All Things New York Mets

All Things New York Mets

Friday, December 19, 2014

Get in on this GROUP BREAK.

Checkout Nachos Grande Group Break with HighTek and Stadium Club along with some other goodies. Link is below. 

http://fanofreds.blogspot.com/2014/12/nachos-grande-year-end-group-break.html?m=1

First off I've been slow to post an get trade packages and PWEs posted as everyone other than myself has been under the weather in the household for the past 10 days. Hopefully I don't get it and can bask in the glory of being sick free. 

Well hopefully next week I'll be able to do some posts and get them done where I can at least post every few days being life won't be so hectic due to the oldest kid not having school. 

Topps really impressed me with a redemption I just entered in the last week or two being I already have it in my possession. Now if they could only fill my other 3 redemptions. Still waiting for about 7or 8 months on one an the other is a 2013 redemtpion that I entered a few months ago. The third I just entered today and probably will get pretty quick being I believe the card has already been returned topps. I do need to showcase my Stadium Club break that I did a week or two ago. Phew life has been crazy hectic. 

Monday, December 8, 2014

A Trade That Didn't Work With Some Cards Anyways

Well this is post is the most painful one to date for me. I let a deGrom auto slip through my hands though nobodies fault but my own.

Judson from over at MY CARDBOARD HABIT pulled a deGrom auto out of an update jumbo rack pack. I reached out to Judson to try to work out a trade and it just didn't work out. Judson if you read this and still have the card maybe we can strike a deal. I may shoot you an email in the next week or so an see if you have the card. 

Well a few days after my fumbling the trade he asked for my address to send me some cards. Judson did not disappoint with the cards he sent my way. 

First up is a manufactured relic of Seaver. This is my first Seaver relic albeit manufactured in my collection. 

Up next is another manufactured relic of David Wright. Love Mr Met


And finally he send me a Dice-K photo variation SP. It appears he didn't pull an AJ Burnett and bunt it off his face


Judson thanks for the cards and if I pull any rangers in future breaks I'll keep you in mind.

I have a couple more trades in process of people reaching out and just got hit with another PWE.

TRADE: Need More Cardboard

First off let me start off by saying I've been a bad blogger as of late. I know my posts are few and far between, but with 2 kids 5 and under they keep me pretty busy most days especially since I work midnights. So from the time I get up until I head into work they have my attention pretty well tied up. Even on my days off I'm busy catching up and doing stuff around the house being I work 10 hr shifts. Plus the wife is slowly getting better but still having some medical issues. I need to try and find some time on my days off to bang out a few posts.

Now let's get back to what this post is really about. A trade with Andrew from over at NEED MORE CARDBOARD. Andrew I'm sorry it took so long for me to feature this trade, but without further ado here it is and I look forward to our future trades. 

Back in October(Damn that was awhile ago an SORRY AGAIN) he pulled a Seaver/Wright dual relic redemption from 2013 Topps Series 2 out of repack box. It  didn't take much going back an forth to mutually agree on a trade.  I think I received these about 2-3 weeks ago. So I've definitely been slacking with the posting.  I sent him some cards off my trade bait and a bunch of Braves.  In return I received the following cards. 


Wonder how long Topps will take to fulfill this one?  Still have 3 or 4 outstanding. 

He also helped me out by sending me 3 team bags full of13 Gypsy Queen. 


Andrew thanks again for the trade and look forward to our next one and again in sorry it took so long for me to post about it. 




Monday, October 27, 2014

It's Been a Long Long Time....and Read to the END I May Have Caught a Trout

Well, it's been almost a month since my last post.  I have gotten some envelopes/packages in the mail that I've been meaning to feature on my blog.  This past month and going forward for the foreseeable future I don't know how often I will be able to post, but I continue to read the blogs daily when time allows.  Sorry for the lack of comments too.  Life has been crazy busy with the wife's medical issues an upcoming surgery along with some other personal matters keeping me from posting.  We had to travel back to NJ for my nephews Christening being I was asked to be the Godfather and I forgot to snap a photo of the Mantle auto I have along with some other cards I have.  I know I have some late 80's maybe early 90's factory sets somewhere in my moms house.  Well maybe Thanksgiving I will be able to snap some photos and pick up my other cards that I have left their over the years.

Well first off I received a package back in September from Jeroen over at that The Dutch Card Guy that I have yet to feature.  I saw that he busted some Panini Prizm and pulled an auto of Mets prospect Noah Syngergaard and told him that I was interested in it.  Well here is that beauty of a card.  For some reason I can not find all the other glorious cards Jeroen sent with this one, but I didn't have any of them and they are a welcome into my Mets collection.  I will post the other cards some other time.  So the remainder of this is to be continued.



