What would you pay for a card draft?

(Please comment for a chance to win....something.  :-)). 

Howdy all,

I am considering doing an "all-hits" card draft sometime later this year once most of the new products have been released and people have some $ left in their card budgets.  Before I start picking up the cards for it, I was hoping to get a general ballpark (no pun intended) of what people would be willing to pay for it.

Let's say that I had a draft where everyone got 10 hits...of which 4-5 were jerseys/autos of current major league stars, 3-4 were low/mid-level big leaguers or retired players, and 1-2 were minor league or prospect autos. 

• Would you be willing to pay $12, $15, $18, $20, $22, $25, or $30 shipped for something like that?  Assume that the quality of the hits (more patches, multi-relics, bigger stars, etc.) would increase with the price-point. 
• Or is this something that wouldn't interest you at all? 
• Would you prefer it to have some vintage (1970's) cards, too, or just hits from the last 10 years?
• It would be mostly (if not all) baseball, but would you prefer to also see a little bit of football/basketball/hockey in the hits, too?

Please leave a comment below.  I'll randomize the names of everyone who comments by next Friday (8/10/2012) and send out something fun to one winner.  Commenting does not obligate you to enter the draft whenever it does happen.  It will just help me to figure out if the majority would like to see a "low-end", "mid-range", or "high-end" draft.

Thanks so much.   - Josh D.

Next Stop: Backstop

If you're not making trades with Marcus over at Backstop Cards, you're missing out.  He's making trades fast and furious down there, and if you don't yet have an outlet for your Padres, that would be a good place to send them.

He just sent me another little package with some Royals goodness in it (after perusing my Zistle wantlist).  Here were a few of the highlights:

A couple of  Eric Hosmers to start  your day off right.  The Blue Opening Day parallel is #'d /2012.  The Archives Hosmer is based on the 1984 design, but feels the need to use bright pink on an otherwise great card.  Eric has struggled this season...he's had one of the lowest BABIP of any big leaguers, so hopefully a reversion to the mean on that next year will help him regain that rookie season form.

This is the 2012 Archives George Brett rookie.  The real version is on my Most Wanted list, and I already have a Chrome Reprint version, but this one is a plain reprint with the gold stamp.   It's not nearly as beat-up as Nick's version.  :-)

2012 Topps Archives George Brett

Generosity Number 5

Matthew at Number 5 Type Collection just hooked me UP.  I won part of his recent Anniversary HOF contest which was just supposed to net me one well-loved Luis Aparicio, but he threw in all 9 cards above!  That's pretty darn good stuff for a "throw-in!"  They were all new to me.  It's nice to see Carl Taylor has a little mustache after he was clean-shaven back in '73.

Thanks again, Matthew!!

If You Like It Then You Should Have Put A Ring On It

2010 Allen and Ginter - X-Rays

[Josh D. singing] All the Single Ladies.....Oh-Oh-Oh, Oh-Oh-Oh.....All the Single Ladies....

OH!!  Hi card blog readers.  Didn't see you there.  I was just getting my dance on.  Lucky you didn't see that.

I don't post about music on here too often, but a fun package from Justin over at The Hopeful Chase just came through and prompted this.  (By the way, ZISTLE again provided the grease to make this easy trade happen.  His Zistle page is here, and mine is here.)  Justin sent me a bunch of "fun Ginter" -- that is, non-baseball Ginter -- from 2010, and I had to post the highlights. 

2010 Allen and Ginter - Jordin Sparks

That's right, Jordin.  Why DOES love always feel like a battlefield??

Jules and Galileo both have big beards, but have clammed up toward each other.  Battlefield.

Regis has just turned away from Leo.  There's no communication there.  Battlefield.

I think they all need to consider a different relationship.  Maybe one with Sacagawea.

2010 Allen and Ginter - Sacagawea

Thanks, Justin!  And if anyone else has any more "fun Ginter," I'd be happy to have it.

Heroes Collect Coins and Sign Things

Jeff from My Sports Obsession is a way-cool Dude.  He recently sent me a little package of Royals he had that were "extra."  There were lots of cards that I already had, but these two stood out. 

1973 Topps Carl Taylor #99

Carl collects coins!  COINS!!!!  He's a nerd, just like us.  Rather, a nerdmismatist.

2005 Donruss Team Heroes - Shawn Camp - Autograph - #156

Shawn Camp has managed to put together a 9-year career in the bigs after the Royals gave up on him.  He filled in his auto with the little #58.  I like it. 

Thanks so much, Jeff!

My Kind of Basketball Players

In May I offered up a bunch of NBA cards for trade.  Roger from Cool Breeze Baseball Buzz wanted some of the Shaq's and Dwight Howards that I had.  He hooked me up with some Royals, a bunch of Iowa State Cyclones basketball, and my mid-childhood man-crush, Mark Price.  He was a great free-throw shooter, you know.  All the kids LOVED him. 

