The Trading Floor is Now Open

I just posted a needs list of 2008 Topps Heritage and 2007 Allen and Ginter.  I'll add to it as I come across sets that I need cards for, but if you see something you've got, e-mail me with your needs and we'll see if we can work out a deal.  

Pre-Ginter blaster

While I'm waiting on my boxes of A&G to get here, I figured I'd open up a blaster of the homeless man's A&G, Upper Deck Artifacts. Artifacts feature historical moments cards much like A&G features historical figures and subjects. Artifacts also has Hollywood memorabilia inserts. Lets crack in and see what we got:

Pack 1:
#135 David Davidson RC
#167 Historical Moments Eiffel Tower
#42 Carlos Lee
#68 Phil Hughes
#200 Historical Moments Jamestown

2 historical moments in one pack and one which should have added a few more letters to make it a Historical Monument card, but whatever.

Pack 2:
#149 Ross Detwiler RC
#181 Historical Moments Benjamin Franklin
YSL 3968 Yankee Stadium Legacy Graig Nettles
#3 Justin Upton
#69 (hehe) Mariano Rivera


The game features on the YSL card is against the Indians on October 1, 1972. The Yanks lost 2-1 and Graig Nettels, who is featured on the card, didn't even play. Ben Franklin also looks like a pedophile that is trying to seduce a young boy by dangling a key.


Pack 3:
#195 Historical Moments The Supreme Court
#55 Joe Mauer
#81 Barry Zito
#106 Clay Buchholz RC
#107 Kevin Hart RC

The Supreme Court card is a card after my own heart, being in law school and all. This is the first baseball card that combines law and sports cards by itself

Pack 4:
#121 J.R. Towles
#153 Historical Moments Declaration of Independence
#46 Torii Hunter
#16 Dustin Pedroia
#4 Chris Young

If Upper Deck could get its hands on the Declaration of Independence, it would chop it up and put it on cards. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they bought one of the handwritten and signed copies of it and did just that.

Pack 5:
#19 Daisuke Matsuzaka
#58 Jose Reyes
HM-19 A Piece of Hollywood George Clooney Pants from "Three Kings"
#134 Jerry Blevins RC


Hey I got me some George Clooney pants and from one of his best movies. And Clooney is one of my 5 actors that I'd like to just hang out with. Upper Deck couldn't secure permission to use his name, so on the back of the card it says that the pants were worn by "George". Hopefully, they mean Clooney and not some extra named George.

Pack 6:
#20 Curt Schilling
#85 Felix Hernandez
#168 Historical Moments Suez Canal Opens
#116 Harvey Garcia RC
#191 Historical Moments Nobel Prize

Notice that I have only gotten 2 true Historical Moments in these packs. The rest have been things, people, documents and monuments.


Pack 7:
#139 Eugenio Velez RC
#154 Christoper Columbus
#29 Matt Holliday
#94 Josh Hamilton
#30 Troy Tulowitzki

I love that Columbus and Holliday were right next to each other.

Well this really is a few steps down from A&G, but I am now able to say that I can get in George Clooney's pants. Kinda. I didn't even pull one Brave from this box. Boo.

Did you realize that you are a champion in their eyes?

Maybe Kanye, but are you a WORLD'S champion?  So far, I have yet to see you on an Allen and Ginter card.  Yes it's that time again when A&G fever is sweeping the nation.  I've got 2 boxes on their way to me (Under $180 and that includes shipping!) so in the mean time, I need to finish my 2007 A&G set.  I know some people sent me trade requests a looooooong time ago but then school got in the way and all kinds of stuff.  Anywho, I'm looking for trades now and these are the cards I need:

#2 Mike Gonzalez
#20 Vlad Guerrero
#24 Susan B. Anthony
#27 Scott Podesnik
#44 Matt Lindstrom
#48 Gary Matthews
#51 Dan Haren
#58 Mike Mussina 
#63 Bengie Molina
#67 Ryan Shealy
#78 Carlos Guillen
#80 Chase Utley
#114 Homer Bailey
#127 Brandon Philips
#135 Jared Weaver
#140 Nick Swisher 
#147 Billy Butler
#158 Jason Kendall
#185 Troy Glaus
#219 Dan Uggla
#235 Barry Zito
#247 Dave Roberts
#256 Hideki Matsui
#264 Aaron Rowand
#274 Tim Lincecum
#283 Chris Capuano
#301 Chris Duncan
#302 Augie Garrido
#308 Mark Zupan 
#310 Greg Maddux
#326 Alex Rios
#341 Adrian Gonzalez
#342 Chad Cordero
#348 Roger Clemens
#350 Adam Laroche

Baseball + Music = Awesome

For those of you who love both music and baseball, I suggest, no, I implore you, to check out the new album by The Baseball Project called Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. Fronted by Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5) and Steve Wynn (Gutterball, Dream Syndicate) with Peter Buck (R.E.M., The Minus 5) and Linda Pitmon (Golden Smog, Miracle 3) rounding out the band, the album takes both rock and baseball and combines them into one incredible package. The album features such tracks as "Gratitude (For Curt Flood)", "Ted F****** Williams" and "Sachel Paige Said". My favorite song on the album is "Harvey Haddix" as it earnestly pleads for Haddix to be included with pitchers who have thrown perfect 9 inning games. For those who don't know, Haddix had a perfect game going into the 13th inning on May 26, 1959 against the Milwaukee Braves who lost the game on a home run it by Joe Adcock. It's often referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Pitched". But my words can't do this song, or album, justice. Go pick it up and give it a listen. The music is great, the lyrics are incredible and a baseball geek's dream.

2008 Topps Chrome Blaster Break

I'm heading to Mississippi for a week on Saturday, but I bought a blaster at Target because I really enjoy this set.

Bonus Pack:

TCCP3 Matt Holliday

TCCP4 Luke Hochevar

These are done in the 400 series designs like what came inserted with the Heritage blaster packs, but they're full sized and chrome.

Pack 1:

99 Nick Markakis

MMSC52 Mickey Mantle Story

MHRC536 Mickey Mantle Home Run History

214 Clete Thomas

2 inserts in a pack...but not ones I would have hoped for

Pack 2:

115 Joe Blanton

C105 Topps Heritage Chrome Johan Santana

101 Randy Johnson Blue Refractor

49 Scott Rolen

I really REALLY like the blue refractors

Pack 3:

67 Roy Halladay

TCHC9 Joe Mauer Trading Card History 1941 Play Ball

200 Elliot Johnson XFractor

77 Carlos Ruiz

Pack 4:

39 Brad Penny

163 Greg Maddux

72 Brandon Phillips Copper Refractor

150 Homer Bailey

It's kinda hard for me to tell the copper refractors from a gold on the first glance. But then you look again and you can tell it's copper.

Pack 5:

79 Paul Konerko

TCHC8 Albert Pujols 1916 Zeenuts

96 Jered Weaver Refractor

170 Yadier Molina

Jesse Jackson wants to cut off Zeenuts!

Pack 6:

143 Carlos Lee

55 Orlando Hudson

178 Jo Jo Reyes XFractor

166 Michael Young

If I were Joe Collector, I'd call this Jo Jo MoJo.

Pack 7:

11 Yovani Gallardo

194 Adam Jones

33 Jeremy Hermida XFractor

122 Chone Figgins

Overall, I enjoyed my purchase. The blue refractors are the best of the bunch. They should have just made the whole set blue.