Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Charity Break Continues LIVE NOW!

The break continues with the last two boxes! We're live now, so come join the fun! Recorded video will be available as soon as it wraps up.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break Continues LIVE at 7 PM EST

We'll finish up the charity break tonight at 7PM EST! Same channel as before. Breaking 1999 Stadium Club Series 1 and a mini box of 2008 Topps Finest courtesy of Roger L!



Live streaming video by Ustream

To join the chat make sure to watch the break on the Ustream Site and type in the chat section (not the "Social Stream"). See you there!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break Day 1 Recap

The first 9 of 11 boxes were a total win for us in the charity break! We've got two more to open tonight. You can catch the entire video replay on Ustream, but here's a recap of some of the hits and highlights!

Arizona Diamondbacks - Fuji
Atlanta Braves - Wes
Baltimore Orioles - VFSB
Boston Red Sox - Gavin
Chicago Cubs - Matt M
Chicago White Sox - Gavin
Cincinnati Reds - Chris Razz
Cleveland Indians - Fuji
Colorado Rockies - Wes
Detroit Tigers - Roger
Houston Astros - VFSB
Kansas City Royals - Doug H
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - VFSB
Los Angeles Dodgers - Ethan
Miami Marlins - Doug C
Milwaukee Brewers - Fuji
Minnesota Twins - VFSB
New York Mets - Greg
New York Yankees - Cathy
Oakland Athletics - Gavin
Philadelphia Phillies - Doug H
Pittsburgh Pirates - Chris Razz
San Diego Padres - Doug H
San Francisco Giants - Ross M
Seattle Mariners - TJ
St. Louis Cardinals - Brian S
Tampa Bay Rays - Chris Razz
Texas Rangers - Brian S
Toronto Blue Jays - Chris Razz
Washington Nationals - VFSB








Markakis Relic /199 - Carrasco Autos /99 & /199

John Danks Artist Autograph 8/10

David Ortiz Black Printing Plate 1/1

UPDATE: I just realized today is President's Day, meaning no mail. We'll open the last two boxes this Wednesday night barring any wrenches tossed in!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break LIVE Now!

No more waiting, get in here and join us for the fun!



Live streaming video by Ustream

LIVE Charity Break TONIGHT 8 PM EST

Today is the day! After over three months of dedication and generosity by all of you, tonight we're busting a ton of boxes and saving a ton of lives! Because of you, we'll be donating enough money to Childfund International's efforts in the Philippines to feed and shelter dozens of children. Honestly, you guys have no idea how much that touches my heart. If I didn't have a reputation to keep up, I might admit to tearing up a bit. Tonight is all about celebration though because...

TODAY Sunday, February 16th at 8 PM EST
The break will take place on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/viewfromtheskybox


Live streaming video by Ustream

I'll be going live closer to 7 PM EST to test things out. Feel free to hop on at that time to let me know if everything is coming through all right and to hang out. I really hope you can join us tonight whether you've bought into the break or not, come hang out and have a good time with your fellow bloggers! We'll kick things off by randomizing off the teams via Random.org.

I'm convinced there's no better group of people than card bloggers, and I know that everyone who has been able to support this break has done so to the best of their means. Whether that's through buying a spot (or more), through plugging it on their blogs, or any other way, it means the world to me.

There are still 5 spots left! You can grab a random slot for just $20, or only $15 if you're already entered. Want another? Every slot after the first is just $15. I hope to see all of you in just a couple hours!

Charity Break LIVE TONIGHT 8 PM EST - 5 (or less) Spots Left!

Today is the day! After over three months of dedication and generosity by all of you, tonight we're busting a ton of boxes and saving a ton of lives! Because of you, we'll be donating enough money to Childfund International's efforts in the Philippines to feed and shelter dozens of children. Honestly, you guys have no idea how much that touches my heart. If I didn't have a reputation to keep up, I might admit to tearing up a bit. Tonight is all about celebration though because...

