I picked up a nice mail day from Sport Card Collectors today. I’ll start by saying that he’s a wonderful follow on Twitter and he can be found @SportCardCollec. He also authors a blog about card collecting and it’s found at http://sportcardcollectors.blogspot.com. Correction, he has two blogs now with his New York Giants PC blog and it’s found at http://snaggingcardboard.blogspot.com. Check him out at his various locations!
I posted a group of football cards that I was trying to move and he spotted the 2016 Panini Origins Sterling Shepard and wanted it for his pc. We began our discussion and I found out that he had just pulled a pretty sweet Rediscover Topps card for my PC. We were able to swing a deal and my side came in today. It was a fine example of a good trade. We both were able to get what we needed and our PC’s are better off for it.
The first card for my side of the deal was the one that caught my eye immediately. Others may see a standard 1987 Rediscover Topps card but I see a player that would eventually lead to one of the cornerstone’s of the 90’s Atlanta Braves National League dominance. That player was Doyle Alexander. In 1987, the Detroit Tigers were in a heated pennant race and needed a veteran arm. Enter Doyle Alexander. Alexander began his career in 1971 and was a cagey veteran by 1987. He wasn’t spectacular but was something that Detroit felt they needed. In return, the Braves received John Smoltz, only two years out of high school. The Tigers would go on to win the AL East but later would lose in the playoffs to Minnesota. Alexander went 9-0 for the Tigers after the trade so it appeared to payoff for the short term. He would go on to pitch 2 more seasons with Detroit before retiring. John Smoltz on the other hand, was just getting started. He would end up having a hall of fame career playing for the Braves. He would win 213 games for Atlanta and save another 154 becoming baseball’s first 200/150 man. He was also a vital part of the best pitching staff in baseball during the 90’s. And Braves fans have veteran Doyle Alexander for a big part of that. So, hats off to you Doyle and your last card in a Braves uni.
Another lynchpin for the Braves over most of the 90’s and 2000’s was Chipper Jones. This sweet Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Chipper patch caught my eye as well. There are 2 additional Jones’ that were a part of the deal from the 2006 Panini USA set. Great cards to add to my pc.
Next, we have the current star of the Braves, Freddie Freeman. 2016 was his best year as a pro as he hit 34 home runs with a .302 average. He’s going to be needed over the next couple of years as our rebuild continues. I love these Bowmans Best cards.
The next player is Tom Glavine on a 1990 Topps. This is the first set I owned as a full set. The design was classic 90’s and there was neon everywhere but it was still my first set. Glavine was one of the aces with Smoltz in the 90’s and 2000’s and another member of the staff that got his HOF credentials. Nice add!
The last Brave is Adonis Garcia. The jury is still out on Garcia but he does have some pop in his bat. He’s averaged .275 and hit 24 home runs over the last 2 seasons, which was actually about a seasons worth of games. Defense is a little shaky but we need pop.
The final was a surprise pack of Elvis cards! This will actually help me score bonus points with the mother in law. She loved Elvis and collects records and trinkets but I don’t think she has any trading cards. Win/Win!
Very nice mailday package from Sport Card Collectors today. In addition, and this is not to be overshadowed, I had a very nice Ron Gant Mail Day from @BuriednCarolina. I understand that he inherited a bunch of late 80’s-early 90’s cards and he’s moving them in player or team sets. Check him out if this is your card era. He has some nice deals and shipping was fast and well packaged. Until the next Mail Day, check out some of my other recent posts, the reviews of 1989 Topps and 1985 Drakes cards. Happy Collecting!
J-Dub
Nice haul!