Intermission

Taking a break today from the trade packages in order to clean up my desk.  The last few weeks have been so much fun.  I know I still have cards from JBF, P-Town Tom, Section 36 and Scribble Ink to post in the coming days.  Those will go live this coming week.  If you listen closely you can hear my scanner saying give me a break.  

In between all the trade packages a few new cards have arrived.  Mainly of the WVU variety.  I like to throw these in weekend posts since less people are paying attention. 

Steve Slaton and Pat White are the biggest player collections within my WVU collection.  Both were featured in every set at a time when sets were at peak relic/auto craze.  Since both flamed out of the NFL relatively fast I've been able to pick up the majority of the non parallel releases. My biggest needs are "higher end" cards like above.  

While cards like this are much cheaper today, I still have to deal with the handful of WVU collectors that are in the same boat as me.  This can often cause certain cards to be a little pricey even though Slaton hasn't seen an NFL field in years.  

I'm pretty careful about not spending much money on "relic" cards so I often put my high bid in as soon as I see the card an hope for the best. As you can see it worked with the Star Gazing patch.

This card popped up as a BIN with free shipping.  The price was $6.50 which I thought was a nice deal since it was numbered /10.  

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.  

Cheers

Payday Games

Today I'm heading out for the WVU/Deleware St football game. Obviously it is not a marquis opponent, but it is the last game before conference play starts so you hope you begin to develop some depth.  Our coach is on record in that he thinks power 5 conferences should play each other during non conference play.  Without looking I'm sure this game was added after the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 and needed to make new arrangements with their schedules.  Most non conference games are agreed 5-10 years in advance so that seems to make sense.

I only get around 6 games a year so no matter the opponent I'm going to show up and enjoy the game. Plus it is a nice excuse to have a beer and eat tailgate food. 

Man alive those Steve Slaton have a ton of cards. It will take me a lifetime to accumulate half of his releases because the year he was drafted (2008) was peak relic/auto time.  Both 2007 and 2008 NFL draft produced a ton of notable running backs so you got a lot of cards that looked like this 2008 Ultimate Collection patch.  This is why a lot of Slaton cards still hold value. 

Enjoy the game today.

Let's Go Mountaineers

Rivalry Revival

I'm in the DC area this weekend to attend the WVU/Virginia Tech game. The game is being played at Fed Ex Field where the Redskins play their home games. The area is full of alumni for each school so it was an easy sell out.  It is very exciting to have one of our traditional rivals back on the schedule.  These schools played some memorable games back in the Big East days so the fanbases are super pumped. Hopefully at some point the teams can play each other on a more regular basis, but this kickoff classic will hold me over for now.

If you are neutral fan come join the Mountaineers bandwagon.  We have plenty of moonshine and pepperoni rolls for you.

Football season gives me a chance to showoff a few cards from WVU collection. Here is a cool dual auto featuring two of the most successful players in school history.

Let's Go Mountaineers.

Let's Go for Ten

The Big 12 conference has been down this year, but that still doesn't take away that WVU is going for their first ten win season since 2011. Things have been slowly coming together for the Mountaineers as they have been showing steady improvement each year under coach Holgorsen. Recruiting has been solid and the NFL pipeline is as strong as ever.  Next year we will just need to learn to beat those Oklahoma teams.

Beat Baylor!

Some WVU love via cardboard.

Pleasant Surprise

I don't show much of my WVU collection on here, but I'm just as active adding cards of Mountaineers than I am with Pirates. The big difference is that I'm much more cautious with my purchases. I rarely buy new releases of Mountaineers and single card purchases are made in a much more frugal manner.

One of my active searches on eBay is for Steve Slaton. By flaming out in the NFL relatively quickly I'm use to only seeing cards from 2008 or 2009. Needless to say I was pretty shocked to see this card.

2015 Upper Deck SSP Glossy Steve Slaton /10

A new Slaton card! I'm a sucker for any cards that actually show the WVU uniform. Slaton tends to be much cheaper than Pat White, but his cards still sell decent on eBay. This card ran me around $10. 

Let's go Mountaineers! 

Big Game

Big game tonight between the Sooners and Mountaineers.  Should be an awesome environment.  I'm hosting a tailgate at my house in which the festivities are just about to begin.

2009 SP Authentic Dual Auto Slaton/White /50

Nothing beats a nice on card auto with beautiful signatures of two former WVU stars.  

Here are a couple craft beers we cracked open last night.

We started with the IPA and worked up to the unidragon stout.  Both were delicious!  

How about those Pirates!  What a game last night.  Russell Martin delivered a huge three run homer to lead the Buccos to a win against the Brewers.  A win tonight almost guarantees at least a wild card spot.  

Enjoy all the great football and baseball today.  Let's Go Bucs!  Let's Go Mountaineers!

Exquisite

The tailgating is just about to start!

 Steve Slaton 2008 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Patch Auto /199

Steve Slaton 2008 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Patch Auto /75

I have a handful of different variations of this Slaton.  These cards are really cheap compared to what they were around release time.  At peak times the bottom Slaton could have sold for over $100.  Most can be had for under $10 now.  

Let's go Mountaineers!  

Enjoy all the baseball and football today!

Home Game

It's a football weekend in Morgantown.  The Mountaineers host Towson tomorrow night so it should be a fun atmosphere.  I live close to the stadium so my house or my in-laws house are usually the staging area for some fun tailgates.  My friends will be coming over early afternoon to get the party started.  Grilling, beer and music will be ready to go!

Pat White/Steve Slaton UD Black Dual Auto /10

This card is one of my all time favorites.  It features two of the most successful players in WVU history.  Both players have nice autos and the pennants really give a nice college feel to the card. The card is super thick and actually came with a certificate of authenticity.  Not sure it was originally a redemption or if was pack pulled.  

Hope everybody enjoys the games tomorrow.  Have a good weekend!

Finest 1/1

My wife and I just spent the last hour baby proofing our house.  Our little girl is mobile so we need to keep her confined to one room. She is at the point where if you take your eyes off of her she is gone.  The new gate we put up will keep her in our family room, but we have a running bet on who will be the first one to run directly into it forgetting that it is there.  My guess is me.

2008 Finest Steve Slaton Black Printing Plate Auto 1/1

The Pirates were off today, so that means WVU showcase! 2008 was a big year for running backs with such guys as Jamal Charles, Ray Rice, Matt Forte, Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson all being drafted. To this day I still see Slaton cards pop up that I've never seen before.  He has many high end releases featuring him along with all those I mentioned. 

Injuries and fumble issues cost Slaton his career, but his cards still sell.  People who collect WVU have such fond memories of Pat White, Owen Schmitt and Steve Slaton that collectors still hoard their cards.   My Mountaineer collection is not as big as my Pirates, but I cherish it the same.  I actively hunt for rare pieces that I missed when they were released.  

The Shield

Along with the Pirates I'm an avid WVU collector.  This is a dual NFL shield from National Treasures featuring Jamal Charles and Steve Slaton.  This was my first NFL shield and it is numbered 2/2. I previously featured a logoman of Devin Ebanks.

Slaton cards continue to hold decent value as he is often featured with other running backs from the 08 draft. The RB heavy class featured the likes of Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson and Ray Rice.  It is a shame that Slaton is no longer in football.  Injuries and fumbling issues derailed a career that started off so promising.

If anybody out there has some good WVU or Pittsburgh Pirates cards I'll be happy to trade.  Just leave a comment or shoot me an email and we can work something out.  I have a trade bait link on the blog, but that is not everything.  Just let me know who you like and we'll get the ball rolling.