Trading on the Trading Card Database

In addition to being an excellent cataloging website, the trading feature on the Trading Card Database makes it even better.  Trades are simple to initiate and process.  I've completed almost 20 trades and it's been a great way to pick up cards while clearing out duplicates.

My latest trade comes courtesy of user herkojerko

This first set of cards is a small collection of Mariners from 1996 Collector's Choice.  The year depicted on the cards, 1995, was a special year for the Mariners.  That year the Mariners would see their first division title and their first post-season trip since their 1977 inception.

They also won their first post-season series in dramatic fashion with a play that is revered as "The Double."  The ALDS was tied 2 games a piece.  The Mariners saw themselves down 5-4 in the bottom of the 11th against the hated Yankees.  Edgar Martinez was at bat with two runners aboard. Edgar smacked a double down the left field line scoring both runners, which included Griffey scoring the winning run.

That's why the two ALDS cards above are great to have in my collection.  Until the Mariners with the World Series, that will be the greatest moment in Mariners history.

Top - Updates and Highlights
Middle - Opening Day
Bottom - Chrome

Herkojerko must be a Phillies fan because he sent me a smattering of Phillies from 2008 Topps.  If I had a collecting goal for this year it would definitely be to finish the main 2008 Topps sets.  I already have a factory set of flagship but I would like to have a hand collated set as well.  In addition to the main set, I do need all of the other sets.

Carlos Ruiz (middle right) is actually with the Mariners now, serving as a backup to Mike Zunino. Ruiz has worn #51 all through his career but it looks like he has taken on #52 for this season.  Why the number change?  #51 has been worn by Randy Johnson and Ichiro.  Although the number is not retired yet and can technically be worn, my guess/hope is that he switched numbers out of respect to those two fabulous Mariners players.

That number will certainly be retired once both Johnson and Ichiro are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Welcome

Welcome trading card enthusiasts and visitors alike.  Allow me to provide an obligatory introduction.

I don't recall why or when but I first started collecting cards when I was about 10.  I also don't recall which came first but I was a collector of Magic: The Gathering, basketball, and baseball cards.  I specifically collected the Revised/3rd Edition of Magic cards, which came out in 1994.  I would play Magic cards when I had the chance (and also typically off school grounds since they were banned there) but at some point I became fixated on collecting the whole set.  Seeing as how I was only in elementary school, this was a challenge.   Through trading with other kids at my school, cashing in my report card for credit at my local card shop, and through the generosity of my parents with a whole box (!!) for one of my birthdays, I was able to accomplish this feat. With over 300 cards in this set, I felt like I had accomplished something great. I collected the greats like Royal Assassin, Vesuvan Doppelganger, and Island Fish Jasconius.

Royal Assassin

Vesuvan DoppelGanger

Island Fish Jasconius

My interest in Magic would fade but I was still a big sports fan as a kid.  My love for collecting Magic cards would translate into collecting sports cards.  My favorite sport growing up was basketball and as a result I started collecting basketball cards.  The 1996-97 Collector's Choice ended up becoming my set of choice and to this day one of my favorite sets.  I feel like this set put an emphasis on fun and was targeted towards children so that's no surprise (nostalgia also plays a part, I'm sure).  An insert for this set was three mini-cards, which shockingly I didn't try to separate as each mini-card had a separate number.  My older self thanks my younger self because I now realize it would foolish to break apart any cards even if it can technically be done.

My favorite player as a kid - Michael Jordan

Hard to tell but this is a gold mini-card, worth $25 according to TCDB

I continued to collect basketball and baseball cards for perhaps another year or so after this but like with most of my interests, I moved on. Occasionally over the years I would buy packs of cards at the grocery store just as a little treat for myself and to see if I would get any of my favorite players; nothing serious.

However, I recently discovered an old flame; an old cardboard flame if you will.  A few months ago my dad asked to see if I could sell the boxes of Magic: The Gathering cards that were sitting in his garage.  Knowing I had the whole Revised set I was ecstatic because I thought to myself, "alright I might be able to get a few hundred dollars for this!"  After taking all the cards home and going through the boxes, I realized I have no idea where I put my complete set. None of the cards were in the box (I have still yet to find these cards).  Feeling a bit deflated, I decided to go through my sports cards to see if they would be worth any money.

Figuring there would be a database to catalog my cards and find prices, I set out looking for such a site. After trying a couple websites that were simple and underwhelming, I found The Trading Card Database based on some forum recommendations.  In a word, this site is amazing! It is everything I had hoped for.  The database has listings for just about every card out there including images and details for the cards I didn't even realize existed. The website also does a really good job providing stats for your collection like to players, top sets, and so on.  Not to mention, the community on TCDB is active and extremely helpful. So the more I added my cards and became active on the site, I realized that collecting cards and adding them to the database is a fun hobby. I've always enjoyed cataloging my books and music so this is really no different.  This has led me to increasingly buying cards and reading blogs.  I also enjoyed adding a few reviews for the card sets I have.

Since I've been buying some cards and adding reviews, I thought why not start my own blog to document some of my recent additions to my collection.  It gives a good excuse to do some writing and stretch my creative muscles.

This post is already way too long and it's way too late (thank you to Giant Bomb's Mario Party Party 6 for keeping me company) so that's it for this introduction/background post. I have some blog post ideas so my goal is to bank a few posts before I put this blog out there.

Farewell for now!