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

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!