Above The Norm

 I always like to think that, in 36 cards from baseball or hockey, I should see at least one Toronto card. We'll, better than that today!

We get two in the first scan alone. Yes, this is about my 10th Thornton and an extra Sacco, but they still get some love!

We get to add Macoyn who is a favourite and reliable defender from my Leafs I loved as a kid.

The Fedorov Post card is really cool and a nice food insert keeper.

We need the Toronto additions with Connor Brown which is actually a new Keaf card for my collection - sweet! I definitely don't see a lot of Overtime set cards, so not a surprise it's new to me. Makes for a successful team day.

Tempting Stadium

Before we get to some more cards from the 2026 Lot, a share of a trade with someone I have done a number of trades with, fellow Ontarian Tdorsay from TCDB. He is a big O Pee Chee collector in hockey, and I always like to help where I can when I get some cards in lots that work for him. I didn't need anything specific, so picked up some duplicate Leaf cards in trade...

McDonalds cards just got better and better through the 90s. I mean, the 3D effect was cool at the time, and the ice cards with the "see through" look and heavy card feel were fantastic. It was a great run of card sets from food.

The Toronto Star In The Game set from 2002-03 is a nice enough one, so a few dupes for the collection there as well.

Obviously anything centennial set works as a Leaf collector. I don't think I have a full duplicate base set yet but dupes of many of the base cards. Still working (well, not actively, but don't mind getting) the die cast insert set and pretty much everything else I can from the set. I know I'll never get a master set, but it's a really nice Leaf set all around, go figure.

The Coast To Coast cards to round it out as I don't see them a lot so...why not!

Baseball today being offered up by the 2026 Lot, and a decent variety too. 

I like the Ted Williams sets - much like the Conlon with the attention, in part, to past stars.

The Bowman provide a couple inserts to keep, but then we get to Stadium Club. I love the photography of course, but haven't considered collecting the newer sets because they are not cheap. I will trade for my Jays and leave it at that usually. Here, we get a small start - not enough to chase the set yet, but enough to enjoy them 

I am no Canseco fan, but still a grat card.

I do get some luck with the 2019 flagship Topps set as I get a few more needs covered from these pickups.

No Jays, but some great traders and a few keepers leaves it a productive day.

Jaysredlegs and a robogoalie

Not sure why Jays have red legs, but that's the trade partner that found me on TCDB and wanted to send a PWE of Jays my way. It seemed appropriate and here were are with some new additions to share.

The Roberto hologram is a one and done Jay for the 1993 Upper Deck Diamond Gallery set. Cutting edge card design for 1993, still looks neat, but definitely date.

Rickey's traded card moving from the A's to Toronto. One of the big trades that I found hard to swallow at the time because there was a lot of dislike for the A's given they were such a rival in the AL for the Jays. Rickey also was - well - a great promoter for himself which didn't jive with the type of player I liked cheering for, but his move to Toronto did definitely help with the Jays repeat in 1993.

The Joe Carter card from 1997 SkyBox E X2000 looks fantastic with the window tinted glass look to the card - would love a more recent set done like that, or insert set.

Vernon's the second and last Jay card for the 2004 Upper Deck Silver Sluggers inserts, so that's a nice finish as well, and a couple more recent Big League Jays to end it.

That covers a baseball trade, so how about a hockey trade with robogoalie...

A couple more small team sets completed as Bower is the second of two Leafs in the 1993 High Liner Greatest Goalies set, and the two star rookies are the full set from the 2023-24 Upper Deck NHL Star Rookies Box Set.

Still missing a couple gold parallel Leafs from the 1992-93 Topps set, but love having the Douggie now.

Appreciate the couple trades, thank you both!

Down To One

I don't usually initiate trades and I don't usually focus on completing sets, but with two cards left with the 1999 Comic Images WWF Smackdown set, I took the plunge to find them through TCDB.

First such trade was with jbostic and meant sending some baseball to get some wrestling.

Always better to fill out a PWE to the extent possible, so added some 1991 Champuonship Marketing WCW cards to round out the package to go with Mark Henry.

