If Melvin Mora Falls in a Forest...

I purchased this 2009 Goudey game-used jersey card of Melvin Mora on Listia for 429 credits.  I couldn’t resist at this price.  Mora started out as a prospect for the Mets.  I am actually a former owner of his 1999 Fleer Update rookie card.  There is an obscure reference.  His best days were with the Orioles.  He last played for the D-Backs.  At the age of 40, his career is probably over.  He had a good run though. 

eBay Mailbag: Dustin Pedroia

I purchased this 2012 Topps A Cut Above card of Dustin Pedroia on eBay for just 5 cents with free shipping.  I am not a fan of the Red Sox or Pedroia.  But I will pay a nickel for a 2012 Topps insert any day of the week. 

Merry Christmas Scott Kazmir

Merry Christmas Scott Kazmir.  Your gift is a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.  I consider this a gift given that your career had fallen off the face of the earth, and you were last seen pitching for the Sugarland Skeeters in independent ball.  Kazmir had about 5 good years and was a 2 time All-Star.  But then, his ERA skyrocketed north of 5.00.  I assumed that Kazmir would just fade away.  I guess I was wrong.

Jake Peavy Game-Used Goodies

I recently purchased a lot of three Jake Peavy "game-used" jersey cards on Listia for 1,571 credits.  That’s about 524 credits per card.  My favorite card of the lot is the 2006 Allen & Ginter.  I have a thing for Allen & Ginter.  The other cards are a 2006 Sweet Spot and 2006 MLB Artifacts.  The Sweet Spot card features an oversized jersey swatch.  Peavy recently signed a new contract with the White Sox.  The White Sox may have gotten a bargain if Peavy can stay healthy. 

A Robinson Cano Addition

I bought this 2008 UD First Edition card of Robinson Cano on eBay.  The price was 6 cents shipped.  I am a Yankee fan so that was a pretty good deal.  I was surprised that I won this card for so cheap.  First Edition is the equivalent of Topps Opening Day.  It is non-glossy and no frills.  But that’s OK with me. 

Michael Young Jersey Swatch

My latest Listia purchase was a 2005 Fleer Patchworks game-used jersey card of Michael Young.  The card only cost 500 credits and I was the only bidder on this auction.  Young is a new addition to the Phillies after spending the bulk of his career with the Rangers.  I have always liked Young because his game is built around a high batting average and lots of hits.  Maybe the Yankees could trade Youkilis for Young.  Just a thought. 

2012 Topps Heritage Pack Break

I picked up a pair of 2012 Topps Heritage packs for less than $3.00 total.  That's not a terrible price for loose packs.  I didn’t get anything fabulous.  But I did get two short prints in Juan Nicasio and Jonny Venters.  The cards are colorful and provide a great non-glossy surface for autograph seeking down the road. 

Jonathan Lucroy's Rookie Card

I purchased this 2010 Topps card of Jonathan Lucroy on Listia.  It set me back all of 7 credits.  And after all, it’s Lucroy’s rookie card.  The logo on the card says so.  So I will sell this card someday to fund my retirement.  Probably not.  Although Lucroy is a serviceable catcher for the Brewers, I doubt that he would ever be considered Hall of Fame material.  In any event, it’s a nice looking card to add to the collection.

Penny Cards on eBay

I recently purchased this 2012 Topps card of Rex Brothers on eBay for the grand total of one cent with free shipping.  To be honest, I had no clue who Rex Brothers was when I entered my bid.  But I did know the meaning of 2012 Topps and one cent.  After a quick query on the old search engine, (I use SwagBucks, but Google is fine too.)  I discovered that the subject on this card has 123 games worth of experienced as a big league reliever.  And he doesn’t really suck either.  He has a 3.49 career ERA over 108.1 innings.  Unfortunately, Mr. Brothers plays in Colorado for the Rockies which is not exactly a high profile team.  At least free agency will rescue Rex if he sticks around for a while. 

More Garrett Atkins Goodness

I picked up this 2008 Upper Deck First Edition card of Garrett Atkins for only 5 credits on Listia.  That’s about one cent and change.  I posted recently about a Garrett Atkins autograph that I also purchased on Listia.  To my surprise, Atkins had virtually disappeared from baseball.  That may explain why his cards seem to be on sale. 

