Play At The Plate #Supertrader Trade

1998 Topps Gold Label #71 Class 1 Tim Salmon

Absolutely beautiful card set.

And one that I could never afford back in the 90's

1996 SP Special FX #42 Tim Salmon

I so happy this scanned well.

1996 Circa #22 Tim Salmon

Circa was always a mind-trip for me...too much going on.

But I do like the Angels logo in the background.

2000 Topps Tek #8-2 Mo Vaughn

Again can't figure out the numbering system on these.

And have boxes of these suddenly been discounted because this is like the third Tek card I've received this year after rarely receiving them in years past.

1999 Skybox E-X Century #101 Troy Glaus

Another really nice (and expensive) premium set from the 90's

Can't imagine what it would have been like ripping a box of these.

2007 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Americas Pastime AP-KM Kendrys Morales

Super cool autograph from before the name change.

Glad to see him still powering the ball...now as a World Champ with the Royals.

1986 Fleer Future Hall of Famer #4 Rod Carew and #6 Reggie Jackson

The two Angels in this 6-card set found randomly inserted into Fleer rack packs.

Now I have the team set...sweet.

2013 Topps Mini

The Pujols is also a Series 1 checklist.

Good cards #Supertrader Brian, thanks!

I Got The Play At The Plate All Out Of Order

A got a big box of Angels baseball cards From Brian of Play At The Plate. If you recall he had obtained several 5000 count boxes of cards and I think maybe he had offered teams to bloggers and that I had claimed the Angels.  But I wasn't sure about that, so when the box arrived I was surprised to get it and blown away that he had sent so many cards.

When the box arrived in the mail I was in the midst of sorting and binderizing a small accumulation of Angels cards I already had, so in my excitement about all the new stuff I naturally went right into sort and binderize mode.  By the time I realized I hadn't pulled out and scanned any of them for a post it was too late: I only had a handful of Salmons left still to be put in the Salmon binder.

Here's my token sample.

But man you wouldn't believe the good stuff I found in the box.  A ton of Angels cards but particularly from the late 90's, a span of years I'm probably most lacking in my team sets.  And there were at least a half dozen team sets, or cards that enabled me to complete team sets, in the box.

All good stuff Man, all good stuff.

Next time I'll try to slow down and smell the Angels before I put them in their places.

Thank you.

Quality Over Quantity - Damn Straight

Sticky note from Play at the Plate stated "Quality over quantity this time."

Simply stated.

I'm here to show you that quality now, found in the quantity of just 3 cards.

2013 Topps Update Silk Collection 43/50

This is my second silk in two weeks, the only two silks I own.

Strange little concept but pretty cool little cards.

You can put your finger in the little window and feel the silk.

Mmmm, silky.

2008 Topps Moments and Milestones.

Hard to see but this is numbered 15/25.

Is Moments and Milestones one of those crazy numbered sets where the cards pretty much all look alike except for the numbering? 

I have a few of these, and in my mind they all look the same. I really don't know much about them.

Time to do my research.

Along those lines, this card looked just like any other mini, or like the other 2009 Jered Weaver mini I have.

I kept comparing the back to the one I have looking over and over again at the hand-numbering thinking,

"Anyone could have written that on there" to pass it off as a special card. 

No number here...

Hand numbered here.

Seriously, it took about 3 minutes of confusion to realize there was no card number and this is indeed a hand-numbered 36/50.  Confirmed it on sportscardradio.

Shows you how into Ginter's I've been, I don't buy much.

That's three numbered cards under 50.

So yes, quality definitely over quantity.

The Note Said, "I Hope You Enjoy These."

NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT!

Play at the Play already knows what I like.

He didn't have to hope I would enjoy these, because he already knew that I would.

He was being silly.

All from 2013, a year I have been severely lagging in random pack baseball card purchases.

Chasing History Autograph Nick Maronde.

Nick signed the sticker but looks like he wasn't sure how to spell his name.

The back says a Topps representative witnesses the signing, but I wonder, is the sticker ON the card when they sign it?

Oooh, Mark Trumbo on-card autograph from Gypsy Queen.

Mark not only signed his name but he actually TOUCHED this card!

I'll never wash it.

The only Pinnacle I have from this year is the handful of Angels folks have sent me.

Nary a pack of Chrome have been torn by me either.

This Pujols is a blue refractor numbered 030/199.

Albert will have a big year in 2014.

I can feel it.

And this Chrome red refracter is an even more scarce 18/25.

I enjoy, I so much enjoy.

Is it a piece of a jersey, or a piece of a base?

Oh, its a piece of a jersey in the shape of a base!

The cartoon on the back states that "Players in the clubhouse often chewed Bazooka gum!"

Whoa-kay.

Nice to know.

Awesome stuff Brian, thanks.

I Scored On A Play At The Plate

I won the 5-part March Contest at Play at the Plate. All we had to do was answer 5 easy questions about ourselves and our interest/likes. The drawing came down to 5 entrants, and I came out the randomized winner! I don't win much so this was a really nice treat.

The prize was a hanging box of 2012 Topps. Sweet!

Let's see what inserts and Angels I got.

Not bad.  But every time I see Mark Teixeira I cringe.  I didn't like it when he left the Rangers, and I didn't like it when he left the Braves, and I didn't like it when he left the Angels, and I especially didn't like it when he went to the Yankees!  And now I just don't like him anymore.

Gold is good.

