Many Happy Returns

I'm pretty new to the online trading business, and it has been an adventure. You never know what will come your way, particularly with larger trades where the terms aren't as concrete. In some ways, I really don't want to know exactly what is coming. A general idea, yes, but the unknown is half the fun.

Jeremy from Topps Cards That Never Were emailed me recently asking if I'd be interested in a trade. Of course I said yes, after looking at his wish lists and finding a good number of Tigers and Rays to send his way. I felt pretty good about what I sent, with a few surprises hoping he'd enjoy them. But I was blown away with what he found for me! 

There were a ton of Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace cards in the package. I have over 350 unique Sandbergs and over 250 unique Graces in my collection, so finding new ones to send me isn't always easy. But Jeremy found some. A LOT actually. These are just the ones new to my Sandberg collection:

Yep, 24 new Sandbergs! Blew me away.

Further awesomeness, in the first photo, you might not recognize the 98 Topps Sandberg in the top row, because it doesn't exist other than in this sweet custom card form. Great stuff. And the 2018 Donruss is a blank back and I think an SSP. 

The second photo has some cool 90s inserts that I know Fuji would enjoy. Love those 94 Fleer All-Star cards. Brings me back to childhood. Oh and the bottom-middle 1996 Topps. A Chrome refractor. Wow. 

Jeremy wasn't done. How about some Mark Grace cards. Again, just the new ones to my collection:

My favorite of this bunch is probably the Skybox Dominion in the top row that I should have turned horizontal. Gracie is preparing for a collision at the plate. The other one I'll highlight is the 2002 Topps Traded.

Grace left the Cubs after the 2000 season and I'm fairly certain it was probably 99% the organization's fault they let him go (a safe bet for most of the Cubs' history - if there was a personnel issue, the club probably messed it up). I was really happy when he got a ring with the Diamondbacks in 2001. Possibly my favorite World Series ever, especially since the Yankees got beat. So Grace in a Diamondback uniform doesn't bother me too much. 

Then there were some really nice Cubs cards that expose my lack of knowledge about the newer features of the hobby. I know there are a couple refractors in here. And I believe the others would be (insert color) parallels. I know, a woeful lack of knowledge. But the last card here I do recognize as the card that made a lot of people rich when Jerome Walton went on to have a Hall of Fame... oh wait.

Then there were some waxy rookies:

A Frank Thomas! Juan Gone reverse negative! And give me that 89 Donruss Biggio all day every day. There was an 88 Donruss Grace in here too, but it ended up in a special Mark Grace pile, you know.

Twins cards were next (which will nearly all go in a binder I donate to my church every year for its silent auction): 

Finally, a bunch of Kerry Wood cards. I neglected to take a picture but there were a ton of these, too. I need to get my collection of him catalogued.

So thanks to Jeremy and many happy return(s) packages to all of you.