Trading Packs for Cards

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I found cards in the store for the first time in forever. I took advantage and picked up a blaster of 2020 Contenders football that I already shared my spoils. I also picked up two packs of Topps Holiday. I have to admit, I didn't have too much interest in the annual holiday edition this year, but it's always fun to rip open some packs. The result is that almost everything I pulled ended up as trade bait on my TCDB list.

Each pack had ten cards, but only nine could be scanned at once. When I scanned them, I tried to choose the cards I thought bloggers would be most interested in seeing. Sorry, Marlins. From this pack, only Hosmer fits in my collection. The rest became trade bait. And extra points to Hosmer for having Wrigley ivy in the background, too.

Once again, only one of these cards goes in my collection. As I flipped through the cards in this pack, I came across a Carlos Correa that was backwards. I knew that meant something, and I was happy because I collect Correa. So I turned the card over, wondering if there was an auto or, more likely, an SP. I examined the front, searching for a candy cane or Christmas socks or something. I couldn't figure it out, so I just thought maybe the card was turned around. Then I realized I could check the code, so I went back to the back and found the card was, indeed, a variation. I still couldn't find it. So I looked online. Before I reveal the holiday-themed variation, take a closer look and see if you can find it.

 

Do you see the SP-ness of this card?

 

There's snow on the ground! I mean, I can see the snow, but it just doesn't look that out-of-place to me. It didn't even register in my mind. Maybe all of you saw it right away. Oh well, I won't complain too much because the one SP I pulled fills a collection need.

These cards weren't on my tradelist on TCDB for 2 hours before I received a transaction proposal. Somebody must be building this set because every 2020 Topps Holiday card I had for trade was claimed in one trade.

I quickly flipped these cards for a few cards that I wanted much more.

A green bordered parallel from Topps Gallery of ASG MVP Juan Marichal. This one is numbered to 250.

Two players representing my Alma Mater, Southern Utah University. SUU players on cards are a rarity, so I'm happy to pick up these two from 2016. Miles Killebrew is still with the Lions, who drafted him, but Ammon Olsen never played in the NFL.

And two cards from my other college fandom, the BYU Cougars. Jeremy Guthrie is an on-card auto here.

At the end of the day, I'm perfectly happy taking my 2 packs of Topps Holiday and turning them into these five cards. These certainly mean much more to me. I have to say, though--this was the first time I've ever traded all the contents of a pack rip at one time. It certainly made pulling the cards for the trade easier because they hadn't even been put away yet. But that is one reason I buy packs--so I can have something to trade for cards that I might want. This worked out perfectly.