Ever since my passion for SPx, one of the first sets I started to chase was the 2003 SPx Winning Materials Patch set. This set has been a slow chase, random cards pop up, some I need, some were upgrades. The second most difficult card in the set was Drew Brees /17. One hit the bay, but with a price I didn't want to pay, because it was his Jsy #, so I let it go, hoping it would be re-listed lower. Well it ended without a buyer and disappeared for six months. When it was re-listed, I snagged it. So for a while now, I have been down to just one card, Jeff Garcia #d /15.
On January 26th of this year, I received a message from an ebay member:
"Hi,
I've been reading the Blogs and noticed you have a nice collection of the 2003 Spx football set and just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Joe ( chicagojoec) and a big collector of the 2003 Spx set and wanted to ask that if you ever decide to sell your set if you can please contact me first, I would love the opportunity to make an offer before it went to auction
Thanks for your time
Joe"I respond and let him know that these sets are my passion and probably won't be for sale for some time (barring a catastrophe), and explain some of the cards I am missing (Jeff Garcia).
He replies, that he has 7 or 8 of the Garcia's.......
But, like me the set is his passion and good luck with my search.
So, I am thinking, no way in heck will he part with one. We exchange communications for a bit and he still needed for his set: Peyton Manning WM Patch/Au #d /50 or Tom Brady Supreme Auto #d /50. He says, he would trade me one of the Garcia's and cash, if I can locate him one. Oh boy, here we go.
I begin my search and create threads looking for one of them, search photobucket, do all I do when looking for 264s. Well, I get a post from one of the best Collectors ever ricky williams 34 (Wendy), showing me her Peyton Manning Patch/Auto, but #d 34/50 (a collecting focus of hers too).
Long story short, Wendy comes up with the idea that I use mine to trade him, I purchase hers for my set, thus keeping the #d 34/50, close at hand, should we find another Peyton Manning to swap back. She is such a smart, awesome, great, giving, insert adjective here friend. Well, I couldn't agree more about this great idea. I was able to ship mine off to Joe, he gave me a choice of five Garcia's to choose from. These type of things is what makes this hobby soooooo great. Collectors helping collectors. She needs to be watching her mailbox......
So, I did pick up this one to upgrade the single color Rice I had this week too....
This is the Jeff Garcia that Joe traded me to finish this set......
The 17 card set all together:
WMP-BF Brett Favre 59/75 - OZTATAR (Alex)
WMP-BJ Bryant Johnson 42/75
WMP-CP Chad Pennington 61/75
WMP-DB Drew Brees 9/17
WMP-DC David Carr 51/75
WMP-DM Donovan McNabb 4/75
WMP-JG Jeff Garcia 9/15 - chicagojoec (Joe) assist by RW34 (Wendy)
WMP-JR Jerry Rice 48/75
WMP-LT LaDainian Tomlinson 12/75
WMP-MV Michael Vick 61/75
WMP-PM Peyton Manning 07/75
WMP-PO Clinton Portis 14/75 - micorps (Tim)
WMP-RM Randy Moss 53/75
WMP-RW Ricky Williams 43/75
WMP-SM Santana Moss 29/47
WMP-SW Seneca Wallace 55/75
WMP-TC Tim Couch 07/75