I have also received a few PWE's from Jeff over at 2 by 3 Heroes in the span that I've been gone.  I will try to showcase these in the oncoming weeks.

Well if you are still reading this thanks a bunch.

Here is a card I picked up over summer that I was glad to add to my players born in NJ collection, but kind of feel a little guilty just getting the one card being they flamed out in the post season.  I also think about all the other cards that I could have added to my collection instead of just this one.  Well without further ado here is a 2013 Five Star Mike Trout Auto Jersey book /49.

I'll try to do a better job posting in the future.


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS!!!!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Lets Go Bucs

Well post season baseball is in full swing with a wild and wonderful game last night won by the Royals.  Here's to another great game with the Buccos winning tonight.

Thankfully for cell phones and the watch ESPN app for the iPhone I am able to watch tonight's game while at work. 

Short post tonight and I need to get a package from Dutch posted that I got about a week ago..

Whats a post without a card.....Already showed this off, but its fitting for rooting for the Buccos being the Mets aren't in the playoffs



Well Stadium Club came out today.  Did anyone open any up?  If so whats your opinion of it?  I'm kinda curios to see how it looks and who they have signing.

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!

and


LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Monday, September 29, 2014

A BIG Post and a Contest Pimp!!!!

First off let me say I read the blogs daily and look at all your comments on my blog, but just may not respond due to not having much time working an odd hour shift and having a 2yr and 5yr old at home and a wife who is not feeling well the past few months.  So I apologize that I'm not commenting and posting more.

Hopefully you continue reading past this CONTEST PIMP from the Cynical Buddha over at Collectors Crack in picking the World Series and some other tie breakers. So what are you waiting for get clicking and picking.  I did


Well the Mets finished with a record of 79-83.  I was really hoping for .500, but knew that Sandy's goal of 90 wins was pretty much unobtainable this year.  They showed that they can compete with the talent they brought up and called up throughout the year.  They are in desperate need of another one or two power bats for the corner outfield spots.

It will be interesting to see what the Mets do this off season in regards to acquisitions, trades, and free agenecy.  Their starting rotation figures to be a notch or 2 better with the return of Harvey and all the young arms that they amassed over the past few seasons.  Their number one prospect is also a starting pitcher in Noah Syndergaard who never saw the bigs this year and stayed at Triple A Las Vegas almost all year.  Travis d'Arnaud is a free agent this year I believe and they have a few prospects at this position also so it should make for an eventful off-season.

The bullpen had its up and downs this year, but Familia and Mejiia were pretty much spot on all year.

Lucas Duda surprised me this year with his 30HRs for the season.

Well I'm thinking of doing a contest and giving away some black bordered '09 Ginter minis amongst some other things.  Anybody interested in the black minis as part of the prize?

Well here is a card that I've been waiting for Topps to send to me for a few months.  It comes from this years Museum Collection and it is the first auto in my collection of Mike Piazza.  The card I received is a 2014 Silver Framed Auto /10 that came slabbed from Topps.  Probably one of the greatest if not the greatest hitting catcher of all time.



LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!  BEAT KANSAS

and till next year

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!   2015  MLB Playoffs or BUST!!!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Food for Thought

Let me just start off by saying it is 3am yet again and I just got out of work about 30mins ago and figured I'd bust out a blog post before heading to sleep being I'll be awake probably by 8 due to the kids. Wait who am I kidding it's gameday.

 LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS

Well first let me start off by saying my wife had one of the coolest OB/GYNs that anyone could ask for. You're probably scratching your heads going yea right whatever. Well let me explain. The first visit with him while my wife was pregnant I had on a Mets hat or t-shirt and it came to be that he was a Mets fan also and grew up in NYC. So the first few minutes of every appointment that she had while she was pregnant he'd talk to me first about the Mets and baseball on general. My wife just chuckled and said she needed to find a new Dr.  This went on for both pregnancies. I know most guys dreaded going to the OB/GYN but I somehow lucked out I guess. Small world. Also found out some pretty neat things too from him, but that'll have to wait another day. 

Well our first son was born late 2009 and our second mid 2012. Neither of those seasons were to good for the Mets. One appoint we got talking about how frustrating it is to be a Mets fan as of late especially after two collapses in a row and one of those being a historic collapse. He got to explaining in his opinion how a baseball season is really only about 62 games that mean anything.   He said that the best teams only lose about 50 games and the worst teams win only about 50 games. So it really only comes down to about 62 games that mean anything. Cause he said you can pretty much automatically give everybody 50 wins and looses it's what they do with those other 62 games that matter.  Unless of course your the 62 Mets and go 40-120 and the 2003 Tigers and go 43-119.  Let's hear your thoughts and opinions on this?

