First Trade in Two Years

...and it's a good one.

When I returned to card blogging....12 posts ago or so, I knew I wanted to get a quick trade off and maybe attract some new readers into trading and taking away some cards others may love more than I.

Once I saw Daniel from It's Like Having My Own Card Shop was still around, I knew he'd be a great counterpart for trade number one.

I sent an email his way about a Brandon Webb relic he may be interested in, and he countered with the final card in this post. However, he sent the package out, and it arrive here (across the entire country, almost, before I finished packaging his side of the loot.

So Daniel, sorry your package may be a bit lagging, but it's on it's way, and thanks for these beauties:

Sparkly Dotel

Believe it or not, this is my first Diamond Anniversary card. First! I left blogging and collecting at the end of 2010, so I pretty much missed everything from 2011. Here is an Octavio Dotel in full gaudy glory, sporting a truly dreadful photoshopping from a Pirates(?) Spring Training uniform to Blue Jays in-season away drag. Giveaways: undershirt, #35, cap. 

AlvaRED

Another example of Topps Photoshopping, or as I may begin to start calling it: PhotoToppsing. This is a Red parallel, which I am clue less to it's origin, I just know it's not a regular Topps card. I dig Alvarez, though, and the black undershirt actually looks kind of awesome. The Nue Jays logo on the black cap, however...well, they could have tried a little harder.

Bowman's Best, Travis d'Arnaud

This doubles (embarassingly) my Travis d'Arnaud collection, and it's a doosey. I would have accepted this outright for everything I plan on sending in return. Next up: refractor rainbow!

Goldmember YEScobar

I love me some Yunel Escobar. He's slick, streaky, moody, but really looks like he enjoys the game. He's like a diet Robinson Cano. And here he is, in gaudy Topps gold enshrinement. For some reason, Topps didn't PhotoTopps this uniform. So it goes. Yunel rocks the new digs, for what it's worth. Just ignore the eye black.

 K'dro Relic

From the golden age of overproduced jersey cards, nameless rookie autos and parallels out the backside comes what we decided one for a trade centerpiece. In my return to blarging, I decided to pursue Expos cards rather than Rockies as before (except Dexter Fowler) and this is the first fruit of that labour, and a good one. This card is thicker than a Chicago pizza, and when I turned it over I was stunned to see that it was #ed/45! Thanks for digging this one out, Daniel!

If you're reading this, and are looking for someone to trade with, send some Brandon Webbs and miscellaneous Diamondbacks over to Daniel at It's Like Having My Own Card Shop. It's totally worth it.