If I Make Customs and You Make Customs...

then why don't we swap a custom? That was the pitch I got from Topher over at Crackin' Wax. I'd seen Topher's work on his blog, in fact, he gave me the idea to try making actual "in hand" cards in the first place. I'd seen his posts where he had taken some of his creations and had them signed at various Twins functions, so I decided to try it myself. Anyway, he asked for a Twins card and wanted to know who I would like, so I asked for a Soriano for Nobie. This was what I sent off from our end.

The number one catcher in baseball and all-around Minnesota homeboy, Joe Mauer. I didn't have just one idea, though so I sent a bonus card...

of Justin Morneau. The Mauer was a new design for me, while the Morneau was one I had used before on a horizontal card of Hank Blalock. I liked the design though, so I wanted to try a vertical one. I think they turned out pretty well. Wanna see what Topher sent us?

Well, there you go! Two Sorianos. I guess Topher was feeling just as creative as I was. I'm glad it ended up being a 2 for 2 swap. Nobie got a nice "old school" and one of Topher's Signature originals. The really cool thing though, is that I got to finally see how someone else puts their stuff together, and let me tell you, these things are first class. Very nice craftsmanship. The "old school' card is glossy while the Signature card has a somewhat matte finish to it. I still don't know exactly how he gets the matte finish (I think its top secret) but it's very nice. Both cards are quite thick and appear totally seamless all the way around.

Topher even created full backs for both cards which is a very nice touch. He included all kinds of info down to the tiniest details, even hand numbered 1 of 1 on the signature card. Great stuff! I've been pretty happy with my finished cards, but now I have a new measure of quality to strive for. These things are just about as perfect as you can get for homemade cards. If you have a knack for making your own cards, I suggest contacting Topher about a trade as well. You won't regret it. Thanks again, Topher! Later.