Long Fly Ball to Because.......

Mail Day (aka MOAR PYE!!!!)

2012-01-31T22:09:00.000-05:00

Now, I realize that the entire collecting collective is collectively collecting Topps Series 1 flagship baseball, At this very moment the world is looking for Albert as an Angel and some rodent.

I am here to sober you all up.

I am here to slap you in the face and wake you the hell up!!!!

HEY!!!!!!

Let us not forget that not too long ago the darling of the hobby world was a little release known as......

Yeah!! Remember her?!?!

Remember how we were all hanging out together and saying how cool she was?!?

Remember!!??!!

Well, I do!! And you know what? She's STILL cool!! She's STILL awesome!!! She's STILL my friend!!

Thanks to Lou who is a regular listener to Wednesday Night Card Talk show that I am a part of on Cardboard Connection Radio, I am now the proud owner of the one card I knew I had to have when I first saw it. The one card that has been on my mind since I ripped my first of 4 blasters of this stuff. Now, as I said, thanks to Lou I can proudly proclaim.......

........AHEM.........

I HAZ DEH SHYNEE ZAPPA CAHD!!!!!!!

Very rarely have I ever acquired a parallel version of a card before I have acquired the base version. Thanks Lou, you have no idea how much this card means to me.

After some research I have found the source of this photo. It is from the live MTV simulcast of the Frank Zappa Halloween Concert at the Palladium in 1981. Nina Blackwood (pictured on the card) and Sam Copper hosted. Even better a search of YouTube turned up the concert (was there any doubt??) and Frank being Frank.

Enjoy!!

Lou also sent me a bucketload of 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' cards that fit perfectly into the empty spaces of my 'American Pie' binder pages.

Thanks Lou!!

I am glad you shared this opportunity with me to revisit a sorely and rather abruptly neglected beauty in Topps 'American Pie'. If you have a chance please check out my original AP wantlist post and see if there is anything you are not using that perhaps I might be able to. I can also do the same with my spares.

See??

This trading stuff works!!

Of course, like all of you I am now off to tear into some 2012 Topps Series 1 baseball that miraculously made it to Canada on "opening day".

Happy squirrel hunting!!

Cheers,

The Joy Of The Completed Page - Ginter Style

2012-01-21T19:03:00.000-05:00

As part of the lot I received recently from 'Check Out My Cards' there was one card whose purpose served that which all collectors strive towards and also allowed me to move on to other pursuits. Nothing feeds the completest in me more than having a binder page without a blank space between the cards. Also, there is no better feeling than putting a set to bed and marking it complete on your checklist.

This card......

completed both tasks.

The 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter 'World's Wordsmiths' insert set is a 15-card set highlighting the most influential and famous writers throughout history. From Homer to Victor Hugo collectors are exposed to some definite literary heavyweights. My favorite card from this set features one of my favorite authors whose museum will be a definite agenda item during my visit to the 2012 National in Baltimore this summer.

Any time you can combine culture and cards I am in favor of it. Hopefully, in some subsequent release of A&G Topps will see fit to honor some of the greatest Science Fiction writers in a similar set.

Until then, enjoy the 'World's Wordsmiths' set in all its completed page glory.

Cheers,

Another Helping of Pie

2012-01-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

When I first posted my wantlist for Topps American Pie there were two rather quick respondents to my request. The second of which showed up in the mail this week from my fellow host of Wednesday Night Cardboard Connection Radio, Rob Bertrand, better known to all as The Voice of The Collector. Rob absolutely killed my wantlist as I am now down to needing/wanting only 5 base cards. However, one card that is proving to be far too elusive is the one that features Francesco Vincent Zappa.

I NEEDZ ME SUM ZAPPA!!!

Most of the images from American Pie have been seen several times over so I will not bore you with scan after scan of the cards I received. But, I will show you two of the cards I am happiest to have in my possession.

Card #8 - Jackie Robinson

Card #109 - George Carlin

My main focus of collection for 'American Pie' is the Hollywood Walk of Fame 50-card insert set. Rob sent along 8 cards to help shrink my wantlist for those cards as well. The coolest part of this set is that the street location of the star in Hollywood is printed on the back along with a short but concise biography of the subject on the front. A nice touch.

#HWF-47 Leslie Nielsen, #HWF-42 Fred Astaire
#HWF-44 Harry Houdini, #HWF-40 Douglas Fairbanks

The black and white photos really work on these cards and give them the old time look that fits the historic nature of the set. Harry Houdini is one of 9 Walk of Fame stars to have their one-word stage name grace their star. I love trivial facts like that.

#HWF-34 Spencer Tracy, #HWF-26 Marlon Brando
#HWF-33 Orson Welles, #HWF-16 Humphrey Bogart

If you have not picked up a blaster of 'American Pie' yet I would suggest you do so. Not just to enjoy the product and the cards you get but also you may be able to help me finish up my set as well. That would not be such a bad thing, would it?

Thanks Rob for the trade and getting me closer to the finish line.

Follow Rob on Twitter @VOTC and give little old me a follow too @LongFlyBall

If anyone else is trying to complete 'American Pie' hit me up with your wantlist and I might be able to help you out. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers,

Mail Day (aka Check Out MY Cards - Framed Autograph Edition)

2012-01-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

I recently took advantage of a great deal on shipping from the fine folks over at CheckOutMyCards.com and emptied out most of the cards I had sitting in my account. Over the next little while I thought I would take the opportunity to share what exactly came my way.

When Topps released the Anniversary T-206 collection in 2009 it was right around the time I was first immersing my self back into the hobby and the though of collecting a tobacco card sized set really grabbed my attention. I also liked the look of the framed autograph cards, so, I dedicated myself to completing the 30-card set.

At first I tried to gather the cards from anywhere and everywhere which made it feel much more like a task than a pastime. I decided to try and take a step back and make it more about the pursuit and less about the completion. Hence why it is 2012 and I am still working on the set.

Well, thanks to COMC I am 5 cards closer to completion and I have yet to pay a price for any of these cards that I feel is unacceptable. THAT is the true goal here. I think this set is going to look really nice in pages once complete. The latest additions to be removed from the wantlist are;

#FMA-6 Glen Perkins & #FMA-21 Jason Motte

#FMA-13 Shairon Martis & #FMA-26 Rich Hill

#FMA-15 Mat Gamel

Unfortunately these additions still leave me short of that wonderful milestone that a collector can celebrate, the joy of a completed page. The closest I am on that is a centre-square vacancy awaiting one Mr. Justin Masterson.

If you happen to have any of these laying around gathering dust I would happily give them a home in a protective page alongside their brethren. I am over 60% complete now and I can see the finish line off in the distance. Here is a list of missing persons belonging to my T-206 Framed Autograph binder.....

FMA - 1 Gordon Beckham
FMA - 2 Koji Uehara
FMA - 7 Jordan Zimmermann
FMA - 8 Daniel Schlereth
FMA - 9 Chris Volstad
FMA - 11 Nick Evans
FMA - 12 Fernando Martinez
FMA - 16 Michael Bowden
FMA - 18 Chris Young
FMA - 23 Justin Masterson
FMA - 28 Curtis Granderson

Thanks for taking the time to stop by the blog and checking out my cards.

Cheers,

First Helping of Pie

2012-01-10T21:30:00.001-05:00

The first envelope has arrived from a very kind Nick, has made its way to my greedy little hands and it goes to knock a few cards off my Topps American Pie wantlist. As I stated in the last post, I am not building the base set but I am gathering certain cards that have significance for me. The set I am building is the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' insert set and thanks to Nick I can look for 1 less of them now too.

Let's get right to the contents of the envelope and a pair of cards featuring one of the coolest actors that has ever lived. I think every Canadian who grew up in southern Ontario in the 70's holds a special place in their heart for Vincent Price and owes a HUGE debt to Ted Barris for putting him there.

I read a great deal, far less than I used to but I am struggling to get back to the levels I was at a year or two ago. Call it a "New Year's Resolution" if you will. I am impressed at the literary subjects that are peppered throughout 'American Pie'. Hopefully it spurs some people to find out just what these books and authors are about. I know I will be revisiting Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird' this year, as well as perhaps taking on 'The Godfather' as well.

Someday I would also like to own a Harper Lee autograph. Scarcity is definitely an issue but if a card company were to include her in a release you can bet I'd be a part of the chase.

If you were a child of the 70's then I defy you not to have a special place for this guy and his creatures.

While I do consider myself a Beatles fan, I mean really who does not like The Beatles, I am disappointed that there is very little if any cardboard representations of my favorite Beatle, George Harrison. Yes, he was the quiet one and sometimes the forgotten one, but as far as I am concerned he was the most talented one. This guy, however, runs a close #2.

Last, but definitely not least, is the greatest author you could do every child a favor and introduce them to. Every Christmas I look forward to 3 specials and his is one of them. It has aired practically every year since its release in 1966 and hopefully it continues to air long after I am gone.

Thank you very much to Nick for these cards and please take the time to go check out his blog 'Dime Boxes' dedicated to one of the most addictive and rewarding experiences I had introduced to me at the 2011 National.

As well, please take a look at my initial 'American Pie' wantlist post and if you can help me out I would greatly appreciate it. The base cards are almost gone but the parallels and inserts are going to be a challenge worthy endeavor.

Cheers,

'American Pie' Needs - Can You Help?

2011-12-30T23:10:00.010-05:00

Topps 'American Pie' has been on shelves for awhile now and the decision whether or not to complete the set has been rattling around in my head over the holidays. At first it seemed like a fun thing to occupy my time until Series 1 flagship baseball is released but I have recently changed my mind.

I decided to go through the checklist and pick out the cards I would really want and go after them. Of course, I will be trying to gather their parallels as well but base seems to be first in order. As well, the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' insert set has grown on me so I decided to focus on that.

If you have any of the cards listed below please send me an email or leave a comment below and I would be happy to work out a trade with you. The ones listed in red are pending trades but some of them I would be happy to own doubles of anyway.

Thanks for taking the time to check this list out, I appreciate it......

Base Cards

#114 - Secretariate's Triple Crown
#123 - Ramones Release Debut Album
#141 - MTV
#145 - M*A*S*H Final Episode
#154 - Mister Rodgers

Foil Parallel

3, 6, 8, 9, 20, 24, 25, 31, 39, 48, 51, 59, 62, 65, 66, 68, 70, 72, 73, 77, 79, 88, 89, 91, 94, 99
100, 103, 104, 108, 109, 111, 114, 121, 123, 125, 128, 134, 137, 141, 145, 154, 162, 170, 185

Spotlight Parallel #/76

3, 6, 8, 9, 20, 24, 25, 31, 39, 48, 51, 59, 62, 65, 66, 68, 70, 72, 73, 77, 79, 88, 89, 91, 94, 99
100, 103, 104, 108, 109, 111, 114, 121, 123, 125, 128, 134, 137, 141, 145, 154, 162, 170, 185

Hollywood Walk of Fame

HWF-1, HWF-2, HWF-4, HWF-5, HWF-6, HWF-7, HWF-8, HWF-9, HWF-11, HWF-12, HWF-13, HWF-14, HWF-15, HWF-17, HWF-18, HWF-19, HWF-20, HWF-21, HWF-22, HWF-23, HWF-25, HWF-28, HWF-29, HWF-30, HWF-31, HWF-36, HWF-37, HWF-38, HWF-39, HWF-41, HWF-43, HWF-46, HWF-49, HWF-50

If you have a needs list please let me know and I will go through what I have to help you finish your sets.

Cheers,

Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey - Canvas Exclusive Checklist

2011-11-29T10:18:00.000-05:00

There are 20 players who appear in the 'UD Canvas' insert set that do not appear on the Series 1 base set checklist. While it is highly unlikely they will be omitted from Series 2, I figured why not post a list to help those who need it.

Here you are.....

C2 - Bobby Ryan
C6 - Tuukka Rask
C7 - Patrice Bergeron
C11 - Thomas Vanek
C22 - Jussi Jokinen
C24 - Patrick Kane
C27 - Matt Duchene
C30 - Steve Mason
C36 - Pavel Datsyuk
C41 - Anze Kopitar
C43 - Niklas Backstrom
C45 - Tomas Plekanec
C47 - Michael Cammalleri
C53 - Ilya Kovalchuk
C57 - Marian Gaborik
C58 - Sean Avery
C62 - Scott Hartnell
C77 - Vincent Lecavalier
C83 - Alexandre Burrows
C86 - Nicklas Backstrom

Cheers,

It Is Cyber Monday and The World Has Gone Nuts!!

2011-11-28T12:40:00.005-05:00

Waking up to news that coaches in the NHL are losing their jobs and MLB Executives are being handed their walking papers, what exactly is there to be thankful for a mere 72 hours removed from turkey dinner?

Well, Topps snuck this little nugget into my e-mail this morning.......

BAM!!

I am not one to get excited over mock ups but, I can tell you this, I will be waiting for Spring 2012 when collectors will be able to get their hands on the very first Topps certified autograph cards of Ken Griffey Jr.

Nice move Topps!!

Cheers,

Photoshop Phun Over At Beckett.com

2011-11-28T10:05:00.005-05:00

Someone forgot to lockdown the computers in Dallas and the gremlins got in to play. As far as I am concerned this card need never happen.....

As much fun as it would be watching pitchers sweat Jose Bautista and Pujols, something tells me I would rather have Adam Lind in the lineup over A-Poo. Besides, the guy cannot even wear the right hat?!?!

Seriously?!?!

But that is just me.

Take a trip over to the Beckett Blog and see how Albert might look dressed for your favorite team.

Cheers,

Box Break.......sort of... - 2011-12 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

2011-11-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

After a rather quiet 2 or 3 months of collecting I am happy that it is about time I post something hobby related to the blog. Now that the NHL season is heating up Upper Deck moves to the forefront of of the minds of collectors. Their flagship product that fails to disappoint year in and year out has hit shelves and is ready to impress once again.

As the title of this entry suggests, the normal form taken of breaking a Hobby box and showing it off takes a bit of a twist here, for good reason. One of the staples of Upper Deck hockey has been their 'Young Guns' Rookie cards. The anticipation and expectation collectors have for the hottest rookies in the NHL and their debut on cardboard is unparalleled in the hobby. With that in mind it made much more sense for me to break 3 Retail tins of Series 1 instead of 1 Hobby box.