TODAY Sunday, February 16th at 8 PM EST

The break will take place on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/viewfromtheskybox

I admit, I've never used Ustream before as a streamer, so I'll be hopping on early to play around and make sure I've got everything down pat. I really hope you can join us tonight whether you've bought into the break or not, come hang out and have a good time with your fellow bloggers! We'll kick things off by randomizing off the teams via Random.org.

I'm convinced there's no better group of people than card bloggers, and I know that everyone who has been able to support this break has done so to the best of their means. Whether that's through buying a spot (or more), through plugging it on their blogs, or any other way, it means the world to me.



That said, there are still 5 SPOTS LEFT! Email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to grab one or more of these. Don't send payment until I shoot you a response just in case we sell out first. I'm confident we WILL sell out, so grab your spots as quickly as you can!

I'm putting together a pile of cards to give out during the night to those watching live and commenting. They'll be given out through contests and trivia at random times. I'm not sure how long the break will last, but I'm prepared to rock it until it's over with. Assuming I don't screw anything up, the break will be saved on Ustream so you can watch it later if you can't join live.

Don't forget to let your readers know that you're tuning in tonight to watch the break! The more the merrier!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

2013 Charity Mixer Preview - 8 Spots Left!

We're just over 24 hours away from the 2014 Typhoon Haiyan Charity Mixer Break! There are just 8 slots left, meaning a combination of 8 teams or random slots can be had. If you haven't joined yet but want to grab a random slot, they're just $20! If you're already in and want to increase your chances of taking in a nice haul of cards, you can get random slots for just $15! 

Hop on that deal quickly and email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to claim it before they're all gone! 

We kick off TOMORROW Sunday, February 16th at 8 PM EST

The break will take place on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/viewfromtheskybox


Now let's get a little preview of the boxes I'm most looking forward to in the break. 


1997 Stadium Club



1997 Stadium Club has one of my favorite base sets of all time. High quality photography and fat embossed player name-bars do it for me. There's also a fair share of expensive inserts to be found if we get lucky.

1999 Stadium Club



1999 Stadium Club was the sophomore year of the infamous "Triumvirate" inserts. The design was pretty gnarly and it perfectly fit late 90's baseball card style.


2010 Topps 206



Most collectors were tired of the 206 brand by 2010, but it's still a very pretty set. It also has the coolest mini framed relics I've ever seen.

2010 Topps National Chicle



2010 Topps National Chicle is an incredibly weird and wonderful set. If done a bit differently, it could have been a hit, but the high cost of hiring someone to paint the card portraits and a few blunders along the way (see Tyler Flowers card above) kept this from catching on. Nonetheless, there's a lot to like in here and I can't wait to rip a box tomorrow night!


 These are just four of the eleven boxes we'll be opening tomorrow night! Click here to see what else is on tap and which teams are left. Please do me a big favor and plug this post tonight and/or tomorrow if you can, I'd love to have this thing sold out by tomorrow night. Thanks everyone!



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

T-Minus 4 Days to Break - Sweet Deal Inside!

At this time in four days we'll FINALLY be breaking 11 awesome boxes! You know the gist by now, every penny of proceeds goes to benefit the children in the Philippines who are still suffering from the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan last Fall.


There are still tons of teams available:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
Oakland Athletics
Philadelphia Phillies
San Diego Padres
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals

Can you believe the Cardinals are still on the board? For $38 it's an investment you can't ignore. 

ONE LAST SPECIAL!

So far only 6 random slots have been claimed, meaning we have 12 empty slots. That's a lot of missed opportunity to not only do a good deed, but to get some great cards and have a blast with us. 
If you haven't yet signed up, you can get a RANDOM SLOT for just $20! 
If you already have at least one team or slot claimed, you can get a Random Slot for just $15!

Hop on that deal quickly and email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to claim it before they're all gone! 

Sunday, February 16th at 8 PM EST

The break will take place on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/viewfromtheskybox 

Make sure to follow the channel so you get a reminder when the break goes LIVE on Sunday! I can't thank you all enough for your support, patience, and generosity for this break. If we can just get a few more people to join, it'll mean the difference between a small donation and something that can go a long way to help these kids. 

