Trade with Dave from 'The Bench'

In December I document my unsuccessful attempts to make trades on the trading sites, 'Sports Cards Forum' and 'The Bench' One of the successful trade with Dave in Fresno helped me acquire a healthy selection of Baseball Heroes cards. I sent another unsolicited package of Twins cards to Dave expecting nothing in return, just the knowledge that the cards would be placed in a good home. Yesterday two packages arrived from Dave filled with more Baseball Heroes cards. Each one a parallel numbered card.
Dave sent:

#27 Josh Beckett light blue 44/49

#34 Wade Boggs light blue #14/49

#19 Mike Lowell Green 91/99

#23 Jonathan Papelbon blue 91/199

#24 Jacoby Ellsbury blue 136/199

#28 Daisuke Matsuzaka blue 134/199

#32 Carlton Fisk blue 128/199
#34 Wade Boggs blue 128/199

#176 Wade Boggs blue 95/199

#20 Jason Varitek Red 99/249

#22 Manny Ramirez red 162/249

2009 Topps Finest #4 Curt Schilling blue refractor 137/299
2009 Topps Finest #40 David Ortiz refractor #177/399
I have never seen any of these mildly hypnotic cards. '
'Look into my eyes, not around the eyes. Look straight into my eyes. Now you are under. You will buy more Topps products in the future. When I snap my fingers you will remember nothing except my last message'


2009 Goudey #19 Jed Lowrie
2009 Goudey #25 Kevin Youkilis
2009 Goudey #25 Kevin Youkilis mini
2009 Goudey #31 David Ortiz
2009 Goudey #35-100 Pedroia, Ortiz, Fisk, Beckett red border
2009 Goudey #202 Carlton Fisk
plus all the Baseball Heroes Red Sox base cards.

A welcome surprise and a great addition to the Red Sox collection. If your listening Dave-Thank you. I feel an unnerving urge to buy Topps cards.

Trade with Greg from 'The Bench'

The third package to arrive recently was from Greg in Post Falls, Indiana. He was one of three people who agreed to a trade through the forum 'The Bench'. Although I only arranged three trades through this forum, each of the members have gone above and beyond in the cards they sent. I will continue to pursue trades for the Mariners, Blue Jays and Diamondbacks, there must be collectors of these teams out there somewhere, surely. These are the only three teams I have left to make a trade partner, although some collectors have streamlined their collections so I will be looking for different collectors for the Yankees, Brewers and Marlins.

Anyway onto the massive selection of cards Greg sent over:

