Short Print Saturday: 2018 Topps Jake Lamb

2018 Topps Series I features quite a few Short Print (SP) variation cards. Nothing like 2017 Topps Update, but still a bunch. One such is this Jake Lamb card featuring the 3rd baseman in the batting cage.

I picked this card up at a card show in February. It was marked at $2 and I picked it up and about a dozen 10/$1 cards from a dealer at the show. I told him what I had and he said, "Just give me two bucks."

I don't normally go after the variation short prints, but if I find them for a good deal, I'll pick them up.

How about you? What do you think about the variation short prints?

I'd like to buy a vowel please.

I'm a member of several different baseball card Facebook groups and a month or so ago somebody posted this 2012 Topps Justin Upton Letter Patch card for sale. We were able to work out a deal.

Justin Upton was with the Diamondbacks from 2007 - 2012 and I collected him heavily during that time. After leaving the Diamondbacks, J-Up spent time with the Braves, Padres, Tigers, and is now with the Angels. He puts up decent numbers, but with his transient nature, I just don't think he has the collecting power that he once had.

I think this is probably the first Justin Upton card I've bought since he left the D-Backs. I don't foresee me buying anymore Upton cards anytime soon, in fact I'm looking to unload some autos, relic, and numbered cards if anyone has any interest.

Twitter Trade

Have you ever had someone ask you if you're interested in a card and in your mind you're like "Sweet! That's awesome! I would do anything to have that card." but you try to play it cool and are like, "Yeah, I'll see if I can find something to trade."?

Marcus, of the blog All the way to the backstop, reached out to me on Twitter and asked if I'd be interested in this card. Marcus isn't as active on his blog as he has been in the past, but he's active on Twitter.

Marcus pulled it from 2018 Heritage and luckily I was able to find something that he wanted in return.

Marcus sent some other great D-Backs cards as well including three 2018 Heritage base cards one of which is this JD Martinez card that completes the base set that I got from Julie in the mail the same day.

Here are a couple of Inception cards including a numbered Yasmany Tomas and a green parallel of A.J. Pollock.

Speaking of A.J. Pollock. 

In addition to the 2018 Topps Pollock, Marcus also included a couple others D-Backs cards. Thanks Marcus!

Cards from A Cracked Bat

A week ago Monday I pulled up to my mailbox after a long day at work and pulled out a care package, a trade, an ebay purchase, and a ttm. It was a good day at the box. I showed off the ebay purchase and the ttm already because they were just single cards, but now let's take a look at the care package that Julie from A Cracked Bat sent. Tomorrow I'll share the trade with Marcus from All the way to the backstop.

Julie and I have traded several times in the past and now just send cards to each other from time to time, like many of us bloggers do. Julie sent out a bunch of packages recently and I was the recipient a bunch of awesome D-Backs including these 2018 Heritage cards.

A near complete base team set that features all the base cards, except for JD Martinez (which I got in the package from Marcus the same day) and the two Leaders cards that feature D-Backs pitchers Greinke and Ray as well as a Paul Goldschmidt All-Star card. 

So not only did I get a team set, but I added two new Goldschmidt cards to my collection. Thank you Julie!

Here's a nice trio of Justin Upton cards. 

Here are a couple of sweet purple parallels from Toys R Us. With Toys R us going out of business, these will be a thing of the past. I wouldn't consider myself "a Toys R Us kid" although I grew up in the 80's. I loved GI Joe as a young kid and had a bunch of toys, but by the time I was 8 all I wanted was baseball cards, so spent more time at card shops than I did Toys R Us.

These Arizona Fall League cards are pretty cool. I wish I could go to more games, but most of the games are during the day, so it makes it tough.

Last, but not least is this slabbed 2001 Fleer Authority Junior Spivey RC numbered to 2001.

Spivey played in 72 games for the 2001 Diamondbacks, but was not on their postseason roster that year when they won the Word Series. As the previous World Series winning manager Bob Brenly picked Spivey for the 2002 NL All-Star team, along with 5 other Diamondbacks (Schilling, Johnson, Kim, Gonzalez, and Miller). Spivey was traded to the Brewers in 2004 and by 2006 Spivey was out of major league baseball. Spivey was a fan favorite in AZ and still comes back for Alumni games.

Thank you so much Julie for some great D-Backs cards!

TTM Tuesday: Mitch Webster for the First Night Game at Wrigley Field Project

Near the end of February I got a ttm autograph back from Darin Jackson for my First Night Game at Wrigley Field project. I hadn't made progress on that project for a while. In my post I mentioned that I still needed Mitch Webster and Damon Berryhill. Once a Cub commented with his knowledge about the two remaining players and the next day I sent out two requests to each of them. I sent to Mitch Webster at the Royals stadium and at their Spring Training Stadium and I sent to Damon Berryhill at the Minor League stadium that he manages and the Braves Spring Training Stadium.

