The doctor is IN : shipping cards to France, pros and cons ?

Maybe you've been reading this blog from time to time thinking "hey, that french guy looks really cool, and even though I'm pretty sure french women don't shave their armpits (they do) and I've heard they pee in the streets (no, we don't), it could be a good idea to extend a friendly hand and engage in a wonderful overseas trade".

And then you start to wonder if it's not a bit complicated. If you need to go to the post office. If it's going to be expensive. If customs will come and seize your stuff if you don't declare things right. If I'm really worth it (I am).

Here are a few answers to questions you didn't even know you had:

How much does it cost to send cards to France ?

Well, as much as size doesn't matter (in that case), weight does.

Basically, if you send less than 80 to 100 cards, it'll cost you about $8 (12$ if you send it as a package instead of a letter). For 150 to 200 cards, it's $15 (again, as a package, but when there are so many, it's tougher to put them in a simple padded envelope). A PWE with a couple of cards will cost you $3.

How long does it take for packages to arrive ?

I've had mail from Canada get there in 3 days, but it basically takes 8 to 10 days.

Won't my cards get lost and our budding friendship sunk forever ?

there's no tracking for international letters (well, there are, but it would cost way too much), but I've never had a letter get lost in transit. And there have been a lot coming my way.

Will you use my information to commit identity theft and steal my wife and my job ?

I don't know. What's your job and can your wife make butterscotch pudding ?

So there you go for the very basic questions.
If you have any other ones, my booth is open.

Cookie Monster

Well, that's a twisted title I've found for that article...if anyone understands it, well, congrats, we think alike !

Anyway, I've been going on and on about my love for beat up vintage, but I got that beauty a couple of weeks ago, and I can't help but show it off. I wanted to keep it and make a whole post about some vintage baseball I've been winning on ebay, but as great a service as comc mailboxes is, it takes a looooong time for their packages to get here. The good thing as that I'll win an auction, then it takes a week for it to get to comc headquarters, then they send a picture of what was in the envelope so it's like having a skype meeting with it and getting to know it a little, and then I'll have it shipped to me, and I have time to forget all about, since it takes about a month to arrive. Anytime now....

I got it for $10, shipped to me directly. It's in a nice screw down I had from my earlier collecting days, before one touch and 100 pt cards became the norm.

Since this hobby is somewhat an obsession of mine right now (don't worry, I eat and sleep and interact with other people in real life. I even take showers), I have a whole bunch of side projects for my collection. The obvious ones are Blue Jays and Knicks cards (even though basketball cards under Panini are even worse than baseball under Topps), along with Griffeys.

But I'm also trying to compile a nice collection of significant cards that have impacted the hobby. Some, of course, are wayyyyyy out of my league and my price range, so let's forget about pre-war and 1952 Mantles, but most other cards can be found in bad shape for not that much, since Poor or fair cards are worth 5 to 10% the nr mint value. The difficult part is to find an auction that doesn't end in the middle of the night, I'm tired of being outbid on 1955 Ted Williams cards at the last second. And Mr Cub here s on my cute little list of essentials (Jackie Robinson, Berra, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, Brooks Robinson are others I'm trying to get each year's card of). I wrote down book value for those (bv is relevant for vintage, I think. At least, I've noticed that the prices are pretty accurate, even for low grade cards), along with prices for them on comc and ebay. Let the hunting begin.

Significant cards from the 70s and 80s come much cheaper, especially since I don't really care about grade or condition. I'm sure Mattingly and Ripken RCs can be found easily for less than $10. The high numbered Mike Schmidt might prove a little trickier. And you know what ? I don't even own THE Griffey jr RC. I don't remember where I read this, but I think they estimate that there's something like 3 Million of them in existence. They can't ALL be graded...

That's the great thing about cards : there are so many angles as to how to collect. 

I'm not a big fan, but I'll try and get every Topps base card of Nolan Ryan.His career did span 4 decades after all, should be interesting to have them all lined up in a binder.

I'll also try and get one card from the playing days of each member of the famous 50 club, voted in 1996 for the NBA. It's actually pretty easy to accomplish, as vintage basketball is really cheap. There's only the matter of Bill Russell  that's going to complicate that feat.

