Recent Arrivals from the internets

I'm always poking around eBay looking for stuff to work towards my seemingly infinite collections. Over the past week, I've pulled in three Ultra sets (2000, complete with SPs, 2006, with most of the insert sets included, and 2007), some packs I am saving for posting the week I'm out of town, and the baseball part of the 2001 American Pie set - which I didn't realize I didn't need (I need singles from 2002), but I can use for the cards for the awards/leaders collection. I decided to go with the Ultra sets because I've seen some quality photography on cards I've obtained lately, which I didn't remember from the '90s.

I also picked up some nice stuff:

It's amazing how many players for the Giants and A's didn't get their start there. I'm trying to put together small "team sets" of certified autos for the 2011 Giants and A's - basically the starting nine plus starting pitchers. Not so costly for the A's, but the Giants require Lincecum, Posey, and Belt. I think I'm going to do TTM for them and hope I get something back, because I'm not paying $150-200 for an unproven rookie. I've got some sense to me!

I also picked up a couple 2011 needs for the samplers - the Millwood is a refractor, I think. And the Van Every autograph means I have a sample of every 2011 Topps Opening Day set other than the plates.

My best pickup of the week is this Dennis Eckersley autograph. He goes in the '89 A's team autograph set. All that's left now is McGwire and Rickey Henderson. Four of the cards I have are IP/TTM signs, and five are certified.

Gregory, Thy Cards Are Awesome

Greg has been eyeing my blog, watching my pack and box busts and accumulating a short stack of cards. In return for what I sent him, he tossed my way an A&G relic from 2008 (going in my sampler collection), and a nice stack of cards for the awards/leaders collection.

Two Tommy Lasordas were in the stack, and I had to show them off here. 1981 Tommy looks so much thinner than 1988 Tommy (although that '88 is actually a 2001 Archives, and I don't remember if they used year-accurate photos or replaced them with something else). And there's a good selection of interesting cards - I couldn't show them all - including one of those Score Dream Team subset cards, a couple of the Upper Deck TC art cards, and that Jimmy Dean card of Yaz. Mark Portugal sure had a high leg kick. I didn't realize you had to be a gymnast to pitch for the Astros.

There was also an O-Dog card (I actually played baseball with him for a couple weeks before Spring Training a few years ago), and that shiny A-Rod goodness you see there.
Gregory's blog is Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle... if you didn't get the reference in the title. Thanks a ton, Greg, and let's do this again soon!

Topps-Notch Trade with John (herkojerko)

John contacted me with some Topps cards I need for my 2011 set, and off went some of my Phillies extras to him. I forgot to send him my address, but he followed up and soon my cards were on their way! There were several base cards, which put my needs down to two (which are now on their way!), and several 60 Years and CMG reprints, bringing me really close to finishing those two insert sets. He even tossed in a couple Mantles and a Heritage Chrome for my sampler! Thanks a ton, John, and hopefully we can do this again when I can find some more Phillies. I don't think John has a blog, but his want list is here.