Here’s a nice look at how screwed we all are if this passes: LINKY

So yeah, these horrible abominations of RIAA/MPAA fuckwittery have to die so hard nobody will ever even be able to try to resurrect them again without the horrible stench of astoundingly reckless violation of basic common sense/sanity/human rights/etc irrevocably destroying their careers.

It’s not about piracy, it’s about the shortsighted greed and desperation of the outdated big boys.  And if either of them pass, we all pay dearly.  Good night and good luck.

Arm your DeSOPAs and ATTAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Not much to say on the card front, other than I finally got around to having my latest order from Check Out My Cards shipped.  A little over 100 more on the way.  Night Owl & maybe a couple others will be getting their cards out of this deal.

What’s been taking a lot of my time the past week or so is a pretty new story idea deciding to start fleshing itself out in my head.  So I started putting it to digital paper.  Pretty happy with it so far.  We call it Missionworks, a fantasy/steampunkish tale.  It’s coming together quite nicely, and I’m excited to get to work on the story itself.

The other main thing I’ve been doing is polishing off my FATSA: Lord of the Dragons sketch cards.  My main ones were finished days ago, but I just got what are my likely to be my Artist Proofs penciled and inked, and I’ve gotta say they are some of the nicer cards I’ve done in awhile.  I end up despising how 75% of my cards turn out, but I’m really pleased with at least three of the four.  I’ll be posting my FATSA cards here & dA & wherever else I can think of once I get them scanned and submitted for approval.

Now to get started on my Mac & Trouble cards.  Don’t have much time on them, but I only have two (and two Artist Proofs) to do, so no worries there I guess?

I cleaned a bit.  Got the place looking a little better than Reverend Jim’s, though it’ll be spring before the clutter levels start dropping dramatically (provided they don’t block the damn doors during spring cleanup, like they did in the fall… idiots).  Next step in this stupidly long process: get a new (used) chair that isn’t broke so my back will stop bothering me so much.

Finally, card buying is about to go way down (yes yes, you’ll believe it when you see it), because I have the quite frankly insane idea of trying to hit both Otakon and The National this summer.  The National is in Otakon’s home of Baltimore this year, and happens at the same place, something like three days after Otakon.  It may be time to part with some of my bigger hits to raise funds.  Also maybe get a few for-cash commissions or something?  Please?

Guess that’s about all I’ve got for now.  Hope to be back soon.  Seeya.

Until our next…

Minis! One with a piece of stadium seat in it. And one that I accidentally bought twice...

Yep, I accidentally bought two Nelson Cruz Kimballs.  I’m sure another blogger can use the second one though.

1975 Topps Minis of Cubs Hall of Famers in the wrong uniforms.  And Billy Williams rocking the late-career heel turn ‘stache.  Very nice.

Cy Young is a keeper.  I’d really like to knock out both mini Icons sets this year.

Ferris Fain is… for trade, I guess.  I kinda wanna keep it, but I’ll let him go for the right price.

Old timey players on shiny cards and current players on old timey cards.

Jimmie Foxx is the only one available for trade on this page, again reluctantly.  The nonsensical shininess really works well with that particular photo, methinks.  I might just be too out of it to know better though.  I’ll at least need some form of one of the legends I collect (any version, any team) in return.

In the unlikely event you got your hands on the obscure early-2000s Donruss Estrellas set at some point and pulled any other Leyendas del Posados, I’m collecting that set.  You can find it on my page dedicated to set needs.  The only other one I have besides the three above is Tony Perez.  I need the rest.  I like… goooold.  Ahem, moving on.

Jerseys... Jerseys... And more JERSEYS!

Except Forte.  He’s just a bronze parallel #’ed /999.  Also, the two SPx jerseys on the bottom row were in rougher shape than the pictures indicated.  But oh wells.  The Colston is an eBay 1/1, being #’ed 250/250.  And cost me less than $1.  Actually only Tomlinson ($1.49) and Hester ($2.50) cost more a buck.  All of these are keepers, if you didn’t know.

Right then, one more picture for tonight.

All sorts of random silliness. Mitch and Roberto aren't even from COMC...

