Thanks Long Overdue

I've been a bad blogger. In the past 1+ week I have received two packages from Play at the Plate and Roll out the Barrel. Both packages were initiated by the others, really just looking for a place to unload some sexy Rockies cards and some pure kindness to help out with my 2007 Ultra set.

What both ended up sending the said Rockies and Ultras...but both went above and beyond, and just go to show how amazing the readers of A Paper Chase are.

We'll start with Brian from Play at the Plate's package.

First off, there was 10 or more great cards I needed from the Ultra set, including some rookies. Much thanks goes out there. Also included was a 30+ card 2007 Ultra fat pack...with a Gold Miguel Montero showing! This was a decent pack compared to what I have ripped most recently, and I added I believe 2-3 more cards from this pack including the Montero.

Also included, I am sure out of sheer kindness, was a Carlos Delgado SPx Relic and a Todd Helton jersey card as well.

Awesome. We gotta good man over there at Play at the Plate...go check him out.
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Next up was Ed from Roll Out the Barrel's astounding package of Rockies. After three team bags and multiple "holy shi....'s" later, I found myself the proud new owner of these beauties.

2009 Bowman Dexter Fowler

2007 Goudey Troy Tulowitzki MINI RC

2008 Stadium Club First Day Issue Troy Tulowitzki (Parallewitzki!)

2008(9?) Allen & Ginter's Jeff Francis Auto
Once again, extremely generous one here.

And:
2009 Topps Propaganda Posters Todd Helton

You know, I voted for these on Stale Gum's Insert Set of the Year without even holding one in my hands. I didn't make a mistake. These are amazing, and it's my first one. Best of all, I had never even seen it, so it was a complete surprise. Amazing card, amazing insert.

I was amazed at the loot that was waiting me in this package. Tons of nice Rockies cards, included one of my most wanteds:

An amazing amount fo thanks Gentleman. Please do not sit back and think these deeds will go unanswered. And if I mixed up who sent me what cards I apologize to the end of the Earth as I had six packages the day these came in and got myself good and confused writing it. I am putting together what I hope will be equal contributions to your respective collections...but it'll be hard to do. Thanks so much.

Back to my defense. I have been "busy" I guess. Work finally picked back up. Some visiting went on as well. My applications are sent in to Graduate school, so I have that to worry about. Still trying to get health insurance finalized. Have a letter of recommendation to write for my undergrad adviser and a life to plan. So I apologize if there is a slight lull in posting lately, but hey, sometimes life gets in the way.

Oh, and I want to start writing a "Blook". "What's a blook?" you may ask. In my hopes it will be a blog/book combination. It will chronicle life working in an anonymous CNY amusement park during summer tourism written with blogger-type style. It'll be a fun project, and I'll let everyone know about updates. However, I must warn you - mature audiences only.

12/30 eBay Scores?

Tonight, I purchased two cards on eBay. Not often will I post eBay purchases, but these were both compulsive and dirt cheap. I think it all stems to my desire just to get mail, really. Since I never really got mail until college, and at that point all the mail pretty much said was "PAY US FOR PAYING YOUR TUITION" so...positive things in the mail are just a necessity for me.

Card #1 - Want List Checkmark:

2007 Fleer Ultra Lucky 13 Kei Igawa.








What an awful player. Yankees have the tendency to spend money where they don't need to and Igawa is no exception. According to Cot's, his contract is as follows:

"Kei Igawa lhp
5 years/$20M (2007-11)

• 5 years/$20M (2007-11)
  
• posted by Hanshin Tigers of Japanese League 11/06
• Yankees bid $26,000,194 for negotiating rights with Igawa 11/06
  
• signed by Yankees 12/06
• 07:$4M, 08:$4M, 09:$4M, 10:$4M, 11:$4M
• performance bonuses: $0.125M each for 180, 190, 200 & 210 IP
• sent outright to AAA by Yankees 7/26/08
  
• agent: Arn Tellum
  
• ML service: 0.104"

Cashman paid $20,000,000 for .104 years of Major League Service. I paid $.21. That's it. Free shipping. as you can tell from the photo, the seller just wanted this thing gone. Didn't even bother capitalizing Igawa's name.

Card #2 - New Want List Checkmark:

2000 Skybox Skylines #6 of 10 Mike Piazza.


These cards are just awesome. Backdrops of the cities the (ten) players played in in 2000 in a very eye-catching but not tacky foil (in team colours). Hats off to Skybox, next to Fleer Ultra, I miss them most of all after the Topps/Upper Deck uprising and buying.

As you can see, this one went for $1.25 for free shipping. Unfortunately, there are 10 cards in this set (of which I only have two), so fitting them into one 9-slot card sheet won't happen. Thinking of aligning them all in a horizontal row 1-10, or finding an American map and slapping them on their respective cities...unfortunately two cards, Mike Piazza and Derek Jeter, would be nearly on top of each other. I would hate to disgrace Piazza by putting him on Long Island...