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Throughout the many, many years that I've been writing Nachos Grande, I have noticed a rise and fall in terms of the total number of active collectors of certain teams. For example, there was a time when I couldn't keep a Braves, Mets, or Indians card in my house. Now, those teams have very few active collectors with whom I trade. Other teams have seemingly become much more popular lately including the Tigers, Cubs, and inexplicably, the Pirates. Finally, there has been a group of teams that have been virtually untradable for the entire length of my blogging career including the Marlins, Rays, Orioles, Royals, Athletics, Brewers, and Phillies.
Well, we can now strike one of those teams off the list! I recently completed a trade with Jeremy over at Topps Cards that Never Were. Jeremy collects Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays cards which means I now have a new home for all my unwanted Rays!
Jeremy ended up sending me a nice trade package with help for seven (!) different sets that I'm still working on along with some assorted Reds and a couple of nice custom cards. Of the various sets he sent me, I think my favorite has to be the Apollo Program card from the Heroes of Spaceflight set.
I had actually almost given up on ever completing this particular insert set. The set was seeded in the 2009 Topps Heritage American Heroes set, a set that came and went in retail and then was virtually never heard from again! I happened to like the set enough to collect both the base set and also the Heroes of Spaceflight insert set. I still have a ways to go on the set but at least I made a little bit of progress a decade after the set's release!
Sticking with 2009 sets, Jeremy also sent along a pair of cards from the American Presidents insert set that was part of the 2009 American Heritage set (not to be confused with the aforementioned 2009 Topps Heritage American Heroes set)!
Nowadays, I'm definitely sick of politics and I certainly wouldn't have even considered chasing after the Presidents insert set. However, back in '09 I wasn't as jaded politically speaking and so I went guns blazing after the set. Truthfully, this set may be one that I do end up giving up on down the road (one of my resolutions for 2019 is to get my want list down to under 100 sets and this particular set is definitely a candidate to get cut if that's what it comes to). All that said, I do appreciate getting a couple of cards closer to completion...and if I can somehow complete the set prior to the end of 2019 then I won't have to worry about not collecting it anymore!
Next up, a card that I actually just bought from COMC a couple of weeks ago (but it still hasn't arrived):
That's one of the last remaining Topps Stadium Club cards that I needed from the 2001 set. I was close enough to completing the set that I actually just bought the remaining seven cards that I needed. Still, it's better to have at least one more in hand rather than playing the waiting game with the post office for the ones I ordered myself!
Another older set that I've been working on for quite some time is the 2004 UD Vintage set.
Jeremy helped me get one card closer to completion here by sending me the Wes Helms card. I still need a bunch of cards from this set but I haven't been able to force myself to actually buy all of the remaining cards quite yet. Maybe next year?
On the flip side, I would buy myself a bunch of 1999 Pacific if only I could find boxes of the stuff available for sale at an affordable price.
Since that hasn't worked out for me, I instead rely on trades to slowly build my own set. I definitely appreciate getting two cards closer to completion here!
The sixth set that Jeremy helped me out with was the 2010 Topps National Chicle set.
I kind of like the quirkiness of the set (which is why I decided to collect it) but I do understand why some people avoided the set like the plague. There are definitely a number of atrocious drawings/paintings in the set. For what it's worth, I'd say that this Walker is towards the bottom-middle of the pack in terms of artistic quality.
And finally, a trio of cards from 1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice rounds out this awesome little trade package!
Many thanks Jeremy for the cards. I hope you enjoy what I sent you as well. Now if only I could find a taker for my Orioles, Royals, Brewers, Athletics, and Marlins cards!
Well, we can now strike one of those teams off the list! I recently completed a trade with Jeremy over at Topps Cards that Never Were. Jeremy collects Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays cards which means I now have a new home for all my unwanted Rays!
Jeremy ended up sending me a nice trade package with help for seven (!) different sets that I'm still working on along with some assorted Reds and a couple of nice custom cards. Of the various sets he sent me, I think my favorite has to be the Apollo Program card from the Heroes of Spaceflight set.
I had actually almost given up on ever completing this particular insert set. The set was seeded in the 2009 Topps Heritage American Heroes set, a set that came and went in retail and then was virtually never heard from again! I happened to like the set enough to collect both the base set and also the Heroes of Spaceflight insert set. I still have a ways to go on the set but at least I made a little bit of progress a decade after the set's release!
Sticking with 2009 sets, Jeremy also sent along a pair of cards from the American Presidents insert set that was part of the 2009 American Heritage set (not to be confused with the aforementioned 2009 Topps Heritage American Heroes set)!
Nowadays, I'm definitely sick of politics and I certainly wouldn't have even considered chasing after the Presidents insert set. However, back in '09 I wasn't as jaded politically speaking and so I went guns blazing after the set. Truthfully, this set may be one that I do end up giving up on down the road (one of my resolutions for 2019 is to get my want list down to under 100 sets and this particular set is definitely a candidate to get cut if that's what it comes to). All that said, I do appreciate getting a couple of cards closer to completion...and if I can somehow complete the set prior to the end of 2019 then I won't have to worry about not collecting it anymore!
Next up, a card that I actually just bought from COMC a couple of weeks ago (but it still hasn't arrived):
That's one of the last remaining Topps Stadium Club cards that I needed from the 2001 set. I was close enough to completing the set that I actually just bought the remaining seven cards that I needed. Still, it's better to have at least one more in hand rather than playing the waiting game with the post office for the ones I ordered myself!
Another older set that I've been working on for quite some time is the 2004 UD Vintage set.
Jeremy helped me get one card closer to completion here by sending me the Wes Helms card. I still need a bunch of cards from this set but I haven't been able to force myself to actually buy all of the remaining cards quite yet. Maybe next year?
On the flip side, I would buy myself a bunch of 1999 Pacific if only I could find boxes of the stuff available for sale at an affordable price.
Since that hasn't worked out for me, I instead rely on trades to slowly build my own set. I definitely appreciate getting two cards closer to completion here!
The sixth set that Jeremy helped me out with was the 2010 Topps National Chicle set.
I kind of like the quirkiness of the set (which is why I decided to collect it) but I do understand why some people avoided the set like the plague. There are definitely a number of atrocious drawings/paintings in the set. For what it's worth, I'd say that this Walker is towards the bottom-middle of the pack in terms of artistic quality.
And finally, a trio of cards from 1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice rounds out this awesome little trade package!
Many thanks Jeremy for the cards. I hope you enjoy what I sent you as well. Now if only I could find a taker for my Orioles, Royals, Brewers, Athletics, and Marlins cards!
Ahem, I'm always willing to trade for Brewers.
ReplyDeleteShoot me your mailing address!
DeleteOh and thanks for sharing Jeremy's page I have a feeling that guy is going to get buried in Rays cards.
ReplyDelete