Trade with Topps Cards that Never Were

In mid-September, Jeremy from Topps Cards that Never Were shot me an email about sending over some spare Pirates cards. This is the first time Jeremy and I have traded, and I’m really excited about this partnership. Jeremy sent me some great cards, but the best part about the partnership is that Jeremy collects the Rays. I’m excited to have a home for my unwanted Rays cards in the future.

First up is two pink parallels of formers Pirates, both of whom are participating in the Postseason (of course). One could/should win the Cy Young. You’ve probably heard of him by now.

Jose Guillen is one of very very few notable Pirates from the 90’s, so he shows up often in late 90s cardboard. This insert is awesome. He was 21 when he broke into the majors, hence the “Baby Boomers.”

As for Liriano, he’s one of my favorite recent Pirates. And while he was good for the Pirates, he was really nasty on the Twins. Really cool orange chrome parallel from 2010 Topps Chrome.

My favorite card of the lot. 2008 Topps Heritage High Number #/559. I don’t collect much Heritage, but maybe I should. Heritage refractors are so sweet. Maholm was pretty bad, maybe average at best over his 10 year career. He was a serviceable back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher who probably could of benefitted from some run support. Sadly, “run support” was not in the Pirates vocabulary in the mid 2000s.

And yet, this is still a great card. There’s just something different about the shine on Heritage refractors, which I tried my best to capture in the image above.

Thanks for the trade, Jeremy! Cheers to many more.

Newman and Kramer: PWE and Some Random PC Adds

I've been a big fan of Sport Card Collectors for a long time. I'm a frequent reader and I especially enjoy the product reviews, which have often inspired (or discouraged) my hobby box purchases. 

I was browsing through the blog the other day and noticed a few late 90's Topps football cards on the wantlist. I have a handful of football cards from that era, so I dug through some of my football commons and was able to dig up two of the cards on there. I contacted Matt who runs the blog and in a few days we had a PWE swap lined up.

I had my eye on a few of his recent breaks after seeing Matt pull a few good looking Pirates.

First up, Matt sent me this 2019 Stadium Club Auto from Kevin Newman. I've never busted open any Stadium Club myself, and I'm not sure I ever will. The photography is great - we know that - but I find myself gravitating towards bordered cards. Therefore, it's awesome to get another Stadium Club Auto in my collection, especially from a guy who has been super impressive in his rookie season.

The other card I requested is the 2019 Topps Chrome Kevin Kramer Prism. I do love some me shiny! At this time last year, Newman and Kramer were projected as the future middle infield for the Pirates. "The Seinfeld Double Play." That hasn't gone exactly to plan as Kramer has been on a slower path of progression. 

Matt also threw in the 2019 Topps Heritage Gregory Polanco Purple Parallel #/175. A really pleasant surprise. Thanks, Matt!

Now for a few random PC pick ups:

Top left: 2018 Bowman Draft Chrome Oneil Cruz #10/50. This guy is super intriguing. First off, he was traded at the deadline in 2017 straight up for reliever Tony Watson, who went on to pitch very meaningful innings for the Dodgers in the playoffs that year. Need more? His dad named him after Paul O'Neil! Not enough for you? He's a 6'6 shortstop, who has a cannon for an arm and a ton of raw power. 

He's 21 years old and was promoted to AA in August. He probably won't stick at that position, but so far his pure athleticism has been enough to keep him there. This is my first Cruz card. I'd love an auto, but he's only signed one licensed product so far and the prices aren't reasonable. 

Top right: 2014 Bowman Chrome Francisco Liriano Bubble Refractor /99. I think the bubble refactors are sooo sweet and I don't know why.

Bottom: 2019 Topps Series 2 Steel City Slammers. I mean... Steel City Slammers. Only two of the players on this card are still Pirates, which sounds about right since it's September and I'm a Pirates fan. Sweet card nonetheless, and a really great way for me to remember Corey Dickerson in one card.

Thanks again to Matt for the awesome PWE swap, and thanks to you for reading!

The Most Epic Trade

It all start when I was reading through a blog post from Brian over at Collecting Cutch.

