2010 Topps, Tampa Bay Rays, Trades and More!!!

I went to the Post Office right after class today and the cards I was waiting for still have yet to arrive, but the contest will NOT be delayed any further. The contest will be up by 8PM (Eastern Time) tonight. In the mean time I want to show off some new 2010 Topps cards so I can put them into the binder. I will begin with some goodies from Joe O. in Illinois. Joe and I worked out a trade for some base cards he needed for the set, in exchange I got a TON of inserts I needed. I am still chasing almost all of the insert sets. You can find my list of needs HERE. I am nearly out of dupes right about now, but I may have some other stuff to offer up in trade. Anyway, Joe sent over this George Sisler Peak Performance insert, card #PP22. That card pushes me past the halfway mark on my needs list. I am still looking for Peak Performance cards numbered:1,2,5,8,14,17,18,19,23,26 and 27. Back to George Sisler… He held the MLB record for hits for 84 years until Ichiro came along and topped his total by 5 hits playing in 8 more games. Gorgeous George batted over 400 twice, including a .420 average in 1922 when he won the MVP Award. Primarily a first baseman, Sisler also owned a career 2.35 ERA in 111 innings on the mound. He went into the Hall of Fame in 1939. He is one of many, many guys named George in Cooperstown. On that topic, to the best of my knowledge, there is no one named Mark or Marc or Marck or even Marcus or Marquis in the Hall. David Mark Winfield is as close as we get… That really needs to change, but I can’t really think of a good candidate. Okay, I drifted a bit… Let’s get back on track with some Yo Mama cards. I don’t know why exactly, but I am really getting into the Yo Mama chase. Joe sent me this one, card # CMT-30 of 1981 Eddie Murray. He also chipped in one each from the HOTG set as well as Legendary Lineage. I found the pairing of Cobb and Granderson to be a little bit of a stretch, but now that he is in New York, it seems even sillier. I do like how they compare each player’s career stats on the back. Granderson isn’t too far behind Cobb in the homerun department, but he is over 1600 RBI behind and about 95 points behind in batting average. Still, with all of my beefs with this set, I REALLY wanna finish it off. Including a few that are pending, these are the Lineage cards I still need: 2,8,13,16,17,18,19,21,23,25,28 and 30.He also chipped in some History of the Game cards, too, but I am going to jump right to the stack of Turkey Reds. I didn’t expect to get very far at all in this set, but so far I have been pretty lucky. I think that everyone loves the Reds and I am no exception. Outside of Rays cards I have never tried to chase Turkey Red before, but I am definitely all in in 2010. Joe sent 4 of these great inserts. A pair of young sluggers with ties to Tampa Bay as well as a Hall of Fame slugger and a promising young hurler. I am still 31 cards away from sealing up the Turkey Reds, but I ain’t giving up! If you have any of these Turkey Red cards, let’s make a deal…
Card #s TR1,2,4,6,7,9,11,12,13,15,17,18,19,21,22,23,25,
26,27,28,30,31,32,34,37,39,40,43,44,45 and 47
Next up are some more 2010 Topps inserts and a whole lot more from Scott of the Hand Collated blog. Scott, I will be scouring your want lists this weekend so I can return the favor. Some of the goodies he sent (starting with 2010 Topps) are: Three more Cards That Your Mom Threw Out. I wanna finish this set bad! I didn’t think that much of these cards until I put them in the binder, now I NEED to fill those pages up. Starting with card #CMT-35, a 1986 Tony Gwynn. Gwynn hit 300 or better in a remarkable 19 straight seasons. Back in the day I had at least 20 copies of this card, but none ever looked this good. The black on the top was also chipped right out of the pack. Next are a couple of cards that I don’t own and have never had 20 copies of. Card #CMT-15, a 1966 Jim Palmer rookie card. The last Yo Mama card that Scott sent is card #CMT-17 of Mickey Mantle’s 1968 card. I gave up on my quest to collect the ’68 set, so this card is as close as I am getting for a while… To finish off this set I still need cards: 1,4,5,6,9,11,13,14,16,18,20,24,25,27,28,29,31,32,36,37,38,39,42,43,44,48,50,51,52,54,55,56,57 and 58. I guess that since I still need 34 more cards I am not that close, but it does mean that I do have 24 of them. Next up is another pairing from Legendary Lineage, card #LL27 of Joe Mauer and Tony Gwynn. They have both won multiple titles, but I think the similarity ends there for me. That concludes this 2010 Topps Showoff, but it doesn’t conclude this post. He sent over a bunch of cards for my Rays team set needs over the years, but I wanted to focus on these 2009 Upper Deck cards because I am pretty into this set right now. I don’t have a want list for these yet, but I know that I don’t need these! From series 2, Jason Bartlett and Andy Sonnanstine. Horizontal goodness of Aki and Willy Aybar. Finishing off with Matt Garza from series 1 along with a couple of guys who begin the season on the DL-JP Howell and Matt Joyce. Also from series 1 of ’09 Upper Deck is a card that I needed from one of my favorite insert sets of the whole year, the OPC previews. I already had the Pena, Upton and Crawford from this subset-now I have the Longo to go along with them. The last card I am going to show off from this super package from the Hand Collated blog is from 2008 Topps Updates. This is another insert set that I thought I was done with, but cards just keep on popping up! To go along with the Navarro, Crawford, Kazmir, Upton, Garza and Aki cards I already have from this set, I can now add a Game Worn Jersey of current Rays coach Rocco Baldelli to that binder page. Huge thanks go out to both Joe and Scott for all of these great cards! Thanks so much guys! I may sneak in another post prior to the contest, not sure yet… The contest will be up between 6 and 8 PM tonight, so keep on checking back. Hopefully this week I will have the time to scan up some great packages I have received recently. Reds and More, My Past Time, Heartbreaking Cards, Stale Gum and Jacob Marley have all sent me mindblowingly awesome packages that I am dying to post. Thanks for reading! Get in touch if you have ANY cards from my 2010 Topps inserts list… Oh, speaking of 2010 Topps-I just received my first SILK Rays card replacement. It is of Rays #4 starter, left-hander David Price… That reminds me, the Rays announced their starting rotation yesterday and I have a new favorite website for Rays News. It’s brand new, but I think it’s gonna be pretty cool. Check out TB Rays News dot com and tell ‘em the Troll sent ya! Go Rays! Thanks Scott and Joe! Troll out.

