Getting The Goods From Ebay And Topps

I have gotten a couple bubble mailers recently that contained some really good cards.  I am sure that I am not the only collector that loves opening a bubble mailer that you may not know what is inside.  Then you open up the package and it contains some goodness that you ordered online.  I get so many cards through the mail that I sometimes forget what I purchased or traded for. 

My Diamond Die-Cuts have arrived!!!!  Yessssssss!!!  I knew when I saw the Topps address label that these two were going to be inside.  I just for got what the other two cards that I ordered from the Topps diamond giveaway.  We'll get to the other cards from this package in a bit.  Let us focus on the shine of a red diamond.

I started out redeeming a code for a Nolan Ryan Red Diamond Die-Cut.  I saw how much the Nolan Ryan was going for on ebay and I knew that I should try and trade it for a die-cut that I wanted.  There was no way that I was going to pay a decent sum for the Clayton Kershaw or Ryan Braun version of this card.  After receiving some bullshit trade offers for the Nolan Ryan Die-Cut, I finally got a good one.  Someone must have read my mind.  A very nice person offered me the Kershaw and Braun Red Diamond Die-Cut for my one Nolan Ryan.  Awesome!  As you can see I jumped on that offer as quickly as possible.  Thank you mystery person in Topps Land!

These were the other two cards that showed up in my Topps package.  This is a 1974 Topps Manny Mota and a 1980 Topps Charlie Hough.  This will add to my growing collection of old school goodness.  The condition of the Mota is ok.  The Mota has a slight ding on one of the bottom corners.  The Hough is in really good shape.  It looks almost pack fresh. 

I picked up this auto of Scott Elbert off of ebay.  The auto is on-card which is always a plus.  Elbert is currently in the Dodgers bullpen as there one and only lefty.  He has pitched better this year than the past couple.  I think this dude has some talent, it just maybe taking him a little longer to come around than some have hoped.

I may be the only guy still collecting Andy LaRoche cards.  He has lost the luster of stud prospect years ago.  It looks like he won't even be as good as his brother Adam LaRoche.  Nonetheless, I am still a fan of his and I wish him the best in Oakland.  My LaRoche collection is growing since his autos and GUs are pretty cheap now.