I'll explain.

The insertion ratio between Hobby boxes and Retail tins is exactly the same. 'Young Guns' are inserted 1:4 packs. With a little bit of vigorous searching I found that I could purchase 3 Retail tins for roughly the same price as 1 Hobby box. Retail tins contain 12 packs with 8 cards per pack, Hobby boxes contain 24 packs with 8 cards per pack. In the end the collector gets 9 'Young Guns' from retail as opposed to 6 from a single box. Simple.

One of the other "bonuses" I discovered was that there were other ratios that were exactly the same between Hobby boxes and Retail tins, including 2 of the inserts sets I have decided to chase. That being said, there are Hobby "exclusive" inserts that one forfeits the opportunity of pulling when it comes to Retail, so, there is a trade off for sure. I will cover the breakdowns and ratios as we move along.

As with any Box Break here we need music. We have to have music. Cue the music!!

Soundtrack - Fitz and The Tantrums - Pickin' Up The Pieces

2010-11 Upper Deck Hockey - Series 1

Tin Breakdown - 12 packs per tin
Pack Breakdown - 8 cards per pack

The checklist for this product is simple, as it should be for any flagship. Cards 1-200 feature veterans and current players from all 30 NHL teams that make up the base set. Cards 201-250 are the 'Young Guns' Rookie Cards.

Easy, simple and uncomplicated. Collectors like that.

Base Set cards - 187/200 (93.5%)
Doubles - 67

Upper Deck hockey is and always has been defined by the photography on its cards. The 2011-12 installment continues that tradition. There are certain elements that come to be expected with persistence as a product line ages. To keep delivering on those every year and also having them remain fresh is quite the challenge. Simply put, there are some beautiful photographs on these cards and Upper Deck succeeds again. My 2 favorites are full of colour and shy away from the traditional photos we have come to expect.

Card #113 - Drew Doughty (LA Kings)

Card #50 Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)

As for the rest of the cards there are other non-traditional photos that make thumbing through this set truly enjoyable. Some catch your eye from the moment you see them and others require a double and sometimes triple take.

Card #197 Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks)

Card #64 Braydon Coburn (Philadelphia Flyers)

Card #81 Michael Grabner (N.Y. Islanders)

Card #44 Logan Couture (San Jose Sharks)

Card #8 Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)

Other photos completely miss. There are certain situations that do not translate well to cardboard. One type of photo that needs to disappear from the hobby is the inside-the-net camera. These are not interesting, these are not innovative and they fail to capture anything about the game. They are annoying fish-eye lensed wastes. Press scrums, forget them PLEASE?!? As a Phaneuf collector, this card is plain bad.

Card #9 Mike Knuble (Washington Capitals)

Card #48 Kristopher Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Card #61 Daniel Briere (Philadelphia Flyers)

Card #20 Dion Phaneuf (Toronto Maple Leafs)

The other plus that needs to be mentioned here is the inclusion of photos with players in their team's third jerseys. While worn for a relatively few number of games these jerseys are, in some cases, better looking than the regular jerseys. Thumbs-up to Upper Deck for including these jerseys quite prominently in Series 1.

Card #146 Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Card #174 Mikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames)

Card #36 Chris Stewart (St.Louis Blues)

The backs of these cards are exactly how they should be. No clutter, statistics are front and centre. A little write-up/personal trivia on each player and a logo. PERFECT!! As an added bonus the head-shot of the player used on the back of the card is from a completely different photo. These are the small touches that make a product enjoyable.

Card #161 Patrick Sharp (Chicago Blackhawks)

I mentioned earlier that the insert ratios between Hobby and Retail are similar in a number of inserts available in Series 1. If these are the cards you are chasing then Retail makes much more sense economically than Hobby. First, here is a look at the inserts and their ratios available in both releases.

Young Guns (1:4)
UD Canvas (1:6)
UD Canvas Young Guns (1:48)
1950's Hockey Heroes (1:12)
1950's Hockey Heroes Header card (1:600)
All-World Team (1:12)
All-World Team SP (1:120)

Without a doubt it is the 'Young Guns' Rookie cards that drive this product. I hardly believe that to be a surprise to anyone or an overstatement. For this single reason I believe the Retail tins to be vastly superior to the Hobby boxes. For the price of 1 Hobby box I was able to get 3 Retail tins and as a consequence I was able to get 3 more 'Young Guns' than I could normally expect. While I was shutout on the big names I will definitely return to the tins in hopes of catch a RNH Young Guns Rookie.

Here are the 'Young Guns' I did come away with....

Tin #1

Card #238 Harri Sateri (San Jose Sharks), Card #212 Cam Atkinson (Columbus Blue Jackets), Card #219 Aaron Palushaj (Montreal Canadiens)

Tin #2

Card #210 John Moore (Columbus Blue Jackets), Card #247 Carl Klingberg (Winnipeg Jets), Card #219 Aaron Palushaj (Montreal Canadiens)

Tin #3

Card #211 David Savard (Columbus Blue Jackets), Card #236 Erik Gustafsson (Philadelphia Flyers), Card #233 Stephane Da Costa (Ottawa Senators)

There are 2 inserts that vary between Hobby and Retail, although they really are not enough to significantly sway the purchase decision. The Upper Deck Game Jersey inserts fall 1:24 in Retail which is 1 every other tin. In Hobby they fall 1:13 packs. The EA Ultimate Team insert set cards fall 1:8 packs in Retail with Hobby being a scarce 1:24 pack ratio.

Jersey cards have never been an incentive for me to purchase a product and have never been a set that I would consider chasing. That being said, the Lacavalier 2-colour jersey swatch was a nice hit out of a Retail product. If companies would just make these swatches larger then when a collector hits one it might make them feel like they are getting something significant for their money.

Upper Deck Jerseys

Card #GJ-AS Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals)

Card #GJ-VL Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning)

EA Ultimate Team

Card #EA15 Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) (x2), Card #EA4 Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks), Card #EA14 Jarret Stoll (Los Angeles Kings)

Card #EA9 Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

With the EA Ultimate Team cards I really do not see these cards making too big a splash amongst collectors. Rarely do people seem to scramble to obtain cards that are essentially a cross-promotion advertisement for video games. According to the checklist found here the Corey Perry is a short-print.

The 'All-World Team' insert set is a 40-card set showcasing the best players in the NHL and their country of origin. Any time I see insert sets like these my first thought is "filler". If you want to produce an insert set with the top players in the NHL then be a little more creative about it. Country-of-origin sub-sets have been done to death, all the way back to 1992-93 Parkhurst even. Cards #31-40 in this Upper Deck Series 1 insert set are short-printed.

Card #AW7 David Krejci (Boston Bruins)

Card #AW12 Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)

Card #AW4 Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens)

Insert sets like 'All-World Team' bother me as a player collector because all it succeeds in doing is raising the price on a relatively insignificant card of a player I collect by making it an insert. Add to that the inflation that short-printing certain players brings and you have a waste of cardboard. Thanks Upper Deck.

Now we get to the 2 insert sets that I thoroughly enjoy with this product, with 1 of them being a set that I will unabashedly profess my undying devotion to.

In their very first year in the industry Upper Deck introduced an insert set to collectors that has been one of the best ideas ever to hit the hobby. Their 'Heroes' set always seemed focused on an individual who was considered an Icon in their respective sport. In the 2011-12 Series 1 Hockey release we are presented with a 12-card 'Hockey Heroes' set focusing on players from the 1950's. There is a 13th card to the set but it is an extremely tough pull. Seeded 1:600 packs it features Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Andy Bathgate and is the header card/checklist for the rest of the set. The card is a hand-painted Art card similar to the Presidential series released in Goodwin Champions earlier this year. I imagine my set will remain incomplete for some time without this final header card but that IS part of the "joy" of collecting.

Here are the 3 Hockey Heroes I pulled....

Card #HH1 Johnny Bower

Card #HH3 Andy Bathgate

Card #HH9 Gordie Howe

I really like the matching of the sepia tone of the background of the photos and the black and white sharpness of the player being featured. This is a set that feeds the historian part of me as well as keeping players from days gone by from looking out of place on new card releases. The "look and feel" of these cards is what Topps missed with their veteran variations in their baseball product.

There is also an autographed version of the 1950's Heroes set with each card being hand-numbered out of 15, including the Howe/Hull/Bathgate Header card. I would love to see someone try and complete that set.

Last, but definitely not least, we get to the single solitary reason why I am buying Upper Deck Hockey this year. When I first read about these cards on the sell sheets I was excited to see them released. I have fallen in love with the 2008-09 Masterpieces Hockey release and am working on several projects involving that set. The canvas look to cards is one of my all-time favorites.

When I saw a canvas set was slated for Series 1 I knew I would be chasing down this set. Quite honestly I expected a full parallel set. What collectors were presented with was something better.

'UD Canvas' is a 120-card set made up of 90 veterans, of which 69 players have a base card in Series 1, and a select 30 of the 50 Young Guns Rookies. What makes this set so intriguing is that Upper Deck has done some serious work and included entirely different photographs for each card. While not perfect, this inclusion has me excited enough to chase the set. In fact, I am over 1/3 complete already.

Have a look at the 6 'UD Canvas' cards I pulled from this break....

Card #C90 Checklist

Card #C77 Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Card #C50 Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)

Card #C17 Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames)

Card #C11 Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres)

Card #C87 Mike Green (Washington Capitals)

The colours in the photos really stand out on this type of card and the complete lack of foil is a godsend. Even the backs of the cards are completely different design from the base cards. I absolutely love this set. I am okay with the fact it is an insert/chase set. I do not mind having to purchase several tins to build my set. Upper Deck has a winner with 'UD Canvas'

As I mentioned earlier the design and photos on the Canvas cards are entirely different from the cards in the base set. This matters to collectors.

Ryan Miller - Base card

Ryan Miller - Canvas card

Right about here is where the similarities between the Retail and the Hobby release end. There are a number of Hobby-Exclusive inserts that one can hope to acquire, however, the insert ratios make them a bit too hard to pull to even begin to challenge for the economical win that is Retail.

Hobby box inserts include;

Base Set Parallel (1:48) made up of;

Base Set 'Exclusive' Parallel #/100
Base Set 'Exclusive Spectrum' Parallel #/10

Acetate Die-Cuts (1:288) consisting of;

Clear Cut Honoured Members #/100
Clear Cut Foundations #/25
Clear Cut Leaders #/10

As I mentioned before, while not exclusives, the Upper Deck Memorabilia cards are an easier find in Hobby boxes, falling roughly 2 per box, but the price of Retail makes up for that. Out of 3 tins I pulled 2 Jersey cards. The important difference with Hobby is that you have a shot at Patch cards #/15 and Autograph cards inserted at a ratio of 1:288 packs.

There is one Retail exclusive that adds another "bonus", if you will, to buying the tins. Each tin comes with a "topper" postcard commemorating the 2011 Winter Classic played between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Each card in this 14-card set comes nicely preserved in a clear plastic protector so there is really no need to take it out. Once again, great forethought on the part of Upper Deck. I like when the cards I buy are protected until they get to me.

Here are my 3 Winter Classic cards.

Card #WC5

Card #WC6

Card #WC14

I am not sure I am a fan of the over-sized cards. Perhaps the lack of convenient storage options is what keeps me from liking these cards. I did collect the Wayne Gretzky over-sized set from 2008-09 Retail O-Pee-Chee but I do curse Upper Deck every time I have to find a place to store them.

All things considered the most anticipated Hockey set to be released every year is the Upper Deck flagship. While there are a couple insert sets that are completely useless and serve as nothing more than bloat, it hardly detracts from the overall satisfaction with this product.

Everything one has come to expect from Upper Deck's signature offering is here; awesome photography, a great attention to detail in card design and an excellent Rookie Card selection. There are a few minor details that keep this product from being absolutely perfect, however, Upper Deck definitely rewards collectors with Series 1 Hockey.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this break and thanks for your patience in waiting for my lazy arse to post something new to the blog. I promise I will not be taking such a long break any more.

As always, for your listening pleasure and to play us home, here is a YouTube clip from the artist responsible for this particular break. Music-to-rip-by, Fitz and The Tantrums.....BTW, this song has one HELL of a hook......

Cheers,

Regional Issue Sets = Crack For A Team Collector

2011-08-17T17:33:00.002-04:00

Being a card collector means regularly shelling out your hard earned cash for a little 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 pulp and paper representation of your favorite player. Sometimes you carry the quest a little further and try to collect every card in a set. There is even a faction of the hobby that honours their favorite team by building a set that contains each card issued for each player on said team.

Usually this is enough to satisfy the collector.

Obsessive collectors try to find releases of their favorite players or teams that exist beyond the realm of the contemporary release. With a little bit of research and a constant ear to the ground you can find many regional and special releases of cards whose pursuit can keep you busy well into the fall and winter seasons.

In the early 1980's and throughout the 1990's the Toronto Blue Jays grew in popularity, not only across Canada but specifically in their home province of Ontario. The Blue Jays received their fair share of regional releases during this time. None of those releases were more popular than the ones issued in conjunction with the Ontario Fire Chiefs Association or the Public Fire Safety Council. Sadly these sets disappeared in the late 1990's.

Well, guess what?!?!?!

THEY"RE BAAAAAAACK!!!!!!

That's right!! Toronto Blue Jays Fire Safety sets are alive and well in 2011 and, with special thanks to my lovely wife, they are a part of my continuing collection. She sent a text to me today that she had stopped by the local Fire Prevention offices here in Brantford and picked it up for me. There are several hundred Firehouses across Ontario that are participating in the 'Swing into Summer Safety' education program who are making these sets available. I could not wait to get home and have a look at something that has been missing from my collection for over a decade.

The set size is as you would expect, individual cards for each player on the 25-man roster. What makes this set extra special is that all seven coaches have a card as well. Even the team mascot makes an appearance. This is a fun set meant to deliver just that, fun. The card design is simple and easy. All the colours match the team colours and the facsimile autograph on the front gives this set a classy enough look to display nicely paged in a binder.

The backs of the cards prominently feature a Fire Safety tip given a baseball themed twist at the top of the card. A head shot of the player photo from the front of the card along with the regular bio information and a single line of stats encompassing the entire career stats of each player is in the middle of the card back. Finally, a snippet of info regarding one of the career highlights of each player rounds out the card back.

