Christmas is coming, my stack is getting fat

As you probably know, Dennis is a very generous dude and for a little while now, he's been sending out Christmas packages. I've been lucky enough to be on his list for a number of years. We share a bunch of PC's so it's easy for us to pick stuff up for each other. I've got a box of stuff ready to go to him as well, I just got to get it to the post office later this week.

As per the usual, we'll start with the White Sox cards. These 4 all go to the Sox collection. The Reylo is the metallic winter. The Morel and McDowell are inserts and the Short is a purple refractor. The McDowell looked familiar but I didn't have it.

Just as the Reylo above was, this is the Metallic version as well. You can't really tell in either of the scans. This is my 228th card of Yoan.

Dennis sent me some of these Generation Now of Zimmy. These were the only 2 I needed to go along with the 19 that I already had. I also have 3 of the Chrome version. These 2 got me to a milestone though, I now have 400 cards of him.

One of our shared collections is Cal jr. I thought I already had this card as well, I was even thinking that I just added it not long ago but it turns out it was the Darryl Strawberry version of it. This Cal give me 975, not sure I'm going to make that 1k by the end of the year.

He even managed to hit my Vintage collection with this 1972 Topps leaders card. It is my 239th card from that set.

This was another card that I thought I had but I didn't. I do have the base version as this is a promo parallel which explains why I thought I had it. This is the 21st card of Tyrone Wheatley and being as he isn't a PC player, they are all in the Michigan uniforms.

I definitely like this card of our current Running Back. This is the International Trading Card Day card. I'm so glad Bowman can use logos now so they didn't screw with his helmet. This is my 5th card of hopefully many more in a pro uniform as well.

Now we get to the hit portion of the package.

First up, he sent me my 5th auto of Trey Burke. Out of those 5, this is the first one he put her jersey number on the auto. This is also the newest card I have of Burke so maybe this is the way he signs now. This card is my 60th card of Trey.

Funny story with this Funchess patch, Dennis came out to the Kalamazoo show (we'll be back there in January and May) and pulled a card just like this, only with a better patch, out of our boxes. A card I obviously didn't know was there. So he bought that and upgraded his and sent me the old one. It's still a cool patch even if you can barely see the other color. It's also numbered to /50. This is my 113th card of Devin.

Love seeing these 8 TK Legacy autographs as they are difficult to find around here, at least the Wolverine ones are. I see the Notre Dame ones all over. I even recognize a few of the names. He also added a Donovan Warren silver auto.

As always, a great package from Dennis of Too Many Verlanders fame. Thanks brother and I'll hopefully get you yours before Christmas.

More list boxes

Nothing too exciting going on, just trying to get through the week and start my weekend. Saturday will be a busy day as we are doing a card show during the day. Then I'm going to the Michigan/Notre Dame hockey game and then come home and watch the Michigan/Iowa game. Hopefully, both will be Wolverine wins.

Today's post are the cards I sorted last week. If you remember from the post that I recorded what I do when I sort. I had a bag of cards to sort and then a bunch of list players, this time it was MLB.

The top 2 rows were all Topps Update which I didn't have any yet and also a Bowman Platinum which also just came out in the last few weeks or so.

I picked up all 3 of these for the Vintage collection. They are list players as Ted Simmons is a Hall of Famer (and former Wolverine) and Don Mattingly is on the list, probably because he should be a Hall of Famer.

This actually came from the bag of cards, but he's a hall of famer so it went to the list box and then sorted into my stack.

I added 13 more of Cal Jr, other than the 2023 Donruss, they are all from the 90's. These cards boost the Ripken collection to 974 cards, maybe I'll hit 1000 before the end of the year but that is closing in soon.

I also picked up 6 more of Schmidt, mostly look a likes and a couple of Stadium Club. These 6 give me 358 cards of Mike.

That's all of the Type 3 collection, on to Type 2.

This was also in the 2023 Update bag but he's a list player so it would have ended up here as well. If you remember, I just hit 100 cards with Dylan so this is number 101.

Another 2023 Donruss, this time of Fisk. I've picked up a bunch of these former player cards from 2023 Donruss.

I picked up this Optic of Eloy as well. 

I picked up 3 more of Robert jr as well. That Bowman Platinum came from the bag of cards but again, he's a list player so I ended up with all 3. The top left card is one of those Clearly Donruss. These push me over the 200 mark of Luis by 1. These give me 201.

