PWE from The Angels, In Order

A few months ago, the fiance had me sign up for something with USPS that sends me a daily email with scans of (some) of the incoming mail.  It's usually only envelopes, so most card deliveries are surprises when I get home.  While that surprise is good, I learned that knowing something is coming is equally as exciting when you don't know the contents. 

This week I saw a PWE scan of an envelope that was traveling a short distance.  Tom of The Angels, In Order, only lives ten or so miles from me.  There was a lot of goodness in that envelope!

Most of the cards were of a man that I'm hoping will be announced as a new Hall of Famer just hours after I post this...

WOW!  Some of my favorite sets!  Well, kind of.  1987 was the first year I collected sports cards and I put together multiple Topps and Donruss sets.  Those two will always be among my favorite sets ever.  I don't care about overproduction and all that.  It's nostalgia and memories of an innocent time in life.  What's better is that I've never owned an O-Pee-Chee or Leaf copy that I recall.  WAHOO!

The 1988 Score set is another favorite of mine that was represented in the envelope.  My LCS has boxes of these, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet.  I never built the set as a kid, but I plan to remedy that.  I'm always fond of Kay-Bee cards.  I loved the box sets.  Many have mentioned the small of opening Topps wax packs because of the gum.  Kay-Bee cards also had their own discernible smell.  As a kid of the late 1980s and early 1990s, I can't help but love the Classic "Saved By The Bell" design.

Despite the horrible design and so many off centered cards, 1986 Topps will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was the first set I ever owned.  A hand-collated set of these was given to me by my uncle for Christmas in 1986.  Sadly the set was lost in a house fire.  I've hand-collated another set and even went the extra mile to find and purchase the same album that my original set was in. 

Dale Murphy never played for the Phillies.  You will never convince me of that. 

RUSS DAVIS!

I mentioned my fondness for 1987 Topps above.  Because of it, I'm also working to complete sets from recent years with the design.  I needed two of the three of these for my set.  Love the throwback Phillies uniform. 

Thanks so much for the cards, Tom.  You made me smile and take a trip down memory lane. 

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year (including $15 back on one Black Friday purchase last week).  FREE CARDS!  If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  Happy collecting!

Russ Davis cards from The Angels In Order

I definitely need to get back on the Russ Davis project.  I need to catalog what I have and create a want list of the ones I still need.

There are a couple of complications that frustrated me the last time that I worked on it.  For one, sometimes his first name is listed as "Russell" and other times as "Russ" in the Sports Card Forum inventory manager.  Also, on some of the early 1990s minor league sets, I can't tell if team sets and the sets that were released nationally are the same cards, based on looking at inventory on COMC and Sportlots.

I got frustrated and took a break.

This week I received an envelope from Tom of The Angels, In Order that contained some Davis cards!  WOOHOO!

I have to say, that Upper Deck set is one of my favorite designs ever.  It's too bad for Davis about those rosy cheeks in the picture!

Thank you, Tom.  Just so you know, I have another stack of cards to get out to you.  When I ship my next batch, they will be on the way.  I promise!

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $100 in about six months.  FREE CARDS!  If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  Happy collecting!

Set Needs from an Angel. Well, an Angels Blogger.

A week or so ago, Tom from The Angels, In Order commented on one of my posts that he could almost finish off my 1986 Topps set!  When I got home yesterday, there was a beautiful sight (I love PWEs) waiting on me.  I recognized the return address (more on that shortly) and knew what was inside.

Included were 11 of the remaining 13 cards that I needed for the set.  I'm down to the final two!  I only joined the blogging community (with this blog) less than four months ago, but this is the second blogger that has sent me cards for my set.  I have quickly grown to enjoy the interacting with others that truly enjoy the hobby and aren't all about the newest, shiniest card and thinking about themselves.  You guys (and ladies) are great!  I hope that in time y'all will feel the same about me.

I had never interacted with Tom before but I thought I knew who he was, at least among blogs.  I felt that I'd seen posts on Tim Wallach and that Tom lived just a few miles from me.  I was right and he lives just a city over.  I've said it before and will again, but it's funny how the interwebz can point out both how large and small the world is at the same time.

I have a couple of cards in mind to send back to you, Tom.  Now that I have your address, be on the lookout soon!

Happy collecting, everyone!