Dinged Corners wants to know…

1-If I didn’t collect baseball cards, I’d collect _________.

McFarlane figures.  Even when I wasn’t collecting cards, I would still buy any Yankee or Vikings I came across, along with exceptions like Joe Mauer, Chad Pennington, and Kevin Garnett.

 

 

2-My baseball heroes include one you probably wouldn’t know from my blog or comments, and that person is __________.

Mark McGwire.  He was my childhood hero growing up, and I still look back at collecting his cards very fondly.  I was a ten year old pack searcher, looking through the front of 1988 Score for McGwire’s name, and always got to go to an A’s game when Oakland came to the Cities.  Despite his unceremonious demise a few years ago, he is still my all-time favorite player, and a very nice guy to boot.

 

3-Every New Years I resolve to __________ my collection.

Ummm, I didn’t really start collecting again until this past May, so I’ll have to answer “Ignore.”

4-If I could spend a day with one person from baseball history, it would be ________.

Babe Ruth, because we share a birthday and I bet he’d get me really drunk if we went out to celebrate it.

ROUND TWO:

1-What is your favorite kind of dog?

Scottish Terrier, like President Bush’s.  I grew up with one, Kirby (after Kirby Puckett) and when he died, we got Henry (after Henry Blake (M*A*S*H)) a year later.

2-Who is your favorite baseball player?

Andy Pettitte, far and away.  And like I said earlier, I still have a soft spot for Mark McGwire, in addition to Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

3-What is your favorite team?

The hated Yankees, of course.

4-What is your favorite baseball movie?

Major League.  I don’t care if Charlie Sheen does believe 9/11 was an inside job, I’ll always be a fan after seeing him as Mitch Vaughn.

5-What is your favorite baseball book?

Probably “The Life You Imagine” by Derek Jeter.  I want to pick up the late Bobby Murcer’s too.

6-What is your favorite card?

I’m too dumb to post pictures, but it’s the Yankee Stadium Legacy Memorabilia jersey card of Andy Pettitte that Mario sent me from Wax Heaven.  As a Yankees fan, it’s great to get a relic card of your favorite player that commemorates the final year of your favorite team’s iconic stadium.  After typing all that, it may have been easier to just learn how to post a picture.

2006

Yeah, this post is going to be substantially longer than the others – I need a lot of 2006 and the market was a little more Pettitte-friendly than the past two years.   Posting 2005 might kill me, and that would be a stupid way to die.  As per usual, I am not including refractors, parallels, etc, although chances are I definitely need them.

Bazooka 4-On-1 stickers #5

Flair Showcase #143

Fleer Tradition 1934 Goudey Greats #GG12

Topps Allen & Ginter – all minis

Topps Co-signers – All

Topps Triple Threads – All

Ultimate Collection #237

Upper Deck Team Pride #PE

I guess that wasn’t quite so bad… if work continues to lag, I’ll continue to post the 2000s I need.  Either that or go in and list every damn Finest/Turkey Red/Co-Signers/Bowman parallel.  Just to kill time.

The Mailday in Waiting

May as well throw one more easy on up.  While Beckett continues to be the scorn of many online, I have found one more use for them (the other being a nice checklist system): the dealer shop.  I found a dealer out in Oregon with a ton of cheap Andys and ordered the following:

(1) 1998 Score Rookie Traded Showcase Series #PP23 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Upper Deck World Series Heroes #88 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Zenith #88 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Pinnacle #103 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Metal Universe #92 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Select Certified #91 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Bowman’s Best #24 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Pacific Online #512 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Leaf #185 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Pinnacle Inside #32 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Topps Heritage #57 Andy Pettitte Black

(1) 1998 Finest #270 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Diamond Kings #349 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 UD Authentics #91 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Fleer Sweet Sigs #47 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Donruss Signature #74 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man #436 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man #1169 Andy Pettitte RT

(1) 1998 Donruss Signature #72 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars #1 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Topps #623 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Topps #497 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Bowman Chrome #129 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Topps Chrome Traded #T24 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Donruss Elite #44 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Upper Deck #368 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Fleer Tradition #324 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Donruss #200 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Collector’s Choice #234 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Playoff Prestige #125 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Bowman Chrome #7 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2006 SP Authentic #37 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Studio #84 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Donruss Elite #102 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Leaf Century #195 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Pacific #156 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Absolute Memorabilia #125 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2007 Topps Red Back #32 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Bowman’s Best #21 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Topps Chrome #337 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Donruss #125 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Pinnacle #29 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Absolute Memorabilia Retail #18 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Bazooka #182 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Upper Deck Etchings #41 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Fleer #194 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Throwback Threads #81 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Score #82 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Score #518 Andy Pettitte RF