Trade from Dennis

I got all my cards logged and scanned. I had to scan 4 of them to the TCDB as well. I ended up adding 84 more cards to my collections from the sorting I did on Saturday. That's a lot more than usual. I'm usually lucky to get in double digits.

Today's post, however, is cards that I came home from Kalamazoo with. I didn't even buy any but not because I didn't try. I saw a 1962 Billy Williams card right across the aisle from out tables but the dude wanted $60 for it. That's way overpriced. Anyways, Dennis of Too Many Verlanders came to the show and brought a package. 2 packages actually, he gave Kevin one as well. Let's get to it.

Dennis and I share quite a few PC's, mainly because of Michigan guys but we also share a few outside of that. Like Ripken up there. He sent me these 5 that I didn't have (and the pin below that I forgot to scan with the above). He gave me a couple old and a few new. Since I'm already on my Tier 3 PC's, he also gave me that Liberty Carter as well as 3 more Zimmerman's. That Zimmy relic on the left is my 13th relic of him. and just the first hit of this package. I had never seen the middle card, it's listed as a Walmart card, I would have never guessed that with the 205 on it. Also a red framed Masterpieces.

Fun Pack Pin

These are all mutual collection as well as they are all former Wolverines. All 3 are color parallels as well. Although the top 2 don't have a color in it, they are called Premium Press Proof. I really like the Purple Cronenworth rookie.

For the 2nd hit of the package, Dennis sent me this winter Relic of Tim Anderson (at least it's not a Christmas Sweater relic). I like the card that can be torn into 3, I don't remember what set back in the day did that, pretty sure it was a basketball one. I didn't even know they did new ones. It's got Eloy, Robert and Abreu which were the core players that year. The Blue Archives of Fisk is numbered to 199.

He sent me a number of White Sox collection cards as well. This is just some of them. I put the top left 4 as they are all Refractors of some kind. I put the Abreu and Frank Thomas' just because I have a lot of both players. I've definitely never see that promotional one with an autograph (not real).

A couple of oversized cards. I have some of the game cards in my Seaver collection but I don't think I had any of the Sox ones.

These are the other hits that Dennis sent, and an insert. I included the Raines insert on this scan just because it's a really cool looking 90's insert. I thought I had the Garland relic but I have the base and this is the white version, it's also #'d to /99. I didn't have any autos of Zack Burdi as well so that's new to me. I don't believe he's even in the organization anymore. The big hit is that Magenta printing plate in the bottom left. As with all plates, it's a 1/1. I now have 3 printing plates in my collection and all 3 have come from Dennis. It's of the 2011 Topps Gyspy Queen Carlos Quentin.

Thanks for the great cards Dennis. It was great to see you again.

LCS finds

If you've been around here, you know that my cousin and I do a little side work for my LCS. He buys all kinds of stuff that walks in the door and we help him sort it all. When we first started going in the shop, he had boxes all over. Under all his tables and piled in the corners. Now his shop looks pretty clean as far as the floor goes and he has told a bunch of people how much help we've been. He shows us that by giving us cards and great deals on the more expensive stuff. As an example, he had dupe Cronenworth autos and he gave them both to me for the price of 1 which I sent the other to Dennis.

I stopped by yesterday after work to drop off what I sorted last weekend and picked up some new stuff. He didn't give me a ton to do this weekend since I have 2 shows so today is the only day I would have to work on them. He has a few people who buys blasters, hangers and such who pull out one or two cards that they collect and they sell everything else back to him. So this morning, I went through 10 opened hanger boxes of 2022 Donruss. He lets me pull whatever I need for my collections, he knows if I find any high dollar (which I never do with the stuff I'm sorting) to let him know, other than that, he knows I have limited collections and that's all I take so he let's me take them.

I've sorted 2022 Donruss for him before so I had most everything as far as the base that I needed but while I was standing there talking to him, there was a stack of mini's sitting on his desk and I flipped through those and found a few for myself as well. Here's what I added to my PC's.

This was a nice find and it was actually on top of the stack of mini's which is the only reason I went through them because I hate mini's but I need them so what better way then free ones.

I don't add too many Konerko's often anymore since I have quite a few and he doesn't get a whole lot of hobby love anymore (not that he ever did) but he's my favorite Sox player of all-time so I grabbed it. It's actually the A&G back so I still need the regular mini. Plus I have to keep my hefty lead on TCDB.

I also found this regular back mini of Cal. I was hoping to find another one for Dennis but no such luck. I didn't even look to see if he needed it but it was free so I would have been able to take a chance.

