Christmas Cards From An Owl

 

Christmas music is playing, snow is falling, coffee is hot, and I am ready for a post this morning.

Today, my parents are coming over to do their Christmas with us and my father is bringing an extra box of random trade bait. Should be fun. I guess we are also watching the Giants game, we like to be depressed apparently.

This time of year, I love getting cards in the mail. Especially since nobody mails real Christmas cards anymore. My wife and I used to look forward to the mailbox and looking for how many Christmas cards we received to add to our card rack. It used to be either match the number of days in the month or ahead. 

This year, we are on day eight and we have two.

TWO.

I know many have gone to sending digital cards or mostly texts, but it's not the same. What happened to the good old days of Christmas???

So, guess it's sport cards now. I have gotten more of those recently.

Not that I am complaining, I just want both. Best of both worlds.

*takes a sip*

My latest card haul came from the legendary Night Owl Cards who sent me a variety of fun.

 

My lack of funds for the 2024 season has left plenty of gaps in my collection in many collections. Coles are new additions.

So, weren't these minis. I was always a fan of O'Neill.

  

Rizzo is gone. I don't expect him back nor do I want him back. I never felt he provided much in the Yankees lineup other than needing to be replaced because he was never healthy.

  

I only have a few Yankee Soto cards. Without knowing if he will be a long term Yankee I wasn't planning on adding to many. I am however sick of hearing about him every day, just wished he would return to pinstripes already and stop dragging other teams into this. Of course, looking at the Dodgers un-ending amounts of money, watch him go there.

If Soto ends up a Yankee for life, then I will definitely seek more of him in pinstripes.

J-Dom has been a side PC the last few years. This kid has the talent, just needs to play. Hopefully 2025 will be his year.

Stroman had an up and down season for the Yankees. They have so many needs in pitching, it's scary. I don't think Stroman is the answer, that's why he has bounced around.

Just when I was down on Stanton and wanted him gone, he put on a postseason for the ages. He was the reason why the Yankees advanced to the World Series in my opinion.

I have been wanting this card since I first saw it, I believe it WAS on my want list. No more.

 

I know many of you are down on Leaf, but this card looks super cool. I couldn't capture it in full light and my light box couldn't do it either, but believe me, it's awesome.

Thanks again for the mail day Greg!

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post*

Well, I better get to cleaning up soon before my parents arrive. Here's to hoping for some Christmas cards and well, sport cards in the mail this week.

Have a great Sunday full of coffee.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

3/6/2023

March 6th 2023.

What were you doing? Do you remember?

I don't. I am lucky if I remember what I did two days ago at this point in my life. Yes, I even forget about the good cups of coffee.

All I can recall though is that I was counting down to turning 40 in 13 days from that date.

Otherwise, blank.

But, apparently with a recent, yes RECENT mail day I was reminded I was waiting on a mail day as well.

That mail day was coming from @tacocarebear and she had mailed me a Jasson Dominguez card for free for my PC. The card had never arrived and the tracking had never been updated. I kept in contact messaging @tacocarebear back and forth about it for a few months and by late summer last year, I had completely given up and forgotten about the card.

And then out of nowhere last week, it arrived.

A year and a half later.

 

The tracking for the card showed no history other than it arriving in CT on July 23rd 2024 and if I wanted to do an expand search on it for tracking, USPS wanted to charge me. Though I was curious, I wasn't going to give the USPS any further funds for their mess ups.

I was just happy the card actually showed up.

 

Funny enough, the card is a 2021 Mosaic International Men Of Mastery. I guess he was a master of going into hiding....maybe Internationally. Who knows.

I know USPS has been bad recently but didn't expect this bad. I don't think I have ever seen this level bad before.

Thanks to @tacocarebear for the card.

I may not have remembered much about 3/6/3023, but now it may be a date I never forget.

Coffee Break:2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball Fat Pack

When the coffee is brewed, I am always in the mood for some coffee, cards and food.

*takes a sip*

That will be about as coordinated I am for rhyming in today's post. It's still early and I am dragging my feet until the coffee hits my belly and the breakfast kicks in. Well, that has to be cooked first to once I decide what it is.