(1) 1997 Pinnacle Certified #92 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1995 Emotion #65 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Studio #197 A.Pettitte/D.Wells

(1) 1997 Sports Illustrated #66 Andy Pettitte SIV

(1) 1997 Sports Illustrated #130 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Topps Limited #433 Andy Pettitte Light chipping on edges

(1) 1997 Leaf #198 Andy Pettitte CL

(1) 2004 Donruss World Series Blue #21 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Bowman 1st Edition #129 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Score Premium Stock #82 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2000 MLB Showdown 1st Edition #307 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 SPx #35 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Topps Gallery #104 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Topps Chrome #623 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Classic Clippings #74 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Flair #134 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Bowman #43 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Bowman’s Best #44 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Bowman Heritage #98 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 SP #130 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Ultra #46 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Fleer Focus JE #159 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Fleer Platinum #14 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2004 Upper Deck #543 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Upper Deck MVP #152 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Playoff Prestige #50 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2005 Studio #128 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Sports Illustrated World Series Fever #109 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Fleer #196 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Donruss Team Heroes #337 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Fleer Triple Crown #37 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Donruss Elite #125 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1993 Bowman #103 Andy Pettitte RC

(1) 2005 Fleer Platinum #60 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Bazooka #116 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Donruss #91 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Upper Deck Victory #255 D.Jeter/A.Pettitte CL

(1) 1999 SkyBox Molten Metal #50 Andy Pettitte MS

(1) 2004 Upper Deck Vintage #288 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Select Company #58 Andy Pettitte R

(1) 2001 Bowman Chrome #106 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2001 Bowman Heritage #29 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2003 Bazooka 4 on 1 Sticker #46 Sabathia/Vizq/Pettitte/Vent

(1) 1996 Donruss #74 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Leaf #132 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Pinnacle #14 Andy Pettitte

(1) 2002 Fleer Tradition #386 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1998 Fleer Tradition #144 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1995 Flair #287 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1996 Ultra #104 Andy Pettitte

(1) 1997 Upper Deck #254 Andy Pettitte UPD @WHS

(1) 1997 Upper Deck #266 Andy Pettitte UPD @WHS

(1) 1997 Score Premium Stock #518 Andy Pettitte RF

I understand this is exciting only to me.  I’m okay with that.

Surviving the weekend

I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend with my girlfriend’s family to celebrate Christmas.  The weekend got a headstart on getting turned upside down my buddy called Friday to ask if I wanted to go to the Vikings game today.  I replied, in a word, “yep,” and knew I would be looking forward to that all weekend.  What I didn’t anticipate was the winter storm that sodomized the midwest, causing a 19-person inpromptu slumber party at her grandma’s house last night, and the ongoing paranoia if I would make it to today’s game.  I did… and the Vikes pretty much shit the bed.  But as much as I would like to gripe, it was a cool move of my buddy to give me this Christmas gift, and anytime I can see Chad Greenway in person, I’ll do it.

Anyway, here’s the 2007 Pettitte wantlist I never got around to posting at work on Friday.  This week should be relatively slow at the college, so I should be able to get a handsome chunk of my needs posted.  Again, I won’t be farting around listing the 1 of 1s, refractors, etc, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need them.  If there’s something odd you have and isn’t on the list, by all means let me know.

On with the show:

2007

Allen & Ginter mini #251

Allen & Ginter mini Bazooka #251

Allen & Ginter mini black #251

Allen & Gintter mini NNO

Goudey Memorabilia #10

Upper Deck #839

I also need the Topps parallels: Gold, copper, foil, whatever else I looked over.  Truth be told, I’m fried and juuuuuuuuuust about ready to pass out.  If you can help with any of these chunks I’m needing, I’m all ears.

