simple is better....

Trading cards over the internet is not an easy activity. You don't know the other person, and they don't know you. You might think you have valuble cards, they might think you have junk. Your idea of value and theirs are never the same.

This is why I really don't trade with members of the blogging sphere. I've been doing this for a long time, and back then it was if I had cards you liked, I sent them to you. If you had something you thought I might want, you sent it to me.

I still do this to this day. I'll send Marlins to Wicked, Braves and Hoops basketball to dayf, Dodgers get split between gcrl and Night Owl, Rays to Troll, BoSox to John in the U.K. etc... etc........ and every once in awhile, I'll get something from them.

But lately, everyone wants to trade. I don't have time for that. The back and forth emailing, keeping track of what's what. Remembering to include everything in the envelope. Oy. I'm just not that smart.

So for instances when I need to trade, simple is best. Thankfully Dave over at é rayhahn, rayhahn felt sympathy for me and concluded a simple one for one swap.

He posted this beauty in a trade post awhile ago....

and after very brief negotiations, I sent him a 2007 Bowman's Best Glen Perkins auto.
Clean.
Simple.

Thanks David!

Trading with a Yankees fan....

Okay, first off, I know I haven't been around.... it's World Cup time, and it's hotter than Hades around here. So I've been..... secluded you might say. Others might say I've been hiding in the cool basement refusing to come out. But who listens to "others"?

So to get back in the swing of things, I thought I might put up a trade post. Those of you who don't care, may leave now.... or continue staring at the latest World Cup girl, whichever. But I warn you.... this is no ordinary trade post. This is a weird one.... maybe you can help figure it out.

It's from Sooz. World renowned Yankee fan. But that's okay. We still like her. Well, most of us do.

A couple of weeks ago I had casually inquired (or maybe there was begging involved) about some Chippers she had, along with some 2010 Bowman Braves. Sooz, being the great trader she is, mentioned that she had some Topps Series 2 Braves that she would throw in too. Perfect. All that's left is the waiting. Well wait no more. The package is here. It arrived the day that I got off my butt and mailed her package. (oops. Sorry Suzy)

It starts off according to plan.... 2010 Bowman Braves....

Jair, who should have got the win against the Phillies last night after throwing a two hitter, but the Braves chose to win in extra time.

The best hitter in baseball, Mr All Star, Martin Prado

another All Star, the Old Man, Tim Hudson.

The injured one, who if he wants to go back to the All Star game, must go back to Pittsburgh.

A BMac! And it's Gold! meh..... nice pic though.

some ex-Yankee that we got for Javy.

and his gold version as well.

along with a Smoltz insert. Somebody, anybody... please swap him onto radio and bring Don Sutton back to TV. Thanks.

Now here is where the trade starts to sway.... instead of Topps Series 2, we get a dose of Topps Chicle.

The Future.

BMac - 5 All Star Games in four years of playing. Not bad.

Mr Lucky... or Mr Run Support.

Jair doing his best Tiger Woods smile.

Nate looking like one of those Asian blow up dolls.

Mr Murphy.

and another Mr Murphy.... holy crap.

Game Used Bat Baby! I love you Suzy! Nevermind what I say about the Yankees. They don't deserve you.

Okay, so maybe the Topps Series 2 is next? She just wanted to surprise me with the Murph?

No. Instead, I got these.

and these..

not a Brave in sight. Seriously though? Sometimes I just don't get women. Am I complaining though? Not a chance. These are pretty cool cards. And in case you didn't look to closely, there was this little number.

It is currently on ebay with a BIN of $100,000

Sooz has taken care of my retirement. Thanks Sooz!

btw, if you're interested in the Strasburg, after purchase, mention that you read this blog and I'll throw in free shipping....

Flipside Facts

Guess who got a bunch of Chippers in the mail? Me! Mark from Stats on the Back sent over around 30 Chipper cards.
Quite a few of which I didn't already have. Hard to believe, but I guess with Chipper having 1,093,848,329,041,993,256 cards of him made just in 1999, I suppose anything is possible.

Mark also was kind enough to take a slow, romantic walk through my Wantlists, and send over five cards that have eluded me until now.

Mr Morris sans 'stache...

Mr Guidry with 'stache

Bad Ass George

even Badder Ass Goose with Baby 'stache

and finally the Cobra, baseball style.

And all Mark wants in return is one interesting Met card. No stuffing a box or envelope full. Just one. But it has to be interesting. Now, to a Braves fan, I don't think any Mets card is interesting... but I'll find something for him.

Thanks Mark!

not TTM, Through the Troll ( TTT )

I had the pleasure of chatting (albeit too briefly) with my buddy Marck, The Collective Troll yesterday. Aside from the usual pleasantries, the main body of the conversation came down to the fact that we both are terrible bloggers.
We are both sooooooooo far behind in posting trades we've received from other collectors. In fact, the area of my "U" shaped desk that stores the piles of "waiting to be scanned" cards is in danger of collapsing.
So I'm going to knock off an easy one. And cheat while I'm at it. You see awhile back, Troll had a contest to win a Chipper Jones signed 4x6 photo. The first 10 entries would contend for the prize. I was the first one to enter. And the second, the third, the fourth...... are you getting where I'm going with this?
Anyways, public outcry and Troll's sense of fair play won out, and I was disqualified for all but one entry.
So I put in a call to my buddy at Random.org... and voila!
I won! With only one entry.