In a blog post two weeks ago, Brian included a bit about his #1 most sought-after card – a 2014 Topps Opening Day Andrew McCutchen variant. I was super active in scooping up every Pirates card I could find between 2013-2015, and tucked away deep in my giant box of mostly-useless Pirates cards, I have a small stack of short prints and variants.

Sure enough, I had what Brian refers to as his unicorn. I am happy to say that it’s been delivered to a more deserving owner. As you’re about to see, this card must have really meant a ton to Brian, because OH MY GOODNESS did he deliver in return.

This is without question the largest trade package I’ve ever received – over 100 unique Pirates cards. A common theme will be “This is my first auto of this guy!” and “I’ve always been meaning to pick up a card like this.” There is some seriously incredible stuff in here. This is recap of some of the “highest highlights” – and there’s still a ton that I left out.

Yeah. Five envelopes, all with instruction/detail about how to dig in and enjoy. We’ll start out light and pick up the fun as it goes along:

A pair of Frankie Liriano’s to kick it off. He’s been in his prime on about three separate occasions in his career – the first being his early years with the twins. If you didn’t know, he’s back with the Pirates for his second stint. The 2019 Buccos are abysmal in every way that’s not named Josh Bell or Brian Reynolds – although Liriano has actually been a quality bullpen piece.

While exchanging trade ideas, Brian had asked me for some of my favorite players. Gerrit Cole, in a sad way, is one of them. A #1 overall pick that actually panned out for the Pirates. I wasn’t opposed to trading to him to Houston because I was 100% certain he wouldn’t sign a second deal with the Pirates. So any return was a good one. What he’s doing now in Houston would have never happened in Pittsburgh… but that doesn’t make it sting any less. I still root for him, quietly.

How sweet are those cards? All numbered /99 or less.

Continuing on the Cole train and now joined by his friends Pedro Alvarez and Mark Melancon. The patches are this card are so bad ass. Melancon has enjoyed a small revitalization of his career thanks to Shane Greene immediately imploding in Atlanta’s closer role. As for Alvarez… man, it seems like just yesterday that he was swinging for the fences in the 2013 home run derby. After failing to make the Marlins Opening Day roster (ouch), he’s out of the majors.

Back to Liriano: a Case Hit from 2016 Topps. This baby has a metal border on it. It feels like a dang paperweight and is officially the only metal card that I own. Numbered to only 16.

Printing plates, anyone? 2011 Topps Jose Tabata and Joel Hanrahan, and 2012 Jeff Locke.

Everyone remembers Jose Tabata a little differently. The word “Bust” comes to mind. I've written about this before: I remember Jose best for failing to move his elbow out of the path of a two out, 9^th inning fastball… that broke up a perfect game.

2014 Topps Supreme Oscar Taveras/Gregory Polanco Dual Auto /25. Wow… to think what could have been. Polanco still has a chance to make something of his career, and Taveras sadly does not. Beautiful card.

Three brand new players to my auto collection. Believe it or not, I’m a Pirates fan that didn’t previously own a Freddy Sanchez auto. That has now changed! Clay Holmes and Jose Osuna are two guys that have bounced between AAA and the majors for two years now. I’m a sucker for a nice Bowman Chrome Auto – especially a refractor.

Another awesome patch, this one capturing the corner of the buccaneer bandana on the Pirates logo. /99. Marte has been a staple in the Pirates lineup for six plus seasons now. I’ve collected him heavily and I’m happy to add several more awesome cards to the collection.

Almost an entire team set of 2017 Topps Chrome Blue Refractors.

Some great humor here from Brian. But seriously, he’s not kidding. He sent me enough printing plates to open my own card factory.

Yet another first auto for me: Pedro Alvarez. I never bought any Alvarez autos because A. They were always overpriced B. He never signed for a licensed product. I’m somewhat of a snob when it comes to certified autos, but this one I can get down with. This is also my first jersey letter patch card, from any player. 

Also pictured is a beauty – 2015 Gypsy Queen. Tri-color patch /5.

A couple more Marte autos, a Gerrit Cole Leaf auto, and a Cutch auto from the Cutch Collector himself.

