Nothing Plain About These

I've got a few more goodies to show off courtesy of Roy-Z at "Plain Gray Swatch."  There's nothing plain about these, though.  It started off with an autograph of David DeJesus signing an autograph.  He is truly a class act -- graciously signed in-person for me once and tossed a BP ball to my wife before a game at Angels Stadium.  Just another reason why he's my favorite Royal.

And a few more that are NOT TOO SHABBY....Topps Chrome Purple!  Hosmer and Herrera.  Boo-yah.  These are very pretty in-person.

Shout-Out to my Mother-in-Law

I have to post a quick shout-out to my Mother-in-Law.  For Christmas she wanted to get me some cards, so she WENT TO A CARD SHOP and bought me the Royals team set of 2012 Topps flagship.  That's love right there.  :-)  I had most of them, but there were 4-5 that I still needed, so that was much appreciated.

The best cards in the set are definitely the catchers.  They are both action shots, and the full gear adds a nice visual element.

2012 Topps - Salvador Perez

2012 Topps - Brayan Pena

3 Cards a Week Habit

I got an unexpected envelope this week from Robert at $30/Week Habit. We had talked about a trade awhile ago, but it somehow got put on the back-burner.  It was great getting stuff from him that I needed, and I packed up a return package with some "Insanity" cards and Jays that he has already posted.  Here's three highlights:

2012 Topps - Walmart Blue Parallel - Salvador Perez

Salvador Perez has been excellent at catcher this year for KC (once he got off the DL).  As I mentioned before, I don't have access to Walmart or their delicious blue parallels, so it was a very nice treat to see this in the package.  Looks like the two blue parallels I have for 2012 are Perez and Brayan Pena -- both catchers.  Maybe I should mix in another position on that....

2008 UD Baseball Heroes - Charcoal - Luke Hochevar - #259/399

Oddly enough, this card was for sale on COMC at some earlier time.  I know that because when I looked it up on Zistle, I came up with a picture this specific card!

2011 Allen and Ginter - Portraits of Penultimacy - Sancho Panza

I was just telling my wife last week, "I really need more squire cards.  My 'page' and 'second' binders are nearly full, but my 'squire' binder is pretty sparse."  I'm glad to add this in with my Squire Trelawney in there.

Thanks, Robert!!  It is all much-appreciated.

What is your Best Listia Card so far?

2012 Topps - Eric Hosmer SP - #35C

Here's mine.

This card is $6-$8 on Ebay.  I essentially traded a juice coupon for it.  :-)

Can you beat it?

One Unique Trade

2009 Topps Unique - Zack Greinke - #654/1199

 I just completed a very unique trade with Nick from Dime Boxes.  (And it's not just "Unique" because of the Greinke above).

No, this trade was unique as it was a "Sweeney Swap."  He had mentioned in one of his posts that he had a Mike Sweeney collection.  What a coincidence -- so do I!!!  So a few emails later, we knew which doubles we could exchange.  I sent him a stack, and he sent these guys to me.

 Those were all new to me. 

 He also gave me this sweet Conine and a couple Gold Sparkle 2012 Topps Royals.

All of those are going into my "Keepers" collection.  Thanks so much, Nick!

Mutual Coincidence of Wants -- Platter Style

When I was taking economics in college, I remember the professor saying that money is important because it does not require you to trade items directly with another person, but allows you to sell something to one person and buy something from another.  Bartering or Trading, however, required a "mutual coincidence of wants."  That is, trading only works when you have something I would prefer to what I have, and I have something you would prefer to what you have. 

Luckily in the card community, the pseudo-random distribution in packs and boxes makes this scenario very likely.  When collectors prefer certain players, this becomes even easier.  Case in point, my recent trade with Spiegel at Nomo's Sushi Platter.  Obviously, his favorite player is Hideo Nomo.  My favorite player is David DeJesus.  When I have a stack of Nomos and he has a DDJ relic -- THAT is a mutual coincidence of wants! :-)

Here's what he sent me as the "meat" of this trade:

2012 Golden Moments Relic - David DeJesus - GMR-DDE

He also looked through my want-lists to see what else I was looking for.  I haven't bought much of anything from 2012, but have been cutting into those  Royals team sets piece-by-piece through trading.  Here's a few Ginters.

2012 Allen and Ginter - Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas

I like coach/manager cards...but I especially love GRUMPY manager cards.  Here are two that definitely fit the bill from Topps Heritage.

Finally, the fine mustachioed gentlemen of the past and present have come to pay us a visit.

Stan Wall is "so 1977" right there.  John Axford is a modern man, but looks like a swashbuckling, Spanish pirate....of which I completely approve.  :-)  He has the style of a true Canadian.

Thanks, Spiegel.  May our wants coincide again in the near future!

I Don't Give a Hoot

...but Night Owl does.  I sent a pile of '77s his way, and he hooked me up with some offbeat recent stuff and a few oldies.  Here were my faves.

Jeff Francoeur with a mouthful of shiny dirt in the slide. 

2011 Topps Update Diamond Anniversary - Jeff Francoeur

Sean O'Sullivan with the liquorfractor...More like Sean O'Douls.

2011 Topps Update Cognac Refractor - Sean O'Sullivan

 I posted this Brayan Pena that I got awhile back...but here's the Wal-Mart version.  I don't have a Wal-Mart close enough to me to go there, so I like getting these parallels in trade.

2012 Topps Wal-Mart Blue Parallel - Brayan Pena

Cheslor Cuthbert was a big Latin American signing for the Royals two years ago.  He's still only 19 and is playing in High-A ball. 

Bret Saberhagen looks like he is making some Communist Vietnamese propaganda. Willie Wilson is just golden, baby.  Like Barry White's voice.

Thanks, Night Owl for another great trade.  But next time let's get Saberhagen saying U-S-A! U-S-A!

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.  :-)