Randoms

I can't be posting Royals all the time.  I gotta post some RANDOMS, too!  Staying true to my roots.

2010 Allen and Ginter - Sailors of the Seven Seas

2010 Allen and Ginter - Isaac Newton - Regular and Mini

All these beauties came to me as a result of another Zistle trade.  Zistle is the best way to get lots of "randoms" into your collection when you want something, but don't want it bad enough to make a real wantlist for it.  You just add the whole set into your Zistle lists and it auto-matches you with anyone that has them for a later trade.

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

What the heck are you DOING? Sketchy or Classy?

Whenever you book a hotel online in a strange city, you never really know if it is going to be a gem or if it is gonna be super-sketchy.  You might be right by the museums, shopping, and fine restaurants -- or you might be by the all-night liquor store with a view of the sewage treatment plant and the red-light district.  

It's the same with card trading.  Whenever you get a trade package, it's tough to know if it is going to be a high-class trade, or a super-sketchy trade...or both.

I just made another zistle.com trade -- this time with a user named jkgrice.  In exchange for a bunch of Tom Glavine cards and some miscellaneous Ginter, let's take a look at what I got.

1996 Pinnacle Bob Hamelin

WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME OVER THAT SIGN, BOB HAMELIN????  Could you BE any more creepy about it?  And why do you even need a sign?  Anyone should know that that is Bob "The Hammer" Hamelin.  They should just give him a hammer to take to all photo shoots and then he could carry that around, and he wouldn't need to look up and show his chubby, bespectacled face to the rest of us.*

Maybe we can find someone else to make this a little less sketchy.  You there!  Good sir!  Ahoy!  Please let us see if you are a distinguished gentleman...

1982 Fleer Dennis Lamp

Biker 'stache......check.
Tinted Aviator sunglasses.....check.
Satin Jacket....check.
Van behind the drugstore where he offers kids free candy.....check.
 I love Dennis Lamp quite a bit....but if we're looking for "classy," he ain't it.

What about this young man?  Just a Rookie!  Surely he is not yet jaded by the world. 

1996 Score Mike Sweeney Rookie

I love the baby-face there...so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.  Speaking of babies, Mike Sweeney's newest baby fits inside a baseball glove:  Nothing says highbrow like a baby in a baseball glove.

Well....we're definitely getting more classy as we go along.  Is there anything else we can add to spruce this place up?  Add a little glitz?

Yes.  ROYALTY.

2011 Allen and Ginter - Royal Wedding - Price William and Kate Middleton

All of a sudden I find myself craving crumpets, listening to the BBC, and wanting to invade the Falklands.  WE JUST GOT CLASSY UP IN HERE.  Despite Kate's recent troubles with the French media...everything around here just got fancy-fied.  I guess I have jkgrice to thank for that!  :-)

* I can say things like this because I am chubby and bespectacled.

History of the World Part III

History rolls on.  More "Minds" and more "Turning Points" from a Zistle trade.  These came from bdlehman18.  I did a report on genetics in 8th grade, and Mr. Mendel featured prominently in it.  Anyone feel like making some Punnett Squares??

Georges Clemenceau and Norman Borlaug.  Together at last.

Iowan-born Wyatt Earp.  Frederick Douglass always looked mad.  I guess he had a rough life, but would it kill a guy to smile once in awhile?

2008 Allen & Ginter World Leaders - Ehud Olmert

I was not collecting in 2008, so I have not seen any of these before.  I got Israel.  I'm not familiar with Olmert...he must have been the leader between Bibi Netanyahu and......Bibi Netanyahu.

Here are some Olympians from my youth.  Kerri Strug is the sister of Kippy Strug. 

And finally, this is the most fundamental card I received.  I don't want to sound negative...I'm really charged that I got this one.  It's shocking, really.

2009 Allen and Ginter - Electron

History of the World, Part I

No Mel Brooks movies here.  This is all cards, baby.  I've had the good fortune of recently receiving three history-themed trades and I'm going to show them off.  This first set of cards came to me from Laurie at LV's TTM Autographs.  She and I actually made this trade happen over Zistle.  Her profile is here.

