Catching up...

The past week or so has been quite the torrent of mail here at 2x3Heroes headquarters. Over that time I have received a dozen envelopes/packages with cards.

Now, 3 of them were eBay or Listia pickups. Nothing too exciting, though I will probably revisit what I received in the near future. Maybe on a day I am dying to write but out of ideas. However, it is important I focus on the awesome trades and PWEs that have made the postal worker turn her truck around and come back to my mailbox because of a package or two that were forgotten.

There are 9 total mailings from bloggers/readers and I want to be certain that each gets recognition for what they sent. I won't beat you all down in one post, so I'll spread this out over a couple. Enough of my jib-jab. Here they are in no particular order.

First off, I have two separate mailings from Chris over at Nacho Grande. Chris is one of the easiest to trade with. He always has something great, though myself (and Night Owl) are starting to find his want lists harder and harder to fill. The two mailings from Chris all contained minis. The first were a couple of minis he offered that filled holes in my 2012 A&G binders.

I had to make the cocker stand on his head. But these two sets are close to done. Then, after my monster mini purchase, I had a few 2011 A&G insert sets that were short a few cards. Luckily, Chris had all the cards I needed to complete 4 of the 5 sets, and traded them for some Lego mini figures. How awesome that minifig packages are equal to A&G minis??? Anyway, here are the 4 sets that Chris helped me finish.

I didn't think much about completing these sets, and have traded away a few of the cards in the past year. But I was so close that I needed to fill the pages, and Chris came through. BTW - the bottom "Uninvited Guests" location? I lived not too far from there, & it's still maybe 30 min from my house. So thanks a bunch Chris - your minifigs are mailing tomorrow.

Next is Nick from the awesome Dime Boxes. Nick is great cuz he is a fun read, and also since he lived maybe 45-50 min from me, I can drop PWEs on him at will. Nick returned the favor with these beauties last week.

Can you believe that is the first Pacific card in my collection? I have none before. The Danks I must have pulled the base version at least 8 times, but never the sparkle. And Youk....well, it's Youk. Thanks again Nick. And yes, I have another bunch of cards for you soon. Deal with it!

Pat at Hot Corner Cards is still maybe a bit of a noob with his blog, but a guy you should contact and trade with. We have had a couple great trades, and I think I dropped a PWE on him a while back of a couple cards he needed. Pat returned the favor by knocking a few cards off my 2013 Topps needs list. A couple of the gems?

Double play and high cuffs!!! That is a great DP card. I don't need to tell you (or GCRL) that. Thanks again, Pat.

Next up is Brian. Brian runs......well, that's just it. Brian doesn't blog. Brian is a frequent reader of a lot of our blogs, but hasn't stepped in the innerweb of self promotion. Dude, that has to change. Brian took part in my Christmas giveaway and then asked about a few cards on the PWE trade page. I gave him a few extra, cuz that's how a roll.

To the contrary!

So Brian dropped a PWE on me with a few ChiSox tucked within.

Nice vintage Baines. And no, Nick - you cannot have the Navarro auto card. Find your own! So thanks, Brian. Now, get blogging or else.

A first time trade happened with Roy at Plain Gray Swatch. Roy contacted me about something on my trade bait page. This was another of those "I read your blog - how have we never traded before" kind of things. Roy's package was loaded with fun.

HAWKS!!! Yeah, I know they have a two game losing streak right now. Still best record in the NHL so suck it, Plaschke. Roy had 9 total Blackhawks card in the envelope.

Oh all the shiny, chrome-y goodness!! I will take all the Sale I can find, and I had yet to find that Topps Chrome rookie. Ditto on the Reed Bowman. And a rare ChiSox gold. And the highlights?

A Fisk Blockbuster I needed for '12 Update and a nice Buerhle relic. Gorgeous. Thanks a ton, Roy!

