The Last Great Los Angeles Dodgers' Outfield: Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier

It's always been difficult for me to pass up a good deal on a card that fits into my collection, even if the price is more than I would normally like to pay. When that card that is already appealing also happens to feature an autograph my collection is lacking, it makes it all the more tough to bypass. Such is how I came to acquire my first Manny Ramirez John Hancock for a killer price.

This beautiful piece of cardboard is numbered 21/36 and features three different relic pieces: an away gray jersey swatch for The Bison; a home white swatch for Dre; and a bat slice for ManRam. I've always believed a high-end product like Triple Threads should only have on-card autos, but I can live with stickers when the card looks so fantastic. It's a most welcome addition to my Matty PC.

Going Hollywood.

When two of my favorite players are featured on the same card I always want two copies so each PC can house one. That's not always possible though, particularly in today's world of a bajillion parallels, many of which are very short-printed.

A perfect illustration is this 2009 Topps Triple Threads Triple Relic with jersey swatches from Matt Kemp and Russell Martin sandwiching Manny Ramirez. It's numbered out of a scant 18 - 09/18 in my case - and is the emerald parallel. I'm not likely to come across another copy and certainly not for the price I paid (~10 clams). It's headed for my Bison PC, as he's my number one priority. I have no idea when Kemp and the Dodgers wore wool throwbacks, but whatever.

Trade With The Sandlot: PC Additions Galore, Plus Ginter.

I completed my third trade with Joe from The Sandlot. You can check out the first here and second here. Joe hit a few different areas of my collection with the bubbler he sent my way. First up, a beautiful white refractor of Russell Martin, numbered 043/200.

Next up, a new Matt Kemp from Topps Triple Threads, and it's numbered 1406/1500.

Joe included a sweet Eric Gagne from his starting pitching days, which is awesome.

The bubbler also included some more new additions to my Kemp and Martin PCs, as well as a pair of Kershaws I didn't have.

Joe sent along nine needs from 2011 Ginter, all hailing from the Hometown Heroes 100-card set, which is dangerously close to finally being completed, as I'm down to the final four. He also later sent a PWE my way with two 2012 Ginter needs (one SP and a What's In A Name? of J-Hey) as well as another new Kershaw (2009 UD Signature Stars), which is much appreciated!

Finally, some random goodness.

Thanks for the great trade Joe! I'll get your cards out soon!

I Don't Believe What I Just Won.

I recently won a contest on Twitter from Angry Albert, and the prize was the Kirk Gibson Bobblehead/Bobblearm the Dodgers gave away recently. It's a really cool concept honoring Gibson's legendary homer and trot around the bases, and I was happy to pick up a second one.

It's already on display next to my Koufax, Drysdale, Manny Bobbleslam, Manny 66ers, Kyle Blanks, Gagne, and massively racist Torii Hunter Quakes bobbleheads. The water bottle contains dirt from Dodger Stadium that I picked up last year during a Friday Night Fireworks game against Houston (the night I planked on the field). A big thanks once again to Albert for making it happen! Follow him on Twitter and check out his blog here.

Trade With The Cardboard Don: A Russell Red Refractor and Paul Kariya Fever = More Cowbell

I completed my fourth trade with Wicked Ortega of The Cardboard Don, né My Past Time.......I Love It!!. You can look over the first deal here, the second here, and the third here. Wicked posted a card he picked up, and I immediately knew I would do what it took to make it mine. After a long wait, we finally came to an agreement and the cards made it my way. One card in particular had me more anxious than someone who's really anxious.

Numbered an awesome 01/25, this is my first red refractor, and I'm more than thrilled to add this beauty to my Russ Martin Collection. Red refractors are just pure amazing, and I'd love to add one of Matt and one of Clayton before it's all said and done. One day. Some day. Soon? I'm also happy my scanner did a pretty swell job with the red. It pops pretty well.

It's an eBay one of one! OH SNAP! I have a surprisingly nice portion of this rainbow done, and I've put exactly zero effort into this rainbow. Sweet.