But I do have some exciting news, I got to do one of my favorite things in the hobby!!! I got to open a pack of cards!!!

*takes an excited sip while thinking about what breakfast food is needed*

I recently received a RAK (random acts of kindness) from @RaiderX_GC on Twitter/X where he sent me a package of penny sleeves (I am in desperate need of these) and a Fat pack/Value pack/Hanger pack (whatever you may call it) of 2024 Topps Series 2 baseball.

There are 36 cards to unwrap in one of these packs and my top hope was to pull a Home Field Advantage, but I was also happy to find any non-pitcher rookies and any Jasson Dominguez. 

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

I think for what I was hoping for, I did pretty well. 

I haven't paid a lot of attention to baseball this year, so I didn't really know what rookies I was chasing in Series 2, just wanted to make sure I landed some hitters. Thought I did well here. I will definitely need to fill in some gaps of players I didn't pull as well.

Purple holofoil board falls 1:11 hanger packs and is /799. I don't know who Jose Tena is or if he is even good, but I always appreciate a nice shiny card.

Here's a name I know!

 

I feel this year's design for Stars Of MLB is probably the best looking one they have done so far. Though I do feel this insert line should end soon. They can only keep beating the same dead horse so many times.

 

I do like this Dominguez, however. Probably my favorite card of the pack.

Nothing too big to brag about in this pack, but I did pull a PC card, some rookie cards and a nice looking shiny card so that counts as wins.

Thanks again to @RaiderX_GC for the mail day. It arrived at a time I needed some cheering up, thank you.

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post.*

*decides that a bagel is in order for breakfast*

*gets bagel out of freezer to thaw in the microwave, turns back to laptop to finish up post while it's thawing*

I am not sure when or what my next break will be. Just have to go with the wind on this and hope that it's sooner rather than later because I really miss opening up product.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

*starts to toast bagel*

Cheer Up Mail Days

I can't believe it's almost been a week since I last posted on here, but that's what happens with life sometimes. 

We all know life comes first.

And we all know my life has been rough so far this year.

On Thursday last week for my urology appointment for my kidney stone, I found out my Urologist wasn't going to be available on Friday for surgery as she had the day off. So, I was given a few options including letting it go the weekend and trying to pass it on my own and if I didn't I would have surgery early this week which is the option I took. Sadly though, nothing has passed, which means I am heading into surgery tomorrow morning to get it removed or have a stent put it so they can remove it in another surgery a week or so later.

I have had this procedure done many times and it's not as fun as it sounds. I am absolutely dreading it. Even though they always say the dreading is worse than the doing, I just know how this will go from past experiences.

Ugh.

At least I have my coffee and a strawberry/banana muffin to pair with it along with some cards to post about to keep me distracted until then.

So, let's do some Cards Over Coffee.

*takes a sip, bite of muffin*

I actually didn't have any cards for today's post originally when I was forming it, but then on Thursday after I got home from my appointment, I found two surprises in my mailbox that instantly brought a smile to my face.

First one, is a mail day from Grady M who has been a long-time reader of all of my blogs. At first glance this looks like four blaster boxes, but it's better than that. Grady has shipped me all of his shiny inserts along with any team player cards to me for years and packs them safely this way for shipping. It's like opening up a treasure trove of fun. I haven't fully dug through it all yet, but I plan to when I am resting from surgery and will post some cards along the way.

When time permits.

My second mail day was from the generous Dennis from Too Many Verlanders Blog who surprised me with a bubbler of goodies. I will not be showing off all of the cards here, as most were NY Giants and those get posted on Big Blue Cardboard (make sure you are following that blog and have it on your blogroll) but I will show off some here.

A new Jasson Dominguez for the PC. I am still looking for more and can't wait to get some 2024 rookie cards instead of five years of prospects.

 

My boy Junior! I recently announced how I am deep diving back into adding Griffey's again and hope to come up with a PC number at some point of how many I have.

The final card from the portion I am showing on here I was extremely giddy for.