Yeah, Keith’s kid and Sandy’s kid came from Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius.  Thank you, Matt!  Did your stuff from me ever arrive?

Beckham is Razor Metal or something.  I never really paid much attention to any Razor offerings.  I wanted to see what these in particular were all about though, and it was priced at a solid shiny nickel, and I had just slightly more than that leftover, so I was all “Eh, why not?”, and there it is.  I know nothing more about these or Razor than I did before.  But it’s pretty cool looking I guess.  He and the Nomo are the two cards on this scan for trade.  I’m not keeping Moreland, but his destination has already been chosen.

Ah, Starfire, in presumably less terribly written days.  The Titans have had a lot more downs than ups in their existence, as I understand.

Cards like the Nomar above are mostly what I’m after of him.  Love the quirky inserts from the second half of the ’90s and first half of the aughts, and who better to go after than the Ken Boyer of his day, whose heyday coincides with the most unbridled creative time in the history of the hobby.  Haha, yeah!  Stamp-like die-cut, foil that can’t decide if it’s silver or gold (I still don’t know!), and multiple photos.  Man… the 1990s were truly the greatest decade ever.

And speaking of that 1996-2000 sweet spot of glorious cardmatic wonder, a pretty spiffy insert from a happier, more easygoing, less cynical point in the life of Topps Finest, celebrating the previous year’s MVP (TD), Super Bowl MVP (Tebow Hater Elway), and Rookie of the Year (Straight Cash Homey Moss).

Well, there ya go.  I woke up enough to get wacky at the end.  But for this post, this is the end.  And after just over 300 posts, I still don’t know how to segue to outtro.  So I’ll just be on my way then.  Seeya.

Man I totally realized I left off at least two other people I owed cards to on my New Year’s post…

Seriously though, how refreshing is it to see a good young player being responsible with his money?

.. And this would be Hasheem Thabeet. I think?

This would be Roy Hibbert, for the record..

I’d like to maybe get one of my first drafts of novels written (three in development), and while I’m going to try, I’m not making it a resolution.  It has to be an organic thing, like my success in getting healthier was last year.  I didn’t make a resolution to do that.  I just decided last March to take the vast majority of red meat out of my diet and try to eat a little healthier in general.  And circumstances necessitated I be a little more physical than normal, having to clean up and prepare my place for inspections entirely on my own.  It just works out better that way, I think.

I have a few collecting goals I hope to achieve this year, but again, I’m only making a resolution of the first one or three.  I’m not going very far out of my way for the rest.  Life and everything will dictate where I end up on them.

1.) This is the important one.  I must get all my outstanding trades dealt with.  I know I owe cards to Marie, CamClow, GSNHoF, Carl Crawford Cards, Shoebox Legends, Project ’62, Pursuit of Griffey, and one other very long-defunct blog.  Plus I have several more trades to get too in the near future.  I need to be a better and more consistent trader!

2.) This is of some importance too.  Get all my pages fully updated.  I’ve done a bit of this here & there in recent weeks, getting a little trade bait and player collections added in, but I’m still a long way from finished.  There are probably more tweaks to come as well.

3.) Also kinda important.  Blog more!  Since I got my parents old scanner and it’s already set up and working and everything, I don’t have any excuses left to not blog on a regular basis, except just not having anything to say sometimes.  And those times I can probably find something else to talk about.  Geeky news, sports commentary, novel nonsense, passable poetry, whatever.  Just say something, kid.

4.) Now for the collection itself.  Break 100 cards in at least two player collections.  With the Zambrano collection on the shelf for the time being, I think Aramis Ramirez is my only one within shouting distance, so I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me if I’m going to finish this one.  I think Vlad Guerrero and Ichiro are my next closest, and Vlad doesn’t have as many chasers, so I’d guess he’ll probably be my second.  Ichiro and Ryne Sandberg could still be contenders though.

5.) Get to 50 cards in the 1960 Topps set. I think I’ll need about 37 cards to do this.  I have 12 in-hand and Wally Post waiting to be delivered from the Diamond Giveaway.  It’s… doable, I guess.  We’ll just have to see what comes up.

