My view from the Upper Deck...

Hey folks!
Sorry I've been away for a while (seems to happen a lot, huh?), my collecting strategy has changed a bit.
I wish I could do more pack busting, but it's way more rewarding for me to purchase singles for the time being.

With that said, here are two of my more recent eBay purchases:

2006 Ovation

I was really glad to see this pop up on eBay. 

The 3D texture is awesome, it's out of 99, and I'm always a fan of cards with BP jerseys.

I've posted before about how I hated to see Skip get traded. 

Don't get me wrong, he'd have gotten ZERO playing time this year, 

I just hated to see an 11-year member of the organization go. 

 

 

2007 Black

First off, let's have a moment to look at that patch on the bottom right. 

Heck, both of those bottom patches are sweet. 

That's how 2007 UD Black was.

There are only two Cardinals in that set, not I just need the Scott Rolen...

As a Cardinals fan, I feel there is a hierarchy of "patches". 

At the top is any part of the birds, followed by any part of the bat, then any "commemorative" patch, and finally any part of a number or name.

Chris was part of the 2006 WS team and played for a few more clubs before returning to St. Louis as a popular radio personality.

I know Upper Deck doesn't have a MLB license anymore, but cards like these make wish they did. 

With cards like this, I do not care that the autos are on stickers. Would you?

With cards like this, I am proud to have them in my collection. Wouldn't you be?

With cards like this, who cares that these guys do not play for the team anymore?

I know these are a very small sample of the products UD produced, but I've been feeling kinda "blah" with what Topps is offering (and often) these days. 

No, this isn't a Topps rant, I just haven't been overly impressed with the offerings this year. 

Well, except for Tribute: WBC. 

I guess I'm just weird that way. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested,

-Ruffin

 

Mail from 2x3 Heroes...

A few months back, Jeff over at 2 by 3 Heroes published a post that requested addresses from his followers so that he could send PWEs containing cards of that person's favorite team(s).
It was a few weeks after responding to that post that I received some mail from Jeff, and then I forgot to post about it… (Sorry Jeff!)

However, upon checking the mail the other day, I discovered another one!
Here is what I got this time:

 Washington spent almost 10 years with various MiLB teams before spending about a month at the pro level. Since then he has played in Japan and non-professional leagues. 

He'll go into my non-Topps rookies section. 

I'm still trying to decide how many pages in my player binder to dedicate to Pujols. I feel this one makes the cut, however. 

As far as Ludwick goes... 

Not really sure what to do with him. 

Maybe a "Best of the Number" section...

 Ozzie, Yadi, and Ray will all make it to their respective pages/sections. 

Great looking cards of Cards. 

Cards that are on cards. 

Cards of Cards. 

Cards.

Inception. 

Again, a big thanks to Jeff for the care package!

Glad to see see y'all have been doing well, my A&G post will be short and sweet when it happens. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

Blogger Trade: NAPKIN DOON!

A few months ago, I saw the blogger known as Napkin Doon issuing out a call for some base cards from 2011 Gypsy Queen. I had given up on completing that particular base set (mere moments beforehand) and immediately informed him that I had the cards he needed.
I got the cards together, took them to work with me so I could mail them on my way home, and then promptly misplaced the package. I still have no clue where in the Prime 9 of collecting hell that those cards disappeared to. So after digging through some boxes, I found duplicates and sent them off to a home where they would be loved, appreciated, and scanned for posterity.

Doon then sent me a prize package, the contents therein I share with you now:

First up, some retail parallels from 2013 S1!

I have to say, the Target reds look really sharp...

But Wal-Mart blue with the red "diamond" makes me think of those powder blue uniforms...

And really Topps? Fuentes?!?! C'mon now...

 Next, we have some international parallels from 2013 Bowman!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE these cards?

I don't think I have...

But I do!

AND I DON"T KNOW WHY!!!!!

And finally, as Sir Doon is often known to do, there was a wax pack waiting to be cracked...

1990 Donruss!

Let's do this!