 

Ruben Rivera Circa Rave parallel /150. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEE IT. There is nothing greater than late 90's inserts and parallels. NOTHING.

Thanks again Grady and Dennis for cheering me up. You guys are some great friends and I really needed this.

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post*

I am not sure when I will feel up to posting again. All depends on how tomorrow goes but I am hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

I hope all of you have a magnificent Monday and not a manic one.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Worth The Wait Part 1

It was certainly worth the wait.

My mail day from @90sNicheFBCard was a long time coming, by long time I am talking over a year. I know that sounds bad, but I know he was busy with life and to me, that comes first. Life and family come before hobby, I think some people struggle to understand that, but I go with that philosophy and always will.

So, over that time our trade continued to build, and I sent him stuff on and off throughout that time, so I know on my end, I was all set. Because once again, life can get in the way, so I wanted to make sure I was covered just in case.

We had a lot of fun along the way joking about when he would mail, but he kept telling me by Christmas I would have it. And he didn't break his promise.

A box arrived from him with my name on it and I was immersed in what had been collected over that time. Some I knew about, some I didn't and then there was a big surprise at the end. 

You will have to wait until the Part 2 to see that and the Giants cards in this mail day will be posted on Big Blue Cardboard if you want to see those.

While you wait for those posts, let's check out what I am showing off today.

First up, some new Griffeys,

(say what you want about Panini baseball cards, but this card is stunning)

Then came some new Judges,

(not sure what these are, but this card is thick and heavy)

 

 

A couple new JDoms,

 

(this one makes me think of Austin Powers)

And a cool Babe Ruth,

Check it out. Always like a nice die cut!

And then some set help for my 1997 Fleer Metal Marvel 

 

Huge one here with Sanders. Now I have the best two in the set and am roughly three away from completion.

This wasn't even all of the cards that I could have put into Part 1. I just didn't want to flood the post, but I will say I saved some amazing stuff for Part 2 and for my Giants post.

Stay tuned for more from this mail day.

Hope everyone has a great Thursday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Martian Has Landed

*sits down, has coffee in hand and a stack of cards. takes a sip, is ready for the latest cards over coffee post*

I am not sure how many of you were watching the skies a few days ago, but if you missed it, a UFO was spotted over Yankee Stadium and a Martian was left behind.

A Martian that can truly hit a baseball and it wasn't just talk all of these years.

Jasson Dominguez came out swinging in New York hitting a homerun in his first at bat, which is about the only thing exciting about this season for the Yankees. The future is bright in the city though.

Even though his numbers aren't complete fire yet, hitting .231 average with two homeruns, I think it was the right time to call up the kid and get his MLB career underway.

Even though I don't collect a lot of baseball anymore, just 90's inserts, Ken Griffey Jr, Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter and a few specific cards that catch my eye, I have been collecting Jasson Dominguez some since his first Bowman came out.

I thought to celebrate his MLB debut, I would show off some of my favorite cards from my collection of him...with coffee of course.

Yes, it's Panini card, but it's purty isn't it?

1st Bowman

1st Bowman Chrome Mojo (it's a nice looking card and I gave up Texas Rangers to acquire it so was all gain for me)

Once again, I know it's Panini, but I like the design of this one with the throwback to Donruss and the pinstripe relic.

Prospect Relic from Elite.

Upper Deck Goodwin included Dominguez in their product one year with autographs, base, parallels and relics like this one.

As soon as I saw this one a couple of years ago for trade, I jumped on it. This may be my favorite card of Dominguez I own.

 

If it wasn't for this one. This one has to be the favorite one right?

I have others that could have made the list, but I focused on the top ones. I have roughly 25 cards in my Dominguez collection which isn't big to anyone else, but I think it's a good one.

I just hope he keeps on hitting.

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post*

I haven't watched much Yankee baseball this year, but I hope they put a game on so I can see Dominguez swing at least once this year.

Thoughts on my collection, Dominguez, your collection of him, any other prospect you are excited about welcomed in comments.

I hope you enjoy your cup of coffee this morning and this post.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*