Red Sox from Jared - Catching Up on Trade Packages

I recently executed my very first trade with a new name here in the blogosphere, Jared of Catching Up with Collecting.  Jared's a Red Sox fan so he was already an okay guy in my book, but then his trade package arrived and just cemented the fact!

I don't think he's a Sox team collector specifically, but Jared does seem to player collect quite a few Sox guys, and I'm sure he ends up with a ton of Red Sox cards being a fan of the team.  He sent me a very generous stack of Red Sox cards totally blind, and despite the fact that I have well over 3,000 unique Sox cards I somehow did not yet have the majority of what he sent over.

These first three cards were all from the 2011 Topps release, with the Diamond Anniversary Crawford parallel that led off the post coming courtesy of the Update set.

There was some nice brand-spanking-new content (this package actually arrived a few weeks back when A&G was hot off the press, but I had to scan out from Marc's giant stack of '82 Topps first).  I think I'm getting close to finishing off the 2014 Allen & Ginter Red Sox team set, all through the generosity of fellow traders.

Jared sent over the Buchholz and Rice base cards...

...as well as Big Papi's Pastime's Pastimes insert.  I'm not as big on these as some collectors out there but I am always chasing Red Sox cards regardless.  I actually sent one of these inserts (Jose Altuve) the other direction in this very same trade.

This Prizm RC of Alex Wilson may not look like much, and I doubt many outside of the Boston sports market have even heard of the guy, but it was one of my favorite cards in the package.  Alex has been solid out of the bullpen whenever I've seen him this year, and to my knowledge he's yet to receive a flagship Topps card.  Really happy to add his name to my Red Sox collection!

Here's another guy who's not exactly a household name, Tommy Hottovy.  I'd be lying if I said I even vaguely recalled anything about the 8 appearances he made with Boston back in the summer of 2011.  Regardless, this is my first card of Tommy so he's another new name for my Sox collection.

Here's another first, my very first Stadium Club Chrome card from any year.  In fact, I had no idea they even produced Chrome versions of the Stadium Club set.  What can I say, these sets came out at a time when collecting sports cards was the furthest thing from my mind.

I had to do a double take on this JD Drew relic before realizing it technically is a Red Sox card.  The back of the card's got a nice big Boston logo, and it says Red Sox on the front so that counts for me.  I've got many cards of JD from his time in Boston, but this is my first and only relic.

There were a few of these great 2007 SP Authentic cards in the bubble mailer as well.  Perhaps someone out there can help me clarify.  This particular card of Cy Young features a colorized team logo on the front, just like my existing cards from this set.

These next two, however...

...have more of a foil or blue color to the logo.  My guess is that these came from the 2008 Red Sox Fan Packs that were released by Upper Deck and contained slightly differing versions of Red Sox from 2007 products.  Can anyone confirm?

Here's the card I was probably most surprised to see.  I don't buy a ton of modern product, and certainly not blasters, so I have very limited exposure to these manu-patch things.  It's super think and I have to say looks pretty cool in hand.  I'm a little perplexed as to why Babe is listed with the Red Sox on the card but is wearing Yankee pinstripes in the photo.  Same rules as the JD Drew relic though, this counts as a Red Sox card in my book.  It's also serial numbered on the back to /2013.

The oldest card in the package is one I can't believe I never acquired until now.  I'm an absolute sucker for the Diamond Kings cards of the '80s (isn't everyone who was collecting at that time?), and despite my personal feelings about Roger here this card is just great.

I completed the 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces set long ago...

...but the three I received in this package were different.  These do not have the canvas finish that I'm familiar with, but instead have a glossy coat.

I know from reading other blogs that these are in fact from the 2008 Upper Deck Red Sox fan packs I mentioned above.

A new Yaz for my mini binder!

I'm not huge on the design of the Classic Walk-Offs inserts from 2012 Topps, but that being said I can never have too much cardboard commemorating Fisk's legendary blast.

This Gold Sparkle parallel of Erik Bedard is unique just because there aren't a lot of cards out there from his (forgettable) time in Boston.  He appeared in just 8 games with the Sox at the end of 2011.  I'm sort of surprised he got a card that shows him with the Red Sox in 2012 Topps, given that he was signed by the Pirates in early December 2011.

A great look at Tiant's 'chops and 'stache on this one.

Closing things out is a nice Studio card of fan favorite Wade Boggs.

Jared, this was an excellent trade.  Thank you very much for the great stack of cards.  I look forward to enjoying more great posts at Catching Up with Collecting, and maybe even to trading again sometime!