And for the grand finale, an incredible Tyler Glasnow patch from Panini Immaculate. This might be my favorite card of the bunch, capturing what looks like the “S” in Pirates. You’ve probably heard of Glasnow by now due to his insane April/May with the Rays. If he stayed in Pittsburgh, you probably wouldn’t know who he is. His career was becoming somewhat of a mess but he’s clearly figured it out in Tampa. Like Gerrit Cole, I’ll quietly root for him as long as he’s not pitching against the Pirates.

Brian, again, I can’t thank you enough. It took me a solid 30 minutes to work through each package and enjoy each card. Carefully looking over each card for serial numbers and looking through each package to come across another note from was more fun than any hobby box I’ve ever opened. Your generosity is unparalleled.

Thanks for reading!

Hot Corner Sends a Killer Cole

Way back in September, I formed a nice trading relationship with Pat from Hot Corner Cards. Pat's a huge Tigers fan, and is definitely my go-to guy with my extra Tigers cardboard. I sent him a nice Justin Verlander Relic a few months ago as well as some set needs, if my memory serves me correctly. 

Not only did Pat send me some awesome cards, he also packaged them in the most clever way I've never seen. Pat cut out one horizontal row of a binder page and loaded each of the three slots with three cards. He wrapped the plastic in one piece of blank paper and slipped it in a PWE. It was a perfect fit. 

This a secure way to send cards, and it's also affordable- two stamps will cover it. I'm definitely stealing this method! 

Now for the cardboard:

The Wilson brothers! Not literally brothers, but it seemed like they could have been as they were both fixtures in the Pirates line-up for a five year period. Neither achieved any overwhelming success, aside from Jack who had a career year in 2004. That year, he hit .308 and had over 200 hits, earning him All-Star recognition and a Silver Slugger award. Craig, a supposed power guy, was more a less a bust. He only broke the 20 HR mark once in his short 6 year career.

Here's a nice reminder that Aramis Ramirez was in fact a Pirate at one time. He held down the left side of the infield with Jack Wilson in the early 2000's, having one of the best years of his career in 2001. He and Jose Bautista form a short list of 3B's that the Buccos wish they could have held onto. Pedro Alvarez will likely join that list soon to a large contract with a larger market team.

Next up are nice retail-only black parallels from this year's Heritage, which we're all familiar with at this point. I've written before about how much I love black Pirates parallels. These are no exception. And neither is this....

As the title alludes to, I personally feel that this Gerrit Cole card is killer. Not only do I love black borders, but I also love refractors. Mix in the fact that this card is short printed /65 and you've got the recipe for a perfect card. This is a (literal) shining example of what beautiful cardboard looks like!

Pat, thanks so much for the cards. They've found the perfect home!

Opening Day 2014: Pictures, Predictions, Postseason? Part 2

Yeah, yeah, I know... Opening Day was a week ago. But I'm slow,  and I haven't had a chance to get on here and write a post of this length!

If you recall, a week ago I posted my thoughts and predictions for the Pirates 2014 campaign. In that post, I only hit on the offensive starting lineup, and didn't mention anything about the pitching staff. So, I thought it would be appropriate to analyze the hurlers as well.

Without further ado, the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting rotation!

First up, #1: Francisco Liriano!

2013: IP: 161 Record: 16-8 ERA: 3.02 K: 163 WHIP: 1.22

2014 Projected stats: IP: 170 Record: 14-11 ERA: 3.90 K: 178 WHIP: 1.67

Comments: I hate to say it, but I don't see Frankie having a repeat of last year, when he won comeback player of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love this guy. I love the attitude he brings to the mound, and I love watching confused batters hack and miss at his disgusting slider. I just can't see him achieving the same level of success he had last year. If he can stay healthy, I think he'll have a solid year, just not the outstanding season of 2013.

#2: Charlie Morton

2013: IP: 116 Record: 7-4 ERA: 3.26 K: 85 WHIP: 1.23

2014 Projected stats: IP: 175 Record: 13-7 ERA: 3.31 K: 131 WHIP: 1.36

Comments: Unfortunately this is the nicest card I have of Ground Chuck. Why do they call him Ground Chuck, you ask? Because it's catchy, yes, but also because he's a classic ground-ball pitcher (...and his name's Charlie). He's a real Derek Lowe type. Everything he throws breaks downward, and it's never more than theigh-high. In my opinion, he's probably the Pirates most consistent starter. He's not flashy by any means, but he's almost always able to pitch 5 or 6 strong innings, giving the Bucco bats a chance to win the game. I think he'll take a nice step forward in 2014.

