eBay Mailbag: 2006 Topps Turkey Red

I recently purchased a lot of 2006 Topps Turkey Red cards on eBay for about 75 cents shipped. I have really taken a liking to Turkey Red cards. I wish Topps still made them as a standalone set. There are no Yankees in this lot. However, as a Yankee fan, I can still appreciate Granderson pictured in a Tigers uniform, Abreu pictured in a Phillies uniform, and Pettitte pictured in an Astros uniform. This is another nice addition to the Turkey Red collection at a cheap price. By the way, Juan Pierre’s got it.

2008 Bowman Gold: Ben Sheets

I purchased this 2008 Bowman Gold card of Ben Sheets from an eBay seller for all of six cents. I don’t own many 2008 Bowman cards, but I really like the design. And I like Gold cards also. The Gold border really makes the card pop. It looks like Sheets is warming up in the photo. Notice the fielder (possibly Prince Fielder) playing catch in the background. 2008 was the last year that Sheets was a Brewer. Sheets is now an Oakland Athletic. Injuries robbed him of his best days. He has struggled so far this year. But at least he is back in the big leagues with the potential to return to his glory.

1993 Upper Deck Manny Ramirez

I picked up a 1993 Upper Deck Manny Ramirez Rookie Card on eBay for a grand total of 14 cents. I’m no Manny fan, but for that price how can you go wrong? I like the 1993 Upper Deck set. That set also has rookie cards of Jeter and Delgado. I already have a handful of these Ramirez cards, but I have a thing for them I guess. This photo was taken long before Manny was being Manny. Here, Manny was just a bright-eyed youngster who wanted to make it to the bigs. Well, he made it. In this photo, you might notice that Manny is holding someone else’s bat. It looks like the first name is Clyde. Also, you can see billboards for Trimco, Days Inn, and Remax. I found that to be sort of interesting.

2005 Playoff Game Used Jersey Cards

I picked up two Game Used Jersey Cards from eBay for a total of $1.55 shipped. That’s a pretty good deal no matter who is on the card. These cards happen to be from the 2005 Playoff set. I’m not really too familiar with this brand. In fact, I don’t think I own a single card from this set. Back in 2005, my focus was on Bowman for some reason. Anyway, the first card is that of Steve Finley, whose long career is now over. Finley played for 8 teams over 19 seasons. The jersey swatch is just plain white, but that’s OK. Although, Finley is featured as a Diamondback on the card, he actually spent 2005 with the Angels. To make matters worse, he spent the second half of 2004 with the Dodgers after the D-Backs traded him. The second card features Mike Sweeney who spent most of his career as a Royal. Recently, he has been a DH for the A’s and Mariners. Sweeney’s career is almost over thanks to age and injury. He is a 5 time All Star though and had some great years in Kansas City. The first thing that I notice is that the jersey swatch is a beautiful shade of blue. That’s a lot better than plain white. I think I like the Sweeney card better than the Finley card. I’m happy with my purchase. I got two great cards for less than two bucks.

Topps Turkey Red Parallels

I purchased the three 2006 Topps Turkey Red cards above recently for six cents a pop. You may notice that these are the Red Parallel cards. I love any kind of parallel cards so this seemed like a pretty good deal. The first card is Willy Taveras sporting an Astros uniform. Taveras has made a career out of his speed. However, these days he plays for the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in the Phillies organization. Although Taveras is well-traveled, it’s hard to believe that he can’t find a Major League job. Who doesn’t need speed? The second card features Kameron Loe. I remember Loe from the Rangers, but then he seemed to fall off the map. I had to look this one up. He actually played in Japan before returning to the states. He is now playing for the Brewers. I love those high socks. They are so old school. You may notice that Loe is in front of a similar skyline to the one Taveras is in front of. Texas must have a lot of skylines. The final card is of Joe Blanton back in his days as an Oakland Athletic. You may notice that Oakland does not have a lot of skylines but it does have plenty of trees. Like Loe, Blanton is sporting the high socks. Blanton was traded to the Phillies where he still plays. He has always been a 3-4 starter. So far, he has had a pretty crummy season, but he’s still starting. And Blanton is the most successful player out of the three. Overall, this was a pretty decent purchase. I expanded my puny Turkey Red collection to include some Red Parallels for less than a quarter. I love cards that do not have a glossy finish and I love parallels. I also purchased some base cards as well which I will discuss in a later post.

2008 Sweet Spot: Alex Gordon

I purchased the card above from an eBay seller for six cents recently. It's a 2008 Sweet Spot card of Alex Gordon. I like Sweet Spot but I would never buy a pack or box due to its price. This card is quite appealing. The photography is pretty cool. I also like the raised bumps on the card that resemble the stitching of a baseball. Does anybody remember how Alex Gordon cards were all the rage around 2006? He hasn't exactly lived up to the expectations. He has a career batting average of .249. He was actually sent down to AAA in the beginning of May. He has had some injuries though. In fairness, Gordon has been pretty hot down at AAA. Even if Gordon does not develop into a superstar, I think I got my money's worth.