Well the mets beat the Braves yesterday to get one game closer to the proverbial .500 mark and I believe they are only 7 wins away from achiving that mark. I'm hoping they can hit it this year and make a run next year with their pitching. 

Well here is one key bullpen piece in Jeurys Familia who has been pretty stellar in his setup role. And to follow suit is his 2013 Topps Chrome auto card. 

Well Goodnight and here's to a Mountaineer win

LETS GOOOO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!

and 


LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Tavon's Night

Two years ago we got to witness what most Mountaineer fans recall as Tavons Night against Oklahoma. It saw him switch from flanker to RB and ammass 532 all purposes yards and 344 rushing yards. I can remember the frustration and perplexed looks on the OU sideline of not having a clue on how to try to slow him down or contain him. Tavon was a special player and hopefully he gets utilized by the Rams kind of like the Seahawks utilize Percy Harvin. He set multiple records that night and torched the Big 12 all purposes yards record by over a hundred yards. Too bad OU won that contest by a score of 50-49 when scoring a touchdown with only 24 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Hopefully this weekend we see someone else have a coming out party against OU and pull off the victory. I'm kinda like a kid at Christmas and can't wait for this game.

Here is a Topps Finest auto relic of the Tavon Austin. Sorry that it is a tad dark and for the glare.

Also here is a short video showing some highlights of Tavons night. 



I just wish I could fall asleep being it's 1:30 am and I'm wide awake while very one else is sound asleep in the house. I guess that's what happens when your used to working midnights cause earlier tonight I was dead tired and could have went to bed at 7 but that would have resulted in like a 3-4am wake up. 


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE !!!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

'14 Triple Threads the First of Many......Hopefully

Lets turn some sour grapes from yesterdays post about eBay it to something good like wine or juice for those of you that don't drink.  Well as you all may know Triple Threads released last week and it is one of my favorites to collect.  A day or two after the release date I was going through my saved searches for 2014 TTT Mets and came across a BIN/BO on eBay for Zack Wheeler /50 auto relic.  I tend to shy away from release day and close to release day purchases due to the ultra premium that comes purchasing cards during that time.  Well the listing had a BIN/BO price of $19.95 plus shipping.  I threw out an offer of $6 bucks and was expecting to receive a decline/counter offer from the seller of around $12-$15 bucks.  Well, that didn't happen much to my surprise...the seller actually accepted my offer after about 24 hours.  I haven't checked out eBay in a few days to see what this cards is selling for at auction, but the last time I checked it was about $8 or more depending on the numbering of the card.  Maybe I got a good deal or maybe I didn't only time will tell.

So without further ado here is that beautiful card that I purchased.


Now onto something a little bit more interesting that I discovered with this card and some other cards from Topps.  You see that little blurb about game used memorabilia right above the relic on the right hand side.  Well when I flipped the card over there is another blurb of the relic contained on this card is not from any specific game, event, or season right above the trademark and copyright stuff. Which is it Topps?  Game used or not.  When I hear event I think like a signing, practice/warm-up, appearance, or something to that affect that does not involve a game.  Heck for all we know he could have worn this while sitting the bench and its still counts as game used.  Well Topps should use a blurb like this when the front says game used, the relic contained on this card is not from any specific game or season.  That way it takes out any question of being game used or not when you exclude the event part.  Any thoughts?


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!! 
BEAT OKLAHOMA gosh is their BOOMER SOONER song annoying or what.  Especially
 when it is played after every score or big play.  Hopefully they don't bring their band Saturday.

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

PREMIER Stories from the eBay

This past weekend I was perusing eBay to see if any deals could be found.  Along the way I found a few that I decided to make offers on, but not before checking some previously sold values of the same items that just sold.  The item I was interested in was from this years Triple Threads release of the All Star relics numbered to 9.  The card sold at auction from right around $45.00 and there were to separate listings of BIN/BO which were $99.99 and $129.99.

I put offers on for that were below the sales price of the auction, but were respectable to get the process started of a little haggling back and forth.  None the less that didn't happen with either listing.  The seller of the $99 listing responded back "WOW IS THIS ALL AT ONCE OR IN PAYMENTS" and countered with $99.98.  I upped my counter and got a decline.  The second one didn't even counter my offer and just declined with "DO NOT NOW OR EVER PLACE ANOTHER BID ON MY SITE!!!!!!!"  I just love sellers on eBay.  I will probably place another offer on the last guy in a few days to see what happens and I'll keep you posted.

How about rookie Jacob DeGrom for the Mets last night striking out the first 8 batters of the game to tie the MLB modern day record.  His stats are 8-6 134K's 2.68 ERA 1.14WHIP and .230BAA.  Pretty impressive for a rookie.  Hopefully hes in discussion for rookie of the year with a line like that.

