I want dust!

Trades are like Christmas

I was contacted last month by Edgar and he told me he was willing to send me some cards from my Zistle list.

I confess that I'm so far back from updating it that I don't know what to do about it.

But since I don't buy cards so often my want list there might be up to date non the same.

Soooooooo last week I got this pretty big pack from Edgar and it pretty made my Christmas before December.

He spoiled me with the complete Astros set from 2011.

Not only I get the complete team but also some mini-collections which is like 2 in 1.

And then I got ultra spoiled with so much Yankees that I'm still recovering!

Willie Randolph seems to be playing basketball. Doing that trick by passing the ball under the legs.

There are some 'intruders' like the Daisuke Matsuzaka Rookie RC SP in Japanese and my cute Paul Molitor.

And some colour parallel to make this even a greater pack.

Hunter! Hunter! Hunter!

I simply miss Posada. He was fun to watch, especially for batting without gloves.

I also miss A.J and Swisher.

More cards for mini collections like the Dust Is In the Air and Front Row. +1 because Edgar also sent me the chrome versions of both.

And if one Molitor wasn't enough here's the 2011 SP.

I simply love this year base set. This and 2009.

Now back to more Yankees.

More vintage ones but I put Derek Jeter too because is now a vintage one.

I like this set a lot. I like the simple design from back then and the cap with the team's name and player position is sooooooo baseball. That alone makes the set for me.

And since I don't mind having other teams cards and players I enjoy the 'shared-cards' for league leaders.

The current league leaders cards are boring. These were just a completely different feeling.

And if baseball wasn't enough Edgar also sent my way some Penguins cards!

Look! I got my second Mario Lemieux card ever!

And I probably might get more when I open these packs.

Completely spoiled I assure you!

I just haven't opened the packs already because I'm keeping them to open only on Christmas evening. To feel like a true Christmas present!

And to complete the "spoilment" (just made that up) Edgar sent a note wrote in Portuguese.

Português perfeito ;)



I'm preparing a pack too to send to Edgar. Hope you enjoy the cards as much I enjoyed the ones you sent my way.

And thanks once more for the great Christmas before December.

Crowded dust

This card not only has dust in the air but is one of those crowded cards with lot of things happening.

Got to love it!

Dust post - Karate move

I don't think Galarraga was playing baseball here.

It seems more like making some karate move.

But I don't mind because in the end there is DUST EVERYWHERE!


(And the umpire's arm)

Stephanie they say (Baseball Season is almost here!)

And so the weather is changing.

We never had storms nor other extreme weather events...until now.

We had something similar a few months ago with the Hercules storm but this time around we sure got hit by the Stephanie storm.

We had waves reaching between 10 to 17 meters high! (32 to 55 feet high).

We had wind raging between 120k/h to 170k/h! (75 to 105 mph)

It was so strong that the great match between SLBenfica and SportingCP could not be played because the stadium roof top was so badly damaged with the wind that some of it started to fall...


The good thing in the middle of this is that the Baseball Season is about to begin in no time!

Hope to see great pitching again this year!

Lots of dust in the air!

And happy moments to remember!

How to tag a cloud of dust

1994 Pinnacle #151 - Jay Bell

Bless my poor soul! I fund a beauty must have dust-is-in-the-air card!

Want it badly!

Frank Duffy - Flying over dust

1973 Topps #376 - Frank Duffy

I was checking COMC and deciding if I finally get to order some cards from them.

I have a couple of cards under my 'watch list' ready to hit the buy button.

And then I found this.

Can you get more beautiful than this!?

This card can be the one right now to get Kevin Mitchell out of the first place!

I think my decision is taken. I'll be buying from COMC in a more near future than I thought. (I'm just waiting for my cards budget to grow a bit more...)

Christmas came early on the mail

Lots of surprises!

So Bob at The Five Tool Collector sent me a great package full of surprises. Very good surprises!

Since I started this blog I've read in many other blogs that there are a great way of living this hobby.

Trading!

There is a little downside to me because almost everyone I follow the blog is from USA. International shipping can be a sad thing for your economies.