#3: Wandy Rodriguez

2013: IP: 62 2/3 Record: 6-4 ERA: 3.59 K: 46 WHIP: 1.12

2014 Projected stats: IP: 181 Record: 11-10 ERA: 3.68 K: 155 WHIP: 1.32

Comments: I love this card. Shiny, low number, great sig. Wandy was plagued with injuries in 2013, sitting out the majority of the season on the back end. He's a very underrated starting pitcher in the major leagues, probably due to playing a total of 8 years with Houston. His lifetime record is 91-93 with an ERA of 4.01-- although these numbers are skewed by a three rough years to start his career. Since 2008, he's never had an ERA over 3.76, and he put together a streak of four 10-win seasons. He's not glamourous in any way, but he's a perfect middle of the rotation guy. I think he'll stay right on track with his career averages.

#4: Gerrit Cole

2013: IP: 117 1/3 Record: 10-7 ERA: 3.22 K: 100 WHIP: 1.12

2014 Projected stats: IP: 192 Record: 16-7 ERA: 3.05 K: 188 WHIP: 1.15

Comments: The phenom, as they say. Boy, is this guy exciting. Cole has been a highly-touted and incredibly exciting young prospect for the Pirates for several years, and has finally made a splash in majors. As a mid-sesason call-up in 2013, he certainly didn't disappoint. I don't see this guy struggling in any way, simply because he's never struggled at all in his young career. Gerrit will take a huge leap forward in his first full season, and he'll be anchoring the Pirates rotation for years to come.

#5: Edinson Volquez

2013: IP: 170 1/3 Record: 9-12 ERA: 5.71 K: 116 WHIP: 1.67

2014 Projected stats: IP: 158 Record: 8-14 ERA: 5.29 K: 106 WHIP: 1.58

Comments: Please excuse that silly piece of tape that a previous collector felt was necessary. We all know how that goes. The Pirates seem to have a ton of faith in Volquez, hoping that the pitching coaches can turn him around like they did with Liriano. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. I've seen this guy play for a while now, and he just can't get it under control. He was a very cheap signing, so he's low-risk in that sense. However... he kind of sucks... so pitching him once a week seems pretty high-risk to me. I pray that I'm wrong in my predictions and he turns out OK. If not, I pray that the Pirates dispose of him before he can put up the stats that I've projected above.

So there you have it. In my eyes, it should be a solid year for the pitching staff. There's no doubt that's some talent, but all of the pieces will need to fall into place perfectly if the Bucs will have a shot at the postseason.

One last thing: If you haven't already seen, I'm holding a contest with some nice prizes. Check out the link if you like free cards!

Thanks for reading.

Atomic PC Additions and Some Topps Series 1 Previews!

I haven't posted in forever. That's a fact. I feel bad too, because I was having some great interactions and building somewhat of a following. However, even when I'm not posting I'm constantly reading and browsing blogs, and you guys have provided some excellent reading material. 

I've also been neglecting eBay and COMC somewhat, but I was able to sit down the other night and put together a few orders. Here's what I hauled in:

I actually stumbled across these by accident, in a way. I was searching eBay for 2013 Topps Chrome atomic refractors, which are numbered to 10. I absolutely love the "cracked ice" look to these parallels, but the 2013's are generally way too expensive, being so rare.

 In my search I learned that in 2011 Topps, the atomic refractors are exactly the same design, but numbered to 225. Boom! There were several of each of COMC, so I was able to pick and choose. The best part is, the Liriano is 47/225, his jersey number! I absolutely hate when eBayers use this gimmick to jack up prices, but that wasn't the case here. Happy to have it!

I'm still looking for this same card, but of Pedro Alvarez. Please let me know if you see one!

Next up:

This baby. What to say here. This is more or less a case of, "Whoa. Shiny. Must. Have." It also satisfied many of my conditions for buying a single:

Price? The price was right. Really right (I think). The same card has gone on eBay for waaayy more than I bought it for, although the grades were higher.

