If I Owned Donruss...

In my opinion Topps is getting a little big for it's britches. Putting out an insert set in 2018 depicting their own "print as needed" Topps Now best sellers is the last straw. Pat yourself on the back on your own time, don't waste a spot in my pack for a card of a card you suckered people into buying. I know how big of a deal licensing has become and many people don't give unlicensed product the time of day. I don't think that is the other companies faults 100% and they put out some great looking cards even without logos. Here are two moves I would make if I controlled Donruss to give the company a little shot in the arm and take a shot at Topps.

1. I would make up mock teams to fill in for the lack of licensing. The Detroit Kittens, Kansas City Princesses, New York Federals and Suburbans in the NL. I would create logos of these made up teams to fill in the blank spots until I got a license agreement. I would sell hats, jerseys and shirts of these fake teams too. This is probably illegal in a million ways so as soon as the lawsuits came flooding in like TTM requests in spring training, I would start selling ad spots where logos should be.

2. Topps likes to "celebrate" its own designs from the past every single year. This year the 1983 design is being shoved down our throats with so many variations its not even worth collecting, I just trade them for junk wax.
If I was Donruss I would make a set called Donruss Deja Vu. This set would use the design of the most overproduced, most nostalgic, and least valued set of all time: 1990 Donruss.
Instead of making countless numbered and variations I would reproduce the errors from the original set. Aaron Judge would have a reversed negative picture like the Juan Gonzalez card from '90. Justin Verlander would have a King of Kings diamond king card like Nolan Ryan with all the error variations. Garrett Cole's picture would be on Lance McCullers's card like the Glavine/Smoltz error from '90. The MVP cards and the Diamond Kings inserts would be there along with the Rated Rookie set. There would have to be a puzzle so I guess it should be....Jim Thome in an Indians uni.

Football Trade, TCDB Rejuvenation, The Benefit of Errors

Trade from Summer of '74

Matt over at Summer of '74 has also been taking part in some of the new business of the Iron Lion Collectibles. I was able to swing a trade with him for a sweet Kenny Golladay card! I have been trying to get my hands on a Kenny G auto for a while. I even entered in some breaks but no luck, that is until I stumbled across Matt's Iron Lion winnings post. In a perfect world Kenny G and JaCoby Jones will be the faces of Detroit sports for the next 12-15 years and both retire with and get elected into the HOF with Detroit. That is in a perfect world.

My brother is more of a football fan than I but these two cards look pretty sweet together. I may have to keep it.

Ebay Steals from Listing Errors

Lately, when I get bored at night I make my way to ebay to search for erroneous listings of decent cards that I can win for cheap. I am split between "yes, what a steal" and "don't be a douchebag, you are stealing" with some of these. I am winning auctions for 35 cents, sometimes less with free shipping. Now, a seller should never post something for less than they are willing to sell it for. They should also never start an auction at .01 with free shipping without a reserve. I don't really know how to feel about the cards I get since its costing the sellers money to give me the card. I have done that many a time as a seller myself. Sometimes I wonder who the seller is and if they know a stamp is no longer 35 cents.

My biggest cheap win. The seller mispelled Yoan Moncada terribly so I got this for next to nothing. They lost money shipping it to me. I am not a Moncada fan but I always look for flippable cards to turn into PC cards. This is available.

I recieved this in a trade recently. I think from facebook. I honestly don't remember the transaction other than I traded a card I had found in a dimebox at the last show. Not bad for a PC guy in return even if I already have the card.

.35 cents to my door.

.25 cents to my door.

PC! 45 cents!

More Beneficial Errors

When I am not putting ebay sellers in the poor house late at night, I have been searching a lot of the wax from Papa Jack's boxes while logged onto TCDB looking for errors and variations. Its been pretty fun and I have found a lot. They aren't enough to retire on but its the thrill of the hunt, isn't it?

TCDB Rejuvenation

I have had a profile on The Trading Card Database since August of last year but had only put a handful of cards into my collection on there. Billy from Cardboard History threw up a contest on his blog with part of it asking for our Trading Card Database profile names. I had to look at the site to even remember mine (pjdionne12 if anybody wants to add me). Since then I have added over 200 of my cards to my profile on there and am addicted to it. I don't know why the site wasn't so exciting to me the first time using it. I think I was a little confused by a lot of it and it seemed to navigate a bit archaic for me but now I am amazed by it and have been on the site for 3 days straight. If you aren't using the site you should really check it out!

Shipped!

Hey You! Yeah You...I Finally Shipped Your Stuff

Half the stack

I finally made it to the post office. Shame on me for waiting so long but my car was getting an overhaul for about a week so I was immobile. The hit to the wallet is what I get for waiting to send so much at once. I am excited for everybody to get their packages. Here is a list of zip codes of packages starting their USPS adventure today. If you see your zip and want a tracking number to calm your anxiety just let me know.

48059
26505
91770
07044
53211
61615
22980
07840
76063
97213
60706
33805
48074
48422
53714

Whoo. I am sorry to everyone in line behind me at the post office. Presidents' Day didn't help with the line length either.

Couple More TTM's

I really haven't had the pocket change to send out many more TTM requests. I have a pile of letters written and envelopes stuffed but lack the stamps to send them. I was able to scrounge together 4 stamps to send to Marcus Thames at Yankees camp and Travis Wood; a non-roster invitee to Tiger's camp. Can you believe that?! Travis Wood isn't on a MLB 40 man roster. Crazy.