 I've got show my "cardboard casualty", which isn't as bad as some I've come across...

*I wonder if anyone is crazy enough to build an entire set of cards that are from the back of the pack?

I sure as heck am not going to descend into madness that way, no sir!

 Finally the cards of note out of the pack!

Okay so half those are noteworthy, the two are a Cardinal the brother of guy that was ridiculous on the mound. 

*Also, does anyone collect player cards of coaches for their team? 

You know, pitching coach, hitting coach, manager, etc.

I'm just wondering, cause I've considered it from time to time...

Again, a big THANK YOU to Mr. Doon for sending me this trade package!

Thanks for stopping by folks!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

I love it when interests come together!

Here's an item that showcases two of my interests, one of which you are already familiar with:

 Batman Adventures #18

Mike Mignola Variant Cover!

*Mignola Trivia: Mike came up with the Mr. Freeze character design that was used in Batman: The Animated Series.

Not only is this a really cool picture, the interior of the comic is in German!

I really like foreign variants of comic books and cards, it's always neat to see what words or phrases you know look like in a language other than your native one. 

Also, this is not my first foreign comic book, I picked up this a few years ago and hope to have it signed by Mr. Mignola at some point: 

Hellboy: Almost Colossus (Part 1 of 2)

This one is in Polish!

Now, to fulfill a promise a made a few many months ago, here is the photobucket of my Mike Mignola Collection! I've still got plenty of books to get, and a little work to do on the album; so keep coming back to check it out! (Now if only the really nice people over at Sports Card Album would add a comic book section...)

*Seriously, if you haven't made a visit to SCA, then I strongly suggest you do so. They're making stuff happen over there!

Thanks for stopping by folks!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-RUffin

A fantastic mail day!

Sorry to be gone so long folks, it's been a busy few weeks!

That being said, today's mail day was quite good.

First up, there's a birthday gift from my friend Andy over at The Wax Fantastic:

 A sweet, shiny Wainwright relic?

With a stitch on the left side?

WHOOP!

Now to showcase two eBay purchases...

This was one BIN, for less than half of what most are asking for the Miller by itself. 

Now, this next item was something I had been eying for a few weeks; and given recent developments, I had to go ahead and pick it up:

A 2013 MSU team set!

 These are the four Bulldogs that got drafted this year:

Renfroe- Padres (1st)

Frazier- Pirates (6th)

Graveman- Blue Jays (8th)

Girodo- Blue Jays (9th)

This guy will be a senior next year, and I'm looking forward to see what he does:

6'5", 272 lbs. 

Rea was a highly recruited OL out of high school, 

he decided to play baseball instead. 

This fella has made some amazing defensive plays in the CWS. 

Seriously, his footwork is off the chain. 

I have to say, it was great to see three packages in the mail chock-full of keepers.

I hope all of you have been well, I've been enjoying keeping up with the posts. 

Staying unabashed and interested, 

Ruffin

 

Hobby in a half-shell...

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who has brought me 1000+ page views!
I'm grateful for y'all taking the time to stop by.

Now, on to my first completed twitter trade!

My twitter account had lain dormant for years, until I got back into it mainly to keep up with sports stuff.
Very soon thereafter, I started following hobby related accounts.
I'm not sure who followed who (first) but I met a fellow Cardinals fan from across the pond; Andy, author of The Wax Fantastic.(He's also an Orioles fan, but I'm alright with that)
Andy does a great job of keeping up with product reviews, and if you're not following his blog...
Well, I highly recommend it.

I sent some Cardinals his way (you can read the story here), he reciprocated with some cards of another variety:

 

I know you can't tell it from the scans, but all these cards are foil!

This 100-card set has foil parallels, and thanks to Andy; I'm only 9 cards away from completing that set!

(If you have some of these, and want to know which ones I need; check the "Wants" page in the top bar.)

When I was in college I got 100 booster packs for $25, and I've been working on trying to piece the set together ever since. 

Via some forums, I made trades with other collectors in Spain and New Zealand! 

