A couple of gifts and trades

I will still have one more post coming on my last COMC order, showing some baseball cards that I bought. Before that, however, I thought that I would show some cards that I received in Christmas cards, but picked up in the new year, and some cards that I've obtained by trade.

The first two cards were received by Trading Card Database user 'budler'.

Left: 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas #48

Right: 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas - All-Time Alumni Trios #ATAT-YSM

It was nice to get these cards as a Christmas gift. When I thanked him for the cards, he thought I was collecting them as a Texas fan. I had to tell him that I was collecting them because Eric Metcalf and Colt McCoy were Browns draft picks. He might have been happier with that news because he is a Cornhusker fan that is still displeased about the 2009 Big 12 Championship game.

You know what? I can respect holding a grudge like that!


There was also a Christmas card waiting for me, that held two cards. This one was from another TCDB user, and fellow blogger, Billy Kingsley at the Cardboard History blog.

L-R: 2012 Topps Magic #128; 2014 Topps Chrome - 1989 Chrome #89TC-DW

I figured that I would get to this post before now, and thought that I would thank him in that post, so I haven't thanked Billy yet for these two cards. So, many thanks, Billy. The cards are very appreciated.

I love the Topps Magic cards, and this rookie card of Josh Gordon is nice with the grass stains on the knees. It was too bad that he left the Patriots a few weeks ago, needing to look after himself, and being suspended again for violating the substance-abuse policy. This suspension might end his career, but I hope that he sorts his life out.

The Topps Chrome card of David Wright is awesome, and has bumped out the other 2014 Wright card that I had in my Mets Opening Day Starting Lineup project.

I like the 1989 design, but how he is carrying the glove on the card sure looks awkward. I can see how he is carrying it, but if you just glance at it, it is strange.


Finally, I made two trades with another user at the Trading Card Database. These were from '49ants', and he, by far, has the most transactions on the site.

Shortly after adding some cards into a trade list on the site, I heard from him with a trade request. After our first exchange, and after I added some more cards to my trade list, I heard from him again.

Here are the cards that I got from those two trades.

L-R: 1995 Collector's Choice - Crash the Game #C25; 1995 Score - Red Siege Artist's Proof #128

The Crash the Game inserts has multiple variants, stamped by dates. I already owned the other two variants - Sept. 3, and Oct. 22. It is nice to have completed the Rison cards that I need from this set. I can't say that I really like looking for his cards, and now these ones are done.

This is the second of the seven Red Siege Artist's Proof Browns cards. It is a nice Testaverde card. This is my 165th different Testaverde card, which ranks him eighth in my collection.

L-R: 1995 Collector's Edge Excalibur - Draft Day Silver #DD-22; - Die Cuts #17

I've always liked these plastic Collector's Edge cards.

Craig Powell was the last first round draft pick for the Cleveland Browns before the team's move to Baltimore.  He really didn't make the impact that the franchise would have wanted. He played three games for the Browns in 1995, and nine for the Ravens in 1996. The Ravens, however, found a pretty good linebacker in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft in Ray Lewis. I'm sure that helped ease the pain of the previous year's poor first round pick.

The die cut cards are pretty fitting for a set called Excalibur. This is the last of this parallel for the team set that I needed.

1990 Topps #173

During my COMC posts, I showed another 1990 Topps card, and mentioned that I had hopefully traded for the last of the variations that I need for the base 1990 Topps cards. Here it is, the version with no disclaimer on the back.

Since many of you are probably not football collectors, and have no idea what I'm referring to, I decided to post both back variations.

As you can see, the big difference between the cards is the lack of a disclaimer on the bottom of the card on the left, and the disclaimer that "Topps football player cards are not manufactured, sponsored or authorized by any team or league." on the card on the right.

Isn't that something to have on the card? If you're curious as to why it is there, here is an article explaining the circumstances behind the two versions.

L-R: 1999 Bowman Chrome #13 and #202

These were the last of the five cards that I needed for the base team set for 1999 Bowman Chrome. It is nice to see the Browns players in their expansion uniforms, with the expansion patch on the front of their jerseys.