Moving to the frigid north, I sent a couple Twin cards to the Rhubarb Runner at the curiously named é rayhahn rayhahn. In the one trade we had, RR made the comment to "feel free and send him any Twins cards I didn't want". So I did. Evil, evil Twinkies. He sent me a few Chisox that were "stinking up his box". Yeah, cuz you wouldn't want your boxes to smell like roses and bacon. :)

Boy I like that UD First Pitch. Never seen that set before, but I like the style. And a Zenith Big Hurt that is no longer missing from my collection. Might have some more Twins for you, RR. And thanks!

Let's finish part one with a real noob, Bryan at Golden Rainbow Cards. Matt from Once a Cub turned me on to his new blog, and conveniently, the first post I read talks of a gold Konerko he pulled from a 2013 pack of Topps. It was a hard driven deal to get Bryan to trade me that card for some '13 Topps color borders. Something said like "hey, wanna trade?" And Bryan goes "Sure."

Yummy Konerko gold. And I now have the gold foil of the Dunn Chasing History. Two versions down. Like what - 17 or 18 to go? #realniceTopps

Anyway, sorry for the length, but be sure to check out the blogs ('cept one) of these trades. I am sure you can work out deals with them. And if you see Brian lurking in your comments, pressure that guy to start blogging. Offer him Skittles or something.

Three times a mailday.

If you are wise (or stupid) enough to follow me on Twitter, you would have seen me tweet today:

How to make a bad day better? Watching my postal worker double back because she forgot to put 3 manila trade envelopes into my mailbox. WOO!
— Jeff Wilk (@jedijeff13) February 21, 2013

So what did all that mean? It meant that three great envelopes showed up today for me to enjoy, and in the long run, share with you all.

First comes Adam from Arpsmith's Obsession. Adam needed Cooperstown. In return, Adam sent me a Topps Pennant cards, some A&G for my "Collect all the Ginter" task, and a card I won from his Super Bowl contest. I picked an Adam Lind auto.

That Lind is a little corny, but like the manu-bat I received a couple weeks back, I have wanted one of these. Thanks Adam!

The second envelope really isn't a trade, and I am not sure if you call it winnings either. Dave at the awesome Tribe Cards ran a pack ripping all during the 2012 season. You simply picked three teams, players or whatever, Dave ripped a pack a day and then sorted and shipped you what matched your selections. If I recall, I picked Mark Buerhle, White Sox and throwbacks for my choices. Or maybe double plays, cuz I got a few of those too. Heck - I can't remember. I do know I received a good 25 free cards from the ripping, including gems like these.

Nice!!! Also scored a couple monster cards....in size, that is.

Who wouldn't like oversized Fisk cards! Dave is running the pack a day ripping for 2013. Not sure if you can still signup, but you can get more over at his blog. Thanks Dave.

Last comes from the awesome Jim at GCRL (Garvey, Cey, Russell and Lopes). Jim and I share a love of DP cards. Looks like he had some extra that he decided to drop on me out of the blue, along with some Sox and a nice group of throwbacks. Here's a little peek.

Oh baby - I had NO IDEA Topps thought about throwbacks on cards prior to 2007 or so. Now the hunt is on for earlier cards. But the highlight of the package was this baby.

But that is no normal Howard A&G base. It is the LAST A&G base card I needed for 2012. Set - complete! Thank you so much Jim for knocking out my first Allen and Ginter base set.

If you have any A&G to get rid of, I have moved my needs to their own wants link above. I have yet to post a 2006 or 2010 needs list because both are so ridiculously huge. Hoping to find another path to narrow down my needs on those years before I put out an ask. But you know hpw to get a hold of me.

So to Adam, Dave and Jim - multiple high fives for a great trip to the end of the driveway.

HIGH-FIVE HOLLYWOOD! from Almost Twins

Some trades just never stop - the tale of two Pierces

I only have about 30 trades or so under my belt, but I am sure those with far more can relate to the trade that starts small and then just grows and grows. Partially because of asks, but mostly because of generous offers. In the email conversation, something is just sort of said without any intent of anything, but the reader on the other end picks up on it and makes an offer, which you are a fool to turn down. So the trade grows and grows. This is one of those types of trades. It started with an email I received from Patrick at Hot Corner Cards saying he had 3 cards on my want list. I will trade for ANYTHING, so the emails started.