A trio of Paul Kariya relics rounded out the agreed-upon deal. This brings my Kariya collection to a grand total of four cards. The card on the right of the scan has four nice lines of stitching running horizontally. Wicked also threw in two other very much appreciated cards.

First up is a new, numbered, chromed-out Matt Kemp, checking in at 155/999. These T-206 chrome cards are sick. Kemp looks like he's jumping out and off of the card. Awesome.

The second of the two extras is a gold Manny Ramirez, #'d 0277/2008. I am always happy to add a new Manny as a Dodger card to my ManRam collection. Which is desperately in need of an autograph.

Thanks for the cool trade Wicked! Your cards went out this past Friday and should be there shortly!

Trade With Cards From The Quarry: A Mike Piazza Bat Slice, A Numbered Bison, and Some Needed Set Needs.

I completed my fourth trade with Johnny of Cards From The Quarry fame. You can check out the first here, the second here, and the third here. I sent my Rockies friend an auto, a low, low serial-numbered TriStar card, and a rookie cup card he needed from the 60s. In return, I received these great cards.

 
First up, a Mike Piazza relic is always a welcome addition to my collection. Especially a bat relic. Next, Johnny knocked off the two remaining SPs I was in need of from 2011 Ginter, as well as a Hometown Hero and the final mini I needed to complete the Step Right Up insert set (in the form of The Human Cannonball). A welcome sight was a pair of 2004 Fleer Platinum cards, as I slowly chip away at that awesome set.

Penultimately, a pair of sweet 2008 Triple Threads cards. Matty and Jackie make a fitting duo. The Kemp, #'d 1336/1350, is a new addition to my Bison PC and brings the total number of unique Kemp cards I own to 145. The Jackie is the Sepia Parallel /525.

Finally, Johnny sent a potpourri of Dodgers, as well as thirteen Troy Tulowitzki cards I did not have, a major help as I slowly build that new PC. I can't imagine how many Tulo dupes he has, and I'm thrilled he sent me a big chunk of 'em.

Thanks for another great trade Johnny!

Trade With Henchmeister's Junk Blog: Former Dodgers I Wish Had Never Been In Anything But Blue As 2011 Closes Up Shop.

On a side note, I've listed my first ever item on eBay. The auction ends early tomorrow morning....check it out, especially if you're a New York Giants fan! Anyhoo, I completed my second trade with Chris of Henchmeister's Junk Blog. I sent him a new Jacoby Ellsbury, a Black Diamond Pedroia, an early Papi, and some assorted BoSox. My favorites that I received in return are below.

A numbered Carlos Santana rookie card, 071/999. Oh, what could have been. An interesting write-up on the back must be noted, since it has very little to do with Carlos, compared to what it should say. Which is, you know, anything and everything concerning the player on the front, not two guys who played over one hundred years prior to the release of the card. I'm ranting.

A second-year LT. Future Hall of Famer and always a welcome sight around these here parts. Kudos to Fleer for a great action shot.

A mini Manny, of the Piedmont Back variety. Manny as a Dodger cards are always welcome in my collection, considering he was one of the greatest Dodgers to ever swing a piece of lumber. While I was in Vegas, a guy I was playing against in a poker tournament started talking to me about the Dodgers (I had my LA hat on). One of the many questions he asked was whether or not the club would bring back ManRam. I informed him that no, that would not be happening for a myriad of reasons.

This is an entirely sweet Big Jon card, with a great portrait of the fireballer. I've made it no secret that I'm a huge and unabashed Jonathan Broxton fan, and I wish him all the best in Kansas City. I firmly believe the Dodgers should have brought him back, as his velocity returned after his rehab stint earlier this year before he was shut down. There was very little risk in bringing back a guy who was one of the greatest relievers in franchise history. But no, wasting money on garbage like Adam Kennedy and John Grabow is a far better idea Ned Colletti.

Finally, a sick black-bordered OPC card of former Dodger Hiroki Kuroda. Again, I question the motives and intellect of one Ned Colletti. You choose Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano over Kuroda? Unless Hiroki said he wouldn't return, Colletti Fail© strikes again. And even if Kuroda chose to leave for good, Harang and Capuano on two-year deals? Sheesh. I wish I had stuck with baseball. Anyhoo, I know a certain someone who loves him some 2009 OPC, so he has probably seen and busted more of this product than most of us combined.

