Mini Blowout post: killer "B"s edition

As previously mentioned (see the very bottom part of this post), I made one last recent Blowout forums purchase.

As I often find myself doing, I was checking out the box/case breaks forum to vicariously enjoy some pack-busting and came across a thread where a guy busted a jumbo case of 2010 Topps football.  That's a set that interests me, so I decided to take a look.  Generally my habit is to scan through the post, glancing at the hits listed (and hopefully scans thereof) to see if there's anything that catches my interest.  I wasn't disappointed.

In case you couldn't tell, this is a cyan printing plate (1/1, natch) of former Michigan man/beast/machine Brandon Graham.  It's now in my possession and is my first plate (I snagged one other 1/1, a Justin Verlander Triple Threads White Whale, which isn't actually a plate), and I couldn't be happier.  Part of the deal (a great price, by the way) was this guy as a throw-in:

The guy had busted a case of 2009 Elite football and suggested I look through his results before we finalized a deal.  I'm happy to say that this kind of helpful seller is fairly common on Blowout's forums, and idiots are pretty rare.  A big thumbs up to seller Clayton/Nikki for an excellent transaction.

One thing I want to briefly highlight in this post (other than my being a total shill for those forums, which is no secret) is the value of viewing those threads of other people's breaks and being proactive about your interest in pulls.  Some people are just there to show off their pulls, but many are happy to get offers before they have to go to the trouble of a formal sell/trade post or eBay listing.  More importantly, you often get the inside track on a card, as I did with the Graham plate--a big BG collector noted his interest in the thread not long after I had privately messaged the poster (a more effective way of getting their attention, in my opinion), but by then it was too late--I was first.  So the next time you're looking for something from a specific set, instead of buying box after box, playing the odds hoping for it, see if someone else has pulled it for you and will give you a steal of a deal.

Blowout forums blowout: day 6: the last one?

The last Blowout Forums package I was waiting for finally arrived today.  What happened was, I paid for the one I wanted, then a day or two later the guy let me know he accidentally shipped me someone else's lot.  Since I wanted to help the guy out, I offered to ship the cards to the correct person if he reimbursed me.  He did, then sent my stuff, with a few bonuses.  I paid something pretty cheap for this lot considering the hits, and overall I'm fairly pleased.  The scans of the hits are blurry since the graded card case is so huge and I was too lazy to scan stuff individually.  Everything is pretty much available for trade, though I have a feeling I know where some of the better stuff will end up.

Dontrelle Willis 2007 UD Elements Clear Cut Elements Gold jersey/auto:  ok, let's get this out of the way first:  is it really necessary for this card to be graded?  I'm philosophically against graded cards anyway, but whatever.  Second, I think Beckett got it wrong because this is #d to 99 and is therefore likely a "silver", not a "gold" (at least according to their own price guides...geniuses...).  Anyway, it seemed like a cool card to take a chance on or have on hand to send someone else's way.  One more thing:  guess the grade Beckett gave that autograph.  Go on, guess.  Hint:  it's more than a 1, so it's already stupid.  Hint #2:  the stupidity of the grade approaches Dr. Phil levels.  Yes, ladies and gents, this is a prime example of a Beckett 10 autograph.  Dear Beckett,

Sincerely,
The universe.

Nick Markakis 2009 Upper Deck Game Jersey Triple Swatch:  If your name starts with "Beard" and ends with a "Y", you might possibly want this card.  Another fun one to grab since I like the guy but figure it's good trade bait.  I like that it's not the usual plain white swatch (or three) too.  Also, notice the stitching on the "A".  OMG, EBAY 1/1 patch!
 

