2013 trade package #27: a SenecaQuest at Spastik's request

Old Spastikmooss Tim, he of the Great Sports Name Hall of Fame, has been on a mission for quite a while, and that mission is

I don't think there's any reason to try to argue anyone else is the world's #1 collector of journeyman QB Seneca Wallace, and that's just awesome.  So he's taken his talents around the interwebs to make that happen, and you can actually follow his progress in a thread on Blowout.

Well, I was finally able to contribute to that goal by sending him a package stuffed with Bengals (they sell well in his area) and assorted trade bait, and all I asked in return (since he's been so generous in past trades) was a small handful of singles from his sale/trade bait.  Here's what I got Tim to send my way:

A 2007 Score base card of Wolverine/Raider Charles Woodson.  This was the only Michigan Man in the bunch, which means it was always destined to make its way to my mailbox, and anyway I'll appreciate it way more than anyone else that might have ended up with it.

A shiny Gordie Howe 2012 Panini Father's Day card.  Considering he's such a legend in this state you'd think I would have more of him.  Well, this is a start, and a nice one at that.

Speaking of shiny, how about a 2013 Bowman Silver Ice parallel of future Tigers closer Bruce Rondon?  Topps went overkill with the parallels yet again, but this one looks great for sure.  I hope Detroit's bullpen remains stable for a while and that Rondon can ease into an apprenticeship there before taking the reins within a few years.

And speaking of shiny Tigers, what better way to close things out today than with this slick 2013 Bowman Blue Sapphire Refractor Rookie Reprint (Topps?  REPRINTS?  Now I've seen EVERYTHING) of Detroit icon Al Kaline.  The reprint thing may have gotten stale years ago, but I'll give the blue Refractorness a thumbs up regardless, and it's a fun addition to my small Kaline PC.

Thanks again as usual, Tim, for another fun trade!  Good luck to you as you continue your chase while living in the Worst State Ever.  Readers, help a great trader out by moseying on over to the GSNHoF and trading with or buying from Mr. Mooss!

Happy Verland-tine's Day!

Since some other bloggers are taking up the theme of posting things they love to collect or about collecting, I thought I'd join in with my own V-Day contribution:  a Valentine nine of Justin Verlander.  These are (at least mostly) cards I've picked up in trades over the last year or so but haven't necessarily shown off individually.  It's also good to get them scanned as I slowly build up a PC album of some of my favorite collections.  So enjoy this lovely bouquet of cards whether you're with your significant other or forever alone!

2007 Topps Chrome White Refractor (#647/660)

2007 Topps Update Gold #237 (#0764/2007)

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces

2009 Bowman Orange (#176/250)

2009 Topps Gold (#1499/2009)

2010 Topps Update Gold (#0104/2010)

2011 Bowman Blue (#200/500)

2011 Topps Chrome Refractor

2012 Topps SP

Contest time! A win-win for everyone.

It's been a little while since I've done a contest, and as I was considering topics for a post today I came up with something that I think will be fun and useful for everybody involved.

I'd like to do something that highlights some really good up-and-coming and/or intermittently-followed blogs so those folks get some new readers and I get informed of what's worthwhile to follow.  That said, here's how it'll work:

Entry (1 per person):  pick any blog you're not already following and follow it.  Then leave a comment in this post that includes the name of the blog you followed.  Please note that my blogs aren't eligible, but you're already following me anyway, right?

Duration:  from the time of this post until 7/31 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  I'll announce the winner the following day.

Prize #1:  I'll randomize the names once all the entries are in--the usual three runs through random.org--and the winner will get a complete set of 2010 Topps Update baseball, plus some cool stuff of their favorite team, as much as possible from what I have left.

Prize #2:  The blog that gets the most new follows (minimum of 3, to keep it reasonable) will get this Jayson Werth 2010 Topps manubat, plus, again, whatever cool stuff I can find of their favorite team.

See how that helps everybody?  Find new blogs to enjoy, help OTHERS find new blogs to enjoy, help other blogs get more readers, and get a shot at some free swag, PLUS give one really lucky blog some free publicity and a fun reward.

