Tony Tuesday: Another Graded 9.5 & 10 AUTO

If you have been reading my blog for the past few years, you know that Tony Sanchez is one of my favorite players in the Pirates organization.  I had high hopes for Sanchez to one day become a staple in the Pirates winning lineup as a 2 way catcher who could provide elite defense and provide solid offensive numbers.  Tony has been on fire this spring training and has earned a spot on the opening day roster.

I am always on the look for adding Tony Sanchez high grade cards to my collection and for under the price of a blaster I snagged this 2009 Donruss Elite Status Signatures numbered to 50 copies graded 9.5 with 10 autograph.  It's my 6th graded autograph of Tony I have added to my collection.

McCutchen Monday: Remembering PreDreads Cutch

Last week, Andrew McCutchen made sports headlines by trimming off his iconic dreadlock look.  When I first started collecting Cutch in 2009 he had just started to grow them out to a noticeable length.

The very last card that I added to my collection in 2014 was this Just Minors autograph of Cutch from 2008 numbered to 25 copies.  I don't remember exactly how much it cost me, but I remember that I got it for under $40 which is typically what a Cutch autograph goes for now days.

McCutchen Mailday #26: 2014 National Treasures Franchise

I grabbed this Andrew McCutchen because it accomplished several goals.  It was one more card to add to the Cutch PC in my Quest for 100 new Andrew McCutchen cards and it was another card I could add to my 2014 National Treasures Reverse Box Challenge.

This beautiful game worn jersey features some staining and is numbered to only 99 copies and was won with a winning bid of $22.22.  That's an eBay 1/1 kind of bidding right there as 22 is Cutch's jersey number.

There's been a lot of heat on Panini lately with their relic authenticity verification, but quite honestly I buy cardboard because I like it.  The above logoless card is beautifully designed and despite the lack of P on Cutch's helmet or jersey, the company used an image that doesn't need a logo.  The color choice for the Franchise tag on top fits in perfectly with the Alternate Black jersey the Pirates wear in recent years.

And to prove the authenticity of the jersey, we have a statement on the back that this is a game used relic.

If you haven't checked out my Reverse Box Challenge for 2014 National Treasures, click here.

Joey Bats Booklet Numbered to 10!!!

Jose Bautista is my favorite non current Pirate.  When I saw this awesome low numbered booklet (only 10 copies) with Joey Bats spelled out, I knew I had to add it to my collection for $11.

I've been wanting to add more Joey Bats cards to my collection this year and this is my first booklet of the former Pirate and former HR Champ.

I also pulled this card in a Target pack recently

If anyone has any Jose Bautista cards they are looking to unload...please hit me up!

McCutchen Mailday #25: 2014 All-Star Stitches Topps Chrome

I thought that I had purchased an All-Star stitches relic card of Cutch each year for the past four years, but just discovered that I still never got his 2013 All-Star game jersey card held at CitiField.  I'll have to add that one to my wants as my Quest for 100 New Cutch cards in the Cutch PC reaches the quarter century mark in 2015.

I was very happy to add this 2014 Topps All-Star card to my collection for a winning bid of $4.99.

Now, I'm going to have to track down that 2013 All-Star stitch

#tbt: Then & Now Barry Bonds Dual Jersey

Barry Bonds was on the path to becoming one of the greatest baseball players ever in Pittsburgh Pirates history.  After much debate, I truly believe that he was on the path to a Hall of Fame career even if he didn't get involved in steroids conspiracies.

This card is a good example of Bonds Then & Now.

I grabbed it for $6 delivered as a personal consolation prize because I lost 6 Barry Bonds National Treasures auto/jumbo patch relic auctions over the past two months.  $6 is a much better price to pay compared to the $400+ that the Bonds auto/relics I wanted were going for.

McCutchen Mailday #24: Prime Cuts AUTO

When I decided that one of my 2015 Collecting Goals was going to be a Quest for 100 new Andrew McCutchen cards to the Cutch PC, I should have established some restrictions.  I have gone wild adding Cutch cards to my collection through the first 3 months of 2015 and will likely reach that 100 card plateau before the Mid Summer Classic.

Instead of just adding 100 new Cutch cards, I should have tried to get 100 unique Andrew McCutchen autographs by year end.  That would have been a more difficult challenge as I am currently sitting just above 80.  Truth be told though, I'm not so sure that there are 20 more unique items on the market.  Cutch has been a limited signer in the past few years and most of his pre 2013 MVP season autographs I already have in my collection.

For $42 delivered I added this very nice 2012 Prime Cuts auto of Cutch serially numbered 7/25.  It may not have any logos and might be a sticker auto, but the price was right.