Trade Bait: Ink up for Grabs

Oh sure, I could post about new year collecting goals, but who has the time. I only have a little longer of my break before I get back to teaching. And I'm sacrificing goals for wants: more trades. So, more bait to be had. This time, all autographs:

Ryan Klesko: 2002 Topps Autographs

Soctt Podsednik: 2007 Topps Autographs

Kurtis Miller: 2013 Bowman Blue #ed /500

Ross Detwiler: 2007 Tristar Prospect Plus Farm Hands

Willy Aybar: 2001 Bowma's Best Exclusive Autographs

Wily Peralta: 2012 Topps Chrome

Trevor Reckling: 2008 Just Minors

Joe Saunders: 2002 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres

Dontrelle Willis: 2006 Sweet Spot Signatures

Tyler Anderson: 2012 Bowman Prospect Autograph

Chris Coghlan: 2007 Tristar Autothentics

Gorkys Hernandez: 2007 Tristar Autothentics

Jed Lowrie: 2004-05 USA Baseball National Team Signatures

Sean Doolittle: 2006-07 USA Baseball Signatures

Ricky Romero: 2004-05 USA Baseball Signatures Jersey

Robbie Grossman: 2012 Bowman

Adam Davis: 2011 Leaf Limited Prospect Signatures

Taylor Jungmann: 2011 Bowman Sterling Prospects

Zach Miner: 2004 Topps Chrome

Joakim Soria: 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars

Devon White: 2011 Limited Greats Signatures

Milton Bradley: 2010 Topps 206 Mini Framed Caramel Autograph

Pat Dobson: 2004 UD Yankees Classic Scripts

Brad Peacock: 2012 Panini Signature Series

Wade Miley: 2012 Bowman Sterling Rookie Autographs

Ron Cey: 2012 SP Signature

You know the drill. Send me an email at dustinhoff86 at gmail dot com or leave a comment if you're interested. My want lists are at the top of the page, as are my archived trade baits. Thanks for looking.

Here Comes More Trade Bait

Here are a bunch of cards up for trade. If you're interested, let me know and send me an offer. 

 

Bret Boone: 2001 Topps Traded (jersey (maybe, we just don't know anymore))

Ryan Zimmerman: 2008 UD Heroes Blue #ed 139/200

Josh Donaldson: 2010 Topps Chrome Auto

Johnny Damon: 2005 Topps Update All-Star Stitches (jersey (or a swatch of the Caveman's recliner))

Manny Ramirez: 2004 Bazooka Blasts Bat Relics

Al Leiter: 2004 Leaf Certified Materials Mirror Fabric (jersey)

Kila Ka'aihue (Did I say that right?): 2010 Topps Chrome (auto)

James Loney: 2008 SP Legendary Cuts Destination Stardom (or maybe Boston) Memorabilia (jersey)

Travis Hafner: 2008 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection (jersey)

Mitch Moreland: 2012 Topps Golden Moments Relics (jersey)

Reggie Sanders: 2002 Topps Traded Tools of the Trade Relics

 

Jim Thome/David Bell (Like you care about this guy): 2003 Topps Pristine Corners Relics (bat)

And don't forget about my trade bait page where you'll find more cards up for grabs. I'm looking for something similarly GUed or autoed or vintage that pertains to the collection, but just let me know what you're thinking. You can check out my want lists above. You can leave a comment or shoot me an email: dustinhoff86 at gmail dot com. Thanks for looking.

Kaline Versus Cobb: Making the Player Collection Official

So, I'm finally following up on my posts about my Cobb conflict. For many of you collectors, and especially you Dodgers guys, you don't have such worries about the questionable characters of the legends from your team. Us Tigers guys, we have Cobb to contend with. But we also have Kaline. And I'm grateful for that. This last year, I've been getting to work on my Kaline player collection, which has become somewhat respectable. And, from what I understand, Kaline was a pretty decent fellow. Let's examine the cardboard testimonials.

According to the back of his '55 Topps card, Kaline was one of those "Bonus Babies" going to the highest bidder straight out of high school. What's more dangerous than a high school kid with a huge wad of cash? But it wasn't pimp cups and  Cadillac tail fins for Kaline. This is what he did with his money:

As this 1992 Front Row cards says, Al used his $30,000 bonus and "gave it to his parents to pay off the mortgage, and to finance a much needed operation to save his mother's eye-sight." Now that's a pretty stand-up guy. I have heard that Kaline can be a grump when it comes to autos, but, hell, I think we can forgive him. At least he isn't strangling his fans like some Tigers legends.

So, to go along with this post, I'm officially breaking out the giant-sized scissors to open the Kaline player collection page. On the page I list all of the Kaline cards I currently have. If you have anything not on there, I'm interested in trading for it. I'm putting this on the right side of the blog, near the top, where I'm also now linking all my other player collections, and the lone set I'm working on, 2007 Bowman Heritage, which is finishing up at a snail's pace.

OK, back to the above Front Row card pictured above. As you likely noticed, there's a mysterious certificate of authenticity below the card. And why is that there, you ask.

Because I recently acquired my second Kaline autograph, from Carl Crawford Cards. He sent this along to even up a trade we made months ago. I sent him some Johnny Gomes autos and some other goodies, and he sent an awesome Kaline bat relic. I guess he figured that one relic wasn't enough to complete the trade, so he sent this. I was completely happy with the bat relic, but that just shows you what an awesome trader he is. But that's not all he sent this time around. He actually sent a whole slew of Kalines that he'd put in order of awesomeness, with this in the back.

Here's a few more he sent.

More autograph-grumping, stand-up guy Kaline cards.

And if a bunch of awesome modern Kalines and an auto weren't enough, some well-loved vintage.

This trade added enough weight to my Kaline player collection to be able to get the page going, so thanks, man. Awesome cards. If you have any Carl Crawfords or Johnny Gomes cards, be sure to check out Carl Crawford Cards and make him a nice trade offer.

A Bunch of Trade Bait

Time to get some more trades going. If you see anything you like, let me know. On with the cards:

Justin Morneau: 2006 Upper Deck WBC Collection Jersey

Grady Sizemore: 2010 Upper Deck Game Jersey

B.J. Upton: 2008 UD Spectrum Swatches Red Jersey (#ed 14/35)

Mark Teixeira: 2004 UD Diamond All-Star Future Gems Jersey

Pat Venditte: 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto
Apparently, Pat's the only active professional switch pitcher. He has a pitching rule named after him even. Pretty interesting story on Wiki.

Jeremy Jeffress: 2006 Tristar Prospects Plus Farm Hands Auto

Pat Burrell: 2003 Sweet Spot Patches

Vernon Wells: 2004 Bowman Heritage Threads of Greatness Jersey

Carl Crawford: 2007 Artifacts Apparel Jersey

Kirk Rueter: 1997 Donruss Signature Series Autographs Millenium (#ed /1000)

Garry Maddox: 2001 UD Decade '70s Game Bat

Trevor Reckling: 2008 Just Autographs

Scott Rolen: 2005 Topps Pack Wars Relics (bat)

If you don't see anything here, you can always mosey on over to my trade bait page, linked at the top. Just send me an email or comment if you see anything you want.