Upper Deck Hooks Me Up but Is It Fair? Some LCS Scores Too.

  Hello all, Today I have a huge score from Upper Deck but it poses the question of how can I get so lucky. Some months back I picked up the 2008 Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy 100 card (blue) box set (sealed new) at my LCS for a nice price on clearance. When I busted it and put it in the binder it turned out that a card was missing from the factory. This Donnie Baseball was the lost card.

       I in turn called Upper Deck to inquire about a replacement of the missing card and customer service was very helpful but due to the amount of time since the set release they didn't have any of the card I needed left. The rep then said that for my trouble and lack of replacement, he would send me an auto or something to make up for it. I was very happy to accept there offer since I knew I could find the card I needed somewhere else on the cheap and they did the best they could under the circumstance. After some time passed (the customary 6 to 8 weeks I believe) I had gotten a redemption I submitted a little bit before I made this request so I called back and it turned out that they had lost my request information but once again they were nice and helpful and set up another replacement request for me. After another month or two I received a padded mailer from Carlsbad, CA, the same place I sent my UPC so my replacement was here. When I opened it I fully expected some scrub auto or paralell and was just hoping it would be a card that fit into one of my collections or at worst case be something I could at least trade for something that fit into my collection. Well upon opening the mailer this little card fell out into my hand..................
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     Holy crap!!!! A Jeter jersey card!!!

Wait, a Jeter Patch card!!!!!!!!!


 

    Wait, a serial number of 25/25 !!!!!!
Wow, now I couldn't be happier with what they sent me and here in NYC this card could fetch a pretty penny, not that I would sell it. After the initial elation and I started thinking about it I began to wonder if it is fair of Upper Deck to have this card available to send me. Was it an upgrade since they screwed up my initial replacement request? Shouldn't it have been sent out in one of 25 packs that deserved this card or at the least shouldn't it be held a s a replacement if one of the other 24 got damaged? Again I am totally stoked to get this card and certainly won't be returning it for any reason what so ever but it makes me wonder a little bit about what other awesome cards they may have sitting in their warehouse that some deserving collector out there will never have a shot at. Let's hear your opinions on this. I also would love any information on what patch this piece could have come from, I don't ever recall any patch the Yankees wore with red unless it's from a certain World Series or All-Star game and at this time I am to busy due to a fundraiser I am working for tonight to look for the info on it.

  I also have a couple of quick scores from a recent trip to the other LCS by me to represent the Mets portion of this post. These 2 came from the bargain box at 2 for $5.

Phil Seibel auto

Grant Roberts auto

    He cut me a nice deal on these since he didn't have #1 for me.

1974 Topps #'s 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Hank Aaron's

   I still need #1 and his league leader card #332 to complete the 1974 Hank page in my binder.

    On another 1974 note, check out The Pack Rip Cafe for a pack from 74 Fleer Real Cloth Basketball Patches.

   Don't forget to jump in Cards From The Quarry's group break HERE. Johnny has some great stuff to bust and there are still good teams left so head on over.

   That's all I got for now folks. Keep rockin your cardboard dreams!

A Couple Of Plugs, Trades, and Bait Draft Loot!

   Hello all. A crazy week equal few posts so I will hit a few things here. First a couple of plugs for stuff you don't want to miss.

   Johnny (aka hiflew) over at Cards From The Quarry is hosting his first group break. Being busted is:

 1998 Bowman Series 1 - 24 packs, 10 cards per...key rookies of Troy Glaus, Mike Lowell, Jimmy Rollins, Magglio Ordonez, Orlando Hernandez (autos possible but not probable), several inserts and parallels

1998 Bowman Series 2 - 24 packs, 10 cards per...key rookies of Carlos Lee, Cristian Guzman, Randy Wolf + a majority of the stars (autos possible, again not probable), several inserts and parallels

2003 Topps Bazooka - 24 packs, 8 cards per...key rookie of Kevin Youkilis, two parallels per pack, three guaranteed HITS per box (and they look cool).

2004 Topps Bazooka - 24 packs, 8 cards per...key rookies of Dioner Navarro, Yadier Molina, two parallels per pack, three guaranteed HITS per box, several fun inserts per box

    The cost is very reasonable with a discount for multiple teams and if enough teams get claimed he may add some more stuff so head on over and jump in.