And the three cards grew into a larger and larger trade. If you happen to see my wants page and notice my 07 and 08 A&G needs, that's Patrick's fault. See, he made mention about having some 2007 Ginter and could have some 2008 if he knew what I needed. Well, up goes the 2008 needs list, and the trade grew even larger. When the dust settled, I ended up with a crapton (it's an industry term) of 2007 and 2008 Ginter cards and bunch of White Sox, along with the cards that started the whole trade. I didn't scan all of what you have seen a million ways before, but let me say it was an awesome trade to complete. Well, technically, I am finishing the back half of the trade - Tigers for 2008 Ginter. That's going to ship in a few days.

The other day I got a bubble mailer. Oh yes - the '53 Bowman Pierce I won off eBay!!!

 
Got it for about $7 shipped. That was some fast turn around. So I open the package and it's a Pierce, but the wrong Pierce.

It still is a Pierce I need for the Project, but the eBay seller didn't send the '53 Bowman, this is a '58 Topps Mound Aces. Great card. Love the condition, but how do I tell him it's not what I expected? And then I looked closer at the envelope. "I know this address", I thought. So I did some email searching, and who's address should it be? Patrick's.

W
T
F
!

DUDE!!!! You've destroyed my 2007 A&G, murdered my 2008 A&G list, dated my daughter that is my 2012 Update wants - now you just drop a card like this on my lap "just cuz"? Are you some kind of angel?

So that's how one blogger made me work my tail off creating, then updating want lists, along with sorting, boxing, scanning and uploading. It was AWESOME! Go check out Patrick at Hot Corner Cards. You can't go wrong.

(PS - I got that real eBay Pierce the next day.)

Trades 25 & 26: want list beatdowns

If you are wise enough to put yourself on the Sports Card Blogroll, there is a great chance to get traffic over to your site. I know I hit the link a good 5 or 6 times a day. While I have my regular haunts, I am always going through the post feed for anything that catches my eye, as long as they have not rolled off the list. Routinely, I will add a new blog to my personal feed at least a couple times a week. Lots of great writers that entertain me, and make me jealous. Mostly for their collections, and partially because they are fun to read, and I am a monkey with a computer.

That being said - getting a reader there is the start. Keeping them is the trick. Again, I think good content helps. Entertaining bits of prose. Fun crap to share is good. Want lists are a good way to suck me into a blog. Here are two trades that developed from my lists. One is from a newcomer (see "rolled off list" comment above) and the other is from a site that I have read plenty, and some how, never followed (see "monkey with computer" comment above).

Let's start with Pat over at Hot Corner Cards. He is new enough with his blog, so I can see how I have missed reading it. But Pat paid my site a visit and let me know he could help out with me '12 Update needs. Pat is a Tigers collector, so for a ChiSox guy to find someone to take some Tigers off my hands is a good thing indeed. :) Pat didn't stop with Update though. Oh no he didn't. "Hey Jeff - I got some '07 Ginter you need". When the mail arrived, it was not "some". How about 83 cards worth? According to the book, that is called "murdering the list". Pat easily halved my '07 A&G needs. I won't scan all nearly 100 cards in the box I received. How about the three best '07 Allen and Ginter cards now in my collection?

I had no clue Bruce Lee was in '07 Ginter. I do know someone is about to get their butt kicked by him in that card, though. The Willingham is here because I like the color of the card. All the colors are muted, and it works well. Mule Miles is Negro League. I need not explain why this card is cool.

The other package came from Jim with the cool named Garvey Cey Russell Lopes blog. It's a blog I have viewed many times, and for some dumb reason I never added it to my follow list. Jim started with a simple PWE request, and then reminded me that he was holding some cards for my 2001 UD Hall of Fame set. I completely forgot about that email he had sent a good 6 weeks prior. Jim was good enough to remind me, and a simple PWE turned into a bigger trade. It's nice to spread the Dodger wealth beyond the Gregs (Night Owl and Plaschke). Jim knocked 9 off my HOF set. Here's just a sample.

What's not to love about that? Think Cooperstown, WITH the logos. Then Jim tossed in a some White Sox for me. Best three?

