Opening Day + Retro Uniforms

I won this 2013 Topps Opening Day card of Mark Trumbo on Listia for just 12 credits.  That’s a pretty good deal.  I paid the equivalent of 3 or 4 cents for this card.  Trumbo is a decent power hitter.  I think of him as a poor man's Mike Trout.  He probably does not get the coverage that he deserves since he plays on the west coast though.  By the way, how about some bonus points for the throwback uniform. 

Another Injured Yankee

I bought this 2009 Upper Deck card of Kevin Youkilis for just 6 cents on eBay.  Youkilis is one of the many Yankee injuries right now.  The team has done a good job of fielding a competitive lineup though.  I don’t have any cards of Youkilis as a Yankee yet.  I will probably have to wait for Topps Update in the fall.  This will do for now, although I am not a big fan of the final Upper Deck years. 

Random Athletics Cards

I won a lot of Oakland Athletics baseball cards on Listia recently.  All four cards cost a total of 29 credits.  The cards include a 2008 UD First Edition of Joe Blanton, 2009 Upper Deck of Andrew Brown, 2012 Bowman of Jemile Weeks, and 2012 Topps Update of Brandon Inge.  I bought this lot for the Weeks card.  It was my first Jemile Weeks card.  I have a few cards of Rickie Weeks so now the family is complete.

I Have Not Thought About the Phillies Lately

I picked up this Phillies lot on eBay for just 18 cents with free shipping.  I forgot that the Phillies existed for a while.  I received two cards of Jayson Werth and one card of Chase Utley.  Plus, I got two bonus cards.  I know it's 1989 Topps.  But, it's unexpected cardboard which makes my day.  Of course, Werth is now with the Nationals.  The Werth cards are base cards from 2009 Topps and 2011 Topps.  The Utley card is from 2009 SP Authentic.  Utley is having an OK season after injuries last year.  Werth is suffering from his own injuries this year. 

Back When Tex Was a Ranger

I snagged this 2005 ESPN card of Mark Teixiera on Listia for just 8 credits.  I don’t know how ESPN got into the card business, but they got out of it pretty quickly.  Upper Deck produced these cards, but the ESPN logo is a lot bigger than the Upper Deck logo.  Teixiera is currently a Yankee but was a Ranger back in 2005.  That was before he became a very rich man.  Tex is currently on the shelf with an injury for the Yankees.  The Yankees miss him, but Lyle Overbay has been a decent replacement. 

TTM Autograph Requests Have Been Neglected

It's true.  I have been delinquent in my TTM requests.  In fact, I haven't sent a request out in over a year.  I just realized that today.  My last request was to Denard Span in April 2012.  I haven't gotten that back yet.  I sent it to the Twins so I guess I won't hold my breath.  This week will be the week that I resume my TTM mailings.  I don't have all those 2013 Topps duplicates for nothing.  Any suggestions?

Brandon Webb, We Hardly Knew Ye

I purchased a UD Masterpieces card of Brandon Webb on eBay for 3 cents shipped.  I have a liking for the bumpy texture on these cards.  Also, there is no gloss on these cards.  The cards just feel right in your hand.  I didn’t realize this, but Webb actually retired earlier this year.  That’s a shame because he had tons of talent.  Injuries betrayed Webb throughout his career. 

Autograph from Upper Deck SP

I picked up this 2007 Upper Deck SP Autograph of Kory Casto on Listia for only 581 credits.  Casto had a brief stint with the Nationals in 2007 and 2008.  He has been out of baseball since 2010.  The price was right.  Also, I think I was buying the card brand rather than the player.  I have always liked the SP brand.  There’s something about all that foil. 

eBay 101

 Over the years, I think I have learned a good deal about how to buy and sell on eBay.  I have made mistakes and tried to learn from them.  As a buyer, I try to exploit poorly worded listings.  Here are two examples.  

The first auction was for a 2011 Topps card of Stephen Strasburg.  I won the auction for 10 cents with free shipping.  The auction title was “baseball card.”  There was a photo of the card but no description.  I half expected to receive a 1990 Donruss common card.  But I received the Strasburg card in mint condition instead. 

 

The second auction was listed as “Eric Surkamp Topps 2012 Chrome Rookie Card.”  There was a clear picture of the item.  But something didn’t look right.  Upon further inspection, this card was a refractor.  There was no mention of this fact in the auction listing.  To make a long story short, I am now the proud owner of this card for the economical sum of 10 cents shipped. 

This Just In...

Big news in the world of fantasy baseball.  My team has moved from last to second to last.  I have been rather busy on the waiver wire.  This year's pickups include Jhonny Peralta, Michael Young, Justin Morneau, Tim Hudson, David Hernandez, and Jared Burton.  I will have Jered Weaver and Zack Greinke back in the lineup soon. I really need the help.  My pitching has been awful outside of Madison Bumgarner. 

New Yankee Additions

I purchased a lot of Yankee cards on eBay for just 51 cents with free shipping.  My math tells me that I paid about 10 cents per card.  The lot includes 3 Robinson Cano cards, an Alex Rodriguez card, and a Joe Girardi card.  I didn’t have any of these cards in my collection, so it was money well spent. 

More Stadium Club Love

I purchased this 2008 Stadium Club card of David Purcey for only 6 cents on eBay.  I have a thing for 2008 Stadium Club.  The photography is excellent and the lack of borders is a refreshing change.  Purcey was a prospect for the Blue Jays for a few years.  He last appeared in the big leagues in 2011.  Since then he has been around the minors.  He is currently playing for the AAA Charlotte Knights in the White Sox organization.