Wow! Panini is sending out some good stuff...

Received a George Springer auto (#'d to 499) from the USA baseball champions set. Not sure of BV, but a good card of a true top prospect.

I'm starting to give up hope for more cards...

Anyone considered that Topps isn't sending cards out any more? A couple years ago, we were getting multiples of cards. Now nothing? I expect this from Upper Deck. Not from the company that got me hooked on cards in the first place. Something stinks.

Finally...a Seahawk pays off.

Purchasing the Russell Wilson auto card for $13 on the Monday after he was put in for Flynn seems to have been the right choice. I was thinking at the time that I had wished I hadn't. Now I wish I had bought more.

Seriously...no Topps cards? Panini is lighting up my mailbox with cards...

The NPN collection for my kids is solely Panini...Patch cards and low number cards with decent players on them. We've received at least two cards for each Panini set we have sent in to the drawing. It didn't used to be this way. We would get similar numbers from Topps just a couple years ago. Pains me to say this since my favorite set (the one that got me back to collecting) - Allen & Ginter - will not be making its way in my collection until I see at least one card come our way. I can say that any money I do spend on cards will be going toward a Panini product.

Did Topps go out of business?

I've sent more envelopes to Topps than Panini. Panini 4, Topps 0. Guess whose cards I'm going to cut back on?

Two very minor cards today...

I received two no-names from the Score Hockey set. One from the first goals set, the other a rookie. Both players are still unemployed. Only chance of these cards going up - they change sports.

Uhm...card companies have gotten cheap...

If this is to satisfy some law about gambling, are they following the rules. I've received two cards from about 60-70 entries between four addresses. I did far fewer total in 2008 and faired better. Prove me wrong Topps, Upper Deck and Panini!

If you believe...a man on the moon.

Two days, two astronaut material cards. Hopefully, we get more Monday.

Panini Heroes & Legends arriving...

Received a clothing card of astronaut Al Worden yesterday from Panini. Any astronaut is better than some loser from American Idol. Here's hoping that I do as well as I did four years ago with Donruss.

Bad economy or lockout drop?

Just recently, I was bidding on items on eBay I didn't think I had a chance of winning for such a low maximum. Two days later, MyeBay showed that I won something. I was shocked at the win. "2003/04 SP AUTHENTIC SERGIE FEDOROV/STANISLAV CHISTOV DUAL AUTO #/99 BGS 9" $6.84 total including shipping. One of the greats. Obviously, the misspelled name threw some biggers off, but seriously? Made me feel bad getting it so cheap.

This waiting is tough!

I understand that I haven't gotten to the first drawing date for the index cards I've sent out, but I still check the mailbox each day in hopes a card will be there... If anyone reads this...are there any updated sites any more? Even NPN Cards - the best site in my opinion - is falling behind.

I'm back...again.

OK. Let's try this again.

I'm back!

After a long hiatus, I have decided to start sending in NPNs again. Like many others, I just didn't have the time. Well, everyone needs a hobby...

I'm scouring all the poorly updated sites out there to get a good list going...I will post my findings soon...

BGS grading

Just received word that some cards I sent in to BGS are done, including a couple NPNs.

The expensive Audrey Hepburn card graded a disappointing 7.0 due to a low surface grade. I didn't notice anything, but apparently they did.

I was happy with a grade for a card that my wife pulled. A 2008 Topps Heritage Black Refractor (#/59) Jacoby Ellsbury received a 9.5! A $120 card just got a lot better.

Here are all the grades...

2007 UD Masterpieces Stroke of Genius Signatures Printing Plates Black
Ken Griffey Jr.
9.0

2007 Americana Hollywood Legends Material Super Stars *
Steve McQueen Jacket/25
9.0

2007 Americana Hollywood Legends Material Super Stars *
Audrey Hepburn Dress/25
7.0

2008 Topps Heritage Chrome Refractors Black
Jacoby Ellsbury
9.5

1992 Pro Line Profiles Autographs
Roger Staubach RET
9.0

1962 Topps
Mickey Mantle IA
3.5

9.0 and 7.0 isn't bad for free...

Major NPN mojo!!!

I can't believe the luck.

I just received a few cards from the Donruss Americana line in the mail and you aren't going to believe this! (I have a couple people that I send out for and they send me any cards - I did pay for the stamps).

The three cards:

• Cinema Stars Material card #CS-8 Ernest Borgnine - $5-10
• Hollywood Legends Materials Super Stars #HL-10 Steve McQueen (#/25) - about $50-60

and the MOJO!
• Hollywood Legends Materials Super Stars #HL-11 - Audrey Hepburn (#/25) - $300 in Beckett.

Oh yeah!

My total now is 13 cards...

Just received two more cards today. The first was a Joe Mather refractor prospect card from Bowman Sterling - numbered to 199 (My second Bowman Sterling prospect refractor card).
The second card was a rookie card of Rodney Stuckey, a Pistons player that went to my alma mater, Eastern Washington. His card (numbered to 499) is from Topps Co-Signers.

Cards! Cards! Cards!

I'm too busy to post much today, but I'm receiving cards at a steady pace now.

One of the shockers was a 2007-08 Topps Chrome LeBron James Refractor (Books for $16). I know! I already got a Topps Chrome, you say. Well, at that time, I was cheating a little bit sending out for multiple names. Cheating does apparently work.

Halelujah!!

Halelujah!! Three cards in one day from my new favorite card company, Topps.

I borrowed these images from eBay, so they may not match exactly. Sorry, I'm lazy.

1) 2007-08 Topps Chrome BK Refractor #94 - Dominique Wilkins (numbered to 999)

2) 2007 Topps Triple Threads FB Emerald [See note] #21 - Jason Campbell (numbered to 199)

3) 2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects #BSP-JGA Refractor - Joe Gaetti (numbered to 199)

Not too bad... could be better!

Watch the UD offerings disappear...

Those two "new" Upper Deck offerings are gone now. Kind of odd.

I'll leave them on my list, because I'm assuming they would keep those entries. I'll provide an update if I see them again.

Two new Upper Deck offerings...

Upper Deck has added 2007-08 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey and 2008 SP Chirography Football to their growing list of NPN offers.

Go to http://npn.upperdeck.com

I also noticed today that my favorite set from the last two years, Allen and Ginter, has made its way to the card release calendar. Sweeeet!