Another one down

Baseball is back! I watched our Spring Training game, not that it was terribly exciting being as we lost but it was great to watch some baseball again. The start of spring training signifies that Opening Day is right around the corner (32 days to be exact).

Today, we're not talking about the Sox though. Today, we're talking about another completed set and not a team set. I've completed my 6th set since starting to use Sportlots (and baseballcardstore.ca). I realize they are all 80's sets that aren't extremely difficult to finish but before, I wasn't even trying to complete them so I started with the sets that I was closest to finishing and they all happened to be 80's sets.

I picked up the last 52 cards I needed on Sportlots. If you remember, I picked up what I could from the baseballcardstore.ca back in October so these were all I had left to pick up.

I guess it's fitting that this set is features since the 2021 seems to be reusing the design.

As you can see, there are some great stars in this set but even though, this set isn't to hard to complete because there are no high dollar cards.

I went back on my spreadsheet and according to that, I only dropped $20.87 for all of them, half of that was probably on these 52 just because I wanted to finally complete it. I got a pretty big chunk of it in trades as well.

It starts tomorrow

More White Sox today but of the player collection variety. I spoke his name in yesterdays post and here the random picks him for todays post. Also, spring training games are tomorrow, finally get to watch some baseball.

I know they look the same, but it's two of the many cards that look just a like, but not quite. I grabbed this Opening Day and Holiday cards on Sportlots while trying to complete team sets. These 2 cards give me 79 of Timmy.

2017 Topps & more

Today, we're going to head back to the team collections. Tim Anderson says we're the best in the league, I hope they plan on backing that up. I know they play their first spring training game on Sunday but I haven't looked to see if it's on TV yet.

We'll start off this all Topps post with a great photo on a Chrome card. Chrome were just out of the budget range so this was the only one I picked up.

This Frazier was the last one I needed for the team set and I happened to stumble across his mini as well.

The A&G X set is different though, I'm only about half way on that team set even after getting these 3.

These 2 Archives also finish out that team set so I accomplished this with a number of 2017 team sets. Love the 1982 reprints.

While I didn't pick up any Bunt base, I did get these 2 blue parallels. They must have been all off my budget because it's a pretty decent sized team set at 9 cards and I only have 2.

There's only 4 in this team set and this card puts me 1 card away. I like the looks of the card, how it looks like he's stepping out of it.

This Stadium Club isn't the great photos that I enjoy, I like the action shots but it does complete the team set, minus the variation of Jose Abreu.

While everything above this photo are 2017, I did get a few more from 2018, all in one pic. All of these complete the various team sets, the gold is just a bonus. The Update is complete, again, minus the Abreu variation.

Possible OD Starter

Just a fairly quick post today because I'm ready for bed. They bumped us up to 10 hour days because the 6 days a week wasn't enough. I was going to work on the post during the Michigan/Iowa game but I got to involved with Dickinson owning Garza that I hardly looked at my laptop.

Today's post is 2 cards and 5 versions of those cards.

I picked up this 2017 A&G along with it's smaller counterpart while looking to complete team collections.

I found these the same way. I always forget which way the scanner scans so these are backwards. The purple prism, prism and the base version. I was looking at the base version and ran into the other 2 prism's versions for fairly cheap on Sportlots so I went ahead and grabbed all 3. 

These 5 cards give me 58 of Lucas who I assume will be our opening day starter.

the Kid Collection

Just 1 card today, but it's a Hall of Famer.

Fred sent me a home with a box (Columbia House box if you can believe that) with a bunch of his cards in it. I went through and took what I wanted. You've seen some of them already but I grabbed this for my Gary Carter Collection. I asked him if he wanted the box back, any sentimental value, he said no. So when I took his cards back, I transferred them into actual card boxes just to help him out. I also gave him a box full of penny sleeves and top loaders which is why he still brings me cards.

He popped in my office today and we were talking cards. It's nice to have those conversations at work. It's rare to even talk baseball there, let alone cards so I've definitely enjoyed him getting back into cards.

Back to the card, this Turkey Red gives me 140 cards of the Kid.

More Sox Needs

I came home with a few more cards from Fred. I think I have about half of them out of the 7. A couple were 2021 which I know I don't have, at least not in hand as I was in a box break at Nachos Grande but I haven't had the cards sent yet.

Today you get to see some more White Sox cards from 2017.

You just saw the Moncada version of this card a few days ago, now you get the Matt Davidson one. This is my 28th card of our former DH.

I picked up a few Donruss as well. I still need a couple more for the team set but these went a long way to getting me close. As you can see, the Frank Thomas on the left is the black & white variation. The Melky Cabrera is my 10th, my 26th of Frazier and my 545th and 546th of the Big Hurt.

