Collecting Dupes

 As I continue my start on initiating more trades, I ran into TCDB member junior79 who needed some basketball, and I much rather have duplicate Leaf cards than basketball cards so we ended up with a nice little trade. Only the fist card, the Al Secord, is new for my collection, but that isn't a problem.

I also always love that Foligno card - just such a weird shot.

I don't officially have a goal of the number of Leaf and Jays cards I want to collect - I can't say it's a 1 million Leaf or Jays goal, or anything like that, but the more the merrier is fine by me.

I was able to find a couple sets at least I don't have a ton of duplicates on Leafs for.

1992-93 Ultra is a good example. I am not sure why I don't have 5 or 6 of each of these already, but only a couple of each so, what's wrong with adding a few more. Heck, I am still not done a single full base Leaf team set yet.

1993-94 Upper Deck I definitely have completed for the team set, but dupes, not many. It's a good looking Upper Deck set - one of my favourites from the 90s for sure.

Appreciate the trade junior79, as always. Many thanks!

Bringing Back Memories

Today's trade is brought to you by fellow Ontarian and TCDB member Galtview, and we start with all the rest of the Jays I need for completing the team set...

1988 Panini Stickers was the BIG thing I collected as a kid. I think I had three albums which were complete or close to it, and so many duplicates that I gave them away to anyone I could at school. Looking back, it was probably because they were relatively cheap at the time and something that my mom was fine spending the little needed on them, picking up packs while checking out from grocery shopping each week. We didn't have much financially growing up, and I don't think about it at the time, but looking back, it was something she did not have to do for me, but I did enjoy it a lot and it was one of the core memories I have as a kid, getting and opening the packs at my grandma's house (my mom went shopping with her every week and we spent the day at grandma's house).

A lot of familiar faces on the stickers, on a design that is entrenched in my mind, and now I have the team complete again.

The rest are 2005 year cards and first is some more Topps Total cards. Mid -2000s Jays are not high on my list as it was a down time for me of watching and following because I was finishing University and working on, well, starting full time work and getting my professional designation, so like collecting kind of bowed out of life for a bit, so did some of the sports following.

Now, getting the chance to trade and get cards into the collection from that time frame, including these 2005 Upper Deck First Pitch cards - very cool and appreciated. I definitely would have had a lot more Halladay cards in my collection if I had kept up collecting through the 2000s....but better late than never!

Some More Drafting

Another day of 2026 Lots pulls and we get some solid basketball of the Panini variety today, starting with some 2021 Draft Picks.

Almost all of the cards from this set here came up previously in the lot. A bit surprising, but doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing as we do have some good names in the bunch. From Isiah to Zion - a solid and varying bunch.

My preference though would be more of an NBA level set instead of the Draft Picks variety, and we get that with some 2021-22 and 2022-23 sets. I wouldn't have minded a little more of the 2021-22 set as I like the design a bit more than the follow up year, but that's small complaints as these look like the first 2022-23 Prizm set cards I pulled and variety is good for trading purposes.

Iverson still getting love in card form - interesting. I guess it must have been all of that practice....

Adding From Whales

 I have been trying to reach out and initiate more trades on TCDB as 2026 has been a slower trade year. It's been busy, so not a complaint, but I do like to keep the trades going. With FlyingWhales, I brought in some nice Leafs - some new,  some not so much.

The 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20 Upper Deck Leaf cards are dupes, but helped round the trade and I rather have Leafs than cards I don't want. As for the rest, they are all new to me!

I am really loving the new feature at TCDB which allows all new cards listed for teams you specify, to automatically get added to your want list. It's allowed me to start getting "new" cards through trades, a lot sooner than I otherwise would.

Really like the 2025-26 Upper Deck Artifact design - might have to take a look at that set if I can get some packs or cards for cheap sooner or later.

Nice to finish with a couple new for me Tim Hortons Leafs. Heck, I might have these cards in unopened packs....I should get to those some time soon actually.....

A Nameless Trade

 I am not going to share the "who" this TCDB trade was with, but not because it was a bad trade, but because it raised a question for me, and I'd be curious what others think.

Does it matter to you if you are trading with someone who is collecting for themselves, or if they are either a flipper, or looking to sell cards they trade for?

Here is what I got...

Showing the back of the couple serial numbered Jays cards as that's important, and why I picked up the trade - they mean something to me and fit my collection nicely.

What I gave up was a non-rookie Topps flagship base Ohtani card. Nothing too fancy, and understandably worth a few dollars. I am happy with the trade, and that's the important part to me.

The only reason I paused in the first place was because I did a trade with the member not too long ago for a copy of the same Ohtani card. Again, I was happy with that trade too, so don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about what I got out of it. It did leave me a little gun shy on the trade though as I had this tinge of wanting to get the card to someone who would appreciate it in their collection, rather than trying to flip it for a few dollars.

I think it's fair to say, I'd happily settle for a little less in a trade to help someone with a card for their collection, versus maximizing what I get out of it. I also look at what I am really into the cards for - my cost, whether I should or not, when doing a trade.

As you all know if you follow me along here, many of the cards I have for trade, in all honesty, cost me a penny give or take because of the lots they come from - and frankly, most of those lots paid for themselves with the sale of a card or two that I lucked out getting in each.

The result - happy to share the benefit in trades with people collecting for themselves...not so easy for me to want to share with someone looking to sell the card to someone else who is the collector. I prefer cutting out the "middleman" as it were.

It doesn't mean I will never trade with people who are sellers - but I would lean towards collectors if I knew and had to choose between the two.

DO you have any such preferences? Does it impact your trades if you know why the person you are trading with is wanting the card(s)?

All That Plat

 Well, a better day for collecting from the 2026 Lot today - 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum!

I have a decent dent in the set though, so other than Poulin on the Bruins a little further down and a Leaf addition, I don't have any additional set help today. It does provide me a few more Bruins to pass along, and a chance to talk about this set again.

I still find it a bit surprising this was a "high end" set back in the day considering the card look and feel compared to what high end means in the hobby now. Then again, high end didn't mean thousands of dollars per pack back then either.

I don't think Pro Set did as good a job on this set as Stadium Club was doing when it comes to the full photos, but it was a solid attempt. I do like the set and want to finish it sooner than later, but a bit to go on it still.

What I Get

Today, I am showing you exactly what I get from the 2026 Lot, exactly as it was pulled. Just so happens the football cards were together and in order - go figure.

Not sure why this seems so team specific, but is what it is, and dupes as it dupes, but the Contenders design has grown on me a bit more. I still wouldn't say I "like" it, but I at least understand it.

The Steelers, Bengals and Rams - oh my - then lead to some Score cards which are also in order, but not so team specific.

We get a Mr. Swift sighting!

Honestly, I love the Score design in comparison, but maybe that's just me. It's not just because I miss the old Score sets from hockey, I think the front design here is much better than the Contenders. Hopefully tomorrow will be cards much better for my collection than the football ones today.