So get out there, get following someone you're not currently reading and get those comments in!  (Please note I'm not responding to comments in the comments in this case, in order to keep entries uncluttered, but I'm responding to those with email addresses, plus I'm noting all entries below)

 

Entries:
1.  The Diamond King followed 26 Cent Summer
2.  BA Benny's Baseball Card Buffet followed Ryan's Pitch
3.  ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession followed Drew's Cards
4.  My Cardboard Mistress followed Night Owl Cards
5.  My Sports Obsession followed Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius
6.  Fantastic Catch followed BA Benny's Pack Rip Cafe
7.  The Daily Dimwit followed Poor Old Baseball Cards
8.  $30 a Week Habit followed Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius
9.  Emerald City Diamond Gems followed Friars on Cardboard
10.  Cards on Cards followed ARPSmith's Sportscard Obsession
11.  Waxaholic followed The Snorting Bull
12.  Manupatches & Mustaches followed The Snorting Bull
13.  Canadian Cardboard followed $30 a Week Habit
14.  Tenets of Wilson followed 26 Cent Summer
15.  The Lost Collector followed Tenets of Wilson
16.  Justin's World followed Friars on Cardboard
17.  Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle followed Ryan's Pitch
18.  My 2008 Topps Set Blog followed Hello, Victory!
19.  Nomo's Sushi Platter followed Phungo
20.  Play at the Plate followed The Snorting Bull
21.  Coot Veal and the Vealtones followed Cards That Never Were
22.  DocHoloday followed Waxaholic
23.  Dime Boxes followed Vintage Cubs Cards
24.  Cornado2010 followed Play at the Plate
25.  All Trade Bait, All the Time followed 26 Cent Summer
26.  Royals and Randoms followed Texas Rangers Cards
27.  Chipp 'n Dale followed Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz
28.  The Other World followed Andrew's Baseball Cards
29.  The Snorting Bull followed All Trade Bait, All the Time
30.  A Pack to Be Named Later (Jafronius) followed Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz
31.  Reader skroeker followed Fantastic Catch

Find this contest and others, as well as aggregated group breaks and more over at

A fine new blog run by these fine and familiar gents:

(Note:  please feel free to follow this blog as well, but out of fairness, it's not eligible for the contest)

Owners unwilling to deal: an update

I mainly just wanted to extend a huge thanks to everyone who chipped in their opinions on Friday's post.  Keeping in mind that despite the small sample size I ended up with what I think is a pretty diverse group of readers and bloggers, I think your responses showed a few clear trends with just a bit of deviation:

1.  If you were in this collector's shoes, how would you feel about the other guy refusing to sell you the card and telling you not to contact him anymore (based on the little you know contained in this post, to be fair)?

The general consensus here was disappointment/frustration coupled with acceptance.  That's in line with what I figured I'd see from you guys--I know plenty of you are just as passionate about trying to complete projects like that, and maybe there's multiple reasons that this is the case, but I can't say I've seen or heard of any of you taking a similar tack to try to whine your way to sympathy.

Sample response:  "I would be devastated if the guy wouldn't part with the fourth card... but that's the way it is. Hopefully the discussion would've gone better than what happened with those two collectors though."  -- Captain Canuck  


2.  If you were the person in possession of that fourth card, how would you handle the guy trying to buy your copy?  Would you sell it to him or no?  Why not?  If you sold it, would you gouge the hell out of him or just go for a tidy profit?

This question elicited some very interesting responses in my opinion.  Some of you had no problem dealing with the guy to get him his complete set in the spirit of being helpful, that is, unless it was something you were very, very attached to.  Again, this is totally in line with what I thought because you can't go a day without reading somebody's blog thanking another collector for sending them a major need without expecting anything in return.  Definitely a different culture than the dog-eat-dog message boards, eh?

Sample response (and my favorite, definitely):  "Easy: I wouldn't sell him the card and i would demand that he give me his three so i would have a complete set."  -- Spankee

3.  Do you think collectors that are (presumably) acquiring a set of something rare like four 1/1 cards are entitled to the remaining cards (at a reasonable price, of course) when they get to a certain point?

Nope, not even close, according to all of you.  It's good to know that you guys wouldn't feel pressured to give up something you treasure just because some guy stakes his claim to it.

Sample response:  dhoff gets Biblical on our asses:  "I say, let's go King Solomon style on both these guys. We'll offer to take all four of the cards and slice each one in half, then divide the halves between these guys. We'll see who reacts best, and this collector will be deemed the true mother."

Having experienced this excellent discussion, I can proudly say I'd be willing to deal with each and every one of you in this same situation.  Unless it was a Rich Hill card.  Otherwise, I wouldn't gouge you guys like this was the Kwik-e-Mart, because it looks like all of you would do the same.  Thanks again for reaffirming my appreciation for collectors like you!

That will be $2000 and a case of National Treasures Football.  Thank you, come again!