   Also over at The Adventures of Napkin Doon  is another edition of his "Big Fun Game"! This time some Gypsy Queen is involved and there may be more then 10 entrants. Go on over, become a follower and join the fun if you dare.






    Now on to Buffet business. I have a video here of some trades and my loot from The Great Sports Name Hall of Fame trade bait draft that Tim (aka Spastikmoos) held a little while back. The trades are from Spankee over at My Cardboard Mistress and D. Green over at Drinking The Orange Kool-Aid plus a couple of great autos I scored in an SCF trade. These packages end the "old" pile of trade packages I have been trying to catch up on. I still have several more from newer trades to show off but those are for another time.




   Some GREAT stuff, thanks to all of you who were represented and I look forward to more awesome trades with all of you.

That will do it for now. Keep rockin your cardboard dreams gang!

Thanks for Reading!

Triple Trade Post From Bones, Hopeful, and a Tomahawk!

  Hello all, I continue the catch up mode here on The Buffet with a trade post times 3.
First up are some goodies from Mr Dawgbones.

    Some Mets lead off the package.

    Anybody who reads the Dawgbones musings knows he collects FatHeads and I was lucky enough to get one of his Wright doubles.

    Here it is pictured next to a mini bip he slipped into the mailer to show the size. It's bad enough to bip but to bip a Mets fan with Marlins is just a little bit cruel. Only Braves (and maybe Phillies) could be worse. I will seek revenge at some point Bones.

    Here is the gem of the package for me. A Martin 2 color /50 is sweet. He is one of my favorite RB's in Jets history. Thanks a bunch Rich, your return treats are in transit as I write this.


   Next up are some products of a trade bait post from Derek over at Tomahawk Chopping. He had some time on a rainy day to put up some traders and I found a few that I am stoked to add to the collection.

    A couple of shiny Yankees.

    Ike looks good in Opening Day blue /2011. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite current Mets.

    A strong part of the Giants secondary signed this sticker for me.

    I like the starquest variations so these three get an A+. A rare, an ultra rare, and an uncommon.

    A Billy Wagner gray swatch jersey will look nice next to the black swatch I have from the same 09 UD set. A pleasure as always trading with Derek. It's always great to see a Braves fan and a Mets fan get along so well to create fun trades.


    These next 2 cards are from Justin G of The Hopeful Chase fame. He's an O's fan who needed to purge these hated Yankees cards from his house.

    This Jeter is really cool. The image on the right is actually made up of pin holes in the card. Here it is on a white background .......

    and a yellow-orange background.

   I am not a huge Shef fan but this one is a great looking card with the flag background. Thanks Justin, any time you need to rid yourself of Yankees, I will step up and help an O's fan in need.

  I have been catching up with my blog related stuff as things around here have been extra crazy as of late due to work and family issues. I have mailed out most of the break packages and have the last six teams packed and ready to go out this week so everybody should have there cards by next weekend if you haven't received them yet. I am also trying to catch up on trades with fellow bloggers out there so if we talked about a trade please be patient as I haven't forgotten about it and will get back to you soon.

    That's all I have for now.Keep rocking your cardboard dreams people.

PS- As I write this, the Mets are on their way to winning their fourth in a row.

 LET'S GO METS!

Thanks for Reading!



Trade Post: Cards From A Quarry Hit The Big City!

    Hey all. Today I have a great trade with Johnny (aka hiflew) form over at Cards From The Quarry to share with you. Johnny is a great trading partner and has a fun blog over there so it's always a pleasure to hook up with him for a trade. Here is just some of the treats that came in the package.

   First some early 90's Topps Mets and Yankees golds. I love the baby face Jeter on the prospects card.

    A few golds from my players list and some 2007 inserts ala Yankees. I have several of the Joe D. streak cards now so maybe I will chase that set.

    A bunch of Goudey minis. Some red backs, some green backs, some of both.

      Mickey Mantle in the house! The three 2006 Mantle Collection inserts bring me to nine of the ten in the set. I just need the 2004 version #MM2004 to complete it.

     A gold, a couple of X-Fractors and a Heritage advertising panel with a Yank and a Met on each end  looks great.

