Trade Review: First Pitch, Rediscover Topps, and Serial Numbers

The trades have been coming in hot and heavy over the last couple days. After this trade review, there are still three in the queue, as well as four trades in transit, or about to be in transit. 

Today's review is a Yankees for Cubs swap with Chris from Facebook's Keep It Real group. We swapped 700 cards in this deal, and it consists of a dynamic mix of junk era, new product, and even some parallels and inserts. 

Inside a large box was a standard card box filled with cards in addition to 11 complete team sets. 

Knocking off several newer cards off my want list were 10 Topps First Pitch inserts. Normally, these cards are a hard pass for my collection unless it's Eddie Vedder or someone I am a fan of. None of these celebrities fit that bill, although I am a big Criminal Minds fan, so I like the Joe Mantegna. Now that I'm hoarding Cubs cards, any insert I don't have is a welcomed addition to the collection, even though I have no idea who Diplo, Anthony Rapp, Luke Donald, and Steve Bowen are. 

While I may not be a fan of celebrity baseball cards, I'm a big Javier Baez fan. Hint, hint: if you want to make me really happy throw some Baez cards in a trade. This box included two Javy cards: 2017 Donruss and 2017 Topps.

Back to Topps throwing random cards in packs. Rediscover Topps has been a welcomed addition, as well as hated addition, to Topps products in 2017. Personally, I am in the middle. On one hand it's a very unoriginal idea to stamp something on a worthless 30-year old baseball card. But that's also what makes it genius! After opening a case of Topps Heritage last year, I was selling some of these Rediscover Topps cards for $10-15 a card. And they were junk era. The demand has dropped significantly, but I have Coke around to these gimmick cards. Chris threw four of these in my box including 1987 Topps Dennis Eckersley, 1988 Topps Jody Davis, 1989 Topps Les Lancaster, and 1989 Topps Darrin Jackson. 

And back to the regular issue cards. Topps Gallery came back in 2017 as a Wal-Mary exclusive. While I was maniacally searching retail outlets this summer for Bowman Platinum and Topps Fire, Gallery never grabbed my attention despite loving the design. This Anthony Rizzo is actually my first Topps Gallery from 2017.

Another player I collect is Dylan Cease, though far less now since he was included in the trade to the White Sox for Jose Quintana. My Cease collection totals nearly 800 cards and this trade netted me another one in the form of his 2017 Bowman.

The top of the box included three serial numbered cards in top loaders. Nice bonus! The first is a 2007 Topps Bob Howry 23/56.

And a 2004 Donruss Longball Leaders Moises Alou 318/1500.

And a 2003 Leaf Mark Prior 37/46. Very cool black and white card.