Early 90s WCW, no surprise on Flair being a big part of WCW, or Luger. I like the backs - not for the colours, but great write ups and quick facts.

Of course, Mark leaving me with one card left on the 1999 set drove the trade, but the rest of the cards are just as great!

Another Amazing Trade With Trevor

Trade number 12 which we have done through TCDB with TDorsay is my share for today. Fellow Ontarian, and for some reason this trade took over a month to arrive when it's usually only a few days at most. It was well worth the wait!

Trevor is a big O Pee Chee collector, so getting some of his extras here helped greatly with my Leaf collections. 22 card team set for 1983-83 is now complete.

The 1985 Cartophilium Hall of Fame cards would have finished the team base set except the Red Kelly card is signed. Trevor hadn't noticed, and I asked if he wanted it back but he declined, and now it's on display on my wall with some of my other Leaf autos.

The Wendel Clark rookie finishes my 1986-87 team set, Sergei is a non-Leaf to finish the 22 card insert set of Star Performers, and the Kraft disc is the second of two Leaf cards to complete it as well.

Both the regular base and gold parallel team set are completed here to for 1993-94 O Pee Chee Premier, and the 1994-95 base set too.

As if that wasn't enough, he also included a surprise...

A beautiful informational comic from the 60s with hockey tips from Punch. I scanned a couple pictures below to see what it looks like, very cool and decent condition. Very grateful to receive and enjoy looking at it.

Trades with Trevor are always fantastic and I am always grateful for the opportunity to trade with such a great collector.

Not So Lazy Amish

A fantastic little PWE trade with TCDB member Lazy Amish with a number of parallel Jays.

The sepia Springer is not my favourite looking card, but neat to have. The purple parallel Chrome cards stand out and it is a nice vibrant colour. Lourdes in the x-factor design which stands out.

Winner of the bunch is Matt Chapman who is the last of the 7 base Jays I needed to complete the 2023 Topps Chrome team set.

Manoah who went through an unfortunate and quick tanking to his career from a time of great success, and Auston since we have to have a hockey card coming to Canada.

Let's make it a pair of shares with an additional PWE with a TCDB member, this one being tyxander:

A sweet 1982 Topps Jays future stars card as I am still building a second Jays set for the actual set build.

We add in some print copyright code variation cards from 1992 Stadium Club, and a single Flair assist to add to the Jays content.

A couple more base cards from 2021 Topps flagship set moving me to less than 30 cards left for the set.

Again, what would a trade be without hockey cards coming to Canada with my first Leaf card from 2022-23 SkyBox Metal Universe - Spectrum FX Blue which hit one every five packs - or much easier to get in a trade like this..

A great couple trades, and much appreciated!

From The Wing Things

 A nice PWE trade from TCDB member Wing_Things who was kind enough to trade some Leafs my direction.

Still have a few more needs to complete the Leaf team set for the 2019-20 O Pee Chee base set, though the Rookies were an insert set on the flagship release, and Ilya was the last of three I needed for that team completion.

The retro design O Pee Chee cards almost always look really good, and this one is no exception.

If instead, you like more modern flashiness, Allura has you covered too.

Erik is another one and done Leaf insert set for me with this Glossy Rookie, and the UD Canvas cards are always a nice pick up too.

The couple AHL cards were a nice bonus thrown in and appreciate. I do know some minor league Leaf collectors, so those will find a nice home, and extra card surprises in trades are never a bad thing!

I want to also share a quick pick up from 401games with the recent release of the Secrets of Strixhaven. As usual, I did the pick up packs and artifact thing to get...

If they are going to do different artwork on the packs, having them look this different is a good choice. Appreciate it, and appreciate being able to order online and specify different artwork on the packs for pick up - very nice touch and glad they listed.

As for the artifacts themselves, picked up the regular and foil versions, and nothing major to write home about with them.

I don't mind the Harry Potter-like world that this were likely inspired from, and the first set in the world of Strixhaven was a decent one, and this one looks pretty good as well. As for Harry Potter, that will be out later this year which should be quite intriguing.