One (or Two) Card Challenge

Alright fellow bloggers.  I’m down to needing one (okay, actually two) cards from the 2011 Topps Update Series.  Cards #175 and 253.  I’m asking you to fulfill a Night Owl patent pending  one card challenge.  More info found here: http://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2012/01/one-card-challenge.html

Now, I’m not expecting anyone to actually send me card 175.  You see, that is Mike Trout’s rookie card.  I would probably be better off trying to find a discounted blaster or repack box and pulling one myself.

Card #253 is another story.  Someone out there has to have a Scott Linebrink card, right? This could be the first time this sentence has been written, but, I will trade heavily in your favor for a Scott Linebrink card.

So someone, anyone?

2013 Topps Heritage Blaster Review

In what is now an annual tradition (if only because it has now opened two straight years), I found some blasters of 2013 Topps Heritage at Target last night.

Here are my unsolicited thoughts:

First, what a weird coincidence, but this set looks exactly like the 1964 Topps Design.

Take a look at this scary card # 275 of Kevin Youkilis.

I am excited for 7 years down the road when they recreate the 1971 set. I will most likely be collecting the set this year and I should probably start saving some coin for that now.

I also pulled a Target Red Variation from my blaster of CC Sabathia. Can you count the # of chins?

Pulled a nice chrome variation of Michael Bourn:

Overall you know exactly what you are getting with Heritage. Cards that are a reasonable facsimile to 50 years ago with some inserts and oddball variations.

As always, let me know if you would like anything that I pulled as I won’t be keeping much.

Here is a numerical listing: 6 13 14 16 25 28 44 50 51 60 72 77 79 92 106 117 118 134 138 150 161 167 169 170 180 182 192 203 218 222 223 249 252 262 267 275 276 297 299 303 313 319 322 324 340 344 347 355 363 364 368 381 383 384 385 386 388 391 397 401 412 420 423 424 447 490 491

Also,

New Age Performers NAP-WM Wade Miley
MM-TR
NF-SP

So we have a big-headed former President winning DC’s sausage race and Sydney Poitier winning an Academy Award.

Get on over to Uncle Doc’s!

He still has five spots left in his fabulous 2013 MLB Tournament.

http://www.uncledocscardcloset.com/2013/03/nine-teams-available-in-2013-mlb.html

Go quickly!

1971 Complete Set Accomplished

Allow me a moment to bask in the satisfaction that comes from a complete set. This one is all the more special as it is the first vintage set that I’ve been able to put together.

Here is the final card I needed and his place in the page that completed the set for me:

Here are a couple of my favorite pages as well:

Tough to go wrong with pages that include Mr. Cub and Clemente.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this set looks amazing in a binder. I’m contemplating which vintage set to go after next, but I doubt it will give me the same pleasure that the ’71 has. The classic look of the black border has me enamored.

Okay, I lied. I will probably chase the 1969 set next, so if anyone out there can help me out please visit my want page. Shameless plug for my own blog!

Additionally, I’m planning a contest as celebration of completing the set. Be on the look out in a day or two to see what I have for the winner as well as the contest entry itself.

Thank you to all who helped complete this set! I’m excited that 2013 will be the “Year of Vintage” across the blogosphere. (Disclaimer: 2013 may or may not actually be the “Year of Vintage”)

Welcome Back Hockey (With a pack break of 09/10 UD Series One)

I was overjoyed to awake early this past weekend and find that the NHL and NHLPA had finally agreed in principle to a deal to end the lockout. I missed hockey. Tired of the overpaid players and whining I gave up watching the NFL this season. Even my beloved Steelers. I’m not a fan of the NBA, so the NHL was the only professional sport I was planning on investing my time, energy and talents in for Winter 12/13. The lockout threw a wrench in to that plan, but I could not be happier that hockey is returning soon.

A 48 game season should be exhilarating to watch as no team will be able to sustain a long losing streak if they want to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

To celebrate the end of the lockout, I found a discounted pack at Target of 09/10 Upper Deck Series One. I like buying the cheap hockey cards to use as TTM fodder. Without further ado, here is what I received:

Go Sid!

I only plan on keeping the Wideman to send as a TTM for a friend who is a big Caps fan, otherwise feel free to let me know if you see anything you want. I’ll send it to you gratis!

Nearing the End

I’m not even going to address how long it has been since my last post.  Mentioning it in the previous sentence doesn’t count.

It has taken me some time (not nearly as long as I thought), but I am current one card short of completing the 1971 Topps set.  ONE CARD.  I’m at 99.87% completion.  

The one card I need: Jim Palmer #570

I have a couple best offers out on eBay right now, so hopefully in a day or two I will have it incoming.  If not, if anyone out there has one for sale, trade, barter, giving away, etc. please let me know.  

I will do a much bigger write-up/celebration when I have the entire set completing and in-hand.  It looks great in a binder.  

I wish I had calculated/kept track of all my purchases for the set.  I’d love to see what I’ve spent per card as I’ve tried to keep costs very low.  I know I’ve overpaid for the last dozen or so and I don’t even care.  I am so pumped to have this set almost complete.

As a thank you, the first person to comment can have this duplicate card from the ’71 set of Luke Walker.  

 

Topps Archives Review // Take My Cards

I tried to stop myself.  Really, I did.  I resisted the urge to stop by Target on my way home from work.  I avoided the card aisle on an inadvertent trip to Target with the family picking up housewares.  I convinced myself to indulge through others retail experience.