L-R: 1999 Collector's Edge Fury - Gold Ingot #130; 1999 Score - Showcase #160 (#/1989)

Here are a couple of Browns parallels from other 1999 sets, where you can see the players still wearing their old uniforms, but being listed with the expansion Browns. I still need other cards from both parallel sets.

L-R: 1999 SkyBox Metal Universe #7 and #54

These two cards, and the card below, leave me only needing one more card to complete this set's Browns team set. The missing card is Jerris McPhail, a running back in a Detroit Lions uniform.

The next card from this set has a great photo on it!

1999 SkyBox Metal Universe #53

It would have been better if Antonio Langham was in a Browns uniform tackling Keyshawn Johnson, but it is still a good shot. I say that, but it is somewhat corrected on the back of the card.

Unlike all the other Browns cards in the set, which has the back photo showing the player in the uniform shown on the fronts of the cards.

I assume, though, that since Langham had played for the Browns before their move to Baltimore, that SkyBox found an old photo of Langham wearing a Browns uniform to use on this back.

Notice that he wore different uniform numbers in San Francisco and Cleveland.

L-R: 1999 Skybox Metal Universe - Quasars #2Q; 1999 SP Authentic - Rookie Blitz #RB2

To finish this post, here are a couple more Tim Couch cards that were added to my collection with the trades. Two more down, and so many more to find.

I have one other TCDB trade in transit right now, but I have no idea when I'll get the cards. They were shipped to my US PO Box, and I probably won't get down there for a week or so.

Thank you to 'budler', Billy and '49ants' for the gifts and trades.

COMC order Part 6 - A bunch of first round picks

I was looking at the last of my Browns cards from my COMC order, and was a little bit surprised at how many of the remaining cards were first round draft picks.

It will start with the same future Hall of Famer that I ended my last post with, and then it starts to hurt. On the plus side, all of these cards were purchased for under a dollar.

L-R: 2011 Score - Glossy #70; 2012 Topps - Gold #198 (#/2012)

Joe Thomas was the third pick of the 2007 NFL Draft.

As with the 2010 Score set that I showed in my last post, the 2011 set is full of parallels as well. I have less of these, but was happy to add this Glossy Parallel.

Although I may complain about all of the parallels that we see, I like the simple ones that can be identified by the color of the borders. These gold ones were always nice, and were numbered out of the year of the card.

2016 Panini Unparalleled - All-Pro #AP-18

I think this card shows that he was a pretty successful draft pick, and the picture moves into the new Cleveland Browns uniforms.

L-R: 2016 Donruss - Press Proof Silver #71 (#/100); 2017 Panini - Sacrifice #14 (#/299)

A couple more parallels to add to my collection, and I was happy to see the Sacrifice parallel labelled as such so distinctly.

L-R: 2018 Donruss - Elite Series #ES-27; 2018 Donruss - Glory #G-9

The card on the left has been shown on my blog before - it was my choice for my favorite card of 2018. Comparing it to the Glory insert, I prefer it for actually getting to see Joe Thomas without his helmet on, and what I think is a much nicer background.

L-R: 2012 Finest - Refractor #125; 2012 Topps Platinum - Orange Refractor #130

Trent Richardson was the third pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. I've said in my blog before that I was thrilled with the pick.

He had a good rookie season, but the Browns obviously saw something early in the 2013 season, and were lucky to be able to trade him to Indianapolis for a first-round draft pick in September 2013.

L-R: 2012 Score - Hot Rookies Glossy #3; 2012 Topps Platinum - Rookie Die-Cut #PDC-BW

A final Trent Richardson card with another Glossy parallel of an insert card.

Brandon Weeden was another first round pick from 2012, drafted twenty-second overall. He started 20 games for the Browns in 2012 and 2013. He was still in the NFL with the Houston Texans this year.

Top: 2012 Panini Prestige - NFL Passport #3

Bottom: 2016 Panini Prizm - Rookie Introductions Prizm #6

After trading down twice in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Corey Coleman was selected with the fifteenth pick.

