Mail Day
A 1989 Donruss Baseball's Best Ken Griffey Jr. [$9.95 BIN plus $3.95 s/h on Ebay] made its way onto my mailbox on Monday. This was a card that a childhood friend once had, but never had in my grasp. The rookie year card from a 'boxed set' represents a 'modern-era flashback' card for me.

Still, I'm disappointed - check out the centering on the back of the card. It doesn't seem that visually attractive, especially considering the fact that the card is given a 'BGS 9' grade.

Also arriving in the box on Monday was a 2005 Bowman Heritage Cesar Carrillo box topper variation [$1 plus $1 s/h off Ebay]. I was going to get the card signed at a card show last Saturday, but it didn't arrive in time. I ended up not going to the show, where 2005 top amateur draft prospects Carrillo, Ricky Romero and Ryan Braun were scheduled to sign for free.

Mail Day
A 2005 Topps Chrome Update Trevor Bell autograph [$5.99 BIN plus $2.25 s/h on Ebay] made its way onto my mailbox on Thursday. This card wasn't a bargain and he is a pitcher as opposed to a hitter, but I figure to pick this card up of Bell's status as the top draft pick of the Angels in 2005.

FYI: He is also Bozo the Clown's grandson - that has to count for something.

Mail Day
A 2003 Fleer Showcase Sweet Stitches Barry Bonds jersey card [$5.50 plus $2.00 s/h on Ebay] arrived today. It was more of an impulsive pick-up and another Bonds material card [x3] to 'denote' three [2002, 2003 and 2004] of his seven MVP seasons.

Also, a 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Chuck Knoblauch autograph [$4.99 BIN plus $2.00 s/h on Ebay] made its way onto my mailbox. I was looking for an Knoblauch autograph, since I sold the autographed card that was signed through a mail request back in the late '90s.

That autograph was on the card [a 1991 Upper Deck], this autograph is certified and on a holographic sticker affixed onto a card.

It ends up being another addition [or upgrade] to my award winners collection - 1991 American League Rookie of the Year style.

Mail Days
A 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot B.J. Upton autograph card [$7.99 plus $2.50 s/h on Ebay] arrived today while a 2005 Bowman Draft set [$12.00 BIN plus $3.00 s/h on Ebay] and a 2005 Topps Update Chris Young [not the 2005 Futures Game subset] gold card numbered to 2005 [$2.99 plus $1.50 s/h off Ebay] arrived on Thursday.

I remember last month, wanting to spend so much time later into the night, the early next morning [1/10/06] just looking for another certified Upton autograph that I had purchased. I ended up finding it in a random bubble mailer that I use for storing various cards.

I think he is going to be a star though and I wanted a Sweet Spot Signatures autograph insert of Upton. Unfortunately, the card I received was crammed into a semi-rigid card holder and it has a nicked corner with a little paper loss. I'm not sending this back to UD - I lost a 2004 Sweet Spot Signatures autograph insert of Delmon Young because I felt I needed to send it back to Upper Deck because it was damaged a little bit. So far, I have not received it back...

The image of the Upton is from the Ebay auction I won.

Picking up the 2005 Bowman Draft set ended up to be pretty good - shipping was only the price of a single card [$3] as opposed $5 or more [and the actual amount the set was shipped for was $5.33].

It came with a 2005 Bowman Draft AFLAC redemption and the seller also included bonus fillers cards consisting of 2005 Bowman Draft gold. Out of the blue, I was possibly looking for Andrew McCutchen, D.J. Houlton, Cesar Ramos and Travis Buck cards and all four were among the bonus filler cards...

Picking up a card of Young was pretty expensive [close to $5 shipped], but I think his Topps Update card was a rookie card and a rookie-year card [confused?] may be a 'prudent, low-end' purchase for the near future [if he develops into a star].