I get cards. And sometimes I post about them!

Oi.

I can't say that anything horrible has happened in the 5 weeks since I last posted. Just things here and there have gotten in the way, and by the end of the day, I am either pooped, brain dead or in need of some distraction, so my cards have gotten pushed to the side. And more like piles upon my desk. I have too much to send out, a couple boxes I need to sort and piles to organize.

But in a nutshell - family is healthy, nothing major gone wrong and surviving the best I can.

However, I got scans that need deleting. And to delete, I need to post. To post, I need to type, and to type.....well, I'm doing that right now ain't I? I ask you to forgive a bit of a image dump from a few kind readers/mailers. Good? Alright, here goes....

A PWE was received from Daniel at It's Like Having My Own Card Shop. Four simple cards, but 4 nice additions to the Sox box, including a rare ChiSox Junior. Without looking it up, can you identify the number he wore during his 41 game stint at Comiskey? Thanks Daniel.

Chris at Nacho Grande had a few cards he put up on ebay. No way I was going to pass on a pink Paulie, and the two A&G minis are needed for earlier year insert sets I still need to complete.

Fortunately, Reds fans seem to pull pink White Sox cards from Archives, as Chris included a few extras in the mailer.

 Appreciate the bonus cards, Chris.

John, owner of Johnny's Trading Spot deemed it Christmas in July. Yes, I am THAT far behind on scans/posts and was not intending to post at Christmas time. Tons and tons of bunting cards for the binder. Collector's Choice seems to be a gold mine for binder cards. Maybe I'll run a report before Beckett shuts down Zistle. Though - who the hell knows what Beckett's plans are.

And oh baby - dig those O-Pee-Chee!!!! It's the older OPC that you can really tell a difference from their Topps counterparts. French just improves the hockey stick "In Action" cards by a factor of dix.

Last from John is a nice black foil Fulmer from this year's SC. That goes to the throwback binder. A new Iguchi for the player collection. Zippy told me that Iguchi retired and the Sox threw a little shindig for him back in Sept. I wanted to attend, but see paragraph #2. And how about a mini Sox pennant? Right now it is set underneath my left side monitor. When do pitchers and catchers report in 2018? Thank you for the Christmas gift, John.

Last up is a purchase too good for words. Tom over at Angels in Order had a blowout on autographs. For a buck each, I couldn't pass up adding some Sox autographs to my binders. The Hernandez could be a dupe, if Roberto ever returns my TTM request from 2 years ago. The only Danks auto I currently have is just his scribble on a card without any picture. Alvarez was in the pipeline to mail out, but no longer needed.

3x5s are welcome at 2x3. Especially when you have players that a TTM request is just not possible. Hermann spent 8 years on the south side, becoming an all star in his final year with the Sox in 1974. He then bounced around the league for 4 more years, retiring in 1978. Ed passed away in 2013.

Harshman started as a first baseman with the NY Giants, but turned into a decent pitcher that the Sox picked up in 1950. Jack spent 4 years in Comiskey, then went to the O's in 1958. In 1959, he went from the Orioles to the BoSox to the Indians - all before the end of the '59 season, and finished his career the next year with the tribe. Jack also passed away in 2013.

McCraw played with the White Sox from 1963-1970. Tom made the last offensive out in the Senators history, getting caught stealing against the Yankees in 1971. Tom is living in Florida and has a great TTM return rate if anyone wants to mail him. Great doing business with you, Tom.

Ok - so that catches me up a bit. With luck, things will calm down and I can get back to my card posting roots.

One page

Hopefully, we have all experienced the joy of receiving a PWE and the cards were packages in a piece from a 9 pocket page. I have been buying the cheap 35 page packs from Walmart and cutting them up to use in many of my mailing.

Please. It's not like I threw away a few '87 Topps. Or closer to 500.

I have received many, and recently Bob from The Five Tool Collector folded an entire page into an envelope, with each slot containing one card. To save trouble, let's scan the whole page and see what we have.

VINTAGE!!! Nine slots of vintage. Let's work are way done top to bottom, left to right:

2016 Gold Stadium Club Sale. Jeff, you say. This is not vintage, you say. I reply that 1997 Fleer is almost 20 years old. For the sake of this post, I'm labeling this card "vintage".

