Money in the Banks - Ernie Completes My Topps Diamond Die Cut Cubs Set

I was hoping to get all six in only six days, but I suppose seven will do. After getting a bit creative with trade proposals, I finally was able to land that elusive Ernie Banks Diamond Die Cut Card.

After completing the trades that bagged me the other five Cubs, Banks was proving to be quite the challenge. After starting things off with 104 cards I was willing to trade, I had just a little over 50 cards left, and came to the realization that a card I REALLY wanted to keep, a 1974 Billy Williams, might have to be sacrificed in my epic conquest.

The Williams was put up for offer, one-for-one, for Banks, but nothing. All remaining cards, including the Cubs hall-of-famer, were put up for the Banks, but still, nothing. It was time to take more of a roundabout approach. If they weren't willing to give up Banks for Williams and 50 cards from the '80s and '90s. maybe I can turn those cards into something a bit more enticing.

First, I tried to flip the Williams for a die cut of a number of different stars and legends, but again, nothing. I came to the realization, that while I have a great appreciation for him, non-Cubs collectors might not, so I offered up the card for any of the six Cubs in the die-cut collection. The logic was one, someone interested in Williams would be a Cubs fan who just might have a die-cut Cub in his collection, and two, if I am trying to get Banks, it might help having a Cub in the offer. A day later, a trade was accepted for 2010 All Star Maron Byrd.

The rest of the cards were grouped by decade and offered up for every die cut card out there. I began my collection of 26 cards from the '90 with the Washington Nationals and worked my way down, and my collection of 26 cards from the '80s with the Arizona Diamondbacks and worked my way up. Before long, I had die-cut cards of Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow and White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin. Before going to bed last night, I took my three tradeable die cuts and put an offer out for Banks.

This morning, I went to try and upgrade those cards to bigger names, but they were nowhere to be found. Upon looking at my collection, I soon discovered that I am now the proud owner of the entire six-team set.

Al least, that's the set for now. There will be a few others added in at a later date. On their Facebook page, Topps is running a bracketed tournament to determine one legend, one veteran, and one rookie to add in to the die cut set, and currently, Ryne Sandberg is in the Legends bracket and beating Ozzie Smith. I'm not sure who will be in the other two tournaments, but my quest might not be over quite yet. We'll just have to see.