Eddie Matthews 2010 Topps ManuPatch:  Yep, I like these--I'm cool with manupatches as long as they're not being sold at ridiculous prices.  This is a pretty good one of Matthews and might be wanted by Thorzul or dayf, so that's a plus.
Interesting related note:  Matthews was the guy on the biggest hit I've ever pulled--an autographed UD 500-HR Club card from a pack of '99 or 2000 HoloGrFx that I grabbed at Target for $1.  It was worth something like $1000 at one point, and then settled around $800 (even after he passed away), and was the centerpiece of my collection for a while, but I eventually decided to sell it, and I got a pretty good haul for it.  I wasn't as attached to it since he played for a team I never cared about (although he was with the Tigers very briefly), but it was cool having something from a HOFer that hit 500 HR.  (Cool story, bro)

Daniel McCutchen 2010 Topps Chrome auto/RC/boomerang:  Jeez do these things like to bend.  Anyway, the other autograph in this group isn't a big hit, but it wasn't exactly my reason for getting the lot, so I don't really care.  More trade bait, period.

Other stuff:  Stanton RC, Howard 2020, Viciedo and Matusz BowPlats, Mantle Chrome, Kila Ka'Aihueueuaueai'heae Refractor RC bendiness

Other stuff part two:  Hawpe sweet Blue Refractor, Feliz EEE, Beckett Vintage 2nd or 3rd year, Greinke Cracker Jack, Boggs bald-ass head insert, V-Mart (who's now a Tiger!)

Not bad for the $8 I paid, eh?  This kind of lot shows up on Blowout pretty often and usually goes for a similar price, which can be a lot of fun, so keep your eyes peeled for more of those.

As far as I know this is my final Blowout blowout purchase.  I did, however, make ANOTHER small one today (nice deal!), which I'll showcase when the stuff arrives.

Blowout forums blowout: day 5: Merry Avantmas!

Seriously, we're winding down on my BlowoutCards forums purchases from the last month--this might even be the second-to-the-last package left.
This one includes just a few cards, but some nice ones all the same.  I found some Jason Avant stuff I really liked and I talked the guy down to $30 delivered for the following five cards, which arrived just a day after his highlight-reel day in the Eagles' loss:

Jason Avant 2006 Bowman Chrome auto RC:  Rookie autograph #1 in the lot, and a nice one to start with.  I like the looks of some of these older Bowman Chrome sets, I must say.  Good action shot of Avant, too.

Jason Avant 2006 SAGE Aspire auto:  Probably the most "boring" card of the bunch, I still like this since it's an action shot from a Michigan-Indiana game.  Also, it shows Avant in his #8 jersey, my favorite jersey number of all time, naturally, because of Mr. Cal Ripken, Jr..  I even have my own Michigan #8 jersey, to go along with a #1, of course.

Jason Avant 2006 SP Authentic Rookie Authentic Signature Patch auto:  Best card in the bunch, ya think?  The guy had a pair of these, but this was the far superior version in his possession and I still got it despite the big discount I asked for.  Unbelievably, I now have three Avant patches, including two with autographs.  Patches are really starting to grow on me, and I'll probably work on getting more as my collection marches on.

Jason Avant 2006 Topps Chrome auto RC:  Rookie autograph #2, and more chrome goodness.

Jason Avant 2006 Ultra Autographics:  And we finish off with another autograph of Avant pictured during his Michigan days.  Not a bad design--good picture, plus the autograph is off to the side, out of the way of the photo so you can appreciate both.

Avant was a somewhat-appreciated but sure-handed (mostly) possession receiver during his years here, and I was thrilled to watch him make a big difference in the Eagles' loss this weekend.  He's no speed burner, and he still drops some big passes sometimes, but I think a smarter team would use him more, and maybe we'll see that next year.  He's also one of the first Wolverines for whom I had an autograph before I really got into collecting football, and now:

New Avant total count:

• 11 cards
• 1 jersey
• 1 patch
• 6 autographs
• 1 jersey autograph
• 2 patch autographs

I believe the final lot I'm waiting on is baseball only, so kiss Wolverine PC posts goodbye for a bit (probably).  I'm sure all of you are crushed and hate the fact that my next few posts will probably be more baseball-centric...