Now I've added the UK to that list, my international stardom is growing! (Thanks Andy!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

PS- For a record of hits I already have, there is a link on the right-hand side of the blog!

Turtle Power!

Hey. You. Wanna win stuff? I think you do...

So, I'm sure most of you have heard about these Fairfield Caches that can be found around the retail world.

Well, our friend Fuji is offering you a chance to win one that is geared to the team(s) you collect!

How great is that?

I tell ya, it's SUPER great!

All you have to do is head over to his BLOG (that's a link), and follow the instructions to enter!

Have I mentioned that I really like that he's doing monthly contests this time around?
Because I am.

Thanks for stopping by!
Staying unabashed and interested,
-Ruffin

Another trade completed...

Here's another trade recap, this time from Madding over at Cards on Cards!

I sent some 2013 emerald parallels of our favorite team his way, and in appreciation he sent the cards in the picture above.
There were three different packs in the mailer, and a whole flock of Cardinals cards to add to the PC.
Here are some of my favorites...

 I like the "picture-in-picture-in-picture" of Perez. How'd they do it?

I'm always a fan of the dark-blue BP jerseys. I miss them. 

Is that a pitcher at bat? He's bunting? Sounds like a new section in the binder to me!

The "Runnin' Redbirds" card has been featured on Madding's blog. I've wanted it ever since I first saw it, and now I have a copy! HAHAHA!

Oh, and I really like the Busch Stadium card, I wish they'd do those more often. 

(Though with Topps' tendency to re-use pictures, we know how that'd turn out.)

 Another pitcher laying down the bunt?! Oh, the PC lords doth smile on this day!

Psychedelic McGwires will always be welcome in my collection!

This is my first (full-sized) LaRussa card. Looks like the start of a "manger" section of the binder!

The scratch-off reminds me of similar cards I'd find in my elementary school lunches.

Can't complain about die-cuts! Still, it makes me sad we won't see Crown Royale baseball for a while.

Pagnozzi was the catcher I remember most from my younger days, and this card is pretty neat. I gives some Busch II facts, and even recommends the best seat in the house!

A nice team picture to rounds out this presentation, I prefer the modern "action" team shots.

Especially since I think they could've cropped in on this one a little more...

This was a much-appreciated haul, and it'll keep me busy sorting for quite a while!

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

Bring on (my) weekend!

I've mentioned my work rotation before (6 on, 2 off), and as it falls today is my Friday.
Thursdays is our dreaded meeting day, and today the meeting was about 10 minutes away from my LCS!
Naturally, I had to stop by...

I picked up a pack of Prizm, and managed to get a few cards for the PCs:

 

I'm not really sure if that's a Rangers picture of Clark, looks like MSU to me.

*Also, the catchers look a little better in this set due to less Photoshop use.  

I was informed that there was still an auto remaining in the box I pulled from, but I decided not to take the plunge.

I also picked up some numbered cards out of the shop's eBay store:

These are numbered out of 35, 25, and 25 respectively. 

I think these cards are neat, and I really like the Musial picture. 

I don't have it on any other cards in my collection.

I find that refreshing. 

Finally, we have a card I've had my eye on for a while. 

This one is a manu-patch from 2012 UD Football:

 

MSU really doesn't get a lot of love in football products, which is understandable...

When I found out about this card, I had to get it!

UD did a great job with these, adding dimension to the patch really makes it pop.

Overall, a good LCS visit. 

And the dreaded meeting wasn't that long. 

Well, for me anyway...

I hope y'all have a smooth Friday and an enjoyable weekend!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

Updates

Hey folks!
Been a while hasn't it?
Sorry for being a little quiet on this front, but there hasn't really been a whole heck of a lot going on.

Well, collecting wise.

My off days were rearranged so I could be off work for my son's first birthday.
I usually use my off days for blog scans/outlines; so I've been a quiet watcher in the wings, driving up your view counts...

I do want to show off my....