2016 Archives Todd Frazier. Homage to 1991 Topps. See Chris Sale above.

1962 Topps Civil War. Now, as wars go, I'm partial to watching the snot out of any and all things World War 2. Not to say I haven't watch the Ken Burns special a few times and have some WW1 shows in my Netflix list. Bob has been working on the Civil War set and was kind enough to send my what I assume is a dupe, just to get me jacked for it and to start considering building it. So thanks, but you suck at the same time, Bob.

1958 Ron Jackson. I currently have this card in my Sox team set, so I am going to try a TTM request on this one. Let's see if I can luck out.

1960 Billy Goodman. Technically, this is also a dupe, but the quality of this card is much better than the 3 creased copy I have, so this is an upgrade. My. Goodman passed away 30 years ago, so no TTM on the old card. I'll keep it for a future player collection.

1967 Don Buford. Three dupes in a row for the Sox team sets, but another upgrade. And Mr. Buford is a great TTM returner. I've actually been meaning to send one to him, I just haven't had the card to mail. I do now.

1975 Dick Allen. NEED! Allen cards are expensive enough, so you can imagine what I would spend to try and add this card to my collection in this town. Check!

1962 Post Sherm Lollar. Upgrade. My current Sherm is a bit mangled from the 9 year old's safety scissors, so this is a fine replacement.

1961 Al's Aces. NEED!! For my team sets, quality is never a concern, so this is a beautiful addition to the 1961 set and gets me to the halfway point of the set.

Nine cards. Two quarters of postage. And a page I can use to send to someone else.

Conspiracy

Something's going on.

I don't quite know what it is yet, but something is going on.

Are you all up to some nefarious antics? Did each and every one of you meet up through a secret Google hangout, or via Skype to discuss your plans? Coordinate the actions? And then get a branch of the US government involved?

Never use a bookmark - it causes infertility.

Whatever it is, I can tell you I am on to you all. You will NOT get away with this. Let me pause my video of the Zapruder film. Before I explain, let me get a couple smaller mailings out of the way. But wait - even as I think about these, I have a feeling they might be a part of this as well.

First off - a plain white envelope from Brian at Golden Rainbow Cards. Why so plain, Brian? Trying to sneak it in. And look - it's only two cards. But two cards that I needed for my 2015 White Sox team set. HOW DID YOU KNOW I NEEDED THEM?!?!? Are there cameras posted in my room? Did you search my Sox box and see what I was missing? I'm watching you, Brian.

Next comes a larger, but still plain white package, from Adam. Adam doesn't blog - he's just a reader. Whatcha hiding, "Adam" - if that is really even your name! Look at these cards of people bunting. I have made it pretty clear I am a ChiSox fan. Not one Sox player in the group. And yet, they are all posed the same way. Is this some secret signal, informing the Illuminati of the date AND time to strike. Adam?

Adam did include White Sox of Frank Thomas. And ONLY Frank Thomas - the leader of your band, I'm guessing. But all the cards of Thomas are oddball releases. Look at these. Not a brand name to be seen. Probably produced by the KGB to flood the market and disrupt the financial system so a new single world monetary can be formed in its place.

Just what is going on here??? And what does "Power Surge" mean? Look at the back of that card.

How - from the chemtrails left by commercial airlines? You made the list, Adam.

Looking over those two packages, I can see how they fit with the other four that first alerted me to something happening. Some sinister goings on the card collectors have against me. Here - here is the image that first raised my suspicions...

Four packages received over 4 days - each larger than the previous. Mailings from Rob at Texas Rangers Cards, Jim at GCRL, Brian at HSCA and Adam from Infield Fly Rule. YOU ARE ALL IN CAHOOTS! What's left - a bombing from Wes at JayBarkerFan?

(note to Wes - please no.)

We shall explore these packages in the coming week or so. And by "we", I mean myself, Elvis, Tupac, Amelia Erhart and Jim Morrison.

Unembellished achromic wrapper

Thank goodness we don't go with the subject phrase, because even UAW doesn't flow off the tongue as well as PWE does. Some Ebay sellers don't seem to understand that charging $2.50 shipping on a vintage card means a PWE is a safe way to ship a purchase. I recently had it out with a seller that I'm sure was upset his '52 Lollar Bowman only garnered him only $3.50 so he dropped it in a PWE, though that was probably his initial plan anyway. And his excuse "Well, it got there safe - what are you upset about" was not a valid argument. No feedback for you!