6.) Complete a few sets.  I think 2010 Topps 2020 (only need Buster Posey), Propaganda Posters, and a couple of the Baseball Highlights sketches are reasonable to expect myself to finish.  Perhaps the World’s Greatest Word Smiths.

7.) Start a baseball Frankenset.  792 cards.  Every base set ever made by any company can be used.  SPs and variations are acceptable as long as they retain their particular set’s numbering (thus making recent topps variations and such eligible for inclusion, but only non-parallel versions).

Guess that’s it for today.  I’m done braining.  Coherence… failing.  Today was long and busy.  Most of the last couple weeks have been.  Sleep sounds good.  Preferably 16 hours or so.  I’ve been doing a little better with it lately after falling apart for a couple months, so lots of fairly restful sleep isn’t entirely out of the question.  Goodnight and such.

Oh yeah, I also resolve to have a one night stand/torrid affair with a celebrity.

Baseball: Tyler Colvin, Geovany Soto, Fred McGriff, Hanley Ramirez, and Ken Griffey Jr. are all most likely permanently deactivated player collections.  The last two weren’t on the list, but I never officially dropped them until now.

Carlos Zambrano and Felix Hernandez are at least temporarily deactivated.

David Ortiz is an active player collection again.  Nomar Garciaparra is now an active player collection as well.

Basketball: Julius Erving, Rashad McCants, Joakim Noah,  Antoine Walker, and Dominique Wilkins are most likely permanently deactivated player collections.

Luol Deng is now an active player collection.

Jason Richardson is under consideration to be be added.

Football: Johnny Knox, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, Greg Olsen, Rashard Mendenhall, Chad Ochocinco, Randall Cunningham, and Jerry Rice are all most likely permanently deactivated player collections.

Warren Moon and Josh Freeman are temporarily deactivated, though I only have maybe two cards of Freeman anyway.  Several other guys I’m dropping in various sports have less than five cards apiece too.

Hakeem Nicks and Eric Decker are under consideration to be added.

In other player collection news, I think Dustin Byfuglien and Marian Hossa will be my two hockey player collections, and Hope Solo in soccer.  My active pro wrestling collections are Booker T, Eve Torres, and Gail Kim.

All that said, if the opportunity arises to land trifecta pieces for any of my deactivated player collections, I will still make a deal.

Now onto sets.

Baseball: 2009 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects WBC Purple Refractors are no longer being pursued.  I will be keeping the five or six I have though.  I’m still a World Baseball Classic fan.

2011 Gypsy Queen Green Framed Paper Parallels are no longer being pursued.  According to what I had listed before I deleted it, Tris Speaker, Johnny Cueto,  Ian Kinsler Johan Santana, Pee Wee Reese, George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby, Josh Hamilton, David Price, Derek Jeter, and Ozzie Smith should all still be here and available, preferably for any The Great Ones I still need or other Framed Papers of players I collect (either color).

2011 topps Diamond Anniversary Parallels have long been abandoned, but now they will no longer appear on the set wantlists page.  Between regular and Cognac, I’m pretty sure I have over 40 available for trade.

2008 Goudey Sport Royalty, 2009 topps Chrome WBC, and 2011 topps Kimball Champions are under review.

2003 Donruss Estrellas Leyendas del Pasado has been added.

2009 Topps Unique Unique Unis has been added.

Basketball: 2009-10 Upper Deck 3D Stars are no longer being pursued.  As such, Dwight Howard/Kevin Garnett, Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce, and Dwyane Wade are available for trade.

Why am I doing all this?  Well, my funds are limited as ever, and my tastes are changing.  I’m now actively seeking trifectas, and key rookies in general (super/stars of their day, historically significant players, Hall of Famers), amongst other things.  So I thought it was time to part ways with some sets and players I’m less committed to, and best to do it in some official way.  I’ve also set up a new page specifically to track my themed collections.