   A David Wright Chicle chrome refractor and my first Reggie Yankee relic (I have one from the A's and one from the Angels) are awesome looking scores. There is a pinstripe tucked under the left side of the Icons window, why couldn't they just move it over 1/8th of an inch. Still looks sweet though.

       These two surprises popped out when I opened the mailer. Gary Carter and Donnie Baseball SLU's. While I don't actively collect these, Johnny is the third blogger to surprise me with these and they will look great next to the others on a shelf in my card room.
   There you have it, just some of my favorites from a great package from The Quarry. If you haven't checked out his spot out in Blogoland, head on over as you won't be disappointed. Thanks for the great cards Johnny!

    That's it for now. Keep rocking your cardboard dreams people!

My Topps MCG Cards Have Arrived!

  Back again all with my haul from the Topps Million Card Giveaway that finally arrived a few days ago. I, like many others waited until the last week to request my cards so it took a bit longer to receive the cards. As you will seeI used the giveaway to add to my team card collection and seriously pursue the 1972 team cards set. I ended up having 35 cards sent.
   First up, the few non team cards....

   The Dan Napoleon has three creases and the Dennis Ribant is a little beat up with some stains on the front. The others are in real good shape. I cant believe I needed that Piazza but I did.

   Now we begin the team cards....

   The O's has a light crease, otherwise all in good shape except for some off centering.

   These are in very good shape so no complaints here.

   The 74's look great, the 66 Mets has some creases and soft corners to go with general wear while the 64 Mets has one crease and a large stain but for their age I guess I can't complain. The 64 Senators looks great for a 45 year old card.

Now begins the 1972 team card quest.

   These all look great except for a gum stain on the Angels and a couple off centers. With these and what I have it brings me to 16 of the 24 I need. I am still looking for the Indians, Expos, Royals, Reds, Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, and Giants if anybody can help.

   Over all I am happy with my score from the Million Card Giveaway with the exception of a few of the card conditions and I am glad to add some not so easy to find cards to the collection.

That sums it up for now. Keep rockin your cardboard dreams!

Thanks for Reading!



New Sponsor!

   Hello all. Today I present a new sponsor to BA Benny's Baseball Card Buffet. Easy Canvas Prints is a web site that takes your picture and prints it onto framed canvas like artwork. This is the "About Me" spot on the site that sums it up perfectly.
About Easy Canvas Prints
Easy Canvas Prints, we are passionate about providing our customers with top quality canvas products. Using our custom canvas designer, you can easily turn your very own photo into a stunning work of art! Your canvas is custom-printed and assembled by hand in the United States and then shipped with care directly to you. If your custom canvas isn’t absolutely perfect, call us and we'll make it right. Our team of canvas experts is dedicated to making sure your experience is the best.
When they contacted me about doing a review I said sure and decided to go with a picture of my two beasts Booda (l.)and Cosmo (r.). You may remember them from the group break where they showed up for some of the loose pack hits. The web site is very user friendly and easy to navigate and offers a variety of options from size, border style, and frame thickness among other things. The upload is quick and easy with previews through the process. They also offer a phone number for any issues which is a nice option if you happen to have any problems. I had no issues so I didn't need to call.

Here is the original picture I uploaded for the print.

And here is the canvas print I received.

   It looks really great! As often happens, it looks better in person then the picture shows but believe me when I say it looks great. I couldn't eliminate the shine in there eyes on my end and I didn't check the option to have there art department to try and work on it (my mistake) so that's why it's there. I could not be happier with the product. It has an appearance of fancy expensive art work at a reasonable price and is a quality product made here in the USA. The packing method used was also very safe and secure and it arrived several days before it was expected so the have to get a thumbs up on that end as well. I certainly recommend you check them out at the link above or also in the sponsor section on my side bar. Thanks to Easy Canvas Prints for joining The Buffet's family of sponsors.

Thanks For Reading!

Trade Post Double Header

   Hello all. Sorry for the lack of posts but things are once again very busy around The Buffet as my daughters softball season is in full swing so I am out and about several nights a week and a good chunk of the weekend. Once again I apologize and ask for patience from all those I am in trade talks with, I haven't forgotten but time is at a premium but I will get back you. I am also working on getting the break packages out as well. On to a trade post double dip I have for you today.
   I begin with a trade with Chris over at Stale Gum. He posted a 2011 Jumbo box break video and the cool part was that he did it from the original Topps warehouse in Brooklyn, NY not too far from where I live. (I gotta go check it out sometime) Anyway, one of the hits caught my eye so an e-mail and some digging led to a trade. My end of the deal netted me a bunch of 2011 and 2010 Topps inserts (which I still need a ton of, list HERE) and this Beltran bat relic.