A collecting discussion: owners unwilling to deal a rare card you need

Yesterday while cruising around the Blowout forums as usual, I caught this thread, which immediately piqued my interest:

It sparked quite a bit of discussion from the board, and rightly so, considering the content.  While much of the thread devolved into the inevitable bunch of childish insults and off-topic crap, there was some pretty good discussion going on, generally siding with my point-of-view.  Mainly, the two sides were:

• Jeez, what a douche!  If you offered him more than he paid for it, he's STUPID not to sell it to you, and by not doing so he has bad karma heading his way.  He totally owes you this card, bro.
• Um, he OWNS the card, and just because you have three of the other four he's obligated to sell his to you regardless of his attachment to it?  You probably screwed yourself by telling him this was the last one you needed anyway, now he's got you by the balls, and if I was him I wouldn't sell it to you because you're the one being a jackass.  Leave him alone and go cry, emo kid.

This made me wonder how the most reasonable group of collectors I've known--those of you that write your own blogs and/or read them--would approach this situation.  So in the interest of spurring some good old-fashioned internet discussion, a few questions:

1. If you were in this collector's shoes, how would you feel about the other guy refusing to sell you the card and telling you not to contact him anymore (based on the little you know contained in this post, to be fair)?
2. If you were the person in possession of that fourth card, how would you handle the guy trying to buy your copy?  Would you sell it to him or no?  Why not?  If you sold it, would you gouge the hell out of him or just go for a tidy profit?
3. Do you think collectors that are (presumably) acquiring a set of something rare like four 1/1 cards are entitled to the remaining cards (at a reasonable price, of course) when they get to a certain point?

Please have at it in the comments or by emailing me.  I'll be happy to update this post highlighting those comments if enough people make them and there's interest in me doing so.  This just seems like an appropriate instance for some actual card collecting discussion!

I don't want to live on this planet anymore

Tigers extend contracts of Jim Leyland (2012) and Dave Dombrowski (2015)


My reaction, in a montage of images:

Dombrowski I can live with most days; while I want to throw him off the Ambassador Bridge for literally having nothing to show for talented 2B Scott Sizemore, not to mention some of his other boneheaded, short-sighted moves (o Jurrjens, where art thou?), he's done some good things while he's been in Detroit.
Leyland, however, proves that you don't have to do a good job to earn your money, or in this case, a new contract.  This was his put up or shut up year (a gift, as far as I was concerned, since I think last year would have been a nice time to cut bait) and he has yet to prove anything in a very weak AL Central.  Leyland is living off the afterglow of a lucky World Series appearance five years ago (plus a ring from almost 15 years ago) and he's done nothing since to earn his multiple contract extensions.


For those of you that don't know, here's how Leyland's teams performed in the second halves of his first five seasons in Detroit.  If you can count that high, you can see that this is less than a .500 winning percentage and therefore not good.


In 2006 the Tigers basically rode a ridiculous first half to an extremely lucky Wild Card berth, which should have been a division crown, something Leyland hasn't even been in the ballpark of (if you'll pardon the pun) since.  The 36-38 2nd half finish was the start of an alarming (unless you're Detroit's front office) trend.


2007 and 2008 saw a great start and typically poor finish, then a horrible first half plus .500 second half, respectively, and in both seasons, of course, Detroit failed to make it to the postseason. 2008's finish was particularly poor, not that the playoffs were realistic after a .500 start.  


2009, now that was a banner year--another strong start gave way to a .500 second half in which the Tigers found a way to almost earn a return trip to the playoffs, then give the Twins a foot in the door, then mismanage their way through a loss in the 163rd game (albeit with an indefensibly-missed Brandon Inge HBP).  Leyland favorite and titanic mountain of suck Gerald Laird got to remain in the game despite going 0-6 with two strikeouts in the most crucial game of the season and his team deservedly lost by a run in extras.


2010's second half was basically the opposite of the first, which meant that the Tigers got to enjoy another .500 season, some fine October golfing and the World Series on TV for all I know.  "Wonderful!" Jim Leyland cackled from his fortress of doom and incompetence.  "More opportunity to arrange some ill-timed poor decisions and make myself even more stubborn about hitting my second baseman second.  Polanco's still our second baseman, right?"


2011's first half saw the Tigers finish five games above .500, a not terrible record in a not-great division.  If you're of at least below-average intelligence, you can probably surmise that Detroit will continue its trend of sub-.500 second half baseball and miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year (after making it by a hair six years ago).  Still, it's reasonable to hope your team bucks this trend.  However, awarding another year of a contract to the guy that's been leading your team down this cliff instead of making him prove that he can find a safer way down?


Instead of canning the source of the problem (when the inevitable happens, may as well let him finish out the year) and going into the offseason with a plan to improve, Detroit will probably suffer through more Leylandball next year, fire him in the middle of the season then have to go through the annoyance of an interim manager and candidate search.

Listen:  fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.  Fool me three times, that's a crowd.  Fool me four times, maybe I should start to see a pattern.  Fool me five times and I'll give you a contract extension.