So, with several items no longer on my plate and knowing how I want to proceed with the rest, things will hopefully be ever-so-slightly more focused heading into the new year.  Now if I could just get my cards themselves in order so well.  Seriously, if you’ve been waiting for ages on a trade package from me, you can rest assured it’s because I lost an important piece of your trade amongst my endless piles of random cards and it hasn’t turned up yet.

So, that’s it for now.  Hopefully I’ll have something to say about anything again real soon.  Just pray that it isn’t politics related.  That would be… unpleasant, for everyone involved.

Fuck you, Newt/SOPA/NDAA/David Stern/Kardashians/Humanity Err… Bye!

In other news, I have at least three packages going out over the weekend as well, possibly more.  Now then, onto the pretty pretty card pictures.  Huzzah!

Iconic minis, Agent Zero, Japanese stickers, a set completing starlet, and some numbered Cats..

None of these are for trade.  The Kenn/Cat is a red parallel #’ed /50, the Fusion is to /150.  The 1980-81 style Arenas is part of a booklety-type thing, except his was missing.  I have a Chris Paul that’s all together though, so I’ll go into more detail whenever I get CP3 scanned and posted.  The COMC pics don’t adequately describe it.  Kosuke and Tuffy aren’t too exciting to look at, but I didn’t even know there were stickers like that made in Japan.  Finally, Selma Blair completes my PopCardz relic set, but that too is another post for another time.

A tire swatch, a shiny Vlad, a super thick and transparent (and I guess die-cut) 'Twoine, The Sarge, Vitters, a great player with a lame patch, Gale Sayers, and a '60 high number..

Only The Sarge is for trade.  Ed is my second ’60 high number, which is pretty good considering I’m just barely into double digits overall.  I say maybe die-cut on Antoine Walker because the five tiny squares at the bottom and the three near the top are holes that go clear through the card, which is patch card thick.  Love that tire swatch; trying to at least one of every single type of relic card in existence.  The Vlad is from the golden age of shiny cards.  In fact it doesn’t so much shine as glow.  It’s a lost art.  Topps just doesn’t have it, and every attempt I’ve seen Panini make at shiny is downright atrocious.  Papi’s patch really is lame.  It’s hard to say for sure that it’s even a patch.  Vitters only set me back about $.75, if I recall correctly.  And Gale Sayers… well, it’s GALE SAYERS, what more need be said?

Horford & some guy, a couple swatches of maybe the most underrated player ever, old school Wiz Rip, Brook & some guys, a giant floor swatch, Gallinari, and J-Rich

All of these are for trade.  I think the theme here is underrated.  If you keep offering up any of these guys for as little as this, I suppose I will feel compelled to take them every time.  There’s just a certain price point for some guys.  The Hawks are probably all going to Dayf unless someone else wants to make an offer on them.  I’ve got a mess of stuff for him already, so if he doesn’t come over and outright demand them, it’s probably not a big deal.  Anyway, have at thee.

An unfortunate necessity, Maury, BJ, Pettitte is already claimed, I think V-Mart is too, Carlos Lee in his days on the South Side, Buchholz (was he claimed too?), Atkins on the Rocks..

Have at these too.  They are all for trade, or were.  Pettitte was claimed by zee Dimwit, I think Baseball Dad got V-Mart, and I want to say Buchholz was claimed too, but I don’t know for sure.  If you claimed it, speak up, otherwise I’m listening to offers again.  Cardinals, bleh.  But we Cubs fans need to have some around for our Missouriable rivals.  It’s a symbiotic thing.  Better to send ‘em to someone who will inexplicably cherish them than make kindling out of them I guess.

The Marlins last hope get a fanbase, Iceman, Addai, a fellow headcase, Amar'e, Mr. Kardashian, and some card backs..

Reyes is bound for Wicked Ortega country, Amar’e was claimed by Plaschke ages ago, but the other four are available.  I despise all that the Kardashians stand for, but that Odom is just a good looking card.  It’s also hilarious.  Listed as a Laker, pictured with the Heat, and the back says the jersey swatch is from his time with the Clippers.  I’d like to believe the floor came from his high school, lol.  Does Vince Young still have fans or collectors?  Do the Colts?  Also, there’s the back of the Antoine Walker card.  Yup.