This is Pack Number 7 of 1997 Pinnacle X Press and it is a GOOD ONE-Check it Out!!!!!

I busted this pack right before it was time for me to head to work-I figured I would post it as soon as I got home, then I saw what was in it and realized I had to post this and would have to buckle up and put the pedal to the floor on the way to work! This is pack number 7 and I think they have all been pretty good. There are no cards that I get to keep in this one, but opening a great pack is awesome either way. I know this is junk wax and a “hit” from ’97 isn’t a hit by today’s standards, but still… Here we go!
First out of the pack is #23 Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves (the Braves stack is getting TALL!)
#122 Bobby Abreu 1997 Rookie Houston Astros (wow, I had almost forgot that Abreu broke in with the Stros…He just signed another 2 year contract with the Angels and the guy can still score and drive in runs. He swiped 30 bases this past year and has 348 in his career-that’s 6th best active and 108th All Time. His 256 homers are 36th among active players)
#13 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres (Speaking of great hitters… One of the best, EVER! The first HOFer in this pack)
#75 Alex Fernandez Florida Marlins
#14 Eddie Murray California Angels (HOF number 2, the greatest switch hitter of all time! Murray hit 22 homers for the Angels in ’96)
#??? Booster Points Game Card +6
#3 of 20 Andruw Jones Atlanta Braves Melting Pot insert, serial numbered 149/500 (There are 20 cards in the Melting Pot set and they are seeded 1:288 packs-this is a CASE HIT!!!! Numbered to 500 is like being numbered to 5 now. Remember they used to serial number to 20,000 back then. Regardless of whom it is or who gets it, this is a freaking case hit and I am excited!!!) #81 Jim Edmonds California Angels (Edmonds hit .304 with 27 homers in ’96)
And the last card is: #94 Paul Molitor Minnesota Twins (This is the 3rd HoFer in this pack! Molitor batted .341 in ’96 and drove in 113 runs with only 9 homers. AMAZING!)
Well, I would say this is the best pack so far, what do you think? 9 different player cards and each one of them is a past All Star, there are 3 different HoFers, a First Ballot Future HoFer and a case hit insert. SWEET!!! Is everybody still having fun? Can’t wait to get home from work and rip some more!!! Remember, we have about 70 more packs to rip up, so don't get discouraged just yet...Troll out.

