Secret Santa Was Good to Me

Secret Santa was really good to me this year.  Jared at the blog Cards My Mom Didn't Throw Out did me right.  Thank you so much Jared.  It starts with this Bob Horner auto - 2019 Donruss Optic Significant Signatures.  Great card and as I told Jared I've made it a goal to complete my Horner collection as best I can in 2020 so this is a wonderful start.  Thanks to Jon at A Penny Sleeve for your Thoughts blog for once again running the Secret Santa gift exchange this year.

He also nailed it with 82 Atlanta Braves cards that are great for the collection.  They hit on so many personal favorites and were needs.  Many are some I've never seen which is always fun.  These three are all PC guys and Braves greats.

Some old school Braves greats were included as well.  I love these guys and I have so few old school Burdette and Niekro cards.  

That's a sweet Albies card and Freddie is such a stud.  Is that a cool looking Klesko or what?  I'm digging it.

There were also some PC guys to include these three guys.  Baines makes that White Sox uni look good.

There were also 72 Red Sox cards and all great players.  It was star after star BoSox player here.  And that Clemons photo seems fitting for some reason.  He really isn't the big baddy we all make him out to be but there was definitely an attitude there.  That Pedro and Kimbrel are cool cards for me as well just because of the photos.

  

And there were plenty of shiny cards as well!  Again big thank you to Jared.  Go check out his blog for plenty of Diamondbacks love as well as other cool card posts.  I hope Secret Santa was just as good to everyone else who participated this year.

  Merry Christmas!

Secret Santa by Penny Sleeves for Your Thoughts

Penny Sleeves for Your Thoughts is at it again.  Secret Santa is open for business over at his blog.  The link is here.  Last year was my first year and I really enjoyed it.  Go on over and look over the details. It is easy and fun.

Secret Santa Was Good to Me

My Secret Santa cards came in on Friday and I wanted to share.  I received not one, but two autos which was a great surprise. They are both Max Fried who is a young left who has done well in limited time for the Braves.  He is a former 1st round pick from 2012.  The first auto is a 2018 Chronicles Cornerstones Rookie Reserve Signatures Quartz parallel #/49.  This is a sweet looking card.

The next auto is from the 2018 Donruss Optic set - Rated Rookie Signature.  Another nice card which I think is a bronze parallel.  Two autos was more than I could ever expect from my Secret Santa...and there is more...

My first ever Topps Now card.  This is of Lane Adams and one of the three walk off wins by the Braves in their series with the Marlins at the time.  I've always loved this concept but hadn't waded into the waters yet.  Topps Now provides fans a way to buy instant memories.

These are some of the 2012 Topps Opening Day cards I recevied.  My Secret Santa must know I'm a big Opening Day guy and I had zero of these cards before they arrived.  Love 'em.  Not sure if Freddie Freeman is just intense or just struck out but he looks like someone you don't want to mess with at the moment.  Nice action shot of Chipper fielding a ball and another one from Brian McCann, who returns to the club this year.

My Santa also knows my love for the Michigan Wolverines hence the Jake Rudock card.  He didn't pan out in the NFL but had a solid year with the Wolverines after transferring from Iowa.  Blue really needed someone at QB and he was that guy for a year before he graduated.  Devonta Freeman is a personal collection guy for me.  These are some really nice optic cards. 

Last but not least is one of the new Atlanta Hawks.  I definitely had reservations about Jeremy Lin coming to the Hawks this year as we had just drafted a young point guard.  He's actually done a good job melding into what Atlanta is doing.  He comes off the bench as a combo guard and has averaged a solid 10 points per game but more importantly is shooting great this year at a 50/38/82% clip.  I really thought they'd flip him for another player but instead has been a solid player for the Hawks.

Thank you so much to my Secret Santa, whose identity I still don't know.  Secret Santa is great fun.  I know how tough it can be getting cards for someone else but that is half the fun.  Merry Christmas all! 

Plug for Penny Sleeve's Secret Santa

A Penny for your Thoughts is doing a Secret Santa (click here) this year for bloggers/collectors.  I want to give him a quick plug as there are just a few days left to sign up.  Limit is $10 and as he said should be fun and allow collectors to get to know one another.  This will be my first time but I'm looking forward to it.