DBBD: 2001 Sunoco Dream Team #1 Willie Stargell / Bill Mazeroski

Two Hall of Famers for less than a dime?  Yes, please.

2001 Sunoco Dream Team #1 Willie Stargell / Bill Mazeroski

2001 Sunoco Dream Team #1 Willie Stargell / Bill Mazeroski (back)

Break of a Different Kind

About a year ago, I gave up on group breaks.  You lose more than you win and don't even get the joy of opening cards.  The final straw for me was paying $50 for the Blackhawks in a break where they had the most hits in the set.  I walked away with 0 cards.  For $50.

I have done a few vintage set breaks with Burl's Sports and will do more in the future.  No matter what, you still at least come away with a vintage card in every spot.

LINK: 1956 Topps Baseball Set Break from BurlsSports.com

While searching eBay for Stephen Johns items, I came across a seller (collect_edition_montreal  on eBay) that was doing breaks by player.  I'd heard of them before, but had never participated.  The one that intrigued me was a half-case break, the starting bid was just 99 cents and shipping was free.

I ended up winning the auction for Johns (for $2.01) and Stan Mikita (for 99 cents).  With the free shipping, my total was $3 and it was coming from Canada.  If I had walked away empty-handed, I wasn't going to be upset at that low of a price.  

A half case should yield 36 Young Guns.  There are 50 in series 2, so odds were around 65% that a Stephen Johns would come out.  One did.

2016-17 Upper Deck #481 Stephen Johns

It wasn't a UD Exclusives (/100) or a High Gloss (/10), but for $3, I am thrilled.

To be honest, I didn't even know what Stan Mikita card was in the set.  I figured it was a stick card of some sort and odds would be long.  It was worth a 99 cent shot.  It paid off.

2016-17 Upper Deck Canvas #C255 Stan Mikita

I was watching the live stream and did a double take on this one.  The breaker was in Canada and had a French accent, so I thought maybe my ears were playing tricks on me.  Nope.  The Retired players Canvas are 1:192 packs (1:8 boxes) and there are 15 players in the set, making the odds on this 1:120 boxes.

For me, that was $3 well spent.

TTM Success #38 - Just When I'd Given Up Hope

When I got home today, there was an envelope on the table that I knew was an autograph return.  It had the yellow address label on it, meaning it was forwarded.  We moved to our home in August, so I knew there were only a handful of possibilities of who it could be from.

Then, I saw the postmark.

It was back!  I knew that his turnaround time was historically slow, but I had pretty much given up hope of this card coming back to me.  I've been very strategic when requesting and mostly sent to gentlemen who have great track record of signing.  I knew this one was more of a chance.  This has to be one of my favorite returns yet.

1958 Topps #86 Y.A.Tittle

Y.A. Tittle is now 90 years old.  I would say that he has a nice signature for someone that age, but that would be incorrect.  He has a beautiful signature for someone of any age.  Thank you, Mr. Tittle.  I will cherish this autograph forever.

DBBD: 1998-99 Kenner Starting Lineup Cards #30 Brendan Shanahan

When I was younger, and during his playing career, I liked Brendan Shanahan.  Now, I think he's an asshat.  I wouldn't have paid more than a dime for this.

1998-99 Kenner Starting Lineup Cards #30 Brendan Shanahan

Another Day, Another PWE

Through another trade on Sports Card Forum, I'm now one card closer to completing the 2017 Topps 1987 Topps insert set.  I do love that many folks will agree to trade with PWE shipping.  Why would I pay three dollars to pick up one low-end card?  It just seems foolish.

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #874 Carlos Gonzalez

If you have any of the cards from this set that you're not feeling the need to keep, let me know!

DBBD: 1992 Rembrandt Ultra-Pro Promos #P20 Danny Tartabull/Bobby Bonilla

I had forgotten about these until I was going through a dime box a few weeks ago.  If I remember correctly, they came with supplies.  I believe I had one of someone back in the 1990s that I got when I bought I box of pages.  Can anyone confirm?

I knew that I had to have this when I read on the back of the card "Limited Edition of 150,000." IT'S LIMITED!!!

1992 Rembrandt Ultra-Pro Promos #P20 Danny Tartabull/Bobby Bonilla

1992 Rembrandt Ultra-Pro Promos #P20 Danny Tartabull/Bobby Bonilla (back) 

This will be going to the biggest Bobby Bonilla fan that I know, Jason, unless he tells me that he has it and/or doesn't want it.

The First WWE Topps Now Purchase

I'm not the biggest fan of the Topps Now program, but I do believe it has a place in the hobby.  I had forgotten that Topps has the program for WWE until I was looking for Bray Wyatt cards on eBay shortly after he won the WWE title.

The print runs are obviously much lower on these than their baseball counterparts.  All three picturing Wyatt are still available and I was able to get this one very cheaply.

2016 Topps Now WWE #42 Randy Orton / Bray Wyatt (WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs/Defeat Heath Slater and Rhyno for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

Yes, I'm a grown man.  Yes, I still enjoy pro wrestling.  No, I am not ashamed by it.  You'll be seeing wrestling card posts on here from time-to-time.