Blowout forums blowout: day 4: Draft Edition edition

Welcome to another installment of the Blowout blowout.  This lot arrived the same day as BA Benny's latest trade package, but out of respect to a great trader I gave that its own post first.  I grabbed it from the BlowoutCards Forums sometime last week after a guy posted that he had a bunch of Michigan alumni for sale.  Dude wasn't kidding!  I took just about everything he was offering, plus even a few more things from his PC posted on PhotoBucket, and we came to a really nice deal.  The spoils:

Adrian Arrington 2008 Donruss Elite Status:  The only non-"hit" of the group, this was pretty nice as far as "throw-ins" go.  This is an outstanding looking base set, as Elite often is, and the die-cutting is a big plus, but not as big as a great action shot of AA playing for Michigan.  Not only that, it's also limited to 24, which is a great number (the day of the month of my birthday, Ken Griffey Jr.'s and Willie Mays' number, etc.).

Adrian Arrington 2008 Upper Deck Draft Edition auto RC:  Arrington #2 in the package, and a nice one again.  Since I have several others of these in this post, I'll just say this up front:  this is a simple but excellent-looking set.  I've said it a billion times, but I prefer college photos to pro shots, and this set doesn't disappoint in that area.  Just outstanding overall, and I'm glad I got a bunch in this lot.

Anthony Thomas 2001 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket auto:  Wow, this might be the only card in this group I like more than the Draft Editions.  I'm not a big fan of Orange outside Orioles stuff, but the Bears' team colors really work well here.  Add to that an excellent autograph and you've got a real winner.

Chad Henne 2008 Donruss Classics Saturday Stars jersey:  A nice swatch of Michigan blue jersey of the former QB great.

Chad Henne 2008 Upper Deck Draft Edition auto RC:  Like I said about the Arrington, I love this set.  Not a terrible autograph there too, but a nice action shot anyway.

David Harris 2007 Bowman Sterling auto RC:  I've got a few Bowman Sterling autographs now and I definitely like the overall look of those cards, including this one.

Dhani Jones 2007 Topps TX Super Bowl Ticket Stub auto:  Definitely the most interesting of the bunch due to the novelty of the set.  Oddly enough, I was rooting big-time against Philly in this game since they were playing against Tom Brady and New England.  This is also my first Dhani card, which isn't a surprise since he doesn't get much love despite being a tackling machine on a Bungles defense riddled with former Wolverines.  A very cool addition to the PC.

Jake Long 2008 Absolute Memorabilia Stargazing jersey auto:  This guy's got some design issues going on--why the hell is the sticker auto covering up the player, putting it in a spot that makes it hard to see?  Still, I like combination relic/auto cards, so it's got that going for it.

Jake Long 2008 Leaf Certified Materials Freshman Fabric jersey shoe ball auto:  Q:  how many Jake Long LCM Freshman Fabric Materials cards do you NEED?!  A:  ALL OF THEM.  But seriously, I couldn't pass up a three-piece relic/auto card.

Jake Long 2008 Stadium Club auto RC:  Don't worry--this is the last Long in the lot, it's just that the guy had a bunch to offer (I don't think I even ended up with 1/3 of them) and I took what I considered the best for the price.  I still love Stadium Club after all these years, and this design, other than the autograph, reminds me of some of the sets from the early 90s.

LaMarr Woodley 2007 SAGE HIT auto:  I can always use more Woodley cards as the guy's a bona fide NFL star, but I can REALLY always use more Woodley cards with him in a Maize and Blue uni.

Mike Hart 2008 Finest XFractor auto RC:  Wow, how often do you get a card this great in a lot this cheap?  Not only is the base design pretty cool, and not only does that signature look nice, but this is an XFractor, which means it's numbered out of 30.  30!  That still seems like a really low number to me, even in this era of 1-of-1s.

Mike Hart 2008 Upper Deck Draft Edition auto RC:  Hart autograph number two in the lot, and I can't say any more about the set than I already have, so, yeah, nice card.