And I'm pretty sure the number of lists will just go on and on and on and I'll never finish a single one. Which is fine by me. It's the drive that gets us going.

One sided trade with JayBarkerFan

Wes, well, Jay Barker Fan, is a legend among these parts.

That's the way I see it anyway from my small overseas window. To tell the truth, I'm kind of lazy. I have my comfort zone and tend not to go out of it. But hey, to have a comfort zone, you have to create one in the first place, give me some credit. Anyway, I know there are tenths of blogs out there, but I only read a few of those.What can I say, I have a short attention span. I do have about 30 blogs on my blog roll, so I'll always have an eye out for those, but I'll always read my 4 or 5 favorite ones in the morning, with my coffee mug in my hand and my sleepy eyes trying to focus.

What I'm trying to say is that I realize that I only read a small sample of what's out there, and I don't mean to belittle all of you great bloggers out there, but Wes is in a league of his own (as is Night Owl, for example, and I'm sure we all agree on that). I got there too late to participate in his World Cup of trading, but as a European soccer fan (it always makes me smile when Americans say it's a boring sport where nothing happens, and at the same time are able to spend 3 hours in front of a baseball game or in front of a football game where there's nothing but time outs and the actions amount for about 15 minutes), I could only applaud the idea.

I contacted him, saying I knew he retired from blogging (but not from trading) and that I'd love to send him some Braves cardboard, just as a thank you in the name of the blogosphere, for his generosity. Yeah, it's probably a little bit silly, I know, but I liked the idea. He answered by saying that he had some cards for me. And ok, I'll admit my heart skipped a beat for a minute, and I was very curious to see what he'd send me. A few days later, and the day after that great package from Matt, it had crossed the ocean, and those cards were finally home.

A couple of Wells, including a numbered one, and that nice minor league auto. It's very strange how it looks like a simple in person auto, and not like it was signed for the company. I really need to write a post about what I think of people who sell the cards the had signed in person...

Those two relics look absolutely great. I love the idea of the logo on the bat, cattle style.

Some autos ! Those Sp authentics don't look that bad, and I actually prefer not to see a player at all, than seeing him airbrushed. Yeah I know, I'm partial, it's because I love Upper Deck and hate Panini. Sue me. Mc Gowan's days as a Blue Jay seem over (he's a free agent), but I'm still glad I got this auto, my first of his.

Cesar played just one season for the Blue Jays, and he's not the same Izturis who now plays for Toronto, Maicer. And Delgado will always be Delgado.

I'll say it again : those By the letter cards are an awesome idea.

And of course, here's the card I really wanted.
I feel like I'm part of the family now.
I could almost cry.

Thanks a lot Wes for the great cards, even though you have no idea who I am ! I hope we'll have the opportunity to do this again, and I'm hunting down some Braves and Willinghams for you in any case !

Bob Walk the line : sign here

It's always nice to get surprise (almost) unexpected packages, especially when they come from such a great trade partner as Matt from Bob walk the plank. Ok, this is only our second date, but still, this might just be a long term relationship. It's a good thing we don't have Thanksgiving here (for obvious reasons), or I might have invited him over to introduce him to my parents. We do have Christmas though...I'll think about it.

Ok, let's have a look at that nice, heavy enveloppe :

I've already stated that I find amazing that Roy Halladay doesn't have more of a following. His cards can be found for real cheap (then again, whose cards can't be had for cheap ?), except autos, as there aren't that many out there. I already had the Frank Thomas in that Ultimate Star collection, and I really like that Turkey Red. There are a lot of questions raised about the authenticity of game worn items, but frankly (my dear), I don't give a damn. I like the cards because they look nice. They might as well just cup up some nice, clean jerseys, call it a day and stop charging so much for packs that will be weighed anyway by people who don't have better things to do with their days than hang out by Wall-mart with an electronic scale.

Matt managed to find one of the rare Leaf signatures series card I didn't already have. I love those. I don't remember for how much packs sold at the time, for what we'll call a very, very deep lineup of common cards, but the idea was a great one. The ones I have are actually faded because I've had them in a frame for so long, and I guess they didn't enjoy the sunlight as much as I do.

