Back in the house

Unlike another couple blogs, my buyback frankenset is incredibly stalled. I don't search ebay much for the stamped cards. I don't buy a lot of packs that would contain buybacks. I don't hit enough card shows to find them for sale in boxes. But is all cases, I think that buybacks are far overpriced. Then again, I tend too be a cheap skate.

All skate, reverse.

Fortunately, the owner of one of the other blogs I mentioned is going gang busters on his frankenset build. I refer to Shane over at Shoebox Legends. Shane is picking up buybacks from COMC and Ebay, with the Ebay purchases usually being lots. And since Shane's current set is more than twice the size of mine (464 cards), there are cards within the lots that create dupes. And Shane is generous to share many of his duplicates with me. Let's have a gander at a recent PWE I received and see who made the cut into my set.

First, we start with the keepers, as these are all card numbers I currently do not have in the set.

Some day, I'll build a 1973 set. I love getting any '73 cards I can, so '73 buybacks are great additions.

Nice view of old Yankee stadium on the Barrios card.

Manning and Manwaring. Those are great caps Cleveland had in the late 70's. So there are seven cards that made the set. But Shane sent 9, so in homage to Shane's posts, let's see what happens to the other 2 cards.

A nice 1973 card of Jim McAndrew. Definite spring training posed shot, but it is a '73 card. And I mentioned before my love of 1973 Topps. This is card #436, so let's see what I currently have in that spot.

A 1979 Cards of Hector Cruz. Dig that Astroturf, and the Sansabelt polyester pull overs of the Giants. This is a no-brainer.

Out you go, Hector. The other dupe I received was card #181.

1978 Topps buyback of Astros Ken Forsch. This looks like a card that would be a shop job, but Ken had been an Astro for many years by the time '78 Topps came along. What card currently is #181 in my set?

1977 A's Ken McMullen. Neither are amazing sets, and neither are great images either. I am a big fan of Houston bringing back the orange caps to their uniforms. McMullen is also posing at spring training. So who wins the battle of the Kens?

I appreciate the card, Shane, but I need to keep that McMullen in the set. Too nice of a background. With the 7 new cards, my frankenset currently sits at 151 cards. Slowly, but surely, I am getting there.

A New York state of cards

So ff you follow me on Twitter (FOOLS!), I posted that I was in New York catching a Mets game on Friday night. My wife and I made a quick run east to help out a friend and she said I should get tickets so I can start marking ball parks of the list of places I want to visit.

Midwest Garrison salute.

While in New York, with it's super fun traffic, I found a card shop right next to a bookstore. Perfect to not bore the hell out of my wife. Alex's MVP Cards. Tiny shop, though with NY costs, he probably pays 10 grand a month rent or something insane like that. I didn't have much time, so I just dug through a few boxes he had and bought some packs of A&G. Here's some cards that changed time zones.

All the cards I picked were either 50 cents or a buck. I am pretty sure I have none of these Paulies. Well, pretty sure on two of them. Let's check my Zistle list and see how accurate that guess is...

...and I only needed the one in the middle. Hey - team set builders, am I right?

Three for the binders. There is no way Biggio didn't get wrecked on that slide.

I still need a few more Opening Day cards of Southpaw Mascot. And I thought the Eaton was a refractor Chrome, but it's a foil card. Didn't matter - I need both for the PC. Now I have to find a Chrome refractor.

The shop had a Judge rip card from this year's Allen and Ginter for $500. I passed on that and just went with packs. The highlights?

YUP!!!! Two of the packs had buybacks. And sure, I am building a frankenset, but these do not belong in A&G. Only put A&G buybacks in A&G packs! Eaton is a nice high number mini for the PC. And some of you may be thinking "Sure, the insert set is nice and all, but that Surrender card is a highlight?" Here's why: I have pulled 4 cards prior to this one from the Revolutionary Battles insert set, and all four of them are the same damn card! #1 - Battle of Lexington. So if you need one, I'm hoarding them.

Hold up a minute. I have an idea......

Nailed it.

Post hiaku

A one image post
Mailing from GCRL
Come look at the cards

Camaneris bunt
Buyback for the frankenset
Koskie in throwback

Thank you so much Jim
I'll send something back real soon
Now watch some music