2011 Series II at Walmart now and Ohio contest

Just a quick note. There is a contest at a relatively new blog, Buckeye State Cards . Great prizes so check it out !

I picked up some 2011 Topps Series II at Walmart today! I hope to have a post later tonight.

The Diamond King !

If you like contests head on over to The Diamond King !

There are some sweet relics and auto's up for grabs !

Memorial Day - Much more than just a day to host a family barbecue.

Everyday, and this day especially,

I think of the friends I have

and the ones I lost.

Another Cardinal Diamond = Choo !

Topps and St. Louis Cardinals





They have both been very good to me lately !





I unlocked my second die-cut Diamond Anniversary card.








Another Cardinal and promptly put it up for trade as I did this one.

This morning it paid off with Shin-Soo Choo !

Now I need to get a couple more for Santana and Carmona.

I also now have 48 unique rings and won this complete Topps set !

I'm almost a little worried about my rash of good luck.

Trade with Marie Bay - Might be worse than bipping !

I received a small bubble mailer this week.

I saw the VC NY and immediately knew who who it was from !

Marie from A Cardboard Problem.

Marie and I have done a number of trades over the years.

Most of the time it's not trading, per say, we just send each other random stuff we know the other one will enjoy.

Enjoy ?!

I opened the package to find this !!!


MARIE !! Why...what the... wait a minute.... I mean....Go Yankees !!
I gotta' admit you got me there !! LOL

The rest of the contents, though, really made up for the Bronx cheer.




2011 Topps Attax and Bowman Grady Sizemore.
2011 GQ Tris Speaker (I actually had two of these but gave them to my two sons ) so I need that.
And a very nice Bowman gold Carlos Santana !


Next, a 2009 OPC Kelly Shoppach highlights card I didn't have.
Another Grady,2010 Topps Opening Day
2010 Topps Heritage Fausto Carmona. Absolutely devastating pitcher if he can just get more consistent !


Marie opens a lot of hobby material and always saves some wrappers for me.
After all, she used to be "Covered in Wrappers" !

Well, thank you very much Marie ! On the fourth of July I'll be up behind home plate, with my Bob Feller bronze statue giveaway, watching the Tribe kick butt !! Let's see, who do we play that day !!??

Oh, and eat your heart out young lady !!

Below are my two latest hit pulls. The first from a Walmart Topps Value box and the second from, believe it or not, a K-Mart half price blaster I bought in Detroit !!

Diamond Giveaway Success

I've been playing the Diamond Giveaway game right from the start. I have 46 cards and 45 unique rings. I have acquired 20 Indian cards, through trades, that I need for my collection.

A couple days ago

I finally dug up a hit !

A Chris Carpenter die-cut.

But, as thrilled as I was with this card, it really didn't fit into my collection.

TRADE TIME !!

I hit the trade lists to see who was available for the Tribe.

Let's see, there's Santana, Carmona, Choo, all die-cuts.

But I settled on Grady !!

It only took a couple hours for someone to take me up on my offer !

My final trade post - Rhubarb_ Runner

Alas, all things, good and bad, have to come to an end !

These cards came from Rhubarb_ Runner over at e rayhahn rayhahn .

It starts with 2011 Topps Shin-Soo Choo Topps 60 insert. Choo got off to a slow start but is now starting to heat up ! Fortunately, others on the team pick up whoever happens to to be down and they keep on winning !

Now we step back to 2009 with an Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Trevor Crowe rookie and on back even farther to a 1992 Pannini sticker Carlos Baerga.

2008 Upper Deck Documentary. You either loved or hated these cards.I would still like to have all the Cleveland cards. I need to get a want list together.

Next we have an assortment of 2011 Topps base cards. When Cleveland wins the World Series this year, maybe these will be more valuable !!

2011 Carlos Santana Opening Day and

2011 Topps "60 years of Topps" Lost Cards, Bob Feller.

Not original back.

Would like original back.

Wait, there is no "original" back !

They could fake it though.

The Cleveland battery option of Lou Marson and closer Chris Perez, Heritage style.

The 1989 Topps coin set. Another one of my oddball favorites. This one of Greg Swindell.

Now, the real purpose behind this trade !!

Drum roll

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat....

2003 Playoff Prestige Dual bat card !

Victor Martinez and Omar Veeskel ! 035/400

I really love the design of this card !

Thanks David, very much for the great trade !!