A mail day to end all mail days, Pt. 3

We've come to the final part of one truly awesome mail day, courtesy of a few fellow bloggers.

Tomorrow, I'll be showing off those "virtual dime box" finds that I've bragged about a few times already.

This afternoon, we'll be focusing on an extremely generous group of cards that blogger AdamE, author of the terrific blog "Thoughts and Sox", sent my way.

Best I can remember, Adam was one of my first regular readers. He's always been there to leave a gracious comment on many of my posts, something I've appreciated during my time as a blogger.

He's also sent me some exceptional trade packages as well. He might've really outdone himself with this one, though. One of the cards he included could be anything from a neat card to a freaking amazing piece of history. It's an enigma.

But more on that later.

The basis for this smattering of cards was a smaller trade package that Adam sent me a few weeks ago. After receiving that pair of OPC cards, I mentioned to Adam that they were especially neat because I'd had a tough time coming across any of the Canadian issues from the '70s and '80s. (Back when I collected hockey cards, it seemed like I couldn't escape myself of all the OPC issues out there, oddly enough.)

So what did Adam do next? He sent me a couple huge stacks of 1987 OPC and Leaf cards, an "All-Canadian" trade package.

While I might not have grown up during the '70s or early '80s, I'm still accustomed to picturing Davey Lopes in the "Dodger Blue". That Astros uniform just doesn't look right.

He doesn't seem too happy about it, either.

Since Adam collects Red Sox, I'm assuming these were doubles.

It's not every day that I come across a new card of "Oil Can" Boyd. Or, as he's known by boring old Topps, "Dennis Boyd".

The Baylor couldn't have arrived in my mailbox at a better time, because I recently decided to start collecting him.

That one amazing dime box managed to help kick-start it a bit.

I've always wanted a copy of Dan Quisenberry's 1982 Fleer issue, a current "Dime Box Nine" resident.

The "pre-game stretch" shot is one that I thought was missing from my collection. Once the Garvey fell out of the mailer that Adam sent, I realized that I'd already had one for a long time. Garvey's regular '87 Topps card has been with me for seemingly forever, and this '87 OPC will look great next to it in my binders. (Just another benefit of keeping my collection in nine-pocket pages.)

Nevertheless, I'm still on the hunt for that Quisenberry if any are floating around out there.

That Clemente probably should've been a "Gems of Junk Wax" nominee a while ago. It had to have been one of my first cards of his, back when I'd buy large boxes of overproduction era Donruss, Topps, etc. at garage sales or flea markets for a buck a piece.

The one you see above is the Leaf version of the very same Clemente card, still in all its glory.

Adam snuck a couple non-Canadian issues into the mailer as well.

He didn't tell me he'd be sending anything vintage-related, so this was an especially nice surprise to come out of his generous trade package.

The first time I came across that famed two-dollar vintage box was at a card show last November. (A month before I could've bragged about them, since I didn't yet have a blog.)

I got so excited over it that first time that I ended up picking out way more cards than I had the budget to buy. Sadly, I had to put a good chunk of the cards back, although it was pretty much my own fault.

This '60 Topps Larsen was one of the fallen pieces of cardboard, as it ended up going back in the box. It was a blessing in disguise.

Little did I know a blogger would send me that exact same card, nine months later.

Now, it's time to take a look at that mysterious piece of cardboard that I mentioned near the beginning of this post.

Adam mentioned he picked up a bunch of these off a guy who didn't know for sure whether they were real or not.

If the price was right, I probably would've taken a gamble on something like that as well. But I never thought Adam would include one of them amongst a smattering of seemingly innocent OPC and Leaf cards...

If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is the real deal.

While that's probably a longshot, I tell you, it just feels real. Adam said the same thing in the email he sent me, and I can see why.

It really does feel like something that would've come out of the famed "tobacco era".

One of my unfulfilled goals as a collector is to acquire a tobacco card for my collection. My dad and I have searched and searched, but we can't seem to find one within either of our price ranges.

In my experience, most reprints literally have the word "reprint" somewhere on the back of the card.

It's nowhere to be found here.

If this card of "The Crab", Johnny Evers, is indeed real, then it's the best card anyone's has ever or could ever send me, without a doubt. I could never fully "repay" Adam for it, if that is indeed the case.

Should I happen to come across a tobacco card I can actually afford one day, I'll still buy it.

For now, though, I'm perfectly happy with this one, whether it's real or not.

Maybe I'll bring it to the Pawn Stars guys the next time I'm in Las Vegas to see if they can authenticate it. They could bring in one of their "experts".

Either way, this has the makings of one of the best trade packages I've ever received.

Adam, I can't thank you enough.