Ooo, Shiny

 I typically try to stay away from picking up cards off ebay right around the street date.  I'm a bargain hunter.  Buying when prices are most inflated is not a bargain.

But sometimes things can work in your favor, particularly with Topps' screwy release calendar.  Topps Chrome and Triple Threads went live within a short timespan, and mostly containing the same players.  The result is a flood of new cards hitting the market for these players.  And while there are many collectors out there with deeper pockets than I, the big fish are bound to miss a tasty morsel or two.

I've become largely disinterested with Topps' refractor parade each year, as more and more "colors" are added to the Topps rainbow.  But there's no arguing that Bucco cards always look good in black and gold refractory goodness.  And with most of the collecting dollars chasing the hits out of TTT, it was inevitable that some gorgeous cards would slip through the cracks.

And quite honestly I'd rather have a nice refractor over a shrapnel card that contains a piece of jersey that may have been on the field, or may more accurately resemble one of the jerseys I wore to the Pirates games this past weekend.

I was able to snag both of these black refractors for a little less than $5 delivered, and I'm perfectly fine with that.  Lambo and Alvarez are both out of favor with both collectors and Pirates brass right now, but they'll find a good home in my collection.  And I really like the way the black border looks with the Pirates black jersey.  It's doubtful I'll be able to round out the black ref team set at prices I'm happy with, but I do need to get on adding some more Pirates refractors from this year.  The Bucs were woefully represented in Chrome for most of the past few years, so I need to take advantage of the variety while I can.