What does "Top Loader" mean to you?

I mistakenly stirred the pot so to speak on Twitter a few days ago by posting this:

Now, when I receive a card I assume it will be top loaded and by "top loaded" I mean the card will be right side up with the sealed end of the loader at the bottom of the card. When I get cards I think they should be this way so I can put them into my collection without having to remove the card. Seemed like a silly post about typical ebay shipping shenanigans and a lot of collectors see it my way. BUT, I have discovered a population of collectors who ship the way I received this Yelich card believing if the card slips towards what should be painters tape it will not be hurt. And, of course, I had the thought and many others too; that this card is the upside-down printed variation. Ha, ha, ha. There was also the token "it was loaded in the top: top loader" joker too. Maybe its my own laziness but I prefer to receive cards upright in the loader. What do you think?

Some other recent ebay pickups:

I had seen this card before but had never noticed the baseball in it. How great is this image?! At 11 cents shipped, I couldn't help myself. 

Boesch will always be one of my favorite Tigers. 

Clearance 2017 Update Packs

A while back I struck out on 2017 Series 1 packs I picked up on clearance but this time I found two fat packs at Walmart for $3.49 each. I did well in both. Lots of great RC's (of course, it is Update) but both packs had short prints. A Trey Mancini Photo Variation RC SP and a Stanton Photo Variation. I can't wait to hopefully find 2018 Update clearance priced this year, if that happens.

TCDB Trades

I made some good trades this past week on Trading Card Database. I didn't take pics of the trade pages but here are some of the cards that came in:

Who knew a middle school level photoshop job on a baseball card would look so damn appealing.

Some are PC, some are trade bait. I was also able to flip the Kevin Brown patch card I got at the card show for $1 for a JV all star relic card. This trade started on Twitter with @dennisbaker and was completed on TCDB. 

Pistons Getting Some Traction

I don't think Stanley is going to make it to this appearance. Luckily I didn't trade the only Svi Mykhailiuk card I pulled this year:

I know I don't talk about the Pistons a lot on here but I like this move. I wish they would trade Andre Drummond too but since they moved Bullock I think we are stuck with Dre. I will say this; Blake Griffin is one of the hardest working players I have ever watched in the NBA and he gets barely any recognition and shit on by the refs every game. He gets beat down with uncalled fouls and then called for ghost reach ins at the other end nightly. Yet, he still keeps his head up and is a leader. The guy is amazing. 

Upcoming Shows

I was disappointed to finally be hit by the new shipping costs this week. $4.81 for a small bubble mailer to Washington. I cannot keep trading with prices like that. I guess I am going to save my very little money and take it to card shows. I don't know what I will do with all the trade bait I acquire throughout the year. I guess I will have to be very, very selective with my trades. I have already turned down more trades in 2019 than I did in ALL of 2018. No joke. Its painful to do so and probably making me lose some partners but I got a kid to feed man. Thanks USPS. I am hoping to hit at least one of these shows coming up.

I got Darrel on his RC a few months back. I just found a box bottom card of Evans I want to get signed. 

I already have Delvecchio's sig but I may get another. Pretty good price. Hanson is out of my price range for a Lion. Hopefully I can hit at least one of the days and maybe catch some of the other bloggers there. 

 

Card Show #2 and Many, Many Trades

I was only able to hit the local card show for ten minutes while waiting for a prescription to be filled at the CVS across the street this week. Lack of funds and money (the usual) kept me from being able to pick up any good Tigerfest worthy stuff. The guy who always recognizes me and has great deals always deserves whatever cash I bring. I went right in to his table and spent my ten dollar bill quickly. Here are the cards I got for $1:

/250 Piece of his "N" I suppose.

He was blowing up when I was in college in his home town. 

I keep expecting Berrios to make the leap to superstar. Maybe this year.

I am a bigger fan of his deer hunting than ball playing. 

Great looking card. Enjoyed watching Cleaves in college.

Next are the cards I got for .50 cents:

These Clear Vision cards look amazing. Bruce Brown has been impressive. Hopefully these guys sign locally soon and aren't traded.

Then, I spent the rest of my dough on his dimeboxes:

I had to leave a lot of Cal, Nolan, and Rickey in the box. At 10 cents a piece it breaks my heart.

I am a big Flaherty, Haniger, and Soroka fan! Send those guys my way.

I don't care if I have 1000 '81 Fleer Fidrych cards I won't leave any behind. I was very surprised to see the coca cola cards in a dime box at a Detroit area show!

