Against the Grain Purchases

I don't go outside my collecting comfort zone much these days.  My personal wild west era of collecting (mid 2000's) was fun, but lacked focus.  At that time I was single and had my first "real job" so I purchased everything I liked.  That mental alarm I have now that stops me from making expensive/stupid purchases didn't exist.  Marriage, kid and mortgage have a way of changing how you do things.

Fast forward to today and my non Pirates/WVU purchases are mainly locating cards for my blogging pals, and box breaks with Brian (HSCA) and Kevin (Card Papoy).  My current reorganization has only reinforced my decision to consolidate.

Of course this all leads to showing off a recent purchase.......one that has nothing to do with my core sporting interests.

2014 Allen & Ginter Anthony Bourdain Auto

I've wanted this card for a long time.  It has been saved in my eBay searches for several years. While plenty have shown up via best offer, auctions have few and far between.  Patience pays off.

I believe this is only the second time I've purchased one of these Ginter non athlete autos.

For some reason I really wanted this Dr. James Andrews card.  Maybe I'll just start Tweeting it to my friends when a pitcher on their favorite teams needs Tommy John surgery .

 I pulled this one out of a retail box....

I wouldn't have purchased this card myself, but it was definitely a unique pull.

I'm not sure where I was getting at with this post other than the fact I'm pumped to have the Bourdain auto.  Sometimes it is fun to change it up some.

Thanks for reading.

Old Grilled Cheese

Little bit later of a post today as I was watching the Pirates finally remember how to beat the Cardinals. It looks like the Pirates bats are waking up after a 2 week slumber.

2014 Allen & Ginter Jason Grilli mini 1/1

If I recall a fellow blogger (maybe Greg of Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle) tipped me off about this one. It was so long a go (sometime last year) I don't remember what I paid, but I'm guessing it was a good deal for me to pull the trigger. 

As a Pirate fan it is not a good practice to get to attached to bullpen arms. Neil Huntington has done a good job of cycling guys through over the years getting maximum value once their contract is approaching the end. Because of short tenures, the Pirate pen is not represented very well in terms of high end cardboard. Grilli and Joel Hanrahan are the only two to have multiple releases over the last handful of years.

A former first round bust, Grilli was close to being out of baseball before revitalizing his career with the Bucs. He proved to be a key component on the 2013 Buccos. While not one of my favorite Pirates I still try to add a card here and there when the opportunity presents itself. 

Thanks for reading!

The Surgeon

2014 Allen & Ginter Dr. James Andrews Auto

I don't stray too much from my core collections when purchasing cards, but every once in a while a card gets my attention. This years Allen & Ginter featured two such cards. When I saw the auto checklist I knew I wanted to get the James Andrews and the Anthony Bourdain. I've had the Andrews for several months as I was able to get one for a decent price. The Bourdain is going to take some time and most likely a lot of money.  After a ton of looking I still have yet to find a good deal.

I'm not sure what drew me to the Andrews so much, but it was a cool piece to add. Obviously anybody that follows the game probably has a good amount of respect for the doctor as he has given many players a second chance at their careers. 

Does anybody have the Bourdain for trade? I would be willing to hook somebody up big time for that one. 

On a side note, last night was very productive at Bob Walk the Plank headquarters. I spent a good part of the evening organizing which included around 15 bubble mailers being filled for some of my blogging friends. 

Thanks for reading!