2013 eBay purchases #57-59: 300 days of Rich Hill

Well, I don't actually have 300 Rich Hill cards (yet), and I haven't put up posts on 300 different days since I started this blog, but this IS my 300th post here, and a large number of those posts HAVE featured Rich Hill, hence the title.  Here's to a bunch more!

I'm still working on getting through my recent eBay purchases (with lots more OTHER stuff also backlogged), but today I can show off another three of them since they do have a common theme--the aforementioned Mr. Hill.

First up we have a group of cards I've been trying to nab pretty much ever since I started chasing Hill's PC:

This is the 55-card 2008 Topps Cubs Team Gift set.  I'm assuming these were regional, and regardless, I had never seen one in my area.  Of course, that's where eBay comes in, but all the same, I rarely found a good price for it, often due to the cost of shipping the unopened blaster box (NEWS FLASH, SELLERS:  I would have purchased this without the box if you would have offered).  Fortunately, in September I managed to land the thing for about $7 delivered, which I thought was fantastic.

So, why bother getting the whole set?  Well, for one thing, I never did see Rich's cards available individually anywhere.  And more importantly, he actually appears on FIVE of them.  Here they are:

Rich Hill 2008 Cubs Topps Gift Set (#7)

Rich Hill 2008 Cubs Topps Gift Set (#10) (with Lilly, Marshall)

Rich Hill 2008 Cubs Topps Gift Set (#19) (with Zambrano, Lilly)

Rich Hill 2008 Cubs Topps Gift Set (#28)

Rich Hill 2008 Cubs Topps Gift Set (#45) (with Zambrano, Lilly)

As you can see, they have the exact same design as the 2008 flagship set, so the main difference is the numbering on the back.  Also, besides one card each for many of the players on the roster, there's team leaders, cards highlighting special events, and some other stuff.  That Hill features so prominently makes this a nice buy for me.  Throw five more cards on the total!

Next up, I made a couple purchases that might give you readers a touch of déjà vu:

Rich Hill 2008 SP Authentic By the Letter 'I' letter patch auto (#29/50)

Rich Hill 2008 Upper Deck Premier Swatches Jersey Number triple patch (#20/53)

Yep, this is another post featuring an SPA By the Letter auto/patch and a Premier triple patch, just like I did a couple weeks ago.  The letter, my third (along with a "C" and an "S," giving me three of the eight), set me back about $8 while the spiffy multicolor patch went for $7 and gives me eight of Hill's 22 from that year's Premier.  This is a sweet pair of cards that puts me up to an eye-popping 96 hits of my favorite PC player.  Also, combined with the other five from today, Rich's new IHAS total is 211/348 (plus 12 1/1s).

By the way, if anyone WOULD like to help me make it to 300 Hills so I can live up to this post's title, I would be much obliged!