A Cure for What Ails You

I applaud the blogs that can post 5 or 6 days a week and tell a nice story involving the intricacies of our hobby.  I know it would take a lot of work and research to do what some of you do on a daily basis.  I try to post everyday, but I'm a cheater.  Usually my posts consists of a paragraph or two highlighting a card I own, or a trade post.  I'm the first one to admit it is not very enlightening.  My hope is over time it will evolve into more entertaining posts, but this will have to do for now.

If you have some writers block I think I can help.  One thing I do have is trade bait and lots of it.  So let Dr. Bob Walk give you something to write about.  I have relics/autos of just about every team along with a ton of modern base and inserts.  I know trade posts get the least amount of readers, but maybe something I have can spark the creative process.  Shoot me an email if you are in the mood to deal (Mattscott82@gmail.com).

Here is another McCutchen auto

2012 Panini Prime Cuts /25

Hope everybody is having a good weekend.  Thanks for taking a look.

Some New Old Archives and $30 a Week Habit

First, Roger from $30 a week habit found this gem and gave me a shout out.

This is the back of a Sam Jones 62 Topps.  The Pirates have been walking the plank a bunch this year.  

In honor of Archives being released this week here are a few older Fan Favorite Autos from 2012.  I always enjoy adding the Pirate autos from the Archives set as they are always affordable and have some great pictures.  I especially like the Madlock as he is one of my favorite older Pirates to collect.  

Hopefully the Buccos can put together a good series against the Dodgers this weekend.  Gerrit Cole got them off to a good start last night.  Let's see if the rest of the rotation can follow his lead.  I'm not holding my breath.  

Have a good weekend.  

Hexagraph Auto

2012 Bowman Platinum Hexagraph Zimmerman, Rendon, McCutchen, Bell, Baez and Castro /10

This is one of those cards that kind of speaks for itself.  I purchased this card back around the holidays (merry Xmas to me).  The seller had this copy for sell with a high buy it now price or best offer.  After several rounds of negotiations he finally caved and sold me the card for a fairly reasonable price considering the scarcity of the card and having 6 autos.  Around the same time I almost won another hexagraph auto featuring Gerrit Cole.  It would have been one of those oh sh*t moments when you win an auction and automatically regret it.  I was having one of those eBay weeks where you have way too much time on your hands and was winning way too many auctions.  

The first picture is a stock picture I found on the Internet as this is a hard card to take a picture of.  Below is my copy in the Ultra Pro magnetic book case

I have a nice showcase in my basement where I display some of my prized cards with this one being one of the centerpieces.  It took me a while to get over the sticker price (even if it was Xmas money), but I'm happy to own it as I haven't seen another hit eBay this year.  I have more luck with best offer prices when dealing with high end McCutchen cards.  Auction prices for his high end cards are through the roof right now.  The biggest McCutchen fan of them all at Pirates Treasure Room has mentioned several times that he has been thinking about adding other players to his PC list as the prices are just not doable anymore.  I couldn't agree more.  I'm a team collector so I usually just treat my purchases like stocks and try to buy low.  I only add McCutchen's on special occasions and usually with someone else's money.

Thanks for reading!

Postage Paid

2011 Gypsy Queen Venezuelan Stamp Jose Tabata /10

I usually stay away from the odd cards from Gypsy Queen such as these and the coin cards, but sometimes the price is just too good.  I'm also continuing my impromptu Yankee tie in as Tabata was drafted by the Yankees and then traded as part of the Xavier Nady deal. I showed off a Cole card yesterday as he was originally drafted by the Yankees.  Tabata had a great opportunity to secure a long term spot in the Pirates outfield, but struggled staying healthy and contributing on an everyday basis.  It looks like as long as he is a Pirate he will be a 4th outfielder.  Tabata is still very young so he may be an attractive buy low trade target.  

At the very least this card is a neat conversation piece.  One of my good friends is from Venezuela so he often asks me how Tabata is doing.  I've given him autos of Venezuelan born players as gifts before so I may just give him this card as he would probably appreciate it more.  Anybody ever pull any of the stamp or coin cards before?  If you recall I pulled the Allen Craig coin out of 2013 Gypsy Queen.  I don't really like selling cards so I probably just hold onto to that one until one of my Cardinal blogging friends pulls a good Pirate card.  

Thanks for checking out the blog!

Fancy New Cole

2013 Topps Chrome Gerrit Cole Silver Signature Auto /25

Last week I decided to spoil myself with a few new Gerrit Cole autos.  I have a few variations of this auto already from Chrome, but this is the lowest numbered version I have.  The signature looks more sharp in person as the glare from the card makes it look off.  Cole has been one of the few bright spots for the Pirate rotation as the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent.  

Box Break: 2009 Topps 206

It was time for our monthly box break again.  This time around I went bargain shopping and got a good price on 2009 Topps 206.  We had a good time busting it, with my box and Keith's (The Home Run Apple) being above average.  My buddy Micah's box was a little rough, but he was the big winner of our first handful of breaks so the law of averages are finally working things out.  Here are the better hits from the box....

 Short print minis

 Dan Haren mini /99

 James Loney Jersey

 McCutchen rookie!

