I'm a White Guy

2014 Panini Immaculate - Frank White Autograph - #/99

I must admit, I'm a "White Guy".

Now, that's not saying anything about the pigments of my epidermis, but rather, my fandom for Royals legend Frank White.

The man won eight Gold Gloves, and got immortalized in this Bobblehead for it:

But still, he doesn't show up much in trading card releases since his retirement...let alone have many autographs or relic cards.  The last Topps product he was in was 2013 Archives.  However, Panini has done a little bit better job with Frank -- including him in 2013 Hometown Heroes, 2013 America's Pastime, and 2014 Immaculate.  Apparently he had a low-numbered card (#/3) in a repack product called "2017 Leaf Greatest Hits", but I have never seen that one.  The only relic card I have of his is 2002 Topps Gold Label. 

But going back to the card at the top of this post, that is an on-card autograph from 2014 Panini Immaculate that arrived at my door yesterday, and it only cost me $1.75 total.

How?  Last week Ebay released a short-term coupon code ("PERKMEUP") for $5.00 off of any purchase of $5.01 or more. (**Hat-Tip to The Lost Collector and $30/Week Habit for posting/liking this code on Twitter so that I saw it.) I had been watching the White auto for awhile, but wasn't willing to pull the trigger for $7.  However, I could do it for less than $2!!  

It is numbered 30/99, signed in blue pen which goes with the uniform, and is a great addition to my Royals collection.  I would have to say that collectively the Immaculate line is probably my favorite product out there in the last several years, so getting any more Royals from there is awesome.

Did anyone else use the PERKMEUP code or score any crazy deals lately?

Top 10 Countdown - Cards I Won't Throw Out

I recently got a stuffed mailer from JP at Cards My Mom Didn't Throw Out.  If you have Diamondbacks cards to spare (especially Steve Finley, Paul Goldschmidt, and Luis Gonzalez) make sure you drop him a line and get a trade going! 

Anyway, 4 full team bags later, I pulled out some favorites to show off here (in descending order).

Honorable Mention:  The Absolute Memorabilia Sweeney shown above.  Any new Sweeney will make me a happy camper.  However, there were even BETTER Sweeneys in this very package, so keep your eyes peeled.

#10) I already have this Bo Jackson card, but it's the "Grand Slammers" version of 1990 Donruss, showing Bo ready to crush one. 

#9)  Just an unassuming Kevin Seitzer, right?  Non!  It is the O-Pee-Chee version. 

#8)  I sent CMMDTO a few Goldschmidt "Chipz", and he returned the favor with a Salvy chip I didn't have! 

#7)  Gil Meche -- the only guy who would retire and forego $11 million on the last year of his contract because he didn't feel like he had earned it.

#6)  I don't know if any non-Royals-fans remember Mark Teahen, but he was a bit of a fan favorite during the lean years.  Which "lean years" am I talking about (there were so many)?  He was worth 6.0 WAR between 2006 and 2007, but never had another good season in the majors after that, despite hanging around in MLB through 2011.  Here's a chrome Bowman of his.  Maybe he has some of these on display in the new wine bar that he owns in Arizona. 

#5) An auto of Royals farmhand Nolan Watson...originally was a high draft pick, but has not progressed much.  He's was recently promoted to High-A Ball at the end of June.

#4)  Just a cool-looking Mondesi here. 

#3)  I can't believe a Sweeney memorabilia card only made it to #3, but that's how the cookie crumbles sometime.  This "Leather and Lumber" Sweeney is numbered only to 100.  When I pulled it from the package I thought I already had it since it looked so familiar.  But upon checking, what I actually had was the base version with no jersey swatch. 

#2)  The penultimate card is a 2016 Chrome prism refractor of Lo Cain with a very prominent Russell Martin.  Wonder what makes this play special?  Oh, it was only Cain scoring from 1st on a single in the Playoffs.  The Royals coaches KNEW that Bautista would sometimes throw to 2nd on a play like this, so they were ready for it when it actually happened. 

#1)  And, the #1 card in this countdown is....

So graceful.  It's like a ballet..."Sweeney Lake," perhaps?  👦

And with that, I extend one final "Thank you" for all these cards.  Much appreciated!!!