Shawn Crable 2008 Upper Deck Draft Edition auto RC:  Anybody else think Crable started nodding off after getting bored signing all those cards, so he bonked his head, started bleeding, and tried to write "SOS" on the thing closest to him?  No?  Well this is a pretty crappy autograph of a middling player, but I'll still take it any day of the week.

That's it for this lot, and we should be getting pretty close to the end of my insane shopping spree, but you should still see another post or two sometime this week.  On a side note, I'm now over 150 Michigan football autographs/relics/combos in the old personal collection.  It wasn't that long ago that I hit magic #100, so this spree really did do a lot for my collection.  Hopefully common sense will prevail and I'll curb my spending on cards for a bit to make up for it.  Still, I'd rather have all of this stuff than 3-6 boxes of random stuff anytime.

Blowout forums blowout: day 3 (Chad Henne edition)

(These are so much easier to write when I don't have 20+ cards to write about)

This one won't take long--just a couple cards I bought together from a guy who gave me what I think was a nice deal:

Chad Henne 2010 Finest dual jersey auto:  Here's one I'd kind of been after for a while, but nobody was ever offering a good deal on it.  Two jersey pieces (albeit identical ones) plus an autograph equals a pretty nice card.  I'm finally starting to really pile up some Henne sigs, too.  Now if only he could break out into being the star he's meant to be...

Chad Henne 2010 Topps Platinum patch auto:  I really like the design of this set.  Some of you might remember I pulled a Jordan Shipley patch from a blaster of 2010 Platinum, but that had only a single color "patch", and this one puts that to shame and then some.  Along with the above, this gives me one hell of a Henne collection.

Not a bad pair for $20 delivered, I thought.  Hopefully more to come tomorrow.

Blowout forums blowout: day 2

More great stuff, so let's get down to it:

B.J. Askew 2005 Topps Heritage auto:  A slightly askew scan of a pretty cool autograph.  I don't have a ton to say about this card, but I couldn't let this back go by unnoticed:

Everyone knows Topps sometimes pays homage to those vintage (and occasionally more recent) card backs that featured little cartoons.  Sometimes they were stupid or lame, but they still generally had something to do with the player or, I don't know, his sport.
That's not the Topps Way®.  Oh no sirree it's not.  Topps goes into full propaganda mode in a real-life version of PowerSauce Bars (they harness the power of six kinds of apples!).

Brad: "This Powersauce newsbreak is brought to you by Powersauce: Get sauced with Powersauce. Neil."

Neil:  "Our top story, Homer Simpson has just Powersauced his way past the halfway point of the Murderhorn. Brad, could Homer have made it this far without the engineered nutrition of six kinds of apples?"

Brad:  "No way Neil.  Oh, this just in...Powersauce is amazing!"

Since the exact Simpsons clips I want usually don't exist on the internets, here's a related one:


Ok, that was a lot of digression for one card and we've only done one so far.  Onwards:

Bennie Joppru 2003 Playoff Contenders Season Ticket auto RC:  Joppru hit #3 and autograph #2!  I can't believe I have more Joppru stuff than Marquise Walker, for example, but my collection is young, and Joppru's no slouch.  Joppru!

Chad Henne 2009 SPx Winning Materials patch:  Here's possibly the best card of the bunch:  another Henne hit!  Here's hoping Michigan alum Jim Harbaugh accepts the Dolphins' head coaching offer (since it looks like Michigan's no longer an option), turns them around and gets the most out of Henne, who's had some ups and downs but has to deal with craptacular WRs, no run game, and the B.S. that is the "Wildcat".

John Navarre 2004 Bowman Chrome auto RC:  My Navarre collection slowly marches on with another autographed RC of the out-of-the-NFL former QB.

Mike Hart 2009 Topps Career Best auto:  Yes, another Mike Hart auto because, as I said yesterday, he's my favorite Michigan RB of all time.  His sig looks pretty good, too.  I like the design of this set, other than the Green/White thing going on there.