 George Sisler silk /50

 Small sample of the gold cards

Jonathan Papelbon Auto

As you can no crazy big hit, but the box was really balanced.  Broke the odds by pulling the silk card so I was pretty excited.  It was a fun break for around $45 a box.  You are guaranteed two hits, and lots of mini and gold cards.  Other than the Cutch I'm willing to trade anything you see.  Just shoot me a message. 

Happy Memorial Day.   

Trade: Too Many Verlanders

I got a nice surprise PWE in the mail this week from Dennis from Too Many Verlanders.  Dennis and I have been exchanging cards actively since I started the blog.  If you haven't started a trade with Dennis you really are missing out.  Dust off those Tigers and Michigan Wolverines and shoot him a message.  You won't be disappointed.

I'm really digging the whole top row of Tony Womack's.  My buddy Micah and I often discuss Womack as he was won of our favorites.  Wish the Pirates would have kept him longer as he continued to be a great lead off hitter for the Dbacks.

Thanks for the PWE Dennis.  I have a few Tiger cards set aside for you.  Just waiting the round up a few more before I put the package in the mail.  Look forward to continued trading.

Trade: Swing And A Pop-Up (Boat Load of Cards)

A while back I sent some Red Sox cards to Bert from the great blog Swing And A Pop-Up.  Bert told me his area has a bunch of card shows and that he would probably be able to find me some Pirate cards.  Boy did he deliver.  I was a little overwhelmed by what came in the mail....

The Al Oliver disc is awesome, but do you see whats behind it?  Bert sent me a plastic container full of Pirate cards.  Hundreds of cards from all eras.  

 This is a nice looking bat relic of Cutch.  Really appreciate you adding this card Bert as I don't have it!

Nice Bowman Platinum Clay Holmes RC auto.

This post really doesn't do the cards I received justice.  There is so much neat stuff that I see a lot of future blog posts just from the cards Bert sent.  Thanks Bert for a great trade!  I will be mailing you some more Red Sox cards to even the score a little bit.  You outdid yourself!

Trade: Cervin' Up Cards

Mr. Zippy Zappy himself sent me a nice little care package in the mail the other day.  I've been sending Kenny some extra Yankees and he returns to favor with some Buccos.  This time he added some extra Pittsburgh flavor to the deal.  Check these out...

Pirates were few and far between in this years Bowman release.  Thankfully Kenny made my hunting easier by including a Brandon Cumpton rookie.  With the recent DFA of Wandy Rodriguez, Cumpton is in line to gain significant time with the Pirates.  I'm happy to see this as Wandy looked broken and the handful of spot starts made by Cumpton have been solid.

 Gerrit Cole has been solid this year.  Just wish I could say that about the rest of the staff.

 Here is some of the cool Steelers and Penguins Kenny added.  Especially like the Penguin goalie goodness.

 More Cole train.  I like the Indianapolis Indian version.

Bowman Vintage!

I was a huge Freddy Sanchez fan so this Finest /199 Freddy is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again Kenny for the cards.  I'll continue to ship some Yankees that I think you will like as I get them. Let's keep the trade going!

A Nice Mix of Old and New

2004 SP Prospects Dual Auto Johnny Bench/Neil Walker 43/50

Neil Walker was drafted in 2004 as a catcher in case you were wondering of the odd combo.  Walker converted to third base in 2007 and eventually found a home at 2nd base as an everyday player.  It wasn't an easy road to the majors for Neil as his prospect status was beginning to fade by 2010.  Opportunity presented itself through an injury to Aki Iwamura and fortunately for Walker he took advantage.  He has been a mainstay at 2nd and continues to show improvement every year.  He is off to his best offensive start of his career and may be on his way to his first All Star game appearance if he can keep pace.  I'm curious to see what kind of numbers he could put up if he stays healthy the entire season

That Johnny Bench guy turned out ok.....Don't think I need to go in much detail about him. 

I also featured the triple auto version of this card a few months back.  That Piazza guy was good too...

Pops 1/1

Tonight the Pirates are honoring the 1979 championship team as the Buccos host the Orioles.  The Bucs beat the O's in seven games.  Obviously the team was full of great players, but the heart and soul was Willie Stargell.

2004 SP Legendary Cuts Willie Stargell Jersey 1/1

I went through a big Stargell buying spree in the mid 2000's which included this card.  It's been fun showcasing the two Tekulve auto's and this Stargell piece.  I may have to have a throwback week every once in a while as I have fun showcasing the older players.  

Thanks for checking out the blog!

Teke Round 2

2003 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Kent Tekulve Auto

Kent Tekulve is just one of those guys that everybody likes.  Since my Topps Retired card received a good bit of attention I figured I would show another Teke auto in my collection.  Must be the awkward shades and unique delivery that made him a fan favorite.  I would imagine if I was a kid in the 70's I would have imitated the submarine pitching style.  Hope you enjoy the card.  Remember shoot me a message if you want to trade

Kent Tekulve

2003 Topps Retired Auto Kent Tekulve

Hard to get a good picture of the Topps Retired cards since they are all encased.  I love everything about this card.  It just reeks of the 70's with the awesome Pirate uniform and Teke's signature thick glasses.  This card was won for $9 shipped off of eBay.  

