I received what could be my very last order from the Topps Diamond Giveaway site on Friday. I don't plan to buy very much Topps Update, let alone Series 1 or Series 2, so I won't be finding any more code cards.
But you never know. Anything can happen. Brewers vs. Cardinals. Rangers vs. Tigers. You know. Anything.
But if this is my last Giveaway site order, it's been a great ride. Entertaining. Infuriating. Neat cards for "free," excluding shipping and pack purchasing, of course.
I ordered up five cards this time around, which is about the average for me. Here is what arrived:
1977 Dick Ruthven. Not as good as this Ruthven card. It must be about 47 degrees at Candlestick on this day. If it's not Candlestick, I'm sorry. I was thrown off by the jacket.
1977 Jim Kern. Not as good as this Kern card. More jacket weirdness. This is Kern's first solo Topps card. He's a "one of these things is not like the other" entrant on one of those '75 Topps 4-player rookie cards. Kern was definitely "not like the other."
The rest of the cards have an Oakland A's theme. I didn't even realize that until they came in the mail.
1977 Tommy Helms. Not as good as this Helms card. Although Helms is weirdly airbrushed into an Oakland A's jersey and what I can only describe as the hollowed-out half of a ripening lime on his head. That color has never appeared on any sports team ever. And you can't take your eye of the A's on the "helmet."
1977 Mike Norris. Not as good as this Norris card, which is one of my favorite cards of the '80s. But this is Norris' sophomore card, which explains why I received many offers for it on the giveaway site. Almost all of them ridiculous.
But here is the star of the package. Green-and-gold Reggie as a Diamond Diecut. I couldn't stand it no longer, so it's now in my possession.
Through all the insane offers I received for this card -- the clump of '87 Topps, the 126 cards from '84 to present, the single 1990 card, the well-thought-out '50s vintage that I just couldn't pull the trigger on -- I kept holding on, hoping there would be something there that would make me give up Reggie.
But there wasn't.
What I was really hoping for was a Sandy Koufax diamond diecut, as it's the only Dodger diamond diecut that I need to complete the set (until Topps sneakily adds some more). But I didn't really expect anyone to offer Koufax for Jackson straight-up.
What I do expect is to receive a more realistic offer now that Reggie is in the real world. The world of sane trading. Surely someone wants this card and will offer something that I want. I've kept Reggie in the top loader with the protective covering, because I'll ship it that way if I close a deal.
Ideally, I'm looking for some nice current Dodger cards (Kershaw is my first choice). I'd also pull the trigger on some Dodger vintage, '50s or early-to-mid '60s. I'm much more confident in the condition of other collectors' vintage than what I might receive from Topps off the giveaway site (although the majority of the cards I received from Topps were positively satisfactory).
If you want to trade for Reggie, drop me a line.
If there's nothing out there that toots my hoot, then I'll be happy to keep Reggie. It's a great card, and he's not a Yankee.
Right now, all that's left in my Diamond Giveaway queue are five cards that few will want. I just checked last night and there was not a single trade offer. That's kind of a relief after getting 30 trade offers a day.
One less thing to do.
But you never know. Anything can happen. Brewers vs. Cardinals. Rangers vs. Tigers. You know. Anything.
But if this is my last Giveaway site order, it's been a great ride. Entertaining. Infuriating. Neat cards for "free," excluding shipping and pack purchasing, of course.
I ordered up five cards this time around, which is about the average for me. Here is what arrived:
1977 Dick Ruthven. Not as good as this Ruthven card. It must be about 47 degrees at Candlestick on this day. If it's not Candlestick, I'm sorry. I was thrown off by the jacket.
1977 Jim Kern. Not as good as this Kern card. More jacket weirdness. This is Kern's first solo Topps card. He's a "one of these things is not like the other" entrant on one of those '75 Topps 4-player rookie cards. Kern was definitely "not like the other."
The rest of the cards have an Oakland A's theme. I didn't even realize that until they came in the mail.
1977 Tommy Helms. Not as good as this Helms card. Although Helms is weirdly airbrushed into an Oakland A's jersey and what I can only describe as the hollowed-out half of a ripening lime on his head. That color has never appeared on any sports team ever. And you can't take your eye of the A's on the "helmet."
1977 Mike Norris. Not as good as this Norris card, which is one of my favorite cards of the '80s. But this is Norris' sophomore card, which explains why I received many offers for it on the giveaway site. Almost all of them ridiculous.
But here is the star of the package. Green-and-gold Reggie as a Diamond Diecut. I couldn't stand it no longer, so it's now in my possession.
Through all the insane offers I received for this card -- the clump of '87 Topps, the 126 cards from '84 to present, the single 1990 card, the well-thought-out '50s vintage that I just couldn't pull the trigger on -- I kept holding on, hoping there would be something there that would make me give up Reggie.
But there wasn't.
What I was really hoping for was a Sandy Koufax diamond diecut, as it's the only Dodger diamond diecut that I need to complete the set (until Topps sneakily adds some more). But I didn't really expect anyone to offer Koufax for Jackson straight-up.
What I do expect is to receive a more realistic offer now that Reggie is in the real world. The world of sane trading. Surely someone wants this card and will offer something that I want. I've kept Reggie in the top loader with the protective covering, because I'll ship it that way if I close a deal.
Ideally, I'm looking for some nice current Dodger cards (Kershaw is my first choice). I'd also pull the trigger on some Dodger vintage, '50s or early-to-mid '60s. I'm much more confident in the condition of other collectors' vintage than what I might receive from Topps off the giveaway site (although the majority of the cards I received from Topps were positively satisfactory).
If you want to trade for Reggie, drop me a line.
If there's nothing out there that toots my hoot, then I'll be happy to keep Reggie. It's a great card, and he's not a Yankee.
Right now, all that's left in my Diamond Giveaway queue are five cards that few will want. I just checked last night and there was not a single trade offer. That's kind of a relief after getting 30 trade offers a day.
One less thing to do.
Comments
And is that a hat in Reggies back pocket? No way that's comfortable.