One Great Trade Nets Autographs, Refractors, and Topps Now Cubs Cards
Preserve the Hobby has outdone himself. After an initial 100-Card trade, we upped our swap to include 250 cards. I traded 250 Mets and Pirates for 250 Cubs.
Our initial trade left me feeling that I didn't send enough, so I upped my ante in our second deal. So did he!
The cards came packed 25 cards per team bag, so it was like opening packs of all Cubs. I like it. From the outside it appears as though it's another basic trade. And then I opened the "packs."
First off, there were three loose cards in top loaders. Cool! Topps Now cards of Addison Russell, Jason Heyward, and Wade Davis. These are my first Topps Now cards in the collection.
Then there was a base Sammy Sosa. Sosa brought me back to baseball. The Cubs having a successful 1998 season also helped. But in all honesty, the 1998 Home Run Chase was the catalyst that made me love baseball again after I completely gave up on the game during the 1994 strike season.
My personal thoughts on the Sosa/Cubs riff? He should be welcomed back. The organization hired Manny Ramirez. The Cubs ownership needs to let it go and welcome one of the greatest players to wear a Cubs jersey back into the fold. Sosa (steroids or not) made the Chicago national league baseball club A LOT of money.
From the early days of Sosa came this Rick Wilkins Diamond Kings card from 1993. This card design was ahead of its time and I don't recall ever seeing this card.
Some new cards from Ian Happ. These are from a recent release: 2017 Topps Chrome Update.
Another new release from 2017 Topps Bunt. This Kyle Hendricks is an Insert from the Programs set. Bunt is a set release that I never buy, and have very few cards from.
Javier Baez was represented here with four cards. Two of these cards are new to the collection. One I had never heard of: it's a 2017 Topps with "Limited Edition" stamped on the front. The other new addition is the 2012 Topps Throwback Thursday.
Another Throwback Thursday card here that never had I seen before. It's Anthony Rizzo pictured inside a "L." This card is from 2017.
Addison Russell checks in with this 2017 Topps Chrome pink Refractor.
Some really nice hits were hidden in the middle of a pack. Autographs! These are in-person or through the mail (TTM) autos. Andy Parks! Wow! And a signed 1964 Topps Larry Jackson. Ron Cey and Gary Scott a nice touch.
And we get to this trade's "Ryno Count." A total of nine Ryne Sandberg cards are included here. None of them are new to the collection, though I do have limited (maybe only one) 1992 Donruss Diamond Kings.
Thanks for another great trade, @preservehobby.