Teke still plays an active role with the Pirates as he is studio analyst for Root Sports.  

Trade Bait

My weekends have been crazy busy this month as it seems everyone we know has a family member graduating high school or college.  In the few hours I had free today I continued sorting through all my game used/auto/serial numbered cards to try and sort by team.  I still have lots of work to do, but I now have some resemblance of organization.  While I'm a long way from getting the cards scanned and posted on the blog, I do have a better idea of what I have. So lets trade!

I have cards of every team including the Expos!  I already have cards set a side for my regular trading partners but there are many teams I have yet to find corresponding blogs.  Shoot me a message (Mattscott82@gmail.com) or comment on this post if you want to deal.  I'm lover of all things Pirates and WVU Mountaineers.  If game used/auto is not your cup of tea, I have lots of inserts/commons to trade as well!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Clemente Parker Bay

UD Premiere Robert Clemente/Dave Parker/Jason Bay Triple Jersey /50

I don't own much Clemente stuff as the prices are usually out of sight.  This triple jersey is a little higher numbered than most Clemente items and also features Dave Parker and Jason Bay which might have helped keep the price more affordable.  You get a nice timeline of uniforms when looking at the card with the extra bonus of having the awesome pill box hat being worn by Parker.  

Hope everybody is having a good weekend.  Thanks for checking out the card!

1976 Crane Potato Chip Discs

I love finding oddball Pirate items.  Recently I was able to purchase a bunch of 1976 Crane Potato Chip Discs.  Most of them cost a buck or less and the seller combined shipping so it made for a pretty reasonable deal.

 Doc Medich

 Rennie Stennett

 Jerry Reuss

 Al Oliver

 Manny Sanguillen

 John Candelaria

 Dave Parker

 Willie Stargell

Richie Zisk

Set Building Success

One part of our great hobby that I really paid no attention to before starting the blog was set building.  When I was actively opening boxes in the mid 2000's I would pull out the Pirates and the "hits" then box the rest of the cards up.  Since starting the blog along with hosting a monthly box busting party at my house I started fooling around putting sets together.

With all that being said I had my first set completion this past week.  2013 Topps Gypsy Queen was a tough set to build, but with the help of the blogging community and my friends Keith and Micah from the box busting parties I was able to do it.  The hardest part was obtaining all the sp's but thankfully Keith and Micah were open to trading.  With their help I was able to complete close to 90% of the set (we each opened 3 boxes over the last handful of months).  Keith is trying to complete the Triple Threads Amethyst set so I was able to send some his way and Micah is a Pirates guy like myself so it was easy to get his SP's.   The rest of the set was completed through some blogging trades and a small Sportlots pickup.

While my focus is always on collecting the Pirates and WVU Mountaineers this was a nice change of pace.  I will probably continue to try and complete sets as long as our once a month opening continues. Plus this opens a few more trading possibilities.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to showcase some more finished sets as I'm nearing completion on two more!

Thanks for reading.

Dual Museum Piece Marte/McCutchen

2013 Museum Collection Starling Marte/Andrew McCutchen dual relic 1/5

Quick post tonight as I'm trying to get some trade packages sent out.  I purchased this card last fall. I thought I missed my opportunity to own this card as I got beat in an auction in the last second.  Thankfully another one hit eBay and the rest is history.  I wish this card featured better jerseys but the sweet pictures make up for it.  

Remember if you ever want to trade just shoot me a message.  I have a ton of trade bait that is not featured on the blog link.  

Thanks for checking out the blog.

Trade: Brad's Blog (This involved a lot of stuff)

Early last week I made a post in which I stated that I'm always looking to trade and have a bunch of trade bait that hasn't made its way on the blog.  Brad from Brad's Blog left a comment listing all the Bucco trade bait he had.  It didn't take long for us to make a deal and a few days later I had a big bubble mailer waiting in the mailbox.  Brad had warned me he threw in a few surprises and boy was he right.  Check out some of the cards he sent.   This wasn't even all the cards....

This Justin Wilson RC from Chrome is awesome.  Brad completely surprised me with this one.  It is kind of hard to see but it is numbered 2 of 5.  Wilson only has a couple of high end cards so this was right up my alley!

 Jeff Locke RC /100

Matt Hague RC /199

 Sweet manufactured patch of Clemente from 2013 Topps

Hague sepia auto /75.  This is a sweet looking card!  The picture doesn't do it justice

 Bill Madlock jersey

 Dave Parker bat

Paul Maholm Bowman's Best RC auto.  Maholm was one of the nicest guys I met when my friends and I use to hit spring training in Bradenton.

 Vintage Buccos!

 Cutch!

Skinny Bonds!  Plus a sweet Brian Giles.  One of the more underrated Pirates.

Thanks so much for a great deal Brad.  You really overwhelmed me by adding that sweet Justin Wilson and a redemption for a Tony Cingrani auto (not pictured).  If you have some Phillies around shoot Brad a message.  He is a great trader!  Look forward to our next deal.