Sadly, even though I'm slowly closing in on 1000 cards of Cal, I'm only ranked #46 on TCDB.

Another tier 3 PC guy with the black border version. I was glad to pull so many mini's of HOF'ers, you can't really complain about that.

Another Tier 1 guy that I don't add a ton to his collection. I found a black border mini on his desk and found an Orange Holo in the Donruss hangers I went through. 

At one time, I was #1 on TCDB. I got an email from a guy saying how he figured he'd be #1 after he entered his and I ended up having a couple hundred more. He sent me a 1970 Topps Super and I sent him 20 or so cards he didn't have. A few months later I looked and he had blown past me. I've dropped another spot since then.

Also found this Orange holo of the former Wolverine, Jake Cronenworth. I love that there is a good Michigan guy in the bigs to collect again. Apparently Dennis does as well.

I'm thinking I'm going to start doing my posts like this again, just a pick-up of that day kind of thing so it's less posts and more cards posted at a time. I'll still have some random posts until I'm caught up and then go to strictly these kinds of posts and the birthday posts. I like the random posts but even with doing a few players on each posts, I get behind rather quickly. Probably because I have so many PC players with all the Michigan guys.

the last June cards in July

Here we are on the last day of the month, and the last post of the month. Funny how that worked out. Not really, I crammed the last 3 in the last 3 days to make it. This last post is a bunch of random players that I had left.

These 2 Gary Carters came from Dennis. I have seen the 3-D cards, I have 1 of Tom Seaver but that's it. As for the Boardwalk and Baseball card, I had never seen those. I clicked on the link on the TCDB and it was an interesting read. I had never heard of the place and definitely had never seen the cards. Here's the link. Along with the Fisk mini's from yesterday. Dennis sent me a couple of cards that I have never seen. That's never a bad thing.

I got to add a couple of this former Wolverine and White Sox as well with a purchase from Cardbarrel. I liked him as a White Sox, I learned he went to Michigan and liked him more. Last I heard, he was in charge of Player Development for the White Sox so how can you not like him. These 2 cards only give me 32 of him, I really should get some more.

I also got to add 2 more to the Beltin' Bill Melton collection. I only have 16 of him but according to TCDB, he only has 66 and all but 7 are from his playing days and out of those 7, 4 of them are buybacks so technically they are also from playing days. I picked up these 2 on Sportlots.

Dennis sent me my 117th card of Zimmy, although technically, it isn't card, it's a sticker and a floating head sticker at that. 

Dennis also hit our mutual collection of Ripken with the 2 cards above as well as the SI poster. I do enjoy those Sports Illustrated sets and I would have hung the Sox schedule up back in the day. 

With all the stuff Dennis sent me last month though, this was the biggest surprise.

This book partially explained the huge package I got from him. I think that's a book, it's been a long time since I've read one that wasn't on my Kindle but now I'm going to have to because I definitely need to read this.

On top of receiving the book, I have a chance at an auto card.

Does a facsimile count? I bet I won it and Dennis switched it out. You gotta keep an eye on him. Including this card, and the ones above, it gives me 534 cards of the Iron Man.

If this past months cards from Dennis doesn't entice you to start a trade with him, then you haven't been paying attention. He's probably traded with most of you but I'm sure there's a few out there that haven't. Go to "Too Many Verlanders" and hook up with him, I guarantee you'll like what he sends.

Finally Friday

* I put my April incoming on random for today's post.

Today's post bring you a Hall of Famer and he has the highest amount of cards that is a player collection, and he's only a tier 3 collection.

More 2020's from Sportlots. These 2 give me 513 cards of the Iron Man. I said he's my highest player collection but oddly enough, I have more cards of Frank Thomas (I know, I say that a lot) even though he's not a player collection. I do like the concept of the Decades Best cards, at least there is a reason to show former players instead of just randomning (not a word) inserting them all over.

If my wife doesn't give me projects to do tomorrow, I'm hoping to get the last of my cards in to TCDB. If not tomorrow, then Sunday.

Iron Sunday

* I put my February purchases on random for today's post.

Today you get the player collection. All these cards came from Sluggo and they go to one of my top (by count) player collections.

There's a little bit of mixture between the 90's and current in there. He sent me a bunch of Ripken's but these 9 were the only ones I didn't have. They give me 487 cards of the Iron Man and when I said it was one of my top (by count) collections, it is the top.