Off topic: First TTM Success

2009 Score Davon Drew RC

Apparently the card is misspelled, luckily I caught that before I sent the request. This is not the TTM card you are expecting as I didn't mention I also sent Football cards out. In my second set of cards I sent out I started to send a couple rookie cards from the 2009 score set that I have been picking up on my retail outings. I figured that Football being in training camps may help the returns and sending out a few rookie cards wouldn't hurt.

I sent out Mr. Drew's request on the August 8th, and received it on the 29th. 21 days in total. I really like the signature in ball point pen, and the #83 inscription, it really seemed down to earth. I can't imagine the workload these guys have, I appreciate that they take the time to respond to requests like this.

Thanks Davon!

Off topic: Ginter Disapointment

I stopped in to Target to get my card fix, I have been buying Score football packs. I got hooked last year, they are cheap and I really like the designs. Anyway. I walked in and saw a sizable amount of 2008 Ginter retail packs which were marked down to $1.59 a pack. I grabbed the ten packs that they had and quickly paid for them. When I got to my car I started to open them as I usually do with my retail fixes.

The retail packs are said to contain 6 cards, and I am not sure if that includes the mini or not. The first pack contained 5 cards. No mini, no state. No big deal I have had dud packs before. I opened the second back. 5 base. The third pack, 5 base. The fourth pack, 4 base. Out of the first 4 packs I got no mini's and one state card. I started to feel the remaining packs and they all felt very thin. By this time my treasure started to feel like a swindle.

I am curious what others might do? Would you look at it as a case of "You got what you paid for"? Would you call Topps for replacements? In addition to these question I am wondering: Tampered Packs, or the left overs from a year of pack searchers?

Off topic: 2009 Allen & Ginter Contest on a fellow blog

I can't pass this up. Card Cache is generously conducting a contest in which they are giving away 7 different prize packages from 2009 Allen & Ginter. Each of them are worth entering for. Take a look and good luck.

Sending cards (week 4)

Week 4? Is this the end of the first month? This week I recieved my order of autograph cards like the ones used by It's like having my own Card Shop, and they will go with each ginter card from now on. This weeks attempts are; Corey Hart, Melvin Mora, and Dontrelle Willis. I bought a couple of packs of 2008 Ginters at a hobby shop this week and these were some of the duplicates I got. I picked Willis in honor of our friend at My Past Time……. I Love It!!.

Corey Hart

Produced numerous hits, including "Sunglasses at Night" and "Never Surrender" - hold on. Wrong Hart. Corey patrols right field for the Brew Crew, and, not sure how he pulled it off, but wears #1. He also was the first Brewer in their history to have back to back 20-20 seasons.

Melvin Mora

I don't know much about Mora, I have heard the name, but I really know about him. One thing that I found when researching him, was that when he was 7 years old his father was murder in front of him, apparently his father was mistaken for someone else. On a happier note, he is also the father of quintuplets. I can't even fathom either story.

Dontrelle Willis

Two things come to mind when I think of Willis. The "D-Train" nickname, and the leg kick. And hey his hitting is not bad, only once did his Batting Average slip below Jason Giambi's 2009 average. Is there going to be a Giambi line used in the same context as the Mendoza line?

Off topic: Pull of a lifetime?

Ok, I am minding my own business searching ginter cards on ebay and I find this:

1/1 2009 Topps Allen& Ginter's LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN DNA

My initial reaction was "Wow, really fascinating, someone pulled the Beethoven DNA card," Ahh but it gets better. When I clicked into the listing I got a shock. It was pulled from a RETAIL pack! Now, I buy retail all the time, and just last week I got my first hit and was floored. The odds on these packs are insane. This guy/gal pulled a 1/1 DNA card of Beethoven from a retail pack, the odds being 1/62,040. Where does this guy go from here? He can't top it.

Sending cards (week 3)

Going out this week are, Roy Oswalt, Adam Jones, and David Eckstein. Getting to the local mail shop to send these, and my trades out has been difficult this week. For those I am trading with I apologize, I really am much better than this on getting cards out.

Roy Oswalt

This gentleman has impressed me for the longest time. I may be crazy but he seems like one of the best pitchers rarely talked about. I hear a lot about Webb, Peavy, Young, Haren, Lincecum, Halladay (only recently), and Sabathia But very rarely do I hear much talk about Oswalt. In addition to that, he doesn't cause much stir with his actions either, just seems to go about his business quietly. Feel free to correct me, just my observations.

Adam Jones

I have to admit I don't know much about Mr. Jones. I have heard the name, but honestly I am a west coast guy and I really follow the O's that much. It will be nice to have an auto of the last guy to hit a triple in Yankee stadium in my collection though.

David Eckstein

When I moved from Phoenix to Southern California in '02 I missed listening to baseball on the radio so I started following the Angels. I didn't look to the Dodgers because I felt it would require too much soul searching become fans of two teams in the same division. David was the first to catch my eye on that 2002 Angels team. One because we have the same first name, stupid I know please forgive me. Second, because he was scrappy. I liked that he didn't earn his presence in the big show by carrying a big stick, he was fast, he got dirty, and I just really enjoyed watching the man work.

Off topic Mailbag: Thank you Paul

Got in yesterday and I had a package waiting for me. Paul from Carl Crawford Cards had sent me some Will Clark and Luis Gonzalez cards for my collection. I had not collected or even looked at an older 80's Will Clark card since I was a kid living in the late 80's.



