Why do I continue to show off recent "trade packages" when I know there's limited interest and the views will be low, perhaps lower than ever?
A few reasons:
1. Easy content. I'll admit, it's an easy post. Maybe that's why people don't read. They know I didn't open a vein.
2. It's the right thing to do. I'm pretty certain that most people who send me cards would like some public acknowledgement. I know from experience that it's cool to see others write about the cards I send them (and I always try to comment). And it's better than a thank you email, although that's welcome, too.
3. I'm still grateful. Not nearly as many collectors send me cards as they did 10 years ago. It could cause someone to walk away -- "it's just not worth it to me to write and write and the only cards that come my way are the ones I bought." Maybe I appreciate it more now when people do send me cards. But, truthfully I've always been grateful, whether I'm getting 3 packages a day or 3 a month. Someone thought enough to take the time -- gather cards of interest to me and package them -- and spend the postage. I want to write about that.
Johnny's Trading Spot is still one of those few bloggers who is in the card-sending game. I've already showed the 1983 Donruss and the 2025 Topps Chrome Dodgers he sent. Now it's time for the rest of the stuff.
I'll start with the best of the rest, which are good, old-fashioned, non-paralleled cards. Love the Koufax TCMA '80s oddballs. And the Roki Sasaki Topps Now card is particularly timely. The Todd Hollandsworth Laser card is not new to me, but the design is horrible for inserting into pages -- who thought of propping those light-standards on a card?? So I definitely could use a replacement.
Ha, another very timely card that shows off both World Series participants a day before the Fall Classic begins.
A couple of either IP or TTM autographs, I've seen Johnny send these to other collectors lately. This is my second autographed card for each of these players.
Late '80s/early '90s magazine cards, John's been all about these lately, too. I recall when Baseball Cards Magazine first started inserting its own cards inside issues in the early 1980s. I thought it was very cool. I'm not as intrigued by them now (that Gibson card is definitely odd), but it's a nice snapshot of the time period.
Of course, night cards! Not the greatest subject matter right now with Machado and a dude who I'm anticipating not appreciating very much in the next few days (that'd be Scherzer). Machado is the only one who has an open door in the night card binder (of course) because there's an empty slot. The other two will have to fight it out.
Eesh, modern Bowman. Yes ... I need these.
MOVING ON!
Here we go, the return of the Gavin Lux cards! I was getting a little worried there that John was off his game. The card on the right is actually the base card -- I think. And I'm not even going to try to explain it because I'll just confuse myself and everyone else.
Because of my "advanced" collection, it's often difficult to find base Dodgers that I need. Parallels wind up being the cards to find their way into the collection and this package was no exception.
2025 parallels
Topps came up with the brilliant idea this year to create about 5 or 6 parallels that look essentially the same. It could clear up the confusion by listing which kind on the back or just make their parallels distinct, but instead collectors like me have to go on a fact finding mission, determining which card is "sandglitter" and which is "confetti". Sometimes I just give up.
2024 parallels
These are more distinct and, yes, Optic is a parallel -- not its own set -- I think Panini finally admitted that last year.
2023 parallels
That Rafael Furcal Select card is a wild color.
2022 parallels
In most cases Topps UK cards are parallels.
Here are some older parallels. As always I prefer the color-border parallels.
Johnny also ventured into some non-baseball with some Buffalo sports. The Bills cards work with what I collect -- a legend and a current player. Also an autographed card of a Sabres' mainstay from the '90s/'00s.
Johnny and I both love our Wackys!! These are early '80s tributes to the '70s Wackys that I love so much. I don't quite know what to do with these guys but they are inspiration for grabbing some of the originals that I don't have yet, such as "Big Muck".
That'll about do it. Per usual, there were quite a few more cards sent along -- you don't think that was all of it, do you?
Here are the dupes. These arrive right when I'm conducting my annual Dodgers dupe box update. It gets confusing when new dupes arrive in the middle of that. So anyone is welcome to take these off my hands before I get to that undertaking!
Because I still send out cards when I can. There are 3 or 4 stacks right now waiting to be sent. And, of course, I have to see if the cards I set aside for Johnny haven't already been swept up by him.
Thanks as always to anyone who sends me cards after all of these years. If you see a post about them here, it means I'm grateful.
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