Stuff

I finally got out of the house Saturday and got to do some ice fishing in a tournament. Had a lot of fun with my father in law and caught a few fish but didn't make the money. I've also had some really good ebay purchases under 99 cents the last few days. Some as cheap as .35! I don't recommend ever starting an auction at .01 with free shipping people.

99 Cents with free shipping on this bad boy!

Cheers! TTM Season, Card Show, Breaks, Trades

CHEERS!

I remember the show Cheers as a kid but was a little young to have actually watched it. My life is boring enough now that I started watching the show from the beginning and it is terrific. The picture above shows a cryptic message that a quick google search results in a strange explanation. According to whatever the hell I read; a teacher in Ohio was disappointed when Cheers was going to be cancelled around its 3rd season. Apparently this guy successfully rallied fans of the show via a radio station and someone put this message up in an episode to thank him. I don't know if any of this is the truth but I am hoping, for me, its a sign from above that the Tigers are in it this year.

I will say it now because it doesn't fit in anywhere else, to anyone waiting on a package from me for whatever reason; I am without a vehicle until next week. I am hoping to hit the post office Friday or Saturday to get rid of this pile ASAP. This includes winnings, trades, or whatever else I have addressed and laying around.

TTM Season in Full Swing!

I have sent out 16 TTM auto requests to spring training this week. My brother is getting into TTM autos so I created a kind of game for us. We are both sending out 5 requests for each other but not telling each other who they are. It will be cool if any come back because I don't know who he chose for me. I tried to choose some 99% success signers for him. Here is a list of the guys I sent to for myself:

Alex Faedo, Tanner Roark, Chris Bosio, Ron Gardenhire, Brent Honeywell, Bartolo Colon, Whit Merrifield, Grayson Greiner, Jeimer Candelario, Hunter Strickland, Leonys Martin, and Aaron Slegers.

Free Box Breaks?!

If you aren't already, go right now and follow The Iron Lion Breakers on facebook! One of my favorite bloggers The Daily Dimwit posted about being a part of a new online breaker so I checked them out and gave them a follow. Recently, they have been doing FREE breaks! I thought it was a joke at first but I have been a part of three so far. I haven't had any big hits and told them to keep what I have hit for giveaways because I feel bad knowing how crappy shipping is. It is a ton of fun to be in a break, especially a free one. What a way to work out the kinks and gain some customers quickly. I very much recommend checking them out. I can't wait until Heritage and Gypsy Queen come out this year to have them break some boxes for me.

You want to talk about legit? This card was pulled tonight and given away; FREE!

What's In Papa Jack's Box?

Well there are so many boxes now I won't ever run out of stuff to post from Papa Jack. Tonight I have a handful of stuff for y'all to check out. This stuff all came from my most recent gifts. There are some sweet stamp sets that are super interesting if you read the COA from the Babe Ruth ones.

I love breakfast sausage and Cecil Fielder! This cello pack is intact and amazing.

Card Show in the Snow!

The weather was terrible this last week, dumping over a foot of snow around my area. I was still able to slide into the local card show. I was looking for one card. I will get to that in my next section. I did not find it. I did however spend all my time/money on a nickel box, dime box, quarter box and a few stragglers. I would like to warn you; even if you see a nickel box, always spend higher first and work your way down. I always end up spending most of my funds on the cheapest boxes and then finding hot quarter boxes and I already have no room left to carry cards or have no money left. Buy the expensive first and work your way down. The nickel and dime boxes I hit last month were refilled! What I am posting here is unfortunately not even 0.5% of what I took home but I have already sorted much of it into boxes.

Two Orioles Press Proofs

Random 5 cent Auto. He has some Detroit Tiger ties for sure. Ullger Wiki Page

I fill all my pockets with cases and sport a fancy fanny pack and still run out of room for loose cards.

Mr. Big Shot

10 cents to add another Fidrych to the PC!

I can't pass up #'ed cards for a nickel. No matter who the player or sport.

#'ed /250!

#'ed /500! Now I may loose a bunch of followers for saying I have never been a Seinfeld fan but I just am not. This card is available.

10 cents? Does this guy even look at these cards before dumping them for a dime?!

Now this is a crazy card. Cost me a quarter but I had never seen anything like it before. Of course I forgot to scan the back but it says its for promotional use only.

Picked up some decent Bregman RC's for $1 a piece.

I know everyone is chasing the '83 reprints this year but these are the real deal.

Fergie buy back.

I found a bunch of the "black" Stadium Club cards for 10 cents a piece.

I have already found a new suitor for this card.

Can't pass up a memorabilia card from a sure HOFer even if its not in his most memorable team.

 

Oh yeah I almost forgot I snagged this on ebay for .99!

 

Alright, Where Is It?

I need this card (above). Aaron Slegers Topps 2018 #277. Nobody at the card show had one. Don't make me buy it off ebay people. I am offering your choice of the following cards to anyone who is willing to send me a Slegers PWE in time for me to send it to him at spring training. Your choice of any of these four cards sent to you PWE for Slegers in return. The Moncada is a rainbow foil. Somebody hook me up! AJ aka THE LOST COLLECTOR hath hooked me up. Thanks!