Newer Jays

 As promised - some newer Jays from Oren.

I am always happy to get more Vladdy cards - with the ones today, I am up to 82 cards of the star. Seems a nice start, put considering there are now over 14,000 cards of his - it seems like nothing. Doesn't hurt that the Icons card is the sole Jays one in the insert set so completes that team set for me.

The Chrome Lourdes and mini A&G back card are great new additions for me as well. The 2022 A&G base cards are great short prints, but ones I do already have so nice dupes.

Greatest looking of the bunch of cards but the Martinez with the Atomic parallel look is fantastic scanned. I could argue about names as I think it's ridiculous how many different names for looks we get, but it doesn't change the card - still snazzy. 

The 2006 Opening Day card is another one and done insert for the Jays from the 2006 Topps set while the Chrome cards are almost all now for me, especially the black and white - first of that parallel I've been able to get.

Oren also beat any one to getting me 2024 Topps base Jays cards, and we get a few to boot!

We definitely don't see enough team cards in base sets, and the blue parallel for the Jays, superb!

I was able to already get a bunch of the Heritage cards, but more is always better, and it's a great take on the old design.

As great as all of these have been....there's still more....but for tomorrow!

Baseball Dabblings

 As promised, on to the baseball cards that Oren kindly sent my way - and today, we cover some of the earlier base cards.

We start WAY back into 1977 Topps which are not new for me, but the quality of these are great, so excellent to get these. The Topps Stars cards are a new set for me - didn't have any cards from this one until now - sweet!

Speaking of new to my collection is the Stadium Club Matrix parallel. Honestly, didn't even know about these until getting this card and having to log it. Might be from the late 90s, but there's still surprises to be had!

Speaking of surprises, the Timlin Leaf card is one of the last two I still needed for the base set. Though mass produced, there are still plenty of sets from the late 80s and through the early 90s that I still have to finish!

Funny that everythins is still working out well for me as, not sure how Sid ended up in the package, but it was still a base card I needed for the 1989 Fleer base set I am slowly working on.

Best card of the day has to be the red StarQuest Clemens as it's a one and done Jays set card done for the insert, and goes well with the other Roger cards I have - I have blue but think I have the green as well...either way - great pick up!

Still, much more base ball as we can really get into the 2000s cards tomorrow!

Got My Number

 The last of the Leaf cards from Oren are the "hits" as it were, starting with some serial numbered gems....and I am a sucker for serial numbering...

From look - I appreciate the shine of Tavares, but the Artifacts Sundin card just screams Leafs to me. Either way, great Leaf names and nice design. I like the front numbering on cards, though the Antropov does make it harder to read when they don't have a specific clean spot for the serial number to be inprinted.

When I think of a set called "Game Used" I expect meorabilia, but I think this may be the first such Leaf card I do have from such sets. Bernier was a solid netminder for the team, and the blue swatch is decent to go with the nice pose and fine enough front design. Solid card overall.

It might be weak as far as the signature itself - looks more like marking my "X" than a full signature, but it's solid and great to me! Bibeau broke through to finally play a couple games for the Leafs in 2015-17, but that was about it for the NHL experience.

I am glad I was able to send Oren 1,000+ cards in this trade as it kind of makes up for feeling I never send enough for the quality cards he sends back. I don't get nearly the cool stuff so make up for it a bit in quantity!

Tomorrow - on to the baseball!

Quality Cards

 Oren is always great for sending cards that include items I don't come across, don't see, or don't even know about. Let's face it, you can be pretty knowledgeable about the sets out there, but to then know the 326 different inserts for each and parallel variation, it's hard to keep track. Besides, for myself, as I don't dabble in new product that much - usually a few years behind as I don't look to pay the "new" prices, anything new is REALLY new to me.

I know the Dazzlers from Upper Deck - and the blue for Toronto looks fabulous scanned and in hand.The Decagons insert from SP Signature Edition from 2020-21 is new for me to even know about, but the historical star look is nice.

Timmies I know, and Tavares I had, but love the additional copy.

The Net Defenders, Nylander Winter and Ecliptic cards are all one of Leaf team sets for inserts, so amazing to knock those off so easily!

Though I like the Canvas cards, rather than just have the set within a set, they should just make it a separate release at this point.

Through trades, I have been lucky enough to get the Upper Deck base cards for a number of Leafs the last few years, but again, love having more!

The Auston Ice card finishes the base team set for me - yay - even if it is just 4 cards.

We end with a couple 2022-23 Parkhurst Champions cards. I haven't had any in hand until now, but have to say, these are pretty nice cards and that bit different. Not sure they need the "veteran" slapped across the top on the front, but I can overcome that.

All great cards, but still a bit more hockey to show, and it may be even more exciting....then we still have the baseball too....

Oren Brings The Chill

Let's start the look at the cards Oren sent my way with a small smattering of hockey cards to start.

A new for me Topps Salming card is a fantastic start. In addition, it seems Oren must have found someone who was expecting Jonas to be a big deal as he picked up a bunch of rookie cards, which are now mine! An SPx Mats, though a second copy for me, is a great card too!

Here are my first three 2024 Narional Hockey Day Cards, and even better, we have Auston right off the bat. I'm not sure I love the design with the funky colour border, but I can get past that.

Last up, a new gold parallel 2008-09 O Pee Chee with Toskala to end the small bunch of cards today...and that's just the great beginning...

Core Magic

 A new month, and a good time to find some more Magic card core set cards at 401games that had been eluding my collection until now. I was casually looking through old set singles on 401games and noticed some new inventory of core sets so figure I'd see what was there that I hadn't been able to find, and we have about 50 cards from core sets 1995 through 2011 or so.

There are still a couple cards missing in my 5th edition and sixth (classic) edition artifact sets, but at least we are a few cards closer now. I really did a lot of work on the 9th edition set though.

I still prefer the brown old school border, but at the time, the silver and white borders were a decent enough change.

It may not be a big "win", but both tokens above are one and done token sets for artifact cards. Each comes with a number of different backs - lets call those variations - but one is good for me to consider it complete, though I'd like to end up with one of each version at least.

Not too many rare cards in the bunch, but you can tell them by the gold set symbol. Similarly, a few foil cards as well, and you can tell the slight difference in scans.

Neat seeing a couple of different card designs for specific cards over the years with these pick ups as well. May not be many cards I would play with in a built deck, but you can't complain about the flexibility of artifacts in their ability to be put in any deck.

Tomorrow - finally starting to go through a package of cards that a trade friend to the south, Oren, sent my way. That's where I sent a bunch of Timmies dupes and some other stuff in exchange.

A Yankee Halloween

Sure, the World Series ended up being the exact opposite as the Dodgers closed out the series in 5, and I guess my trade partner today wasn't very happy about it....

Hope everyone enjoys their Halloween evening either taking out kids or handing out goodies, but before you go, a share of some cards I got from a friend to the south - TCDB member yankeefan714 who sent a solid PWE my way for some Yankee cards (go figure) that went his way.

Do, the Jays adds in this trade helped move along a number of team sets, but actually didn't finish any. I did also pick up a couple set helpers. The Record Breakers card is one I am picking up as a soft "master set" build for 1988 Topps and one of the small base card variations.

The other set helper is Bonds, who move me to about 18 cards remaining to complete the 1999 Topps Opening Day set which is a solid little set from the earlier days of Opening Day.

The Wells Skybox card is pretty solid in hand, and I do like the Fleer Tradition design as well, so some great Jays pick ups all around.

With that, I'm off for preparing for the evening - have fun all!