More Boys In Blue

 We continue going through the Jays sent my way by Oren, and the odds and sods as it were.

Frank Thomas is the only Jay in the 20th Anniversary Upper Deck set, so a nice one and done there. We have through the post today a number of archives cards, which always get a bit confusing to me as I don't like having to squint at copy right days, and sometimes it's a bit more difficult to figure which set cards are from. Sure, the stat years on the back help, but sometimes they are retro inserts and not even from an Archive set.

That complaint aside, many of the re-done designs do look really good.

Some solid inserts with Stars of the MLB and the Home Run Challenge. The 2003 Topps Total Cash card is silver parallel which I didn't know there was since I don't see much Topps Total cards to begin with.

Here's an example of different sets looking the same - The Yamaguchi card looks identical to the other cards here, but it's actually an insert from 3 years earlier.

Snider is another nice one off Jays "set".

A couple more Biggio cards for the collection are a good way to end the bunch.

Awesome additions all around, but I may have saved the "hits" for last....tomorrow. :)

Something Old and New But All Blue

 As promised, on to some of the Blue Jays coming from reader Oren, and here we cover some of the older and some of the newer.

Though 1989 Topps, 1911 Fleer, 1990 Upper Deck and 1990 Topps are a plenty, there are still some cards from the era I am missing. Well, the John Olerud 1990 Score Your Superstars card was one until getting it today.

Here are not only my first 2023 Topps Big League cards, but in spades as well. Never going to turn down the dupes, and definitely the newest cards that I have multiple copies of. The design is pretty solid - I like it,.

The backs are really nice too. Not, the foil short print base cards - I could do without the foiling, or have those as a parallel, but small point. Glad to get the Vlad cards, especially the only Jays insert for the 8 Bit Ballers, though would be funny (though maybe too Triple Play like) if Vladdy was done himself in 8 bit too.

Last up, a bunch of needs for the 2023 flagship Topps set. I actually like the design a bit less than Big League, but still very nice fronts, and some good photos as well.

THis is an amazing start, but still more from Oren in his package to me for tomorrow!

Pour In From Oren

 Today I get the pleasure of starting through a recent package from reader Oren. The blind trade saw him get a 400 count (I think) box of hockey cards - mid 90s to early 2000s, and in return, I got some Leafs and Jays, so let's look at Leafs today.

Newer sets are always going to be new to me since I barely ever by new, so these 2022-23 Upper Deck base cards are all new additions. I really do like the minimal design/bordering on the front as it makes the photo the star as it were.

You would think these are just nice team adds for cards from early 90s Upper Deck, but between the different hologram variations and a few French cards, there's about 8-10 new variations for my collection in here which is more than I could have expected.

With all the different parallel colours for sets, they can't all be winners, and here you can see a painful one. Man, that yellow is bright and does nothing for a blue/white colour team like Toronto. It looks slightly better on Murray, but not much. Again though, the yellow are all new and a couple of the base too from the 2022-23 set.

A few fancier cards, which are all new to me. I have never though Prizm to be a pretty set, but at least the designs are pretty consistent year to year. Skybox Metal 2022-23 looks so much like the product from the mid 90s, that if you don't know the player, you would probably get them confused.

I wish that Young Guns design was done in blue, would look so much sleeker for the Leafs, but small point.

Jussi didn't do much in the NHL, showing up for 3 games with Toronto, 2 with Dallas, and that was the extent of his big league career. Can't win them all, as usual, with Young Gun sleections.

Oh, and if you like :hits"...

Stajan was underrated in Toronto, the card design makes for a nice add. A couple serial numbered "base" cards, and some excellent autographs. Brayden Irwin had a similar career to Jussi as Brayden only lasted 2 NHL games in Toronto and that was it. At least Frattin lasted about 130 games, mostly in Toronto over a 4 year or so career.

Beautiful cards, and will be put in the Leaf auto display. Amazing cards, and the Leafs were the lesser pile as we have a few days of Jays to share too!

That's So mid-90s

 The COVID lot today provides about 270 cards from a set I have not seen before, but could tell at first glance, was from the mid 90s.

Here we have 1994 Score in all it's bright colourful mid 90s being. Now, that isn't specifically a complaint, just an observation as I am sure some will like and some will not. I lean a bit on the like side because it's just so 90s bright - reminds me a bit of the starting of Saved By The Bell with the colours and shape to the borders, etc.