This trade post sort of morphed into a Fave Five post, now that I've re-read it. It also marks the end of 2011, a great year in terms of solidifying my collection, especially the main portion of it. Thanks to each and every one of you who I traded with, each person who held a contest, each blogger and blog post that made me think, smile, and laugh, and every single person who makes collecting the wonderfully exciting and joyous outlet it is, particularly during some frustrating and difficult non-card times this year. Our community is an extremely generous and amazing one, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. Here's to a fantastic 2012 in regards to both cards and life in general for everyone!

Thanks for the trade Chris!

Many Thank Yous Are In Order For Some Sick Contest Winnings!

I've been very fortunate to win a number of contests recently. I decided to consolidate and thank everyone who is line for a thank you (long overdue thank yous at that) at once. Away we go....

I've wanted a Manny Ramirez Ginter relic for quite some time. Brian from 30-Year Old Cardboard held a contest asking us to guess who would hit a home run on a particular day. I, of course, guessed Matt Kemp. And The Bison came through yet again! My winnings consisted of the awesome card you see above. My LCS has one these Manny Ginter relics, and it's marked at $20 (it's the SP Bat version). They'd definitely give it to me for less, but just how much less is the question. My guess is somewhere around eight to ten bucks. But free is always better! Thanks Brian!

Drop The Gloves held a hockey-themed contest centered around the Boston Bruins and some firsts for them on the season. I was one of the lucky winners, and received a nice selection of cards as my prize. My two favorites are the sweet autos above; the rest of the highlights included:

 
A mess of Ducks, some Dodgers, and a number of other cool cards (featuring a slew of sweet rookies) were included in the bubbler. The Matusz and Hudson are keepers (as is the Green simply because he's a Duck, though I have no memory of him whatsoever), but the rest are up for grabs. Wicked, if you want the Volstad, it's yours, just let me know in a comment or e-mail me. Kevin, the Hrbek is yours if you're interested. If not, Rhubarb, let me know. Thanks for the cool contest and great prizes Casey!

Last, but most certainly not least, I won my second contest at Sports Cards Info, the first being a Pau Gasol relic. This win netted me a sick NASCAR patch (#'d 099/199), which, if he wants it, is Jon's. Hopefully as part of a package to land me that sweet Martin Plate you've got! I have no idea who Steve Wallace is, and I don't even consider NASCAR a sport. But I can appreciate a beautiful patch of anyone, from any sport or activity, when I see one, and this is most certainly one badass patch and one badass card! Much thanks Andrew!

And before I forget, in the non-contest card realm, two more thank yous are necessary. DodgerBobble added a Tulo, Longo, and Jered Weaver to those new PCs, so a big thank you to him! And to wrap it all up, Kevin from The Mojo Beard sent me an Andre Ethier manupatch....thanks K, and keep up the great work running TMB!

Thanks to all three of the fine gentlemen who held contests and sent me awesome (and free) cards!

Joy Of A Completed "Set": Manny Ramirez and His (1992) Rookie Cards

My recent trade with Mark completed my quest for every Manny Ramirez Rookie Card. Here they all are, finally, scanned.

I know what you're all thinking. Why the hell does he have not one, but two, graded Manny RCs? What can I say; I was very, very new to collecting, and they jumped out at me when I was perusing eBay. We all make mistakes. At the least, they were rather affordable.

Here they are individually, in my order of preference.

1992 Topps:

1992 Bowman:

1992 Donruss:

1992 Stadium Club:

1992 Upper Deck:

1992 Score:

1992 Pinnacle:

And finally, the one Manny RC parallel I own, which would slot very, very high on the above list if I were to have included it.

1992 Bowman Foil Parallel:

A Very Unique Matt Kemp Autograph Finds A Home With Me

I've long been a proponent of eschewing blasters and instead buying singles from eBay. Yes, shipping charges can be detrimental to your health oftentimes, but in the end, you're getting something you know you'll want from the Bay as opposed to blasters, which are truly a crap-shoot.

