded for a Carlton Fisk (as a ChiSox). I have stopped buying series one Topps as I only need 7 to complete the set (please help me out), so no more codes until series two drops.