Here is the back of the Ricky Romero card.

Enough writing on my part. Scroll down past this and enjoy the set in all its scanned glory. No gimmicks, no parallels, no bloat, just Blue Jays. EPIC FTW!!!

Thanks again to my awesome, lovely wife for getting it into my hands. It may not be a Topps Baseball Sticker Album and a handful of stickers, but in this case it is the best next thing!! I like the addition of the Dough Dude rookie card, makes me laugh.

As I was writing this post I thought it would not be complete without a specific embedded video.

Enjoy!!

Cheers,

My 2011 National Experience - A $1 Well Spent

2011-08-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

One of the more enticing and exciting aspects of The National I was looking forward to was the fabled "Quarter Boxes" that I have long heard about but have never had the joy of experiencing first hand. I have seen the videos and heard the stories of numerous wonders discovered in these beasts. As a matter of fact, I even saw with my own two eyes one of the wonders of the 2011 National Quarter Box hunt that was claimed by Chris Harris over at Stale Gum.

Sadly, for this NSCC Rookie, there was simply far too much to see and do at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center that I never truly had the time to troll these deposits of wondrous discovery with the proper focus and respect they deserve. I did get to spend around 40 minutes on Sunday morning at the table of one dealer. I came away with out $20 worth of singles and inserts that will complete some sets and spark the quest for completion of others.

Out of the total money spent I have decided to show off what I feel to be the best $1.00 I spent on my maiden voyage into the abyss that is "The Quarter Box".

The first card goes toward my completion of my 1979 Topps Toronto Blue Jays Team set. Garth Iorg is hardly the feature of this card but it IS one of those great Topps-isms that place a player you need on a card with a player that "makes" the card. By no means is it unattainable on the regular market but when you can take home a Rookie Card of perhaps one of the most consistent players ever and one half of arguably the best infield combination ever for a quarter, you do it.

Being a Canadian this next card made absolute sense when I first saw it. When I saw it again I thought; "Why Not?". When I saw it for a third time I new it was meant to be. That is right, I brought home not one.....

.....NOT TWO.....

.....BUT THREE!!!!!

Yes, three copies of Tim Raines' 1981 Topps Rookie Card. If you have to ask then I will never be able to explain it to you.

My plan for 2012 in Baltimore is already taking shape and I plan to venture back to these Quarter Boxes for sure. This time, I will be better prepared and have much greater respect for these behemoths of the hobby.

Cheers,

My 2011 National Experience - TRISTAR/TNA

2011-08-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

Like most of the fellow bloggers we all follow, this past week for me has been spent sorting through and recording the spoils from the recently completed National Sports Collectors Convention (#NSCC). Aside from having the opportunity to personally meet and greet a significant number of individuals I converse with daily on Twitter and taking in a Cubs game, the event I was most looking forward to was the TRISTAR/TNA Meet & Greet.

For the price of a single box of TRISTAR ‘TNA Signature Impact Wrestling’ cards you could purchase 1 of 400 packages that included an autograph ticket and photo opportunity ticket for each of the four TNA Impact wrestlers in attendance for The National, Mr. Anderson, Kurt Angle, Tara and the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. For a life-long wrestling fan this opportunity was a no-brainer and as it turns out I was hardly the only one who this thought occurred to.

The entire focus of my Saturday was to make sure that I spent as much time as necessary soaking in the presence and company of these four entertainers/athletes/warriors/superstars/wrestlers. Whatever you choose to call them this was my opportunity to personally thank them for what they do to themselves strictly for my enjoyment and entertainment.

Saturday began with a surprise, of sorts, in that Blowoutcards was offering an unannounced special price on the ‘TNA Signature Impact Wrestling’ boxes. For about 25% off the initial offering price of the package I (impulsively??) decided to pick up another box and thus another autograph/photo package.

As an added “bonus” to this package, upon redemption at the TRISTAR booth you received an additional autograph card from another TNA/Impact wrestler along with a collection of TRISTAR Obak 2011 National exclusive cards. Seeing as I bought two packages I received two bonus autographs. Mine were featured a Magnus autograph from the 2010 ‘TNA Icons’ release and a Jacqueline from the 2009 ‘TNA Knockouts’ release.

Along with a couple of the regular 2011 Obak cards TRISTAR was giving away at The National this year there were Obak cards exclusive to this package. Numbered TNA-1, TNA-2 and TNA-3 the cards pictured Kurt Angle, Mr. Anderson and Tara. Surprisingly these made for opportune autograph material, amazing how that happened. On a personal note here, if anyone who purchased the package managed to pull a TNA-4 card featuring Ric Flair please let me know. I have no idea if they even exist but it would make sense to me.

Each box of ‘TNA Signature Impact Wrestling’ cards provides “7 guaranteed hits” along with “1 multi-autographed card guaranteed in every box”. One of the guaranteed hits is a relic card with the possibility of a multi-swatch card. Add to the mix there are 3 different boxes to choose from, featuring Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan or Sting also containing exclusive content and you start to understand the enjoyment loaded into this product. Depending on the box you pick you will get 1 of 9 short printed/limited edition cards featuring the subject depicted on your chosen box. I had one Sting and 1 Ric Flair box.

Of the 6 autographs I pulled out of the two boxes, 5 made their way home with me. I traded one away for a companion piece to an oversized event worn relic card I pulled. All autos are numbered to 99, 25, 5 or 1 and all things considered I was quite happy with the autographs I hit. I managed a gold parallel dual auto numbered out of 25 featuring Gunner and Murphy. It does not really show on the scan of the card but the foil on the card is gold coloured. The auto I was happiest to get was from Samoa Joe, who is rumoured to be on his way to the WWE once his contract with TNA/Impact expires. The weakest auto com from the no longer employed Orlando Jordan.

The 6^th autograph I pulled was of TNA Knockout Christy Hemme which quickly found its way into the collection of Rob Bertrand (@VOTC) from Cardboard Connection Radio. (@CardboardRadio) Rob in turn gave me an excellent companion piece to the oversized relic I pulled of Rob Van Dam. An added yet spectacular bonus to the relic cards is that the swatch comes from a t-shirt that the wrestler is ACTUALLY WEARING ON THE CARD PHOTO, Imagine that?!?!

Thanks Rob.

With boxes ripped the time came for the payoff to this awesome package. Originally scheduled to begin at noon, it was announced that the autograph signings and photo opportunities would be bumped up an hour to 11:00am. While not a big deal for those already at the show I am sure this threw a bit of a wrench into the plans of those who were planning on showing at the scheduled time. First up was the photo op with one half of the current TNA Knockout Tag-team Champions, Tara. Perhaps more widely recognized for her Victoria persona in WWE, Tara was one of the reasons why I jumped at this package. In my estimation she possesses one of the best finishing moves in wrestling today and I have been a fan of her for quite some time.

Having purchased two packages I took full advantage of two photo opportunities. One cool surprise was that Tara brought her Tag Title Championship belt along for the photo shoot, a nice added touch IMHO. I was especially happy when she suggested the second photo be staged the way it was, I think it turned out great. Tara even thanked me for “selling it”.

The next two photos were with Mr. Anderson and Kurt Angle. Both are incredibly gracious guys and I have come to enjoy their work more since they moved from WWE to TNA/Impact. Anderson has a great twist on the classic “heel-as-a-face” storyline going, especially with his collection of fans known as ‘Anderson’s Assholes’. What Kurt has put himself through to solidify his persona is short of legendary. I had the opportunity to tell him so and thank him for some of the more incredible “spots” I have ever witnessed, including a moonsault from the top of a steel cage.

I had 2 extra photo opportunity tickets, one for Anderson and one for Angle, and with Marie from ‘A Cardboard Problem’ nowhere in sight (I KNOW you would have wanted the Angle opportunity), I decided to give them away to a couple of younger fans who were just hanging around watching the fuss. I hope they enjoyed having their photo taken alongside one of their favorite wrestlers as much as I did.

Finally, the BIG moment came and it was time to “walk that aisle” with the 16-time “Limousine ridin’, jet flying, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ and dealin’ son-of-a-gun…..WOOOOO!!”, Ric Flair. For me, this opportunity stands as a once in a lifetime chance and I still found myself “marking out” when my turn came. When I was a scrawny 110lb, 4-foot-6, 14-year-old, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper taught me how to walk and talk like I was 10-feet tall. Having the opportunity to tell Flair that was a true “moment” for me. The chance to shake the hand of an Icon in the wrestling business was a real honour. To be able to flash one of the most iconic symbols in Professional Wrestling alongside the man who made it famous was totally surreal.

Saturday was indeed the day that I looked forward to the most out of the entire 5 days of The National. I have the photographic reminders of a great time had which I will always cherish. However, this was only the half of it. In the next post I will cover the autograph portion of my day along with some of the rather questionable decisions made by TRISTAR in hosting an event like this. As usual, a 100% satisfaction rate was impossible to attain.

Until then,

Cheers,

2011 Allen & Ginter is rolling out........

2011-07-09T12:20:00.005-04:00

As of Saturday morning, thanks to the warning alarm sounded by Stale Gum, it looks as though ambitious collectors can now get their hands on 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter cards via eBay. There are already some interesting cards to be discovered including full bleed photos. My personal favorite so far is the Amityville House mini from the
'Univited Guests' mini insert set.

In an e-mail release from Topps this past Thursday they provided a listing of the non-sport autographs available in A&G this year. The one that stands out to me is the inclusion of WWE's Shawn Michaels. I may have to actually chase that one in order to build my 'Montreal Screw-job' Collection.

My choice for autograph card most likely to be made fun of RIDICULOUSLY is Matt Guy - The King of Cornhole. I am also happy to see a 'Travel Channel' personality make the cut, but it is bittersweet that it was not the one I was hoping for. C'mon Topps, maybe in 2012 you can give Adam Richman from 'Man vs. Food' the enshrinement he deserves.

ANTICIPATION FOR ALLEN & GINTER HEATS UP

With 2011 Allen & Ginter set to release next week, collectors are anticipating one of the most intriguing non-baseball autograph checklists the hobby has ever seen. From the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever Manny Pacquiao and World Cup star Hope Solo to Annika Sorenstam, Cheryl Burke and John McEnroe, this year’s Allen & Ginter packs a powerful punch.

Following is a list of this year’s non-baseball autographs in Allen & Ginter.

Aimee Mullins - Paralympic Champion / World Record Holder

Ana Julaton - Women's Boxing Champion

Annika Sorenstam - Women's Golf Champion

Cheryl Burke - 2-Time Champion, Dancing with the Stars

Chrissie Wellington - Champion Triathlete and Iron Man World Record Holder

Chuck Woolery - Game Show Host

Daniel Boulud - Award-Winning French Chef

Diana Taurasi - Champion Women's Basketball Guard/Forward

Dick Vitale - Basketball Broadcaster

Evan Lysacek - Winter Games Men's Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Geno Auriemma - Champion Women's College Basketball Coach

Guy Fieri - Food Network TV Star & Host of Minute to Win It

Heather Mitts - Champion Women's Soccer Defender

Hope Solo - Champion Women's Soccer Goalkeeper

Jim Nantz - Sports Broadcaster

Jo Frost - Host of Supernanny

John McEnroe - Men's Tennis Champion

Kristi Yamaguchi - Winter Games Figure Skating Gold Medalist

Kyle Petty - NASCAR Driver

Lou Holtz - Champion College Football Coach & Broadcaster

Manny Pacquiao - World Champion Boxer

Marc Forgione - Restauranteur & Winner of The Next Iron Chef

Micky Ward - Champion Boxer & Subject of The Fighter

Nancy Lopez - Women's Golf Champion

Peter Gammons - Award-Winning Baseball Writer & Broadcaster

Picabo Street - Winter Games Alpine Skiing Gold Medalist

Rudy Ruettiger - College Football Player & Inspirational Speaker

Sanya Richards - Summer Games Track & Field Gold Medalist

Stan Lee - Founder of Marvel Comics

Sue Bird - Champion Women's Basketball Guard

Tim Howard - Champion Men's Soccer Goalkeeper

Timothy Shieff - Freerunning & Parkour Champion

Eric Jackson = Freestyle Kayaking Champion

Jake LaMotta - Champion Boxer & Subject of Raging Bull

Wee Man - World's Smallest Stunt Man

Mat Hoffman - Champion of BMX Biking and Extreme Sports

Matt Guy - 2011 ACO World Championships "King of Cornhole" Tournament Winner

Dirk Hayhurst - Author of The Bullpen Gospels

Al Gore & Keith Olbermann

Ron Turcotte - Champion Race Horse Jockey

Larry Holmes - Champion Boxer

Rafer Johnson - Champion Decathlete

Shawn Michaels - Professional Wrestler

Angelo Dundee - Boxing Trainer and Cornerman

Cheers,

N.H.L. Stanley Cup - Speechless

2011-06-04T22:48:00.002-04:00

This is by far my favorite commercial right now, Especially Teemu Selanne.

Watch this and then tell me Europeans do not care about winning The Cup.
Whatever.

Cheers,

Street Hockey & Music - How Canadian Can You Get??

2011-06-04T09:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked the start of the 4th annual 'Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament' in my hometown of Brantford, Ontario.

In 3 short years the tournament has grown from its grassroots to a Guinness World Record sized event. Last year's tournament saw a total of 205 teams along with 2096 participants. A dose of credit for the record goes to Kevin Smith and his unending support of the tournament. For two years he brought a national spotlight to this small town tournament. However, the one person without whom the tournament would have never achieved the level of popularity it has and who is also the tournament's namesake, is Walter Gretzky.

This is year is no exception as the name "Walter Gretzky" has manage to further expand the tournament into something more than an event exclusively for Ball Hockey enthusiasts. This years marks the introduction of 'Hockeyfest Village'. Displays from the Hockey Hall of Fame will be on hand for visitors to view as well as many other hockey related attractions.

For Autograph hounds the biggest draw will be 24 individuals making their way to 'Hockeyfest Village' for a unique and extremely fan-friendly experience. Over Saturday and Sunday people attending the tournament can purchase a special autograph book for $5.00 that will give them access to over two dozen N.H.L. and International Hockey stars. I will be making my way there as soon as this article gets posted.