The layout for the backs are just fine, and again bright colours, including the red. It definitely stands out.

No surprise that rookies get a subset, but my favourtie is...

The team checklist thing is fine, but having stadium pictures is a great way to do it - love it.

With a last subset, we get to the end of the cards. Definitely would be a good start for someone who had none of the set and was looking to start collecting it...just wrong sport for me of course. Can appreciate that many of the stars are here as well, so not all scraped out which helps too.

TCDB Trade Round Up

 A bunch of little TCDB trades to share, and the first is with member ericcapemay.

A couple really good pick ups here as Phil is the only Jay from the 1988 Classic Red set, and Ozzie should be my last card to complete the 1987 Leaf set of 264 cards. I have to double check still, but should be good, just have to ensure no Donruss cards snuck in!

Next up, a very small trade - I usually do at least a handful of cards if I can, but sent off one and got back these two...

Not "cards", but stickers from 2015 Topps from TCDB member BLWinborn40. These are actually my first two Jays from the set, so it's a start! Nice dirty jersey from Edwin.

Wbudde sent along some Jays as well...

If I ever get to my next purchased lot of cards, I may come across more copies of the A&G ones here, but these win for first logged into the collection at least!

Last up, three Leaf cards from FreakVOE.

THe SP card is the winner here as it's the last of 6 Leaf cards from the 1993-94 Upper Deck insert set that I needed, so another team set completed.

Big thank you to everyone for the great trades!

Classic Minors

 The good would be that, for a set I don't have any of the cards from, the COVID lot provided 344 of the 396 cards in the set, if I did want to collect it. Being a minor league set though, I quickly ruled that out, pulled the minor league Jays and Expos cards for fellow blogger Mike, and stuck the rest on my trade list.

1991 Classic Best isn't a bad set. I mean, the design is nothing too fancy as you can see, but was just fine for the time. You have some good star power, and the tie in of having the minor league team featured on the front is fine. As for the backs...

A nice easy nod to the MLB parent club with the logo, and unfortunately, a bunch of white space in many cases. I get it, but man, all that real estate, would have been nice to get something more in there either with stats or write up.

Hopefully I can get a few trades from these and help some others who collect the set, get closer to or maybe even finish it off in their collection. As for me...not a lot to say about it, or help for me unfortunately.

Some Wuzzling Cards

Before the trade share, a quick update on my Dave & Adam's card issue. Long story short, when I went in person, they made an error in running through my order and overcharged me like $40-50 because a blaster went through as a hobby box, and as we were a bit rushed, I didn't notice until that night, then we headed back to Canada, so I didn't have a chance to go back and fix.

I e-mailed the store (heard nothing back), e-mailed the head office (got a message of, we passed it on to the retail store and they will be in touch), weeks later, still heard nothing so e-mailed the retail store again and the head office, and now have not heard back anything from either. I send pics of the order and receipt, and explained the situation.

In all honesty, I'd be fine if they said, sorry, nothing we can do, and just acknowledged the error. I mean, my bad for not checking right away, but the fact I am getting no real response at all is bothering me.

Now, I don't do a LOT of business with them, I mean, an order for a couple hundred bucks every couple years, but it will make me probably stop going. Again, just the respectful "mistakes happen, sorry" would be fine, and anything more would be amazing and turn a situation that sucks, into a bog positive.

At this point, just wanted to share my frustration with the lack of response, and hope others have a better experience with them, but it has soured me on them at this point....but you never know, maybe I'll still get a response in the next little bit. If I do, will let you know.

Another TCDB trade to share today - this one from Wuzzleteats. Yup, can't make up some of these user names, but it does make me chuckle. I got rid of some duplicate McD hockey cards and turned them into the following...

This was a very successful trade in knocking off team sets as the two 1991-92 Bowman cards complete my Leaf base set.

Here, the Post and Duracell cards are one and done Leaf content sets, as well as John Tavares O Pee Chee being the last of 3 inserts of O Pee CHee Update in the 2018-19 Upper Deck offering to complete that Leaf insert team set.

This is the best of them though, as we have the final cards to complete the 2022-23 base set for Tim Hortons. I still have a bunch of insert cards needed, but it means I can focus on those next, and hopefully help reduce my traders a bit, as I'd be happy to trade 2-3 base cards of whatever, or more, as needed, to get some of the lower hanging inserts.

Another amazing trade with a TCDB member, and just another example of why the site rocks as I would never have completed this set without using it.

