Friday 31 May 2013

LEGO minifigures - First Series 10 packs


As I said in previous post, I'm showing my first Series 10 packs.

It's fun that LEGO is from Denmark but their products arrive first in USA than in some European countries.

Yep, is the end of the world feeling.

But they arrived! That's all that matters.

And here are the results.


“I’ll be jumping any second now. Yup, any second now.”


Look who's scarred! The Skydiver!

That is a nice touch that someone doing skydiving for the first time would probably feel.

But at least he has a parachute bag. Will it open?

“For the glory of Rome!”

I got two Roman Commander but soon enough I got someone to take care of the duplicated figure.

Even if I don't mind getting more of this.

I want to build a great Rome Empire Army!

“Everything was better back in my day!”

The least interesting figure is the Grandpa.

Sorry all grandpas in the world but as a minifigure to collect is simply boring.

“Surrender or taste defeat!”

To make the Rome army tremble a bit here it is the one and only Warrior Woman!

I know they are from different times but in LEGO everything is possible.

That spear is huge. But the shield is awesome with the eagle.

“I got it! I got it!”

And for last I saved the best.

I got the Baseball Fielder in my first packs! I thought I'd be desperate seeking for it but no.

I think he looks better with the cap turn backwards. But only because he looks less mean.

And yes, the glove is the hand itself. Shame there is no baseball.

Thursday 30 May 2013

What makes your day?


Well, to me is that everything at work is ok, that the family is fine, and that a fellow blogger not only get the package I sent but he also like it!

I recently found that Bob at the The Five Tool Collector (and also the '59 topps: one f/g card at a time) had some Portuguese family.

Portugal is a small country (and we tend to make it even smaller!) and discovering that a fellow blogger from the other side of the Ocean have something related to us here is quite cool.

A couple of weeks ago I sent him my very first gift pack full of what I could get in my collection that he might like.

I was just reading right now my blogs list and when I got to Bob's blog I got this big smile in my face.

It's not that I wanted to feature in some fellow blogger post to show off.

It's simply because, like Bob said, it's the friendship you get.

So today I'm happy for that. And this was for sure just the first gift package I sent.

Tuesday 28 May 2013

LEGO - more minifigures from Series 9


I got more Series 9 packs and here what I got.

“I wonder if I should have turned at Easter Island…”

I got the Mermaid to make some company to my Ocean King.

Until now I didn't find any little mermaids swimming around them.

“Thank you so much! I couldn’t have done it without all of you!”

And look what I also got! Finally I got the Hollywood Starlet that for me is Marilyn Monroe and don't need to talk more about it.

The little Oscar is quite cute.

“I’ve got my eye on you.”
And since I haven't shown yet the Cyclops I'm showing it now. I already had one but I don't mind getting other.

It's not possible to see in the photo but the head has two different eyes in each side. The thing is that with the 'horn hat' it hides the difference between them a bit.


I already have some packs from the Series 10 that I'll post later. Keep tuned.

Madison Bumgarner - Woman Perspective post



And a new Woman Perspective post is underway!

And for the photo you should know for sure by now, if the title was not enough, that today I'm talking about mister Bumgarner.

2011 Topps Opening Day #201

In my oldest card of Bumgarner, which as you can see is just from 2011, he's featured without one thing that makes him what he is (a gorgeous man if you haven't figure it out already): the beard!

I know that this photo is probably (like 100%) from 2010.

But look at that baby face.

It's not strange that he tried to look a bit more mature and respectful letting grow the beard.

I know that there is something going on in the Giants clubhouse about beards, but besides the Madison beard I only like Pence's beard too.

Beard enough my boys!

2012 Topps Series One #103
The next card I have is with one photo where Bumgarner appears with his trademark.

At least for me.

Long arms.

Look at those loooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg arms!

And the look over the shoulder is lightning strike for me.

He manage to face almost every single cardinal points with his body.

He knows how to rotate...


And pictures don't make me lie.

This one from yesterday Memorial Day game against A's proves it once more.

It's like ballet!

Madison seems to be dancing with the glove and the ball and the mound and the batter and the catcher and...Do you care to dance with me too?

Nevermind!

2012 Topps Archives #15

And to be a bit different, from 2012 Topps sets too, I got this beautiful Bumgarner card from Archives.

We have the rotation routine and a close up.

Give me more close ups that I'm happy!

Even this year Heritage close up!


And this photo reminds me too of an old school friend...

I haven't yet had the opportunity to buy some Heritage this year but I'll be looking at least for this card.

And to end my perspective over Bumgarner I show my last card of him, right from the 2013 Series One.

2013 Topps Series One #256

We end with the ballet routine from an other angle.

But who cares about which angle it is? I don't for sure.

Feel the softness, the gentleness, the tenderness that Madison inspire.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Fantasy week review

I started not so well this year fantasy but I think I might recover from a bad start and make a good season.

Last Saturday I got the most points from two players I confess I don't pay attention.

Now I'm searching for his cards throughout my collection.


17 points from Elvis Andrus.

Texas lost his super star but Andrus and others might have the space to show their stuff.

5-5 people! He almost went for the cycle!

2009 Upper Deck #944

I discover I have his RC from the last Upper Deck licensed set.



And if Andrus didn't hit a HR to go for the cycle Adam Jones did.