Here is the schedule for the weekend;

Saturday - 11:00am - 12:30 pm:

Tom Fergus
Dan Daoust
Darcy Tucker
Zac Dalpe
Todd Harvey
Theo Fleury

Saturday - 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Gary Leeman
Stan Jonathan
Dale Hawerchuk
Zac Dalpe
Todd Harvey
Jay Wells
Theo Fleury

Sunday - 11:00am - 12:30 pm

Billy Derlago
Rene Robert
Danny Gare
Curtis Joseph
Gilbert Dionne
Tim Brent

Sunday - 2:00pm - 3:30 pm

Rick Vaive
Gilbert Dionne
Sami Jo Small
Billy Bridges
Tim Brent

So, if you happen to be in the Brantford area and are a fan of great fun, and want to gather a boatload of autos for $5.00 then bring yourself to the 4th annual 'Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament'. You will NOT be disappointed.

Keep an eye out for yours truly, I'll maybe even buy you a beer.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 26th

2011-05-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1959 - In another of Bill Veeck's stunts, 3-feet 7 inch Eddie Gaedel returns to a major league field along with three other midgets. Arriving by helicopter and dressed as Martians, the quartet shakes hands with Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio near second base on Comiskey Park's infield and gives them toy ray guns as the PA announcer informs fans the crowd the ETs have arrived to help the somewhat short keystone combo in their struggle with giant earthlings.

OTD - 1964 - In front of a meager crowd of 2,503 fans at Wrigley Field, the visiting Mets pummel the Cubs, 19-1. New York's 25-year old first baseman Dick Smith, batting leadoff, becomes the first player in franchise history to collect five hits in a game.

OTD - 1993 - Jose Canseco can't be accused of not using his head by anyone in Cleveland. The Texas right fielder drifts back to line up a long drive by Carlos Martinez and, when he turns his head to take a look at the wall, the ball skims off his glove, hits his head and bounces over the fence for a home run.

OTD - 1997 - Two inside-the-park home runs are hit in a span of five minutes on Memorial Day in Pittsburgh. First, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa touches them all in the top of the sixth inning, then Tony Womack flies around the bases in 13 seconds in the bottom of the inning. The Cubs hold off the Bucs, 2-1, but it is the first time in 21 years that two N.L. players hit inside-the-parkers in the same game.

OTD - 2004 - In the second game of a twin bill at US Cellular Field, Frank Catalanotto becomes the first Blue Jay in franchise history to collect six hits in one game. The left fielder’s double and five singles contribute to Toronto’s 10-6 victory over the White Sox.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 25th

2011-05-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1923 - Crossing the plate for the 1,741 time, Ty Cobb surpasses Honus Wagner's for most runs score in a career. The 'Georgia Peach' will tally 2,245 runs during his 24-year tenure in the major leagues, a mark which will not be equaled until 2001 when Rickey Henderson breaks the record.

OTD - 1941 - Ted Williams raises his batting average over .400 for the first time during the season. His run to be the first since Bill Terry in 1930 to exceed the magic number will be marked in newspapers throughout the season, although it will often give way to the batting streak by Joe DiMaggio.

OTD - 1951 - The much-heralded Giants rookie Willie Mays makes his major league debut against the Phillies at Shibe Park. The 20-year old outfielder, who hit .477 in the minor leagues with the Minneapolis Millers in 35 games before being called up, goes hitless in five trips to the plate, but makes two outstanding defensive plays to contribute to New York’s 8-5 victory

OTD - 1981 - Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,000th major league game, scoring the winning run in Boston's 8-7 triumph over Cleveland. Yaz joins Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron as the only major leaguers to appear in 3,000 games.

OTD - 2006 - At Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, Californian-borned Rick Guttormson becomes the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in interleague play in Japan. The former Padres minor league pitcher of the year holds the Golden Eagles hitless as the Yakult Swallows beat Rakuten, 6-0.

Cheers,

Box Break - 2010 Panini Threads Football

2011-05-24T19:47:00.002-04:00

Quite a long time ago I was lucky enough to score a box of 2010 Panini Threads Football from the always too generous folks over at Card Corner Club Radio. Simply listening to their show and lazing back with the laptop got me a free box. How can that not make for a great Friday night spent? I promised them that I would post the break on my blog. I expected to be doing this much sooner than now, but, better late than never I suppose.

With the current state of my card collecting table it was an impossibility to do a video break. So, this will have to suffice. First things first though.

Soundtrack - The Sheepdogs - Learn and Burn

2010 Panini Threads Football

Box Breakdown - 24 packs per box
Pack Breakdown - 8 cards per pack

Right off the bat I like this product simply for the weight of the box, it "feels" like a healthy purchase. Lately boxes of cards have not been giving the impression that they are money well spent. Delivering 192 cards this product definitely changes that perception. As with a number of Panini releases this set is broken into 3 parts with varying degrees of difficulty to pull one. Cards 1 through 150 constitute the "base" set and are labelled "Commons" on the checklist. Cards 151 through 200 are the 'Rookie Class' autographed manu-patch cards and cards 201 to 300 are, I am assuming here, Rookies that did not warrant a manu-patch, they are simply called 'Rookies' on the checklist.

Base Set cards - 150/150 (100%) (Always a great thing!!!!)
Doubles - 21

The common theme that seems to permeate every conversation when it comes to critiquing a card design is that collectors want "something different". Well, Panini Threads definitely does that with its base cards. All 150 base cards feature a landscape layout for the photo with the player name and team running vertically up the left side of the card. The disappointment for me with this set is the lack of colour on the front of the card that would distinguish, at a quick glance, the team represented. Also missing on the front is a team logo.

I have never considered myself a fan of football cards or sets and after looking throughout this set I think I have discovered why. With Baseball and Hockey the action of the game seems to be captured in the photographs used on cards. Football, for some reason unknown to me, does not seem to be able to capture what makes it exciting and translate that to cardboard. Out of 150 cards there were really only 3 that even remotely looked like a "great shot" or captured the essence of the game, even with that said the Manning card looks like every other Manning card.

Far too many cards in this set featured photos from practices or scrimmages. The LaDanian Tomlinson card is especially weak featuring his own teammate trying to "tackle" him. Altogether I counted 10 cards featuring these types of photos. It may not seem much but photography should be the number one concern for ANY set.

Like I mentioned earlier there are plenty of Rookie cards in this set with varying degrees of difficulty to acquire. Base Rookies (read as non-autographed, non-manu-patch cards) appear to fall 1 every 4 packs and total 100 cards. These are Rookies beyond the much sought after names that appear in the autographed manu-patch collection of 50. This is where the set tends to bloat a little. Here are the six I pulled.

Card #206 - Anthony Dixon, card #222 - David Gettis, card #233 - Garrett Graham

Card #248 - Joique Bell, card #264 - Mike Neal, card #290 - Timothy Toone

Parallels as with any Panini issue are plentiful in this release, there are 6 in total for the Base Set,

Silver Century Proofs - #/250
Gold Century Proofs - #/100
Platinum Century Proofs - #/25
Autographed Parallels - #/499 and lower
Jersey Parallels - #/299 and lower
Prime Jersey Parallels - #/50 and lower

I pulled 3 Silver parallels and 1 Gold, sadly none were Bengals. However, one was from the SP Rookie cards and the other 3 were QBs. Not bad in the end.

Silver Parallel Serial #116/250 card #246 - Joe Webb

Silver Parallel Serial #161/250 card #45 - Kyle Orton

Silver Parallel Serial #037/250 card #76 - Chad Henne

Gold Parallel Serial #032/100 card #48 - Matthew Stafford

When it comes to insert cards there are plenty to choose from in Panini Threads and one especially that I really, REALLY like. There are 6 insert sets that have a non-relic or non-signature base along with plenty of parallels.

'Century Legends' features 15 of the greatest players in NFL history and has 3 parallels;
Century Legends Proof - #/100
Century Legends Materials - #/299 and lower
Century Legends Prime Materials - #50/ and lower

'Century Stars' features 25 of today's current NFL stars and has 3 parallels;
Century Stars Proof - #/100
Century Stars Materials - #/299 and lower
Century Stars Prime Materials - #/ and lower

'Triple Threat' focuses on the best 1-2-3-punch of 10 NFL teams with 3 parallels;
Triple Threat Proof - #/100
Triple Threat Materials - #/299 and lower
Triple Threat Prime Materials - #50/ and lower

'Generations' is a 15-card set that takes a current player and matches him up with a player from the franchise's past. this set has 3 parallels as well;
Generations Proof - #/100
Generations Materials - #/299 and lower
Generations Prime Materials - #50/ and lower

'All Rookie Team' is a 5-card set showcasing the Top 5 rookies of 2009 with 4 parallels;
All Rookie Team Threads #/299 and lower
All Rookie Team Threads Prime #/50 and lower
All Rookie Team Threads Signatures #/50 and lower
All Rookie Team Threads Prime Signatures #/25 and lower

'Pro Gridiron Kings' covers 50 of the NFL's greatest players and features a total of 9 parallels. 4 are different coloured frame variations and 5 are a mixture of jerseys, patches and signatures;
Red Frame #/100
Blue Frame #/50
Green Frame #/25
Black Frame #/10
Jersey #/299 and lower
Prime Patch #/50 and lower
Autograph #/299 and lower
Autograph Jersey #/25 and lower
Autograph Prime Patch #/10 and lower

By far my favorite insert is the 'Pro Gridiron Kings', as it is printed on a canvas card stock best described as reminiscent to the Upper Deck Masterpieces collection set, except more glossy. Of course the one insert set I choose to like has the greatest number of parallels. I pulled one from this box and it was a base that features Daryle Lamonica.

I also pulled 4 cards from the 'Century Stars' set, 3 base and 1 Proof parallel. This is a set I could take or leave (probably leave) when it comes to design. My first impression is, too dark. I like the use of team colours in the bottom left corner and the banner. However, nothing really grabs me about this set. Even the 25 card checklist could have been parred down to 20 or 15. Disappointing that this is the insert set I pulled the most cards from.

'Century Stars' card #7 - Drew Brees

'Century Stars' card #8 - Eli Manning

'Century Stars' card #9 - Frank Gore

'Century Stars' Proof Parallel card #18 - Michael Turner (Serial #088/100)

The 'Generations' set reminds me too much of the Topps 'Legendary Lineage' cards. I get what manufacturers are trying to do here but the design and layout needs to be revisited by someone. I pulled 2 cards from this set that San Diego fans or Minnesota fans would be happy with.

'Generations' card #4 - Cris Carter/Sidney Rice

'Generations' card #5 - Junior Seau/Shawne Merriman

The other insert set I might try and build is 'Century Legends'. It is small enough at 15 cards and the checklist is worthy of a set. The design is much better than the 'Century Stars' card with the only thing missing being a team logo on the white space on the right side of the card. I managed to pull two big-time Quarterbacks from this box.

'Century Legends' card #14 - Terry Bradshaw

'Century Legends' card #15 - Dan Fouts

Lastly, I pulled 1 base insert of the 'Triple Threat' insert set. This card is one that did not need to happen. This set feels like Panini just needed to fill out the release roster by packing out a base card version. This set would be much more desirable as a Prime Patch release ONLY. The card appears designed for just that, which is not a problem, it makes an amazing looking patch card. Unfortunately it does not work as a base insert.

Now we come to the guaranteed hits in the box. According to the sell sheet you will pull 4 autographed or game-used cards per box. Looking at the checklist there are plenty of different cards to fit this bill. Some of the inserts and parallels have already been covered, here are the rest of the jersey/patch/autographed cards available to be hit in 2010 Panini Threads;

Game Day Jerseys 25-card set with 3 parallels;
Signatures #/50 and lower
Prime Patch #/50 and lower
Prime Patch Signatures #/25 and lower

Rookie Collection Materials is a 35-card set featuring, you guessed it, Rookies. This set also has 3 parallels;
Signatures #/50 and lower
Prime Patch #/25 and lower
Prime Patch Signatures #/25 and lower

Rookie Collection also comes in Combo versions, the Dual is a 15-card set with a parallel and the Quad is a 5-card set with a parallel;
Rookie Collection Dual Prime #/25 and lower
Rookie Collection Quad Prime #/25 and lower

Franchise Fabrics features mostly Quarterbacks but is essentially a 20-card set dedicated to some of the NFL's top tier players. This set has 5 parallels;
Franchise Fabrics Patch #/50 and lower
Franchise Fabrics Signatures #/25 and lower
Franchise Fabrics Patch Signatures #/10 and lower
Franchise Tags #/10 and lower
Franchise Tags Signatures #/5 and lower

The Rookie Signatures insert set comes in three tiers. The Combos feature dual signatures and is a 10-card set. The Triple Signatures set is also a 10-card set and the Rookie Signature Quads is a 5-card set.

So, without any further stalling, here are the 4 guaranteed hits from the box I broke.

Autographed Parallel #299/499 Bryan Bulaga 'Rookie'

Rookie Collection Jersey #270/299 Card#21 Jonathan Dwyer

Rookie Collection Quad-Jersey #022/299 Card#3
Demaryus Thomas/Dez Bryant/Dexter McCluster/Arrelious Benn

Rookie Class Autographed/Manu-patch #180/280 C.J.Spiller

There are a few too many non-essential rookies making up this set and the checklist could probably have been trimmed to 250 cards, either that or the Base Set could have included more current players. The inclusion of all the rookies with a healthy dose of current players makes it difficult to give this set an identity. Is it for everyday collectors or is it for speculators?

Overall I enjoyed 2010 Panini Threads but it did nothing to peak my interest in Football releases. There seems to be something lacking in this Football card release that keeps it from capturing the excitement of Hockey or Baseball. While the box more than delivered on expectations with a complete base set and some well designed inserts and I would definitely recommend it to Football card collectors.

Thanks to the kind and generous folks at Card Corner Club Radio for the prize and make sure to tune in every Friday night for one of the most entertaining and informative shows concerning our Hobby.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this latest Box Break and keep checking back for more. We end it here as usual with the "music-to-rip-by" for this edition, good ol' Canadian boys The Sheepdogs.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 24th

2011-05-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1909 - After beating the Cardinals a record 24 consecutive times, Giants' legend Christy Mathewson finally loses to the Redbirds, 3-1. The winning streak spanned five years starting in May of 1904.