But there are some people that makes you want overcome that little stone on your shoe.

Bob's blogs are on my list almost since the beginning and since I found out he had Portuguese family that made it for me to choose the first person to whom I'd send some cards.

I decided to present him with a little of what we have here that are mainly stickers. And I also got him some O's cards and other extras.

It was not the idea of getting a pack in return that made me send him one. But it was very cool to know that he was sending me, a week ago, a small package too.

I thought it was small. But it turned out to be full of great additions to my collection.

Lets see what he got me.

Sliding stars and Dust stars

These are for my Dust-Is-In-The-Air collection.

But they are also special because they are the first Gypsy Queen cards that I ever had!

I know many people don't like them because they tend to be a bit grotesque sometimes but I must say that I find them quite nice in person!

And when there is a sliding play there is dust.

Old time players, Dust and PC

Here three old time Orioles stars.

Two 2012 Topps Archives reprints of Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray and an other Brooks Robinson from the 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week.

These cards is to learn more about great old players that Bob said I have to know about.

The other 5 cards are for my Players Collection.

One Paul Molitor 2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps inert set. He looks gorgeous!

Two Nick Markakis. One with beard and other without. It's for me to choose how I like better.

Then one Matt "Perfect Game" Cain and one Ryan Zimmerman.

The 2010 Bowman cards are also a first to me.

Almost all cards Bob sent me are from sets I've never seen in person. Or even on someone else blog.

Lots and lots to learn in the hobby.

More dust and PC!

Next two more dusty cards. The Crawford one is from this year Series One release and I've wanted it since I first saw it.

Ryan Zimmerman card is from 2007 Topps Flashback Fridays. It looks like those pop-up cards we had in kids that you would play with.

My first 2013 Heritage card is Joey Votto. He doesn't have that eyeliner I saw other players had for this set.

I'm liking Bowman cards more and more.

Two more Markakis cards. Even if the signature is not real it looks so good in gold that I truly don't mind!

Cole Hamels batting!? That's a bonus! And you get to see his face which in some cards is almost impossible because of the angle they took the photo.

Madison Bumgarner featuring his rabbit teeth. He wants to bite you at every pitch.

Dust and tongue. You have to love it!

Now for the landscape cards. Which look great in my binders because they are landscape oriented.

Lots of dusty clouds. Vizquel card features old time dust. Back in '95 they still had it.

The Gordan Beckham has an extra: tongue. And in my notebook, tongue is love!

Allen & Ginter's is probably my favourite set. And in this What's in a Name insert card I've learn that Cole Hamels' Cole came from Colbert.That's quite an imposing name.

Numbered party.

And Bob paid true attention to my PC collection.

Four Hunter Pence cards!

2011 Topps Lineage cards are great looking. Did Topps decided to not release that set anymore? It's a shame...

The Upper Deck 2007 Future Stars is numbered 88/500. That is cool because Hunter's number is 8.
The other serial number is from this year set and it's numbered 1895/2013. Even Hunter's eyes are popping out!

Other numbered card and PC card is Matt Cain blue bordered 2012 Bowman card. It's numbered 156/500. Workhorse is an expression that I particularly like.

But if it wasn't enough an other Cain's numbered card. This time a 2009 Topps Triple Threads numbered 261/525. The card is quite thick! I like to have cards like that without them being relic cards.

To finalize this bunch of cards two vintage players. The gold glove Will Clarck and yet an other numbered card this time for Paul Molitor numbered 832/999.

More numbered and draw.

Continuing with Paul Molitor and numbered cards a Tools of Trade card numbered 232/250. This is a great card to have through a trade!

Last year Gold Standard card features the feat of reaching 3K hits club.

2006 SP draw of Matt Cain looks great showing on the back his first MLB year stats. And that cap should be used by Giants more often.

Christmas in town.

This Paul Molitor card makes me think of Christmas! I think I'll hang it on my Christmas Tree this year. It is also numbered 1487/2299.

Other two Markakis that look awesome in person. Believe me! The shinny one on the right is a 2009 Topps Chrome XFractor. I have the base card and this is truly an upgrade.