The memories and feelings flooded back. Something about Will Clark in his crisp white jersey and black cap just reminded me of times past. Begging my mom to add a pack of Topps or Donruss cards to the cart while we were shopping. Then coming home hoping to get a Will Clark, Matt Williams, Kevin Mitchell, Orel Hershiser (yes, as a kid I didn't know that you can't be a Giants/Dodger fan), Mark McGuire, or a Jose Conseco card. My favorite to get and to store was Will Clark.



I started collecting in 1988, but really got into it in '89 and '90. When the "Battle of the bay" series was going on I sided with the Giants, not ever sure why now. Started to collect the Giants, Will Clark was my all-time favorite, but Matt Williams, and Kevin Mitchell were up there. It even escillated to the point where my Dad drove the whole family about three house to the Bay area to watch the Giants at Candlestick park take on Ozzie and the Cardinals for my first game. I looked it up at Baseball-almanac.com you can see the box score here, and apparently it was May 7th 1989. The Giants pitcher Don Robinson hit a home run, as did Kevin Mitchell and my hero, Clark went 0-4.



Well I could go on all night, but I just want to say; "Thank you Carl" The cards brought me back.

Off topic: My Son's first game

I took my son to an Angel game today. It didn't last long (2 1/2 innings), as he is still pretty young and it was hot, but it still was an experience. What it did for me was to bring reality back into the game by proximity. Watching on TV, seeing players on Baseball cards, or seeing box scores has really taken the reality out of the game for me. I didn't even notice it was happening. The players become immortalized, larger than life. The game feels more simulated, almost like a computer game. But to go today and see the grass, watch pitchers warm up, and to hear the ball pounding the catchers mitt really grounded me.



These are young men, not unlike myself (other than they actually have talent) that go out and physically throw a ball past another young man that is trying to hit it. Real men, humans. I know this is all stuff I knew before, it's logic. But sometimes the logic is buried behind the mystic of the game. Behind the immortality of a baseball card, behind the show of a televised game.

To ice the cake, I got to see a wonderful 3 year old boy in awe of it all.

Sending cards (week 2)

This week I will be sending out cards to Chase Utley, David Wright, and Dan Jansen. Been having a fantastic week, hope my luck can be carried with these cards.

Dan Jansen

Sending my first non-baseball athlete. I am sure most of you know Mr. Jansen and what he has done, but I will refresh your memory. In 1994 Dan won the gold medal in Lillehammer for the 1,000 meter speed skate. He was favored to win earlier in the 1988 Olympic games, but the day before the race his sister died of leukemia. He still raced both the 1,000 and 500 meter races but fell in both races and left medal-less.

David Wright

I don't follow the Mets so in turn I have not followed Mr. Wright (ok, that sounds just weird to say), but from what I have heard and seen I have really come to like him.

Chase Utley

I could just say ditto and be done with it, but Mr. Utley seems to just be a hard player. Doesn't seem to be the type to "mail in" a game.

Thank you DKWilson

I just received cards in the mail from DKWilson of "It's like having my own Card Shop" blog. We completed a small trade, but it was more him giving me the cards I need and in return I gave him whatever I could scrounge. Thanks again, and don't forget to check out his blog.

Cards.

16 - Hiroki Kuroda


86 - Kelvim Escobar
143 - J.J. Hardy
216 - Brett Myers
220 - Erik Bedard
236 - Alex Gordon


250 - Ichiro
258 - Eric Chavez
267 - Andrew Miller
294 - Torii Hunter
309 - Ryan Church
320 - Dmitri Young


339 - Jack Cust

Off topic: Conor Jackson Printing Plates

To step aside from '08 for a second, I wanted to share some cards I was able to get on Ebay relatively cheap. Well compared to their '08 counter parts.


First I picked up a Yellow Conor Jackson 2009 Allen and Ginter Printing Plate. I have always admired "from a far" the printing plates from the earlier sets but never able to afford them, now I was able to get one.




Then the Black and Cyan both came onto Ebay a couple days later. Each of them were also reasonably priced. So I had to scoop them up. So I went from a couple relics in '08 to starting '09 with the ability to almost print my own Co-Jack card.

Almost needles to say, but if anyone sees the Magenta let me know please.

Origins

I wanted to bring attention to a blog that gave inspiration for what I want to do. A while back, I am not even sure how long, I read an article on Yahoo! Sports that brought attention to a blog that was attempting to get each card of the 1983 Fleer set autographed (visit the blog here). When I was trying to figure out what I would blog about, I thought of this great blog, and decided that I would do my own attempt but using the Allen and Ginter set which was a big reason why I started collecting again.

The Allen and Ginter's design also lends itself very well to autographs with its minimalistic design. in addition, with it being such a popular brand, finding resources to collect all the elements that I am planning on is much easier.

I wanted to post the origin of this blog, and give credit where it is most due. I wish the 83F Project the best of luck, and I only hope I can have the same success that it has had.

New cards in.

Just received the following cards from an E-Bay purchase.

52 - Carlos Delgado
54 - Takashi Saito
60 - Prince Fielder
73 - Tadahito Iguchi
91 - Scott Rolen

103 - Kerri Strug
127 - Billy Butler
132 - Gary Matthews
143 - J.J. Hardy
145 - Bobby Abreu
147 - James Fenimore Cooper

159 - James Shields
172 - Pablo Picasso
189 - "Rampage" Jackson
191 - Francisco Cordero
193 - Edwin Encarnacion
194 - Melvin Mora
205 - J.J. Putz

216 - John Maine
220 - Erik Bedard
236 - Alex Gordon
239 - Brian Bannister
240 - Magglio Ordonez
246 - Jeff Kent
263 - Yadier Molina
267 - Andrew Miller

276 - Oscar Wilde
279 - Jim Edmonds