Ryan Roberts Super Collection Update: 2013 Topps Update Magenta Printing Plate

I don't know exactly how to put this in words, but I like to think that I have the largest collection of Ryan Roberts cards on the planet. There is probably someone out there with more Ryan Roberts cards than I have because they have 200 copies of one card, but I'm pretty sure I have the most unique Ryan Roberts cards. The Trading Card Database website shows him only having 138 total cards. I have 87 of the 138. I know that's only 63%, but out of the 138 total cards, 43 of those are 1/1, so there are only 95 non 1/1 Ryan Roberts cards. Looks like there are only 13 Ryan Roberts cards listed on Trading Card Database that I don't have and even some of those are serial numbered to 30 or less.

Ryan Roberts played in 518 games over a period of 9 seasons between 2006 and 2014. He played in 17 games for the Toronto Blue Jays (2006-07), 1 game with the Texas Rangers (2008), 372 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2009-12), 120 games with the Tampa Bay Rays (2012-13) and 8 games with the Red Sox (2014). 

They say that time goes faster, the older you get and I tend to agree. I can't believe it's been 9 years since Ryan Roberts last played a major league game. With that being said, it has been a while since I've been able to add a new Ryan Roberts card to my collection. Probably not 9 years, but it has to have been a few years at least since I've been able to acquire a new item for my Ryan Roberts collection.

This 2013 Topps Update magenta printing plate popped up on eBay a week or so ago and I grabbed it. I prefer his Diamondbacks stuff, but he just doesn't have a ton of cards, so I collect it all.

I already have the yellow printing plate for this card, so I just need two more and I could start printing it myself. This is my 13th Ryan Roberts printing plate.

Trade with The Home Run Apple

Keith, of the blog The Home Run Apple, reached out to me about a month ago and offered up some cards for trade. I really wanted one of the cards, and you'll see why in a little bit, but I didn't have anything I felt I could offer in return, since Keith isn't the only Mets fan in the blogosphere and I'd already traded away most of my Mets hits. I told him I'd keep looking and see what I could find.

A little over a week ago I was cleaning up some cards in my den and found a couple of Mets cards that I had forgotten about. We arranged a trade and I got his package yesterday. Thanks Keith!

So without further adieu. Here's the card that I really wanted. It's a 2009 Topps T-206 mini printing plate of Brandon Webb! This is my first printing plate of Webb since I started collecting him later in his career. I came across a Brandon Webb Super Collector a while back, so if you're interested you can check out his site. He has 27 Webb 1 of 1's!

Keith added two Brandon McCarthy Panini Prizm autos, one from 2013 and one from 2014. McCarthy was terrible with the D-Backs, but since he was traded to the Yankees he has been doing a lot better. 

Here are the other cards that Keith threw in. Thanks again Keith!

eBay Pick-Ups: A Pair of Printing Plates

I mentioned in my 2012 Card Collecting Goals post that I wanted to start a Ryan Roberts collection and that I had picked up 2 Printing Plates of his from 2011 Topps Update, but I have yet to show them on the blog...so here they are.I would love to complete the set, so if you see either of the two other printing plates please let me know. Thanks!

CYAN Printing Plate

MAGENTA Printing Plate

Card Shop Purchase - Printing Plate, Auto. & Xfractor

I picked up 3 cards yesterday at my local card shop, AZ Sports Cards.

2006 Bowman Chrome Cyan Printing Plate of Arizona Diamondback Conor Jackson

2010 Topps Peak Performance Chris Young Autograph

2008 Bowman Chrome Brandon Webb Xfractor 090/250

My only 1 of 1

A few years ago I purchased a hobby box of 2007 Topps Chrome. I pulled a Mickey Mantle Story Magenta Printing Plate 1 of 1 card. Now I realize that some people don't consider printing plates 1 of 1's because there are really 4 cards (one of each color - black/cyan/magenta/yellow). The 2007 Mickey Mantle Story set consists of 40 different cards, so if you take those 40 cards and multiple that times 4 for each of printing plate color, you actually end up with 160 1 of 1's, that are pretty much the same. So my only 1 of 1 is not really as special as it first seemed that afternoon, several years ago when I pulled it. The time has come for me to part with it. I will be putting it up on ebay tomorrow, with the hope that it will bring in a significant portion of what it will take me to get a Mantle bat card to add to my 500 Home Run Club bat card collection. I just wanted to do a post about it before I no longer own it.