Pettitte Wantlist: 2008

I have to kill a few hours at the office this morning, which equates to me posting on here.  A couple of people have posted their year-end wantlists for ’08, and I figure I may as well do the same.  I’m not including any printing plates/1-of-1s, or refractors on here, but if you have any, definitely look me up.  I’ll work my way backwards towards the mid-90s as time allows, but for how, here we go:

Allen & Ginter Mini Bazooka #138

SPx Winning Materials relic: Any

Topps Black #628

Topps Commemorative Patch Relics #AP

Topps Gold Border #628

Topps Gold Foil #628

Topps Moments & Milestones #112: 1-20, 22-33, 35-55, 57-68, 70-79, 81-96, 98-106, 108-111, 113-125, 127-132, 134-137, 139-141, 143-168, 170-188, 190-200

Topps Moments & Milestones Black #112: 1-13, 15-54, 56-68, 70-121, 123-134, 136-178, 180-200

Upper Deck All-Star Fanfest #13

Upper Deck Gold #291

Upper Deck Spectrum Retrospectrum Relics #AP1, AP2

Upper Deck Timeline Memorabilia #PE

Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy: #6153-6156, 6158-6162, 6164, 6166, 6167, 6169-6172, 6177, 6203, 6205, 6208, 6210-6212, 6214, 6217, 6221, 6222, 6226, 6227, 6278-6289, 6291-6294, 6298-6302

So that didn’t take nearly as long as I expected it to… maybe I’ll tack an ’07 one on here as long as I’m bored.  If you have anything on this list, along with any relics, refractors, #ed, or just plain oddball stuff, look a brotha up.

Wanna Swap?

In paying tribute to my baseball card-whorish ways,  I am mentioning trading in my third consecutive post.  However, I’m not using this particular entry as a call for Pettitte cards, but more to explain how I trade, and what I’ll trade for.  I do mostly blind trading with other bloggers – the only two exceptions to this rule are Chris’ wantlist at Stale Gum and the first trade I did with Steve at White Sox Cards.  Otherwise, I pretty much round up everything I have of a team, put ’em in a box, and send them on their ways.  Unfortunately, by doing this I tend to include duplicates, and even triplicates from time to time.  I don’t really like doing it, but it’s done in hope that these collectors have networked with other collectors of their team, and they can trade off what I send to get stuff they need.  So when you’re pulling that fourth Torii Hunter card out of your box, please know my heart is in the right place.

So if you’re still with me after reading that, and are still intrigued, here’s a list of what I look for in trade, in order of priority (so business-like):

1. Andy Pettitte.  Both Yankees and Astros cards.  Beckett says there are 3300+ Pettittes out there, and my collection will be at 10% of that when my mail comes next week.  Needless to say, I have a long way yet to go.  I’m looking for whatever you have: base, relic, parallel – if it’s Andy, email me, and I’ll take a look.

1A. Chad Greenway.  Being from Iowa and living in Minnesota, Greenway is a fan of these two teams’ dream come true.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a dream collection of him: six cards.  One would think living in Minneapolis would lend itself well to finding Greenway cards, but he sells out incredibly quickly around here.

2. Derek Jeter.  Getting back into the hobby, I initially planned on focusing on Jeter.  While I still pick his stuff up at shops, and love getting them in trades, zeroing in on collecting his stuff would have bankrupted me many times over.  By all means, though, if you have Jeters you don’t want, lemme know (again, with the whoring.  I’m shameless).

3. Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada.  These round out the players I really concentrate on, and by concentrate, I mean request in trade, search out at card shops/online.   I rank Rivera just slightly over Posada, but gladly accept cards of either.

4. Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill, Joba Chamberlain, Bernie Williams, Roger Clemens.  More favorite Yankees, who I love getting in trades.  However, at this point it turns into collecting too many players, so I’ll pick them up in the common bins (not so much with Joba and Clemens) and tell traders I am looking for them.

5.  Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.  Hey, I live in the Twin Cities, I have to have someone local to cheer for during the season when I can’t watch Yankee games.  My collections of both are modest, although I have finally started receiving a few trades as well.  Twins cards go for above-Beckett value around here, so the best I can hope for is pulling from packs or getting them in the mail.

6. Other Yankees.  Traders probably are much better off sending their A-Rods, Mantles, etc to other Yankee collectors and getting more bang for their buck.  However, I will not refuse them and can find homes for them as well.

