An Expected Package of Unexpected Cards

Roughly 2 weeks ago, Kerry from Cards on Cards and the recipient of my Secret Santa package from the end of last year, reached out to me, saying that he'd put together a collection of cards that he wanted to send my way.

Immediately, I was impressed by his generosity in that he wanted to send something my way completely out of the blue, and he didn't ask for anything in return. However, I was even more impressed when the package arrived in the mail.

My posting schedule has been inconsistent for the last month or so, and while I've wanted to write this post for several days as a way to show my appreciation, I simply haven't gotten around to it, and I apologize for that.

As for the actual contents of the package, there is a broad coalition of all sorts of cards. A large number of them feature Red Sox players, but there are also a fair number of set needs from my want list mixed in as well.

For example, a few needs from my 2018 Topps Archives set, including an SP of Buster Posey and Andrew McCutchen in the 1959 Topps combo card design.

Coincidentally, one card from each of the 3 designs replicated ('59, '77, and '81) was featured in addition to the combo card which has to be my favorite of the group.

But as I mentioned earlier, Red Sox cards constituted most of the contents of the bubble mailer, and a significant portion of those cards featured players that I collect.

I was familiar with most of the products, but the card in the upper-righthand corner continues to leave me slightly mystified. At first, I thought it was a sticker, but I soon found that the cardstock is too thick.

Plus, J.D. Martinez is shown on the back, so it must be some sort of 2-player insert, though I don't know what set it's from.

I wouldn't be able to highlight every Red Sox card that Kerry sent me as it would take far too much time, but I can point out a couple of highlights that really stood out to me. Surprisingly, many of those cards are from Panini products.

2 of the cards above, the Babe Ruth insert and the Ortiz in the bottom-lefthand corner, are from a couple of sets (Diamond Kings and Leather & Lumber), that I've never purchased in my life.

To me, something like this is one of the primary benefits of having a card blog. You can connect with so many different collectors and come across cards that, otherwise, wouldn't end up in your collection.

Lastly, when 2019 Topps Chrome Update was released toward the end of last year, I raved about the 150th-anniversary cards and how Topps chose excellent images for the chrome cardstock. Little did I know there were 2 Red Sox players whose cards I'd yet to come across.

Williams and Yaz, along with David Ortiz, constitute the Boston players featured in this checklist, and they seem like the 3 most qualified guys to be included if you ask me.

The pictures, particularly Yastrzemski's, work unusually well with the chrome cardstock, something you wouldn't necessarily think would happen.

This package was certainly an unexpected act of generosity. Thanks so much for putting this together, Kerry. I'm going to try to send something your way in the next week or so.