Less than 2 weeks later I got a card back from Mitch Webster! So happy to add this to the project, even if the card did get a little mangled in the mail (looks good on the scan).

Now I just need Damon Berryhill. It's been almost 5 years since I started the project, so I can wait.

Why Topps? Why?

I picked up this 2018 Topps Postseason Performance Autograph Relic of Paul Goldschmidt on eBay recently. I bought it knowing that the "game-used memorabilia item is not from the 2017 postseason". I also bought it knowing that the autograph is on a sticker.

Just because I bought it knowing its flaws, doesn't mean that I like it. I've seen multiple Postseason Performance Relic cards and Postseason Performance Autograph Relic cards of Paul Goldschmidt and almost all of them have a purple pinstripe through the jersey, so I picked this one specifically because it didn't have a pinstripe and so I can pretend that the jersey matches the jersey in the picture.

But why should I have to pretend? I get that postseason jerseys are probably hard to come by, by why make the set if you can't get them. How about using baseballs or a base, something that they could actually get and it would be from the postseason?

I paid decent money for this card, but had it featured a ball or base from the postseason I would certainly have paid double. If it contained a piece of jersey or bat that was used in the postseason I would have paid triple or more. I know some people might not think that Topps cares much about the after market price I'm willing to pay, but I think they have to care about that because it would help determine the price they could charge for boxes.

What are your thoughts on cards like this?

Snow on a Denver Rockies card from a game played in Phoenix, Arizona.

I have a lot of mini collections and whenever Adam, from the blog Infield Fly Rule, sends me cards he always sends me cards for my mini collections.

Adam's a Rockies fan so I have an extra appreciation for him sending me this 2016 Topps Holiday card of Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu. You see, not only does this card feature a cameo of D-Backs third baseman Jake Lamb, but Jake is also wearing a throwback uniform and the photo on the card is clearly from Chase Field. Add in the Pepsi advertisement in the background and this card hits four of my mini collections. Well done Adam!

Also included were a few cards for my dirt collection including this 1996 Topps card of Joey Cora. The same image could have been used for  Mo Vaughn's card. I wonder if that has ever happened before. I think it would be kinda cool. Not if they did it all the time, but may just one time per set.

This next card almost fits the dirt mini collection, just a small strip of grass and chalk line show on opposite corners of the card. The card is of Ryan Roberts and is one of my favorite Ryan Roberts cards of all-time. More on this card in a future post.

Adam knows my all-time favorite player is Ken Griffey Jr. and I can count on at least one Griffey card in every package he send me. Check out this League Leader card featuring The Kid and his trademark backwards hat and smile along with The Big Cat, Andres Galarraga, from Collector's Choice. Again, Adam sacrificing a card of one of his beloved Rockies. Thank you Adam!

Check out some of the other great cards of some D-Backs legends that Adam sent.

1985 Donruss Diamond Kings

Starting in 1982, just it's second year producing baseball cards, Donruss turned to renowned sports artist Dick Perez to create the artwork used to produce it's Diamond Kings subset cards for the next the next 10 years (1982-1991) and the next several years (1992-1996) as an insert set with the cards being serial numbered to 10,000 in it's final year.

I picked up the 1985 subset at a local card shop recently for $1.25. With it being a 27 card set, that works out to less than 5 cents per card. I'm hoping to be able to add more Diamond Kings to my collection.

I know some people don't care for the Diamond Kings cards, but I love them. To me they are Donruss. When I think about Donruss,  I think of Diamond Kings and puzzles. How about you? Are you a fan of Diamond Kings?

2018 Topps Paul Goldschmidt Inserts

I picked up a nice lot of 2018 Topps Paul Goldschmidt inserts off eBay recently. $4 shipped for 7 cards; all new to me.

Hank Aaron

I picked up two Hank Aaron cards last weekend. The 1974 Topps New All-Time Home Run King card set me back $2 and I picked up the 1958 Braves' Fence Busters card for $14 and change. It was originally $18, but was 20% off. The condition is a little rough, but I don't mind.

By my count Hank Aaron has 68 different base cards in Topps sets during his playing career. I;m happy to knock another two off the list.

Spring Training Autographs

Back on February 16th I posted about these 5 x 7 Topps online exclusive cards and Scribbled Ink and Fuji recommended trying to get them signed. 

On President's Day my two oldest boys and I went to the D-Backs spring training facility and we were able to get Goldy to sign both cards. 

We got a few other autographs as well.

We met my sister-in-law and nephew there and had a great time!

Here is Ketel Marte signing an autograph.

Not all players signed, most who did signed for a few minutes. Archie Bradley started at one end of the fence and went all the way down signing for everyone and taking selfies.