PWEs are for those shipments that you hope make it, but if they don't, it's not a huge loss. Many of you should be receiving some PWEs from me right now. In fact, anyone that is a member of Club PWE will be receiving a mailing from me. I went through the entire list the past few days and mailed to everyone. The last 10 went out today (cuz I ran out of stamps earlier in the week). I mailed to everyone for two main reasons. First and foremost, I have been lacking in my mailings to the group. Shame on me. Second, I have a column on my spread sheet for the last day I mailed. I wanted those dates to all be equal, and now there are.

With the NHL kicking off today, I plan on dropping more hockey cards on those that signed up for some at the start of last year's Cup final. Plus, I have PLENTY of teams that no one claimed. So if you like hockey, like free cards and want cards spanning the years from the early 90's until today, comment below with the team(s) you would like and I'll drop some cards on you. If you think I don't have your address, you can find my email on either of the Wants links above - send it to me.

Since we are talking PWEs, and hockey, and the Stanley Cup, I just received a mailing from Jeff over at Wish They Still Came With Bubblegum. Jeff is a big fan of the Hawks Cup opponents last season with the Lightning. He knows how to pack some cards in a PWE though when I pulled these gems from the envelope.

Couple nice Collector's Club cards with the Starquest Thomas and Robin throwing from the left field line. The Upper Deck SP at the bottom didn't scan as well as it looks in person. The gold center is recessed in the card like a medallion. And it's foil-sh. Find one for yourself.

I may as well build the rainbow of these two cards. The purple Floyd makes the 4th difference 2010 Chrome card of Gavin. I also have the base, the X-fractor and the regular refractor. And the Elite Buehrle? Along with this Turn of the Century serialed card, I have the base and stamped Extra Edition. Thanks for the mailing, Jeff.

So folks, watch your mailbox. And if you want to get in on the freebies, the link to Club PWE is above, and comment below for some hockey cards.

Kindness x 5

Not a lot of stuff comes in groups of 5. You have the Olympic rings, fingers on each hand and toes on each feet, the points on a star and the number of players on a basketball team. But really, not a lot comes grouped five at a time. Ten hotdogs, eight buns, Three Stooges, twelve eggs, four tires on a car, and six beers. Lucky number 7, nine players on a baseball team, eleven on a football/soccer team and a pair of shoes.

And just three of us. Or is it six?

So let's celebrate the number five with five images from five mailings I received from 5 different people. First up, Jaybarkerfan clone Matt from Bob Walk the Plank. Matt sent me just two cards, but oh what two cards they are.

I believe Kit's auto is from the 2013 Archives. Maybe 2012. And that gorgeous Sale Museum card is #/99. Again, I will not become a Sale supper collector. That being said - send me all your Chris Sale cards. Thanks Matt.

Hockey could be anyone. But hockey vintage points to one thing, a Holye-ing from Mark. These 4 cards bring my total of 74-75 Blackhawks cards to 4. Yup - first ones in the Hawks box. Appreciate the vintage, Mark.

Waiting 'til Next Year Tom dropped a PWE of bunts on me. I week or so back I talked about that Hudson card. I had 7 cards of the puzzle. Tom just dropped #8, and I received #9 a couple days ago (future post). So that is done. Thanks again, Tom.

The Junior Junkie TJ dropped this single Golden Age panel on me with a note there is more to come. TJ pulled it damaged (dig that crease through Christy's legs, but I love anything Golden Age. Love this in my binders. Not sure if I should be glad or scared there is more coming, TJ.

Started with two cards, and we'll end it that way, courtesy of Robert at $30 a Week Habit. The note enclosed read "I am glad someone else appreciates the 1964 set". I do, and I thank you for another card closer to completing the set (just under 50%). While I don't like this years Heritage, who am I to turn down a refractor insert? Robert is a bit out of commission on his blog. Come back soon!

Ok - so there is a good group of 5, all from the generosity of 5 different readers.

Because it's cheap, or because you care?

I think I have spoken enough about my love of the PWE. I am doing my best to keep it alive, and maybe get it back in style. That's not to say I love it all the time. See, the PWE can do great things, but protection is not high on the list. Sure, you can put a hard card holder in it, maybe even some cardboard to stiffen the package. But a PWE is always prone to the automatic sorting machine at the post office. Read enough blogs and you can see the damage those suckers can do to an envelope that is not completely smooth.

I have had a couple purchases off Ebay that have charged a couple bucks to ship, only to receive the card in a PWE with a 49 cent stamp. "I use shipping costs to cover my fees" a seller once told me. Hey - we ALL get those fees. If you are not going to be upfront about how you are shipping, then you are being disingenuous in your auction.