Listia Mailbag: Kevin Youkilis

My latest Listia purchase was a 2009 Upper Deck Starquest card of Kevin Youkilis.  I couldn’t resist buying this Red Sox card at only 8 credits.  It was a bit easier to make this purchase knowing that Youkilis is no longer on the Red Sox.  In fact, he is a free agent this offseason.  Last year, he managed only a .235 average with the Red Sox and White Sox.  That’s a disappointing performance in a free agency year. 

Garrett Atkins Autograph from 2007 Fleer Ultra

I recently picked up this 2007 Fleer Ultra Autograph of Garrett Atkins on Listia.  Of course, Fleer Ultra is (was) a lower level product and this is a sticker autograph.  But, the cost was only 600 credits.  I was the only bidder.  Sometimes the lack of bids scares me away, but 600 credits is a bit high for a starting bid.  That’s not a bad deal for an actual Major League player.  To be fair, Atkins has not been in the big leagues since 2010.  A quick internet search did not reveal what happened to him.  Any ideas?

TTM Mailbag: Chris Volstad

My latest TTM Autograph return comes from Chris Volstad of the Chicago Cubs.  I received a 2011 Topps and a 2008 Topps card signed in blue Sharpie.  I actually sent this request out during spring training.  It took 241 days to come back.  I thought this was a goner.  But, it was worth the wait, because both cards look great.  Apparently, the Royals recently claimed Volstad off waivers, realized how bad his season was, and promptly dumped him in less than a month.  Such is life. 

Autographs from 2006 UD Future Stars

My latest eBay score was a lot of 10 2006 Upper Deck Future Stars Autographs.  I bought this lot mostly for the Russell Martin card.  He is in a Dodger uniform on the card, but he is still a Yankee.  I have been meaning to get his autograph for a while.  I put the rest of the cards back on eBay to recoup some of the cost.  Whatever I cannot sell on eBay will go into the personal collection.  I didn’t realize this at the time I purchased this lot, but much of these cards are clear.  The clear parts actually appear to be white on most scanners.  As you can see from the photo, the lot included some decent names. 

Spare Change Spent Wisely

I recently won 5 individual baseball cards in 5 different eBay auctions from the same seller.  The total damage was 9 cents shipped.  There is really no common theme to these cards.  The first card is an Upper Deck X base card of Randy Johnson.  The next is an Upper Deck card of Alex Rodriguez showing off his quarter billion dollar Rangers jersey.  Then, there is an Allen & Ginter of Dan Haren.  I would rather have the base card.  I don’t care what his middle name is.  I can about wins and ERA and the like.  Next is a Upper Deck Spectrum card of Scott Kazmir.  Remember him?  The former All-Star was last seen playing independent ball in Sugarland, Texas.  Finally, there is Evan Longoria featured on a simple Upper Deck base card which is really a checklist.  Not a bad haul for the money.  This is better than some packs that run 5 bucks each. 

2012 Gypsy Queen Pack Break: Part 4

My fourth and final pack of 2012 Gypsy Queen was decent.  I picked up a Frank Robinson Moonshots card and a Nolan Ryan base card.  There was also a Jeff Niemann mini.  The remaining base cards were Jon Lester, Tim Lincecum, and Curtis Granderson.  I actually ended with three Granderson cards in four packs. 

2012 Gypsy Queen Pack Break: Part 3

I didn’t get anything interesting in my third pack of 2012 Gypsy Queen.  However, someone did throw in an extra card.  Here are the goods.
John Danks
Justin Masterson
Todd Helton
Colby Lewis
Alex Cobb
Nelson Cruz (Moonshots)
Josh Johnson (Mini)

2012 Gypsy Queen Pack Break: Part 2

My second pack of 2012 Gypsy Queen featured another Josh Hamilton insert.  I also received two Curtis Granderson cards.  One was a Sliding Stars card and one was a mini.  The remaining cards were Chris Young, John Axford, and Nick Markakis.  

2012 Gypsy Queen Pack Break: Part 1

I purchased 4 packs of 2012 Gypsy Queen for less than two bucks a pack.  The first pack was full of retired players.  I received cards of Wade Boggs, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson, and Ernie Banks.  That alone would be an excellent pack.  But wait, there’s more.  I also received a Josh Hamilton Moonshots card and a David Price mini.  That’s a pretty good first pack.  

 

eBay Mailbag: Javy Guerra

My latest eBay purchase was a 2012 Topps card of Javy Guerra.  I paid all of one cent with free shipping.  I couldn’t pass up any 2012 Topps card for a penny.  Guerra is not a star, but he is a decent relief pitcher for the LA Dodgers. 