That’s it.  No more pretty pictures and even more incoherent than usual babble for tonight.  Feel free to stake your claim on any of the available cards you like.  And as always, thanks for stopping by.

*BAMF*

That’s not why I’m here though.  I’m here to talk about autographs.  Just stumbled upon a post over at Nachos Grande, and even though I’m way behind, I thought I’d belatedly answer his questionnaire.  This is timely too.  I just pulled a sweet Brandon Phillips (on-card) autograph from a pack of 2009 UD Goudey from Target’s $1.59 bin on Sunday (it’s ridiculous how many nice pulls I’ve had from various $1.59 bins over the years).  It serves as an excellent tie-in to the lost art of the veteran player autograph VOTC was recently bemoaning as well.  Anyway, survey says!

1.) What is the best autograph you own?

I’ll assume this means favorite, and that’s an easy one.  2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame Seasons Billy Williams Auto/Bat #’ed 9/15.  Perhaps the single most beautiful sticker auto set ever released.  It just oozes class.

2.) What is the best autograph you’ve ever pulled from a pack of cards.

There is no doubt I have to go with my 2008-09 Fleer Derrick Rose Signature Approval Autograph from a 60%-off clearanced blaster from K-Mart.  There is no question anymore, it’s easily my greatest retail pull ever, and part of my first ever definitely completed trifecta.  Second would have to be my 2005 Upper Deck Legends Tony Dorsett SP auto, from a wonderfully disorganized little comic & card shop in the Quad Cities.  I pulled it awhile before my blogging days and I didn’t find any posts about.  So maybe I should look into posting about it one of these days.

3.) What’s the worst autograph you’ve ever pulled from a pack of cards?

I don’t even remember the guy’s name.  Nachos Grande might actually have it though.  I know it was a Red.  I recall the other four guys in the pack all being pretty good, if not superstars, and then this schlub that barely cracked the lineup was the big hit.  I was just happy to at least get something though.  It was the last pack in a pretty terrible 15 pack for $9.99 cube at Target.  A quick search of COMC tells me it was from a pack of 2005 Donruss Team Heroes and that Jacob Cruz may have been the guy I pulled.

4.) Do you try to get autographs through the mail?  If so, what sort of success (or failure) stories do have?

I’ve been wanting to try this but have never gotten around to it.  So I guess the failure story would be my own laziness and/or shyness.

5.) Who was the subject of your first ever autograph?

I don’t remember which one came first for sure, and I don’t have or know whatever became of two of them, but there are three I remember from my youth.  Bozo the Clown appeared at the local mall for an autograph signing, I got an autograph from an area TV news guy (I want to say this was a school field trip, but I dunno for sure), and my dad took me to see the King and His Court own a team of local radio and newspaper guys & gals in softball and we got a hat signed by the whole team (this is the one that’s still around, because it isn’t mine and pops can actually keep track of things reasonably well).  The news guy was a mildly interesting case.  He had us sign our autographs for him too, lol.

6.) Do you actively collect any autographs (certain players, teams, brands, etc)?

I try to get my players of course.  And I have some random Cubbies from back when I was able to be freer with my money.  Brand doesn’t really matter too much.  As long as it’s visually appealing, I’ll happily take it.

7.) Which is better: Autographs or Relics?

Well, I do like relics a lot more than your average collector.  A good patch/prime swatch is always welcome, and I dig the odd swatches.  I recently added a race-used tire and a Stadium Seat in my not-terribly-serious-but-still-kinda-there quest to land every type of relic card possible.  I also have shoe, football helmet, laundry tag, face mask, hat, base, baseball, bikini and lingerie (what?) amongst my lesser-seen relic collection.  But autographs, you can’t beat autographs.  They have a certain level of intimacy about them… Just something about writing one’s name I’d guess, even in sticker form.  Seeing Shawon Dunston Jr.’s twitpics from signing that ridiculous amount of stickers… hey, the guys might not touch the card itself, but those dumb things still gotta be signed.

8.) What do you think of cut autos?