HOLY CRAP! (Sorry, just saw a commercial for a Rocky Road Klondike Bar...)
Yes, that's the highlight of watching Burnett working on a shutout against the Cardinals. 

Sorry, my pickup from The Dimwit's case break:

Man, is that a lazy auto or what?

*Jay is the only Cardinal to have an auto in each GQ release

I seriously can't complain though. ELEVEN teams went hitless in our case. 

Topps seriously jacked up the collation in 2012 Gypsy Queen. 

Seriously, THREE bat barrels in a single case?

That's just sad. 

Not to mention duplicates in mini-boxes. 

Also, there were some things that disappointed me about this year's GQ. 

When I started really getting into collecting, GQ was the first set I sunk my teeth into; so it had a special place in my heart. 

Given market trends, next year will probably be a "low order" set that will turn into "high demand". (Similar to the 2011 release.)

That being said, I'm still working on completing a full master team set for the Cardinals.

Aside from the Freese (SSSSSSSSSSP) I've got the base set rounded out, and I'm now working on base minis. 

If you have any extras laying around, I'm looking for: 34,82,103,105,264,289,279,307,322,343

That updates my 2013 collecting goals to:

Complete 2013 Topps emerald team set

Complete 2013 Gypsy Queen base and mini team set

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested,

-Ruffin

*Oh thank goodness, Beltran just broke up the no-hitter!

Really? Where have these been?!

Well, Topps.
I want an answer.

WHAT THE HECK?
How long has Topps had these stickers?
Where are the Triple Threads?
Or the dual/triple autos in Gypsy Queen?
This is his first certified auto in SEVEN years!
And you make it a wrapper redemption?
When he's not in the base set?
This is ridiculous.

Granted, my Carpenter auto looks nicer on the whole, but I'm very disappointed in Topps for doing this.
A player of Carpenter's caliber deserves better treatment than this.

Carrying on with my unabashed interest,
-Ruffin

2013 GQ Blaster in "three" pictures...

Well, the Wal-Mart that is less than half a mile away from my apartment finally got some Gypsy Queen in.
Fortunately, I had just enough cash to pick up a blaster!

I had originally planned on posting this last night, but my Dad and I went to our first MSU baseball game in almost 17 years last night.
The Bulldogs came to town for a contest against the South Alabama Jaguars (former stomping grounds of David Freese, Adam Lind, and Louis Gonzalez among others), at their stadium (Eddie) Stanky Field. 

The Jags scored first, but thanks to a few errors, and a BALK, of all things, the Bulldogs soon had a 4-1 lead. 
State made a few errors of their own, and the game was tied 4-4 in the 7th.
The Bulldogs manged to score two more runs on a single by their first baseman, Wes Rhea. A save was recorded from sophmore Johnathan Holder (great last name for a closer, eh?) and the Bulldogs improved to 24-8 on the season.

Also brought my recent vintage acquisitions to show my dad, it's always nice to talk Cardinals baseball with him since he listened to a lot of games on the radio growing up.
A lot of vintage players that I can only read about he talks about like they just hit the field last night.
It's fun, and gives me even more motivation to track down some more vintage stuff!

Oh, this is a post about a GQ blaster, isn't it?
Sorry for the rambling, haha!
Without further ado...

Here are the minis:

A decent assortment of players, in my opinion...

Here are the inserts and SPs:

 

 Whoop! Cardinals SP!

Dealing Aces/No-Hitters really do have a nice template to their design. 

I'm not entirely sold on the yello card backs, though...

*The Ruiz "Collisions at the Plate" will be a nice addition to my 

"Cardinals Cameo" collection!

And finally, I got a hit!

 

Can't really complain on getting a 1:64 retail hit in 8 packs!

Overall, not a bad blaster. 

I have a few bucks left over from the game last night, so I may pick up a value pack or two today. 

Here is the base card breakdown:

Yankees, Diamondbacks-4

Cardinals, Braves, Twins, Rockies, Nationals, Mariners, Phillies-2

Athletics, BoSox, ChiSox, Reds, Dodgers, Padres, Rays-1

Well, that's all from me for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

Went for one card, left with sixty-three...