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

TTM Return of the Year

My hand is currently cramping like nobody's business from writing TTM letters. My February ritual is under way as I help bombard the next wave of unsuspecting baseball players with mountains of PWE's before they can even take the field. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but other times I remember why it's one of the best parts of the hobby. Today is one of those days.

Ignore the scratched up penny sleeve I put it in
Holy smokes. My biggest win prior to today was Andy Pettitte or Josh Hamilton. Pretty sure getting a TTM return from the best active pitcher in baseball can't be topped.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break - SAVE THE DATE!

The boxes are ordered, the slots are filling up, and it's time to set the date for the Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break!


Sunday, February 16th 8:00 PM EST

We'll kick off the break and try to wrap it all up in one go. I haven't chose a place to stream it yet (any recommendations?) but if you can't join us live, I'll upload it to Youtube as soon as it's over. 

There are still 12 spots available for the break. Since the promo on Tuesday was such a success, let's try it again with a few more teams. These teams can be yours for just $30!

Atlanta Braves
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals

Email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to claim one of these teams. Remember, every penny of proceeds goes to help children in the Philippines! 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Break is ON! Let's Save Some Lives!

Some 9th inning heroics from Doug and Mr. Fuji put us at 16 teams claimed for the Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break. Half of the boxes have been ordered, but I'm waiting to hear back from Steel City before I can place my order with them. Once I have the order in, a date will be set for next week or the week after.

The big bump is behind us now, but we still need a few more teams claimed to put together a worthwhile donation. We're hovering right on top of the break even point, so every penny raised from here on out will go directly to Childfund International's efforts in the Philippines. If you're curious about why I chose Childfund International, it's because of their high level of respectability among charities. 82 cents of every dollar goes back to the children they're helping.

If you haven't kept track of the progress since the November typhoon, you might be saddened to learn that progress has been slow. Food prices have doubled compared to before the storm. Most people are still without work, which means they are without money. The Philippines saw an extreme amount of kindness from people throughout the world through donations after the storm, but since Christmas the donations have slowed immensely. Anyone who has every been around a disaster knows that recovery takes a long time.

The Philippines have long been known for one of the most despicable crimes against humanity, child sex trafficking. High poverty rates and starvation have led to high recruitment by cartels for this purpose. With most families having no source of income, these cartels approach families with promises of honest work for their children. They're told the children will be working overnight in bakeries, when in reality they're taken to the red light district. What choice do these families have? With no food and no other options, the human spirit will suffer through anything to survive.

We can help these people. If we filled this break up, we'd provide enough money to feed, clothe and shelter a child for an entire year. Can you imagine that?


In appreciation for all you guys have done, I'm going to throw five teams on sale through tomorrow night. 

Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals

These five teams can be claimed through midnight on February 5th for just $30. Email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to claim a team. Thank you all for your kindness and support of this great cause, I can't wait to rip some cards!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Just Need ONE More


Can you be my hero, buddy? Can you take my stress away? Can you join my break... just one time! I can cut... you a good deal. 

2014 Typhoon Haiyan Charity Break


Thanks to Doug, we need just one last team to sign up for the break by midnight tonight so I can order the boxes. After that, I'll place the order for the boxes and set a date and time for sometime in the next two weeks. Spots will stay open until the break starts or we sell out, but that can't happen if just ONE more person doesn't claim a team. The folks in the break have been super generous and a few have bought multiple spots, but we need somebody who has been on the fence to jump to our side.

Have you never done a group break before? This is the perfect one to get started with. Through midnight tonight I'm still running the TWO for $40 Random deal. That's just $40 for every card from two random teams out of 11 stellar boxes, plus a few loose packs. Plus whatever I toss in. And the money goes to feed and shelter children.

Want to be my hero? Enrique Iglesias wants you to be. Email me at chrisross4444@gmail.com to claim a team or a TWO for $40 Random Slot!