But the flip side of a PWE is what it really means. See, to me, a PWE is love. It's someone taking a part in collecting with you. We have all traded. A traded is a swap that both parties work to be equal in some sense. However, a PWE isn't (for the most part) a trade. A PWE is sending cards that you hope the receiver can use, and who cares if you get anything back. At least, I think that way. Seriously - if I never got a PWE back, I would still send out cards I hope the person liked. Done right, a PWE is the "it's the thought that counts" in the collecting world.

Here's a sample of cards I received from Weston at Fantastic Catch (along with a note asking to "keep 'em coming). I have secretly decided to work on that Turkey Red set. Plus, that Ramirez woke me up and realized it was a throwback card. That is Weston caring about my collection. Thanks dude.

Here's one from Jim at GCRL. White Sox? Check. Bunting? Check. Miscut? Check. Jim knows three of my collections, and sent cards to help them all out.

Then about two week later he did it again!!! More White Sox, Konerko collection and a couple more bunts. It sucks a bit I divide my Dodgers between 1.76million Dodger bloggers, but I hope I help enough with his collections as he help with mine. Thanks as always, Jim.

Last here is from Jeff at One Man's Junk (wax). If any scan in this post expresses what I mean, it's this one. Here are three of the 4 cards Jeff sent. I needed all four. But it's not the need part that is best about this. It's the envelope itself. Jeff and I traded once, and I think I may have sent him one PWE. But I am not sure about that PWE. However, Jeff took the time to send ME some cards. Out of his kindness. "Hopefully some Sox you need", he wrote. Conveniently, they are. But I am more touched that he saw some cards, thought of me and sent them off. It reminds me to not forget my Club PWE, as well as other people in spreadsheets I have.

So I challenge you this: In regard to other bloggers or former traders, do you PWE because you have to, or because you want to? If it's the former, make it the latter. You'll like your collection more, because you'll know some of it is being appreciated much more now that it's offsite.

Trust me on this.

Light side/Dark side

Yeah - I like Star Wars. I think anyone can figure that out from my screen name, email address, Zistle user, etc... From time to time, I collect some SW card sets. I have to get my original sets (blue, red, green, yellow, orange) into binders, plus get some of the recent sets organized. I just need to make the time.

Gotta finish my Lando cosplay first.

A couple PWEs received had an unexpected SW feeling, when you compared them side to side. The first came from Weston at Fantastic Catch. Weston dropped me back a few cards in appreciation to a recent mailing I sent him.

Nice collection of White Sox. Any card that features a nice view of US Cellular Comiskey is always welcome. Also love the Buehrle. The Star Wars connection. Well, it's from his note, though you probably won't pick up on it first.

BTW Weston - it is quite good. Thanks! 

Now, for every Ying, there is a Yang. Anakin brought balance to the Force, and Weston's light side is offset with the dark side of Pat from Hot Corner Cards.

A couple gold Bowmans, and Pat knocked two 2010 A&Gs from my wants lists. This should be from the light side of the Force, right? Well, Pat had other ideas.

Pure evil. Though, might be a bad idea.

Bip me....I dare you.

Going and coming.

Before I dive back into the scan folder, I did make a visit to my local (5 miles away) post office and drop a dozen or so PWEs in the box, all stamped up with some old timey stamps. So for you in Club PWE, keep an eye out for some cards. A few of the envelopes also went to folks I just drop things on at random.

Special delivery!

I am not sure if my outgoing PWE is equal to the incoming quantity. In a perfect world I am sending more than I am receiving. I can tell you I sent out more than the three I am showing off. So today, I am at least four time better than all of you.

 No pretty girl riding a bomb image for you, ya slackers!

First up  we have Chris over at the awesome Nachos Grande. Makes me hungry every time I type it. I think I sent over some Reds cards he needed and he sent back...

...a nice group of Heritage set filler and a few of his friend's amazing custom A&Gs. I am jealous of how amazing they are. Thanks for everything. Chris.

Next up is Jim of GCRL, one of the extremely rare Dodger fans on the innerwebs. Really - where are you guys? Jim dropped me a few cards for my binders.

Bunters....

...and double plays. And more bunters! Dig that dead ivy behind Valbuena. Thanks Jim!

Last is the one and only Night Owl Greg. Yes - another endangered species of Dodger bloggers. We really need to find out why there are so few left. 