OTD - 1935 - The Cincinnati Reds host the Philadelphia Phillies in the first major league night game, winning 2-1. On the initiative of Larry MacPhail, President Franklin D. Roosevelt throws the switch at the White House to turn on the lights. The Reds will play seven night games, one each against the other N.L. teams. Ben Chapman is on base seven times in the game, a major league record, on two doubles and five walks.

OTD - 1964 - Harmon Killebrew tags the longest homer ever hit in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Twins left fielder's 471-foot shot, which clears the hedge in left center field, is hit off Milt Pappas in the eighth inning of 7-6 loss to the Orioles.

OTD - 1995 - Tossing a scoreless ninth inning in the A's 5-2 win over Baltimore, Dennis Eckersley records his 300th career save. The Oakland right-hander becomes the sixth reliever in major league history to reach the milestone.

OTD - 2006 - Swinging on the first pitch in his first major league at-bat, Adam Wainwright homers in the fifth inning of the Cardinals 10-4 win over San Francisco at AT&T Park. The 24-year old right-hander also tosses three innings in relief to record his second career victory.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 22nd

2011-05-22T12:46:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1962 - Roger Maris is intentionally walked four times to establish a major league record. The quartet of free passes is issued are by four different Halo hurlers in New York's' 2-1 victory over the Angels in 12 innings at Yankee Stadium.

OTD - 1963 - Mickey Mantle hit a pitch from Kansas City's Bill Fischer off the right-field facade at Yankee Stadium in an 8-7 victory over the A's.

OTD - 1982 - In his last major league at bat, Mario Mendoza, who will become a minor league hitting instructor, reaches first on a fielder’s choice ending his nine-year career with a .215 batting average. The Ranger infielder’s name will become infamous as players struggling at the plate will be described as performing below the ‘Mendoza Line’

OTD - 1990 - During the Cubs 2-1 victory against the Reds in a 16-inning contest at Wrigley Field, Andre Dawson is walked five time intentionally to set a major league record. The previous mark of four free passes in a game was established by Yankees outfielder Roger Maris in 1962 and then equaled by Padres shortstop Gerry Templeton in 1985.

OTD - 2002 - Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura approves a financing framework for a $330 million open-air stadium. The bill is the result a seven-year effort by the Twins to secure help from the state, but the plan has only tepid support from the club because team officials are unsure if they'll be able to find $120 million for a required down payment and get a guarantee from major league baseball that a team will play in Minnesota for at least 30 years.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 20th

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1918 - In what will become a precursor of a tragic event, Indian outfielder Tris Speaker is struck on the head by a pitch thrown by Red Sox hurler Carl Mays. The submarine pitcher, who will fatally bean Ray Chapman with a pitch in 1920 as a member of the Yankees, denies Speaker's allegation that the pitch was intentional.

OTD - 1945 - Pete Gray is the star in St. Louis as the Browns sweep the Yankees 10-1 and 5-2. Gray, who has only one arm, has two RBI on three hits in the opener and in the nightcap scores the winning run and hauls in seven fly balls, three on spectacular catches.

**Note to the Custom Card makers out there, Pete never had an official card produced.**

OTD - 1947 - In a game which features no extra-base hits, the Pirates defeat Boston at Forbes Field, 4-3. The teams collect a total of 22 hits, all singles with Pittsburgh collecting a dozen.

OTD - 1962 - During the Cubs' doubleheader sweep of the Phillies, Ken Hubbs strokes eight singles in eight trips to the plate at Connie Mack Stadium. The Chicago second baseman will be selected as the Rookie of the Year.

OTD - 1991 - Jeff Reardon gains his 300th career save in relief of Matt Young and Jeff Gray. Reardon preserves the 3-0 Boston win over Milwaukee

Cheers,

On This Day - May 19th

2011-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1910 - Cy Young won his 500th game as the Cleveland Indians defeated Washington 5-4 in 11 innings.

OTD - 1960 - Juan Marichal, in his first game with the San Francisco Giants, pitched a one-hitter to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0.

OTD - 1984 - Joining the club in St. Louis, Eric Davis makes his major league debut grounding out to short as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of the Reds' 9-1 loss to the Redbirds. The 22-rookie is forced to wear a numberless jersey when Cincinnati forgets to pack an extra road uniforms.

OTD - 2002 - Cubs' first baseman Fred McGriff's two-run homer at Miller Park ties Ellis Burks' record of homering in 40 different major league parks. The 'Crime Dog's' eighth inning blast knots the score 3-3 in an eventual 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Brewers snapping Chicago's nine-game losing streak.

OTD - 2008 - Jon Lester, who was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two seasons ago, no-hits the Royals, 7-0, becoming only third lefty in franchise history to throw a no-no at Fenway Park. The 24-year old’s battery mate, Jason Varitek also makes the record books for being the first backstop to catch four no-hitters in the majors.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 17th

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1925 - In a 2-1 loss to the Senators, Indians' outfielder Tris Speaker singles off pitcher Tom Zachary to collect his career 3000 hit. The 'The Grey Eagle' becomes the fifth major leaguer to reach the milestone, joining Cap Anson (1897), Honus Wagner (1914), Nap Lajoie (1914), and Ty Cobb (1921)

OTD - 1963 - At Colt Stadium, Don Nottebart throws first no-hitter in franchise history when the Colt 45's beat the Phillies, 4-1. It is the 197th game the team has played since its inception last season.

OTD - 1970 - During a 7-6 Atlanta loss to Cincinnati in the second game of a doubleheader, Hank Aaron collects his 3,000th career hit and his 570th home run. Aaron, the ninth man to amass 3,000 hits, is the first to also have 500 home runs.

OTD - 1984 - In a 5-4 victory over Montreal at Jack Murphy Stadium, Padres’ second baseman Alan Wiggins ties a National League record by stealing five bases in one game. Dan McGann (1904), Davey Lopes (1974), and Lonnie Smith (1982) also accomplished the feat in the senior circuit.

OTD - 1998 - David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the Yankees beat the Twins 4-0. Wells, whose perfecto is the first by a Yankee since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series, also sets an A.L. record by retiring 37 batters in a row, dating back to his start May 12 against the Royals. Twins shortstop Pat Meares flies out to Paul O'Neill in right field to complete the perfect afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 16th

2011-05-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1902 - Two deaf-mutes face each other for the first time when William Ellsworth Hoy leads off for the Reds against Luther Haden Taylor of the Giants. The Reds win 5-3 with a five-run rally in the ninth. Hoy goes 2-for-4.

OTD - 1939 - The first A.L. night game is played at Shibe Park, with Cleveland beating the host Philadelphia Athletics 8-3 in ten innings.

OTD - 1957 - The Yankees celebrate Billy Martin's 29th birthday in a raucous fashion. An ensuing fight at Manhattan's Copacabana Club leads to $5,500 in fines and the eventual trade of Billy to Kansas City. Hank Bauer allegedly starts the fight by hitting a patron, although Bauer denies it.

OTD - 1965 - Future Jim Palmer Hall of Famer, pitching 3.2 innings in relief, wins his first major league game when the Orioles defeat the Yankees at Memorial Stadium, 7-5. The 19-year old Orioles' rookie right-hander makes the day more memorable when he hits a two-run homer off Jim Bouton in the fourth inning.

OTD - 1981 - Astros' shortstop Craig Reynolds hits three triples in one game helping Houston to beat the Cubs, 6-1. The Texan native is only the seventh player to accomplish this feat.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 15th

2011-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1922 - In a game at New York, Ty Cobb beats out a grounder to shortstop Everett Scott. Veteran writer Fred Lieb scores it a hit in the box score he files with the Associated Press. But official scorer John Kieran of the Times gives an error to Scott. At the season's end, the A.L. official records, based on AP box scores, list Cobb at .401. New York writers complain unsuccessfully that it should be .399, based on the official scorer's stats.

OTD - 1941 - Joe DiMaggio gets a single against Eddie Smith of the Chicago White Sox to start his 56-game hitting streak. Joe D's hit goes unnoticed as the Yankees lose 13-1.

OTD - 1952 - Virgil Trucks throws the first of his two hitters this season blanking the Senators, 1-0. In August, the Tigers' right-hander will also keep the Yankees hitless in another 1-0 game that becomes controversial when Phil Rizzuto's third inning at-bat is first ruled an error then a hit, only to be changed back into an error three frames later.

OTD - 1968 - Hoping to fill the void created when the Braves moved to Atlanta, the White Sox play the first of nine games in Milwaukee. A crowd of 23,403 fans watches the Pale Hose lose to the Angels, 4-2, in the first American League contest to take place in Milwaukee since 1901.

OTD - 1973 - California's Nolan Ryan strikes out 12 and hurls his first career no-hitter in beating Kansas City 3-0. For catcher Jeff Torborg, it is his third no-hitter.

Cheers,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Mini Edition

2011-05-14T16:56:00.001-04:00

It has been a little while since I last posted about my haul from the Toronto Spring Card Expo. Had a few things come up that were a bit more important than blogging. However, things are now better and I have a little more time available now for hobby talk. So, here we go.

I recently posted how a few eBay lots have brought me close to completion of the 2009 Topps T-206 Piedmont minis parallel set. Since returning to the hobby I have come to really appreciate and enjoy collecting the mini tobacco sized cards that have become quite prevalent in the hobby. What I managed to bring home with me helped complete some team sets and added to another set I am slowly picking away at.

Chicago Cubs from the 2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions release lead the way with a total of five cards. Four were actually needed to complete the mini team set.

#224 - Ryan Dempster, #27 - Derrek Lee, #33 - Jeff Samardzija

#95 - Alfonso Soriano, #117 Carlos Zambrano

It turns out I already had the Zambrano, but, doubles are never bad, are they? I found three of the four Toronto Blue Jays minis that I needed to complete the mini team set. All I have left to chase down now is card #48 Joe Carter.

#243 - Vernon Wells, #219 B.J. Ryan, #242 - Alex Rios

While sifting through the pile of minis I set aside two cards that featured Horses. One figurative and the other literal.

Card #18 - Bo Jackson

Card #115 - Smarty Jones

Aside from the T-206 Piedmont mini cards one of the other mini card sets I am working on is the 2009-10 Upper Deck Champs Hockey mini extension set. Finding lots of these cards at a show is pretty hard and completing a set paying the individual prices being asked is just too much pain on the wallet. One dealer had a stack of 25 cards and wanted $5.00 for them so without my needs list handy I grabbed it and hoped for the best. Turns out I only needed 4 of the 25, but, it gives me a number of traders.

Card #270 - Mike Richards, #314 - Don Cherry

The great appeal of Champs is that, much like Allen & Ginter, card subjects are not just limited to athletes. 'Wonders of the World' and 'Natural History Collection' cards found a place in the binder too.

Card #407 - Aurora

Card #512 - Common Raven

The last mini card that joined the bunch was a lone 2007 Allen & Ginter Chicago Cub. Every team set starts somewhere and this 2007 set begins with Michael Barrett.

Card #159 - Michael Barrett

We are almost at the end of the series of posts dealing with my purchases from the Spring Expo. Doing these posts has helped me realize that my search was much more successful than it felt at the time. I managed to pick away at quite a few needs successfully.

The next post will deal with the handful of vintage cards that I purchased going towards one of the latest projects I have decided to tackle as well as a few cards for some projects that I am still tossing around in my head. I also found one of the cards I had been hoping to find for a PC, which also happens to be the first and perhaps cheapest vintage card for said PC.

Stay tuned for that post and thanks for reading this one. I appreciate you spending your time here.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 14th

2011-05-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1913 - Washington's Walter Johnson gave up a run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Browns to end his streak of 56 scoreless innings. The Senators won 10-5.

OTD - 1920 - The Giants inform the Yankees, tenants since 1913, their lease to play at the Polo Grounds will not be renewed at the end of the season. There is speculation the National League team, who later will decide to continue sharing their home until the Yankee's new stadium is completed in 1923, may have been reacting to the team's recent acquisition of Babe Ruth.

OTD - 1927 - In the top of the seventh in the Phillies' game against St. Louis, a section of the right field stand of the Baker Bowl collapses causing hundreds of fans to fall on the patrons below. Although there are many injuries, the only death is caused by the stampeding crowd.

OTD - 1977 - The first no-hitter is thrown by a Kansas City pitcher at Royals Stadium when Jim Colborn blanks the Rangers, 6-0. California's fireballer Nolan Ryan recorded the first no-hitter in the ballpark during its inaugural season in 1971.

OTD - 1989 - Benny Distefano became the first left-handed catcher in a major league game in nine years when he caught the ninth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Mike Squires caught two games with the Chicago White Sox in 1980 and Dale Long caught two games for the Chicago Cubs in 1958.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 13th

2011-05-13T17:30:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1942 - Pitcher Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves slams three successive home runs to beat the Chicago Cubs at Braves Field. Tobin is the only major league pitcher to accomplish this. He had a pinch-hit homer the day before.

OTD - 1952 - In a Class D Appalachian League game, Bristol (Virginia) pitcher Ron Necciai strikes out twenty-seven batters when he no-hits Welch (West Virginia). The catcher missed a third strike allowing one batter reach base to ruin the perfect-perfect bid.

OTD - 1958 - Stan Musial got his 3,000th hit with a pinch-double off Chicago's Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals won 5-3.

OTD - 1982 - Allen Ripley and Lee Smith combine to shut out Houston in Chicago's 5-0 victory at the Astrodome. The Cubs' win is their 8,000th victory in franchise history.

OTD - 1993 - One day before his 40th birthday, George Brett hits his 300th career home run joining Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Mays and Al Kaline as the only players with 300 HRs and 3000 hits. The Royals' third baseman historic ball is picked up by a fan on a veterans' hospital outing who happens to be blind.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 12th

2011-05-12T16:51:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1915 - White Sox hurler Red Faber hurls only 67 pitches in his complete-game 4-1 victory over the Senators. The future Hall of Fame right-hander's low-pitch count is assisted when he needs to throw only three pitches to retire the side in both the third and fifth innings.

OTD - 1926 - Walter Johnson wins the 400th game of his career, defeating the St. Louis Browns 7-4.

OTD - 1932 - Carey Selph of the White Sox strikes out for the ninth time this season. It won't happen again. Selph will go another 89 games, a major league-record, without whiffing, hitting .283 (in 396 at bats) in his second and last season.

