PC Upgrades from the Dime Box

Not the literal Dime Box, but my new pal Nick over at the blog Dime Boxes -- The Low-End Baseball Card Collector's Journey.

Nick enjoys the little things about cardboard collecting, like finding gems for just a dime. Luckily, Nick was in need of some parallels, and I had a ton lying around (and still do). After a good deal of bartering, we were able to settle on a trade. I sent him a small of stack of parallels and set needs, and he sent me some sick Pirates cards off of his trade list.

First off is a really nice Pedro Alvarez insert from 2011 Topps Opening Day. This set of inserts, "Stadium Lights," attempts to highlight the feats that players achieve in night games.

Which makes this one of the most ironic cards of all time, at least for this season. Here are Pedro's night/day splits for the 2013 season (day games on top):

Hense the nickname he earned this year, "Daydro."

Next to Pedro is a nice Jason Bay card from 2006 Bowman Originals. Blue Parallel numbered to 250. JB's up there on my all-time Pirate favs.

Continuing the parallel theme, we've got a gold beauty of Josh Harrison from 2012 Topps. And look who it is in the background! Daydro! He's even smiling, which is quite a rarity. Not a knock on him at all, I believe he's just an intense guy on the field.

The Jeanmar Gomez emerald is fresh out of 2013 Update. Jeanmar is at the top of the pile for the most underrated player on the Pirates this year. He started, relieved, and closed games.. and didn't give up many runs doing so.

Last but certainly not least is a 2010 UD Marlon Byrd auto. This card won't knock anyone's socks off, but neither will Marlon Byrd. I've been itching to grab an auto of his ever since joining the Buccos, so Nick came in clutch for me here. I'm sad to see him go across the state, but I will always remember his outstanding play on the North Shore, however brief it was.

Thanks again to Nick, and thanks for reading!

Free Stuff!

Today I'm here to present a unique opportunity to my fellow bloggers: FREE STUFF!

Not just any stuff, but 5 packs of early 90's football cardboard. Hard to resist, right? One of them even comes with a piece of gum that's over two decades old!!

I received these as a throw-in in an eBay purchase. I have very little interest in these types of cards, but I know there are some people out there that can offer a warm, loving home!

First come, first serve. Just drop me a comment or an e-mail.

Thanks for reading, 

Nate

Topps Comes Through With a Redemption!

It seems that every collector has a nightmare story about a Topps redemption. Luckily, I've avoided pulling redemptions, except for two. One I sold on eBay immediately, and one I decided to redeem. 

I pulled the redemption card out of Bowman platinum blaster over the summer. It only took about 3 months for them to get it to me. I can't complain! 

I had never heard of Mike O'Neill, but after some reading, he seems like an interesting character. And because of that, I think I'll hang onto this one for a while! I hope to see him in the big leagues soon.

Thanks for reading, 

Nate

Trade Bait! Come and get it!

Hello all, I've finally got around to updating my Trade Bait page. I've been buying a ton of Topps baseball products lately, and everything's on the new page. Check it out HERE! 

If you see anything you like, shoot me an email at nsbell440@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!

Parallel Perfection

Parallels have become a fixture in card collecting. Every collector has an opinion on them. In general, I'm a big fan of parallels, although they have gotten out of hand over the past few years in terms of abundance. Here's an example of parallels creating some gorgeous cards:

After I heard that 2013 Topps Chrome included black parallels numbered to 100, I could only imagine how awesome the Pirates cards would look, and I had to put a team set together. They did not disappoint. I was able to snag each of these off of eBay for decent prices. They're rare enough to have some value, but not so rare that they're unobtainable. 

Sometimes parallels can look very odd. When the border colors match the team colors, it just looks amazing.

Some Very Awesome Tradebait

Hello fellow bloggers! If you're a fan of Bowman Chrome, please listen up! 

Not too long ago, I ordered a case of 2013 Bowman Chrome baseball. To make an extremely long story extremely short, I still have a handful of factory sealed, unopened hobby boxes. 

Why do I mention this? TRADE BAIT! I've busted plenty of boxes lately, and I'd really like to dump these boxes off to people who want them. In return, I'd like to get some nice cards, of course. I'm looking mostly for auto's and low numbered cards. If you didn't know, I'm a Pirates and Steelers fan... However, I collect all different types of baseball, basketball, and football cards. If you think you can match the value of one of these hobby boxes, please don't hesitate to contact me. Drop a comment or shoot me an email at nsbell440@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!

It's My Lucky Day!

A couple weeks back, the guys over at Sports Card Collectors held a contest prior to the NLCS. The rules were simple: Choose the winner of the series and the number of games it will take them to do so. It was the day after the Cardinals beat my Buccos in game 5 of the NLDS, and I had to give it to the Redbirds. They looked like a great baseball team, and I liked them to go on and defeat the Dodgers. I entered the contest and took the Cards in 6. What a guess that turned out to be! 

I was one of six bloggers who took the Cards to win in six, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as the winner from the randomizer!

Here's a picture of all the goodies:

Pretty cool stuff! I always buy BCW products, but it's nice to get some for free, of course. Aside of the booklet cases, these are all supplies that I use frequently, so it was a very practical win for me. 

If you don't follow the Sports Card Collectors collectors, you're really missing out. They hold some really fun contests, and there's always awesome prizes. I received my package in less than a week of winning too. If you're interested in purchasing the highest quality card protection, head straight to BCW's website.


As always, thanks for reading!