The one on the center is one of my favourites that Bob sent my way. It's a 2008 Topps Chrome T205 insert card. I loved the T206 Topps released these past years but this is even better!

Great looking PC and dust.

Kurt Suzuki and Craig Biggio are two more cards for the dust collection.

And talking about T206 heres Markakis base card for the 2010 set and also his 2010 Bowman card.

Topps 2010 Heritage look so good! Couldn't they learn from the best years!? Two more Hunter Pence cards and sorry Giants but I've always preferred him with the Astros uniform. Maybe is just the colour...

Zimmerman Bowman card makes me think he's running the bases after hitting an homer.

An other Paul Molitor from the 2011 Topps 60YOT insert set.

Pee Wee Dust and Flamingo poses

Right next to the Markakis favourite is this Pee Wee Reese dusty card. It makes me stay looking at it without remember the time passing.

Chris Hoiles is tagging some Braves' player whom trying to slide is getting more dust in the air. Put him out in a cloud of dust. It's poetic.

Two more Paul Molitor being the one on the left with the same photo from the 60YOT I showed before but this is from the Archives reprint set.

Make the Flamingo pose Mark!

Two Mark Teixeira!

I got a doubt looking at the photo...he is trying to get under the ball to catch it or is impersonating a Flamingo!?

Eating dust

Almost ending the post more horizontal beauties.

The 1996 Pinnacle Will Clack card is all shinny and refractoring. Is one beauty in person.

Joey Votto playing first with a giant behind him!

And more four dusty cards extravaganza.

Three of them from my favourite Upper Deck set: Collector's Choice.

Luis Gonzalez is almost eating dust! And to add to it it's one of those silver signature parallel cards.

Making sand castles

Teixeira Walk-Off card was on my wantlist for last year insert sets. I really wish Teixeira would get back to health and hitting like before. He still is a great defense player at 1B but is getting difficult to see him batting.

Ken Caminiti dusty card is my favourite. Why!? Look closely and you'll see that besides getting the dust in the air he seems to be making a sand castle. How cute!

Packs surprise!

And if the cards I showed were not enough Bob also presented me with three hobby(!!!) 2013 Heritage packs.

The results of the packs I'll show you all in a future post.

Right now I'm still savouring the cards and very happy with my first trade.

Dust - Update page

On the few days I had of vacations I reviewed my dusty binders and decided that I had to update the correspondent page here in the blog.

So if you follow the section right up in the menu bar you'll find new addictions to my collection.

Some of them you might get to think why they are there because the dust is not sooooooo in the air.

Not all can be like the reigning dusty card.

This is almost impossible to reproduce nowadays.

As I said before many times nowadays the dust is different. And all the care they have is to make it not getting all cloudy and in the air.

They don't know what is good!

But at least I could add this beauty to my collection after buying a 36-packs-box.

If you know more of these pearls please let me know. Perhaps I'd finally invest in COMC cards if I know about other dusty ones out there yet to be added to my collection.

2013 best base cards - Just me saying

At the moment I'm writing these lines my last post about Will Clark has almost 900 views.

That is a record to me!

Specially because I started a blog just because I got pissed off about a value box I got a long time ago...

I don't know if it is normal just by writing Will Clark's name or not.

Or perhaps is really for the post itself.

Well, I think it's the first and that it's a one time thing.

Or you truly are very interested in knowing what we women think about sports cards.

But today there is no woman perspective is simply me showing my highlights for the 2013 Topps Series one base cards I got.

Some of them I already posted about but since I like them you'll see them again.

First of all I got the cover boy. But if you haven't noticed before, like me, the photo is not the same as in the pack.

The photo used on the pack not only Fielder has the bat more behind the head than up the head.

That was the first thing I noticed, if I may say, even if the main difference is really the uniform. On the base card Fielder in wearing the home uniform while on the pack he is wearing the away uniform.

And If it was for me the card would have the pack photo. I like it way better than the other!

Next is the playoffs collection.

Got at least one Yankee card. They only played well against Baltimore.