More lots to come, I'm sure, especially since I just snagged yet ANOTHER one today.  Until then, GO BLUE (as in go find a coach)!

Happy mail day says "HOLY CRAP IS IT EVER MAIL DAY"

So this was in my mailbox today.  A little backtracking:  I bought a Jennifer Lopez's buttload of stuff from various sales on the BlowoutCards forums during my Christmas break.  Between some lots that were steals and several users dumping piles of Michigan hits I wanted needed, I made out like a bandit, if such a thing is possible when a person is exchanging sums of money for pieces of cardboard with scribbles and chunks of fabric on them.

The first of my large, piecemeal haul came between Christmas and New Year's, but I thought I'd want to lump everything into one scan.  Then "everything" grew to be a bunch of purchases, so screw that noise, y'all get part one today thanks to my previous gets plus the bounty you see above.  More stuff should trickle in soon, in which case I'll probably post them as I get them instead of saving stuff up.  More for you to look forward to!

All descriptions of lots are approximate as I pretty much lumped stuff together by category and don't feel like ascertaining what came with what.  Enjoy!

Random baseball:

Up first are three baseball cards that I got in a lot of five (you'll see the others later).  The reason I ended up with this many was to get enough to earn free shipping, though these three were certainly worth it.  The Haren is one of those "100x nicer in person than scanned" cards and I may have to hold onto that one.  The Schafer seemed like good trade bait and I may have some ideas of what to do with it.  The Sizemore is the Refractor version of the one I got in a group break, so I may end up flipping one of those.  Not bad so far...

Random football:
This football lot included another card you'll see later, so seven cards (all autographs) for something like $12.  All seem like they'll end up being decent trade bait, and I have to imagine Mr. Thorpe will end up over at the Great Sports Name Hall of Fame should he so desire. 

Wolverine non-hits:

These two were kind of throw-ins with other deals and both are pretty cool.  I've made no secret of being a fan of UD's Masterpieces set, and the Hart is a cool parallel that's #d /50.  I couldn't tell you which lots these came with, but I can promise you they're far from the only Wolverine football cards I nabbed.


Wolverine baseball hits:

Chris Getz 2008 Bowman Sterling auto/RC:  #'d 07/50, this is a slick auto of the former Michigan 2B that played a few years with the ChiSox and now toils for the lowly, lowly (and I mean they SUCK) Royals.  Definitely one of those guys I wouldn't collect if he wasn't an alum, but he is and so he's part of the collection.

Rich Hill 2009 Topps T-206 Piedmont auto:  Rich is a guy I've been collecting since he was drafted by the Cubs, though my collection of him is still small.  This card commemorates his brief stint with the Orioles, and I have to say I love the signed minis encased in a larger card.  Tim of GSNHOF might be jealous if he doesn't already have this one!

Michigan FOOTBAW hits:

Aaron Shea 2002 Pacific Exclusive jersey: probably the "worst" card I picked up (that's one boring-ass jersey piece from a pretty lame-o set), this was one of the very cheap cards I picked up from yet another lot from BlowoutCards forum seller Mdskyhawks.  Seriously, I've bought some nice lots from him on at least four non-consecutive occasions.  Shea played TE/FB for Cleveland and San Diego after his Michigan career (which included our last national title).  I'm sort of slowly working on grabbing something of a lot of different Wolverines, so this was a nice, if uninspiring, pickup.   

Adrian Arrington 2008 Score Select Inscriptions auto RC:  It wouldn't be a PC purchase post without an Adrian Arrington auto.  Hopefully the Saints will give this stud WR a shot in the playoffs after his last impressive game.

Anthony Carter 2008 Press Pass Legends Top 25 auto:  AC was one of our #1 WRs that consistently caught the ball (COUGHCOUGHBRAYLONCOUGH).  But enough about his stats, this is a gorgeous autograph that makes me think I need to pick up more of the guy's stuff.  This is the lone card that I picked up by itself instead of in a lot--a guy posted a box break of this set and I immediately requested to buy this card, which the guy agreed to for a pretty cheap $4.50.  Another first and we're just three cards in!

