1 vs. 100 - One More Step Closer

It's been a long time since my last '1 vs. 100' post.  With just seven cards left on the wantlist (and me not really pursuing any of them), the opportunities of snagging a card for this project have been near zero.

But last month I came across a post on the hobby board I am a member of and saw a card that was the right number - both serial and price.

A smooth transaction and a bit of a wait as it came from the US and I've got another card to cross off.

2011/12 Panini Titanium

#108 Brayden McNabb rookie  /66

This isn't the first card from the Titanium release to make it into my pc.  The serial numbered concept for its rookies makes my project just a little easier to obtain.  In fact, I'm pleasantly surprised with the numerous product releases that utilize weird serial numbering.

For this McNabb rookie, it's his draft position that justifies the /66.  Picked by Buffalo in 2009, Brayden has had just a sniff of NHL time (8 points in 37 games).  This made his Titanium rookie card available at a very reasonable price.

I mentioned that the card came from the States.  And just a quick story on that.

In discussing how much shipping would cost, I quickly realized that a bubble mailer with just this single card would be too much in contrast with the price of the card.  I had considered having the card shipped to someone I know who has a US postal address, but the ping-ponging wouldn't make up much of the difference.

So what did I do?  I had the card sent via PWE - plain white envelope.

Yes, it's true.  A method so shunned that the mere mention of it sends shivers down spines.

The seller mentioned that for just a couple bucks, he would send PWE and we could both cross our fingers.  With the price of the card what it was....I decided to go for it.

It took about 6 weeks for the card to arrive, but when it showed up, there was no doubt the risk paid off.  The card was in perfect condition.

I appreciated that the seller was open with his communication and we were very upfront with the risks.  Quite simply, I'd be taking the risk of a crumpled card, he would be mindful of the toploader he used (there are flimsy ones and sturdier ones).

So it's success many ways for this post and it puts me one more step closer to completion.  Can you believe I've been working on this project for over 4 years now?

94 out of 100  (94%)