Solo Bender

I know, it sounds like a sad tale of a night of drinking alone, but in fact it's a mash up of two TCDB members with which I traded and can share with you now - definitely much better. 

First, from FreehanSolo, we have some Finest Blue Jays covering a few different years.

I can at least say that the designs now, are much more familiar to me since I have come across a lot more of the cards in the COVID lot, though nice to pick up some Jays since those have been, for the most part, MIA in what I have had to go through.

The second PWE trade is with TCDB member abendermsu who sent across some nice wrestling and more Jays cards.

I am not a fan of Chronicles sets, but being a fan of wrestling supersedes that, so, there you go.

From the Jays, the Delgado card is a one and done insert Jays set as it's from 1993-94 Classic Images Four Sport - Sudden Impact. The colouring, which I think is done purposely as a gold-ish foiling, just makes it look more like a photo from the 70s on an old polaroid. Still, a one and done is fun.

For look of the card though, I'd go with Bo.

Either way, two nice PWE trades which bring a good number of keepers and Jays for the collection - many thanks to each accordingly!

Holik Infused

 The last cards from the COVID lot for a few days as I have some trades to share, and we get a bunch of star cards with a good infusion of Bobby Holik.

Oh, and a couple inserts looking like base cards with the couple 2001-02 Signature Series cards as these were actually an update extension which were inserted into 2001-02 Be A Player Update. Still counts as inserts for me, and why I check all the cards...and log them into my traders on TCDB.

The 1990-91 Score Rookie/Traded, yellow border card is the only base keeper for me today, and as I say, Holik infused.

Bobby played over 1,300 games in 18 seasons in the NHL. He is probably best remembered for his tenure with the Devils, which he was actually lucky enough to get traded back to for his last season in the NHL. Bobby was with New Jersey for 2 Stanley Cups for his career.

Don't see much of the Power Play cards, so I don't collect the set, but I don't mind the swooshing design on the front - colour coordinated and doesn't take up too much space.

Tomorrow - cards that are a bit more focused on having a place in my collection...I did trade for them anyway...

Keep On Tops

 Sometimes we get a bit more focus in the cards from the COVID lot, which can be a good thing...

Okay, not the first cards out as 1999-2000 SP Authentic doesn't do anything for me other than provide a Bruins card I know where to re-home.

1990-91 Topps is great though, as I am able to add another 8 base cards to the set. Now, I hate to ruin this for anyone who will be bothered but, this set is another that has a micro-variation. If you didn't know some (if not all) of the cards have a variation for the copyright line which typically has a star with a C and a different one with a D. This is nothing to me, other than in my Leaf collection, but since it has to be bother me, it can now bother you too.

Also - I hate trying to tell cards from their Tiffany version like Richer here. I don't think he is the Tiffany version, but I wouldn't guarantee it.

I could see maybe liking collecting a Zenith set if I ever get enough to give me a start, but three cards won't cut it, so trade bait it is!

See You Teemu

 Back to hockey cards from the COVID lot today, and we get a few different Teemu cards which is pretty nice...

Hard to think about the Mighty Ducks without thinking Kariya and Selanne. The tandem was great in the 90s for the expansion team.

Teemu had the 76 goals in his rookie season, but cooled a bit in Winnipeg before the move to Anaheim where, with Kariya, he heated up and got back over the 50 goal a season mark.

Sakic is a nice pick up for the Playmaker base set...

Still not collecting 1994-95 Pinnacle, but getting a fair start on it if anyone has any needs from the set!

Kid Sighting

 A bunch of baseball cards from the COVID lot today - a variety too...

I know - I shouldn't be as pumped to see a Mark McGwire card as I am, but regardless of the steroid impact which came after the fact, he was an amazing player to see. Sure, it was an enhanced physique, but the homers and the power were insane (though assisted). Glad to get him here as it's a base card I need, as is the 1988 O Pee Chee Maddux.

Heck, nice to get a couple inserts with Mo and Rafael from some mid-90s Collector's Choice. They remind me a bit of the Simpsons set from the early 90s.

I am no Bowman fan and am only actively collecting 2 sets - 1990 and 1911 - at the moment (foreshadowing as that will change next year). I know they are heavily printed sets, which is why I am collecting without much direct care. I figure the cards I am missing will make it to me eventually.

Even the traders here are pretty neat like Piazza and the Maddux card as well. Not too shabby a day.