Monday, January 27, 2014

Hello Lolo!

Last Friday night I had to run a few errands before I could get ready for Twins Fest the next morning, which included a stop at Shopko. I've been searching for a blaster of Panini Prizm Basketball, but have yet to find any in Marshall.

After doing a little digging, I saw a box of Topps Winter Olympics with 8 packs and a guaranteed autograph or relic card.

I tore through the first six packs and saw some nice cards, but no auto or relic, which left two packs.

On Pack 7, I noticed a different card, but could tell it wasn't a relic. Not going to lie, I expected noting exciting until I saw this.


I was so surprised I almost dropped the card, and got even more excited when I flipped it over.


I was beyond surprised to pull a Bronze Paralell!

Excitement doesn't even begin to cover it. Can't wait to watch the Olympics in a few short weeks!


Crackin Wax Topps Series 1 Jumbo Charity Case Break

One of the more popular aspects of collecting lately have been the group case and box breaks. There are several breakers that I've used and been happy with, but this one is more about breaking for a cause.

My friend Topher over at Crackin Wax does a variety of baseball breaks throughout the year and all of his proceeds go to various charitable organizations instead of in his pocket.

Right now his 2014 Topps Series 1 Baseball Jumbo Break has just seven spots left (down from 9 this afternoon) and is set to break on February 5th starting at 5 p.m., but don't worry if you can't be there right at 5! You can watch it later on Youtube to see what happens.

Teams left as of 1/27/14 at 8:10 pm are:

Athletics
Blue Jays
Diamondbacks
Indians
Rockies
Tigers
White Sox

This is a great first case break to jump into if you've never done one before, or if you like to be charitable!

And be sure to tell him where you saw this. It won't get you anything special, but hey, it's nice to know if anyone reads this!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

2013 Topps Chrome Football Blaster

Being in Marshall we don't have an LCS anymore, soi have to feed my chrome need with blasters.

I picked up a football blaster earlier this week and it wasn't too bad. I like chrome with the refractors. At least makes you think you pulled something in most packs!

Shopko was out but Walmart had plenty. Only thing I'm torn about is the guaranteed Jersey card in each box. It's nice to know it's there, but I always wonder if that means there isn't a shot at an autograph then.

I snapped shots of each pack and the jersey card.
Rookie refractor and mini in Pack 1.

Nice Geno Smith insert and Patrick Willis refractor in Pack 2.

This was the refractorless pack in the box.

Rookie refractor in Pack 4.

Best pack at this point with the Blue Jake Locker Refractor.

Another Geno Smith insert. I'm kind of partial to these.

Final pack had a rookie Xfractor.

The last piece in the box was the guaranteed jersey card. I had opened two other blasters with decent cards that were numbered.
This is the best yet. Tavon Austin numbered 55/75. These are nice looking cards and they do add to the set.

I'm sure I'll be buying more chrome and then there is Twins Fest this weekend. A few dollars will be spent!







Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Great In Theory, Less So In Practice

With Twins Fest right around the corner, I've been busy picking up cards for autographs and while Sportlots.com is great, sometimes I have to go elsewhere for singles.

I found a seller on eBay that had several cards I needed and didn't go crazy on shipping. I received them yesterday and noticed they were sealed shut inside the top loader.

This wouldn't be a big deal, but it essentially says if there's a problem and I open it, they won't accept returns. Not a big deal when it's one card, but a little harder to do when there are multiple cards in one top loader.

I'm sure they are fine, but could be interesting if they're not.

This makes great sense when you're dealing with singles. So many opportunities to mess with things, but not so hot for multiples.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Mail Day: Eric Hartzell Toronto Fall Expo Panini Prizm Cracked Ice 3/30


I've decided to start documenting my mail days so I can remember when and where I picked things up!

Yesterday I received a 2013-14 Panini Prizm Cracked Ice Toronto Fall Expo card of Eric Hartzell numbered 3/30.

These cards could only be found at a special event at the show. 

You might be wondering why I'm buying hockey cards all of a sudden, but it's pretty simple. I've always wanted to be able to collect cards of some that I personally knew and this is my chance. 

I met Eric when he was dating my niece in Sioux Falls and went to a few family events where he joined us. Now he's part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization as a goalie.

He helped take his college team, Quinepiac, to the championship game last season. Pretty excited to start collecting him. If you have anything of his, please check with me if you are willing to part with it!

Monday, January 13, 2014

It's been way too long

The other day I thought to myself that I needed to get back into blogging. I always have plenty to say, so I hope to be a little more active this time around.