A couple of nice autographs, including my first Brett Cecil (I'm expecting an Arencibia any time soon in my mailbox). And even though I'm not a fan of Gypsy Queen base, I do like their inserts and relics. Nice on card auto.

Two beautiful cards, and the Orlando Hudson didn't really scan well, it looks much better in real life. This is the second Anthony Gose auto Matt sends me, after the amazing 1/9 Topps Triple threads from last time, and it's another really great card. And you won't hear me say this about Bowman very often !

Finally, the "clou du spectacle" is that Sweet spot Lyle Overbay signature. Matt was nice enough to put it in a magnetic holder (supplies aren't that easy to find here, or with outrageously high shipping fees), to give it the shrine it deserves. They really did an amazing job on that card, and you'll notice its number....001/366 ! Matt is the king of first number cards.

As you know, I don't really care about the value of cards. I like the idea of having a $300 card that I've only paid $20 for (because, well, that's what it's really worth considering its condition), but besides that, history has shown that modern cards seldom hold their value. None of these cards are technically worth a lot, but the thing that's priceless to me is that fact that Matt made this selection just for me, based on what he's read on my blog. I suppose that's what trading's all about, and those kinds of packages (and I've received a bunch of them in the past few months thanks to you guys) always bring a big fat smile to my face. If we did have Thanksgiving, that's what I'd be thankful for.

Ok, maybe I need to get a life....I'll ask for one for Christmas.

1992 Mc Donald's Who's Who

In the mailbox today were a few ebay pick ups. The main one took a month to get here from Canada, even though a same package from Richard at collecting blue jays took about 3 days, also sent surface mail. Go figure.

Anyway, the first time I saw a 92 Donruss Mc Donald's MVP Blue jays card, I knew I needed to get the rest of the set. I picked one up for 50 cents (plus $5 shipping, which seems a little silly, but it's still worth it), and I have to admit that it's close to perfect. The lineup has no flaws, and the Blue Jays gold series is a great idea. Donruss knew how to go full bleed in 92. What a shocker. The backs of the cards are the same as the regular issue, save for the mac donald's logo and copyrights, but the fronts are different.

Jack's mustache looks so much better in a gold frame.

Also got that autograph for cheap. Accardo may have had a clear path to greatness, but he was stopped short by injuries. He did have a good year for Toronto though. I have mixed feelings about that card. It's acetate and transparent  so it kind of has a nice look to it, but it's way too dark, and that sticker doesn't help its case. Ah well.

Those I bid on and I don't even know why. They look nice though, even if I have no idea who these players are.

Finally, to avoid looking at the Knicks play, I decided to look for autos. The good thing about a horrendous season is that you can pick them up for cheap. I had never heard of Toure Murry before, and those Shumpert cards sure are shiny. Panini really likes shiny stuff.

I can't help but wonder how Charlie Ward would have fared in the NFL. He was, after all, a Heisman Award winner (among others, and he's in the College Football hall of fame). He had a decent career as a point guard for the Knicks for ten years, so I'm happy I landed that card. Jordan Hill hardly played for the Knicks, on the other hand, and he's having some solid last couple of years in the league. The only very frustrating thing about that card is that I have no idea which L it is, in his name.

Soft kitty, warm kitty

A few days ago, Daniel at It's like having my own card shop offered to send some free cards.
Those things happen from time to time in the blogosphere alongside cool contests. I raised my hand and he was kind enough to send some over the ocean.

He warned that they were in a really bad shape and that they had seen better days. But I'm not about to let some cards stay unloved on the side of the road or in a shelter where the only popular ones are the sharp young guns. The life of cardboard can be so unfair. I couldn't resist those old tired puppy eyes and I opened my arms to them, offering them food and a safe place to poop at.

Daniel wasn't lying, those cards definitely had it rough and have been in their fare shares of alley brawls. But it's not a reason to abandon them.

And since I'm absolutely in love with the 1972 set, I'm glad that's what I wound up receiving for the most part.

So I'm guessing those last three were David's

And for good measure, Daniel included some cards for my PC and team collection. A real nice Neon Deion that I needed, and the entire 33 card set from 1992 Topps micro. Yup, micro. Not mini. And when you see the size of those things, you understand why....