But that's not what I was talking about when I said I'm going to cheat while I'm at it. Of course, Troll sent along more than just the pic.... he sent over some glorious '80's football, as well as a smattering of Braves.

They are still in that pile. Near the bottom. Shall we say, the foundation of my mail days posts.

Thanks Marck!!!

CCC Rider...

awhile back, Paul from Carl Crawford Cards offered up some relic cards for trade. I saw one I wanted, and left a comment, offering up a 2008 Bowman Orange Carl Crawford #/250. Paul immediately sent me an email demanding the Crawford, as well as a case of maple syrup, 20 Francs, and the head of Diego Garcia.
I negotiated him down to the Crawford, and a 1982 Kellogs Vida Blue. After all, where the hell would I get 20 Francs???

No, I was not trading for smiling Dave here... we'll get to him in a moment...
Here's the beauty I was after. An N.L. Artifacts of Phil Niekro. Simply sweet.

True to Upper Deck though, It's an National League card featuring a Braves pitcher, with a Yankees swatch. Genius. A future Nobel Prize winner designed that baby. No matter. Phil wore it during his 83 year pitching career and now it's mine.

Paul also included 4 different 2007 Fleer Ultra Chippers.

an Adam LaRoche just for me....

and most of a 1992 Pinnacle Braves team set. Well, the scrubs mostly... but now I have to track down the rest of them. This is the life of a set collector...

Paul actually sent 2 Sid Breams. But that's okay. There's always a seat at my table for Sid. If you don't know why, you aren't a Braves fan....

and that brings us to these....

if a card could sum up the '90's... it would be smiling Dave there....

Thanks for the trade Paul!

a wicked case of the maildays...

everyone's favourite Don, the Wicked One himself, sent me some cards the other day. I was expecting some stuff we had traded, but that wasn't included. This was a surprise box. Some of what was included....

a mini black border Chippah! They should've put Mississippi Queen on the back of this instead of Gypsy Queen.
a teeny tiny Jordan Schafer. I hope his wrist is 100%. The less I see of ole Milky whatshisname the better.

My very first look at 2010 Topps. Kinda sad that of the 8 or 9 Wicked sent, only 1 is still a Brave. But this is my boy! My first 2010 Roach!!!

also, of course, not wanting to play favourites, is 2010 Upper Deck.

Yunel is from the "Full Logo" edition.

an oddball Hank Aaron. If you tilt your monitor, the picture changes...

Tommy Hanson! While Tommy throws a death stare designed to cripple batters, he amuses himself by levitating the ball with the awesome powers of his mind.

Warren and Tommy. Awesomness to the umpteenth power.

Tommy Hanson can beat you at a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

The back goes on to say that Tommy struck out 17 Sox while only throwing a single pitch.

A Toppstown BMac

when did these become collectible???

Another Chippah!!!

Wicked also sent over a few more Braves, as well as a couple of WalMart Black cards from last season. I only need two more to complete the set.

Somehow in Florida he found some hockey to send along... the first one is some dude you may have heard of the past week...

another puckstopper

and a former Ranger turned Canadien

as always Don Ortega, thanks a million. Look for a package from me in a couple of weeks via sled dog....

Outgoing mail...

by my count, 11 packages went out yesterday, with another 3 going out on monday. Included in this is someone in the continental 48 getting Bipped.
You've been warned.

I'm a little worried...

I received a package the other day from my nocturnal friend, the Night Owl. I sent him some random Dodgers as well as a card from his version of his "Most Wanted" list, and he returned the favour in kind.
Yes, Owl, favoUr.

First up, the Lemmer! He very well could be the next Governor of Georgia.
and my very first card of the Wonderful Terrific Monds. Name Hall of Fame right there.

a Chipper I didn't have... how did you know?

A brand new Topps ticket to crapdom of the sushinator, Kenshin Kawakami.

now the Chipper got me wondering, how did Owl know I needed THAT particular Chipper. But then it gets more intriguing.

Owl sent along a few '09 OPC cards I needed for my set.

He sent one of the '09 A&G I needed for my set.....

I know, I know. You think Night Owl just went HERE and checked out my wantlists and sent over what he could. Like a nice guy. Right? But Chipper isn't on any wantlist. And then there's this.

I only needed one card for my Braves team set from the 2000 eX set. I've been looking for months. No joy. Then Owl just happens to send Andruw. Set complete.

Coincidence?

No.

I know.

Owl's been going through my stuff.

At night.

When I'm not home.

I see the signs.

All of my xmas presents I had purchased early in october had been opened and rewrapped.

The shelf I keep all of my unopened wax has been jostled. I see the stains from his tears.

He knows what cards I need.

He also knows what cards to ask for... like he knows what's in my trade box.

I'm watching you N. O.

I'm onto you.