The last time I blogged, it was a pretty heavy topic - my brother-in-law's passing in Iraq. I hope not to get to that level again, instead focusing on my collecting and anything else that comes up.

On the collecting side, Chad Greenway is my main focus. We are both South Dakota natives now in Minnesota, which is a big draw for me. I recently took inventory of my collection and am just shy of 300 unique cards. If you are a collector and have one I don't, I'm definitely interested! I'll be linking images of my cards soon.

I also collect a John Carlson, Riley Reiff, most any Minnesota sports teams and Notre Dame alumni.

I hope to hear from my fellow collectors that I know are out there and that they keep me honest! I need to do this more and share what I find/buy/trade for.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Israel O'Bryan's Funeral

On Monday, June 21, 2010, we said our final goodbyes to Israel at the Wilmot Lutheran Church.

The family all gathered at the church starting around noon, waiting for the 2 p.m. start. It was a somber gathering because we all knew that we would be saying goodbye to a son, husband, father, brother and friend.

People began arriving and filling the church. We expected a large crowd because Israel was a hero, someone that we all needed to thank for the ultimate sacrifice he gave for all of us.

The Patriot Guard had placed American flags along the walk to the church and it was an amazing sight to look out and see how many people were standing outside of the church with flags. Every time I glanced out it would cause me to get a lump in my throat.

Because it was a full military funeral myself and others were honorary pallbearers. As the family filed in, it was very quiet, with only the organ making much noise.

The service began quite normal until a Native American group entered unannounced and proceeded to stand in front of the casket during the readings. I understand they were paying their respects for a fallen hero, but at the same time it took away from the service a bit.

After the readings, the speakers began. Renato, a member of Izzy's fraternity spoke first. It had been my honor to speak to him and other members about the funeral and about Izzy. Renato spoke very eloquently about Israel and his sacrifices, and how as a member of the fraternity, their goal was to ensure Turner would have a college fund waiting for him in the future.

Next Governor Rounds spoke. He spoke of the sacrifices Israel had made for our country and said that though he did not have the opportunity to spend much time in South Dakota, the state should consider him a native son, for he would be spending forever there. It made me proud to call South Dakota my home state. To see someone of this stature recognize Izzy was amazing.

I feel foolish that I do not remember the name of the Army representative that spoke. I believe he was a Brigadier General, but it escapes me. His was also a great speech and afterwards they presented Brenna with Israel's final medals, which included the Purple Heart. That scene brought tears to my eyes knowing what was done to receive them.

My brother Graham followed with the obituary. I am amazed at how well he was able to hold it together during it and was even able to bring some humor into it with great stories about Izzy, especially about how when Brenna was able to meet my brother-in-law Scott in Kuwait, and how he called him "the creepy old guy" that was hitting on Brenna.

After the songs and Pastor Steve's sermon, which made even him choke up, we began the slow journey to Israel's final resting place.

As we came out of the church, it made my heart swell with pride to see all the flags again. Thanks goes out to the Patriot Guard for making this happen. It really helped bring home how much of a hero Israel is.

The motorcycles roared to life again and led the procession out to the cemetery. Along the way individuals had stopped to pay their respects, some with flags, some saluting, others simply holding their hands over their hearts.

When we arrived at the cemetery, it was amazing to see all the people flanking the grounds holding flags. I still get goose bumps thinking about that awesome show of respect for a fallen hero.

As we gathered under the tent at the cemetery, it really started to hit home that this was it. We would never see Israel again.

We've all seen movies where the 21-gun salute is given, but this time I couldn't hold it back and tears began to stream out. My grandmother was near me and I had to put an arm around her because it was such a stirring moment. The presentation of the flag to Brenna and Israel's mother and father was also very difficult. It brought a finality to everything that was hard to take.

Pastor Steve invited anyone that wanted to to approach the casket one final time. I was lucky enough to have had Israel's name for the two Christmases he was part of our family. This last year I had planned to get several Georges St. Pierre cards and have them framed for him, but ended up getting him a Colts jersey instead. I had brought one of the cards I had gotten early, and as Dean placed a cigar on the casket, I added the card. I cried the entire time I walked up, placed it on, and walked away. Scott added a pin that I didn't get a chance to see and then the casket was lowered into the ground.

I'm so glad Tracy was there for me. I pray every day that no one else I know ever has to go through this.

After the casket was lowered into the ground, we began to file out quietly. Though Israel was gone, he will never be forgotten. During Pastor Steve's sermon, he implored everyone to never let Izzy's memory die, and to tell Turner when he is older how great of a man his father is. I hope that we all keep this promise and share all the great stories we know. I know I will try to do just that.