Love the idea.  Don’t always care for the execution.  Checks are awesome, index cards are awesome.  Things that aren’t a part of something bigger make for a great cut auto.  But don’t cut up letters or documents or signed photos to make a cut auto.  I’m don’t get as upset as many people do over younger people having cut autos.  Life is unpredictable, and unfortunately bad things happen sometimes.  Still though, you might ease up a bit though, eh companies?  Cutting up an autograph card you yourself made just last year to make a cut auto… Really, topps?  That’s pretty pathetic.  Like I said though, when they manage to get them right, cut autos are one of the absolute best pieces of memorabilia you could ever hope to own.

9.) What is your favorite autograph design (say in the last 5 years)?

It’s a little past 5 years old now, but see question 1.  That is a hard design to beat.  I also love me some Sweet Spot/Shot.  The autos on embedded ball/puck/mini helmet are gorgeous, even though certain years have been known to fade.  UD Black has some amazing autos too.  I’m partial to the Lustrous and Game Day Lineup autos myself.

10.) If you could get the autograph of any five people (dead or alive), who would you want a signature from (and why)?

Walter Payton- The greatest running back of all-time played for my team and finished his career just before I was old enough to really start getting into sports, and he died way too young.

John Lennon- One of the most legendary musicians ever.  Helped influence and define a generation.  Seemed like a pretty cool dude too.  Also died way too young.

Any influential comic book creators from the medium’s earlier days- Jack Kirby, Bill Finger, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Gardner Fox, etc.  Any of those guys.  I’m a huge geek, and comics are a big part of that.  They set my imagination afire, and I would love to have an autograph of any of the influential people that built comic books into such an amazing medium.

Frank Frazetta- One of the greatest artist ever, period.  I could never hope to have even a fraction of his talent, but great art still inspires me to maximize whatever skill I do have.

Roberto Clemente-  Sensing a theme amongst many of my choices?  Also died way too young.  He was something I dream of being.  He made good, and turned around and used his fame to make the world a better place, and did it in such a way as to look effortless.  That is so amazingly cool.  If I should ever be able to make good myself, I want to do that.  I want to be smart and cool and use my good fortune to bestow good fortune on others.

There you go.  That’s my autograph answers.  I really had to some legitimate thought into it, but I think it was worthwhile.  We laughed, we cried, we shared some great memories, and we learned a little something about ourselves in the process.  It was fun, oh my.

I dunno when I’ll be back, but don’t consider this a goodbye…

There were no inserts, so you'll just have to make do with hotness.

One pack had 8 cards and was just as thick as the hit pack, but the cards were mostly dupes from the very next pack!  Lame.  Anyway, the hit.

Police Woman!

That was a short & sweet post.  Not much of note besides the hit, but the hit was pretty cool, if mildly dinged.  Any version of Americana is great fun regardless of pulls though.  I can’t explain it, it’s just… fun.

Truck Tomatoes

The Happy Warrior and Mike "Quicksand" Pyle.. I believe the former is already a done deal.

A “scan/picture doesn’t do it justice” Allan Houston & a high end Gallinari #’ed /99..

Amare 2-color (I'm calling patch; the white part is slightly raised) & Nets Brook Lopez/Ryan Anderson/Chris Douglas-Roberts triple jersey..

I didn’t forget the rest of you though.  There’s plenty more good basketball stuff to be had too (especially if you’re a Hawks fan).  Baseball is more most bloggers thing though.  Well, I might be able to hook some of you up too.  Have a looksie:

Shawn Green, Maury Wills, Rick Ankiel..

Not a Cardinals fan, obviously but as Night Owl has eloquently noted a time or two, having something around to trade with your rival team’s fans is never a bad thing, even if neither one of you will ever understand why the other would ever willingly support such a loathsome team, lol.

V-Mart and the Sarge bat cards..

Buchholz & Astro Andy..

And that will do it for now.  Shoebox Legends has dibs on Clay.  Let me know if you see something you like, and remember, this is only a preview.  There are quite a few more where these came from.  And I’m slowly getting drawn back into the trading thing, so there’s a fair chance you will get your cards before the world ends next December, haha.

Until our next..