Anthony Thomas 2003 SP Game Used NFL Patch:  I've said a lot about the A-Train already since I've already picked up a bunch of his stuff, but, man this is a sick patch!  Surprisingly, it's not even close to the best patch in the lot, but it was a steal and is more than welcome in my PC.

Brandon Graham 2010 Absolute Memorabilia Spectrum auto RC:  I'd been after this one for a while after Absolute's release, and now I finally have it.  Not a lot of Graham stuff yet because he's only a rookie this year, but I'm getting there.

Braylon Edwards 2005 Zenith Rookie Roll Call patch:  I realize Bray-Bray no longer plays for the Browns, who weren't my favorite team to begin with, but this is still a cool multi-color patch.  It's also a nice, low serial number, which is a plus.  And holy crap, does anybody remember when Zenith still existed?

Chris Perry 2004 Genuine Big Time auto:  Hooray for yet another Chris Perry hit.  The set name brings to mind my favorite scene from a hilarious movie, I Love You Man.  Watch this clip, you won't be disappointed, unless you don't think Paul Rudd is awesome. 

Gabe Watson 2006 Playoff Contenders auto RC:  His autograph looks less like his name and more like "Hard Work", but this is still a decent, shiny auto.

Jason Avant 2006 Absolute Memorabilia War Room patch:  Sweet Jesus is this a nice patch, even if it's "event-worn" and not "game-used".  Almost makes me want to root for the Iggles.

Jason Avant 2006 Leaf Limited Phenoms patch auto:  Sweet Avant patch #2, and this includes an autograph to boot!

Jason Avant 2006 Playoff Contenders auto RC:  Yeah, this one guy had a lot of Avant stuff, and I wasn't gonna turn any of it down.

LaMarr Woodley 2007 Absolute Memorabilia auto RC:  I have no idea what LaMarr scribbled on this card, but it's an autographed RC, so that's a plus.  Here's hoping the free agent-to-be decides to come home and vastly improve the Lions' linebacker group.

Leon Hall 2007 Absolute Memorabilia auto RC:  Same set, different player (and a better autograph, no?).  The first of a few Hall cards I picked up so far of the under-appreciated former Michigan DB who seems to have done well for the Bungles so far.

Leon Hall 2007 Bowman Chrome auto RC:  This was the 7th card in the football lot I posted above, and the main reason I wanted the lot in the first place.  PC auto/RC plus trade bait equals awesome.

Leon Hall 2007 SP Rookie Threads Lettermen auto:  My first Michigan letter auto that's based on a pro jersey instead of a college one, I'm still fairly happy with this.  Getting a letter for as many different Michigan players as I can would be cool.

Mario Manningham 2008 SPx Rookie Winning Materials dual jersey:  This set honestly doesn't thrill me much, and yet I have a few from it now, but these cards make decent throw-ins for the lots I pick up, and another Super Mario is fine by me.

Mike Hart 2008 SPx Signature Supremacy auto:  I'm not in love with the design on this card, but I'm always after Mike Hart's signature since he's pretty much my favorite Michigan RB ever.  Hopefully he'll finally stay healthy and earn more PT next year.

Steve Breaston 2007 Bowman Signs of the Future auto:  Yep, he's got just about the laziest signature ever, but I still like the guy.  I kind of like the look of this set anyway, and this was one of the cheaper Breaston auto options in this lot.

Steve Breaston 2007 SPx XFactor Signatures auto:  Another fairly cheap auto of "SB".  Hopefully the guy goes to a team where the QB isn't 1) 50 years old or 2) undrafted...

Terrance Taylor 2009 SP Threads Stitch in Time auto: Another guy for whom I didn't have any hits until now.  You know I'm a fan of cards with guys in their college unis, so this is a big plus even if his autograph looks like an excerpt from an EKG.

That's it for now but expect more very soon, possible even as soon as today since I don't even remember how much I'm still waiting on!