An Ambitious Set - Call Me Crazy

Thoreau once said,

"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” 

I'm not really sure what the hell that means, and I know he wasn't referring to collecting cardboard. Nevertheless, I'm going to leap into the dark and try to complete a set of 2013 Topps Chrome Sapphire Blue Parallels. Why these specific cards, you ask? Here's my reasoning:

1) Topps Chrome is my favorite set of the year. I love everything about these cards.

2) 2013 has been the most significant and exciting baseball year of my life and I'd like to commemorate it.

3) These cards are numbered to 199, and I have a fetish for numbered cards. 199 is high enough that the cards are affordable and attainable... in most cases.

I want to shoot high here and go beyond the regular base set. I've already got 31 cards, which brings me to a whopping 14% completed.

I know that I'm going to face some serious challenges here, the main one being the "prodigy" himself, Yasiel Puig. Puig has been a pain in the ass for set collectors and this situation is no different. The cheapest Puigs on eBay range from 45-60 bucks, although some have gone for as low as $25 in .99 cent auctions. Thankfully I already own the Jose Fernandez card, which is a big plus. Manny Machado will likely be the other wallet-breaker.

Call me crazy, but this is my new project... and I would LOVE YOUR HELP! If you see any good auctions or better yet want to trade, give me a shout. I've got tons of stuff up on my Trade Bait page so please check it out. I'm willing to be generous and creative here. PWE's, bulk trades... you name it, I'm game. Drop a comment or shoot me an e-mail at nsbell440@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading! 

Trade with Alex of Chavez Ravining

Happy Holidays everyone. Between all the stress of the holidays, I'm happy to say that I've been able to balance things well this year and not drive myself too insane. I've luckily had some spare time, which I've spent organizing my collection and setting up trades.

Two weeks ago, a guy by the name of Alex contacted me because he was interested in a 2013 Topps Chrome Adrian Beltre Camo parallel that I had, #'d to 15. It's a gorgeous card, really. I have no affection towards Beltre however, hence it's placement on my trade bait. 

Before I get into the cards: If you haven't already checked out Alex's blog, titled Chavez Ravining, you must. It's an incredibly interactive blog and has quickly become one of my favorites. 

We'll kick it off with two Target red parallels. I was very pleased with all of the love that the Buccos received in 2013 Update, as well as the All-Star weekend. 

Another Alvarez Parallel from update. Seems like Alex has a knack for pulling Pirates! I was really excited about the Cutch parallel on the right, for two reasons: A. It's nearly impossible to get your hands on fairly priced Cutch cards, and B. I didn't purchase any regular Bowman this year, only Chrome.

To the left we've got a very nice David Price camo parallel, also from Update. I figured I'd lump him in with the Pirates because he'll definitely be signing with Pittsburgh by next week.

Just kidding. But I can dream. The Pirates have actually been mentioned as a "contender"for DP... where they'll get that kind of money remains to be seen. 

On the right is a Barrett Barnes auto from 2013 Bowman Inception.  Barnes is currently pegged as the Pirates #10 prospect. He's stuck behind some great talent, but he's only 22. It'll definitely be an uphill battle for Mr. Barnes to reach the show.

Finishing out the baseball cards are a Vlad jersey and a nice Will Middlebrooks parallel. I'm not necessarily a fan of Middlebrooks, but this is one of the sickest cards in all of 2013 Topps. 

I've always been a fan of Vlad, simply because he has no right arm but rather a cannon. He also opted against batting gloves which is nicely captured on the card.

 Finally, A nice big ol' Marc Gasol Jersey. I've mostly connected with baseball collectors, but basketball cards are a big part of my collection, so this was very welcome. The card isn't too special, except the fact that Marc seems to be doing some odd dance move with a basketball photoshopped in. It's a shame he's out this year, as one of the more exciting big men in the league.

Thanks again to Alex for the trade, and thanks for reading!

My Best Trade Yet, with ARPSmith

Back in October, I stumbled across an awesome blog - ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession - run by an awesome blogger, Adam.

I eagerly scanned his want list, and luckily I had a few goodies for him. I shot him an e-mail and before long, a trade was born. I sent off some SF Giants for him, and asked for anything he could spare in return. The first bullet in his wantlist states, "Those who fill one of these needs will be greatly rewarded!"

..and let me assure you, this guy is not kidding.

I found myself with a stack of Pirates, and I could immediately tell that this collection was loaded with color! Parallels. Yes.

First off is a nice Jeanmar Gomez parallel from 2013 Update. I already have the emerald, but not the gold. Perfect. In the center is former 1B/3B Casey Mcgehee, from 2012 Update. To his right is his successor, looking lovely on that Emerald background. After two great years with the Brewers (and then one really bad one), he got a shot with the Pirates. It was more a less a disaster. 

Next up is a nice horizontal from 2011 Topps Diamond. I really like the look of the these cards, and specifically this very card. A great shot of Cutch, Garrett Jones, and Ryan Doumit. Any card with Cutch on it is gold to me. Doumit's Pirate career is comparable to Mcgehee's... no need to trash him too.   Garrett Jones just signed with Miami after the Pirates decided not to pay him. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss him. My favorite memory of him was back in June when he blasted one straight into the Allegheny. It was only the second time a homer went into the river on a fly. Quite impressive.

To the left is a Starling Marte RC from 2012 Topps. Just a gorgeous card. The gold sparkle bodes so well with the Pirates black and gold jerseys. To the right is Cutch from 2013 GQ with a nice white border. 

In the center is, allegedly, a Jose Tabata "Future Stars" Insert. There are several strange things going on here:

1) Is "Future Stars" not the most played out term for inserts? Ever!?

2) Jose Tabata will most likely never come close to star status

3) ...that's Ronny Cedeno.

I poked around the internet, and I don't think Ronny Cedeno had card in 2011 GQ. A very interest error card. Cedeno's a short stop, Tabata a right fielder. Poor editorial work here, but a cool card nonetheless!

Lastly, a nice 2013 Topps Chome orange parallel of Mr. Russel Martin. I already have the Sepia and Black Parallels... do I see a rainbow in the future?

Below it is a wonderful bonus that Adam was willing to send my way. I'm actually a big fan of Jonathan Dwyer. He was drafted by Pittsburgh, and he's been with the team for three years now. He was actually cut during pre-season cuts, but then re-signed after several injuries at the runningback position. He's a power back, something that the Steelers have been lacking lately. My favorite aspect of this card is Dwyer's number. He wore 21 in college, and wears 27 now. Not sure where the 41 came from.

Adam, thanks so much these awesome cards. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined such a complete and exciting package.

If you'd like to check out more of my Pirates PC, it can be seen HERE!

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!

2013 Topps Cut to the Chase - SET COMPLETE!

It's glorious. I'd never tried to chase a set of inserts before, but for some reason this set really appealed to me. I think my favorite aspect of the set is the player selection; lots hall of famers, future hall of famers, and of course... three Pirates. 

I picture myself skimming through this set ten years from now and being overwhelmed with great baseball memories- Mike Trout's huge splash onto the scene, Cutch's MVP year, Manny Machado's Web Gem of the year, and so on.

And the best part is, this is all pre-Puig- an era of baseball which I enjoyed. It could be the last set of Puig-free inserts that Topps ever produces.

A huge thanks to everyone was helped me out with this set! Its great to sit back and enjoy these, finally.

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