Here's Mark...being the Mark-iest that he can be:

Mark Price

The Cyclones are here...being all cold and Upper Midwest-y:   We've got Victor Alexander, Jeff Grayer, Kelvin Cato, Loren Meyer, Fred Hoiberg, and Jeff Hornacek.  I think Roger was reading my Want-Lists!!!  :-)   -------------->

Iowa State Cyclone Basketball Alumni

Thanks for the great trade, Roger!

Listia Randomness

Listia wins presented without comment...mostly because they are all awesome.  :-)

2010 Topps Gridiron Lineage - Joe Montana / Jimmy Clausen - GL-MC

1983 Fleer Frank White - #127

Allyson Felix - 2012 Olympic Hopefuls - #66

Wade Rowdon and My First Autograph

Cleaning out boxes at my parent's house last month was like taking a time machine.  A time machine to the distant past...all the way back to the year...1987.

It was summer. It was HOT.  I had a broken leg.  And I LOVED me some baseball cards.  My grandma had bought me a box of 1987 Topps, and I knew who all the guys were.  By that point, ol' Wade Rowdon had been traded from the Reds to the Cubs, and then sent to AAA -- Iowa Cubs.  My Dad took me to the game.  I brought along my card in case the Cubs were signing autographs.  Then look who came down the line.  WADE!

Wade Rowdon - Iowa Cubs - 1987

He was signing for any and all people with perms or bold-colored T-Shirts....or whatever criteria was used back then.  Eventually he came down the line to us, and I got my very first in-person autograph.

1987 Topps Wade Rowdon - #569 - Autograph

Quick Contest Promo

Last chance to get in on a good football contest at Drew's Cards
http://drewsbbcards.blogspot.com/2012/07/1000th-post-contest-lots-to-give-away.html
I'm hoping to get that Kurt Warner Obak!

Also, check out the 10000 More Hits Than Uribe contest over at All Trade Bait:
http://alltradebait.blogspot.com/2012/07/heres-10000-more-hits-than-uribe-contest.html

Where was Albert Pujols born?

Where was Albert Pujols born? 
Who's the Major Leaguer from Montana?
Were more Big Leaguers born in Dallas or Fort Worth?  I'll tell you this...they each have way fewer than Houston does.

Check out the Player Birthplace Map.  Click around and find your favorite places!  (Mine involve Joel Hanrahan and Mike Lieberthal)

Target Bargain Bin...with a Hit!

While relaxing at the in-laws' last week, the wife and I headed over to their Target for a "date."  They have a much better card section at their target than the one by my house, and they had way more variety in the $1.59 "Power Packs" than I normally see.  So I grabbed one pack of 2009 National Chicle Football and one of 2009 UD Icons Football (Retail).

First, the National Chicle:

2009 National Chicle Kenny Britt and Vincent Jackson

The Vincent Jackson mini is a "Bazooka Back"...seeded 1:12.  Kenny Britt is a regular base card.  SO WHY IS THERE A BLIMP BEHIND HIS SHOULDER????  My google search for _Britt Chicle Blimp_ turned up nothing.  Maybe instead I should search for "dirigible"?  Or perhaps "zeppelin"?

2009 Topps National Chicle - Amelia Earhart - Era Icons - EI-1

I love these oddball history inclusions.  The copy on the back of the Earhart reads "Amelia became the first person of either gender to go solo from Honolulu to Oakland. The 2,408-mile journey had been attempted, unsuccessfully, by several others."  If I am going to be unsuccessful at something, I do NOT want it to be flying across the Pacific by myself.

Next up was the pack I had never seen in the "Power Packs" before.  2009 Upper Deck Icons Football (retail).  Old Matty Ice is on the cover.

2009 Upper Deck Icons Retail Pack - Matt Ryan

As I was opening this, I said, "WAIT!  I got screwed...there are only 4 cards here instead of 5."  Little did I know...one was double-thick.  :-)

2009 Upper Deck Game Day Gear - Mike Vrabel - NFL-MV

It's a nice navy blue swatch from his Patriots days.  Having never pulled a hit out of a retail pack before, this got me really excited.  Especially since it was a $1.59 pack!  :-) ha ha

I will pretend that this was from one of his scoring plays.  For a primarily defensive player, his having 11 career touchdowns is a pretty neat stat.

$175 for 2 Mattinglys

Is it worth it?  ;-)

http://ventura.craigslist.org/clt/3137164850.html

2012 Allen and Ginter!

....is out, but I'm not showing any here now.  Sorry.  I just got back from vacation and found a bunch of cards at my parent's house that I need to sort through.

I haven't bought any Ginter, and will probably not be busting more than a pack or two of that this year.  I would be happy to trade for any of the "People of the Bible", "Historical Turning Points", or "Greatest Military Leader" inserts that you don't want.

Instead, enjoy this gallery of old-timey baseball players.