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?

Support Your Local Minnow

Why is the above card more than just a random 1978 Topps card?  I'll let you stew on this for a moment.

All of the cards in this post came to me courtesy of Trevor, proprietor of a new blog I found last month...."Supporting the Minnow."  I saw he had made a trade with $30/Week Habit and clicked on through to Trevor's blog.  A few post comments later and we had a trade in the works.

In case you are wondering...he has access to a baseball card vending machine at his local tire shop (LTS?). 

Trevor buys miscellaneous lots of cards, mostly keeps the hockey, then has the other stuff to trade away.  So why is trading with him a good idea?  Because that card at the top is not a random Topps card.  It is a random O-PEE-CHEE card.  Trevor is Canadian.

Dear readers in New York, Michigan, and Minnesota, you may have ready access to Canadian cards, but here in SoCal, they don't show up at the garage sales I go to.  So the only way I get OPC is in trade. 

Frank White has a 2nd-BUT, just in case he loses his first one.  I am always glad to add another Voltigeur to my collection.

Amos Otis is au jeu (not au jus).  Dennis Leonard is a Lanceur (I remembered that from my Orel Hershiser OPC card). 

Additionally, he tossed in a George Brett "Pre-Production Sample" from 1994 Topps.  You can see the full story on this card here. 

Thanks again for a great trade!

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

Brayan and Bryan

2012 Topps Brayan Pena - # 296

Brayan Pena has the ball.  Brayan Pena made the play!  Brayan Pena is glad that the throw from the outfield did not go all the way to the backstop...

This sweet play came in a trade stack from Marcus at Backstop Cards. He and I worked out a trade last month.  Two big baggies full of Fleer, Leaf, Upper Deck, Heritage, Topps, and Collector's Choice came my way.  Here were some of my favorites:

GUBES! (times 2).  I need those shades, Mark Gubicza.

Young, Minor-League Johnny Damon and an old Frank White.

Celebratory Opening Day Billy Butler and some guy I've never heard of.  Luckily, that guy is on a purple card.  Purple is the most under-rated of all the card colors, in my opinion.

The new purple guy is Bryan Brickhouse.

You're welcome.  :-)

Engagement Pictures and Aquatic Exploration



1997 Fleer Metal Universe - #91 - Johnny Damon

Why is Johnny Damon being attacked?  By a MOLLUSK?!?!  The scan does not do this bad-boy justice.  This is a picture of JD with a diving helmet super-imposed over his head while the squid tries to take out his legs and drag him back to the sea.  Oh, Fleer Metal -- you were awesome. This (along with everything else in this post) came from Jaybarkerfan's last card draft. 

The main reason I had bought-into this draft was for this guy:

2002 Topps Gold Label - Frank White Relic - #ACR-FW

I was the #1 overall pick...and it was MINE!  Frank White in the baby blues.  It's a shame how the KC front-office has treated him lately.  He was always one of my favorites, and loved his commentary during the TV broadcasts. I used my next set of picks to get this one:

2004 SPx Autograph Relic - Justin Huisman - #183 - #/799

I could tell Huisman was a Royal, but I did not remember him AT ALL.  So I went to do a little research on him, and the first thing that came up were his engagement pictures:

She seems nice. 

Justin's MLB career consisted of 25 IP over 14 games back in 2004.  He's now the coach of the "Northwest Indiana Oilmen"...a collegiate team.

Ginter Minis - Rasputin, Robert E. Lee, Alex Gordon

I got 3 Ginter minis, including one of Rasputin -- Russia's greatest love machine.  I cannot make an adequate statement about the relative love machine greatness of Lee or Gordon.


1972 Topps Leo Durocher, 2002 Fleer Platinum Wheelhouse Ichiro

I picked the Durocher since he looked a little crabby.  I picked the Ichiro because it had gears on it.  Turns out that one is embossed, too.
Wes threw in some more goodies for me in addition to the formal picks.


2011 Topps Lineage - Billy Butler Mini and Base

Billy Butler was the ONLY Royal on the Lineage checklist last year, and now I've got his mini and his base card.  Sidebar Rant:  When people were doing Lineage group breaks last year, I asked a few of them how much it would be to get the Royals.  They said it was the same price as any other team.  I pointed out to them that it was only these cards, but they didn't budge.  Needless to say, they didn't sell the Royals because you would have to be an idiot to pay the same price for the Royals that you would for the Yankees or Dodgers.  Many people who run group breaks do a good job of varying the prices based on the team and the checklists of the boxes they are opening, but if you are running group breaks where you sell all single-team-slots for a flat price, you are severely under-charging some people and over-charging others.
  

1997 E-X 2000 - Jermaine Dye and Johnny Damon

Last but not least, these two are from the 1997 E-X2000 set.  The sky/clouds piece is a translucent plastic so that you see that part better when there is a light behind it.  These are super-fun.  I got the Barry Bonds from this set, too.  

I like the looks of these.  I only wonder how much more Fleer Metal could have improved these...maybe have a giant hawk in the sky shooting lasers at Jermaine?  Maybe have Johnny trying to hit a jet fighter with his bat?  Some sort of DRAGON?

I think more cards should have a dragon...or at least a leviathan.