Angels lot purchase - Mike Trout cards

I just haven't had the opportunity to rummage through loose cardboard like other bloggers at card shops or card shows - I have to find my cheap cardboard thrills other ways.

I was curious about 2019 Panini Diamond Kings, but not tempted enough to try a loose value pack or blaster box - I found an Angels themed Diamond Kings lot, highlighted by a sharp looking Mike Trout bat card.

2003 DK Retro Crowning Moment #10 - I like self-assured, confident smile on Trout's face as well the flashback design of this insert.

Framed Plum #133 - Trout is listed a short print in the 2019 Panini Diamond Kings set, but I don't know if the parallel is an SP as well.

DK 205 #4 - the least attractive card in this grouping, but any Trout is a keeper.

COMC - pitchers hitting relic cards

I picked up eight cards of pitchers who are pictured hitting as a late year push to boost my mini-collection totals - a wrinkle is that they feature relics.

When I think of bat cards, I associate them with position players who go to the plate 500 times a year - however, if card companies had access to purchase bats supposedly used by the players pictured, why not make them into cards?

While no particular card might not hard to find, it’s not like I can go to card shops or a card show on regular basis - to piece together a handful of these obscure themed cards.

It's kind of a treat when I'm casually browsing through listings on an online site like COMC and find relics of pitchers hitting - I might as well grab them on the cheap, so even if there are more cards to seek out, these ones have been accounted for.

Because they are junky and were never considered legit hits, I suspect they maybe buried in a stash somewhere or maybe the repack companies have hoarded the cards - to put them in their future releases.

2001 Fleer Game Time Lumber Kevin Brown #KEBR - I didn't want to pick up any cards of Brown, but this card isn't bad looking at all.

At times, collecting is literally about what the cardboard represents, rather than the player pictured - to me, it's another card for a mini-collection, not an endorsement of any particular player.

Admittedly, Brown had a successful big league career, but seemed like a salty guy who was the big money free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the early 2000s - his career ended with a whimper and after the fact, he had a cameo in the Mitchell Report.

2001 Fleer Game Time Lumber Randy Johnson #RAJO - his best season as a hitter came in 2003, when he hit .194 in 36 at-bats, launching his only big league home run.

2001 SP Game Bat Edition Milestone Piece of the Action Bound for the Hall Greg Maddux #B-GM - anytime he is pictured as a batter, Nike's Chicks Dig the Long Ball commercial of the late 1990s always comes to mind.

2001 SP Game Bat Edition Piece of the Game Kevin Brown #KB - maybe his best year with the bat was in 1998 when he hit .207 and had 10 RBI.

2001 SP Game Bat Edition Piece of the Game Randy Johnson #RJ

2002 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Game Jerseys Tier 4 Mark Prior JR-PR - serial #'d 69/199

2004 SPx Winning Materials Mark Prior #WM-MP

2009 SPx Winning Materials 2 Jake Peavy and CC Sabathia #WM2-PS

Award winner adds - Rookies of the Year

2011 TRISTAR Obak Autographs Red Don Schwall #A40 - I picked up a certified autograph of the 1961 American League ROY with the Boston Red Sox.

Maybe the bat swatch looks kind of blemished, but for about $3 - I grabbed this otherwise nice looking relic card of the 1962 American League ROY.

1970 Topps Expos Rookie Stars Garry Jestadt/Carl Morton #109 - Morton was the 1970 National League ROY and this card was the last, impulsive 'BF' pick-up with whatever funds I had left [maybe about $0.77] to spend before I was going to have my stash shipped.

I actually have a 1977 Topps card card of Morton, but it pictures him on the Atlanta Braves - so that kind of doesn't count.

1974 Topps Gary Matthews #386 - I have a random in-person autographed 1987 Fleer card but pictures Matthews in a Chicago Cubs uniform.

I wanted a team appropriate card close to Matthews' 1973 National League ROY season with the San Francisco Giants - the bonus with this $0.40 pick-up is the nice horizontal action image of Matthews sliding into third base [with the third baseman and third base coach pictured].

Award winners collection reboot

I have a binder of 'award winners' where I've tried to add cards featuring the recipients of the three big MLB awards [Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year] - about a few weeks ago, I was inspired to go through the binder to see which years were still missing and see where I could weed out cards used that didn't picture the players on the teams they won the award with.

I put together a coherent wantlist so I could start hunting for new cards to add to the collection - one of players whose card I would need is an early 20th century player named Jake Daubert, who was the 1914 National League MVP

I didn't know where I could find a card of his, so I did some searching and found out he actually had a relic card - who really knows whether or not Daubert held, used, or slept with the bat that was chopped up to help create the card, but I thought it was just great to pick up the card for around $5.

The card projects that seem the most fun are the ones where I can grab seemingly random cards and put them together - this particular project isn't a high dollar endeavor by any means, so various card types are going to clash between simple base cards, random uncertified autograph cards, memorabilia / certified autograph cards and player era / retro cards.

Dual bat card of a couple of HOF pitchers

I picked up this 2001 Upper Deck Pros and Prospects Greg Maddux / Randy Johnson #PPMJ for my pitchers hitting mini-collection - when looking at various card pictures online, sometimes I'll find memorabilia / autograph cards that fit my esoteric interests.

Perhaps it's more of a challenge finding memorabilia / autograph cards with unique images because a card company is just looking to make up a card - that will contain a swatch of memorabilia and/or be autographed.

Just 5-10 years ago, I thought memorabilia / autograph cards were still worth something - so I felt I couldn't really pick up the ones that featured a star player or two.

As is, there isn't as much interest in common memorabilia cards and to have some fun - I can add a few of the ones that pique my interest into the back end of random online purchases.