Great to get a Bumgarner card to my collection! And looking good!

The rest is history.

Now I have to highlight again here Mister Gallardo whom my have the best pitcher photo of Series 1.

Daniel Descalso is floating in the air!

After his terrific 2011 RC he gets an other great one. It's in his destiny.

Here a great example of the old dirt being better than the current dirt.

Imagine Gonzalez sliding with the '70s and '80s dirt and it would be like a dust cloud all around him!

But since we don't have it anymore...I'll be glad to get more of this.

Mister Gonzalez is heading for the Dust-is-in-the-Air binder.

With Alex Rios we get one of a kind contrast card.

Having the card design with White Sox theme colours and Rios with one of those retro uniforms being none less than bright red looks fantastic.

It's one of those cards I don't get tired looking at.

An other binder theme I finally started is the diving catch or diving for the base.

Here is great that, even almost out of the crop, we have the ball.

Photos with the players diving for a ball but without the ball in the picture is not *that* great. So this gets extra points for having the ball.

One of the players I collect. Joey Votto convinced me to let him get in the binders.

And he must be only player that do not tend to escape me on the packs. I still manage to get a Votto card in almost sets I buy packs of.

He was also the only Red I got in 22 packs.

An other player I started collecting is Miguel Montero. The only catcher for the matter.

I first noticed him because he has a dusty card too.

Montero tends to have his cards with him as a catcher and not batting.

What I found funny about this photo in particularity is the person behind him.

I don't know if you get the same impression as I do looking in person the card, but the person looks huge! It's like there is a giant behind Montero or that him is quite small, like a kid's size.

Got to love!

This is the true and only Pink Card.

This was a photo taken on mothers day or around it when they play and use pink all around because of Breast Cancer awareness day or week.

Love the fact that Castro is one of those players without any problem using a lot of pink - both wrist bands and bat. And the woman back in the stands wearing a full pink shirt makes this even more pink.

The catcher seems to be using a pink wrist band too.

So I don't care about pink parallels or so. This is being Pink!

Now all my Yankees!

Got 6 in total if not counting with Alex Rodriguez gold parallel.

I actually got 2 Jeter. For the times I don't get any.

But my favourite is the great Andy Pettitte! With the Record Chase for 250 wins.

He did a very well done job last night showing he is not finished yet.

The mythic Cubs wall. But DeJesus got the ball no matter the headache.

Everytime I look at this card I think Nieuwenhuis is making this strange gymnastic to keep the card frame straight without falling upon him.

I know an SP when I see one.

Or not.

I was searching the internet for the SPs list and it seems there are only a few called "Out of Bounds".

Are those really the only SPs out there?...

...Because I thought this was an SP but it seems it's simply a fun base card.

Dugout action rules!

And for the same example this Reddick splendid card is again a base card.

Because Reddick got the ball is not "Out of Bounds"?

I don't really mind. I simply collect without the SPs fever about it. But for organizing it better I need to know which are and which are not.

My A.J. Burnett.

"They may say I'm a dreamer" but I'll see Burnett as a very good pitcher in the end of his career!

I know he has not a nice ERA and that he tend to lose the strike zone. And not all catchers can catch Burnett game.

But still.

Correia has Portuguese ascendancy.

And for a brief lesson...If he had Spanish ascendancy his name should be Correa. In Portuguese is a bit different because we add a letter: CorreIa.

That's just like in TeIxeIra.

I got mixed feelings about this card because I don't quite know where to look: if to Moustakas or to...

Errrr...who is he? At first I thought it was Mauer but I canmot picture 'Mauer' in the back letters.

But I can picture...

Errrr...tight pants.

But again back to Moustakas!

Was he safe?

And to end here is McCann again sliding and getting some dust in the air. Again also I imagine the dust cloud.

The nowadays cards should be 'Dirt-is-in-the-Air' because there is no dust per say.


And that was all folks. I don't know if I'd be buying some more packs in the future or not. If I see some seller from my eBay sellers list selling more packs I'll give it a try maybe.

But any pack except hobby.