My LCS, has an eBay store.
I have a saved search for when they list any Cardinals stuff.
Sometimes, they don't put "Cardinals" in the item title.
That's why I have a saved search for the store in general.
So that I don't miss out on stuff like this:

2006 UD

*My first (and probably only) Yadier Molina auto!

I honestly can't say how happy I am to own this card. Yadi doesn't have a lot of certified autos, and I'm a big fan of the mask design. I'd still like to get one of his 2004 autos, or the 2006 Artifacts. That may have to wait a while though, seeing as his autos are climbing in value.

Seeing as I had a few hours to spare, I decided to dig through some of the boxes they had lying around. I was hoping to maybe find some vintage stuff since that part of my collection has been sparse. 

I can't say I was disappointed, first up was an entire 1979 Topps team set:

 

 

Oh, and a 1951 Red Munger thrown in for good measure. 

*And what is going on with Brock's helmet? You think someone would've said something...

Now, you might be thinking: "That's not 63 cards..."

Right you are! 

Here's some more of my vintage acquisitions:

 I really like that central column of Brock, Gibson, Torre...

Was really happy to come across the Cepeda and Carlton as well.

 Yeah, McCarver is releasing his death-grip on the mic at the end of this year...

He was still a Cardinal though, that's why he's here. 

*Oh, does anyone know what year that Del Rice is from?

Here are some nice multi-player cards. 
My favorites are the Brock/Flood, '68 NL Pitching Leaders, and '60 NL HR Leaders.
Can you blame me?

It's still not adding up, you say?

Well, I did pick up some numbered cards for the Cardinals PC...

Hornsby looks like a beast in that photo, he's ready to do some damage!

I'm also a big fan of the Edmonds in the center of the bottom row. 

I really like when there's a "game" element to baseball cards. 

And finally I picked up two numbered Palmeiros for my MSU PC...

*Palmeiro's legacy may not be the best, but he was a Bulldog. So he's in the binder.

Well, that's all 63 cards, hope you enjoyed them! (I know I did!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Opening Day, and I hope you made it through April Fool's Day unscathed!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

More Mignola Madness!

This post encompasses 7 days of events, but due to work, I'm just now getting around to this post.

On Monday, I wrapped up the day at work and made the roughly 3 hour drive to Baton Rogue, LA. A few months back, one of my best college friends, Val, offered to buy the tickets to the Shinedown/Three Days Grace/P.O.D. concert that was scheduled there. I said "Hell, yes." (after clearing it with the wife), and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Great concert, full of energy, just plain awesome.

My departure the next day was a little delayed (it was a rock concert, afterall), but I eventually made it to my college town of Hattiesburg, MS. where I met up with my buddy Drew. Drew works at one of a chain of stores that sell sports cards and memorabilia. We swung by his place of work where I was very tempted by some 2012 Gypsy Queen, but I was strong-willed e3nough to not sell the rest of my spare Magic cards to buy a box. (That and I have a spot in the Dimwit's break, hehe...).

One of my main hopes while I was in town was to swing by the antique malls and see if they had any vintage or anything else I'd be interested in. I had no such luck, and I was beginning to think about those boxes of Gypsy Queen again...
Then, I went by my pal Justin's comic book store. After spending a few minutes catching up on life, and the store's rearrangement (it's been almost 2.5 years since I've been), it was time to dig through some boxes.
Here are my finds, and additions to my Mignola collection:

*I realize my other post indicated I had all 4 of this set. I only have two. My bad y'all!

 *I love Hellboy cross-overs. This one feature some talking, paranormal-investigating animals. 

Oh, and a necromancer. Can't go wrong with that!

*Mignola often collaborates with Corben, and the results never disappoint. 

This issue features tales of a possessed, man-eating house, and what happens when you try to summon the aid of Horus in a temple of Sobek. Yay, mythology!