I don't think this includes everything but I can never make it halfway through one of this guy's dimeboxes before spending all my money. Someday when I hit the lottery I will be able to pick through all 5 boxes he usually has. I know, I know I could probably just buy the boxes but I would hope I would be more frugal than that. I might even start looking through 50 cent boxes if I was a millionaire. 😲

My USPS sucks still. I have been trying to make some trades and pick up some cheap ebay stuff to take to Tigerfest but the USPS always wants to fight me. Like this package that went to wrong town's post office before being sent to mine and trashed to hell somewhere in between. The ebay seller packaged okay but not great. Top loader and team bag are always needed but one piece of cardboard wouldn't have changed the price to ship and would have helped the package out a little.

Who the F*** writes damaged on it with nothing else?! Since when is that okay?!

Had a die cut Baez #10/10 and a Casey Mize card in it.

Found a single clearance pack of 2017 Topps Update at Walmart the other day and pulled one Judge RC. Always nice to have extras.

TRADING CARD DATABASE - WHY AREN'T YOU ON IT?

To complete a trade with a gentleman on TCDB I had to reach into my collection and give up a Gold David Ortiz. Today I got a random PWE from that guy with this note. Seems he found this card elsewhere and felt bad I gave it up so he sent it back. These are the honest, amazing traders on this site! Unbelievable. I don't know why people keep getting scammed on Twitter instead of uploading and swapping on TCDB. I know its getting old hearing about it on this blog but believe me I get no incentive for mentioning it. I just feel the more traders on the site the better it will be. While it may be more exciting to show the actual cards I get, I feel it is more interesting to see what was given up to receive those cards. So once in a while I am going to post a trade recap of some recent swaps.
Here is a look into my most recent trades completed on there:

This was a good sized trade. I got some good cards for Tigerfest and a sweet Joey Gallo RC.

I have uploaded enough basketball cards to get offers on those now too!

The secret may be out that the reason I go after minis is strictly to trade with this specific trader on here. One of my favorite trade partners.

I do a few small trades every now and then. Its a good way to break the ice with some members. This one was offered to me.

This trade gave me an extra Ronny Rodriguez for Tigerfest and my first Victor Alcantara card in return for some oddballs and older baseball. I was the one to propose this trade.

Do You Trade PC cards for PC cards? & Luke Kennard In Person Autograph

What To Do, What To Do...

I was contacted on facebook by a fellow Tigers Collectible group member who remembered me winning a Razz containing a JaCoby Jones #1/3 memorabilia card asking if I was willing to trade it. He himself had just found #2/3 and we both missed out on #3/3 being sold on ebay last week for a mere $19! Damn it. Out of respect for the hobby, I let the guy make me offers for the card. It was worth much more than $19 to me even if market value of the last one sold was at a steal of a price. I did not want to part with it, BUT; I respect the guy trying to complete the set of 3 cards. He offered me something my collection has lacked: Jose Canseco scribbled ink. Out of the goodness of my heart and making him swear to do whatever it takes to complete the 3/3 set, I accepted the trade. I was sad to see that card go but overjoyed to finally have a Canseco auto. On the plus side when Jones tanks and all my PC of him is worthless I can look back on this trade happily. If he becomes the GOAT I only got rid of one card.

Out with the old,

In with the new!

Detroit Piston and Duke Alumnus Luke Kennard 

It is always a treat to hand a guy a card to have signed and have them comment on never having seen it before. It has happened a few times to me and though I know I will not be the only person on Earth to have a certain card signed, it feels cool to be the first. Dunham's Sports in Westland Michigan brought in Rookie Luke Kennard for a free public signing. Nolan and I waiting about 45 minutes in line to meet him and have him sign this rookie card I got from a break a few months ago. He was a super nice guy. I would compare his potential from what I have seen from his play as that of JJ Reddick. I hope his playing time increases soon.

After getting the signature I had to buy Nolan a Tigers hat like mine and I grabbed a 99 cent 4 card pack of Topps Archives from the impulse buy section. I got a sweet Buck Farmer RC I hadn't had:

Dunk You Very Much!

DC Sports has a few different locations here in Michigan and almost always has at least one signing going on or coming up. They had Detroit Pistons Reggie Jackson signing at their last one. Just like the Michael Fulmer signing, I couldn't attend but was able to submit a 5X7 card and had them send it to me after the event. I love these jumbo cards! I was holding my breath waiting to see if Reggie would be a Piston after the trade deadline. So glad we kept him.

Looks like a standard but this is a 5X7 and its AMAZING!