I can't say that I have favorite wrestlers like I did as a kid.  However, I love the Bray Wyatt gimmick and how he works the mic.  Thank heavens he is no longer "Husky Harris."

DBBD: 2015 Topps Chrome Refractors #53 Wil Myers

A refractor in a dime box?  I will buy every one!

2015 Topps Chrome Refractors #53 Wil Myers

The Obligatory Topps Now Post

Something I've noticed as I've dove into the sports card blogging community is that a lot of days, there will be many posts about the same thing.  There's nothing wrong with this, as there are big days in the hobby.  There was a lot of Series 1 posts the first handful of days after it was released.  I saw five or so posts this week with Presidential cards.

I've been one of the parties that has done this (see: Topps Series 1) and now I'm doing it again.  I got to work early Tuesday, but when I got to my desk, this was on my keyboard.

Mike Trout 2017 Topps Now NNO

Matt from BWTP posted about this on Wednesday, so there's no real reason for me to write a similar post.  I'm the same as him in that I've found the cheaper eBay alternative to picking these cards up when I actually want them.  I only made one purchase directly from Topps last year (Ichiro 3000th hit) and the only other card I desired (Jedd Gyorko) I picked up on eBay.

If I just want the one copy in the future, I may just go the eBay route.  However if I want multiple ones, I may buy from Topps.  Why?  This is the second "free" card that I've received from them.  I wouldn't mind more of them.  The card(s) may not fit into my normal collection, but I can always find room for them.

DBBD: 1996 Denny's Holograms #12 Gary Sheffield

It's a shame that many stars can't keep their temper and rage under control.  For my money, Gary Sheffield was one of the best players of his time.  You can disagree with me if you want, you're allowed to be wrong.

He will never be in the Hall of Fame.  Despite that, I had no problem picking up three copies of this from a dime box.

1996 Denny's Holograms #12 Gary Sheffield

A Work RAOK that Completes a Set

The "area" I work in for my company takes two levels of my company's building.  Due to the nature of our business, those two floors are probably 80-85% female.  I have no problem with this and actually enjoy it.  However, there's not much sports talk.  It's a drastic change from the near-decade I spent working in the Lids corporate office.

I do actually have one co-worker in my area that collects cards.  After a long weekend, I came back to work Monday to find this sitting on my keyboard.

2016-17 Upper Deck #78 Leon Draisaitl

It's not a "big" card or a Blackhawks card, but it was the last one that I needed to complete the 2016-17 Upper Deck Series 1 base set.  I still need about ten Young Guns, but I'm thrilled to have the base set completed.  He had picked up a few packs here and there and this was one that he had.  He will probably read this at some point, so thank you, Steven!

DBBD: 1971 Topps #91 Bob Lemon

I believe this card took a bath at some point.  It's warped, but other than that it's not horrible.  Not bad for a dime in my eyes.

1971 Topps #91 Bob Lemon

Three Card Trade

I want to put together the 2017 Topps 1987 Insert set.  I posted on SCF that I was looking.  So far I've only made one trade, but I picked up three cards toward my set.  I traded off an Alex Bregman base and received the three cards below in return.

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #87-16 Miguel Sano

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #87-29 Rickey Henderson

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #87-76 David Ortiz

I'm looking to trade off the 2017 Topps that I have (or other cards in my SCF inventory) to complete this set.  If you have any you aren't attached to, let me know.

DBBD: 1988 Score Box Cards #3 Willie Randolph

When I plucked this from the dime box, I had no idea what it was.  Obviously it was hand cut, but it also had a back.  I found that part odd.  Based on the title in the Sports Card Forum inventory manager, it is from a box.  Was it from the regular "wax" pack boxes?  Anyone out there want to leave a comment below if they know?

1988 Score Box Cards #3 Willie Randolph

1988 Score Box Cards #3 Willie Randolph (back)

PWE + Sportlots = Happy Me

I love Sportlots for the reasonable shipping that a lot of sellers offer.  On a low end purchase, I'm willing to chance a PWE.  I did that on this one and shipping was just $1.  The card I wanted most in this transaction was the Stephen Johns, but I added the others since I'm going to work on the Parkhurst Red parallel set.

Yay for cheap shipping!!!

DBBD: 2015 Topps Chrome Update #US161 Jeff Samardzija

I picked this out of the dime box thinking that it was a parallel of some sort.  Oops!  Ah well, it'll find a good home some day!

2015 Topps Chrome Update #US161 Jeff Samardzija

Upper Deck, Parkies and Reds, Oh My!

In effort to complete two sets (2016-17 Parkhurst and Upper Deck Series 1), I posted a thread on Sports Card Forum in attempt to make some trades.

Once we had exchanged info on what we each had and needed, it turned out that Billy needed a few more than I did and he mentioned that he had some Young Guns if we needed it to even out.  I asked if he had any of the 2016-17 Parkhurst Red parallels since I'm acquiring cards for a set.  So I took those on, along with a Tyler Motte Young Guns and we both came out a lot closer to our sets!

