The One and Only

There are many Dodgers collectors.  There are also many Yankee, Red Sox and Phillies collectors.  Most of the big market, older franchises have lots of fans that collect cards.  The Angels on the other hand don't have many people that collect cards of men in red.  The Angels are celebrating there 50th anniversary this season.  I knew that they had been around for awhile but, just seeing the number 50 makes me a little surprised. 

By being around that long in a big market, which Orange County as a whole is, you would think that they would have more Angels team collectors.  So, cards of Angel players usually sit around in a binder or box in my bedroom waiting to find a home that would appreciate them.  Luckily, I trade with Tom of the blog, Angels in Order.

He is the only guy I know that collects Angels cards.  I live in northern LA County.  My home is pretty far from the OC so, I don't know many Angels fans.  I don't cross paths with them.  Tom is my guy when it comes to swapping Angels for Dodgers. 

I believe this is the second time that Tom and I have traded.  He always sends me a good bubble mailer full of Doyers.  Hideo Nomo has been on some cool baseball cards.  Since his career was from the mid-90s to the early 2000s during the era of a million new sets per a year, Nomo has been on a ton of cards.  Also, since he had a funky, unique wind-up, that made for a great photograph.  Every now and then I flip through my Nomo binder and find a lot of sweet looking photos of his pitching motion.

This is a rainbow-ish, super shiny 2007 Bowman Heritage Russell Martin.  I really like the shine on a retro set.  The 2010 Heriatge and Topps 206 looked killer when it was chromed out and full of shine.

What happened to the Bowman Heritage sets?  They came out when I was on a collecting hiatus.  They looked to be cool looking cards.  Did they flop when they were released?

Andre Ethier looking damn cool!  He probably hit a huge bomb off the Giants and now he is strutting around the dugout like a pimp.  Ethier also throw a guy out at home during this game and made a diving catch.  It was a wonderful Dodger victory over the Giants!

Tom sent me this really cool Nomar from 2008 Baseball Heroes.  This is the Oakland Raiders Silver Parallel numbered out of 399.  This has to be one of the biggest sets of 2008.  The base design is classic and the different parallels is a simple concept that works.

What was the collecting world's reaction when this set came out?  I know the buzz that certain sets have gotten this past year.  Just wondering what the anticipation was like for some of the better sets of recent memory.

Tom you are my Angels guy!  There is nobody out there that will be competing with you for my Angels cards.  We will trade again real soon!  Thanks.