After suffering injuries with the Browns in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, which would have been part of the reasons that he didn't live up to expectations, the Browns traded Coleman to Buffalo for a seventh round draft pick during the 2018 training camp.

The Bills released him after training camp, and the Patriots signed him for about a week before also letting him go. He finished this season with the New York Giants, playing in their last eight games, catching five passes, and also returning 23 kickoffs and one punt.

L-R: 2016 Donruss Optic - Red & Yellow #161; 2016 Panini National Convention - VIP #40

I'm sure I'll be able to pick up cheap Coleman cards for years to come.

L-R: 2014 Topps Chrome - Green Refractors #152; 2014 Panini Hot Rookies #269

I've got two first round picks in this scan.

Justin Gilbert was the Browns first first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, eighth overall. He was overshadowed by a quarterback that the Browns drafted fourteen picks later.

The quarterback's troubles helped hide the fact that Gilbert only started three games in his two seasons with the Browns. A little bit more is expected from an eighth overall pick.

The Browns were lucky to trade him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2018 sixth round draft pick. He played the 2016 season with the Steelers, and has not played in the NFL since.

I decided to finish off the first-round picks in this post with another success story.

Joe Haden was the seventh pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, and went on to make the NFL All-Rookie team that season.

He played for the Browns from 2010-2016, and made two Pro Bowls (2013 and 2014), and the NFL Network's Top 100 list in 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, he battled injuries during his last two seasons with the Browns.

Before the 2017 season started, Haden was surprisingly cut by the Browns and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As might be expected from a Browns fan, I hate the Steelers. However, I still like Joe Haden, and don't blame him for signing with Pittsburgh. I might have preferred him going elsewhere, but with the Browns just cutting him like they did, I don't blame him for finding the best option that he could.

Although that was the end of the cards of former first-round Browns draft picks in my COMC order, there were still a few more Browns cards in my order.

L-R: 2014 Bowman Sterling #77; 2014 Panini Hot Rookies #52

Pierre Desir was said to be a bit of a project when he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Browns, starting seven games, before being waived before the start of the 2016 season. After stints with the Chargers and Seahawks, Desir has played with the Indianapolis Colts for the last two seasons, and started twelve games for them this year.

In a story of a local boy making good, Brian Hoyer signed a two-year contract with the Browns before the 2013 season, and he started 16 games for the Browns over those two years, going 10-6.

Yes, a post-1999 Browns quarterback with a winning record.

The Browns decided not to bring him back after his contract ended, and he bounced around a little bit before returning to New England where he is still Tom Brady's back-up.

L-R: 2015 Topps High Tek - Pattern 2 Spiral/Dots #106; 2016 Donruss Optic - Pink #192

Finally, here are two other Browns draft picks that are still with the team and had important roles with the team last year.

Duke Johnson was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, while Rashard Higgins was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Hopefully they will have good careers with the Browns.

COMC order Part 5 - working on two sets from 2010

My last COMC order allowed me to pick up a bunch of cards from two 2010 sets. The order brought one set down to four cards to complete all the Browns from it, but the other one has so many parallels that I doubt it will ever be completed.

L-R: 2010 Panini Adrenalyn XL #95 and #100

Here are two base cards from the Panini Adrenalyn XL card game. I've never played the game, or even read the rules, and I know nothing about it.

L-R: 2010 Panini Adrenalyn XL #98; - Special #S15

Here is the base Jake Delhomme card, along with his card in a foil Special insert set. You can see that the Delhomme's game stats are higher on the Special card. I guess they wanted to make sure you'd keep buying cards to improve your team with a better version of some of your players.

L-R: 2010 Panini Adrenalyn XL #99; - Extra #E8

Here is a similar pair of Jerome Harrison cards, but the insert set is a different foil Extra card. The stats seem to be a little bit more of an improvement on the Extra card as opposed to the Special card earlier.

L-R: 2010 Panini Adrenalyn XL #101; - Extra Signature #ES8

Here is another set of cards, but this one has a foil Extra Signature insert card. The signature appears to be printed onto the card. The increase of stats is a even a little bit higher on this insert card.

