What sort of connection is there between the Twins and the Mets? Well, the Twins used to play in Metropolitan Stadium (I’d been to two games at “The Met” as a kid, sort of a trick when you live a 5-hour drive away). The Twins have dealt star pitchers to the Mets in the past in trades: Frank Viola in 1989, and Johan Santana in 2008. And speaking of Santana, Twins and Mets have also been great baseball card trading partners, specifically between BA Benny’s Baseball Card Buffet and yours truly.
Mike baited the hook with a this 2010 Heritage Mauer SP, and I ran with it. I was able to pick up from the local card shop most of the 2010 ToppsTown inserts he needed, and in exchange besides the SP Mauer, he sent several other neat Twins cards, including some Topps Chrome from my wantlists (one a refractor), and one of the 2009 EnterPlay Fan Pak cards.
clockwise, from top left: 2006 Topps Bowman Chrome Refractor #63 Johan Santana; 2010 Topps Heritage #493 Joe Mauer; 2009 EnterPlay Fan Pak Standee #46 Justin Morneau; 2009 Topps 206 #281 Joe Mauer
Hopefully the Twins and the Mets can make some more mutually beneficial trades in the future — thanks again, dude!
"é rayhahn, rayhahn" 
What’s with that Topps 206 set? That’s an interesting art style. Is that what the entire set looks like, or is that an insert?
Oh yeah, it’s one of Topps’ retro sets, based on the 1909 format:
http://www.etopps.com/ipomarketplace/t206.asp
I figured they were going for the early style, but it didn’t occur to me that they were doing a recreation of a specific year.
I wish I hadn’t fallen away from collecting, but as they were becoming a real business, I started getting my hands into…well, things I wish my hands hadn’t been in. I’d probably jump back into collecting with both feet now anyway, but I have way too many obsessions as it is.