Wednesday Weekly Contest Winner

This week's contest was guessing which Gold Hall of Fame Plaque I pulled out of my Jumbo Box of 2012 Topps Update.  With only 25 choices, there was a 4% chance of picking the right player.  We ended up with 27 entries and exactly 1 person picked the right player.  Here is the card:

Congratulations to Spiegel83 for correctly guessing Braves HOFer Warren Spahn!  Take a look at the contest prize page and let me know what you would like.

BTW this card is up for trade, I would love to get the Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson or Willie Mays for this set but would also consider some other nice Giants card(s).

Thanks to everyone for your participation and keep your eyes open for next Wednesday's contest.  The World Series starts on Wednesday so it will probably be something related to the Fall Classic.

Stayin' Alive

I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the Giant's season was going to be over tonight.  The Cardinals seems to have all the momentum and Barry Zito was on the mound.  Yes he has had a decent season winning 15 games but I just didn't have much confidence.  I am surrounded my Cardinals fans at work so I had my concession speech in progress and my wallet out to pay off the lunches I have bet on the series.  And then what happened...

Barry Zito pitched the game of his life and kept the Giants season alive.  I still am not overly confident that they will make this a streak and advance to the World Series but at least I have one more game to watch and cheer my team on.  There are a few things that line up well for the Giants: 1)They are heading home, 2)They just came back on the Reds and won 3 straight knock out games, 3)Vogelsong and Cain are set to pitch the last 2 games, and 4)They seem to have some momentum and I wouldn't be surprised if the Cards are looking over their shoulder a bit.

I know this is overly optimistic but at least a guy can dream!

Mail Day - 2011 Topps Chrome - The Quest for a Rainbow

When last year's Topps Chrome came out I decided to make a concerted effort to collect rainbows of all the Giants in the set with the exception of the 1/1 Superfractors.  I really focused on the 2011 Giants as they were released since this was the year after their World Series win and the colored refractors of Topps Chrome are some of my favorite cards.  I made some decent progress but when the 2012 releases started to come out my quest stalled.

A few weeks back I was able to score the Matt Cain Gold Refractor in a trade with Play at the Plate.  This got me reinspired to see how close to my rainbow goal I could get so I went searching on eBay.  I was able to find a few:

 
Here are the Sepia Refractors of Brian Wilson, serial numbered 13/99 and Pablo Sandoval, serial numbered 60/99.  I wasn't too keen on these at first but they have grown on me.  I still enjoy this photo on the Wilson card and am glad to see The Beard in the dugout cheering on the Giants while he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.  He and The Panda have a pretty sweet dugout dance they do time to time.  I need 2 Sepia Refractors to finish out this team set - Tim Lincecum and Brandon Belt.

Speaking of Lincecum, I picked up this Blue Refractor, serial numbered 32/99.  I hate to admit it but the blue refractors is one of my favorites.  As a Giants fan I should be genetically predisposed to hate the color blue but Topps does a nice job on these.  These must be pretty popular as I still need 4 of 8 for the Giants team set - Brian Wilson, Pablo Sandoval, Matt Cain and Brandon Belt.

My favorite pickup of this trio is this nice Lincecum Gold Refractor, serial numbered 49/50.  I was happy to get it for a very reasonable price, $9.50 delivered.  I have been lucky to pick up quite a few of these and just need the Buster Posey and Brandon Belt to finish off my team set.

Here is a status of all the cards of the team rainbow I am seeking out by type:

Base - Complete
Refractor - Complete
Xfractor - Complete
Orange - Complete
Purple /499 - Need Brandon Belt
Atomic /225 - Complete
Black /100 - Need Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum
Blue /99 - Need Brian Wilson, Pablo Sandoval, Matt Cain, Brandon Belt
Sepia /99 - Need Tim Lincecum, Brandon Belt
Gold /50 - Need Buster Posey, Brandon Belt
Red /25 - Need Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Brandon Belt

If you have any help or happen to stubble across any of these at a reasonable price, drop me a note.

