Nine from the Shoebox

I'm too old for all the conventions that I've been going to. I posted about going to San Diego Comic-Con. This past weekend, there was a local mini game convention that I helped organize, and around midnight tonight I will be leaving on the 14 hour drive to Indianapolis for GenCon. (Okay, I'm not too old for the conventions, just too old to have conventions on back-to-back-to-back weekends.)


I'm also old enough to remember that the proper place to store your sports cards was in a shoebox, a fact referenced by Shane in the title of his fine blog: Shoebox Legends.


Really tired on Saturday, I noticed that my roommate must have collected our local mail from the day before, and there was a PWE waiting for me. Not having much time, but seeing Shane's name in the return address, I quickly opened it, looked inside, and then put it aside to check against my collection when I returned home. The cards looked familiar, but of course they would, they were mostly parallels, and with those I can never remember what I have and don't have.


Let's take a look at what I was sent!

Top (L-R): 2004 Bazooka #180; 2008 Topps Chrome - Blue Refractor #TC147
Bottom: 2011 Topps - 1950 Bowman #44

Three fairly high Browns draft picks in the perpetual search for receiving threats for the Browns offense, both Winslow and Edwards made Pro Bowls, but both didn't pan out as the Browns expected them to.


Right away I knew that I had the Kellen Winslow and Mohamed Massaquoi cards, but thought that I needed that bright shiny blue Braylon Edwards card. As it turned out, I was right. The Edwards parallel is a very nice card to add to my collection.

Top (L-R): 2012 Topps Chrome - Orange Refractor #66; 2013 Topps Chrome - Pink Refractor #13
Bottom: 2012 Topps Magic - Mini #217

Josh Cribbs is one of the best return men in NFL history, and many rank Jim Brown as the greatest to play in the NFL.


I knew that I had multiple versions of each of these cards, and suspected that I already had the Jim Brown mini, but much to my surprise I didn't. I needed all three of these cards. Woo hoo!


The pink Maysonet card gives me six different of his 2013 Topps Chrome cards. I so love getting that many cards of a player that never made the team.

Top (L-R): 2014 Topps Chrome - Pulsar Refractor #55; 2015 Panini Gridiron Kings - Red Border #119
Bottom: 2014 Panini Rookies and Stars - Crusade Blue #24

What can I say about these players?


I hope that Josh Gordon stays clean and comes back and plays well for the Browns this year, but as a fan I'm really not counting on getting anything from him. He has tons of talent but anything he gives would be a bonus. I just wish I didn't hear so many stories this past off-season associating him with Johnny Manziel.


And Johnny? I hope that he turns his life around.


And it just wouldn't feel right to get some Browns cards without a Vince Mayle in there somewhere!


When I first saw these I knew that I needed the Gordon and Mayle, and suspected that I had the Manziel. Again, it turned out that I needed all three cards, so this was a really nice unexpected boost to my collection. Thanks, Shane!


I'm going to have a couple of posts ready to go while I'm away in Indianapolis. I hope that everyone has a good week!