More Alex Rodriguez Cards

OK, so here is ARod lot number two.  This lot also cost me $1.04 shipped from the same eBay seller as the previous lot.  I received a total 16 cards in this lot.  I think my favorite card out of this lot is the Allen & Ginter.  It is one of the few cards showing ARod in a Yankee uniform.  And I just like Allen & Ginter. 

An Addition to My Alex Rodriguez Collection

My latest eBay purchase was a lot of 15 Alex Rodriguez cards.  Settle down all of you ARod and Yankee haters.  I paid $1.04 with shipping for the lot.  This is actually the first of two ARod lots that I bought.  I will show off the second lot in a later post.  These are mostly Mariner and Ranger cards but that’s OK.  I have been accumulating ARod cards over the past year or two for some reason.  Maybe I’ll sell them once he retires and buy a yacht with the proceeds.  Or maybe not.  But I paid less than 10 cents a card which is pretty good.  But the way, if you haters are looking to trade your ARod/Yankee cards away, let me know. 

eBay Mailbag: Grady Sizemore

 

My latest eBay auction win was a lot of 8 Grady Sizemore cards.  I paid a total of 49 cents shipped for the entire lot.  For the record, it cost $1.95 to ship the package.  I think my favorite card of the lot is the Allen & Ginter.  Perhaps this lot was cheap because Sizemore does not play much.  The oft-injured Sizemore has not played a full season since 2008.  He has been on the DL with back problems since the beginning of the 2012 season.  He is a talent but is so prone to injuries. 

My First Gypsy Queen Card

My latest eBay purchase as a 2012 Gypsy Queen card of John Axford.  I paid 6 cents shipped for the card.  This is my first card of Axford and my first Gypsy Queen card.  I like the overall card design and the fact that the card lacks a glossy finish.  Gypsy Queen seems to have plenty of parallels which is a plus.  However, I’m not sure that I would shell out the $100-$110 that hobby boxes go for on eBay.  The cards are nice but they are not that nice.  I would prefer to just buy and trade individual cards.  Axford has a bloated ERA so far, but he has saved 6 games.  In fact, he just blew his first save in 50 tries.  I have a warm spot in my heart for closers.  I have won at least one fantasy league because of my closers. 

eBay Mailbag: 2011 Topps Lineage

I recently purchased a lot of 5 2011 Topps Lineage cards on eBay for 32 cents shipped.  All of the cards featured Detroit Tigers.  I received 2 Victor Martinez cards, 2 Austin Jackson cards, and 1 Al Kaline card  I don’t have too many Lineage cards, so I picked up a few at a decent price.  By the way, Dave & Adam’s Card World sells a pack of 8 cards for $3.25. 

TTM Autograph Requests

I sent out my first TTM requests of the regular season out this week.  My requests went to Matt Capps and Denard Span of the Twins.  I also sent a AAA request to former big leaguer Ross Ohlendorf.  Ohlendorf has been decent so far this season.  Span has also gotten off to a fast start.  Capps has been OK but he has converted all of his save opportunities.  I feel that I have a decent chance of getting returns from all three this season based on past results. 

My Philip Humber Collection

I was lucky enough to watch the end of Philip Humber’s perfect game yesterday. It was the first perfect game I had watched since David Cone’s in 1999. The end of the game was a bit confusing as Brendan Ryan allegedly swung to strike out at what would have been ball four with two out in the ninth. The ball got away from AJ Pierzynski who recovered it to make the final out at first. Humber is yet another former Met to throw a no-hitter. No pitcher has ever done so in a Mets uniform. I own exactly one Philip Humber card. It is a 2005 Bowman card. The card could easily be found in a dime box at any card show. However, the last 5 of these cards to sell on eBay sold for (including shipping) $5.74, $7.50, $8.99, $4.74, and $3.00. The average selling price is $5.99. This is an absolutely ridiculous price for this card. Needless to say, I have already put my Humber card on eBay. I may buy another in a few months if I see it in a dime box.

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.

Fantasy Baseball Draft!!!

Spring is here which means that baseball season fast approaches. And with the beginning of baseball season comes fantasy baseball. I drafted my team over the weekend using an auction-style draft. This was my first auction-style draft. It’s much like eBay. 20% of my money went towards drafting Pujols. Now I know how the Angels feel. I feel pretty good about my team. Look at this roster:

Joe Mauer

Albert Pujols

Dustin Ackley

Alex Rodriguez

Derek Jeter

Drew Stubbs

Brett Gardner

Ichiro Suzuki

Ryan Howard

Jesus Montero

Edwin Encarnacion

Jose Tabata

Ian Desmond

Roy Halladay

CC Sabathia

Shaun Marcum

Anibal Sanchez

Ervin Santana

Mariano Rivera

JJ Putz

Frank Francisco

Brandon League

Chris Perez

I overpaid for Halladay, but otherwise there are no regrets. Fingers crossed for no injuries.