Wednesday Weekly Contest

It is that time again.  I am heading out of town for work so I am going to have to make this one a quick one.  I bought a Jumbo box of 2012 Topps Update when it came out recently and one of my pulls was a Gold Hall of Fame Plaque.  The contest for this week is to guess which HOFer I pulled.

Here is the checklist off Beckett.com to help you all out.  Since last week I had over 25 entries, I will allow for duplicate guesses.  If more than one person guesses the right HOFer, I will random off the winners to determine the overall winner for the week.

2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFBR Babe Ruth
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFCR Cal Ripken Jr.
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFCY Carl Yastrzemski
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFGB George Brett
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFGC Gary Carter
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFJB Johnny Bench
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFJP Jim Palmer
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFJR Jackie Robinson
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFLG Lou Gehrig
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFMM Mickey Mantle
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFMS Mike Schmidt
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFNR Nolan Ryan
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFOS Ozzie Smith
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFRC Roberto Clemente
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFRH Rickey Henderson
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFRJ Reggie Jackson
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFRS Ryne Sandberg
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFSK Sandy Koufax
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFSM Stan Musial
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFTC Ty Cobb
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFTS Tom Seaver
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFWB Wade Boggs
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFWM Willie Mays
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFWS Warren Spahn
2012 Topps Update Gold Hall of Fame Plaque #HOFYB Yogi Berra

I will keep the contest open until Saturday evening.  Good luck!

Trade Post - Waiting 'Til Next Year & Brad's Blog

Time to showcase another couple trades that I have made recently.  I am back to the point where most of my scanning is done and all my trade packages have been sent so I am feeling pretty good.  I am going to try and celebrate all the trades I have made over the next week so prepare for some Giants and Set Building awesomeness.

First up is actually two separate trades with Tom from Waiting 'Til Next Year.  I am pretty embarrassed that Tom posted our first trade 3 weeks ago and I am just getting to it.  Tom, it has nothing to do with a lack of appreciation for the trade, I love the help with my sets and the extra Giants.

 The first trade started out with some help on my 2012 Opening Day set.  As you can see I scored cards from 4 different insert sets.  I have now finished the Superstar Celebration set but still need some more help.  Appears not a lot of this was cracked throughout the blog world but I am still going to plug away and seek out the final 17 inserts I need to put this to rest.

 I also got some help of the Archive variety.  this time I got help in 3 different insert sets.  Archives is a lot further away from completion but I am enjoying putting this set together.  It is one of my favorites in 2012.  It always seems odd seeing Maris in his Cardinals uni, I know he played there for a while but to me he is a Yankee.  The Palmer reprint was an odd addition since Topps has a retail only insert set of the same design but I remember pulling that card as a kid and was happy to add it.

 Finally I got a Big Head and a mini.  This Big Head has a suction cup on the back and I put the mini next to it for a size comparison.  Pretty cool oddball.

 I also wanted to show a close up of this Obak Bumgarner, it is a really nice looking card. I haven't every picked up an Obak but getting this card is making rethink that decision.

 Our second trade mirror our first as it included some set needs and some extra Giants.

 First up I got some help on the Panini Triple Play set.  I need under 40 cards to complete this set and these are very appreciated.  I am struggling to put together the Buster Posey puzzle for the set and I need another for the Giants binder.   Lots of work to do but I am having fun with this set.

Finally, Tom included some Giants Opening Day cards.  I had the team set already but my son is very interested in cards right now and was super excited to add these to his binder.

Tom, sorry for the delay in the post but thank you so much for the trade.  Hoping we can work out another in the near future.

 Another trade I want to share is from Brad at the aptly named Brad's Blog.  Again we got some set building help and some Giants cards as well - sense a theme?  These are my favorite kinds of trades that hit on my two current biggest card passions.

 Some nice What's in a Name inserts from Ginter.  I was correct in predicting this would be a tough one to finish but I have made some great trades like this one to get me closer to the set completion.  I love the mix of current and former players and it is good to see Richie Ashburn get showcased in this set.