Hamerin' Hank is always a good thing, and I really like the 1987 Minis and the Gold Futures inserts.

I went straightaway to insert my code and got another coin - the Oakland A's.  That gave me three coins in my collection so I got a special code.  And what did I get?  Another coin.  Jackie Robinson. 

Also in the box were 3 Angels cards.  I got a noce Mark Trumbo for the collection and I needed the Scott Downs for the set.  Very nice.

My two blue Walmart cards netted me another Angel, Scott Downs again, nice.

These next cards were a bonus that Brian threw in for my Angels collection.

All great cards that I didn't already have.

Thanks for the contest Brian, and thanks for the extras.  I appreciate it.

Platinum Chromium From Play at the Plate

All these cards are beauties. I'm stunned by their blinding brilliance.

Thanks Man.

Breaks and Trades

I participated in Cardboard Collections August group break of a box of 1996 Fleer and a box of 1997 Fleer. I had less than a handful of Angels from either of these sets, so I was happy to get whatever I could from the break.

1996 Fleer Prospect #6 of 10 Todd Greene.  I swear there's more Todd Green cards than any other Angel during this period.

1996 Fleer Rookie Sensation #1 of 15 Garret Anderson.  Hard to see in the scan but the right side of the card is shiney rainbowey foil.  Nice card.

From the 1996 set I also got 40 Jim Abbott, 41 Brian Anderson, 42 Garret Anderson, 43 Chili Davis, 45 Damion Easley, 50 Mike James, 53 Orlando Palmeiro, 55 Troy Percival, 56 Tony Phillips, 58 Lee Smith, and 59 JT Snow glossy.

I chose this #50 Tim Salmon to represent the cards I received from the 1997 set. 

I also got 35 George Arias, 37 Chili Davis, 40 Jim Edmonds, 41 Darin Erstad, and 48 Mark Langston.

The second team I had for the break was the Montreal Expos.  I got a good selection of them from both boxes, but since this is an Angels blog I'll refrain from showing them.

Colbey also threw in (I think.  I don't recall any other agreement we had) this 2004 Donruss Studio Big League Challenge BLC-8 Troy Glaus #136/499.  When I first glanced at this card I thought it was from a senior league.  Glaus kinda looks like an old guy in a softball uniform.

Nice 2007 Topps Chrome Generation Now #GN211 Mike Napoli.  Mike, as you well know, is my favorite ex-Angel playing for their rival Texas Rangers.

And an awesome looking 2011 Bowman Platinum Prospects #BPP82 Garrett Richards, Purple.  Oh how I love Bowman Platinum Angels.

Much thanks go out to Play at the Plate and The Daily Dimwit for sending me a combined 45 cards towards my 2008 Baseball Heroes base set.  That leaves me with a much more manageable number to obtain for the set.

Next up was a big 45 card stack of Angels from The Night Owl who never disappoints.  I sent Greg a similar stack of Dodgers off his wantlist, and within the cards he sent me where these beauties:

There's that Todd Greene again, this time on a 1996 Bowmans Best #BPP18 Atomic Refractor.  Seriously though, Atomic Refractor has got to be the best subset name in the history of subsets.

Two Timbo Salmon cards to add to the collection.  First a 1998 Pacific Collection #15 which says on the back that Tim's position is jardinero and that he led the team in cuadrangulares.  Bueno Tim!

The second card is that from the 1994 Ted Williams card set and is numbered 161.  Its a nice Rookie of the Year tribute card from that set.

Another card that I needed for a set I'm working on, also turns out to be an Angel.  This is a 2008 Upper Deck X Xponential #X3-TH Torii Hunter.  Torii is probably watching his home run off Papelbon fly over the green monster to win the game.

Green backgrounds on baseball cards are very pleasing to the eye, and this on doesn't disappoint.  2011 Gypsie Queen Home Run Heroes #HH15 Troy Glaus.

Toppsium Chromium Kohn.  See the green background?  See what I mean?  Pleases your eyes doesn't it?  2011 Topps Chrome #208 Michael Kohn.

Oooh, Angels mini's.  I know for a lot of you set collectors these minis are very hard to part with.  I hope these were dupes Greg, if not, then thank you for your sacrifice.  These are beautiful.

Trades are fun and this community is awesome.  Thanks.

Trade with Play at the Plate

Brian and I worked out a trade, originally for this card that he wrote a post about a while back:

a sweet Jered Weaver mini relic from a 2011 Topps Lineage blaster he opened up.  I spotted the card and asked if we could work out a trade.  Brian agreed, and away we went. 

I selected some of the cards he sent to display below.

Now I know that Brian pulled and packaged this Trumbo up before I posted about sending me your Trumbos and Trouts.  And this is a Trumbo I didn't have yet, so it must have been Divine intervention.

2009 Topps Finest #140 Freddy Sandoval blue refractor #113/399.  Kinda weird how Freddy's sleeve is opened up on the side.  Almost looks like he lost a limb there.

Two nice 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Angels.

2010 Topps Heritage #C150 Bobby Abreu Chrome #0490/1961.

Another nice Angels chrome, this one a 2006 Topps '52 #TCRC61 Kendry Morales #0205/1952.

Two oh-so-sparkly 2008 Topps Xfractors.  I suffer a mini-stroke every time I see these Xfractors.  But I love it!

For these and a handful of more Angels I sent Brian a bunch of 1976 and 78 Topps off his wantlist, and some Rangers cards he needed.  Thanks again brian.