A Not so Secret Santa

Shout out to Adam from Cardboard Clubhouse for being a good sport.  I essentially made him buy me something in order to even out the Secret Santa.  In hindsight I probably should have just recruited another person, but instead just threw myself into the fun.  Poor Adam drew the short straw and received my name.  In hindsight it seemed a little weird telling someone to go buy me something.  Either way Adam agreed and sent me some nice cardboard. Maybe I should just start emailing random people and telling them they should send me cards.

Adam sent a bunch of nice Steelers cards my way.  When I was buying Steelers cards on a regular basis Bettis was probably second to only Hines Ward in my collection.  I love when I can receive Steelers cards via trade (or Secret Santa!) because I would venture to say they are among the most expensive teams to collect.  A rabid fanbase and legitimate superstars create the perfect storm.

 Ugh.....Excuse the quality of some of these scans as I've had to use some phone apps in order to keep the blog from falling behind.  My main scanner is hooked to my desktop computer that is currently not working. For single cards these apps work really well.  For big posts I need to practice some more.

The Steelers have done a good job over the years on what players to give long term deals.  The one notable mess up was Rod Woodson.  He had several really good post Steeler years.

 Prestige is a very nice set. I always liked their numbered parallels.

 I'm not sure if this era of Finest Football is as popular as its baseball counterpart, but still cool nonetheless.

 More Bus!

 One of the best cards I've ever seen pulled in person was from Gridiron Kings.  I was in a card shop and saw the owner pull a Unitas auto.  It was pretty cool.  I'm a sucker for canvas cards so no matter if it is the football or baseball version, I love it.

 XFL superstar Tommy Maddox!

 Sometimes less is more with cards.  Such is the case with Donruss hockey.

 Gravedigger!!!

 International sex symbol John Candy Man Candelaria.

 I'm a sucker for team cards.  Even the new ones I love.  This also mixes nicely with my love of manager cards.

 Collectors Choice was a major part of my youth.  Money is tight as a kid so you needed sets with good bang for your buck.  Collectors Choice was a choice of mine more often than not.  Looking back on it as an adult it was probably even a bit underrated because UD had some great photo choices.

When I think athlete Mike Lavalliere often comes to mind.....

 My favorite card is the blatant screw up by Topps on the Gregory Polanco card on the bottom row middle card.  The picture is actually Aramis Ramirez.  The funny thing is they did it on a couple of sets.  Quality Control!

 I probably buy just enough football because of my WVU collection to form an opinion on some of the sets that are out there.  For me the best looking and bang for you buck set is regular Donruss.

 Sparkly Cutch!

 I'm a sucker for any Pirate related Wakefield release.

You should always end a post with a bang! The batter has no idea how over matched he is.

Thanks for being a good sport Adam.  You definitely took one for the team.  Thanks for sending so many great cards.

Ho Ho Ho

Blogger Xmas Cards > Family Christmas Cards

I've had a nice run of packages coming in the last couple of days.  I love my family, but the blogging community knows how to send a Christmas card. Last week I received this from Adam of Cardboard Clubhouse.

 My daughter is addicted to Snoopy so I get to see plenty of him no matter the season.  No complaints though as it could be much worse than Peanuts.  In fact I actually like the Peanuts characters.  Watching shows like Caillou make me want to gouge out my eyes and shove pieces of splintered wood in my ears.  If you don't know what Caillou is consider yourself thankful.

 I love team cards!

 I often comment how tough vintage hockey players look.  Old offensive lineman could fit in that category too. I'm sure Kolb didn't leave many games with bumps and bruises.

 The Pens are looking strong again this year. I hope to head to my first game of the season in early January.

 Huge fan of Pro Debut cards.  Hanson will either have to make the Pirates or be subject to waivers as he is out of options. Strong candidate for a backup infielder role or the second base job if Josh Harrison is traded.

 Did you know Bob Walk won sexiest man of the year and Time Magazines man of the year in the 10 years in a row. It's true, go look it up.

.  I think Jim Smith was looking for his mom in the stands.

Thanks for the cards Adam.  Merry Christmas buddy!

Trade: Cardboard Clubhouse

As I'm writing this it is 12:45am. The Penguins are going to the Stanley Cup! What a crazy season for the Pens. Halfway through it looked like they were a fringe playoff team and then they suddenly turned into an unbeatable force. The combination of a coaching change, trades and bringing up a slew of minor leaguers propelled them into the Finals.

Speaking of hockey my pal Adam from Cardboard Clubhouse hooked me up with a ton of cards where the Pens were the dominant theme.

The early 90's Pens were my first taste of hockey as a young kid. My Grandfather took me to my first game and I was hooked. Helps to have a guy like Lemieux grab your attention.

 Doesn't matter the sport, Stadium Club is always awesome.

Here comes a ton of early 90's Pens...

 Bob Errey announces for the Pens these days.

 Tom Barrasso was borderline insane when he played. He had a mean streak like none other in goal.

 Wendell Young even looks like a backup goalie.

 The Pens had a ton of talent during this period. I think Mark Recchi played for about 63 years. The guy was a cup magnet at the end of his career.

 Some cool All Star and Stanley Cup cards.

 A very young Jagr! It is amazing how productive he still is. The guy is a freak of nature.

Now for a little baseball....

 Not many players fit their nickname better than Mike Spanky LaValliere.

 Jay Bell might be the leader in the pondering life pose for baseball cards.

Even though Adam sent this card to me because of Midre Cummings, the Matt Mieske photo is the true treasure. That is one smooth looking dude.

I've been kind of a sucker for the Pirate team cards the last few years. They all have Cutch cameos! Also, how about Gregory Polanco?!! He really is coming into his own.

Thanks for all the great cards Adam. Sorry your first attempt got lost in the mail. I'm still holding out hope that it will show up at some point.

Thanks for reading and have a nice holiday weekend!

Sister Hazel and Cardboard Kindness

You remember the band Sister Hazel. They play kind of a radio friendly bluesy rock and scored a hit with the song All for You. While they haven't had a hit since the 90's they still tour relentlessly and release new music. My wife and I going to see them tonight. From what I read they have a good live show. I guess if you are still touring with your original lineup things work like a well oiled machine. 

Now on to some cardboard kindness. Recently I was approached by Adam from Cardboard Clubhouse as he wanted to send me some cards for commenting on his blog. Obviously I'm not going to say no to free cards so sure enough a week later I had an Xmas card stuffed with some Pirate goodness. If you haven't checked out his blog I highly suggest doing so. He seems to find some cool stuff.  Check this out....

It is easy to relax when you are Bob Walk. The guy has everything. He was probably scoping out some chicks for after the game. 

Obviously Stadium Clubs allure is with the base set, but the diecuts are pretty cool too. Extra bonus for being Cutch.

I was reading a good article about the Pirates the other day.  With the Cubs making so many moves and the Cardinals being the wizards that they are, the Pirates will need to get lucky and have another position player turn into a star. The obvious candidates are Marte and Polanco.  Polanco is one of those players who can be a productive guy without having to hit.  If the bat develops he could be a star in the making.

The Pirates are going to have to find some starting pitching as Burnett retired, J.A Happ left for free agency and Charlie Morton was dealt. Jon Niese was acquired from the Mets, but their should be at least one more move for a pitcher......hopefully tow.

I always enjoy getting Jack Wilson cards in trades. I'm to the point where it is getting hard to add new ones to my collection. In terms of relics and autos I'm to the point of mainly needing parallels.

Sid Bream was out at home.

Thanks for the card full of cards Adam! This will help break the ice for an ongoing trade. I'll be hitting you back very soon.