Carey Selph - Third from left, middle row.

OTD - 1970 - Ernie Banks becomes the eighth member of the 500 home run club, connecting off Pat Jarvis during a 4-3 Cubs win over the Braves. It his 1,600th career RBI. Atlanta's Rico Carty, meanwhile, hits safely in his 30th consecutive game

OTD - 2004 - In one of the most remarkable at-bats in big league history, Alex Cora fouls off 14 consecutive pitches and then hits the 18th thrown to him by the Cubs’ Matt Clement's over the right-field fence for a two-run home run which doubles LA's lead to 4-0. The Dodger Stadium crowd cheered each foul ball as the total started to be displayed on the scoreboard.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 11th

2011-05-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1904 After 23-innings of pitching no-hit baseball, Cy Young's streak ends. The stretch includes six innings today, two innings April 25, six on April 30, and the perfect game against the A's on May 5

OTD - 1971 - In front of a sparse crowd of 2,992 at Cleveland Stadium, Indians starter Steve Dunning hits a grand slam off A’s right-hander Diego Segui in bottom of the second inning in Cleveland’s 7-5 victory of Oakland. It will take another 37 years before another American League hurler goes deep with the bases loaded when Felix Hernandez of the Mariners accomplishes the feat against the Mets in 2008.

OTD - 1972 - The Giants trade future Hall of Famer Willie Mays to the Mets for minor league pitcher Charlie Williams and cash.

OTD - 1980 - Thirty-nine-year-old Pete Rose steals second, third, and home in one inning for the Phillies. The last National Leaguer to pull this feat was Jackie Robinson in 1954.

OTD - 1996 - Al Leiter pitches the first no-hitter in Marlins history. After two walks and a hit batsman in the first three innings, Leiter retires the last 20 batters in a 6-0 gem.

Cheers,

The Joy Of The Completed Page(s) - T206 Style

2011-05-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

When Topps first announced the 100th Anniversary release of T-206 in 2009 I decided that I was going to take a crack at collecting the mini parallel set. Seeing as this was the first parallel set that I was going to chase, I figured I would make it as relatively easy as possible and go for the set that was most plentiful.

I know this is hardly a new concept from Topps but I was not in to collecting in 2002 so I was kind of happy Topps rehashed this design for 2009. The watercolour paint looking background coupled with the majority of unique-to-this-release photos make this set attractive.

Well, here it is 2011 and I can finally post the first complete pages of the set. As it stands I am only 21 cards away from completion but the singles have been falling in a way that page completion has been non-existent to this point.

The 300-card mini set is a complete parallel to the full-size base cards along with the 50-card short printed photo variation set. Of course, I am working on those as well. Ever since returning to the hobby in 2008 the retro-style tobacco cards have really caught my attention. While Allen & Ginter may be the standard bearer of the mini parallel I have not been drawn to them as much as I have the 2009 T-206's.

Most of the cards from this set have come from purchasing lots. Needless to say I have gathered up quite a few duplicates, but, I have come to find this is something that is to be expected when trying to complete a set like this. One of the things I have enjoyed the most is tracking where these cards have come from. eBay Sellers and fellow bloggers from all over have helped me build this set to near completion.

I also wanted to take the time to specifically thank Greg from NearlyMint for helping me acquire a few US-Only auctions off of eBay that went a long way to helping complete this set. If you have any of these cards kicking around gathering dust please have a look at my T-206 Wantlist and see if you can help me out. I would greatly appreciate it.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 10th

2011-05-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1910 - Bill Purtell gets the dubious distinction of becoming the first player in major league history to strike out two times in the same frame. During the sixth inning of the White Sox 10-3 victory over Washington, the Chicago third baseman is victimized twice by future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.

OTD - 1959 - Philadelphia's Jim Hearn allows two earned runs before the game is suspended with the Pirates ahead 6-4. Hearn is released before the game is completed in July and is charged with the loss — two months after his retirement.

OTD - 1967 - In the eighth inning against Jim Bunning of the Phillies, Hank Aaron drives a ball to deep center field and scores ahead of the relay. It will be the only inside-the-park home run among his 755.

OTD - 1970 - While losing 6-5 to St. Louis, the Braves' Hoyt Wilhelm becomes the first pitcher ever to appear in 1,000 games.

OTD - 1981 - Montreal's Charlie Lea, a native of France, no-hits the Giants 4-0, walking four and striking out eight in the second game of a doubleheader. It is the first no-hitter at Olympic Stadium, which opened for baseball in 1977.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 9th

2011-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1937 - The Reds' backstop Ernie Lombardi goes 6-for-6 as Cincinnati routs the Phillies, 21-10.

OTD - 1961 - In a 13-5 victory over the Twins, Jim Gentile becomes first major leaguer to hit consecutive grand slams in the same game. The Orioles' first baseman accomplishes the feat in the first two innings of the contest.

OTD - 1967 - Cardinals' outfielder # 9 Roger Maris hits his first National League home run on the ninth day of the month in seat 9 of section 9.

OTD - 1984 - At Comiskey Park, the first eight-hour game in major league history ends in the 25th inning when Harold Baines belts a home run giving the White Sox a 7-6 win over the Brewers. Tom Seaver, who will also start and pitch 8 1/3 innings in the nightcap, gets the win pitching one inning of relief.

OTD - 2010 - Dallas Braden, recently made infamous due to his words with Alex Rodriguez when the Yankee third baseman cut across the diamond via the pitcher’s mound, throws the 19th perfect game in baseball history, a 4-0 victory over the Rays in Oakland. In attendance for the 26-year old left-hander's Mother's Day gem is his grandmother, who raised him after his mom died of a melanoma during his senior year at Stagg High School in Stockton, California.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 8th

2011-05-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1929 - Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first by a left-hander in the majors in thirteen seasons.

OTD - 1966 - Orioles right fielder Frank Robinson powers the first ball ever hit completely out of Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The 451-foot shot ends Luis Tiant's scoreless-innings streak at 27. Baltimore wins 8-3 and ties Cleveland for first place.

OTD - 1973 - For the second time in his career, the Pirates' Willie Stargell poles one out of Dodger Stadium. His blast off Andy Messersmith hits the right field pavilion roof 470 feet away. His first such homer, a 506-foot shot, came off Alan Foster on August 5, 1969. No other player has hit one out of the stadium.

OTD - 1973 - Cubs manager Whitey Lockman is ejected during a 12-inning 3-2 win over the Padres. Coach Ernie Banks fills in for the last few innings, technically becoming the major leagues' first black manager.

OTD - 1994 - The Colorado Silver Bullets, the first women's team to play a pro men's team, lost 19-0 to the Northern League All-Stars. Leon Durham hit two homers and Oil Can Boyd started for the All-Stars. The Silver Bullets had two hits, struck out sixteen times and made six errors.

Cheers,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Relic Edition

2011-05-07T19:20:00.000-04:00

This edition of my Toronto Spring Expo posts is going to be the briefest of the bunch. I managed to find very little in the way of relics that I was looking for, however, I was also near the end of my budget so I am sure there were number of cards I left behind.

I walked away with 4 Cubs cards and 1 card that will be used either for trade bait or if I happen to find someone trying to complete the set, I will send it their way.

The Kentucky Derby is about to get underway, so I feel I need to do the same.

Another card from 2010 Topps National Chicle made its way into my collection. This time it is a game-used bat relic.

2010 Topps National Chicle Bat Relic card#NCR-AS Alfonso Soriano

A couple of Upper Deck Relics from 2008 and 2009. Both are grey swatches, both could have come from the same item, who knows. One belongs to Aramis Ramirez, the other belongs to Kerry Wood.

2009 Upper Deck Icons Jersey Relic card#IC-RA Aramis Ramirez

2008 Upper Deck Series 2 Jersey Relic card#UDJ-KW Kerry Wood

I found a 2009 Topps silk card for a steal and I am sure I can easily find it a home with someone building the set or a Florida Marlins collector. If you are either, send me an email and we can work something out.

2009 Topps Silk Jeremy Hermida serial #'d 06/50

The final relic card also cost me the most, a whopping $10. I hope to eventually build this set but as always will gladly take my time as it gives me something to concentrate on when there are lulls in the set collecting world. This set ties in the historical players of the game with historical places of the game. I now own my own little piece of Crosley Field.

2009 Topps Heritage 'Flashback Relic' Crosley Stadium seat relic card#FR-EB Ernie Banks

Like I said at the start, a pretty brief post but some sweet cards making their way into my collection. Keep an eye on the blog as the next Toronto Spring Expo related post will cover the mini cards that I bought. A couple team sets were brought further to completion and I knocked a few cards off of a hockey set as well.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 7th

2011-05-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1922 - Jesse Barnes of the New York Giants pitched the only no-hitter of the year, beating the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-0

OTD - 1925 - Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals when he caught Jim Bottomley's line drive, stepped on second to double Jimmy Cooney, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first.

OTD - 1970 - At Shea Stadium, Wes Parker hits a triple off Jim McAndrew to beat the Mets in the tenth inning, 7-4. The three-bagger completes the cycle for the Dodger first baseman.

OTD - 1991 - Darryl Strawberry returns to New York as a Dodger with mixed results. A crowd of 49,118 mostly booing fans watch him hit a two-run home run, and they cheer when he makes the last out of the game with the potential tying and winning runs on base in the 6-5 Mets victory.

OTD - 2010 - Starlin Castro, the first major leaguer to be born in the 1990's, becomes the sixth Cub in franchise history to hit a home run in his first big league at bat, going deep off Homer Bailey in Chicago's 14-7 win over Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park. The 20-year old rookie shortstop also becomes the first player to compile six RBIs in his first game in the majors league game when he delivers a bases-loaded triple to his second inning three-run blast to deep right field.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 6th

2011-05-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

OTD - 1915 - As a pitcher for Boston, Babe Ruth had three hits, including his first major league home run when he connected off Jack Warhop of the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds.

OTD - 1925 - Shortstop Everett Scott of the New York Yankees ended his streak of 1,307 consecutive games that he started while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Scott, who had owned the longest playing streak before Lou Gehrig, gave way to Pee-Wee Wanninger.

OTD - 1953 - Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics in his first major league start. He never pitched another complete game in the majors.

OTD - 1982 - Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners became the 15th major league pitcher with 300 victories when he defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 at the Kingdome.

OTD - 2010 - From 7 a.m. till past midnight, more than 10,000 Tigers fans, some who wait more than eight hours in line at Comerica Park, pay their respect to the beloved broadcaster Ernie Harwell. The open casket is placed near the ballpark's life-sized statue of the Hall of Famer, depicting the announcer with a microphone in his hand, along with the inscription, “The Tigers’ broadcasting legend and masterful storyteller for 42 seasons.”

Cheers,

Beasties-mode FTW!!

2011-05-05T23:14:00.002-04:00

Thanks to @Project1962 on Twitter for making this known to me.

Best music video EVAH!!!

Cheers,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Autograph Edition

2011-05-05T21:47:00.000-04:00

Outside of the sets themselves one of the things I enjoy the most about the hobby is the on-card, hard-signed autographs. Upper Deck says they have "watered down" the hobby, I would tend to disagreed. Then again, who am I to say? I am just a lowly collector.

So far, here is the story. We have covered the serial numbered and insert cards that I picked up last weekend at the Toronto Spring Card Expo. This time around I am going to show off the autograph cards that I bought. Once again, these came from the so-called "bargain boxes" that adorned a number of tables on the floor and all but 1 was $2 or under. A winning combination in my book.

The first three autographs I grabbed are from a set that I plan on pursuing to completion. The base set went heavily ignored by collectors but I still like the looks of the autographed versions.

2010 Topps National Chicle Autograph card#NCA-HR Henry Rodriguez, NCA-JF Juan Francisco

2010 Topps National Chicle Autograph card#NCA-BD Brent Dulgach National Chicle back Parallel #006/199

I had no idea I had picked out one of the parallels until I had looked through the cards once I was home. Of course, this now means that I will probably chase down the serial numbered versions of these cards.

The 2009 Topps T-206 framed mini-autographs are a set that I have liked from the beginning and are the first set of autographs that I decided to try and complete. I have a few sitting in my COMC account and admittedly picked this one up without being sure if I even needed it or not. The good news is it turns out I do need this one, the bad news is it was one of the cards in my COMC account. Nonetheless, it is still a fine looking card.

2009 Topps T-206 Framed Mini Autograph #FMA-13 Shairon Martis

The next autograph I picked up specifically for a fellow blogger who collects this particular player. I have no idea if he already owns it and I would be quite surprised if 'I Am Joe Collector' has not pulled from his crazy case breaking fiesta of 2007 Upper Deck 'Masterpieces' Baseball.

2007 Upper Deck 'Stroke of Genius' Autograph card #SG-BB Billy Butler

I had never seen one of the 2004 Topps 'Cracker Jack' autographs cards until I came across this one. They have a great look to them and it is a Toronto Blue Jay.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack 'Secret Surprise Signatures' card#CJA-DM Dustin McGowan

The last pair of autographs are from the same player but come from 2 distinct pints in his young career. Sadly though, one of the cards breaks my streak of on-card autographs from this group. The other card I picked up as I was leaving the show on Saturday, also it was the most expensive, $5.00. Hopefully, there is enough of the 2011 season left that when he returns from injury he can still make a significant impact for the Cubs.

2010 Topps Pro Debut Baseball Autograph card#PDA-AC Andrew Cashner

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Autograph card#GQA-Ac Andrew Cashner

Finding bargain on-card autographs would make any collector happy. Finding bargain on-card autographs from players and teams you collect is even better. Finding cards for other collectors that might add something to their collection is the best. All reason to be a happy collector.

Stick with the blog as the next post from my Spring Expo spoils will be the relic cards.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 5th

2011-05-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

OTD - 1904 - Boston Pilgrims pitcher Cy Young hurls the second of his three no hitters, a 3-0 perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics and Rube Waddell. Young will eventually complete 24 straight hitless innings, still the record, and 45 shutout innings in a row, a record until broken by Jack Coombs' 53 scoreless frames in 1910.

OTD - 1922 - Pitching against the Tigers, the Browns' Bill Bayne takes a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Detroit manager Ty Cobb then sends up five straight pinch hitters, the first of whom breaks up the no-hitter. One of the pinch hitters Cobb inserts is Bob Fothergill, who bats for Cobb and strikes out, becoming the only man ever to pinch hit for the Georgia Peach.