These cards bring me down to needing two more base cards, of Eric Barton and Sheldon Brown. I also need a Special version of Sheldon Brown, and an Ultimate Signature of Josh Cribbs. From scans I've seen, the Ultimate Signature card also appears to have a pre-printed signature on the card, and the stats appear to be eight higher than the base card.

I'm sure that I will eventually complete all the Browns in this set.

On the other hand, I will likely never complete all the needed Browns cards from the following set.

L-R: 2010 Score - Scorecard #70 (#/499); - Glossy #169

In the 2010 Score set, there are fourteen Browns cards to collect. I have all the base cards that I need, but each card also has six parallels (Artist's Proofs, End Zone, Glossy, Gold Zone, Red Zone and Scorecard).

I thought that I read that Ben Watson had announced that this would be his last year playing. Since the Saints were defeated today, that would mean that his career is over. I enjoyed watching him play, and was glad that he had a stint with the Browns.

L-R: 2010 Score - Glossy #67; - Gold Zone #67 (#/299)

The Glossy parallel team set is the one that I'm closest to completing. I'm now down to needing just three cards to complete it.

L-R: 2010 Score - Scorecard #373 (#/499); - Hot Rookies Gold Zone #25 (#/299)

Oh, yeah, and the insert sets all had the same six parallels. This is the first of the Hot Rookies parallels that I own, but there are also Colt McCoy parallels to find.

L-R: 2010 Score - Gold Zone #73 (#/299); - Scorecard #73 (#/499)

These two Massaquoi parallels are added to the Glossy one that I already owned. His three parallels are the most that I have of any player so far.

L-R: 2010 Score - Red Zone #69 (#/100); - Scorecard #69 (#/499)

These are my first parallels of the Joe Thomas card. Although the Glossy seems to be the easiest to find, I don't have the Joe Thomas one yet. This is my first Red Zone parallel for this set.

Checking my collection, and doing a little bit of quick math, there are 84 different parallel Browns cards to collect of the base cards. I just picked up nine of them, and they joined eleven that I already had. So, I'm very close to having collected a quarter of the available parallels.

I don't own any of the Artist's Proofs, numbered out of 32, or the End Zone parallels, numbered out of 6. I've still got plenty more of these parallels to acquire.

COMC order Part 4: 1999 - 2009

My last COMC order didn't include too many cards from the first decade of the new expansion Browns team, but I think that there were some nice additions to my collection, and some interesting cards as well.

L-R: 1999 Pacific Prisms #36; 2000 NFLPA Super Bowl Players Party Tim Couch

The Kevin Johnson prism card picked up the background color from the scan - it is pretty much a mirrored silver card.

You can see the Players Party logo on the front of what appears to be a 1999 Topps Tim Couch card. It came out at the Super Bowl, early in 2000. Here is the back, with a message:

It is a card that I hadn't heard about until a Trading Card Database member posted about it in their forums about a year ago. Once I saw it, I looked on COMC, found it, and bought a copy. It had been sitting there a while until I finally had this order shipped.

2000 Pacific Crown Royale - In The Pocket Mini #1

Okay, this card looks normal here. I've identified it as a mini above, so you know it is smaller than normal. I mean, we all have, or have seen, minis.

But this one is small! Way smaller than I expected. Take a look!

Some might not, but I actually like the back. I'm not going to say that sometimes it seems like card manufacturers are mailing it in, but if they are not going to put much information or writing on the card, then I don't mind seeing the team helmet. It works for me. Mind you, with the size of the card, it might have been hard to put too much writing on it.

These two Tim Couch cards put me over 500 different Tim Couch cards in my collection.

2005 Donruss Throwback Threads - Throwback Collection #TC-24

I saw this card that I needed for $0.37 during the sale. As you would expect, there are versions of this card that actually have material swatches.

Top: 2007 Leaf Rookies & Stars - Studio Rookies #SR-40

Middle: 2007 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia - Marks of Fame #MOF-18

Bottom: 2007 Donruss National Convention #3 

I'm always happy when I add Joe Thomas rookie year cards. As an offensive lineman, I don't expect his cards to spike too much when he goes into the Hall of Fame in a few years, but I'll grab cards pretty cheap now if I can.