Now before we get to a card I finally got one of my redemption's from Topps today.  I'll have to make a post all by itself cause its a awesome card.  I also have to showcase another card that I've had for awhile.  Just now to find the time to do it and come up with some goody's for a CONTEST.

Whats a post without a card.  How about a 2008 UD Premier Steve Slaton rookie auto card /5.  I've had this card for awhile and probably paid more than what its worth today, but I plan on keeping it being its a WVU guy.  Slaton had a phenomenal rookie season rushing for almost 1300 yards and 9 touchdowns.  Too bad the injury bug bit him his second year in the league cause he never recovered or preformed like he did his rookie year.  I believe he his playing currently for the Tornoto Argonauts in the CFL.




LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!

Monday, September 15, 2014

TRADE: It's Like Having My Own Cardshop

A little awhile ago I reached out to Daniel over at It's Like Having My Own Cardshop about a possible trade of some Diamondbacks cards I pulled from some breaks I did.  Of course he was interested in the cards being they were a mini printing plate of Brandon Webb and 2 autos of Brandon McCarthy along with some other cards I happened to have.  He emailed me back saying to give him some time to find something he could offer in return and he reached out with what you will see below which I was thrilled to receive.  I didn't have either of these cards nor did I ever look to see if I could obtain either of them, but was glad to receive them and add them to my collection.

The first card here is a 2002 Topps Pristine David Wright Rookie Card which is absolutely beautiful and the picture just doesn't do it enough of justice.  This is the first rookie card I've owned of Mr. Wright and hopefully he heals up and this season was just a hiccup in his stellar career.

The next card I received from Daniel was a 2009 Topps Unique Dual Distinction Relic of David Wright and Jose Reyes numbered /99.  I'm just a little puzzled as to what jerseys these pieces are actually from.  I haven't done any research nor have I looked at the back of the card to see if it says anything.  I'm guessing either WBC or All Star.  Let me know if you have any ideas where they are from.


He also sent a nice ginter mini of David Wright and nice Bobby Parnell Rookie Card.


















Thanks again Daniel can't wait to our next trade.

Well this weekend is a big home game for the Mountaineers as #3 Oklahoma comes for a Saturday night visit to Mountaineer Field.  Last time they visited it was a scorefest coming down to the last possession of 50-49 contest which saw the Sooners win.  The past few years Mountaineer Field hasn't had quite the intimidating fans as it once had years ago so hopefully that will all change this weekend and the Mountaineers can pull the upset.  It seems the fans are more into the team this year than the past few years.  I'd like to see Mountaineer Field Saturday night all fired up like it was in 2003 when we beat good all #3 Virginia Tech 28-7 and in the second half they cHOKIES never crossed midfield.  Lets hope for the same type of atmosphere and outcome of this game.

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE

Friday, September 12, 2014

Trade: Too Many Verlanders

I reached out to Dennis being I pulled a Verlander relic out of a blaster box of 13 Archives to see if he was interested, which he was.  This was my first time trading with Dennis over at Too Many Verlanders and hopefully the first of many.

Here is just a few of the Giants cards he sent me.  I like the pink Cruz and the Refractor of the lineman.  Too bad Nicks got away because when he was healthy he was a huge upside in our passing game.  I think this may be a long long season for Eli and Victor unfortunately.

Here is a Jedd Gyorko out of 499 that I didn't have in my collection and was happy to add it.
Thanks again Dennis for the trade

After a crazy and wild game between the Mountaineers and Terps the Mountaineers decided to walk off in style and kick a game winner as time experience. Bring on the Sooners. 

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS  and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

PWE from 2 by 3 Heroes

First off hope there is no serious injury to Stanton that just looked gruesome and awful.

Secondly I was able to snag a 2014 Triple Threads relic auto for dirt cheap that I thought I stood no chance of getting on a best offer, but more on that another day in another post.

This post is all about the PWE.

I apologize I am about a week behind on my mailing posts that I received via trade baits or just good old PWEs.  This post is courtesy of Jeff over at 2 by 3 Heroes.  He surprised me yet again with a BIG stack of random Mets cards spanning from the 80's to 2000's and beyond.  I was shocked by the assortment being some of the cards I probably still have at my moms packed away somewhere that I forgot about being I collected some of these cards back in the day.  Thanks Jeff for rekindling some childhood memories.

Below is the stack I received minus the few cards below that I took pictures of.  Gotta love the good old Fleer and the stirrups of Sid Fernandez.