On a side note, I probably won't be posting much over the next few weeks. Aside from a spot in the Dimwit's case break, I don't see myself making any note worthy purchases for a bit. I'll be spending the time commenting on what the rest of you have to say and preparing some future posts. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin

Milestone: First Fuji Trade!

I recently accomplished (what I consider to be) a milestone in the blogging world, a trade with Fuji from The Chronicles of Fuji! Hopefully he'll have what I sent by Monday!

 First up, an addition to my MSU collection, Jon Knott:

*I love these cards! I don't know why, but they just seem really cool to me. I'd like to see these types of cards make a comeback in MLB products. Yet another UD licensing woe...

(Sorry for the tape, wanted to make this post before it got too late.)

Knott was originally drafted by the Padres, signed a few years later with the Orioles (where he got most of his playing time on the pro level), then spent the last few years of his career with the Twins, Phillies, and Brewers organizations. 

 ** I think that is a really nice auto, I may have to start imitating that "J" when I sign stuff...

Next up was an Albert Pujols from 2011 Topps Attax:

I don't really know how to play Attax, but I pick up the Cardinals singles whenever I come across them. There doesn't seem to be much strategy involved with the game, unlike my next part of the trade:

MLB SHOWDOOOOOOOOOWN!

This is a game I've really been interested in since it came out, and that was in 2000! There's actually some strategy involved in team building, there are stats that come into play, and even "salary caps". I'm planning on doing a post series on the various card games I've experienced, and this one will be my first topic. 

Now, we come to the card that I was really hoping would be in the envelope:

***Does the red ink make it a "Real One" auto #'d/64? I'll never tell!

The first time I saw a Fuji auto, was one in the possession of The Dimwit. It was my first trade with him, and I was curious about it. He said it was from a trade that he made with another blogger, and it wasn't too terribly long after that when I decided to start my own blog.
This will hold a place of honor in my collection, thanks Fuji!

That's all for me tonight folks, got to get some rest for what looks like a busy weekend at work...

Thanks for stopping by!
Staying unabashed and interested,
Ruffin

I'm gonna check the mail, hope I got me some cool stuff...

(Title makes a little more sense sung to the tune of "Thrift Shop". A little though, not a lot. [Language Warning, BTW] )

Today was my second day back from vacation and the transition was smoothed by the what came in the mail!

First, I have an item from a "Claim It!" post courtesy of jaybarkerfan:

Yes, it's crooked. It happens. You know it happens. Why are you still critiquing me about it?

Sheaffer was a Cardinal that, honestly, I was in no way familiar with. Even the back of the card refers to him as "backup", though it mentions he was a potent hitter with runners in scoring position.
He finished out his playing career in AAA-Memphis in 1997, then he was called to coach in 2003. He would coach in the minors for the Cardinals and the Astros. Currently, he manages the Rookie-Level team for the Rays.

Now, for the real reason the scans are crooked...
I've been using the app CamScanner for an easier way to get pictures for the blog, and then emailing them to myself, etc. I wanted to use the scanner for my latest eBay purchase, and what looks like my big single card purchase for the year:

2006 UD Exquisite

When I noticed this card had been listed, I was worried it would become another Missed Connection, but fortunately, this was not to be. 

(For the longest time, I had been considering THIS Carpenter #'d/30)

I don't have any complaints about the one I own.Carpenter (Cardinal) autos are not easy to come by, and I wanted one that would look nice in my collection. 

I think I did alright...

*I don't think a mini-bio for Chris Carpenter is necessary. That's why there isn't one.
**On a side note, I'm sad that Carpenter and Molina are exclusively with Upper Deck, especially since UD probably won't ever have an MLB license ever again. Not to mention Molina autos are getting a little pricey and there's not a lot of options out there.

So here is my question:

Is there a player/team that you collect who has a tough auto to track down?

If so, tell me about it. It'd be nice to know I'm not alone, ha!

Thanks for stopping by!

Staying unabashed and interested, 

-Ruffin