dime box hero

i've been sitting on this post for a long time. months. that is no way to celebrate receiving cards from one of my longest tenured trading partners. although his blog is now dormant, nick from dime boxes and i struck a trade back in february, and the cards he sent me were as varied and wonderful as ever.

probably my favorite card that nick sent was this 1983 topps 1952 reprint series joe black card

i am pretty sure i will never own an original 1952 topps joe black card (it's a high number), so an officially sanctioned reprint is the best substitute for my collection.

another card using the same design actually finished a team set for me. this 2021 topps chrome platinum anniversary keibert ruiz card

arrived just after an order i had placed that included a couple of other needs from the set.

and, although i have long since completed the 1995 topps archives brooklyn dodgers set, i get a kick out of seeing the cards from time to time

that 1953 topps gil hodges card that should have been is miles better than what topps produced for the reprint and extended set a few years earlier. they used the same image, but this card would fit right in with the other cards from 1953.

jumping ahead a decade, here's a 1963 post maury wills card

"expertly" cut by hopefully a kid using scissors for the first time.

i have a strange fascination with buybacks, and so this 2016 topps heritage buyback of ron fairly's 1967 topps card

was exciting to see in the team bag.

from 2003 bowman heritage, here's a duke snider variation

there are three versions of duke's card in the set - the base, the dual image variation, and this knothole variation. this one is actually a variation of a variation in that it is the knothole design with a facsimile signature. nonsense! but getting a card like this is gold for a team collector.

2009 topps sterling carl erskine

i can count on one finger the number of times i have received a 2009 topps sterling card in a trade package.

1988 topps tiffany tito landrum

there were actually a bunch of topps tiffany cards from this set, but landrum's fantastically bad airbrushing job stood out. it's even more in glossy form.

there were also a handful of 2003 keebler dodgers cards, including mike kinkade's card

this is one set that i do not own, so the handful of cards were all new to me. i chose to show kinkade because i don't believe i have ever posted a dodger card of his previously. he spent two seasons with the dodgers, but just has 3 or 4 cards to show for it.

i already have this next card, but seeing it again made me do a double take

that's a 1989 smokey bear a century of dodger greats david bancroft card. what made me look twice was his left arm. it looks like he could be wearing a black armband, although i think it is just part of an undershirt sticking out or maybe a shadow. he was only with the dodgers for two seasons (1928 and 1929) and as far as i am aware, they did not wear a black armband during either of those campaigns.

more oddballs abound, like this chan ho park card

from 1994 fleer pro cards minor league and this 2009 konami baseball heroes wbc card of kenley jansen

i saw a stat earlier this year that said jansen has stilled logged more professional innings as a catcher than he has as a pitcher.

nick tripled the number of cards i have from the 2003 american jewish historical society jewish major leaguers set with these two brothers

i should track down steve yeager's card from the set.

back when nick sent these cards, 2025 topps was a brand new product. he included a base and diamante parallel of chris taylor

which was my first look at the parallel.

it wouldn't be a package from nick without some new to me vladimir guerrero cards

and a high number (not short print) card from 2002 ud 40 man

is always appreciated. for the record, that card is number 1109 in the set.

double play turns are also a hallmark of a dime box trade package, and this time nick sent a 1992 detroit tigers schedule

i believe that is travis fryman jumping over harold reynolds to turn two.

here are a couple more

that's a 1995 score hall of gold carlos garcia card and this is a 2022 panini donruss brandon crawford dominators diamond parallel card

fun stuff!

it's great to know that nick is still around and putting together fantastic trade packages. campy, give him a fist bump!

thanks nick!