Free Card Contest

I just wanted to give a heads up that free cards are being given away at Jaybarkerfan's Junk.  There's even an autograph in there.  Click here to enter!

Listia Mailbag: Dontrelle Willis

My latest Listia purchase was a 2004 Fleer Tradition jersey card of Dontrelle Willis.  I still have a soft spot for Willis even though he dropped off the face of the earth.  The card cost 427 credits.  There were 2 small creases around the edge of the jersey swatch.  But it was still a good deal.  I would spend this many credits on any jersey card of a player whose name I recognize. 

White Plains Card Show: Part 4

I spent quite a bit of time cherry picking a 3/$1 box at the White Plains Card Show.  I did so until my neck started to hurt.  The end result was 8 Albert Pujols cards and a Derek Jeter card to round out the lot.  Here is the loot.   

White Plains Card Show: Part 3

I found a few good deals in a dollar bin at the White Plains Card Show.  First, I picked up a 2008 UDx Autograph of Marlon Byrd.  It’s a sticker autograph and certainly not a star player.  But I couldn’t pass this up for a buck.  Second, I bought a 2012 Topps Jersey Card of Sergio Santos.  The neat thing about this card is the jersey swatch.  It is blue with a white pinstripe.  I believe this is from a throwback uniform.  The funny thing is I lost an auction for this very card about a month ago.  Finally, I purchased a 2012 Gypsy Queen Jersey Card of Nelson Cruz.  This is my first Gypsy Queen Relic Card.  I now have regret about some of the cards I did not pick up out of this box, including a few Jesus Montero cards.  Oh well.

White Plains Card Show: Part 2

The free autograph at the White Plains Card Show was Howard Johnson.  I got on line about 20 minutes before the signing was scheduled to start.  It was a good thing I did.  The line was really long by the time the signing started.  HoJo was really cool.  He signed my 1993 Upper Deck card in black Sharpie.  He actually let some of the kids try on his 1986 World Series Ring.  That thing is really big. 

White Plains Card Show: Part 1

I spent the better part of my Sunday attending the Fall Classic Card Show in White Plains, NY.  Overall, it was a great day as usual.  I will start with a few observations.  First, the usual parking lot which costs $4.00 was closed.  Apparently, some sort of marathon was occurring at the same time as the show.  I parked on a nearby side street.  It was a shorter walk, I saved $4.00, and I found a new free spot to park. Sorry Westchester County.  This makes up for the parking ticket I got in the City of White Plains about a year ago.  Second, I noticed a heck of a lot more vintage cards than usual.  That’s not really my thing.  Third, I noticed that a lot of the dealers were actually buying cards.  I had one approach me and ask if I had anything to sell.  Many dealers had signs indicating that they were buying.  Finally, many of the dealers complained about how business was slow and they were not making much money.  This is nothing new.  In fairness, the show floor certainly was not packed.  I will show off all of my swag this week.         

Listia Mailbag: Chris Iannetta

My latest Listia purchase was a 2012 Allen & Ginter jersey card of Chris Iannetta.  It’s a really nice card.  Although, if I bought a hobby box and pulled this card, I would not be happy.  I paid 656 credits for the card.  That seems to be a decent price for a jersey card from this set.  I am not sure that Iannetta’s performance warrants a jersey card but that’s a different story. 

Fantasy Baseball Woes

You can tell that a fantasy team is in trouble when the owner is concerned about his backup outfielder.  My backup outfielder is Michael Brantley of the Indians.  It turns out Brantley is the latest victim of injuries on my team.  This year’s victims include Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Drew Stubbs, Ryan Howard, and Brett Gardner.  This year’s disappointments include Roy Halladay, Albert Pujols, Frank Francisco, and Ervin Santana.  I actually traded Pujols for Clayton Kershaw.  That has worked out well.  My biggest positive surprise has been Edwin Encarnacion’s power surge.  I am currently 7th in the standings.  I have a shot at 3rd place, but it is a long shot.  There is always next year. 

Listia Mailbag: Miguel Olivo

My latest Listia purchase is a 2011 Topps Diamond Anniversary card of Miguel Olivo.  I think I paid a total of 21 credits for this.  I bought the card because it is a parallel.  Olivo has always been a starting catcher on a bad team or a backup catcher on a good team.  He has been a journeyman.  Since 2002, he has been on 6 different teams.  This year, he is a starting catcher on a bad Mariners team.  But the Mariners are always bad. 

