Free Cards from Brian and Jim (plus bonus content)

I keep trying to resist the siren song of the Free Stuff posts, and I keep giving in to temptation. Even after I declared that I would no longer claim cards.. I kept on claiming cards. Gah I really need to stop!

I've claimed freebies from Jon, Rod, Julie, and Brian - and sent something to each of them recently*. However I'm going to owe Julie again, and I didn't send nearly enough to Brian. 

*also I claimed cards from Kevin but I'll settle up with him after the Big Fun Game is complete.


This Highly Subjective batch of cards arrived today. I started to worry when I saw the polybag wrapper...

..but one small hole in the side of the envelope didn't affect any of the cards inside - including the Jackie Robinson at the top of this post. 

Some Red Sox needs and a Nieds for my Devils binder. Hockey Kazi hoards all the hockey Brian offers up, but I was able to snag a pair of Allure singles. They are exactly as nice as I was expecting - very similar to OPC Platinum or Chrome.

On that note, I claimed this Brian Anderson auto because I love 2018 Topps/OD/Chrome, and because our biggest client at the office is a guy named Brian Anderson. I didn't think anyone else would be clamoring for a Marlins card anyhow.

As if that's not enough Brian sent some bonus Devils since I was openly poking around for some current cards:

Woo-hoo Hughes! I've had his Allure RC on my COMC watch list for a while, and haven't pulled the trigger yet. But! This is the short-printed Jack Hughes RC, which is sold out on COMC! Brian, I cannot thank you enough for these great cards! My next ten Twins hits are going to you ;)

This next batch of freebies did not come from a blogger. If you shop on the Beckett Marketplace I highly recommend you order from Jim at 7th Inning Stretch. In addition to offering Free Shipping on any order over $25 Jim offers 15-20% discounts off any order over $20 -- and on top of that he tucks in some extra cards. The first time I bought from his store I thought I got the wrong order; there were so many extra hockey singles.

Perhaps that's his calling card as this order included a similar helping of early 90's stars and an IP auto (this one is Patrick Lalime, I got Petr Nedved last time.)

Much of my order was baseball (which you'll see in my next post) and so he tossed in a couple Carl Yastrzemski cards as well. Oh, and this:

That is a well-loved (but not creased) rookie card of Hall of Famer Billy Williams. For free.

I did not place a big, expensive order (it was under $40) though I did order three Williams cards because the only card I had of his was a 2017 Topps Heritage insert. Can't use that in my All-Time Teams binder.

I sent Jim an e-mail thanking him for this card and he explained that he had it sitting on his desk and threw it in based on my order (of three Billy Will cards.) Hopefully I can send some more business his way as a thank-you.


As for that All-Time Teams tournament.. the Yankees won. Shocker, I know. But kudos to Nachos Grande's Reds for pushing the series to seven games. 


Are any of you guys (or ladies) a fan of actress Saorise Ronan?

She's quite talented and lovely in an understated sort of way. And I adore her Irish accent.

If I ever met her I would ask her to say the name and position of one of my favorite baseball players. And I imagine it would sound like this:

Thot's Rah-fee Day-vurs, thard base-min o' the Bah-stin Rayd Sooks 

Honestly I would be happy to hear Sair-sha pronounce literally anything. 


Here's one more thing I haven't been able to work into any other post. I was going through some scan folders when I came across a card that I don't own, but saved it because it looked so... presidential:

He might be a Ranger, but he's a leader and a winner. #Leetch2020.


Thanks for reading!


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