2011 Topps Trading Page Posted/Today's Purchases

Over the past day I've managed to relocate, sort and catalog my 2011 Topps inventory. There's a page dedicated to that set (pages are listed on the right side). I'm looking to make trades equal and easy - just propose something to me via email and if I think it's fair we've got a deal. I'll trade anything from the list of extras on that page for anything I need - 2011 Topps is preferred, but I'm also looking for team issue/local cards/true oddballs as well as a bunch of other stuff. Most of my wants are listed in the pages.

In the middle of compiling this list, I was on a hunt for Wal-Mart and Toys R Us exclusives. There was a big toy and comic book show in San Jose (I'll talk about that later), and after the show I hit the road.

There are no Wal-Marts near San Francisco. I have to cross the bay or head to San Jose. I don't need to go to Wal-Mart that often - in fact, since I moved here from Georgia in September I haven't been in one. There is a Wal-Mart just down the street from the fairgrounds, and after finding the small trading card section, picked up what I needed - a $10 hanging box and two packs. I opened the cards in the parking lot - I pulled nothing special. I did get the blue diamond card I was looking for (Chase Utley) as well as the blue Wal-Mart exclusive in the hanging box (Albert Pujols). The hanging box also comes with a diamond giveaway card.

A mile from the Wal-Mart is a Toys-R-Us. Unlike Wal-Mart and Target, every Toys-R-Us pack is in a blister package in addition to the normal pack, and every pack comes with the purple diamond card. The card is outside the pack, inside the blister package, and that can cause some cards to have corner damage. It also means that you could slide the pack around and sometimes you can see the card number (but not the name). I pulled a Tim Lincecum. The pack itself contained another diamond giveaway card. I really need to redeem those things in the next week so I can stock up on my '88 Roberto Alomars and '93 Benny Santiagos.

Between the hanging box and three packs, I ended up with 23 cards needed to finish the set, 2 60-Years cards needed, the three exclusive cards needed, and the two diamond giveaways. Among the extras, I pulled yet another Stan Musial Lost Card (another '56 Topps). I already have this set! And why am I not pulling any original backs from this set? Oh well.

So, with today's purchases, I'm done buying series 1 Topps packs. Unless I'm really really desperate and I see a Target hanging box. But I can't expect to pull anything else I need for my set, so it would be a waste of money.

What's next? Topps Heritage?