recurring trade winds

i think my favorite annual blog related tradition is thorzul's "trade me anything".  if ol' beardy were still around with his "ho ho holiday contest" it might be a different story. that's not to take anything away from tma, which happens after topps update is released. it's always interesting to see what folks send in exchange for cards thorzul doesn't want. this year, i sent a few different things for these cards:

2021 topps update cody bellinger 70 years of topps

2021 topps update mike trout 1986 35th anniversary blue parallel

2021 topps update mike trout silver pack 1986 35th anniversary

trout was a finalist for my favorite non-dodger this past season although i wound up going with fernando tatis jr. still, i've been picking up cards of trout for a little while as he is still a semi-favorite. i am really hoping he is healthy for 2022 and puts on a show when the angels visit minnesota.

another, more regular blog feature i enjoy is diamond jesters' time travel trading. the last time around, i was able to claim these three beauties from 1985 o-pee-chee:

they are some of the most interesting and colorful cards from that set, and i am happy to have more of them in my collection. i guess i am sort of hoarding o-pee-chee variations. i have a binder full of all of them that i posted on my other blog - oh my o-pee-chee! - plus i have a few complete sets from the 1977-1992 run. and then i have partial sets that now include these three.

a more recent blog series has been the diamond king's "flash freebies". these have been fun to observe, and i was lucky enough to be in time to claim some cards, including this 2004 donruss leather & lumber rivals card of darryl strawberry and orel hershiser

which is numbered to 2499

there are four cards that feature dodgers in this insert set, and now i have three of the four - just missing hideo nomo and his "rival" barry larkin.

thanks all for the trades!