Archive for June, 2009

For Trade: 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Clayton Kershaw Auto BGS 9

Posted in For Trade with tags , , , , , , , , on June 28, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

2006BowmanChromeCLAYTONkERSHAWThis Clayton Kershaw 2006 Bowman Chrome auto rookie here on the right is for trade, seeking offers of rookies something of similar quality. This card was pulled from a box last year and submitted to Beckett grading, which gave slabbed it a a Mint 9 (3×9; 1x 9.5) with a perfect signature. Serious offers only, please. Traders whom I have not dealt with before will ship their item first.

Worst Set Ever Created: 1998 Pacific Online?

Posted in Card of the Day with tags , , , , , , on June 27, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

1998PacificOnlineDennisEckersleyWhile working on my Red Sox Collection on Saturday night, I came across this 1998 Pacific Online Dennis Eckersley card. Is it me, or is this perhaps one of the worst sets ever created? This set featured 800 cards — 780 different players — each card featuring the Web site dedicated to that player. For Eckersley we’re talking about http://players.bigleaguers.com/Dennis_Eckersley.html. Don’t bother trying to visit that URL, I’ve already tried it … it no longer exists.

I guess in 1998, we as a nation were still learning about the World Wide Web. Hell, most of us were still using America On-Line, paying like $39.99 a month for slow-speed Internet and trading cards through the message boards there.

It should be noted that as I write this, I lugged out my Beckett Almanac to see if there are any parallels and there actually were … and this Eck card is one of them. There were versions with red foil, and then the “Web Cards,” which is what this card is. On the back of the card there is a serial number printed in the top right corner that could have been entered into some sort of search engine on Pacific’s Web site for a chance to win an “upgraded” version, according to Beckett. (Note: “web” cards have gold foil, where as regular cards have silver.) I wonder what those “Upgrade” cards looked like? There is no picture or listing for them in the Almanac.

Michael Jackson dies; I almost gave in to greed

Posted in Newspaperman, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on June 25, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

109_0801In November I found this box of unopened Michael Jackson trading cards at a thrift store, and today with Michael’s passing, I almost gave into greed.

If you do a search on eBay right now for Michael Jackson items, you’ll see why I almost gave in. And truthfully, I did give in … for three whole minutes. Yes, I posted my box of cards for sale. But I quickly yanked the thing off eBay. Why? Because I felt like a fuckin’ asshole. It’s just not right to profit immediately on someone’s death like this.

I probably lost a good chunk of money by stopping my auction, but at least I feel better about myself. I’m not saying it’s wrong to sell items depicting someone whose died, but it’s defintely in poor taste to do so when his body is still warm.

Where do you trade cards?

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , on June 24, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

Yes, this is a serious question. Over the last few weeks I’ve been working on getting my stuff organized in hopes of making some trades in the future. I’ve done some trading through this blog, and through Card Trading Fools, but it’s clear to me that I am not finding the majority of collectors. So I ask: Where do most of you trade cards?

The greatest Father’s Day gift ever

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , on June 23, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

daddypicWe celebrated Father’s Day just a few days ago, and this was my first as an actual father. Last year my wife got a jumper (outfit) for a child that looked like a baseball uniform. I think it was created for a boy, but it was close enough to being unisex (white with red pinstripes) so it mattered not that a few months later we found out we were having a girl.

Anyhow, a week before this Father’s Day, I went to the card shop and my wife stayed in the car with our daughter. When I came out, she went in. Why? She wouldn’t tell me.

I thought she went in to purchase a gift certificate for me, because you know all father’s in our hobby would appreciate such a gesture. But it turned out she was buying a display case for a custom baseball. The ball has a picture of my daughter and I on one side, and then my wife used a gold ink pad and placed my daughter’s hand print on the other. You can see the ball in the image above … uh, never mind that clutter behind the ball and my picture frame, that’s just my work desk. Ha.

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