Rarity? Somewhat rare. It's an X-fractor RC, at least.

Value? People f**kin' love this guy. I'm sure the 9 brings the value down. 

Unique? I've never owned a graded card! Plus it's a just a beautiful looking card all-around.

That was enough for me. I guess this is technically for trade if there are any Harper super-fans out there that are dying for a card like this. I'd need a great offer though. 

Moving on: How about 2014 Topps Series 1?! Who's excited?! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I'm definitely a bigger fan of S2, Update, and Chrome... but the novelty of a new product is always exciting to me. I've been avoiding the card isle all week and WallyWorld in an effort to save up for some packs of S1. I may even consider a blaster. Thoughts? Anyone out there buying a hobby box? Joining a group break? I'd love to hear some opinions. 

I've been keeping up with Topps' updates throught Twitter, and here are some of the cards that have caught my eye:

All of these autos are pretty damn nice. I've seen a ton of complaints about all of the autos being stickers. I actually don't mind the stickers for S1 and S2, because it means that other Topps products with on-card autos will remain higher end (Chrome, Gypsy Queen Five Star, etc). It also cuts down on redemptions, I believe.

A few quick housekeeping items; I 've updated my Trade Bait. There are over a dozen 2013 Topps Chome sapphire blue refractors /199 on there, as well as tons of other goodies. Check it out! I'd love to get some trades going.

Also, if you haven't checked me out on Twitter, please do so! @big44cards

Thanks for reading! Nate

PC Additions

Today's post will be a quick one, highlighting three cards that I'm excited to add to my personal collections:

This card is from 2013 Update, one of the retail only chrome refractors. Back in November, I posted about how much I love black Pirates parallels. Frankie didn't have a card in the 2013 Chrome set, so it's great to be able to add this chrome parallel, #'ed out of 99.  I'm still looking for the same card of Pedro Alvarez. The only one on eBay is a bit too pricey.

This beauty was sent to me by the wonderful Judson Meeks over at My Cardboard Habit. Judson has been sending me some awesome Pirates cards for a few months now, and gets more generous by the day. This card is also from Chrome Update, retail only. The gold border looks great, and so does the /250 stamp on the flipside.

 Thanks, Judson!

My final addition is terribly random. I'm not necessarily a superfan of Drew Brees, and I don't have a Drew Brees PC. But several Sundays ago, I was watching Brees shred Carolina's defense for over 300 yds and 4 TD's. As the broadcasters were raving about the future hall-of-famer, I thought, "It would be great to own a tangible piece of this guy's career." So I did what any compulsive collector would do... hopped on eBay and grabbed a jersey card! It's numbered to 249, so it carries a bit of rarity which I always appreciate. Less than $5 shipped- can't beat!

I recently created a Twitter account to coincide this blog, as well as my collecting in general. Give me a follow - @big44cards

Thanks for reading! 

Pirates PC Additions

In my ongoing mission to bulk up my Pirates PC, I've been browsing eBay quite often. Last week, was able to grab two beautiful cards of two keystone Buccos. As my Pirates collection has grown, it seems that it's becoming more and more autographed based. As long as it continues to be an affordable practice, I'd love to snag at least one auto of each significant member of the Pirates roster. Here are my two newest additions (you can also view my entire PC HERE):

The first card I purchased is a Neil Walker Auto from 2012 Topps GQ. Everything about this card is great: On card, blue ink, great pose. The price was right too, just under $10 shipped. Neil's going to have to starting putting up some consistently good numbers if the Pirates want to have a stable offense. In other words, they offense will go as he goes.

The other card I grabbed is a 2008 Topps Triple Threads Francisco Liriano Autograph/Jersey. I'm not a huge fan of Topps' silver in-card autograph stickers, but an auto's an auto. The centering of the sticker on this particular card is also very poor. Thankfully the jersey isn't just plain white. Topps was kind enough to give me one single pinstripe... how kind of you, Topps.

This was also just under $10 shipped. Here's to hoping Frank the Tank can deliver us another all-star caliber season. Hopefully Topps will produce some more cards with Frankie in a Pirates jersery. Until then, I'll gladly settle for this.

Thanks for reading!