An offer I couldn't refuse

See how the godfather of card blogging repays you when you take him up on a trade offer? A 1959 Topps buyback card of Steve Bilko? Are you kidding me? I could complain about the awful stamp Topps plasters on buybacks, but what kind of ungrateful goombah would I be?

This, in fact, is the best of a great collection of cards that I received from Chris Harris of Stale Gum, also known as the Only Card Blog That Matters. Who am I to argue? I've been at this eight months.

This was one of the "throw-in" cards in the trade, believe it or not. Most of what we traded were want-list needs. And I don't have a 1959 Topps want list up. I'm not foolish enough to think people are willing to send those cards my way. Although, maybe I should be now.

Have a look at some of the other great cards I received:

Two more cards in my bid to complete the 2006 Topps U&H set (11 cards to go). Two drug-tainted sluggers. I also received a 2006 Topps Own the Game insert of Andy Pettitte. Hmm. He got mixed up in them PEDs, too. Sigh.

Here's a red-blooded Italian-American for you. It's an early Mike Piazza card. People hang onto these things like crazy, but I'm slowly getting some people to loosen their grip on Mikey. This 1993 Stadium Club is a key one. And I'm Italian, on my mother's side, so Mike and I have that in common.

An oddball! 1992 McDonald's Eric Karros. The photo is the same mussed-hair shot that's on his 1991 Bowman card. I think I like the backs of oddball cards most of all. They're all so colorful. This one uses the red and yellow McDonald's colors.

1994 Pinnacle Ramon Martinez. I've seen this card on the blogs maybe four or five times since starting my blog. Finally, I have it. Does anybody use slides anymore? I remember my dad propping up the slide projector when I was a kid to show home movies. Yeah, I know I said I'm not ancient. But maybe I am.

Hideo Nomo is one of the four 2004 Topps Cracker Jack Dodgers that came in the trade. I love these cards quite a bit. You could do some retinal damage grouping the entire set together, but the red is why I like the set so much.

One of three 2006 Topps Heritage cards I received. This is an odd shot of Bill Mueller and the background of the card looks a water hazard on a golf course. I'm not crazy about this set. You can almost see the card backing through the picture on the front. It looks a little too homemade.

2006 Upper Deck Takashi Saito. Look at that red glove. Does he have one of those now that he's with the Red Sox? Or does he wear a blue one now?

This World's Greatest Victories card of Jon Lester means I need just three more to complete the 2008 A&G insert set. (Strug, David & Goliath and Gettysburg).

And this White Sox team card means I'm one more drop in the bucket from completing 2008 Topps Heritage (How ya comin' on your 2009 Heritage sets, everyone?). Still a couple gallons away from finishing it off. Something else always gets in the way.

And, lastly, we have a 1-of-1 autographed card signed by Chris Harris. At least that's what it says on the back. Nothing about sleeping with the fishes back there. What a relief.

Thanks Chris! Sorry about the car.