It worked.  For about a week.  Then I folded and bought one pack (seriously, only one) of 2012 Topps Archives.  When I first heard about this set I was excited.  Part of the set would be dedicated to the ’71 Topps design, my personal favorite.  Then I remembered it would be all glossy and not at all indicative of the great cardboardy feel of the true ’71 set.  I was less excited after this realization.

I then re-convinced myself it was cool and I should collect at least the cards from the set that mirrored the ’71 design.  So I bought the pack, and instantly regretted it.  Don’t get me wrong, the designs are cool.  You can’t go wrong with paralleling some of the top designed Topps base cards from the last 60 years.  1984, 1977, 1980, 1971 and 1954.

I opened my pack with anticipation, but was instantly bummed.  As much as I wanted to love the set, I couldn’t turn my malaise for Topps recent offerings around.  I even got a short print in my pack, but it was a 1992 Ron Gant redux.

Well, my disappointment can be your gain.  See all the cards below?

 

They can all be yours.  They are card #’s: 15 47 73 98 148 192 193 and 228.  Just leave a comment on this post.  If more than one person comments I’ll random the names at 7pm EDT tomorrow (5/31).

Ilya Anyone?

One of the things I have really enjoyed the most since getting back in to the hobby are through the mail autograph’s (TTM’s).  It is a unique way for fans to interact with professional athletes (or otherwise famous persons) and to obtain something for their collection.

Some of the best signers of the four major sports in the US seem to be hockey players.  For this reason I am constantly opening packs of low-end hockey cards in hopes to score a few to send out as TTM requests to players.  One of these recent packs yielded me an Ilya Bryzgalov card from his days in Phoenix (now on the dreaded Flyers).  After his magnificent performance in this years HBO installment of 24/7 (please see here if you have no idea of what I am speaking:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNUzHDhVEw and also here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVqbTVa7LBU ) I had to send him a card to sign and acknowledge how I’m a HUMONGOUS fan of his lessons on the universe.

I sent my request to him in the middle of January along with the customary self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE).  About a week ago I finally got a return from Ilya.  He didn’t however sign my card for me.  He sent me this:

So not only did he go above and beyond by sending me a signed photo instead of my card, he had to address a new envelope to fit the card and pay the postage back to me (or someone from the Flyers did).  In any case, thank you Mr. Bryzgalov.

Now, here is my predicament.  I don’t collect photographs (signed or otherwise).  More difficult for me to store and keep protected.  I would prefer this go to someone’s collection that will enjoy it more than me.  If you are a fan of the Flyers/Bryzgalov/Hockey/People who think huskies are like hot blondes/etc.  leave a comment or send and email and this can be all yours.

 

’12 Topps US Olympic Card Needs

I’ve decided to at least put together the regular 100 card base set.  I may be shooting for the stars, but right now I’d also like to put together at least one of the parallel sets (bronze/silver/gold).  Bronze would be the easiest obviously as I think they fall one per pack.

I may also put together a few of the insert sets, so I’ve got a want list for those as well.  Below are all my needs and I will post them to my want list tab as well.  As always any help is greatly appreciated.  I have numerous items for trade, so let me know what you are looking for in the trade realm.

’12 US Olympic Card Needs:

Base:  1-4, 6, 7, 9-15, 17, 18, 20-26, 29-47, 49-53, 55-57, 59-65, 67, 69, 70, 73, 74, 77, 79-82, 85-87, 89, 90, 92-94, 96, 97, 99, 100

Bronze Parallel: Need everything except 1, 50 and 96

Silver Parallel: Everything except 84

Gold Parallel: Everything except 53 and 77

’12 Topps U.S. Olympic Team Review

In addition to my recent indulgence in a singular pack of ’12 Bowman, I purchased a few loose packs of ’12 Olympic cards.  I’m a huge fan of the Olympic games (both summer and winter, I don’t discriminate).  With that in mind I felt much less maligned purchasing these packs and I will be keeping them for myself (sorry if you were expecting free cards twice today).

Overall, I really enjoyed the look and design of the base cards in the set.  I was expecting the same look at the ’12 Topps baseball look with the surfboard design on the bottom.  Instead, I was greeted with a much more visually palatable look of this:

Once again, this is more visually appealing to me than the surfboard design.  I also look the added look of the encircled US flag.  The cards also at least quasi mirror my favorite Topps offering of Allen & Ginter by featuring the quasi-painted look of each featured athlete.

The base set seems relatively easy to collect at only 100 cards and I will be attempting to complete the entire set.  Of course, in typical Topps fashion, each of the 100 base cards has a three part parallel (bronze, silver and gold).  Although I won’t be attempting any parallel set, it would be somewhat unique to complete each of the four sets (regular base and each medal parallel set).  Here are what the parallel sets look like:

Finally, we have the different inserts that Topps includes in each and every product.  I don’t overly mind the inserts in this set as instead of coming up with a forced idea or implementation they feature different olympic events, arenas, or historical opening ceremonies.  I can actually envision collecting these insert sets instead of ignoring them or using them as trade bait.  Here is a look at the two I received:

I’m a big fan of the Olympic games and a big fan of this release by Topps.  With the over-saturation of product that Topps pushes out on an annual basis (my express written opinion) this set has been overshadowed some by other recent releases.  With that said, I enjoyed this mini-break thoroughly and will more than likely open more packs in an attempt to complete the base set.

I hope to have a want list up for this set sometime soon.