200 Bogaerts Cards! (and Other Great Parallels)

Let's take a look at the contents in the latest of many, many dozens of back and forth PWEs I've exchanged with my good collecting buddy Mark Kaz, formerly of the blog This Way to the Clubhouse.  I'm already woefully behind on posting this trade package, plus two other great ones that showed up just after it, so let's see what nine cards Mark shipped my way already...

In the lead-off spot is the most significant card in the PWE, this Orange parallel of Xander Bogaerts' 2020 Topps Big League card.  A nice-looking Bogaerts card to be sure, but the reason I'm so excited about it is because it's the 200th different card of Xander in my formally organized and cataloged collection!  Pretty good milestone there, I think the only other baseball player in that boat so far is David Ortiz just due to the sheer number of Big Papi cards all Red Sox collectors end up with.

This card will be a tough act to follow due to its significance, but let's see what else Mark included...

Another cool parallel from Big League, this one from the 2018 edition.  I had an amazing streak of attending events at Fenway Park, whether Red Sox games, concerts or otherwise, at least once and often many times every year for about two decades, until COVID-19 stepped in and ruined 2020.  Hope to be back in 2021 to begin a new streak.

LOVE this one!  Pacific was doing some really wild things with cards in the late '90s/early '00s, and this 2000 Revolution set is a prime example.

I'm a total sucker for a good X-Fractor.  While the 2006 set may not hold a candle to my personal favorite X-Fractors from 2014, these are beautiful cards nonetheless and the red works incredibly well for Boston cards in particular.  These are also somewhat rare, at just /250 copies each.

I accumulate a few of these exclusive Holiday cards from year to year, but this Rick Porcello is the first time I've seen one of the Metallic Snowflake parallels in hand.  This is a case where the scan absolutely does not do the card justice.  In fact, I enjoy this one enough that I may seek out some other Sox on COMC.

Thanks to TCDB.com, I learned this Fred Lynn is from the 2003 Topps Tribute World Series set.  My first card from that release, and I love that it's so incredibly shiny!

This 1994 Score Gold Rush parallel is one of those cards that makes me realize how badly I need to Windex my scanner bed.  In hand it's actually quite nice, but you'll have to take my word for it.

I believe this Artist's Proof Blue Eddie Mathews is actually a Boston Braves card, but we won't hold that against Mark.  Especially since I enjoy all Boston-based sports cards, as well as the retired stars from the recent Diamond Kings releases.

Perhaps the most visually stunning card in the PWE, this Pink Refractor from 2018 Topps Chrome Update Edition is just beautiful in hand.  The players absolutely pop off the bright surface on these.  I will absolutely try to complete a team set, even if there is a somewhat tough Rafael Devers card in the mix.

Mark, thanks so much for these great additions to my Red Sox collection!  I miss your blog big time, but I'm glad we get to continue strengthening each others' collections anyway.  To everyone else, thanks for stopping by.  I'm finally starting to come out of my job-related funk here and get back to posting, and I have some real good ones in the hopper, so check back in soon.  Until then, take care out there!