Almost a new year - Where I am, what I'm doing and where I'm going !

As another year comes to a close I sit here pondering the possibilities for 2013, while sipping coffee made in my new Christmas B&D coffee maker, thanks to my wonderful wife ! ( She also got me an awesome Cleveland Indians metal waste basket ! )

I don't anticipate any major changes in my buying, collecting or trading of baseball cards. I do want to keep better track of trades this year. I tried a plan last year that didn't last long, hopefully this year it will work better.

The very first thing on my agenda is to finish mailing out the free cards I promised. The holidays really took a toll on that project and I apologize to all who haven't yet received cards.  The list is right in front of me and I cross off each name as I send them out. I have three more ready to go and will prepare more this afternoon. It would have gone quicker, but I'm trying to include a few extra cards in each mailer that complements your want lists or fav team or player. Thank you for your patience !

I also have received packages from the following :

Nomo's Sushi Platter
The Sandlot
Nachos Grande
I't's Like Having My Own Card Shop
Brad's Blog
Dime Boxes
2 by 3 Heroes
Joe Average Card Collector

I will also be responding to each of these. Some were for cards already sent, some I owe cards.


Creating more, and better, wants lists is the next thing on the "to do" list.

At last count, I was approaching 14,500 Indian cards !
But I have one Indian card checklist that has over 40,000 listings and only goes through part of 2007.

 So I have a ways to go yet !!



Holiday time !

This has been a very busy month for me and my family, and tonight, all the work will start to culminate into a blessed time for all of us as we start the traditional Christmas celebration together.

I want to take this time to wish everyone  a very

 

 Merry Christmas

 

and

 

 

 Happy New Year !

Good Will find, pan fried flounder, Sizemore surfer and I love baseball !

 

 

What do all these things have in common ?

 

Last Tuesday was my 62nd birthday and this is how they are all tied together !

 

First, my wife doesn't like fish. I LOVE fish but don't get it very often. But on my birthday she always make me a great fish dinner.

 

 

 

My son Josh, gave me this Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indian surfer bobblehead.

Very cool !

 

 

My wife gave me this really neat little knick-knack.

 It's about 6 inches long and will go very nicely on my desk. 

 

 

 

On my way from work Tuesday, I stopped at  one of my favorite Good Will stores.I saw this this small bundle of cardboard sheets tied together.The baseball player is what caught my eye.Otherwise I would have just passed up this package.

 

Am I ever glad I didn't  !

 

It seems the USPS issued this set of 10, "Celebrate the Century" stamp collecting sheets in 1998/99.

The first one is the 1900's, then the 1920's, 1930's and so on. There are several baseball related stamps, which I will show in another post, but there is much more than that to this great deal. There were only 9 of the 10 sheets in this package, but each has 15 totally legal US postage stamps. The first sheets are 32 cent and the last ones 33 cent stamps. They total almost $44.00 in postage !

 

 



I paid $1.29 for the whole package !!

 

And that's why the title does make sense !

 

 

 

My baseball Christmas tree !!



Trade with This Way to the Clubhouse

This is such a busy time of the year ! I really need about 36 hours in each day.

The parts manager at work took all last week off to hunt Bambi, so I had to take over for him. (50 + hours last week)

That, right in the middle of my trying to get cards together for my free card give-a -way.( everyone will be getting more than than one card ! ) The first few are in the mail and the others will be going out soon.

Then the holidays are starting. My wife and I do a lot of Christmas candy making.

Plus I have other trades I need to catch up on.


This trade started about a month ago.

But I love to get emails like this one :

"Hi there. So, I was going through my secret-special box of favorite vintage cards that I would take to a desert island with me, and I somehow came across an autograph card of former prospect John Drennen. It's a sticker auto from 2005 Topps Rookie Cup. Apparently it's the red parallel version, numbered 056/399. I definitely remember getting this card in a pack several years ago, but I haven't a clue how it wound up in this box. Anyhow, now I'm looking for an appropriate home for this thing...."

He came across my blog and thought I might be interested !  Might be ?!
I definitely got back to him and he graciously sent it to me.

 



 

 



He also sent this great Albert Belle patch, along with small stack of other Tribe cards.
( can't post too many pictures right now, I'm approaching my Google limit !)

Mark, from This Way to the Clubhouse , was the sender of the email.

I know this post is a little late Mark, but thank you very much and I will get a nice return package to you.



The baseball card blogging community is just so awesome  !