I do believe that’s everything.  Wait, Shane Battier too.  I’m too lazy to re-write/re-rank every player, so if you bust basketball and pull a Battier, chances are I’m interested.  And on that note, I am being summoned to do actual work.  *sigh*

Dusting this thing off

Wow, it’s been a week since I posted. I used to get fussy at work when I would look around and see that nobody had posted a new blog for a few hours… I guess I should have typed a mile in someone else’s shoes before getting frustrated.

Today’s (work) mail brought me a nice package of cards from Cliff at Capewood’s Commons. We first traded this summer, when Cliff helped me downsize my collection by taking the Phillies and Astros off my hands, and in turn provided me with a few hundred Yankees, including the first Andy Pettitte jersey card for my collection. More NYY goodness arrived today when mail was delivered, and I was treated to a generous helping of some of my Yankee favorites, including Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez and a Jeter/Schilling Marquee Matchups he pulled from a pack of SP Authentic. I don’t have a scanner that operates properly, so you’ll just have to believe that he send a great selection of cards, and I’m grateful to be able to add them to my collection. Cliff, you can expect a healthy package sent your way during the holiday season, when I get the rest of my Phillies cards ready for you.

I also got a nice shipment of Pettittes from Checkoutmycards.com – about 18 base cards that probably wouldn’t interest many of you, along with a 2004 Donruss World Series g/u bat card and a 2006 UD Materials jersey card. I’ve been incredibly pleased with all of my experiences at COMC, and turned around and ordered three more jersey cards from them last night, along with the 2006 Topps Heritage SP of him, Clemens and Oswalt.

While it would be nice to say that quenched my thirst for Pettittes for a while, I cannot. Today at work, I found a dealer on Beckett’s store listing selling a ton of Pettitte base cards I didn’t have. 88 cards later, my order was placed and the addiction was fed further. While I feel borderline insane buying amounts like this, I reassure myself that if I was a Jeter collector, I would be chasing 20x the cards at probably 20x the money too. I’ll still gladly take those Jeters in a trade, pull them from a pack, or get them at the local shop, but I have to save my online binges for Andy cards only. Otherwise, I’ll be in debt for stuff I really can’t justify.

I’m sure I’m forgetting about a dozen other things I wanted to post, but they’ll come to me at some inconvenient time, I’m sure. Oh wait, if you want to have your page featured here, lemme know. I’ve traded with a good chunk of the blogosphere, and as a thank you for your generosity I can at least link to you guys. And as always, if you have some Pettitte cards you want to get rid of, look me up. I’m more than happy to send you a list of what I have, in hopes you have something not on there.

And so it begins…

I figure I’ve bothered enough baseball card bloggers via email that it’s time I get my own blog and hopefully start getting solicited by other collectors out there.  After months of taking my quest to get new cards of Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Chad Greenway to other bloggers, I now hope that readers will find me with hopes to unload the cards they don’t want.

I started collecting baseball cards again this past May after a 14-year hiatus from the hobby, and returned to a world I hardly recognized.  I was aware that Upper Deck had started putting jersey pieces in cards, but had no idea that such things as printing plates, 1 of 1’s, and twenty different parallel versions of a base card existed.  It quickly dawned on me that my original intention – to collect all Yankees cards was bordering between unreasonable and impossible (thank you very much Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy).  It was with this I narrowed down my focus.

Initially I was collecting Derek Jeter, and still do.  However, the premium price his cards command helped me realize that if I wanted to become a true player collector and have a shot at getting most (sadly, not at all) of his cards, I would need to find someone who is a little less in the collecting public’s eye.  Enter: Andy Pettitte.  I had his 1994 Bowman as a remind of my past collecting days, and since he was such an integral part of the Yankees’ 90s dynasty, I ran with him.  Starting with that one card, my collection has grown over several months to the current total of 241.

So there it is: I am here in hopes I will gain some sort of following and do some trading with collectors.  My collection is online at Beckett under “EPSlette” if you’re curious.  If you have something that I don’t – look a brother up.  In the meantime, I’ll be posting stuff I get in the mail via trade, and if I get super desperate, stuff I buy from Checkoutmycards.com.  Oh, and I’m also looking for those who collect the Blue Jays, Pirates and Diamondbacks.  In the effort to streamline my collection (another story for another post) I am getting rid of all my cards that aren’t a select few players.  If you collect these teams, let me know – ask other bloggers and they can let you  know that it’ll be worth your while.