Contest Plug

Hey all. A quick contest plug before I hit the hay. A new blog called The Diamond King (cool name by the way) is getting his name out there with a contest and the prizes are real sweet. That's right prize's, 7 to be exact. Head on over and check it out.

Thanks for Reading!

Happy Memorial Day!

   Happy Memorial Day all. Time is short today so I will just use last years Memorial Day post to say thank you to all the fine people who have given all to serve this great nation of ours. I wish I had time because it was fun doing this post last year but a graduation party for a friends daughter and some errands have me running out the door shortly but this link says it all for me.


http://babennysbaseballcardbuffet.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-memorial-day-card-salute-to-red.html

Thanks for Reading!

Now Serving Sushi Here On The Buffet

   Hello all. To say I have been very busy lately is a huge understatement. Between extra work hours, assistant coaching a couple of my nieces softball teams, preparing for a graduation party for my son, opening (and repairing) my pool for another season, and redoing the landscaping and fence repairs in my backyard along with garage cleaning I have had next to no time for blogging and I really miss it and all you great people out there. I have been able to read and comment a bit from  while at work during down time and so at least I get to read some of the great blogs I enjoy out there. To all that I have proposed trades with out there, please be patient as I am working on them. While blogging has been scarce I have been able to acquire cards from my LCS's and other places so trade fodder is coming in. Any way I also have fallen behind on some trade packages so today while I have some time waiting for my pool to finish filling up I will get one done for you.
   While I don't like fish, I have become a big fan of Nomo's Sushi Platter. I actually have two trades in one to cover since we have made a couple in recent months. There were so many great cards so I will show a few of my favorites. Some Goudey and Masterpieces boxes he busted got the whole thing started but as usual things grew into a great trade.
    First just a few of the Mets included.

    The Rivals cards a real sharp in person and I love the Mr. Met on the Wright Goodwin.


   Some Yankees next.

    You know he was breaking Upper Deck so YSL's had to be in there. The Heritage work well for me since I am not buying much of them this year.


    Michael hit some of the non Met and Yanks players I collect in each package too.

     Vlad, Frank, Andre, Ichiro and even the liar Roger are always welcome into my collections.


    It's always a little more special to me when I get players I collect from the team that the person I am trading with collects. These Dodgers fit that bill coming from the Sushi Platter.

     All the Hershiser's increase my Orel collection by about 40%.


    Some more Dodgers I collect and some juicier cards.

    Two green framed (or is it Windsor, I can never remember the Masterpieces colors) look great and you can never go wrong with shiny X-Fractors.


 Now the heavy hitters in the two packages.

     The Vlad auto is my first sample of his penmanship, the Ripken is my first hit of any kind from the Iron Man and the Maine is a great looking auto too.

   Thanks a bunch for a couple of super trades Michael and I will surely love to have Sushi here on The Buffet any time!

     Gotta run, the water level is getting high now.

Keep rocking your cardboard dreams people!

Thanks For Reading!

Too Many Verlanders Never Has Too Many Traders! Bargain Group Break Plug Also.

    Hello all. Crazy busy at work and home along with many softball games to coach for my daughter and niece has kept me from posting much lately. Today I present just a small sample of yet another tremendous trade package from Dennis over at Too Many Verlanders. (formally Too Many Grandersons). I guess Justin Verlanders no-no against the Jays last Saturday (my sons 18th birthday by the way) has inspired him to change the name, I like it! It seem like Dennis and I are always involved in some kind of trade at all times as since this package of assorted treats arrived we already have begun talks for our next one (I just found another jersey card I think you may like Dennis). This latest Mailer of NY goodness hit all kinds of spots in my way to broad collecting wants. Let's start with the surprise cards and end with the meat of the trade.

     A small sample of the Mets he sent.

    There were several 09 Bowman golds in there, these are my favorite 3 along with a couple of Henderson's and a Ventura. Ventura reminds me of a good joke. How do you make an All-Star player? ............
  
     Trade him from the Mets!  Just as Jeff Francoeur.


    Next the Yankees made an appearance.

      More Bowman golds in a great mix of years and brands. He even hit the American flag collection.

     Football was more of the focus in this package too. A small glimpse of the Saints he sent over.

       Loving the black and gold!

         J. E. T. S.  Jets, Jets, Jets!

    The Masterpieces are sweet!

  
     Big Blue is next.

     The Eli Manning and Y.A. Tittle is my favorite base card from the huge mix he sent on over. There is a small taste of the great stuff I didn't know was coming. Dennis always knows how to hook me up.
  Now to the meat of this fine package.

     The Humber will look great next to the gold version I have and the Redman has a sparkled blue border like a cross of this years Topps sparkles and Opening Day's blue borders. Both on card autos too which is cool. The Albaladejo looks great also.

      More Big Blue treats too.

        A fun variety of autos to add to the collection. Moss, Barden, and Bomar sounds like a law firm.

     These are my two favorites of the awesome lot.

       D Brick is a nice one but the Aaron Brooks looks so awesome. The Topps Gallery cards are too sweet and thank goodness that they went on card with the auto and didn't sticker this way cool card. Sticker autos don't bother me as much as a lot of people out there but in this case it would have been just plain nasty.

    There it is, thanks Dennis, yet another fantastic trade and the next pile of cards I have for you is growing as we speak.

    On the group break front, Colbey over at Cardboard Collections has another one of his wallet friendly way cool breaks happening and there are good teams left. Some are even only $5 shipped so check it out.

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

Thanks for Reading!

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Pack Rip and an LCS Score

   Hello all. Today I jump in on the Gypsy Queen craze that is the talk of the town so to speak.

 my job the other day had me working on the block right behind my LCS so I had to stop in and see what was new and exciting. Some great new stuff in the bargain box was a nice surprise and they had gotten in their Gypsy Queen boxes so I had to grab a couple of packs. At 8$ per or 2 for $15 I was a little hesitant but I figured why not. I don't see myself buying much at that price so I will probably only be chasing Mets, Yankees and a few other players. The owner had just finished a box so these came out of a brand new box he opened in front of me. The mini pack didn't have anything too crazy but they look good anyway. I grabbed the first 2 packs on the right hand stack and left with the hope of some good cards.  I will show one pack here and I have one pack over on BA Benny's Pack Rip Cafe. This is the second one I opened so that makes the Cafe's the first. Let's see which one was better.

   A Mariano and Jackie Robinson make a good start.

    Some decent players but not the cream of the checklist.

 A Votto bronze /999 is a nice score.

 I like the colored border on the inserts and an Angel Pagan  Gypsy Queen backed mini is very cool.

 Here are the backs on the parallels.

   Over all, not a bad pack. I love the feel and the artwork to these cards. The price will keep me from chasing the set so all the cards except the mini and The Mariano are for trade. Check out the other pack over on the Pack Rip Cafe and see which pack was better. While I was at the shop the owner handed me a pile of Topps tribute he just busted and hadn't even gotten them into the case yet but he gave me first crack at them. There were some sweet cards there and some were pretty pricey but he gave me a nice deal on this one so I jumped on it.

Topps Tribute Dave Winfield triple jersey /99

  I love that it's of him as a Yankee, it's funny how my luck lately has been in scoring great Yankee cards more often then Mets but that's OK, it will turn at some point and my Yankee collection is just that much better anyway.

  That's all I got for now. Look for more trade posts, other stuff I collect posts, some group break scores posts, and whatever else I can think of posts in the future. Keep rocking your cardboard dreams people!

Thanks for Reading!

  

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!