Top: 2007 Topps Chrome - Refractors #TC87

Bottom (l-r): 2008 Topps Mayo - Mini #47; 2009 Topps Mayo - Mini Blue Back

Some more parallels for my collection. These two Mayo minis seem very big compared to the Pacific one earlier in the post.

L-R: 2008 Topps Rookie Progression - Veterans #PV-BE; - Veterans #PV-JL

These are a little thicker than your average card. I like them, and especially like filling their holes in my collection at $0.33 each.

That's it for now. The next post will feature cards from two different 2010 sets.

Players with only one card in my collection - 8

Continuing the quick break from my COMC order to post another in a series showing cards of five players with only one card in my collection, and using images from The Trading Card Database. I'm using their sorting tools to look through my collection listed on their site to see who only has one card, and then finding the first five names that I haven't posted yet.

Here we go!

1989 Pro Set #520

Brian Washington was waived by the Browns in 1989, and did not play in the NFL for that season. He then played with the New York Jets for the 1990 to 1994 seasons, and the Kansas City Chiefs for 1995 and 1996.

Looking at his stats on the Pro Football Reference website, he had a pretty solid career.

This is his only Cleveland Browns card, but he had many other NFL cards with the Jets and Chiefs during his tenure with those teams.

2014 Upper Deck #101

This card caught me by surprise when I got it in a lot of Browns cards that I had won on eBay.

Calvin Barnett was an undrafted free agent that was signed by the Browns after the 2014 NFL Draft.

I will generally include college cards of undrafted free agents that the Browns sign in my collection as long as the Browns are the first team they sign with, however, for a lot of those players, unless they go on to make the team, I am often unaware that they were Browns signees. For my collection, I really don't follow the practice squad that close, but some eBay seller did.

Anyway, why wouldn't I want this card as part of my collection, it is awesome! I would almost have to make up an excuse to keep it in!

After being on the Browns practice squad during the 2014 season, the Miami Dolphins signed him in July 2015, and he appears to have been cut at the end of training camp.

He also has a black and white parallel to this card, and a couple of autograph cards in the 2014 Upper Deck set.

1965 Philadelphia #36

When I saw Dick Modzelewski's name on the list of players with only one card in my collection, I knew that it was this card. When he passed away last year, I looked to see how many cards of his that I had, and was surprised to find that this was his only Browns card. I don't know why his 1965 card didn't have him in a Browns uniform after he played the 1964 season with Cleveland.

Dick Modzelewski played fourteen years in the NFL, starting with the Washington Redskins from 1953-54, then the 1955 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then more notably with the New York Giants from 1956-1963, and the Browns from 1964-66.

He played in six NFL Championships with the Giants, and two with the Browns, winning once with each team - in 1956 and 1964. He helped bring a winning attitude to the Browns and was a key in their shutout Championship victory over the Colts in 1964.

After his playing career, he coached steadily in the NFL from 1968-89.

1989 Pro Set #450

Barry Krauss never played for the Browns, and played the 1989 season, his final one in the NFL, with the Miami Dolphins. He has a 1989 Topps Traded card showing him with the Dolphins.

This is the only card that shows him as a Brown.

2007 Topps Total #22

This card is the only card in my collection for Kenny Wright. (I have two cards in my collection for Tim Carter, and seven for Leigh Bodden.) There are parallels of it available, so I'm sure Kenny Wright will eventually be removed from the list of players with only one card in my collection.

Kenny Wright was signed to a three-year contract by the Browns as a free agent in March 2007, after eight years in the NFL with Minnesota, Houston, Jacksonville and Washington. He played in seven games for the Browns during the 2007 season, and was released in May 2008 after twice being arrested for marijuana offences earlier in the off-season.


After the comments from the last post in this series, I will note that other than just by seeing the cards in my collection, I knew of Dick Modzelewski from books I've read about the 1964 Championship team, and I remembered Brian Washington as a Jet, but really didn't realize he was the same guy from this card until I wrote this post. I can't say that I remember Barnett, Krauss or Wright, except from my card collection.