Now that either SCF has added the "Set Building" areas in each sport, I feel that it's much easier to work on trades for sets.  Or, if I have a lot of cards from a set that I don't want to complete, I can look to find someone that needs them on there.  Well done, SCF!

DBBD: 1988 Classic Blue #234 Rickey Henderson

A few days ago, I saw a post on "The Shablotnik Report" about the Classic sets of the late 1980s and early 1990s.  I knew that I'd picked some up these up from dime boxes so I knew the timing was good to show one of them off as the "Dime Box Buy of the Day."

The Shablotnik Report - A Classic Case of Confusion

1988 Classic Blue #234 Rickey Henderson

Dollar Box Diving - Hockey Style

I wrote about pickups from the card show a few days ago, but I only went through some of the pickups for my collection.  I also bought a lot of dollar and dime cards.  The dime cards were the genesis of my new "Dime Box Buy of the Day" series.

The second table I visited that day was the lone gentleman that sells only hockey.  I hadn't been to the show in months and his dollar box was a new thing.  The cards all had higher prices marked on them and I think it's possible he's just recently thrown it together.  Someone else had already pulled 50 or so cards from it (DAMN!) but I still found some to pick up.

Most are for trade bait and will be in my Sports Card Forum inventory, but some were picked up for me.  Also, a couple were picked up for particular collectors.  I thought some would be interested in what I pulled from the dollar box.

2013-14 Black Diamond Ruby #194 Austin Watson

2013-14 Black Diamond Ruby #192 Scott Laughton

2014-15 Ultimate Collection 2004-05 Retro #46 Andre Burakovsky

2015-16 Ice 2005-06 Retro Ice Premieres #R21 Colton Parayko

2014-15 Upper Deck Ice #142 Vladislav Namestnikov

2013-14 Fleer Showcase Ultra #44 Mikael Granlund

2013-14 Panini Prizm #246 Tyler Toffoli

2009-10 Upper Deck Biography of a Season #BOS15 Carey Price

2013-14 Upper Deck #201 Carl Soderberg

2008-09 Upper Deck MVP Winter Classic #WC19 Jonathan Toews

2013-14 Black Diamond #236 Zemgus Girgensons

2011-12 SPx Finite Rookies #F10 Joe Colborne

2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro #508 Taylor Hall

2014-15 Overtime Lords of the Rink #LR26 Carey Price

2013-14 Panini Prizm #250 Mikael Granlund

2009-10 Black Diamond Ruby #27 Mikkel Boedker

2015-16 Upper Deck #244 Mattias Janmark

2013-14 Panini Prizm #250 Mikael Granlund

2015-16 Upper Deck #244 Mattias Janmark

2014-15 Upper Deck #236 Anthony Duclair

2009-10 Upper Deck Ice Fresh Threads #FTJB Jamie Benn

2013-14 Panini Prizm Cracked Ice Toronto Spring Expo #316 Tyler Seguin

2010-11 Upper Deck Exclusives #196 Bobby Ryan

2014-15 O-Pee-Chee Platinum #189 John Klingberg

2014-15 Upper Deck Ice #134 Marko Dano

2010-11 Upper Deck #223 Brayden Schenn YG

2014-15 Ultra Gold Medallion #28 Teuvo Teravainen

2013-14 Panini Prizm #251 Alex Galchenyuk

2013-14 Panini Prizm #287 Tyler Johnson

2013-14 Black Diamond #238 Jonathan Huberdeau

2015-16 Upper Deck Canvas #C116 Andrew Copp

2015-16 Upper Deck Canvas #C106 Matt Puempel 

2014-15 Upper Deck Ice #141 Alexander Khokhlachev

2014-15 Upper Deck #462 Phillip Danault

2013-14 Upper Deck Exclusives #15 Brian Gionta

2014-15 Upper Deck Canvas #C109 Griffin Reinhart

2013-14 Upper Deck #474 Mikael Granlund

2013-14 Upper Deck #216 Zemgus Girgensons

2009-10 Upper Deck Victory #308 Jamie Benn

2013-14 Upper Deck #226 Ryan Murray

2009-10 Upper Deck Victory #308 Jamie Benn

2008-09 Upper Deck #207 Derick Brassard 

2013-14 O-Pee-Chee Rainbow Foil #531 Dougie Hamilton

2014-15 Team Canada Exclusives #137 Lawson Crouse

2002-03 BAP Signature Series Autographs #62 Eric Daze

2011-12 Upper Deck Exclusives #4 Evander Kane

2013-14 Upper Deck #240 Justin Schultz

2011-12 Upper Deck Exclusives #1 Dustin Byfuglien

2011-12 Upper Deck Exclusives #20 Dion Phaneuf

2014-15 Upper Deck Ice #92 Trevor van Riemsdyk

2014-15 Upper Deck Ice #121 Jori Lehtera

2011-12 Upper Deck Exclusives #454 Brayden McNabb

2015 Leaf Spring Expo Redemption 1990 Leaf Tribute #EXPO-MM1 Mitch Marner