1983 Fleer #179 Wade Boggs
1992 Donruss #DK3 Roger Clemens
1992 Fleer Ultra #6/25 Roger Clemens
1993 Fleer Ultra #1/5 Roger Clemens
1995 Pinnacle #RH18 Roger Clemens
1996 Fleer Flair #16 Roger Clemens
1996 SP Special FX #38/48 Roger Clemens
1997 Pinnacle #55 Roger Clemens
1997 Pinnacle #129 Reggie Jefferson
1998 Bowman Best #73 Nomar Garciaparra
1998 Topps Stadium Club #MH8 Roger Clemens
1998 Upper Deck #23 Nomar Garciaparra
1999 Topps Chrome #AE29 Pedro Martinez
1999 UD Black Diamond #15 Nomar Garciaparra
2002 Topps #45 Carlos Baerga
2002 Topps Archives Reserve #7/100 Fred Lynn
2002 UD Pieces of History # 25 Pedro Martinez
2002 UD Pieces of History #26 Nomar Garciaparra
2003 Topps #17 Kevin Millar
2003 Topps #303 David Murphy
2003 Topps #342 Strikeout Leaders
2003 Upper Deck #19 Johnny Damon
2003 Upper Deck Honor Roll #23 Nomar Garciaparra
2003 Zenith #TZ10 Curt Schilling
2004 Bazooka #154 Johnny Damon
2004 Bazooka #280 David Murphy
2004 Bowman #102 Johnny Damon
2004 Bowman #205 David Murphy
2004 Bowman Chrome #17 David Ortiz
2004 Bowman Chrome #304 Jon DeVries
2004 Cracker Jack #57 Johnny Damon
2004 Fleer Classic Clippings #59 Pedro Martinez
2004 Leaf #18 Jorge De La Rosa
2004 Skybox Autographics #16 Nomar Garciaparra
2004 Skybox Autographics #33 Curt Schilling
2004 SPX #94 Pedro Martinez
2004 SPX #103 Ted Williams
2004 SPX #145 Abe Alvarez 0199/1599
2004 UD Diamond collection #15 Pedro Martinez
2004 UD Power Up #ST51 Curt Schilling
2005 Bowman Gold #42 Kevin Millar
2005 Bowman Gold #78 David Ortiz
2005 Bowman Gold #103 Curt Schilling
2005 Donruss #124 Kevin Youkilis
2005 Donruss Diamond Kings #46 David Ortiz
2005 Donruss Diamond Kings #HH4 Carl Yastrzemski
2005 Donruss Diamond Kings #HH5 Ted Williams
2005 Donruss leather and Lumber #LL34 Wade Boggs 0171/2000
2005 Donruss Throwback Threads #117 Johnny Damon
2005 Fleer #121 Johnny Damon
2005 Fleer Authentix #JAGW-RH Manny Ramirez Jersey
2005 Fleer Patchworks #10 Curt Schilling
2005 Flair #17 Pedro Martinez
2005 Flair Dynasty Foundations #5/30 Red Sox 386/500
2005 Playoff Prestige #MLB9 David Ortiz
2005 SP Legendary Cuts #78 Ted Williams
2005 UD #SAJD Johnny Damon
2005 Zenith #218 Hanley Ramirez
2005 Zenith #241 Ted Williams
2005 Zenith Silver #10 Manny Ramirez
2005 Zenith Silver #56 Tim Wakefield
2005 Zenith Z-team #ZT15 Johnny Damon 099/100
2006 Bowman # DP30 Zack Daeges
2006 Bowman Gold #BP93 Andrew Dobies
2006 Topps #OG13 David Ortiz
2006 Topps #OG14 Manny Ramirez
2006 Topps Chrome #314 Jonathan Papelbon
2006 Upper Deck #PH9 Jason Varitek
2007 Bowman #87 Mike Lowell
2007 Bowman #125 David Ortiz
2007 Bowman Gold #6 Jonathan Papelbon
2007 Bowman Gold #46 Josh Beckett
2007 Bowman Gold #168 J.D.Drew
2007 Fleer #34 David Ortiz
2007 Fleer #60 David Murphy
2007 Fleer #68 Devern Hansack
2007 SP Authentic #AP32 Manny Ramirez
2007 Topps #HM17 Manny Ramirez
2007 Topps Turkey Red #42 Dice-K
2007 Topps Turkey Red #119 Hideki Okajima
2007 Upper Deck #4 Devern Hansack
2007 Upper Deck #69 Dustin Pedroia
2007 Upper Deck #70 Trot Nixon
2007 Upper Deck #74 Jonathan Papelbon
2007 Upper Deck #76 Jon Lester
2007 Upper Deck #77 Craig Hansen
2008 Bowman #199 Jacoby Ellsbury
2008 Allen+Ginter #63 Jacoby Ellsbury

Deep breath ....There were 4 cards that had a limited print run, a jersey card, 2 Jacoby and load of Pedro's and Nomar's. WOW!

Is there something wrong with Roger Clemens. I seem to be getting quite a few of his cards lately. Has he fallen out of favour, I know there were rumours of drugs cheat. What has happened?

Trade with Derek from 'The Bench'

It has been a bumper time for packages arriving recently. The three bench trades have arrived, plus a number of e-bay packages . I need to seriously catch-up on my posts.

