Trade Bait Draft Results from the Daily Dimwit

After having taken part in the very first trade bait draft about a year ago, I have come to really enjoy these.  Sometimes they serve to replenish my trade coffers, which is very useful in and of itself, and other times they give some very nice keepers.  This particular draft hosted by Sam at the Daily Dimwit did both for me.  The main reason it did both is because it was sponsored by BigHits Sports Cards, so the variety went far beyond the average collector's trade bait.  It really seems like a very sound business plan for the modern card shop, at least for a quick cash injection.  But enough about my economic theory, let's take a look at some cards.

The main reason I got into this draft was the abundance of Rockies "hits." There were a total of 8 cards that featured a Rockie and I ended up with 7 of them, which is what I expected since the third was a quad bat featuring Todd Helton along with some guys named Sosa, ARod and Griffey.

Here is a pair of parallel jerseys from Upper Deck.  The Tulo is my favorite from the break and is a gold version #'d out of 75.  The Holliday is a bronze version from SPx and is #'d to 199.  The completist team collector in me really despises parallel jersey cards, because the lower numbered cards are not that different than the more common varieties. 

Here are three pinstriped jersey from the early 2000s.  As expected the jersey are of Larry Walker and Todd Helton.  From 1999-2003, 90% of all Rockies relics are these two guys.  (That statistic was completely made up by me, but seems close to accurate)

Multi-team cards, yet another scourge of the team collector.  I mentioned earlier that I missed out on the quad bat card with Helton and the three superstars, but I didn't miss the Helton and the three lesser stars.  I do like that future Rockie Preston Wilson is one of the three on the card with Helton.  The Mike Hampton / Todd Helton was actually a card that was selected by jaybarkerfan, but he was nice enough to trade it to me during the draft for future considerations.  I have some of the considerations Wes, and I should have the rest by the end of the week.

Everyone got 11 selections in the "hit" category (well I got 12 thanks to Wes.), and since I was out of Rockies I decided to draft for future trades.  The only card up there not up for grabs is the Bryan Bullington #'d to 51, which Pirates Treasure Room has dibs on.  I hope he wants it, because who else would want a Bryan Bullington card?

11 hits in a draft was pretty good in and of itself, but Sam wasn't one to leave it at that.  He added a chunk of nice cards from his personal stash for the rest of us drafters.

I got the two Rockies I needed.  The 2007 Masterpieces Troy Tulowitzki is a Green Linen version.  I already had the Windsor Green version and had to guide Sam through telling me which one this one was.  The Linen version has a textured border while the Windsor is slick.  Now I have both so I don't have to figure it out anymore.  Well except for the two black versions that I still need to track down of that card.  The Xponential X2 Troy Tulowitzki brings me within one of finishing the Rockies team set.  I still need the Garrett Atkins X1 and my Rockies are finished.

A couple of other cards I plan to keep are two of my favorite Presidents of all time.  The Bill Clinton is a Windsor Green parallel.  The Teddy Roosevelt is from 2009 Goodwin, which is normally a set I despise.  I do like the Citizens of the Day though.  The other card I got is pure trade bait.  It is a Derek Jeter Windsor Green parallel.

The final three cards I got from the draft are also for trade.  The Felix Hernandez is a cloth sticker from 2011 Topps Lineage.  The Gary Sheffield is from 2008 Topps Heritage and is a regular chrome #'d to 1959.  The final card I picked up was a Joe Morgan from 2005(?) Upper Deck All Star Classics commemorating his All Star Game MVP Award in 1972.

As a bonus for each and every drafter, BigHit threw in a full set of the Home Run Legends from 2012 Topps, because apparently they were severely overstocked.  I like the idea of trying to help hobby stores with this promotion, but it doesn't seem to be working. 

As far as the set goes, it is horrible.  Here is why.  Of the 9 cards, 4 are Yankees and only 5 of these guys are in the top ten of all time in home runs.  Reggie is 13th, Mantle is 16th, Banks is tied for 21st, and Pujols is 37th.  I can appreciate why Topps left out Bonds (1st), Sosa (7th), and McGwire (10th), but why were Ken Griffey Jr. (5th) and Jim Thome (8th) excluded not to mention Harmon Killebrew(11th).  We all know that Mantle is Topps' special friend, but I would have replaced Banks, Pujols, and Mantle with those three.  Especially Killebrew since he passed away last year.  It would have been a fitting tribute.



Thanks Sam for a great draft and everyone else let me know of there is something you are interested in.