Greg is always good for a mish-mash of cards, as evidenced with two current cards and an '83 Fleer sticker in the center. I must have been on Greg's mind at some show he visited recently when this came out of the envelope.

MAMA PAJAMA! That's an incredible miscut. About 25% misaligned from the machine. Gorgeous. Much appreciated, Greg.

Sunday SIL: Clubbin'!

With luck, many of your readers have signed up for Club PWE. I mean - the link is right up there! I can't make it any easier for you, can I? If you haven't, and you wonder what kind of initiation is required, I can tell you that black gym shoes and turtleneck shirts are optional. And I haven't finalized the plan on the rocket ship yet.

Though the club theme song is "Sailing".

For those that are part of the club, many of you noticed it has been a while since I mailed. In fact, I have about have the list I really REALLY need to get something out. However, many others have received recent mailings, and a couple have made comment on the envelopes. 

See - the summers here at Inn 2x3 Heroes are rough. My wife is a contract worker in a school. She kicks major butt as a speech path, but no worky mean no payee. And year after year, I seem to fail on the budgeting, so we struggle with our finances over the summer. This year was better then most, but there was little extra room. When my mom passed away in December, and we cleaned out her house, I got my hands on all the old stamps she had. My grandma got all the kids into collecting, though I am the only one to whom the collecting gene adhered. (Thanks a frigging lot, GRANDMA!) My grandma did a lot of first day issues and other stuff for us. I think it was as much a hobby for us as for her. Well, my grandma passed in 1986, so some of her stuff came to my mom's house. And now, a lot of it is with me. 

Anyway, there were a few manila folders of loose and sheets of stamps. However, because of their condition, the collector's market on them are pretty much nothing. One of the folders, in fact, is all stuck together. Gotta get steam going on those. But since stamps never lose value and are forever good for mailing (bar a couple specific releases), I figured I might as well get use out of them. While the values are low, and I have to lick (yes - lick) a lot to get one envelope out, I hope those that have received my mailing have enjoyed them. For those yet to get one, or maybe want an incentive to join up, let's scan and show off some of the stamps I have been using. Cuz this blog ain't all about cards.

I play a crucial role, though.

This is a nice two panel stamp, so I have been trying to use both sides , though I do have a few of just the one half I will have to send out. 

I was HUGE into the bicentennial, as was the rest of the US. These are some of the stamps released in 75 and 76. I know there are others in the stuck together folder.

Nope, that is not a 63 cent stamp - it's 6.3. Six and a third. These were more for bulk mailers. 

You may get Christmas stamps in the middle of October. Hell, it's pretty much the holiday by retail standards anyway. Dig Mr. Zip at the right.

Flags have always been a part of stamps with the USPS. 

This one is a nice oddball. Usually, you get 4 different designs - it makes for a nice even block. This particular release had 8, and they staggered the printing for collectors.

Who doesn't like Ike. Well, me right now. Eight cent stamp, so I have to augment the envelope with one of those 6.3 suckers I showed above. 

Sooooooooooooo purple. And use your zip codes, folks!

If I remember, here are a couple from a 4 block set, but I may be wrong. That was many years ago.

Lexington and Concord. Man, I was such a nerd in 1976. And how about a rare 13 cent on the right? Rates increased to 13 cents at the end of 1975. 

Two of my personal favorites. I was a NASA nut as a child as well. These two, plus some others, are classics in the stamp collecting. Like paper money, they are printed by engraving, so the surface is raised. The colors on these are gorgeous.

More classic engraved. Soooooo 70's. 1974 to be exact.

This is probably my favorite stamp of all time. The colors are incredible and the design is tough to beat. They truly don't make them like that used to.

Some real history in these two. On the right is the first nationwide precancelled Christmas stamps released to the public, in 1970. There were 4 images, with the two missing being a riding horse on wheels and a baby buggy. On the left, those are just the first self adhesive stamps the Postal Service dropped on us. Here's the best part - I cannot use either of these. They were doth demonetized by the Postal Service after Jan 31st, 1971. 

This last one I show is one that gives me troubles. I have enough off them, and I would love to use them, but the terminology is harsh. Granted, we are a little too PC in this world, and I tend to agree with George Carlin that when we soften the language, we do a disservice to people. But "retarded" is a little tough to slap on an envelope. If you want one, though, cuz you can mess with someone, let me know and I'll slip one in the envelope.