I am not familiar with that SP year, but it's a welcome addition. Black Jack is always good and I am certain I don't have that card. And then Kruk rockin' the mullet.

Make sure to visit their sites and see if you can work up a trade. Two great trades with two great bloggers.

Trying to catch up & a coupe of trades

Hey all. I'm a bit in frantic mode. I have a bunch of stuff to talk about, but I am not going to jam it into one post. I can at least knock off a couple pretty quick.

First off - after I post this I am heading for my PO to send out packages for zip codes 34270, 16101, 48895, 46561 & 91202. If you think that's you, then you sort of won Powerball, except it's decidely a few million dollars less than if you got all six numbers, so don't go ordering that lime green Lambo with the leather seats.

No Corinthian leather for you, my friend.

The other is a couple trade packages I received earlier this week. Like I said - I gots to catch up. First comes from the one and only Night Owl. I believe it started with a post of him talking of a couple cards he was missing from A&G. It was a small trade, but here's some of the goodness inside.

Nice Vintage. I think I used to have that Keegan card. I know I never had the Black Jack Post. Greg added in a couple cards from my needs list, wich you all REALLY should look at. I mean - you have extras, right? They take up room. I have space, so send them to me. 

The other trade came from Craig at Condition Sensitive. Craig did what you all should do - he looked at my wants list, found stuff I needed that wasted space, emailed me and BAM - I got to edit my want list. It's a beautiful thing. I shot over some needs for Craig and in return, he knocked down my '12 Gypsy Queen needs pretty well. See where it says "done"? That was Craig's doing. Here's a quick look at three from his envelope.

MINIIIIIIIIS!!!! Oh wait - that's what the Owl says, and none of these are mini's. I really meant to say GINTERRRRRRRRRRR! Craig is a Rockies collector and had an extra Petrick for my collection. I almost picked that one up at COMC - so glad I didn't. And Craig.....that auto card is the frigging BOMB! I am totally stealing that idea, so I hope you don't mind. I don't have a Fuji auto card for some reason (hint hint hint). 

Alright, I will end there. Yesterday was raffle day at my LCS. Got a couple nice hits from pack wars to share. Tomorrow or Tuesday on that though. One last thing, though: have you seen my want list? How about my PWE trade page? Just click it!! Don't make me come over there...

Welcome the the club, quarter century old Billy

I was watching a card on eBay and did not happen to be home when the auction ended. Didn't make me too happy because I wanted this card. Thought the condition and price was right. Well, fortunate for me, the auction ended with no bids, and the seller put the card right back up. For $5 w/ shipping, I have now scratched another card off my Billy Pierce Project.

Centering is a little off. The surface has a minor scratches, but you have to tilt it in the light to see that. A couple corners have dings, but I think I got a steal on the card. 1952 Bowman - DONE!

Trades 13 & 14: incoming!

I am falling behind on the things I would like to get posted. Yeah - I suck. But I suck in a good way, in that..... actually no, I just suck.

Anywho - got a few more envelopes this week, and a couple we shall talk about here. Two trades that arrived in my mailbox on Thursday. You people must actually read this crap I write. Or maybe I have cool stuff. Or maybe I am delusional on both.

Anywho - let's start with the Night Owl. N.O. had a hankering for a Career Day that I pulled from a series 2 blaster. Sure, for the owl you are welcome to it. In return, he sent me card #29 from series 1, completing that set, as well as a few ChiSox. Highlights?

Dueling Cameron's. I wasn't sure why he left the Sox until a quick innerweb search tells me we got a certain Paul Konerko in return. Ok - good deal, good deal. Thanks Nighty Nighty for the Sox.

Same day, received mail from Andrew's Baseball Cards. He initially made a plea for followers. I am always willing to hit that button (Jeff = lemming) and then I gave his wants list a look over. Couple emails and bam - I cleared out a bunch of dupes and got some great White Sox in return. Here is but a few.

Who really can have too many Thomes - am I right? A nice gold Bowman. I think that boarder works far better than the standard black. Great duo with former Sox Big Hurt and current Sox Dunn. Plus Buehrle looking all tough. I wonder what he is thinking....

