Finally 2012 Topps baseball Stickers

 Finally some 2012 product that I can get into. Thanks to my friend Waxaholic, the 2012 album and 8 packets of stickers are all mine.
Who says you need to complete the 2011 album before starting the 2012. It's alright to have numerous collecting pursuits going at the same time, surely?
Follow my attempts to complete the 2011 sticker album and the 2012 sticker album.(Help in any way you can!)
So onto the 8 packs Waxaholic sent my way.

Pack 1:

I don't object to mascots being inlcuded in the set but two in one pack?

Pack 2: 

 Pack 3:

Pack 4: 

Pack 5: 

Pack 6: 

Pack 7: 

Pack 8:

I'm saving that for 'Pursuit of Red Sox'

From the 7 packs:

 4 logos, 2 Highlights and 5 mascots.

Trade with Waxaholic

Another trade with my prolific trade partner and friend Waxaholic. We have similar collecting habits, football (soccer), stickers and opening packs.
This massive collection arrived the other day and he fulfilled all areas of my collecting pursuits including this Jacoby Ellsbury Topps 206 that was a welcome addition to my Jacoby collection. I know there will be a sticker album coming along soon that Waxaholic will be tempted by. One of the easiest traders I have.
He was also kind enough to include some packs, which I will crack open in the near future at my other blog Pursuit of Red Sox.
Always a pleasure Big B.

Trade with Waxaholic

That reminds me, I need to send Waxaholic some football stickers, Premier League stickers. It is a top of my list of things to do. That and finding ways to watch Canadian Women's Soccer. Where does he find these images?

On a completely unrelated topic he sent me a bunch of Red Sox cards, including the Josh Beckett shown above. I have obtained a number of red swatches recently and it makes a change from the usual white swatches. He also sent some unopened packs of cards. A rack pack of 2008 Upper Deck and 1989 Topps BIG. Sweet. I will be cracking them open on Pursuit of Red Sox, to further my ongoing mission to locate Red Sox in packs.

Thank you Sir Waxaholic. 

Trade with Waxaholic

Look here baseball stickers.
I am one of the many fans of baseball stickers, wouldn't it be nice if they reintroduced baseball stickers.
I looks as if our prayers have been answered.. Now to get a hold of some.
Thanks again to Big B for the Red Sox.

A delayed multiple Mail day

This is very lax of me and unforgivable. It's holiday time and I haven't posted .
In the last few weeks a number of trade packages have arrived, two regular traders and two NEW.
The first trade is from my good friend Brian at Waxaholic. Packages have bounced back and forward between the UK and Canada for over two years, the first being in August 2008. I have watched his blog Waxaholic go from strength to strength, currently 193 stalkers. I'm sure it is to do with the quality, incisive, witty banter he produces and nothing to do with the Cheerleader of Week pictures.
He sent a volley back this way, including the lovely Youk card above, after I had (unsuccessfully) tried to complete the numerous sticker collections he has on the go - not my fault. My favourite set in recent years is the Masterpieces baseball sets of 2007 and 2008, although I had collected the whole base set, this Captured on Canvas from the 2008 set is an awesome addition. Not to be outdone he sent a 2008 A+G Jason Varitek bat card and some unopened packs. He also included my favourite past player Nomar.
Thanks Big B. The second trade is from another regular trader, Greg at Night Owl cards. Packages have been winging their way from New York since October 2008. Back then I seemed to pull Dodgers with ease. An interesting and prolific writer, Greg's blog has always been one of my first points of call, even with the baseball blog explosion, he still remains among the best in the business. That's enough of the back slapping now - forgive me, it is Oscar time after all ,the season of congratulatory exaltation!
Greg sent me a fair few cards from my wants list, including a bunch of cards modelled on the 1966 Topps set. They appear to be cut? from a magazine...I enjoy the cartoons on the back of the custom cards. One of these cards informs me that Roger (Clemens) enjoys water sports and that Mike (Greenwell) has popularized high top spikes. I'm not sure how I have come so far in life without knowing this.
Thanks again to Greg for the great Red Sox cards. The next lot of cards came from a new tader, Tim aka SpastikMooss and his blog The Great Sports Name Hall of Fame. As he mentions in this post , we set the trade wheels in motion many months ago. He has two unusual collecting pursuit which I admire in a collector. Great names, Randy Ready is a personal favourite of mine and cards depicting cups, either in the background or prominent. I dug threw various boxes of cards and couldn't find any cards depicting cups, not a single one. So I spent the next few months trying to find one. Luckily Tim widened his collecting demographic, so I was able to find an assortment of cards, unfortunately not a cup card. I have become determined to find one.
Tim sent in return a huge stack of cards (and he sent packs too!) that were all from my wants list. He personally cleared a number of loose ends and helped complete many Red Sox team sets. Far too many to mention, except for this card -an Aaron Sele 1995 Topps card but this one is 'SHINY'. We like shiny things almost as much as stickers. The cards have statistics on the back from the strike shortened 1994 season that have been computer simulated-golly!, hence the set being called cyberstats. Thank you Tim for what I hope will be the first in long line of trades, particularly if I can find a damn cup card