 I also picked up cards from 2 other insert sets.  I am a big history buff so I enjoy the Historical Turning Points cards.  Anyone else think Ryan Braun will be punished by the MVP voters for his alleged PED use last year?  I hope it nets Buster Posey a well deserved MVP.

 And here is the Giant's love.  Two serial numbered Topps Chrome parallels with a Blue Refractor Brian Wilson and a Sepia Refractor Eric Surkamp.  Both coincidentally underwent Tommy John surgery this year.  He is wishing both a speedy recovery and healthy 2013 season.

Thanks Brad for the great trade. I appreciate the help on the Ginter set and love the Giant Chrome parallels. Seeking the Chrome refractors out is one of my favorite sets to go for each year.

Wednesday Weekly Contest Winner

I was really happy with the participation in last Wednesday's contest - in total I had 35 entries. Looks like the position favorites will have to return - look for it to return and move around the diamond.

Before we get to the results, lets see who the favorite firstbasemen are in the blogging community:

 Tied for 3rd with 4 votes each are Mark Grace and Will Clark

In 2nd place, with 5 votes, as somewhat of a surprise to me is Carlos Delgado:

Speaking of surprises, the top vote getter, named by 8 of the 35 respondents is John Olerud!

These Best of Fan Club cards look good but scan very bad!

All 4 cards are for trade if you happen to need a card of your favorite.

Now to the contest. As mentioned we had 35 entires and I placed all 35 into Random.org:

 Random #1:

 Random #2:

 And the winner is:

The Dimwit!  Nice going Sam and for the record, Sam's favorite firstbasemen are:

1. Jeff Bagwell
2. Lance Berkman
3. Will Clark

Check out the prize page and let me know what you want me to send your way.  Another contest will be coming your way this Wednesday.  Thanks for the participation, I really enjoyed reading everyone's lists.

McCovey Monday #23 - 2007 Sweet Spot Classics Auto

My favorite player of all time is Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.  I have amassed a collection of over 1100 different  McCovey cards since I started collecting him in the late 1980s.  I will show off one of my favorite cards every Monday.  Stretch was one of the most feared hitters of all time and I am excited to show off my collection.

I recently picked up this 2007 Sweet Spot Classics Auto on eBay.

This is the gold stitching/blue ink version and is numbered 08/15.  These cards are infamous for their fading ink and this one has the same issue but I am okay with is as the signature is still readable.  The cost of these cards is pretty reasonable and I think this is due in large part to the ink issue but I really like the overall design. The baseball leather is great and the design surround the card is solid.  I wish there was a way for a slightly larger photo but at least we get a picture of the player. 

UD may have overdid it with the different varieties of material, stitching and ink color combos.  As an example, here is a list of the different McCovey varieties:

• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Barrel Black Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 15
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Barrel Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 25
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Barrel Gold Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 1
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Barrel Silver Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 5
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Leather Green Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 1
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Leather Silver Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 44
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Stitch Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 1
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Stitch Red Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 1
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Gold Stitch Black Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 25
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Gold Stitch Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 15
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Leather Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 25
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Leather Gold Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 15
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Red Stitch Black Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 75
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Red Stitch Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 35
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Silver Stitch Black Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 15
• 2007 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Silver Stitch Blue Ink #WM Willie McCovey/ 44

That is 16 different with 4 of them being 1/1s.  This doesn't include the 3 different dual autos with Jack Clark. For a player collector like me this can be frustrating and it was a couple years back when my goal was to try and get a copy of every single card.  I was bidding close to $100 on ugly 1/1s or cards that were parallels of something I already have.  I have changed my ways due to trying to control my budget and my collecting focus.  If I can pick up a new version of a card such as this for a reasonable price I am all in, but I have no issues with passing on an overpriced McCovey anymore.

This Sweet Spot Auto happens to be my 5th different version as I have the two numbered to 44, the /35 and the one /25 with Leather and Blue Ink (these don't fade!) in addition to this new one. Realistically I would hope to track down the /75 and maybe 1 or 2 others.

Does anyone else have a collection of these Sweet Spot autos in their player or team collection?