I have this Bronze parallel of him from the '10 T206 set. Jones is doing better than bronze.

2010 Topps T206 Bronze #196

And Baltimore lose and Jones gives me 10 points.

That's how I like it in fantasy. The teams I want to lose in order to let my Yankees win the division do actually lose but their players that I have in my fantasy team can make the game of their lives!


And If I thought Saturday was good Sunday were even better!

And why!?




Yep.

Miguel Cabrera did it again!

He went 4-4 with 3HR!

Let the Triple Crown passsssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...

2011 Topps Opening Day Blue #100
I have a Blue numbered card of him and shamefully I needed to get the picture from comc.com because I haven't yet got the pictures of my 2011 Topps OD cards.

But my numbered card is the 251/2011.

It's cool to have a Cabrera card with him fielding.

And besides Cabrera I also got a good amount of points from a Red Sox man, Mr. Pedroia.

They say Pedroia has some Portuguese family so I might as well give him a break for the fact he's one of the faces of Boston.

2010 Topps Allen & Ginter's #106

I have only a couple of Pedroia's cards. But maybe I have more and I just didn't write them down on my file.

But this '10 Topps A&G card is quite good.

Friday 17 May 2013

Online collection

I've already stated before in the blog how I keep track of my cards. I even started to do a little program to store the info in a database but then there are always something else to do and it got pushed to the side.

So since I have my handy document with all the cards in my collection listed in my computer I've tried to discover if I could store it online in a more dynamic way.

And so I found Zistle.

It's a great site, made by and for collectors. Everyone can improve it. And a strong community is half the way to a great and supported site.

But then Zistle seemed to be on a hiatus and I discovered The Trading Card Database (tradingcarddb.com).

It's a great site too with a huge database. Not only for sports cards but for other types of cards.

It's also dynamic and the couple of times I contacted them with questions or some problems they promptly answered me and solved it.

It is also very easy to keep track of my collection with the print option.

Awesome if you ask!

You can print ether the missing cards checklist for a specific set or the checklist for the cards you have.

You also have the collection history to see how much cards you added to the collection and the worth of it.

Yes, there is the price feature too. Besides calculating the percentage of completed collections for specific set it gives you the info for how much it worths. I think they cross-check the prices in eBay, Beckett and amazon.

What I like very much is the Statistics feature. It lets you know what team you have more cards, which player tops your collection. And many more stuff.

It's good and it's free.

I know Zistle came back full force and after filling my collection on tradingcarddb I'll go back and continue doing the same on Zistle.

If you haven't already try it.

Thursday 16 May 2013

This is football


Well...we played well.

But it wasn't enough.

We lost the game in the last minute of added time.

Is the second game in 5 days we lose that way.

We lost the national championship title, probably, last Saturday, and yesterday we lost the final of the second most important European competition for clubs.

This is no good.

But this is football.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Look a like - Reed and Hughes

I've been thinking about this for a long time. Well...not that long but for a time.

There are some players that look a like a lot like other players.

Maybe is just the 'sound of the lights' but in some photos, when I pull a card, I think I have a certain player and then I realize it is an other one.

Look at this example of a 2013 Topps card.


I don't know about you but I saw Phil Hughes in that photo!


I know I can't see far without my glasses but I think I could see that Reed and Hughes really look a like in both cards!

I'm heartbroken - Extra inning


I've just read some dreadful news on the web.

It seems the ESPN is shutting down the ESPN America and ESPN Classic in Europe.

That is the worst news I could have...

I have the ESPN America and Classic since 2009 and my life simple changed from then.

I cannot see my days without Baseball games.

Nor without American Football and Ice Hockey.

I'm heartbroken.

Monday 13 May 2013

2008 Upper Deck Artifacts - A Piece of History (they say...) III


And to end the Artifacts box I'm showing today the insert set and some extras.

Since it was '08 every Upper Deck set had some Yankees Legacy cards. The Artifacts set was no different.

So I got the skipper Joe McCarthy. And at least I get a game info where the Yankees smashed ST Louis which is always nice.

In '32  the team finished with a record of 107-47, winning their seventh pennant. Those numbers were only possible back then...


And for the same year I got also Babe Ruth! Nice match up.

And now what I really liked: Historical Moments!

I'm that geek for history.



Geneva Summit - Ahhhh the one and only Cold War. It seems it never ended, just shifted a bit...



Personal Computer - This has to be my favourite since I'm an IT Engineer. I'm not old enough to have use one of this but I sure remember the 386 and MS-DOS



NATO Created - I've always imagined NATO as the planetary army.



Hubble Telescope - The HST had some 'eyes' problem but after the 'glasses' it paid off. It's reaching the end of his work and will be replaced by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) probably around 2018.



Panama Canal - Maneuver a big ship through the Panama Canal is only for Great Sailors.



Paul Revere - This is an American piece of history so I'm not that into it. But it seems the messenger this time wasn't to blame.



Sputnik Launched - The very first man-made object to reach Earth orbit was from URSS. How could USA let it happen?



Transcontinental Railroad - Trains have that adventure spirit surrounding. From those days when the first railroads were build to nowadays where the trains travels like bullets!


I love sports cards but this historical cards are so good I'd love to have a complete set of it. So I think I might invest and get the rest of the set from the comc.com site.