When one blog leads to another

It feels like I've started dozens of posts by saying something along the lines of "One thing I like about the blogosphere is..."

But...one thing I like about the blogosphere is the fact that the majority of blogs out there have blogrolls to scroll through. I'm sure a lot of people discovered this blog that way, and, inversely, I myself have dug up many, many new blogs by perusing other people's blogrolls.

I bring all this up because I was recently contacted by a fellow collector named Jeff S. who wanted to set up a trade. He said he'd found my blog through Shane's, and, in the end, sent over a smattering of awesome cards in return for very little from my end. (Have I mentioned that readers are awesome?)

The bulk of Jeff's trade package comprised of more recent wants of mine, and, specifically, insert needs, including this fantastic "Fields of Yore" Shea Stadium insert from last year's A&G.

Not to be confused with Che Stadium, landing spot of The Rutles.

No brand has a higher base-to-insert differential than Gypsy Queen.

These designs are terrific (especially the Jackson N-154), but I've never been on board with GQ's base cards.

Jeff moved on to Archives from there, knocking out Larry Bowa short-prints and basketball-themed C.C. Sabathia inserts with ease.

The mix of non-baseball designs and current baseball stars is a surprisingly satisfying combo...

...and you can take a gander at Joey Votto there if you don't believe.

Topps reproduced their 1971-72 hockey design (yes, I had to look that up) for those terrific inserts.

Makes sense, too, considering Joey Votto is Canadian.

An old oddball design like Deckle Edge virtually cries for a modern reproduction, and Archives finally took the bait last year.

I'm especially fond of the Matheny since you don't see many tributes to his playing days here in 2015.

Jeff hopped on the parallel bandwagon with these two.

I know it's probably forbidden by law to pair Dodgers and Giants in the same scan, but...it's too late to change it now.

First trade or not, Jeff has this mini-collection thing down.

Autograph shot plus hologram equals a Barry Bonds card I actually don't mind adding to my binders.

A couple drool-worthy retro jerseys right here.

A Jose Abreu rookie is fine and good, but that throwback is what makes it a stellar card in my eyes.

Everything I've just shown is terrific, but Jeff really started to knock me off my feet when it came to my player collections.

In today's Andrew McCutchen-dominated baseball world, it's not every day that people just up and offer to send you a Cutch rookie card.

Matt Carpenter is part of a newer crop of player collections I've started, and I certainly thought it'd take a lot longer to add a rookie card of him to my binders.

And, now that I'm getting serious with trying to hoard Paul Konerko cards, I'm happy for any and all people send me, Wal-Mart Black parallels included.

I don't know about you, but I think I like the midnight borders better then the blue parallels Wally World had been putting out in recent years.

Here's a couple toughies for my collection of Mike/Giancarlo/Whatever His Name Is Stanton.

The Heritage card is a chrome parallel, in case the scan didn't make that clear enough. I'd honestly forgotten that there were chrome parallels in last year's Heritage.

I was too distracted by the killer design.

Vlad cards are good, uber-loud Vlad inserts from long-gone brands like Ultimate Victory are better...

...but kooky Vlad inserts printed on authentic canvas stock are the best.

Of all the superb cards Jeff sent over, I think this one took the cake. I'd been familiar with the Private Stock brand before this package arrived, but I never knew they printed things like this.

It is, as far as I can tell, a card made of real canvas. You can see the little dots on the scan if you look close enough, and the design is made to look like a series of brushstrokes. It's bends and squishes to the touch as well, and it feels like a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork.

When you put it all together, this was a trade born entirely out of the fact that one collector found my blog through another, kind of a network trade, if you will.

If my blogroll can help someone out there discover just one new blog and one new trading partner, well, then I've done my job.