2019 trade package #3: Baseball Card Breakdown

This week I felt a bit like I was back in elementary school in that I received some Valentine's Day cards.  Ok, they weren't really for that occasion, but the important thing is that they were the best type of cards, and that's what matters to me.  A couple of my favorite traders hit my mailbox just in time for the 14th, so here I am on the 16th posting trade packages from Sports Cards From the Dollar Store on TMM plus a surprise PWE from Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown right here!

The king of custom cards didn't need to send any of his handiwork this time thanks to quality like this.  Zim is probably a lost cause for the Tigers at this point but his 2017 Stadium Club Sepia parallel looks terrific.  Better yet, he's joined by PC guy Cal on something I somehow didn't have: a 2001 Topps Archives Reserve Future Rookie Reprint.  While I'm not immune to the Topps reprint fatigue many have complained of, I love getting new Ripken stuff, and 2001 Archives Reserve is one of the manufacturer's best products period.

And how about Gavin filling out the mailer with TOO MANY VALENTINE VERLANDERS?!  That's the way you do it, folks, just textbook excellence (not unlike the Upper Deck insert of the same name).  I needed all six of these 2018 Topps-branded offerings starring JV as an Astro.  My favorites bookend the top row:  a Blue Finest Refractor (#056/150) and that year's version of Gallery, which continues to look amazing.  Fire and GQ are two products I could definitely do without, but I still appreciate new items for one of my favorite PCs.  All of those are joined by Mr. Kate Upton's two appearances in '18's Topps Update.  The first is a checklist that highlights his 2500th career strikeout while the other notes his All-Star selection.

That's six brand new cards for a new total of 357 Verlanders.  Let's see if we can keep adding to that total this year, fellow traders!

Thanks again for the fun surprise, Gavin.  I have next to nothing set aside for you for now but will try to remedy that at a few upcoming shows so I can hit you back!