Did any of you have a favorite out of these cards?  Did I get the order wrong?

100 Words - 5 Crows

Life Cycle of a Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos):

At hatching, newborn Crows have naked skin, devoid of feathers and hair.

Shortly thereafter, feathers and other body coverings are added which turn black and the Crows develop an iridescent shine.

Between the ages of two and four, Crows reach sexual maturity and begin to breed.  Multiple smaller Crows are born in each hatching, bearing a resemblance to their parents.

The average life-span of a Crow in the wild is eight years.  Crows are susceptible to West Nile Virus and Ulnar Collateral Ligament problems.

The Crow in his natural habitat.

CAW!  CAW!

From the Bottom of the Pile

Did you ever lose cards?  Not LOSE them, but just put them aside - on the back burner - until an undetermined time?

That's what happened to this package from Junior Junkie.  He sent me this last spring.  All these cards are from that envelope. I had opened it, enjoyed it, catalogued it, and intended to scan/post it....but that never happened.  It just sat. 

I want to say that something like that will never happen again....but I've got quite a backlog of yellow bubble mailers in a similar situation.  

My next post will probably be two separate envelopes from Night Owl.  

 Let's not forget the amazing box I never finished posting from Jaybarker Fan's Junk (now Willinghammer Rising). 

I've got a few relics from Spankee sitting in that stack, too.

But I digress....all this talk of other people I have shorted....I nearly forgot who sent me this stuff!  Who was it again?

The Griffey super-collector himself, Junior Junkie!  Thanks, man!

2013 Super Bowl Champion...

...Kelechi Osemele!

2012 Fleer Rookie Sensations - Kelechi Osemele - RS-96

Kelechi was a late 2nd-round draft pick for the Ravens in 2012 and he won a starting job on the O-Line.  He parlayed his protection of Flacco into a Super Bowl ring during his rookie season.  Not too shabby of a way to start off!  He's an Iowa State alum (obviously). 

This one was a Listia purchase.  I got it for 1,700 credits...I was prepared to do at least 3,000, if necessary, so I was happy.  This seller threw in several extra cards for me in my package, so if you are looking for autos/relics...check him out.

Alex Gordon - Bowman Heritage

The last month has been a blur.  Working, parenting, living, traveling, celebrating, surviving.  We're still shopping for a house - hoping to get moved before the new baby comes at Thanksgiving, but that is looking less likely with each passing day.  The card packages are piling up (including good ones from Junior Junkie and JaybarkerFan's Junk).  Not everything will get the publicity it deserves due to the time constraints, but please know that I appreciate everything that has been sent my way and will try to honor it, even if it is a quick post.

In response to some stuff I sent him, Kerry at Cards on Cards sent me a great package (in July) that I finally got entered into Zistle.  It was chock-full of goodies, but the crowning piece was this card that was on the end.

That is an on-card Alex Gordon auto from 2006 Bowman Heritage (SG-AG).  It is my first Alex Gordon auto, and quite a beauty!  Thank you so much, Kerry.

Kyle Drabek - Triple Threads

Hey all,

I gotta give a shout out to NAPKIN DOON (if that is your real name)....for running his Big Fun Game again this year.  I ended up with this sweet Kyle Drabek Triple Threads auto #'d / 50.  I really like it, and will probably keep it but would be willing to trade it if any of you had any good Royals auto-relics for trade.  The auto is on-card -- the swatches are three different white ones with really fine patterns that don't scan too well. 

2011 Topps Triple  Threads Triple Relic - Kyle Drabek

Napkin also tossed in a wax pack of 1990 Topps.  Yes, it had the gum.  No, I did not eat the moldy gum.  What can come from a pack from the teeth of the overproduction era?  How about 3 Hall-of-Famers!

1990 Topps

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.  And I do say so myself. 

Thanks again, Mr. Doon!

These Cards Are To Dye For

Back in April, I got a package from Colbey with my plunder from one of his "Affordable Group Breaks."  It had a bunch of Pacific Online, Pacific Paramount, and Topps Gold Label cards for the KC Royals.  He also threw in some extras for some stuff I had sent him.  These were a lot better than the usual throw-ins, though.