Thanks for the trades. You all have a great father's day, whether you are a dad or you have a dad to hang with. I was going to post this song, being a tribute to dads, but man, I am in a rocking mood. So hit the link, but let's jam to another Black Stone Cherry tune.

Trade #3: Brock's Dub

Before I get to the cards, give me a paragraph or two to set up this post. In my house of 4, comedy is a big thing. There is always laughter of some sort, or at least the desire for that. We all have fun playfully ripping into each other, or trying to get that quick wit line in a conversation. Movies/TV/video are also a big part in entertainment and humor. Like many of you reader (not plural....not a typo), great quotes get thrown around from time to time purely for breaking up the other person. And text message movie quote tangents are a pretty regular use of our unlimited messaging plan. A quite popular (among all the others) YouTube video that gets a lot of use in my house is Mafia Babies, a Brock's Dub remix of the talking babies meme. Out of the blue lines are thrown out.....just cuz.

LEG!

But in regard to this post, I would like to reference the disclaimer at the start of Mafia Babies: "..all the curse words have been replaced with baby friendly substitutes. Enjoy."  Alright - let's take a look at the package I received a couple days ago from Troll at Collective Troll.

I work from home 4 days a week, and my wife is a speech pathologist in a school, this week being her spring break. So my fluffing day has been rough, but a visit from the postal carrier brings gifts. I hustle my ascot out to the mailbox to find an envelope with "Troll" return address on it. FLUFFING SWEET! As I pull it out, I am shocked at the size of his package.

That's what she said.

 

I sent Troll a bunch of set fillers and a Longoria relic from my trade bait he requested.  This return envelope seems too fluffing large. Either he's too generous, or he was shaft-faced drunk when he mailed it. Still, let's see what we have. So I walk in to the bedroom and show my wife my latest postal prize. I comment to her that the sender is a roller derby announcer - how fluffing cool is that. We get a little laugh (see first paragraph). I open the package to a cool roller derby program that I show my wife. "See? So damp cool!" I say. As I walk back to my "office", I start reading the enclosed note from Sir Troll. "No fluffing way. No fluffing way." I mumble over and over. My wife inquires of what I am talking about. 

Dramatic pause in the post here - let's look at the non-related no-fluffing-way items in the package. And we start with A&G minis.

A nice 9 pack of White Sox minis. I believe I have a grand total of 0 of them, so let's call this 9 new White Sox in my card collection. We move to a nice group of more recent White Sox cards.

I love the A&G with the secret code markings on the corners. Some nice Topps diamonds, a TR Peavy and a Floyd OPC. Then we move back a few years in players for the most part

.

Any Aparicio is a win for me. I believe he will be the next project after my Billy Pierce collection is complete. Couple Albert Belles, a nice Thomas Flair Showcase, a silk Podzilla (first silk I have in my collection and man, they're cool) and a Dotel relic. For those that like a good mystery, you missed a foreshadowing moment. Stephen King would be proud. Or not. Let's go back farther in the South Side player history on the next scan.

What have we here? A 64 Buford Rookie, 81 OPC Baines Rookie, a couple of 61 Topps of Pierce and Minoso and a 55 Bowman Carrasquel. Holy fluff. And for the record. absolutely NONE of these cards are related to my earlier comment. Ok - back to the story...

If you recall, I am no fluffing way'ing my mouth off in the other room. My wife asks what's up, so I come back in to read the card:

Now you see my fluffing dilemma?! Troll - you have got to be fluffing shafting me! But that was no fluffing slip of the pen and here's the proof.

 actual, unshopped scan of the card

I spent the rest of the day (and still even now) in utter amazement. BTW, after I read Troll's note, my wife asks "Is that good?" Been living under a mother-fluffing rock, woman????

So that is trade #3 in the books, and a holy shaft trade for sure. I have let Troll know that he has a place to sleep if he is ever in my neck of the woods, and I have reversed a certain surgery I had so we can have another child only to name him Troll. Or her. Enjoy the name, kiddo.