And finally I'm not sure how I came into contact with Ted, a Blue Jays collector, but I was grateful. The Blue Jays cards had been building for a while and I had tried to get in touch with Roy from 'A Paper Chase' (or plain Grey Swatch as it is now known) to no avail. But this post is not about him. Ted sent a large box of Red Sox goodness. He included the entire Red Sox run of 1993 and 1994 Topps plus an assortment of 1990's up to the present day. All the cards were in immaculate condition.
The cards from Ted I chose to showcase are these two 2008 Topps Opening Day card, but not just any old run of the mill Opening Day cards, both these cards are numbered to 2199. I must have opened a few packs of these cards in 2008 and I wasn't aware that these existed as an insert. The lettering(logo, players name and team name) is in gold plus next to the Opening Day logo is the date March 31, 2008(also in gold)

Thank you Ted. Hope we will stay in contact, so the future Blue Jays I pull have a friendly home to go to.

Swapping cards with Waxaholic

Firstly, very impressed with the 'calling card'. I feel as if I'm dealing with a real professional. Waxaholic has now become my most prolific trading partner. We have been trading packages across the Atlanic for almost 2 years. Sorry it has taken so long to get this posted as well.

Brian sent along some, dare I say 'vintage' 1974 Topps

and some equally sweet 1976 Topps.

Thanks again Big B. I search in earnest to clear you 'soccer' wants list.

Trade with Big B from Waxaholic

Waxaholic does it again. He has blown me away with these three relic cards that arrived in the post last week. I do not have a quad swatch in my collection so this is a very welcome addition, nor did I have a 'red swatch'. Practice jersey perhaps?
Nice to see the Man Ram alongside his former team-mates, although listed as a Dodger.
Thanks Big B.

Brian also included some lovely Junk Wax, which is always welcome and busted at 'Pursuit of Red Sox,

Trade with Big B from Waxaholic

Brian from Waxaholic and I have traded cards across the pond for a good 12 months now. The package that arrived from Brian the other day contained cards that recognised that I have more than one pursuit.

Firstly he sent these 4 Jacoby Ellsbury cards for Pursuit of Jacoby.

This chronicles my attempts to collect all the Jacoby cards with no specific print runs from 2005 to the present.

Secondly 2 Junk Wax packs for Pursuit of Red Sox.

Any packs I manage to beg, borrow or buy are opened here in search of Red Sox.

And lastly 4 cards for the Pursuit of 1980's Topps.

This was my first and a long term pursuits, but thanks to Brian and a host of other generous collectors might be coming to an end very soon. There are now only 3 cards I need to collect the whole 726 set. In an era that was devoid of short printed, different coloured parallels and mini refractor relics, it has been a quest that was attainable.
Many thanks to Brian for this much appreciated package.

Trade with Big B from Waxaholic

With the 2009/2010 football (soccer) season now in full swing, how can I deny a request Football stickers? Brian from Waxaholic and I share a liking of stickers as well as cards. So I am happy to contribute to his completion of the Topps Total sticker album.
Brian sent me some great '71 Red Sox and a pack of O-Pee-Chee baseball cards, which I will share in my Pursuit of Red Sox.

Brian sent:
1971 Topps #58 Bill Lee
1971 Topps #159 Javis Tatum
1971 Topps #225 Gary Peters
1971 Topps #254 Cal Koonce
1971 Topps #302 Phil Gagliano
1987 Donruss Opening Day #180 Bob Stanley
1987 Donruss Opening Day #181 Wade Boggs
1987 Donruss Opening Day #182 Jim Rice
1987 Donruss Opening Day #183 Bill Buckner
1987 Donruss Opening Day #184 Dwight Evans
1987 Donruss Opening Day #185 Spike Owen
1987 Donruss Opening Day #186 Don Baylor
1987 Donruss Opening Day #187 Marc Sulivan
1987 Donruss Opening Day #188 Marty Barrett
1987 Donruss Opening Day #189 Dave Henderson
1987 Donruss Opening Day #266 Red Sox
2004 Donruss Diamond Kings #90 Pedro Martinez
2009 Topps Finest #46 Jacoby Ellsbury

Thanks Brian. I hope we can continue to placate our shared dilemma of collecting a sport that is played on foreign shores.

Trade with Big B from Waxaholic

Big B aka Brian from Waxaholic and I have been exchanging cards since we were both reading 'A Pack A day' and pre writing our own blogs. Big B shared his penchant for Premiership Football (soccer), the Braves and Lucy Pinder, but not necessarily in that order. I have been able to find some Braves he needs and Premiership football cards and stickers. Lucy Pinder on the other hand is proving to be far more elusive. Sorry Brian she doesn't return my calls and waiting outside her house has gotten me into more trouble than I need. Rest assured football stickers are on their way.
Brian recently sent an excellent package of cards that included:

1959 Topps #161 Frank Baumann
1959 Topps #384 Dave Sisler
1959 Topps #473 Mike Fornieles
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #88 Tim Naehring
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #98 Jeff Reardon
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #124 Mo Vaughn
1996 Topps complete Red Sox set!
2003 Bowman #BDP92 Chad Spann
2006 Bowman Chrome #113 Josh Beckett
2009 Topps #50 David Ortiz black border
2009 Topps #112 Hideki Okajima black border
2009 Topps #267 Michael Bowden black border
2009 Topps Finest #19 Josh Beckett
2009 Topps World Baseball Classic #9 Daisuke Matsuzaka
2009 Topps World Baseball Classic #37 David Ortiz
2009 Topps World Baseball Classic #47 Dustin Pedroia
and two packs which I will open at Pursuit of Red Sox.