Its On!!! Most Iconic Rookie Card of the 1980s, A Contest!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! Are you guys ready to win a really awesome rookie card from the 1980s? Okay, then relax and read on...
I had a lot of plans for this blog. It was my best friend for six months. When I woke up, I read everyone’s blogs, when I got home from school-I posted, when I got home from work-I posted. While I was at work I was writing future posts. I love writing this blog, I have a ton of really awesome folks and pulled off some amazing trades and my collection has really flourished in the time that I have been blogging. I had always planned on having a HUGE contest to celebrate achieving the Collective Troll's 50,000th hit. It always seemed like an impossible or improbable number, but here I am knocking on the door. The only problem is I am without cable, a computer, a scanner and internet access. I have decided however that this blog is important enough to me to try and persevere, to blog on. While blogging on I have passed the 49,000 mark and in theory should be hitting 50 grand in the next week or two. Assuming that I hit that mark I do want to go ahead and have a contest. The prizes won’t be as grand and abundant as I had hoped, but I can still make them pretty sweet. As is typical with my contests (does anyone remember one of my contests?) there will be some voting attached. The vote will be to select the most iconic rookie card of the 1980’s. I am going to start the voting now and it will continue up till 50K and on up to 51,000.
That should leave the contest up for about a month and should allow plenty of people to have the chance to vote. The normal rule that you must follow the blog to enter will apply. You must vote for a card to be eligible, but that is it. No other hoops to jump through. After hit number 51,000 I will close the contest, all of the entrants will be randomized (only 1 entry per blogger) and a winner will be selected. The winner will receive the card that is voted as most iconic rookie card of the 80’s. I picked the 80’s for a couple of reasons-1. It is a hell of a lot cheaper to furnish the prize-I don’t wanna buy a Mike Schmidt (70s) or Steve Carlton (60s) rookie to give it away. 2. I started really collecting in the 80’s and I think most bloggers did as well. 3. The hobby really took off in the 80’s-there were negative side effects like overproduction and crappy product, but the hobby grew to a crazy, almost mainstream level in the 80s. Okay, now who wants to vote for the most iconic rookie card of the 80’s? You need to choose the year, the brand and the player, that’s it. Some year by year suggestions include: 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson. 1981 Fleer Harold Baines, 1982 Topps Cal Ripken, 1983 Fleer Tony Gwynn, 1983 Topps Wade Boggs, 1984 Donruss Joe Carter, 1984 Topps Don Mattingly, 1985 Topps Mark McGwire, 1984 Topps Traded Dwight Gooden, 1985 Donruss Roger Clemens, 1986 Topps Traded Barry Bonds, 1987 Fleer Update Fred McGriff and of course the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. You don’t have to choose from these suggestions, pick whatever you feel is the most iconic rookie. Whichever card wins will be the prize. That is guaranteed. If over 100 people vote I will add a second and maybe even a third prize, but either way someone is going to win a really sweet rookie card. You don’t get an extra entry for advertising this contest, but if it helps get more entrants than it would be appreciated. What are ya waiting for? VOTE GOSH DARNIT!!!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!

We have a winner!!!! The 33 entrants were all placed into a hat (by me) and then drawn from said hat by a blind-folded and impartial third party (the lovely Esther Gin N Juice) at the Troll Quarters this afternoon. Thanks to everyone who entered! I think we will make contests like this a regular part of this blog. Anyway, without further adieu, I will announce the winner…(imagine a drum roll)
The winner is Jason “The Jaw” from Illinois. He is a Cubs fan, so he is probably not accustomed to winning… Anyway, he voted for Cy Young and MVP and therefore was entitled to pick two cards. He chose Harold Baines and Tony Gwynn, two of the best pure hitters of the 80’s and 90’s. I will get those mailed off to you this week Jason. Thanks again to everyone who participated in the All Star edition of Troll giveaway time! Oh, the rest of the cards (other than Gwynn and Baines) are available for trade for Heritage SPs or cool Rays cards.
Go Rays! Troll out.