Here is a card I probably never had as a kid being my mom wouldn't allow us to eat Sugary cereal as kids growing up.  I'm currently envisioning a new saying in the upper left corner of Cap'n Cokehead, but little did I know as a kid.  Gotta love Dr. K

 Here is a product I shied away from since busting a few boxes of 2009 Ginter.  Next up on my quest for autos is an auto of Tom Terrific.
 Here is a card that brought back some child hood memories of the 1986 All Star Darryl Strawberry.  I'm sure that I have some of his teammates lurking back at my moms being I collected these like crazy.

 Here are some sweet sweet mini's that I didn't have
And last but not least is this beauty of a heartbreak card from the 2006 NLCS.  I can remember watching this game and being on an emotional high in the 6th inning I believe when Endy made that catch to rob Scot Rolen of a home run.  Then the sails deflated when Yadier hit his home run, but the biggest blow was Carlos Beltran taking a strike 3 looking from a Wainwright curve with bases loaded 2 outs bottom of the 9th.

Thanks Jeff for the cards.


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Triple Threads Release Day

Today saw the release of '14 Triple Threads which is probably my favorite Topps product.  The only issue is the cost of the boxes.  I have opened two boxes in the past, but will probably pick up singles as they hit eBay do to the Mets don't have too many in this years release.  I will one day bust a case of this some stuff  somehow by myself.  I would like to chase one or both of the All Star Game cards of Harvey and Wright, but that may take awhile.

My only gripe for Triple Threads is the sticker autos on a high end product.

Hopefully with David Wright shutdown for the year he can sign some cards and get my redemption done that I've been waiting for a few months from a product that came out last year.

Well here is a Kirk Nieuwenhuis /10 that I picked up for cheap.  Sorry for the dark and crummy picture.  I guess I need to retake this one too. 

Here Is a Jedd Gyorko /10 also from Triple Threads

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Friday, September 5, 2014

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!

Here we are on the eve of Mountaineer football opening against Towson in a night game at Mountaineer Field. Night games are pretty crazy here, but we shall see being it's not a big time opponent how crazy it will be. I can still remember how packed it was when LSU came to town a few years ago. 

Well here is 2013 Playbook auto /25 by Bruce Irvin a Legion of Boom member with the Super Bowl Champs Seahawks.  He was a top 15 draft pick by Pete Carrol a few years ago. I expected him to be drafted, but not that high. I guess when you were recruited by him to go to USC he must have known something. 


BRUUUUUUUUCE

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!

and


LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!!!

Just Random Thoughts

First off I'd like to thanks Jeff over at 2 by 3 Heroes for sending me another stack of Mets cards that I need to find some time to post about.  I also need to go through a trade package that I received from Dennis at Too Many Verlanders a few days ago.  Sorry Dennis for taking so long to get your package out; it is going out today(Friday).

Well I finally found the time to sort another set I'm chasing and will post my needs another day.  The set I'm chasing is 2012 Archives and I will probably go after base and SPs except for the one super SP.

Well after watching bits and pieces of the NFL game the Seahawks look nasty again on D and looks like the could repeat as champs.  Unfortunately for me I had Rodgers and Lacy on my fantasy and that didn't pan out so well, but I did have Harvin and Hauschka for Seattle.  Hopefully, some of my other players can step up Sunday and offset the Rodgers and Lacy performance.

Another hobby or thing I enjoy is craft beer.  Well here in WV the choices are pretty sparse, but luckily for me when I travel to see my family in NJ the selection is plentiful so I usually stock up and bring some back.  As I'm typing this post I am actually enjoying a nice Sixpoint The Crisp from Brooklyn.  I enjoy their other brews too especially one they call Resin which is a lovely hoppy beer.



Well lets bring this back to cards, sports, or both shall we.  I'm going to post a little tease of a card that I will be showing off sometime in the future. 


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

and

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Sorry for the DELAY!!

Just a quick post.

Real quick did anyone else having issues with eBay?  Looks like I was one of the unlucky ones where my account went missing earlier today.  

I have multiple trades pending/ready to go out, but with two sick little ones it's been kind of hard to find some free time to do one last check through the cards and get them in the mail.  Hopefully I can get one trade package out tomorrow or Friday for sure.

Well the Mets won't hit their goal of 90 wins this year, but hopefully they can at least finish .500 or better.  It's nice to see some of the prospects get called up and produce.  It will make the off season interesting on what they do for some positional players.

It looks like the Mountaineers played Alabama pretty tough/close, but their is no such thing as a moral victory.  As a fan I'm a bit more optimistic on how they'll do this season, but still see some struggles along the way.  I didn't get to see much of the game except the last 5 minutes being I was at a wedding for my wife's cousin.  I ended up recording it, but have yet to actually watch any of the game.