Here is my latest eBay pickup. I've been after a Matt Kemp 2009 Topps Unique Solo Shot Auto for a long, long time. I'm a huge fan of Unique, and wish Topps would bring it back. So when I came across this Kemp Auto for the price of half a blaster - with free shipping to boot - it was an easy purchase and a fantastic addition to my Kemp PC.

Yes, it's a sticker. But it also has Matt Kemp's autograph on it. Which is plenty good enough for me, especially considering it was a great deal. This is my second Kemp hit from 2009 Unique, as I previously acquired a dual relic that features Matty and Manny Ramirez.

Trade With Collector's Crack: The Final Manny Ramirez Rookie Card and A Chunk Of 2011 Allen & Ginter

I completed my third trade with Mark from the great Collector's Crack. You can read about the first foray here and the second swap here. In exchange for a couple of Brewers hits and a Brett Favre refractor, I received a ton of help in my pursuit of finishing off 2011 A&G. The rest of what I need from this year's Ginter can be found here. Mark sent me 41 base cards and a number of inserts in return for the cards I sent his way.

However, the meat of this deal was the final Manny Ramirez RC I needed.

I'll get a post together with all seven (plus the gold foil-y parallel I have) and, hopefully, have it posted this week at some point.

The final card I'd like to highlight needs no introduction other than it's Sandy Koufax - for heaven's sake - AND in mini form, no less.

Thanks for the great swap Mark!

A Quick, Golden Detour On The Manny Ramirez Rookie Card Project

In my pursuit of Manny Ramirez's seven rookie cards, I stumbled across one I had never encountered before, and that was accordingly not on my cheat sheet.

Upon further research at the always reliable COMC, I found that ManRam had two cards in 1992 Bowman. I'm not sure if every rookie did, but Manny certainly did. Contrary to the scan above, the border of this cool card is actually very, very gold. And foil-y. But my scanner would have you believe otherwise.

Anyways, I picked this up from my local shop for five bucks. I certainly overpaid, as COMC has it for under a buck. But it really doesn't matter to me. I had never seen this card elsewhere, it could theoretically fetch more in some corners (or could have, before Manny cards dropped in value), and I never mind slightly overpaying at my local because they always give me fantastic deals and let me save money with their generosity.

Some kid who was in the shop on Saturday when I bought this took one look at it and was stunned - absolutely blown away - at how young Manny looked. He was also surprised that Ramirez was photographed sans his trademark dreds. I felt old.

Anyhoo, I am still in need of one last Manny RC. 1992 Pinnacle. Number 295.

One day.

Some day.

Soon.

Another Manny Ramirez Rookie Card Bites The Dust

I long ago made it a goal of mine to acquire every Manny Ramirez rookie card from 1992. There happen to be seven of them in existence, putting aside parallels of any kind. I was in need of two as of Sunday. A trip to my LCS quickly chopped that number in half.

For a measly two bucks, I was able to pick up Manny's 1992 Score RC, and in excellent condition to top off the expenditure of two George Washingtons.

Because I now have a scanner, and have gone scan-crazy, you get a shot of the back of the above card. For no other reason than I had time. And a scanner.

Manny was so young back then. I'd recommend he get a powder blue turtleneck to go with that chain. The guy somehow lasted until pick number thirteen. I assume the Indians were jumping for joy when he fell to them. I would imagine.

I am left with just one more rookie card to acquire. 1992 Pinnacle. Card number 295. When I acquire it, I shall post on all seven. And then figure out how to acquire the sweet gold foil-y parallel of one of his 1992 Bowman cards my local has.

On another note, I needed a way to fit this picture in a post. I figure there is no better time than the present, right? What you are about to see is a young teen camped out for the Matt Kemp signing I recently had the pleasure of attending. He decided sleep was paramount. So he slept. On the ground of a Metro PCS parking lot. A roach-infested Metro PCS parking lot.

The things people do.

(thanks for the pic DB)