OTD - 1962 - Angels rookie Bo Belinsky pitches a no-hitter against the Orioles, the organization from which the cocky lefty was drafted in 1961. Belinsky has nine strikeouts and beats Steve Barber 2-0.

OTD - 1975 - Oakland releases pinch runner Herb Washington. Washington played in 105 major league games without batting, pitching, or fielding. He stole 31 bases and scored 33 runs.

OTD - 1978 - Pete Rose singles off Montreal's Steve Rogers for career hit 3,000. The Expos beat the Reds 4-3.

Cheers,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Insert/Parallel Edition

2011-05-04T22:17:00.000-04:00

Last post we had a look at the serial numbered cards I had found at the Toronto Spring Card Expo held at the Toronto International Centre from April 29th to May 1st. This time I will show off all of the insert and parallel cards that came home with me. Most of the cards filled in a few gaps of my wantlists that the generous collecting collective know as the blogosphere managed to leave untouched. Others were picked up to send to unsuspecting fellow collectors, and still others were for my own PCs.

Let's get to it.

I found a couple gold parallel cards each from 2009 and 2010 Topps. I like doing parallel team sets like these, it gives me something to pick away at while in between building sets.

2009 Topps Gold Derrek Lee #1163/2009 Gold Omar Infante #0034/2009

2010 Topps Gold Parallel Kosuke Fukudome #1944/2010 Randy Wells #1081/2010

While there appears to be very little difference between the '09 and '10 versions, the biggest and most disappointing difference is that the '09's are gold foil stamped numbering while the '10's are black ink printed. While the numbering is cleaner on the '10's the whole point behind it being a "gold parallel insert set" is the gold. Disappointing.

Another handful of cards from 2010 Topps flagship strictly went towards completing sets, always a good feeling. The '2020 All-Star' cards have grown on me from the first time I pulled one, and 'Turkey Red' is what it is, you either hate it or love it. Guess which one I am.

'History of the World Series' Edgar Renteria card #HWS20

'2020 All-Stars' #T5 - Justin Upton, #T3 - Andre Ethier and #T18 - Clayton Kershaw

'Turkey Red' card #TR62 - Troy Tulowitzki

While I have not been too enthusiastic about the last couple Topps Heritage releases one of the staples that I have found myself collecting is the Heritage inserts. Consistency is what has helped make these insert sets a favorite of mine. I know what to expect and I know what I am getting. I managed to bring myself 6 cards closer to completing the 2010 issues. 3 'Then and Now', 2 'News Flashbacks' and 1 'Baseball Flashbacks'.

'Baseball Flashbacks' #BF9 - Al Kaline

'News Flashbacks' #NF-9 Vostok 1, #NF-9 Venera 1 (Can you REALLY go wrong with space stuff??)

'Then and Now' #TN-8 Ford/Hernandez, #TN-3 Kaline/Mauer, #TN-6 Ford/Greinke

The final 4 cards are just a collection of randomness that either filled a PC need or I simply found interesting enough to buy. I am usually not one to gather Mickey Mantle cards but honestly, how can you turn down Mantle with a basketball?

2007 Topps Allen & Ginter N43 box topper #N43-DW David Wright

1997 Upper Deck 'Star Attractions' #SA3 - Jeff Bagwell

2007 Bowman Heritage Rainbow Foil Parallel #230 - Felix Pie

2006 Topps 1952 Style Mickey Mantle card #7

I really like the N43 A&G's and will always pick them up when I can at a decent price and 50 cents is definitely that.

Keep checking back as I continue to post my finds from the Spring Expo. My next post will cover the autograph cards I purchased for a grand total of around $15.00. Until then.....

Cheers,

On This Day - May 4th

2011-05-04T10:00:00.002-04:00

OTD - 1946 - Washington's Cecil Travis gets six straight hits before being stopped by Cleveland's Steve Gromek. A prewar hitting star, Travis has few other starring moments as a player after suffering frozen feet during combat in Europe.

OTD - 1966 - Willie Mays hits a NL record 512th HR, topping the mark of another Giant, Mel Ott, as the Giants beat the Dodgers 6-1.

OTD - 1975 - The Giants beat the Astros 8-6 in the first game of a doubleheader at Candlestick Park. In the second inning, Houston's Bob Watson scores what is calculated as major league baseball's millionth run of all time. Philadelphia National Wes Fisler scored the first run on April 22, 1876.

OTD - 1996 - The Rangers have a pair of one-hit wonders. Roger Pavlik one-hits the Tigers to make the Rangers the first A.L. team to pitch back-to-back one-hitters since the Washington Senators in 1917. Neither Pavlik nor his predecessor, Ken Hill, issues a walk in the one-hitters.

OTD - 1997 - Detroit pitcher Willie Blair suffers a broken jaw when he is struck by a line drive off the bat of Julio Franco. The 31-year-old Blair will bounce back and double his previous career best with 16 wins.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 3rd

2011-05-03T10:00:00.003-04:00

OTD - 1938 - Lefty Grove defeats the Tigers 4-3 in 10 innings for the first of a record 20 consecutive victories at his home field, Fenway Park in Boston. He will not lose there until May 12, 1941.

OTD - 1979 - Bobby Bonds hits his 300th home run against Moose Haas in a 6-1 loss to Milwaukee. He has 413 stolen bases at the time and becomes the second player, after Willie Mays, to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs.

OTD - 1980 - Giants first baseman Willie McCovey hits his 521st and final career home run. His shot against Montreal's Scott Sanderson ties him with Ted Williams on the all-time list. He will retire on June 6.

OTD - 1980 - Rangers pitcher Fergie Jenkins defeats the Orioles 3-2 to become only the fourth pitcher to win 100 games in each league. He won 149 games for the Phillies and Cubs before moving to the A.L. in 1974.

OTD - 1995 - David Bell makes his major league debut at third base for the Indians in a 14-7 victory over the Tigers. His appearance makes the Bells, with his father Buddy and his grandfather Gus, the second three-generation family in major league history (the Boones were the first). Gus Bell dies four days later.

Cheers,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Serial #'d Edition

2011-05-02T21:59:00.002-04:00

As most of you who follow me through Twitter know this past weekend was the semi-annual Toronto Sports Card Expo. I spent Friday night and all of Saturday shopping around for deals, filling lists (or at least trying) and just soaking in all that is our hobby. I the end I was once again happy with the Expo in general and as usual I overspent, however, what I came home with still seems worth it upon further review.

The next few posts are going to cover some of the purchases I made as well as other items that came home with me. Firstly, we will start with the serial numbered cards that I purchased, most of which came from one particular dealer and his $0.50 boxes.

The first couple cards are serial #'d out of 500 and are from 2008 Bowman Baseball.

Alex Rios #470/500 Dmitri Young #173/500

The next 4 cards are numbered out of 250. 2 were picked up for potential trades or just to ship out to an unsuspecting collector and 2 were for my own Team collections and PC Bunting collection.

2007 Topps Sterling Tony Gwynn TG2-145 #211/250 TG4-147 #081/250

2008 Bowman Alfonso Soriano #194/250

2010 Bowman Jake Kahaulelio #001/250

The colours keep a happenin' with two green refractors from 2008 Topps Finest. 1 for my Team set collection and 1 to possibly send a fellow blogger's way.

Aramis Ramirez #139/199 Robinson Cano #063/199

I admittedly know very little about this following set but I know enough that it drove a great number of collectors insane. It seems to me to be the ultimate challenge for any set builder but for now I am happy just cherry picking singles here and there for trades or PCs. We will visit this set again in a little bit. For now, here are two cards serial #'d out of 150.

Albert Pujols 64 RBI #075/150 191 Hits #008/150

I grabbed the next card after finding a couple others including a blue parallel shown earlier. I figured that I would attempt to build the base and chrome rainbow of this particular player. I enjoy listening to him on Card Corner Club Radio and figured, what the heck, why not?

2008 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Dmitri Young #09/50

The final 3 cards are the lowest numbered cards I purchased and will fit nicely into my PC Team and Player binders. They are also from the loved or hated 2006 'Moments and Milestones' release. All 3 are numbered out of 29.

David Wright 27 HRs #02/29 17 RBIs #04/29

Derrek Lee 107 RBIs #28/29

I looked for a cheap 1/1 but was unsuccessful in that endeavor. Still, a few cards #/29 is nothing to complain about.

Stay tuned for the next few posts as I will be revealing more of the treasures that I uncovered at the Toronto Spring Card Expo. I have a handful of inserts I will be scanning and posting ASAP.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 2nd

2011-05-02T10:00:00.004-04:00

OTD - 1909 - Honus Wagner steals his way around the bases in the first inning of a game against the Cubs. It is the fourth time he has performed this feat, an N.L. record.

OTD - 1939 - Lou Gehrig voluntarily benches himself for the good of the team. His consecutive-game string stops at 2,130. Babe Dahlgren, his replacement, has a home run and double as the Yankees rout Detroit 22-2.

OTD - 1954 - Stan Musial hits five home runs in a doubleheader with the Giants in St. Louis. In attendance is eight-year-old Nate Colbert, who will eventually be the only other player in history to match this feat. The Cards win the first game 10-6 and the Giants win the nightcap 9-7.

OTD - 1988 - Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days by N.L. president Bart Giamatti. This is the stiffest suspension ever levied against a manager for an on-field incident. On April 30 Rose shoved umpire Dave Pallone in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Mets, inciting a near riot among Cincinnati fans.

Cheers,

On This Day - May 1st

2011-05-01T13:41:00.002-04:00

I started doing these posts on Twitter (@LongFlyBall) just as something I found interesting and Tweet-worthy. The more I thought about it the more it made sense to try an tie it in somehow to a regular post on my blog. I think I have found such a way.

OTD - 1899 - The 1899 Cleveland Spiders win their first home game of the season over the Louisville Colonels. In the nightcap, they suffer defeat 2-1, when Louisville's Malachi Kittridge scores from second base on a single. Not so unusual, except.... Kittredge bypasses third base altogether, as the umpire is occupied with the play in the outfield. Despite vigorous shouting from the Cleveland nine, the Colonels get away with the game.

OTD - 1920 - Babe Ruth hits his first home run as a Yankee as New York beat Boston 6-0 at the Polo Grounds

OTD - 1925 - The A's introduce another future Hall of Famer, 17-year-old catcher Jimmie Foxx, who pinch-hits and singles against Washington.

OTD - 1926 - Satchel Paige, 19 years old, makes his debut in the Negro Southern League, pitching Chattanooga to a 5-4 win over Birmingham.

OTD - 1951 - The Yankees' new phenom, Mickey Mantle, connects for his first major league home run off Randy Gumpert of the White Sox. Minnie Minoso becomes the first black to play for the White Sox. He plays third base and, facing Vic Raschi in his first major league at bat, rips a home run to center field. The Yankees win 8-3.

And finally, OTD - 1991 - In Texas, 44-year-old Rangers right-hander Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 Blue Jays en route to his seventh career no-hitter, a 3-0 win at Arlington Stadium.

Enjoy.

Cheers,

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball - Team Set Checklists

2011-04-27T02:14:00.002-04:00

Gypsy Queen baseball is among us and for those of you that collect team sets here is a breakdown of the 350 full-sized base cards sorted by team. I will be adding the mini cards that differ from the standard checklist once I have them collected. Until then, here ya go;

Anaheim Angels

128 Dan Haren
159 Ervin Santana
176 Kendry Morales
182 Bobby Abreu
206 Torii Hunter
225 Vernon Wells
244 Scott Kazmir
245 Hank Conger RC
311 Hisanori Takahashi SP
315 Jered Weaver SP

Houston Astros

77 Hunter Pence
108 Brett Wallace
119 Brian Bogusevic RC
136 Brett Myers
205 Chris Johnson
253 Carlos Lee
268 Wandy Rodriguez
325 Jason Castro SP
348 J.A. Happ SP

Atlanta/Boston Braves

10 Jason Heyward
24 Chipper Jones
58 Dale Murphy
95 George Sisler
154 Dan Uggla
192 Jair Jurrjens
209 Tim Hudson
221 Martin Prado
229 Alex Gonzalez
238 Brandon Beachy RC
277 Derek Lowe
302 Brain McCann SP
306 Tommy Hanson SP
313 Mike Minor SP
318 Hank Aaron SP
335 Freddie Freeman RC SP

Milwaukee Brewers

11 Zack Greinke
37 Ryan Braun
61 Robin Yount
86 Prince Fielder
127 Rickie Weeks
138 Yovani Gallardo
140 Shaun Marcum
219 Casey McGehee

Cleveland Indians

52 Carlos Santana
240 Fausto Carmona
297 Grady Sizemore
298 Tris Speaker
323 Shin-Soo Choo SP

Chicago Cubs

60 Rogers Hornsby
78 Ryne Sandberg
82 Starlin Castro
112 Carlos Zambrano
122 Derrek Lee
135 Ryan Dempster
150 Kosuke Fukudome
161 Aramis Ramirez
220 Tyler Colvin
226 Geovany Soto
247 Matt Garza
260 Marlon Byrd
301 Alfonso Soriano SP
350 Carlos Pena SP

Arizona Diamondbacks

134 Kelly Johnson
160 Miguel Montero
184 Gerardo Parra
250 Joe Saunders
265 Stephen Drew
291 Chris Young
317 Justin Upton SP
329 Ian Kennedy SP
347 Konrad Schmidt RC SP
349 Xavier Nady SP

Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers

4 Jackie Robinson
15 Matt Kemp
35 Pee Wee Reese
59 Duke Snider
66 Sandy Koufax
87 Clayton Kershaw
123 Ted Lilly
183 Rafael Furcal
237 Roy Campanella
257 James Loney
273 Chad Billingsley
292 Andre Ethier
310 Jon Garland SP

Montreal Expos/Washington Senators/Nationals

20 Andre Dawson
38 Walter Johnson
68 Gary Carter
80 Stephen Strasburg
172 Ryan Zimmerman
198 Jayson Werth
223 Ivan Rodriguez
230 Ian Desmond
233 Yunesky Maya RC
283 Rick Ankiel
341 Nyjer Morgan SP