WVU's home opener is this Saturday night against Towson and I cannot wait to go.  The wife and I have season tickets and it is kinda of our little get away for a few hours from our little guys for now.  What's a post without a picture of a card.  Well being I've been talking mostly about football in this post lets show off a 2014 Topps Inception auto of Charles Sims from the Buccaneers.  He was only a Mountaineer one season after graduating from the University of Houston and can't wait to see what he does in the NFL.  This one cost me around 5.00 bucks shipped.


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!



LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Back Story

Well I started this blog just about 5 months ago and it has been a blast posting and reading the other blogs out in the blogosphere.  In this time it reminded me how much fun it was collecting cards and trading them.

Now for a little bit of information on little ole me.

I was born and raised in NJ.  You can stop laughing and pointing this guy doesn't fist pump or talk with a funny accent or have a crazy hairstyle nor do I artificial tan.  Although I did go down the shore a lot growing up.

As a kid I collected cards from Garbage Pail Kids to Looney Tunes MLB cards and even those little round discs called POGS from the 1980's and 90's.  I believe I still have some complete sets of cards at my Moms house being my parents always got us a complete set for Christmas that we were never allowed to open.  Whats the fun in that as a kid.  I can't remember what years we may have, but next visit I need to check them out to see what I got. My first big purchase of an auto was with my Dad and it was a Mickey Mantle auto lithograph probably 20 plus years ago.  I can't remember what it is numbered too, but I know that is definitely still at my Moms house.  Yes a Mets fan bought a Mantle auto, but I did it being it was a good price and one of the greatest ball players to play the game.

Collection kind of took a hiatus come high school being life changed and didn't have much time for  it anymore with sports and other activities.  Then college happened and for this I went to West Virginia University where college life ruled and did the normal college things.  Wake-up, attend class, eat, video games and party. So I didn't have time to collect.  Well upon graduating from college I ended up staying in West Virginia and working and hanging out with buddies.  So rent, bills, golfing and beer took up most of the pay.

Fast forward a few years and now I am married with 2 kids and getting back into hobby again.  The wife kind of gives me a hard time and just laughs when I say I'm heading to Matt's or going to go through my cards, but it is all in good jest from her.  My oldest son likes to open and see the cards, but he isn't too fond of Panini's non-licensed stuff he likes to open the stuff with color(his words not mine) hence the Topps products.  The youngest guy could care less about cards as of now, but I'm sure that will change in due time or at least I hope.

So that how a Mets fan is living in WV.  I also root for the Giants and Devils too, but primarily collect Mets, WVU players both baseball(Jedd Gyorko) and football, and will grab a Giants card here and there if I stumble across one.

Well here is a card of three WVU players currently in the NFL that I got a steal on about a year ago.  Hopefully Geno steps up his game and becomes a quality starting QB and Tavon and Stedman do the same though Stedman will have to wait 4 games for violating the leagues substance abuse program.


Well WVU battles Alabama this weekend in the Chick Fil A kickoff classic.  Lets hope we pull out a win somehow.

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

  

Monday, August 25, 2014

The Duda Abides

Well I am 3 for 3 over the last 3 days putting up a post.  So maybe I will find a little time to dabble on my blog.  I also plan on holding a CONTEST in the next few weeks so stay tuned.  Trying to figure out what to give away as a prize(s) and what kind of contest to do.  If you have any ideas drop me a comment below.

Here we are just a little over a month to the end of the season.  Lets take a look back at a trade that actually ended up benefiting the Mets.  The trade I am talking about is shipping Ike Davis off to Pittsburgh and making Lucas Duda the starting first baseman and getting rid of the uncertainty while they split time trying to figure out who would start.

Well Lucas Duda is actually producing  pretty nicely at the plate and has been on a tear as of late.  As of yesterday he leads the league in home runs since the all-star break and he is averaging a home run every 17.7 at bats which is top 5 in the league as of yesterday.  At least that is some positive news for the Mets.  The only thing that can irk me about Duda at times is that he is too patient at the plate at times.  I guess all that off season training this past winter up in Michigan with Mike Barwis is paying off for him.  Mike Barwis is an alum of WVU and ex strength and conditioning coach at WVU and currently has his own show American Muscle on Discovery channel which I have yet to catch.  While here at WVU they produced some pretty quick and potent teams.

Well here is a 2012 Triple Threads Auto Relic of Lucas Duda /50 that I picked up about year or so ago for pretty cheap.  Sorry for the glare I guess this is another one that I need to retake a picture of when time allows.


LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!

eBay Day

What's this two posts in two days???? I must be losing my mind. No not really just had some more free time and decided to type up another post.  Well the Mets will miss their goal of 90 wins this year unless they play some amazing baseball and pretty much win the remainder of their games.  Hopefully, they at least hit or exceed .500 this year and I would be pleasantly surprised.  They still have some needs and a question mark at shortstop.