    Looks pretty good too, the Topps 60 relics are nice if the relic piece is bright in color. He also added in some bonus cards.

    The 75 set still is one of my favorites. Also in the package was this auto......

    The sticker threw me for a second but then the back explains it all.

     That's great, and a 1/1 to boot. Thanks Chris, I appreciate the trade.

    Next we move to a package from Ryan of '"O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog. He had some trade bait posted so inquire I did. He was also busting some Goudey and set aside some YSL's for me.

     He also helped me with some 2011 needs (we have all seen them so I didn't show them) and the Dawson is a 60 Years of Topps original back for the player collection. The meat of the trade were these two gems.

   The Humber auto /500 is on card and looks great. I love how he went a little outside the designated signing area, it adds character. The Dontrelle is sn'd /53. Thanks for another sweet trade Ryan, pleasure as always to work a deal with you.

    Head on over to The Pack Rip Cafe where I go with an early form of Finest. Don't forget to follow if you aren't already, The Cafe needs love too.

That's all for now. Keep rocking your cardboard dreams!

Thanks for Reading!

 

I Continue To Clear the Mountain of Trade Packages With Some SCF Trades.

   Hello again all. Not a lot of time today so I will knock out 5 trades I made over on SCF (SportsCardFun.com) over the last few months in a quick mostly pictures post. First I have some loot from a trader named Ryan. He had some Mets stuff I wanted and I sent him some Ginter stuff he wanted so we both came away happy.

I've been looking for that 1970 team card for some time. He also included 7 cards from my Topps insert sets that I needed.

Next up is a one for one trade. I sent a relic trader Jay needed and I got this 2011 Cano jersey.

 I like the 2011 Topps relics but this would look better with a home jersey swatch.



   I had a Gordon Beckham letter patch auto from one of Too Many Granderson's Epic 2008 Razor Letterman case breaks that I was willing to part with and when I didn't get any real interest on The Buffet post I figured I would post it on SCF. I originally wanted some premium Mets for it but a trader named Sazzy C emailed me saying his son was I huge Beckham fan and he really really wanted the card. He said he had some Yankees since he didn't have any Mets to speak of and since it was for a kid (we have to keep the kids in the hobby) I told him to make me an offer. well an offer he did make and I could not say no. I added a few other Beckham's I had and a few White Sox and this was my haul.

   Jeters are so hard to get here without selling a kidney and I am a huge Guidry fan from watching him back in the 70's as a kid with my father who was a big Yankees fan. The Rizzuto is awesome with a stadium seat that looks like it is from his playing days, it's so old and dry.  Pepitone was a favorite of my Dads too so it's special for me to get a jersey card from him.



    Another trader named Wayne posted about some Jimmy Dean cards he had so I contacted him and we set up a deal. He sent me 2 of these 9 card sets (one is for trade if anybody is interested) as well as a load of 80's and 90's football stuff from the Jets, Saints, and Giants.

   I love the oddball small sets like this one. I think they all should be in increments of 9 like this one. (9, 18, 27, etc.) They work so well in the binder pages. This years Topps inserts with 10 in the set are making me crazy. I hate when there is one card extra for the pages.


     The last trade I have is from a great guy named Arnie. He and I had made several trades in the past before I discovered the world of Blogoland and all you great folks out there. I did all my trading on SCF at that point where as now it's only once in a while. He needed some 2011 Topps cards I had and I had a few relics and golds he liked so we knocked out a deal and Mets were had by me.
  First the ink....

   ....and the cloth.....

    There it is, five more mailers down so that leaves me around seven Blogoland trades left on the pile. Those will get more individual attention. I am looking forward to getting caught up so I can vary my postings so they will be a little more interesting but I gotta show the love to all the great traders out there.

  On another note, As I wrote this post I received an e-mail from Topps saying that my MCG cards shipped today so I hope to have them posted next week some time.

    That's going to do it for today. Keep rocking your cardboard dreams gang!

Thanks for Reading!