Thanks a lot Daniel for sending those, and to have the reflex to ask around if anybody needed them before...yikes...throwing them out to be recycled !

Trade post : some Mr Hoyle vintage

I've already explained that the reason I collect Blue Jays cards is because my mom's from Toronto (she came to France when she was 19, met my dad and never came back). I collect Knicks cards because the Raptors weren't around when I started collecting and I spent a year in New York when I was 11.
Anyway, one of the frustrating aspects of collecting Blue Jays is that they only got there in 1977. Which means: no vintage. And I absolutely love vintage ! There's something about holding a 50 or 60 year old card (yes, card, what did you expect me to write ?) that moves me. I love cards from the 90s because they bring me way back with waves and gushes of nostalgia. But I see vintage cards as a piece of history, which is why I don't mind at all if they're in bad shape. At least, it means they had a good life and changed hands many times. Of course, that should't keep me from getting cards from before 1977, and it's exactly what I'm doing !

Mark doesn't blog. But he follows blogs a lot. He lurks in the shadows and often participates by posting comments. He approached me after I myself posted a comment somewhere (maybe on Bob walks the plank), telling me he could probably help me with some of my needs (it's not every day that a man (or a girl, for the matter) approaches me with such an offer). He saw on my want list page that I wanted at least one card from each year, and also in one of my comments that I was looking to get as many 'In Actiont' cards from the 72 set, so he sent a little of everything, alongside some 90s Blue Jays from my want list.

So let's take a look, and keep in mind that I'm holding all those design in my hands for the very first time, as I wasn't into vintage at all 20 years ago. I didn't have sufficient knowledge back then and saw the cards as very expensive pieces of cardboard I could never own. Plus, all that grading confused me. I was familiar with the designs because, well, I look at cards a lot (and Archives happened), but it's awesome to look at the real actual thing.

1962 ! of course, it reminds me of 1987 Topps instead of the other way around. And yay, a manager card ! It's a great design, I'll try to track down Mays and Maris cards from that set one day.

1963 ! And a Houston Colt 45s card, so that's a plus.

1964 ! Zoilo Versalles is a great name. Sounds a lot like Versailles, which is very near where I live. And for those of you who skipped World history class, that's where French kings (and Marie-Antoinette, for those who didn't skip the movie) spent their days and nights in that huge castle, 3rd most visited monument in France after the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

1965 ! One of the best designs ever, and I think it's the first time I see that Twins logo. Is it me, or is that glove gigantic ?

1966 ! Another Twins player, another great name.

1967 !

1968 ! I don't know about that design. It looks like some very outdated wallpaper. Still, it's a well centered Yankees catcher (didn't play much, though) with a well centered glove.

 1969 ! They had some extra circles from the previous year, so they re-used them, but them on the upper right side and called it a day.

1970 ! This being my first Senators card, I had to research it a little bit. And what a mess. So the Senators went to Minnesota to call themselves the Twins in 1961.But the same year, they awarded an expansion team to Washington and they named themselves...the Senators. After all, why not make things confusing ? It's the 60s. Everybody's confused. They were such a bad team that they were the Major's laughingstock, and I suppose they don't appear in the 1971 set, since that's the year they moved to Arlington, to become the Texas Rangers (granted, the Texas Senators would've made as much sense as the Los Angeles Lakers or the Utah Jazz). Anyway, that's a God ugly design if I ever saw one.

1971 !That's much better ! I only know Hal McRae, though. People who collect only sharp looking cards must have a really hard time with those black borders.

1972 ! An iconic set, and I wonder how people looked at it back then. I mean, what a change from previous years. Considering how they toned it down the following years, I wonder if it means that they got complaints from parents worried that their kids would start popping acid.

1972 again, that time with great In action cards .

1973 ! another great set with amazing photos. Can't wait to get my hands on more of those.

I mean, come on, look at that beauty ! I think I saw it on dimebox Nick's blog a few weeks ago, and it's been on my want list since. Amazing card with an amazing cameo.

If you're reading this (and I suspect you are), thanks a lot for those great cards, Mr Hoyle, I absolutely love them !