Thanks Brian, the '59 Topps I know are difficult to come by and it was great to receive Canadian cards from a Canadian. Were the World Classic cards from a separate set or inserts in Topps?

Trade with Big B from Waxaholic

My friend Brain from Canada and Waxaholic sent along another great package of cards. The customs declaration said 'Baseball cards- ENJOY BUD!' Enjoy I did, not only did Brian send cards but packs too! I will post the packs here.
As for the cards he sent along:
2002 Topps 206 #198 Johnny Damon
2008 Baseball Heroes #19 Mike Lowell charcoal
2008 Baseball Heroes #21 David Ortiz charcoal
2008 Baseball heroes #23 Jonathan Papelbon charcoal
2008 Baseball Heroes #24 Jacoby Ellsbury charcoal
2008 Baseball Heroes #29 Clay Buchholz charcoal
2008 Baseball Heroes #34 Wade Boggs charcoal
2008 Baseball Heroes #177 Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski charcoal

Thanks Big B for the great cards and packs. More stickers on their way. I know you love those stickers.

Trade with Brian from Waxaholic

It may not be one of the 'Razor Presidential Cut Auto masterpiece 1of 1 encapsulated in a plastic Beckett holder', but it feels like it.

Brian from Waxaholic sent my first graded card and would you believe it but none other than Jacoby himself. As I explained to Brian, my wife is a little worried about my reaction to receiving this in the mail.

"It's a baseball card in a plastic frame!"

"Yes I know, but its Jacoby."

The little shrine is growing. Not only that, he included some more Red Sox and a set of stickers. We love stickers.

Thanks Brian. They are brilliant.

Trade with Brian from 'Waxaholic'

Brian, fellow non-US resident and writer of Waxaholic, had been threatening a package for a little while. A day or two after Ryan's cards arrived from Canada, there was Brian's! This time from Calgary, Alberta.

When Brian and I first got in contact through A Pack a Day, he mentioned that he liked all things English. In particular: Fish and Chips, Queen (or was that The Queen), Premiership Football and Lucy Pinder, who is, what we call in the UK, a page 3 model. An offer of football cards, his team of choice-Braves and a few other football bits and pieces made their way to Canada. The return package is Brilliant plus some bonus Looney Tunes, Digimon and 4 packs of Hoops!. He also added, possibly knowing my interest in oddball cards in particular cards that come with food, a little pack of Kraft Canadian baseball cards.
Brian enclosed:

1985 Topps Collectors' Series #22 Hub Leonard
1985 Topps Collectors' Series #37 Earl Webb
1985 Topps Collectors' Series #38 Ted Williams
1985 Topps Collectors' Series #44 Cy Young
1987 Donruss #252 Wade Boggs
1988 Donruss #153 Wade Boggs
1987 Topps #608 Wade Boggs
1988 Topps #450 Roger Clemens
1989 Donruss Diamond King #23 Ellis Burks
1990 Fleer #269 Ellis Burks
1990 Fleer #271 Roger Clemens
1991 Conlon Collection #139 Jack Barry
1991 Conlon Collection #141 Ernie Shore
1991 Conlon Collection #149 Everett Scott
1991 Conlon Collection #150 Carl Mays
1991 Conlon Collection #183 Max Bishop
1991 Conlon Collection #184 Moe Berg
1991 Conlon Collection #189 Marty McManus
1991 Conlon Collection #198 Wes Ferrell
1991 Conlon Collection 276 Dutch Leonard
1991 Score #889 (DT9/13) Wade Boggs
1991 Topps #530 Roger Clemens
1991 Topps Stadium Club #83 Tim Naehring
1991 Topps Stadium Club #271 Jeff Grey
1991 Upper Deck Silver Slugger #10 Ellis Burks
1992 Donruss #210 Wade Boggs
1992 Donruss #244 Roger Clemens
1997 Upper Deck CC #278 Reggie Jefferson
2004 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia #27 David Ortiz
2004 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia #79 Curt Schilling
2008 Bowman #198 Bartolo Colon Orange 167/250
2008 Topps Heritage Chrome #C93 Clay Buchholz 0593/1950

Bonus Kraft pack Serie Des Etoiles 1991
#10/30 Chris Sabo
#16/30 Dave Stieb
Awesome Brian, the last two cards were a complete surprise. I didn't realise they were numbered until I was listing them. Wade Boggs as been a hard man to catch as well, so thanks for all the Boggs cards, it helped me complete the 1987 and 1998 Topps Red Sox sets. Look out for more football stickers coming soon. Still searching for Lucy!