The first one was a 2001 SP Game Bat - Milestone Edition Auto/Relic of Jermaine Dye.  It had a LITTLE sliver of bat in it with a "KC" imprint, plus an auto.

2001 SP Game Bat - Auto Relic - Jermaine Dye - #S-JDy

The second one was another Jermaine Dye -- with more tiny stuff in it!  This one had two parts of a base. 

This one was a "Home Opener Souvenir" from the game on April 6, 2001 with two chunks of memorabilia -- one smooth and one textured.  There's a picture of the base!  That's way better than the current Topps disclaimer..."This memorabilia was not used in any specific game, event, competition, play, day, zoo, restaurant, bathroom, or submarine."  I think it goes like that.  Oh yeah, it was #'d /200.

So that's some good stuff, eh?  Thanks a bunch, Colbey!

Reminders of My Youth

Iowa has cold winters, but no mountains.  That means from December-March you aren't doing too much stuff outside.  Growing up there, that meant watching a lot of college basketball during those cold, dark months.  My Dad was an Iowa State alum, so we cheered hard and loud for the Cyclones all those years.  One of their best players during m Junior-High/High-School years was Loren Meyer.  From Ruthven, IA, Meyer would go on from Iowa State to play three seasons in the NBA with the Mavericks, Suns, and Nuggets. 

Imagine my surprise when this came up on Listia recently.  It's my first Loren Meyer auto, and the only one I have ever seen. I got it fairly cheap, since most people have no idea who he is, and most who know don't care.  :-)

1995-96 Classic - Autograph Edition - Loren Meyer

The guy guarding him is "Big Country," Bryant Reeves of Oklahoma State. 

Alive and Kicking

1999 Omega - Jason Hanson

Very occasionally, a baseball player will spend 20 years with one team.  Less-than-never does a football player do so.  Except that's what we have with Mr. Jason Hanson.  When this 1999 Omega card was printed, he already had 6 years with the Lions.  He is STILL their kicker.  All those years haven't helped his hairline.

Cards of kickers are fun fun fun.  Punters, too.

I pulled off another great Zistle trade with Steve D. (user SDre31 - go trade with him if you can).  In exchange for a whole mess of Yankees (who wants those anyway?) I got the Hanson card and all the following sent back to me.

2005 SPx Signature - David DeJesus - #29 - #'d/225

Beautiful!  It's a sticker autograph, but the card is great.  And one of my favorite players, too. 

It would have been a great trade with just one relic card, but Steve included this one, too!

2011 Bowman Sterling Rookie Relics - #MM - Mike Moustakas

That's some good stuff.  Here's a #'ed Guillen parallel, too.

And here is an example of how Zistle rocks.  When you are a collector of lesser-known players, it is pretty rare that someone will send them to you in a regular trade.  However, when they are on your Zistle wantlist, EVERYONE there will know that you want them.  So it's easy to make a match with their automatic system.  And that is how I received a card of Iowa State alum Loren Meyer (from Ruthven, IA, FYI). 

1995-1996 Topps Loren Meyer - #213

The King of Diamonds -- Better Late Than Never!

Is there a statute of limitations on how quickly you have to blog something before it is "stale"?

NOT ON THIS BLOG.  Back in November I entered a card-draft on "The Diamond King" and Kevin sent me a bunch of good stuff.

Here was the reason I bought in:

2003 UD Patch Collection #128 - Seneca Wallace

This is my first Seneca patch (well, manupatch)....the scanner couldn't figure out where to focus, so the face just looks like a mess, but it's pretty neat. 

We've got Craig Biggio in Airline Miles form....

1998 Dugout Axcess Frequent Flyer - FF6 - Craig Biggio

 This is a slabbed, uncirculated Cadillac Williams relic from Topps Pristine.  It's #/100.

2005 Topps Pristine - Uncirculated #113 - #038/100 - Cadillac Williams

In one of the bonus rounds I picked up these old Lakers.

Funny Thing is, they put the guy who plays Murdock onto their card.  I wonder why they have an actor on there.

The rest of this stuff is FOR TRADE.  If any of it interests you, please let me know.