I picked up the Lopez on the right which leaves me 1 card short for the team set. The prizm refractor on the left was just a bonus I ran across searching for the other one. These 2 give me 26 of Lopez.

I like the top 3 just because I don't have many cards of some of the old school players. The Appling (13 cards) the Fox (also 13 cards) and Lyons (4 cards) are pretty cool. I thought the Nellie Fox was a parallel because it was blue before I realized it was just blue. I would have this whole team set except I need the Moncada. Oddly enough, I have the variation but not the base, go figure. Since I don't have many of the old school, we'll change that with the numbers of those last 2 guys. The Chris Sale is my 150th and is also a short print. The 2 cards of the MVP Abreu are my 136th and 137th of him.

Some old with some new

I spent my one day off watching the Michigan Men's team beat Ohio which was pretty great. It was a little scary for a bit but they pulled it out. After that game, I watched the woman also beat Ohio so it was a good day on the Michigan front. 

While watching the game, I organized my non collection cards in alphabetical order. I have them all listed on TCDB so I'll check there to see if I have something but than spend a bunch of time trying to find the card, so I alphabetized them. Nothing terribly exciting I know, but it was still a day hanging with my cards so that makes it a good day.

I mentioned that Fred (guy at work) has been bringing me cards and that he brought me some yesterday. Well today, the great random of the internet decided you'd get to see those today. It's like when you mention buying a car and next thing you know, your computer ads are all automobiles.

I mentioned in my last post that he'd been buying packs so I'm happy he bought some Update because I hadn't purchased any yet so these are my first 4 from that set which is over half the Sox if you don't include the multiple variations of Luis Robert in it.

As part of his older cards that he's going through, he gave me this Robin Ventura that I didn't have. This is my 129 card of Rockin' Robin.

He also had this auto of Grebeck, I'm assuming it is actually his because it came with this.

I've accepted other on card autos just assuming they were legit so it's pretty cool that he kept this ticket with it. The card is my 27th of Grebeck.

These are the 2 cards he brought me yesterday that I didn't have. He offered me a 1976 Bill Melton as well but I already have it. I'm pretty sure I have a few of them. The 1992 Guillen I have but I didn't have the gold parallel. It is my 94th card of Ozzie. The Tommy John is from 2002 Archives and is only my 14th card of the first player to have Tommy John surgery. It is my first post-career card of his. Most of the other 14 are from the Vintage collection as he was only with the Sox for 7 years but all very early in his career. This archives and a 1965 Topps are the only 2 I have of him with the Sox.

That's all of the Sox cards I got from Fred but you'll see some other cards in my player collections and he's still going through his cards so I may get some more.

Soxy Saturday

We're getting closer and closer to watching some live baseball again. Although it doesn't look like it around here with all the snow.

I had another working Saturday. All these Saturdays are really cutting into my card time. The nice thing about this Saturday is Fred gave me a couple more Sox cards so whenever his cards come up on random, you'll get to see them.

As for today, you get to see one of the futures of the franchise for the White Sox.

Picked up both of these on Sportlots, the holiday set is just another version of flagship with snowflakes but I kinda like the look, just not that I have to buy more cards. Also picked up a serial numbered card from Chronicles.

Speaking of Fred, this came from him. Some of the cards I get from him are older as he's weeding through his old cards but he's been buying packs so I got some modern cards from his as well. Including this 2020 A&G of Moncada.

These 3 cards of YoYo give me 118 for his collection.

Terrific Thursday Too

After Terrific Tuesday, the great random on the internet gives us Terrific Thursday. More Tom Seaver cards. These will be the newest of them though.

We'll start off with some 2015 inserts. The one of the left is pretty cool looking, I've seen the card on the right before so it's not new to me.

Next up is 2016, these are both base cards though. Really like the Stadium Club but how could you not like any SC.

I picked up one from 2017 in the form of a Topps Gallery. It isn't anything special, maybe just because it's a headshot.

Next up is 2018. Starting with a Chrome rookie cup, it's not as flashy, or shiny as normal Chrome's but it is a copy of his rookie (sort of). The insert on the right isn't bad looking but I don't like the logo or name placement.

I got 3 cards from 2019 with a couple of bonus pitchers and an A&G.

Another Turkey Red, if you remember last post, I had a couple from the early 2000's. Another Archive and A&G along with another insert from 2020.

That's all for this post but don't worry, I have more Seaver to show but it's up to the random on when you get to see them.

Terrific Tuesday

In case you haven't heard, there's a lot of snow out there. I woke up this morning, got ready to go to work and went out to the garage. I opened the garage door and the snow was about 7 or 8 inches high across the driveway. I started the car and was sitting in it to let it warm up. I'm thinking to myself, I've had perfect attendance for the last 2 years, I have 2 personal days that I usually don't use until the end of the year and that's just because I lose them. I said screw it, I'm not driving in this crap so I took the day off.

