Random 2011 Topps

I picked up this 2011 Topps base card of Tim Collins on Listia for 23 credits.  This card is from Series 2.  I don't have much Series 2 from 2011, so I pulled the trigger.  Collins has been a reliever for the Royals for the past few seasons.  2011 counts as a rookie card.  Note the logo on the card.  Also, check out that cool leg kick. 

Here's Some Topps Heritage

Here’s what 12 cents of Topps Heritage looks like courtesy of eBay.  On the left is a 2011 card of Jair Jurrjens.  Jurrjens is best known for his work with the Braves before injuries derailed his career.  On the right is the 2012 card of Chase Utley.  For my money, I prefer the 2011 design.  It’s a cleaner design, and reminds me of 1987 Topps.  Although 1987 Topps was the height of the junk wax era, it still brings back a good childhood memory. 

Pack Break: 2011 Topps Series 2

I opened a pack of 2011 Topps Series 2 recently.  I have bunches of Series 1 but not much Series 2.  Anyway, here are the spoils:
620 Luke Hochevar
411 Josh Bell
659 Clint Barmes
602 Ivan Dejesus
521 Joaquin Benoit
549 Jayson Nix
496 Gavin Floyd (Diamond Anniversary)
TDG-13 Diamond Giveaway Nolan Ryan
448 Colby Rasmus
399 Adam Moore
599 Travis Ishikawa
585 Dan Johnson
Topps Attax Promo
If anyone is interested in anything here, let me know. 

eBay Mailbag: Dustin Ackley

I picked up a 2011 Bowman card of Dustin Ackley for just a few cents.  Remember in 2013 when Ackley was terrible and Seattle sent him down to AAA?  Yeah, that was the year he was on my fantasy team as my starting second baseman.  He was hitting like .220 and I finally had to dump him when he got sent down.  It’s nice to add a Bowman card to the collection.  I don’t buy Bowman packs anymore, so I don’t get as many opportunities as I once did.

Carlos Peguero Anyone?

I picked up this 2011 Topps Update card of Carlos Peguero on eBay.  Peguero has had brief stints in the big leagues with the Mariners.  He was drafted back in 2005 and isn’t getting any younger.  And his career batting average is .195.  The Long Island Ducks may come calling if things don’t turn around. 

What To Do With Cano

I picked up a 2011 Topps card of Robinson Cano for a dime on eBay.  I already own a few copies of this card.  I really didn’t need another one.  But I couldn’t turn down a Robinson Cano card at this price.  Now that the season is over, the question is whether Cano will be a Yankee next year.  Losing Cano would be a big blow.  Resigning Cano will be an expensive proposition.  But I could not imagine Cano in any other team’s uniform. 

Kyle Drabek Insert Card

I bought this 2011 Gypsy Queen card of Kyle Drabek on eBay for only 10 cents.  I have a couple of Drabek cards already, so I decided to add to the collection.  Also, I really like the shade of blue on the front of the card.  Drabek was and still is a prospect for the Blue Jays and being traded by the Phillies.  He is on his way back from Tommy John surgery.  This card is an insert called Future Stars.  Maybe I got this card at a discount since Drabek is currently on the shelf.  

There's Gonna Be a Play at the Plate

I purchased a 2011 Topps Update card of Henry Blanco on eBay for 6 cents shipped.  I wasn’t really looking to buy a card of a career backup catcher.  I bought this card for the photography.  The Topps base set isn’t usually known for great photos.  Blanco is about to make a play at the plate and photo was taken almost directly overhead.  Safe or out?  Also, can anyone make out the Cincinnati runner?  Also, shameless plug for Play at the Plate. 

A Quarter Well Spent

I picked up a lot of 4 cards on eBay for less than a quarter.  That’s not too bad considering the players in the lot.  I received a 2011 A&G Ryan Howard Sketch card, 2012 Topps Opening Day Carlos Gonzalez card, 2012 Topps Ryan Braun card, and a 2012 Topps Cut Above card of Hanley Ramirez.  Unfortunately, the Howard card came with a small ding to the corner.  Otherwise, it was a great lot. 

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. 