Right now the man named starter for the rest of the year at SS is Wilmer Flores.  He was signed at the age of 16 as none other than a SS.  He was/is a highly touted prospect, but we all know how that goes.  Unfortunately for him the past few years he has seen a couple position changes from shortstop to third base back to shortstop to second base back to shortstop.  Hopefully his game against the Dodgers where he committed 2 errors was just a growing pain albeit he did trip over his own two feet while trying to make a throw.  Sorry couldn't find a video.

Well the eBay package of the day is none other than this Wilmer Flores who is a work in progress.  I picked up this 2014 Topps Finest X-Fractor /149 for pretty cheap and was glad to add it to my collection for 3 or 4 bucks. 

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!


LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

TRADE: Cardboard Conundrum

Well life's still throwing me curves and hasn't left one hanging just yet so my posting has been quick and far apart, but found some free time this evening to get a post done.  I still read the blogs daily, but don't have much time to comment or post being it is primarily done from my phone.

Well this trade started back in the middle of July when I was on vacation in Canaan Valley.  I was reading  Matt's page over at Cardboard Conundrum and saw he posted a Stedman Bailey relic auto /49 available for trade.  So I scrolled down to post that I was interested in it, but Bob Walk the Plank already commented on it that he was interested in it.  Well I put a comment out their that Matt from Bob Walk the Plank beat me to it yet again, but he graciously bowed out and let me get a trade going.

So here is the card that I got this past Monday or Tuesday and just now found some time to snap a picture and post it in all its glory.


Too bad he is suspended the first for games due to violating the leagues substance abuse policy being he was being thrown to more at the end of last season.  Hopefully he comes back and preforms lights out when given a chance.  I can remember some unbelievable catches he made while at WVU with Geno Smith and Tavon Austin.  Here's a video highlighting some of those catches.


Well college football is upon us and nothing like opening against Alabama for your first game of the  season.

LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

For the Love of the Game

Well, my love for the game of baseball was instilled in me by my father many years ago.  From playing catch and attending Mets games whenever possible to the occasional Yankees games with Little League or one of my friends parents scoring box seats and invited me to tag along. We also took a weekend trip to Fenway Park with my brother in tow to see the Red Sox play the Brewers.  I love the game of baseball and still cherish it to this day, but don't have as much time to follow it like I would like or to attend games.  I guess that's what happens when you work midnights like I do.

The Little League World Series is upon us and I try to follow it and keep informed in what is going on, but that hasn't happened much due to personal reasons which hopefully take a turn for the better.  I did see the clip of the coach from Rhode Island talking to his team after their loss.  That speech is what Little League is about and hope more coaches follow suit.  Below is the clip of the speech if you haven't seen or heard it. 

 

After hearing that it got me thinking about my Dad and what he might have said to his team after placing 3rd in 1971 Senior Little League World Series(Team picture below).  I'm sure his speech was probably very similar to the one above knowing the kind of man and coach he was even being only in his early twenties at the time.  I remember playing for him years later and seeing him coach other kids and not once do I recall him screaming or yelling at a kid playing the game for making a mistake.  He was a teacher of the game and even helped coach girls softball when asked by a friend of his for a few more years.  I wish he was still here to experience the joy his grandsons get while playing the game or attending a MLB game.  Unfortunately he was taken from this world too soon back in 1995 and not a day goes by that I don't think about him. 


Well the Mets need to win the next 30 out of 34 to hit their 90 wins and I dont for see that happening as of the way they have been playing lately.  I'd like to see them finish at .500 which would mean winning 21 out of the next 34 games which is obtainable.  Being the Mets vs A's game was the MLB game of the day it meant I got to watch the game on my iPhone.  One part during the game even Keith Hernandez was stating how badly they need a bat for the future and to try and get to .500 this year to build for next year being they have the young arms for pitching.

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Monday, August 18, 2014

18 and Counting

With a title like that you probably didn't know what to expect, but I only need 18 more cards of the 2013 Triple Threads Amethyst parallel to complete the base set.

When I was typing the title I almost typed 18 and Life which was a song by Skid Row back in the late 80's.  They also hail from New Jersey.  So here's a little Sebastian Bach and Skid Rows 18 and Life for your listening pleasure if you so choose. 


Well I had some free time to go through my cards quickly, so I had to prioritize what I did.  I didn't spend as much time as I needed or wanted too, but hopefully in the near future that will all change.  I spent most of my time compiling some trade packages that I have in the works.  I also spent some time going through the 2013 Triple Threads Amethyst base set that I'm trying to complete to see what all I still need.  I only need 18 cards to complete the 100 card set so that is the reason for the title.  I've been watching eBay to see if I can come across some lots, but not too much is out there in that regard.  You can see which cards I need to complete the set from my blog or you can click here.  I don't think I'll be busting any boxes of the 2014 version anytime soon.  I'll probably just try to cherry pick some of the auto and relic cards.

