Finishing Up 2011

Some other blogs have touched on the fact that baseball card collecting season is over.  The season kind of ended when the World Series wrapped up and when Topps Update comes out.  I am content with how my 2011 collecting season went.  This was my first full year back since my long hiatus between 1998-2010.

It is now time for me to get some of the cards that I missed out on during the year.  There are so many parallels released by Topps this year.  It is going to take me several decades to finally track down all the 2011 Dodger parallels that I need.

Luckily, the blog world helps me out on my Dodger parallel search.  Robert from Serial Insanity is looking to make a franken set consisting of a bunch of Topps serial numbered cards.  I think he is trying to build a set consisting of over a thousand cards.

I sent him a bunch of serial numbered cards to aid his quest for glory.  Robert also runs a blog called $30 A Week Habit where he posts about his Blue Jay collection.  I also sent him a bunch of Jays because he is the only guy I know that collects Canadian anything.

I will probably have a whole page full of this particular Clayton Kershaw card.  I also need to update my haves lists now that I have a new computer.  For all I know, I already have a bunch of 2011 Kershaw Topps cards in several colors.

Also, does anyone else find it odd that Andre Ethier is a Gold Glove winner?

I opened up some packs of 2011 Bowman Platinum.  It is a really flashy looking set.  But, I prefer the retro sets like Ginter or Heritage.  That is where most of my many went.

I have just been picking up some singles from this set.  I am grateful to get this gold parallel of the Real MVP.

Robert also sent me a 3D insert of the Real 2nd Best Player in the NL.  Ryan Braun is my favorite non-Dodger.  He grew up in the locally in Granada Hills and he is a great player.  I was happy that he somehow tricked old sportswriters into voting for him for the 2011 MVP award.

But, my allegiances will always be with Los Doyers.  Kemp is the beast of the NL and will dominate next year in order to win the 2012 MVP unanimously.

The big hit of this trade was a 2011 Topps Chrome Ivan DeJesus Jr. autograph. I have been trying to get this card from the bid board at my local card shop for weeks.  I kept on getting outbid.  I didn't know that Tarzana,CA was the headquarters of the Ivan DeJesus Jr. fan club.

His signature appears to be in another language besides English.  I have never seen characters like that before.

Thanks for the trade!