The first to arrived was a big brick of cards from Derek in Denair, California. He was one of the people who responded to my call for trades on 'The Bench'. His team of choice was the San Francisco Giants. I sent him all that I had and here is the cards he sent back.
Enclosed was:

1989 Sportflics #47 Bruce Hurst
1994 Action Packed #65 Trot Nixon
1994 Action Packed #2 Trot Nixon
1999 Upper Deck Encore #17 Trot Nixon
2001 Stadium Club #1 Pedro Martinez
2001 Stadium Club #24 Nomar Garciaparra
2001 Stadium Club #53 Hideo Nomo
2002 Fleer Authentix #12 Pedro Martinez
2002 Fleer Authentix #101 Trot Nixon
2002 Fleer Authentix #120 Johnny Damon
2002 Topps #15 Trot Nixon
2003 Donruss #101 Trot Nixon
2004 Bowman #52 Trot Nixon
2004 Donruss Elite #12 Pedro Martinez
2004 Donruss Elite #13 Curt Schilling
2004 Donruss Studio #39 Trot Nixon
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #10 Pedro Martinez
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #24 Byung-Hyun Kim
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #183 Todd Walker
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #189 Jason Varitek
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #193 Bill Mueller
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #209 David Ortiz
2004 Upper Deck Vintage #263 Johnny Damon
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #9 Bobby Doerr
2005 Leaf Limited #49 Edgar Renteria 457/699
2005 Topps Bazooka #148 Johnny Damon
2005 Topps Bazooka #154 Curt Schilling
2005 Topps Bazooka #163 Pedro Martinez
2005 Topps Bazooka #168 David Ortiz
2005 Topps Bazooka #220 Jose Vaquedano
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #14 Carl Yastrzemski
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #15 Carlton Fisk
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #31 Fred Lynn
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #43 Jim Rice
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #54 Luis Tiant
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #68 Rico Petrocelli
2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants #84 Wade Boggs
2005 Topps #571 Keith Foulke
2005 Topps Total #343 Trot Nixon
2006 Throwback Threads #157 Trot Nixon
2006 Topps #474 Trot Nixon
2006 Topps Update #UH5 Alex Gonzalez
2006 Topps Update #UH19 Julian Tavarez
2006 Topps Update #UH154 Kason Gabbard
2006 Topps Update #UH179 Manny Ramirez
2006 Topps Update #UH221 David Ortiz
2006 Topps Update #UH286 David Ortiz
2006 Upper Deck Chrome #8 Curt Schilling
2006 Upper Deck Chrome #10 David Ortiz
2006 Upper Deck Star Attractions #SA-CS Curt Schilling
2006 Upper Deck Star Attractions #SA- DO David Ortiz
2007 Goudey #217 Jim Rice
2007 Topps #360 David Ortiz
2007 Topps #413 Coco Crisp
2007 Topps #444 Josh Beckett
2007 Topps '52 #117 Jeff Bailey
2007 Topps Stars #TS9 David Ortiz
2007 Topps Update #UH270 Josh Beckett
2008 A Piece of History baseball #BSM-9 Mike Lowell 260/699
2008 Bowman Chrome #79 Jason Varitek
2008 Topps #YR162 David Ortiz
2008 Topps Update #UH264 David Ortiz


I must find a better way of listing these cards.

As I said a big brick of cards! Some that I had never seen and others that will fill some holes. This was the first of three large packages to come from 'The Bench' trades. So far it looks very promising. Thanks to Derek for all the cards. His card in the package had this impressive looking logo for the River Cats. A minor league baseball team?

Trade with Dave from 'The Bench'

I contacted Dave on The Bench who agreed to a trade for some Minnesota Twins cards. I did all the required paper work and a package arrived on Saturday from Fresno in California. Enclosed was a decent selection of amazingly protected Red Sox cards from the 2008 Baseball Heroes set.

Enclosed was:

Mike Lowell #19

Jason Varitek #20

David Ortiz #21 beige 132/299

David Ortiz #21 charcoal

Daivd Ortiz #21

Jonathan Papelbon #23

Jacoby Ellsbury #24

Curt Schilling #26 charcoal

Josh Beckett #27

Dustin Pedroia #30

Carl Yastrzemski #33

Wade Boggs #34 charcoal

Wade Boggs #34

Jon Lester #92

Yastrzemski, Fisk, Boggs #187

Thanks to Dave for the nice cards and a Jacoby too. But I'm not overally thrilled with this particular set. I don't understand why Upper Deck produces 3 or 4 of the exact same card in different colours. I'm not sure of the point.