New Stuff From My Very Own Card Shop!

It’s time to show off some fresh new cards from Dan at It’s Like Having My Own Card Shop… It’s actually far better than having my own card shop… I don’t have to try and find a jacket, get in my crappy car and drive all the way there only to realize he has the “be back in 15 minutes” sign in the window. It the sign could be taken at face value I wouldn’t mind, but 15 minutes is anywhere from 6 hours to a week in card shop owner land. Anyway. I had lucked out and pulled a relic jersey card of Justin Upton from 2009 Heritage High #s and Dan was interested and just happened to have some Rays cards in his own little card shop. Here is what I got…
A sliding Carl Crawford from 2004 Upper Deck, card #454… This seems like a pretty basic card, but I managed to amass 220+ CC cards before this one came my way. I wish they went with a wider angle on this shot because it looks like a play at the plate-you can sort of see a shin guard in the corner. Next up is a Team Leaders card from 2006 Topps Updates, #UH311. I have had back luck knocking off any traded cards or updates and highlights from my team set want lists, so EVERY one of these is appreciated. He sent two more shiny new CC cards-from the 2008 Topps Co-Signers set (also starring Rocco Baldelli) we have CC in his fancy Sunday best home uniform exploding off a crimson and chrome background, this card is #ed to 400… The final CC is from 2002 UD SPx, card #217. My collection is really weak at the beginning of this decade-the CC collection is no different. Here is a Chad Gaudin card from 2004 Fleer Authentix, the inspiration for Topps Ticket to Stardom. In 2003 Gaudin didn’t have roadkill stapled to his chin and he was 2-0 for the Devil Rays with his first win coming against his future team, the NY Yankees. I think he was the youngest D-Ray ever at that point, too. The last card of the trade was the true feature of our deal; it comes from the 2003 Fleer MLB Hot Prospects series and features a “Certified Cuts” auto of then D-Rays hot prospect Pete LaForest. Since the auto is on a plain piece of paper or an index card and not a sliced up baseball card this being a “cut auto” doesn’t bother me one bit. Pierre-Luc LaForest, aka Pete, played for the Devil Rays for parts of the 2003 and 2005 seasons. He had shown a ton of promise in AAA, but never conquered the Mendoza line in the Majors with the Rays, but he is still an important piece of my Rays autograph quest. He has a lot of success playing for Team Canada or the Canadian National Team or whatever it’s called-he even earned himself a fancy nickname-“Le Bombardier du Stade Municipal" which means the Municipal Stadium bomber. That reminds me, the other day I met an Olympic hopeful in curling (SP?) from London, Ontario Canada. He came to Florida to visit his grandmother (why else would you?) and was going to do some training on one of our many lawn bowling courts. When I realized where he was from I said “You must know my buddy Brian, AKA Captain Canuck”. This was met with a blank stare and he explained that Calgary was VERY FAR away from London and then called me a stoopid American. Oh well. I thought you guys all knew each other. Anyway, I lost focus for a minute, but I do want to thank Dan from the ever super awesome Its Like Having My Own Cardshop blog. Hit him up and hook him up with all D-Backs cards, he’ll take them! Troll out.