So I spent today (after doing the driveway and sidewalk) reorganizing my Paul Konerko binder. I added so many in the last couple of months that I was just adding them to the back so I went through and put them all by years again. It was a much more enjoyable day than being at work.

Speaking of my Tier 1 PC, today's is another that I've added a bunch this past month.

I picked up these 4 Donruss cards from 2005 of Tom Terrific. Nice variety of Mets and Reds cards

A couple of vintage look-a-likes at the top and I love the bottom shiny card with the Sox. Those are my favorite jerseys, I can't tell you why, but they are. All these Topps are from 2005 as well.

A couple of Upper Deck's also from 2005. 

One card from 2006 and another Turkey Red with the Reds.

Also picked up a couple of 2008's. More vintage look-a-likes. There seem to be a lot of those floating around these days.

I can't tell you how many I picked up of Seaver just yet, you have to wait until the last post of him. I see another binder that I'm going to have to organize.

Topping the budget off

Look who finally got his cards scanned. I spent my one day off yesterday trying to get caught up so I can get back to posting again.

Today's post are random pick-ups for the Vintage collection. Once I get close to my budget, I go and look and how many cards I'm getting from each seller. I always go up to 4 cards on each to make it worth their while. Except one seller, I always buy just 1 card. He has free shipping for the first card, then for 2-4 cards he charges $1. Most people bump it up a quarter or so, not from $0 to $1. I specifically look for cheap shipping because I include that in my budget so while I realize a buck isn't much, it's too rich for my blood.

Anyways, when I check the sellers page to find a card or 2, it always shows the oldest cards first so I'll glance at it and see if any are $.18. That's pretty much what these cards are.

This one is easy to see at $.18. At first I thought it wasn't part of the set because of the number 2 at the bottom right so I though it wasn't part of the 660 but after looking at the checklist on TCDB, the players stop at 653 followed by the card of the puzzle and 6 checklists. This checklist gives me 62 cards from the 1985 Donruss set.

After checking all the sellers and having enough cards, this guy had a bunch of 1981 Donruss at $.18 so I grabbed the first 11 that I needed and put myself right at the budget. These 11 give me 101 cards for that set.

I was really surprised to see a seller have this at $.18 so I definitely scooped it up. Can't beat a 70's card, let alone a 1970 card for that cheap. He had it marked that it wasn't in good condition (I don't remember where he had it rated) but as you can see, it really isn't bad at all. This card is my 70th from 1970 set from the decade of the 70's. Sorry!

Happy Birthday - Dave Dravecky

I thought for a new series that I could post on each of my player collections birthdays. I actually meant to start this at the beginning of the month but I missed a couple, oops! This will also be a way of showcasing that players cards and in a year, I can see if that collection has grown and by how much.

Not to mention with all the Michigan guys I collect, this will be quite a few posts.

From baseball-reference.com

Dave was born today in 1956, making him 65 years old

MLB debut - June 15th, 1982 (San Diego Padres)

Years Active -

• 1982-1987 (San Diego Padres)
• 1987-1989 (San Francisco Giants

Rookie cards w/Padres

Traded to the Giants

Cards listed on TCDB - 92

Cards I have - 61 (2 not listed on TCDB)

The 2 not listed on TCDB - both came from Padrographs

Where they came from - 

• Sportlots (21 cards)
• Padrographs (14 cards)
• Just Commons/Card Barrel (14 cards)
• Ebay (4 cards)
• COMC (3 cards)
• Unknown (3 cards)
• Blue Batting Helmet (2 cards)

While Rob at Blue Batting Helmet gave me my first 2 cards when I announced this collection, Rod of Padrographs gave me my first big chunk when it got going.

The first 2 cards from Blue Batting Helmet

I only have 4 post-career cards of him which is why TCDB only has him with 92 cards, they don't make too many of him anymore so this collection doesn't get added to very often (other than that last lot from Sportlots).

Post career cards - 3 of the 4 come from the set on the right.

Most of you know the story of Dravecky, that he developed Cancer in his arm, rushed back afterwards to get back and in his 2nd start back, shattered his arm, ending his season and career. In the postseason celebration at the end of the 1989 season, he broke his arm again. They found more cancer and ended up amputating his arm.

He wrote a book about it

The reason I collect him is when I was a kid, my father developed cancer in his arm. They amputated it above the elbow but didn't get it all and it ended up going to his lungs and killing him. So when Dave Dravecky started having the above issues, it connected with me and I've always remembered his story because of it.