Life's been busy throwing me and the family curves one after another which hopefully pretty soon it decides to hang one and stop all together.

Well the Mets need a power bat to put some runs on the boards, but I don't know who. 

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

BREAKING: Blockbuster Trade

As I alluded in my last post it's time to reveal the Blockbuster trade with Matt from Bob Walk the Plank.

Well after busting some boxes of 2012 Archives, Matt hit me up for a card he has been eying for awhile now, but didn't know what he could offer to get it from me.  The card is a UD triple auto of Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, and Joe Alexander /15.  You can check out the card HERE and some other cards that I traded.  He's been wanting this card for while and I don't really collect basketball stuff and with it's tie to WVU with Alexander it was a match made in HEAVEN for him.  The only reason I picked up this card on eBay was I got a pretty good deal on it.

Well he offered me a Gregory Polanco auto relic, a Jeff Bagwell auto, Craig Biggio auto, and a Bucky "Effin" Dent. I do plan on keeping the Polanco being I due root for the Pirates, but the Mets are still my team. I gladly accepted the offer and the trade was made, but then we got talking about his David Wright Mike Schmidt dual auto and I returned said cards for this beauty.  I also received this Kolten Wong rookie auto too.  You can check out the cards I returned here.




Well that's not all the trading that we did.  That was just the ice breaker as they call it.  I had some other cards that caught Matt's eye and he had some that caught mine so we ended up trading some more cards.

Here is a nice Carlos Beltran All-Star relic and Edgardo Alfonzo relic and a Howard Johnson auto from 2012 Archives.



Here are some other cards I ended up with in a trade a David Wright relic and a Cleon Jones auto from none other than 2012 Archives.

I forgot how much fun trading in person is and look forward to our next deals and maybe another Blockbuster trade in the future.  Go give Matt a follow at Bob Walk the Plank and hit him up for some trades.  We've been busting boxes for a few months so we've been accumulating some nice trade bait.

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!

Monday, August 11, 2014

2012 Archives Box Break and Trade Teaser

This past Friday I got together with my buddies Micah and Matt from Bob Walk the Plank and busted some boxes of 2012 Archives.  I already busted a box on my own and pulled a Bob Boone Phillies auto and an Ed Kranepool Mets auto.  I do plan on completing the base set and as much of the other sets that I can.

Lets see if my luck could continue into the next box and pull another Mets auto.

Well I ended up beating the odds and ended up pulling my two autos and a jersey relic of Mark Trumbo.  My two autos were Mike Scott in an Astros uniform who ended up being traded to Matt and a Robin Ventura auto in a Mets uni.  My luck did continue with another Mets auto.  Micah had the best pull of the night with a Don Mattingly auto and I can't remember what Matt pulled other than a Cleon Jones auto that I ended up with in a series of trades that ended up in the end to be a BLOCKBUSTER trade. 



 















More to follow on the BLOCKBUSTER trade, but if you want to see what Matt ended up with and a preview with what I got in return head on over to his blog.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Long Overdue PWE from 2 by 3 Heroes

Well as I mentioned in an earlier post I received a PWE from JediJeff over at 2x3Heroes.com the day before I left for vacation.  Well that day also happened to be my birthday so thanks for the impromptu birthday gift Jeff.

Now lets get to what was in this little beauty.


First off is a Matt Harvey.  He's throwing off a mound after being only 10 months removed from Tommy John surgery.  This concerns me a bit being he his the ace of the rotation and don't want to see any setbacks with his recovery.

Next up is Zack Wheeler who has been pretty good lately.  Maybe its DeGrom getting to him and igniting a little bit of a competition.  Well, Zack got the win tonight against Washington and put them one step closer to their goal and now only sit 7 games out of first in the division.  Hey I can dream can't I.



Next up is Familia who has been pretty stellar in the back end of the bullpen.  Love the reprint Koosman from Archives.  Now just to pick up one of his autos to add to my collection.

















Lastly we have a Ginter mini of Tejada and Ike Davis.  I haven't opened any Ginter since 2009 and don't plan on opening any anytime soon.  I'll pick the inserts and autos off eBay.  I tend to shy away from Ginter being the last time I opened it I busted 4 hobby boxes and couldn't even complete the base set.  So if you need 2009 Ginter hit me up and I'll see if I have what you need.  I hope Ike Davis gets it turned around in Pittsburgh or wherever else he may end up.


 

















 Thanks Jeff for the PWE.

LETS GO METS and YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!