Trade with Steve from White Sox Cards

Steve has done it again! Our packages must pass each other in the air. Another great selection of Red Sox cards, including this '79 Carlton Fisk beauty. I also realised that I know more about the White Sox than I do any other team and that is thanks to Steve's blog.
Here is the selection I sent over to Steve (link) and the return trade from Oak Lawn, Illinois.

1979 Topps #680 Carlton Fisk
1980 Topps #469 Randy Niemann
1980 Topps #481 Tom Paciorek
1984 Fleer Red Sox sticker
1985 Fleer #148 Gary Allenson
1985 Fleer #168 Jim Rice
1985 Topps #11 Ralph Houk
1987 Topps #1 Roger Clemens

1988 Donruss #174 Ellis Burks

1989 Score #412 Wes Gardner
1989 Topps K-Mart #14 Wade Boggs
1989 Topps K-Mart #20 Roger Clemens
1990 Bowman #281 Wade Boggs
1990 Classic #26 Wade Boggs
1990 Classic #47 Mike Greenwell
1990 Classic #51 Roger Clemens
1990 Classic #77 Dwight Evans
1990 Classic #137 Lee Smith
1990 Classic #T8 Ellis Burks
1990 Classic #T13 Scott Cooper
1990 Classic #T54 Jody Reed
1990 Classic #T55 Jeff Reardon
1990 Classic #T67 Tony Pena
1990 Donruss #BC-17 Mike Greenwell
1993 Upper Deck #832 Red Sox checklist
1995 Upper Deck SP #13 Jose Malave
1995 Upper Deck SP #129 Aaron Sele red
1995 Upper Deck SP #129 Aaron Sele silver
1997 Score #175 John Valentin
1998 Score #RT96 John Valentin
2003 Leaf #14 Robert Person
2004 Fleer Tradition #148 Pedro Martinez
2008 Topps Heritage #6 Jacoby Ellsbury

A Jacoby, some 1980 Topps, Carlton and a Pedro! Steve as always it has been a pleasure trading.

On the back of the 1990 Classic cards there is a space for the player to autograph the card. I'm interested to know if anyone ever had their cards autographed in this space?

2009 Topps Heritage

I think I have found my next 'pursuit'. Matt, a friend over here in the UK sent me this sell sheet for 2009 Topps Heritage and a video.
I 'm a big fan of the heritage sets and I like the original 1960's Topps set.
The one little problem is not that there are 425 base cards but a whopping 75 short prints. Its due out on the 23rd February 2009.

Trade with James from BDJ610

I like to keep a track of the packages that go out to different collectors. When I made the decision to trade away my cards, I don't know what I was getting into. Trying not to sound too pathetic - I felt a little isolated over here in the UK and for many years I think I was a lone collector of baseball cards, excluding expats who were here from the US because of a short stay company transfer or in the forces. I have met a few other card collectors along the way, usually ice hockey and basketball, many football (soccer) collectors. But still baseball collecting was unique. Then I found White Sox Cards and Thorzul will Rule !

I found a package sent to James way back in November on his interestingly named blog bdj610bbcblog. How did I miss it?
Here is the contents (link).

And yes besides the Red Sox, an unopened pack wouldn't go amiss.

Trade with Ross from Sports Card Info

When you have a chance, if you haven't already, read Sports Card Info. What started out as a site talking about fake sports cards (I have to add I think because it moved from one Blogging provider to another), developed very quickly into an informative and interesting site about card collecting. Ross (and Andrew) bust some serious product, all top of the range cards like Sterling, Sweet Spot, Triple Threads and Exquisite. I contacted Ross to see the likelihood of a trade. He collected Phillies cards, unfortunately I had already pretty much earmarked all my Phillies for Cliff from Capewood's Collections. Cliff also collects Astro's, so I send a pile of Phillies to Ross and to make me feel better a pile of Astro's to Cliff.

Yesterday a package arrived from Selinsgrove ,Pennsylvania and what a selection of Red Sox cards Ross and Andrew sent.

1991 Upper Deck #5 Mo Vaughn RC

1998 Bowman Chrome #87 John Curtice
1998 Upper Deck #276 Jason Varitek RC

1998 UD Collectors Choice #121 Jason Varitek RC

2003 Bowman Chrome #305 Bill Simon

2003 UD Classic Portraits #172 Mike Nicolas RC 0693/2003

2004 Bowman Chrome #304 Jon DeVries

2005 Bowman Best #91 Matt Van Der Bosch

2005 Bowman Chrome #218 Matt Van Der Bosch

2006 Bowman Chrome #BDP12 David Pauley RC

2006 Bowman Chrome #DP35 Dustin Richardson

2006 Bowman Sterling #BS-DP David Pauley

2006 Topps #618 Craig Hansen RC

2006 Upper Deck SP #112 David Ortiz 895/899

2007 Allen + Ginter #4/30 Daisuke Matsuzaka

2007 Allen + Ginter #35 J.D.Drew mini

2007 Allen + Ginter #210 Daisuke Matsuzaka RC

2007 Allen + Ginter #217 Hideki Okajima RC

2007 Topps Finest #59 David Ortiz

2008 Bowman Chrome #BCP100 Aaron Bates

2008 Topps Finest #FM-DO David Ortiz

Thanks to Ross and Andrew for the mighty selection of Rookies, SHINY and numbered cards. A Bowman Sterling card for my collection to boot, a first!

Trade with Cliff from Capewoods

In a recent trade with Cliff, he almost in one swoop gave me all the 2008 Red Sox's. A very generous trader. Yesterday another package from League City, Texas and who should be looking at me when I opened the package~Jacoby! And if that's not all, some 1980's Topps. SUPERB!
I have been lucky on e-bay recently and bought some more 1980's for my pursuit, however my attempts to obtain the most elusive (and expensive) 1980's of them all, the #482 Rickey Henderson RC have all failed.

Here is the selection Cliff sent over:
1980 Topps #124 Dave Lemanczyk
1980 Topps #136 Dick Ruthven
1980 Topps #144 Steve Comer
1980 Topps #158 Rob Picciolo
1980 Topps #372 Joel Youngblood
1980 Topps #391 Tony Armas
1980 Topps #407 Tony Solaita
1980 Topps #423 Dave Frost
1980 Topps #551 Pirates checklist
1990 Donruss #280Mike Boddicker
1990 Donruss #539 Eric Hetzel
1990 Fleer #284 Jody Reed
1990 Fleer #285 Luis Rivera
1990 Fleer #286 Kevin Romine
1989 Topps #37 Bob Stanley
1989 Topps #71 Mike Boddicker
1989 Topps #96 Rick Cerone
1989 Topps #123 Spike Owen
1989 Topps #188 Dennis Lamp
1989 Topps #269 Tom Bolton
1989 Topps #299 Steve Ellsworth
1989 Topps #354 Larry Parrish
1989 Topps #377 Mike Smithson
1989 Topps #471 Steve Curry
1989 Topps #493 Todd Benzinger
1989 Topps #544 Jeff Sellers
1989 Topps #652 Rich Gedman
1989 Topps #675 Bruce Hurst
1989 Topps #704 Carlos Quintana
1989 Topps #714 Joe Morgan
1989 Topps #734 Jody Reed
1991 Donruss #37 Kevin Morton
1991 Donruss #721 Jeff Gray
1991 Topps #321 Joe Morgan
1991 Topps #473 Joe Price
1991 Topps #629 Eric Hetzel
2008 Topps #TCP16 Jacoby Ellsbury

Thanks for the cards Cliff. I didn't have any of the 1991 Topps Red Sox cards, were they trying to copy the 1975 gaudy colour style?

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!

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.