Colby Rasmus Autograph

I scored this Colby Rasmus Autograph with Game Used Jersey from a seller on Listia.  The card is from 2011 Topps Triple Threads.  It is serial numbered 18/50.  This card looks amazing.  It cost me about 7700 credits, so it wasn’t cheap.  But it was well worth it.  Rasmus is with the Blue Jays now, but is probably best known for his days with the Cardinals. 

A Corey Patterson Sighting

I purchased this 2011 Topps Update card of Corey Patterson for 6 cents on eBay.  Patterson used to be the next big thing for the Chicago Cubs.  I actually own a rookie card graded by BGS.  Fortunately, I bought it after everyone realized that Patterson was not the next big thing.  After leaving the Cubs, Patterson became a journeyman for several teams.  He is still bouncing between AAA and the Majors.  Although he is in a Cardinals uniform on this card, he only played 44 games for the team.  Did I overpay or underpay?

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. 

eBay Mailbag: Carlos Beltran

I recently purchased a 2011 Topps Heritage card of Carlos Beltran on eBay for only six cents. Despite what the scowl on Beltran’s face on the card might suggest, I was actually quite happy to make this purchase. This is my first card from 2011 Topps Heritage since I didn’t purchase any packs last year. I like the design much better than some of the previous years. Beltran is a Cardinal this year after spending time as a Met and Giant last year. Today, he is also my pick in MLB’s Beat the Streak Challenge.

TTM Mailbag: Aaron Hill

I recently received a TTM autograph return from Aaron Hill of the Diamondbacks. I received my 2011 Topps card signed in black Sharpie in just 18 days. The signature looks perfect with no flaws or smudges. Hill was traded to the Diamondbacks by the Blue Jays last year. He was an All-Star in 2009, but his numbers have slumped in the past two years. Hill is off to a slow start in spring training, but that doesn’t mean much once the season starts.

Topps Silk: J.J. Hardy

My latest eBay purchase is one more 2011 Topps Update Silk card. This one features J.J. Hardy who is currently an Oriole but perhaps best remembered as a Brewer. Hardy actually had a decent year for the Orioles. I really don’t hear his name too much, but that’s probably a function of where he plays. The neat thing about this card is that it is numbered 50/50. I know that is meaningless, but I like that. I only paid $1.99 shipped for this card. These Silk cards are getting cheaper and cheaper. It’s almost the same trend that we saw with game-used jersey cards.

Topps Silk: Rafael Soriano

I have purchased another 2011 Topps Update Silk Card. This one is Rafael Soriano of the Yankees. This is my first Yankees Silk card. I only paid $2.24 shipped for this card. Soriano is basically a setup man to David Robertson who is a setup man for Mariano Rivera. Soriano started out as the 8^th inning guy but Robertson took the job. Soriano had an OK season in 2011 but his best season was in 2010 with the Rays. The card is serial numbered 8/50. It is a really nice addition to my Yankees collection.

Topps Silk from eBay

I purchased my first 2011 Topps Silk card on eBay. The subject is Jon Garland of the Dodgers. Actually, he is technically a free agent right now. It is a card from the Update Series. The serial number is 42/50 which has no significance at all. I entered a high bid of $2.00 for the card which is a lowball bid, but that’s not unusual for me. Someone outbid me and ran the price to $2.25. I wasn’t about to get into a bidding war over a Jon Garland card. But that bidder later retracted his bid which probably caused some potential buyers to ignore this item. I wound up winning this card for $1.34! Barely enough to cover shipping. Thanks mystery bid retractor.

Dollar Store Packs Part Two

So here is my second pack of 2011 Topps from Dollar Tree. I only received five cards. There’s nothing spectacular, but I could’ve done worse.

Reid Brignac

Vladimir Guerrero

Chase Headley

Marlon Byrd

Jose Contreras

The Guerrero card is probably the highlight of the pack. The Contreras card certainly isn’t. I think he just turned 70. Decent pack for a buck.

Dollar Store Packs Part One

I haven’t opened any packs lately. So I figured I would pick up a couple of packs of 2011 Topps Series 1 from Dollar Tree. These packs only have five cards in them, but the price is right. Anyway, here are the results from the first pack. I didn’t get anything terrific, but who cares? The pack only cost a buck.

Brandon Morrow

Desmond Jennings

Daniel Descalso

Jay Bruce

Yunel Escobar