Listia Mailbag: Jorge Posada & Andy Pettitte

My latest Listia purchase was a pair of Yankees cards from 2008 Upper Deck.  I received a Jorge Posada card and an Andy Pettitte card for only 12 credits.  Both photos were taken at Yankee home games.  You might notice the #10 patch on Posada sleeve for Phil Rizzuto.  As an added piece of unrelated trivia, I have exactly 16,000 page views.  Thank you blog-goers. 

My First Listia Purchase

Recently, Nachos Grande posted about Listia.  Listia is an alternative to those of us who are sick of paying ridiculous fees to sell on EBay.  Listia charges no fees to sellers.  Instead of getting money for your items, you get points which you can use to bid on other items.  I have been a member for a couple of weeks and am pretty happy so far.  This site seems to be best suited for selling low dollar cards rather than your prized 1952 Mantles.  I have sold a few unwanted cards so far.  I just made my first purchase.  It was a 2004 Fleer Ultra Rocco Baldelli jersey card numbered 283/399.  (Plug to tjscards)  Remember Rocco Baldelli?  I got 600 credits for signing up, and the card cost me 330 credits.  So it was really free.  I think.  Any opinions on EBay vs. Listia vs. COMC?

eBay Mailbag: 2002 Leaf

I recently picked up a lot of 2002 Leaf cards on eBay for about 3 bucks.  I actually had no 2002 Leaf cards in my collection.  All were brand name players.  At least they were at some point in their careers.  The Derek Jeter card was a nice addition.  Anyway, here is the loot. 

The Repack Blues

I purchased a repack pack of 20 cards for $1.  Believe it or not, I think I overpaid.  I scanned the highlights below.  The Dave Winfield Tribute card is probably the best card.  It is from 1992 Upper Deck.  Keep in mind these are the best cards in the pack.  The rest of the cards were pretty much junk wax.  

2012 Allen & Ginter Blaster Box

I picked up a 2012 A&G Blaster from Wal-Mart as an impulse buy.  I didn’t get any hits.  The best card in the box was probably the Brett Lawrie A&G back mini.  But the box was full of Yankees as you can see.  Out of the 7 Yankees cards, only 3 were present day Yankees.  Go figure. 

Andy Pettitte Lot

My latest eBay purchase was a lot of 17 Andy Pettitte cards.  I paid 99 cents shipped for the entire lot.  For some reason, I had very few Pettitte cards in my collection.  I never seem to pull his cards.  I have had the same problem with Craig Biggio.  Go figure.  Anyway, I wound up with some pretty cool looking cards.  Unfortunately, some of them are dinged on the upper left corner.  I guess I can’t complain for the price.  The card with the gold background is a 1995 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion card.  I think it’s my favorite of the lot.  It’s a very early card of Pettitte, although not a true rookie card as the card claims.  I no longer have an Andy Pettitte hole in my collection.  

Trade With Chipp 'n' Dale

I recently acquired some new cards in a trade with Chipp ‘n’ Dale.  Actually, it really wasn’t that recent.  I’m just falling behind in posting.  I sent over a bunch of Braves cards.  In return, I received a bunch of Yankees cards.  I can always give a good home to cards of ARod and Derek Jeter.  There are even some Dave Winfield cards in there.  My favorite has to be the 1992 Classic Best Jeter card.  He looks really young in that photo.  It’s another successful trade.  Thanks for the cards. 

Detroit Tigers Cards from eBay

 

My latest eBay purchase was a lot of 20 Tigers cards for just 99 cents shipped.  I got a good share of parallels and various shiny cards.  I think my favorite card is the Curtis Granderson gold foil card.  I also received a nice rookie card of former Yankee prospect Austin Jackson who was traded for Granderson.  After seeing that Dontrelle Willis card, I felt compelled to find out what ever happened to him.  Apparently, he retired earlier this month.  Who knew?

Pack Break: 2007 Topps Series 1

I picked up a pair of 2 2007 Topps Series 1 packs at a flea market for $4.00.  I am not sure why I did this.  I bought a ton of this stuff in 2007.  I really don’t like the design or the inserts or anything about this set.  Yet I still buy more.  I didn’t get anything great.  But here are the proceeds.