She and I worked out a great deal where she sent me the two cards above..."Minds That Made The Future" from 2011 Allen and Ginter.  I think that this is a subset that I am going to chase.  I'll have a few more of those coming up in the next few posts, then I'll post a want-list. 
 

The other subset that I want to chase is the "Historical Turning Points" set from 2012 Allen and Ginter.  Laurie included one of those for me, too.

2012 Allen and Ginter - Culinary Curiosities - Kopi Luwak

Yep.  That's poop coffee.  Kopi Luwak. 

We've got a flashy pink Bo, a Pacquaio, and an old Willie Wilson.

Sweeney blocking the plate.  There's that Bo!  If you remember my sealed box post, then that was the main card I wanted from that box.  I'm definitely not cracking open that box now.

2011 Topps Diamond Anniversary - David DeJesus

Here was the favorite card she sent me.  Even though DDJ was no longer with the Royals, he's still one of my favorites, and that sparkly card is beautiful.

Thanks again, LV!

I've Got The Ball - a Q&A Session

Q:  Is Jose Rosado intimidated by big-name hitters?
A:  "They've got the bat, and they've got the name, but I've got the ball." --Jose Rosado


1997 Circa Jose Rosado - #11

Q:  What does Juan Gonzalez think of Kevin Appier?
A:  "To me, he's the best right-hander in this league." --Juan Gonzalez
(Juan Gonzalez has apparently never heard of this "Roger Clemens" fellow.)


1997 Circa Kevin Appier - #158

Q:  How does Chili Davis feel about being traded?
A:  "At my age...it's nice to know that someone wants you.  I've told young guys it's not an insult to be traded."  --Chili Davis


1997 Circa Chili Davis - #248

That's right, Chili, it's not an insult to be traded.  In fact, I've been trying to get people to trade me Chili Davis for months now.  I put him on my "Most Wanted" list and everything.  I had given up hope of getting him, until this card arrived in my mailbox.


1997 Fleer Ultra Chili Davis - #432

CHILI HULK SMASH!!!!

All of these (and even more Circa cards) came to me via "reader of blogs, writer of none" Steve.  He found me on Zistle. Another benefit of Zistle -- only on there will people who want your old MLB Showdown cards know that you want their old Circa cards.  It's like the Millionaire Matchmaker for card collectors.  It was a super-easy trade. You can check out all his stuff on his Zistle profile. 
Thanks again, Steve!

The Yunicorn

2011 Topps Yuniesky Betancourt - #289

I don't like the Yunicorn.  HE CAN'T HIT.  I was happy when the Royals traded him (although I was less happy we had to part with Greinke to get rid of YB).  However, he's back with the Royals now as a free agent signing, and he's back in my collecting life.  I got him as part of my second successful trade on Zistle.  I picked up a bunch of 2011 Topps Royals, including the Billy Butler CYMTO I still needed:

2011 Topps CYMTO - #60YOT-113 - Billy Butler

Zistle Trade Success!

As I mentioned in my sidebar.....---------------->

I have been using Zistle.com to organize my collection.  One of the features of that site is that it compares your want-list with the trade-list of another member to see if there are any matches.  If there are, you can make a trade offer, accept/reject/counter, and then complete the trade privately offline.

I had made several offers on the site before this week, but hadn't even heard back from those.  Then Friday I made an offer to a member who had some KC Royals 2010 Chicle cards for trade.  He is an Eddie Murray collector, so I offered him 5 Murrays for 4 Chicles....and a deal was reached!   I'm so excited that we were able to work something out.  I will have to say Goodbye to my Eddie Murray Sportflics, though.  :-)

1987 Sportflics #6 Eddie Murray

He's not a blogger, (EDIT: He blogs over at hopefulchase.blogspot.com) so I never would have found this deal without using the site.  It's another tool in the card-trader's arsenal.

(Scan courtesy of checkoutmycards.com)