FREE STUFF!!! The First Ever Collective Troll Contest!

A contest, a contest, a contest!!! Free stuff, free stuff, and free stuff!!! Today is one of the two days of the year during baseball season that there are no Major League games on and I am a bit bored, I am home from work early and there is another half an hour before ESPN 2 starts showing the AAA All Star Game (Reid Brignac starting at shortstop!) so I am going to give some stuff away. This is an All Star themed post. There are 12 different cards (the absolute best of my small collection) to choose from, each representing an All Star player. First, we have a 2007 Upper Deck Legendary Materials Cuts card (19/99) of 6 time All Star Harold Baines. Next is a 2009 Upper Deck Dual Swatch (60/75) of 2008 All Star Joakim "The Mexicutioner" Soria. A 2006 Bowman Heritage Pieces of Greatness (uncorrected error) Card of 8-time All Star Vladimir Guerrero. A 1999 Topps Chrome Traded (PSA 9 MINT) card (#T46) of 2009 All Star Carlos Pena.
A 2008 Allen & Ginter Jersey Card of 3 time All Star Carl Crawford.
A 2009 Upper Deck Game Used Patch (12/25) of 6-time All Star Roy Halladay.
A 2009 Topps Patch Card of 14-time All Star Reggie Jackson.
A 2006 Upper Deck Epic Materials (101/155) of 3-time All Star Robin Yount.
A 2008 Upper Deck Timeless Moments card of 2-time All Star Prince Fielder.
A 2009 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Card of 2-time All Star Kevin Youkilis.
A 2008 Playoff Prime Cuts (94/99) Je rsey Card of 15-time All Star Tony Gwynn.
And last, but not really least, a two for one deal...

A 2008 Upper Deck Spectrum Dual Swatch (21/99) card featuring both 2-time All Star Prince Fielder and 2-time All Star Ryan Braun.
Now, I realize that I didn’t cover every team here, but I think that I threw in enough Hall of Famers to make everyone happy. If you insist, when you select, write in Pujols, A-Rod, Chipper or David Ortiz and you will receive a random memorabilia card of my choice featuring that player.
Okay, the rules. First, you must follow this blog to play. Second, you can only enter via the comments on this thread of this blog. Any entry received after midnight on Sunday July 19, 2009 (the date of the next Bradentucky Bombers bout) will be voided. You can win one or two of the cards listed above. To win one, simply comment with your name, your favorite team or player, the state or country that you live in and which one card you would like. To win two cards, do everything listed above, plus select a second card, plus vote for your choice for MVP and Cy Young for this year (thus far) in both the American and National Leagues. That easy. I will post the first comment with a sample of how to do this. My entry will be voided because I am not a follower of this blog. I, along with witnesses and a camera, will pull the winner’s name from a hat (containing all the entries) early next week. I will then post the winners first name and the card they picked and contact them for their address to send them their card. Sorry there are few options for West Coast fans, I have zero luck in pulling Dodgers or Giants cards ever. I checked at my local card shop today and no dice. Sorry. Okay, good luck!

Four quick end notes...First, every card here (other than the PSA) is pack fresh and stored in a one-screw down Ultra Pro holder and covered in a team set bag. Second, was Robin Yount only an All Star three times? I might be misreading my encyclopedia because that just doesn't sound correct. Third, the remaining cards not won will be added to a few others for another contest in August, unless an interested party wants to trade me for Rays memorabila cards. Fourth, uh...can't remember what I was going to say, umm...thanks for reading? Oh wait, the cards available are the actual ones pictured and when available, the serial numbers are listed. Okay, going to watch the AAA All Star game. Go Rays! Troll out. Oh, as an added bonus...The first person who points out the uncorrected error on the Vlad card can pick THREE cards! Oh, and the same cards can be picked by multiple people since this contest only has one winner... Remember that if you choose Cy Young and MVP, you can pick 2 cards, if not, you only pick one card. Thanks for reading!