N.Y/San Francisco Giants

18 Christy Mathewson
25 Mel Ott
43 Matt Cain
84 Tim Lincecum
94 Buster Posey
107 Brian Wilson
131 Cody Ross
133 Pablo Sandoval
158 Madison Baumgarner
196 Pat Burrell
210 Aaron Rowand
212 Miguel Tejada
255 Barry Zito
258 Freddy Sanchez
259 Aubrey Huff
280 Jonathan Sanchez
303 Johnny Mize SP

Toronto Blue Jays

113 Jose Bautista
129 Aaron Hill
137 Ricky Romero
201 Travis Snider
207 Kyle Drabek RC
330 Brandon Morrow SP

Florida Marlins

30 Hanley Ramirez
91 Josh Johnson
101 Ricky Nolasco
109 Chris Volstad
114 Chris Coghlan
120 Gaby Sanchez
185 Logan Morrison
208 Mike Stanton
321 Brett Sinkbell SP
339 Omar Infante SP

Minnesota Twins

31 Joe Mauer
72 Justin Masterson
106 Ben Revere RC
121 Michael Cuddyer
125 Francisco Liriano
143 Carl Pavano
153 Delmon Young
243 Jim Thome
278 Denard Span
286 Jason Kubel
304 Brian Duensing SP
307 Danny Valencia SP

N.Y. Mets

21 David Wright
34 Johan Santana
42 Jose Reyes
74 Tom Seaver
104 Lucas Duda RC
111 Jason Bay
118 Mike Pelfrey
144 Jon Niese
155 R A Dickey
193 Carlos Beltran
275 Ruben Tejada
279 Josh Thole
322 Ike Davis SP

Philadelphia/Oakland Athletics

53 Jimmie Foxx
105 Chris Carter
117 Dallas Braden
147 Kurt Suzuki
211 Rollie Fingers
215 Trevor Cahill
216 Angel Pagan
239 Josh Willingham
252 David Dejesus
266 Daric Barton
296 Ty Cobb
305 Mark Ellis SP
328 Brett Anderson SP

Baltimore Orioles

6 Frank Robinson
7 Jim Palmer
14 Brooks Robinson
36 Vladimir Guerrero
124 JJ Hardy
149 Adam Jones
167 Cal Ripken Jr.
203 Brian Matusz
231 Mark Reynolds
241 Brian Roberts
267 Jake Arrieta
272 Felix Pie
334 Nick Markakis SP

San Diego Padres

28 Tony Gwynn
56 Mat Latos
67 Dave Winfield
130 Will Venable
145 Jason Bartlett
157 Ryan Ludwick
169 Orlando Hudson
222 Heath Bell
227 Cameron Maybrin

Philadelphia Phillies

2 Roy Halladay
3 Cole Hamels
12 Ryan Howard
27 Roy Oswalt
47 Jimmy Rollins
139 Raul Ibanez
162 Cliff Lee
270 Brad Lidge
326 Chase Utley SP
336 Domonic Brown SP
342 Placido Polanco SP
346 Shane Victorino SP

Pittsburgh Pirates

49 Honus Wagner
79 Andrew McCutchen
152 Paul Maholm
179 Neil Walker
214 Pedro Alvarez
274 Jose Tabata
294 Garrett Jones

Tampa Bay Rays

55 Evan Longoria
83 David Price
171 Manny Ramirez
191 Desmond Jennings RC
199 James Shields
234 Sean Rodriguez
256 Wade Davis
263 Johnny Damon
264 Jeremy Hellickson RC
282 BJ Upton
290 Jake Mcgee RC

Boston Red Sox

5 Tris Speaker
19 Jon Lester
26 Adrian Gonzalez
32 Carl Crawford
57 David Ortiz
63 Jimmie Foxx
69 Kevin Youkilis
73 Carl Yastrzemski
164 Cy Young
181 Lars Anderson
200 John Lackey
228 Ryan Kalish
248 Dustin Pedroia
249 Jacoby Ellsbury
261 Daniel Bard
262 Marco Scutaro
284 Jed Lowrie
309 Clay Bucholz SP
338 Babe Ruth SP
344 Josh Beckett SP

Cincinnati Reds

9 Scott Rolen
13 Joey Votto
22 Barry Larkin
23 Johnny Cueto
85 Frank Robinson
98 Aroldis Chapman
195 Bronson Arroyo
224 Drew Stubbs
235 Johnny Bench
254 Brandon Phillips
314 Yonder Alonso RC SP
324 Jay Bruce SP
333 Travis Wood SP

Colorado Rockies

8 Troy Tulowitzki
45 Carlos Gonzalez
96 Ubaldo Jiminez
110 Todd Helton
276 Ian Stewart
287 Jorge De La Rosa
320 Dexter Fowler SP
332 Ty Wigginton SP

Kansas City Royals

115 Jeremy Jeffress RC
126 Billy Butler
146 Melky Cabrera
168 Alex Gordon
189 Mike Aviles
194 Lorenzo Cain
293 Joakim Soria
308 Kila Ka'aihue SP

Seattle Mariners

1 Ichiro
76 Felix Hernandez
178 Chone Figgins
300 Franklin Gutierrez
331 Greg Halman RC SP
337 Jason Vargas SP
340 Miguel Olivo SP
345 Erik Bedard SP

St.Louis Browns/Cardinals

16 Chris Carpenter
39 Johnny Mize
40 George Sisler
41 Matt Holliday
44 Bob Gibson
62 Red Schoendienst
70 Rogers Hornsby
75 Albert Pujols
97 Stan Musial
99 Ozzie Smith
165 Yadier Molina
187 Lance Berkman
190 Jaime Garcia
197 Colby Rasmus
202 Adam Wainwright

Texas Rangers

33 Ian Kinsler
64 Josh Hamilton
81 Nelson Cruz
100 Nolan Ryan
132 David Murphy
151 Michael Young
186 Tommy Hunter
204 Neftali Feliz
217 Adrian Beltre
218 Austin Jackson
285 Colby Lewis
288 CJ Wilson
319 Elvis Andrus SP
343 Mitch Moreland SP

Detroit Tigers

29 Ty Cobb
50 Al Kaline
93 Victor Martinez
103 Magglio Ordonez
141 Brandon Inge
142 Max Scherzer
156 Brennan Boesch
213 Rick Porcello
232 Jhonny Peralta
289 Will Rhymes
312 Justin Verlander SP
327 Miguel Cabrera SP

Chicago White Sox

54 Frank Thomas
116 Jake Peavy
148 Carlos Quentin
166 Gordon Beckham
173 Adam Dunn
175 Edwin Jackson
180 Alexei Ramirez
188 Chris Sale RC
236 Alex Rios
251 Mark Buehrle
271 John Danks
281 Juan Pierre

N.Y. Yankees

17 Mark Teixeira
46 Thurmon Munson
48 Roger Maris
51 Alex Rodriguez
65 Babe Ruth
71 C C Sabathia
88 Robinson Cano
89 Mickey Mantle
90 Derek Jeter
92 Mariano Rivera
102 Jorge Posada
163 Russell Martin
170 Nick Swisher
174 Reggie Jackson
177 Bernie Williams
242 Joba Chamberlain
246 AJ Burnett
269 Curtis Granderson
295 Phil Hughes
299 Andruw Jones
316 Lou Gehrig SP

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Updated Want Lists

2011-04-25T17:58:00.002-04:00

For the longest time I have neglected my Want Lists linked to the blog. I decided the time was right to update some and add others.

If you have the time please take a quick look and see if there is anything you can help me out with. I would be most grateful and will happily return the favor. After I get my "wants" sorted out I will work on updating what I have to offer, including an ongoing "Trade Bait" listing.

Until then here are the lists I have up-to-date;

2002 Topps Baseball - Series 1

2009 Topps Baseball - Series 1, 2 & 3

2009 Topps Baseball - T206

2010 Topps Baseball - Series 1 & 2

2011 Topps Baseball - Series 1

As always the links will remain on the sidebar for future reference. Thanks to all my trading friends in the past and all my potential trading friends of the future.

Cheers,

Then There Were Two........Well, Three, But......

2011-03-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

Ever since I saw them on the sell sheet I knew I was going to build the set. Perhaps my relative newness back into collecting has yet to jade me, but, I am still quite content with the retro design releases that Topps is putting out there and the Series 1 Kimball Champions set satisfies.

This 50-card set done in the exact style of its namesake, the 1887 'Champions of Game and Sport' set released by the W.S.Kimball Tobacco Company. While the original set showcased sports of all kinds, containing only 4 cards devoted to baseball, this set obviously focuses on strictly baseball. I have no issue whatsoever with retro-themed sets like this being included as an insert in a modern product. Aside from the established sets like Heritage, Allen & Ginter and Goodwin Champions this is where retro-themed sets belong, as an enhancement. I am interested to see what happens with Gypsy Queen and how collectors embrace the "new kid on the block".

However, do not take my word for it. Judge for yourself.

As I am sure you have noticed there are a few blank spots in the pages there. I am down to the last few cards needed to complete this set and this is where you, loyal reader, factor in to the equation. I need your help. The last three cards I need are ;

#11 - Starlin Castro
#37 - Stephen Strasburg
#47 - Brett Anderson

I am pretty sure that the Starlin Castro card was pulled in the group break over at 'A Cardboard Problem' so essentially I am down to only the Strasburg and Anderson. I purchased a few lots off of eBay so duplicates/traders are not a problem. If you are working on your own set and can help me out I can easily send you a list of what I have. I also have a number of other inserts from Series 1 that can be sent your way, if you so choose.

Let me know what I can do to finish off this set and make those pages look pretty and complete.

Cheers,

Mail Day (aka Patches and Swatches are Sew Sweet)

2011-03-15T19:48:00.000-04:00

Back in mid-February Larry from 'Sewingmachineguy on Cards' took pity on a post I had made about trying to find a Starlin Castro 'Red Hot Rookie' from 2010 Topps. Now, Larry apologized that he could not hook me up with the RHR but he did have a Starlin Castro card that I was interested in. As well, he had another Cubs relic from '09 Goodwin Champions that he would be willing to send my way to help ease the sting. I did my best to find some worthy Detroit based cards that would seal the deal.

Today the cards from Larry arrived and the Castro card is even more impressive in person. When manu-patches are done like this I have no problem with them at all.

The Derrek Lee gets me one card closer to the Cubs relic set from '09 Goodwin. So yes, it is a Good win for me!!

Thank-you to Sewingmachineguy for the trade and for helping my Cubs collection grow.

Stop by his blog and spend some time. Check out his Want Lists and he will more than likely have something you want. As for my quest for a Starlin Castro RHR, it continues...........

Cheers,

Box Break - 2010-11 Panini Crown Royale Hockey

2011-03-13T21:41:00.001-04:00

The very generous folks at Panini sent me a box of Crown Royale Hockey to have a look at and review just for you. So before I go any further I would like to say thank-you to Tracy Hackler for providing this to me and I appreciate the opportunity.

Seeing as this is my first manufacturer provided product review I decided to take the next logical step in box breaking and record a video break. Please let me know how I did and how I can make it better. Practice makes perfect but feedback is more than welcomed.

As always before we break into any kind of box here we need the proper atmosphere. Today I decided to go with a band that can make any Sunday feel like a Saturday.

Soundtrack - The Detroit Cobras - Mink Rat or Rabbit

Box Breakdown - 4 packs per box
Pack Breakdown - 5 cards per pack

Firstly, what makes this product fun to open is that there is a hit in every pack. Be it a Jersey Relic, Autograph or Auto/Relic the anticipation greeting every pack is pure enjoyment. The complete set consists of 175 cards divided into 3 "sets". Cards #1-100 feature the currently active NHL stars and are essentially the "base" set. Cards #101-115 are entitled 'Regents' and features the Greats of the Game. Cards #116-129 are the absolutely stunning 'Rookie Silhouettes Signature Prime Materials' cards. While that is a mouthful to say I think that these 14 cards focusing on the Elite rookies of 2010-11 are the absolute signature of this release. Cards #130-175 are the 'Rookie Royalty Signatures' cards that encompass the remainder of the rookies.

Base set Cards - 12/100 (12%)
Doubles - I should hope not

The base design is the Crown Royale design that Pacific made famous. The die-cut crown is there, the shiny foil is there, the design that collectors either love or hate is all there. The one nice touch to the design is that the background colour of the card is set to match the team colours of the player pictured. A small detail but something so necessary when it comes to visual appeal. A couple things I would have liked to have seen on the base cards though is a little more space used for the player and team names and the team logo. Yes the logo is on the player jersey, for the most part, but it still needs to be an element on the card face.

Another feature that would have worked well would have been having the player image raised on the card. Some of the photos of the players in their road uniforms get lost in the card background.

The card backs are nicely designed and DO feature team logos but they are a bit small for the room provided. The other drawback is that there is only one line of stats. Minimum rule for card backs when it comes to stats should be up to 5-years previous with a career summary. Other than those minor details very little to complain about the base card design.

As is always the case there are parallel cards that can be chased. There are 6 different versions of the 100 base cards;

Purple #/25
Ice Blue #/10
Premiere Date #/100
Premiere Date Signatures #/100 (There are only 92 of the 100 subjects in this set)
Red - #/1
Red Signatures #/1 (Once again, only 92 of the 100 subjects)

When it comes to the Insert sets, once again, there are more than enough to keep the most ravenous collector satisfied while not completely overwhelming and alienating both Master Set and player collectors. Altogether there are a total of 9 insert sets with varying degrees of parallels. 5 of those sets have no parallels.

Razor's Choice is a 12-card set #/99
Calder Collection is a 12-card set #/99
Regal Achievement is a 20-card set #/499
Royal Pains is a 12-card set #/499
In Harms Way is a 20-card set #/499

Lords of the NHL is a 12-card set #/499
** Jersey parallel is #/99 or less & Patch parallel is #/49 or less
Living Legends is a 12-card set NOT serial #'d
** Jersey parallel is #/100 or less, Patch parallel is #/50 or less & Autographed parallel is #/25 or less
Loyalty is a 25-card set #/250
** Patch parallel is #/25
Lancers is a 25-card set #/250
**Prime Jersey parallel is #/50 and Patch parallel is #/25

Of the 4 cards I pulled none were of the Jersey, Patch or Auto parallel kind. The first card is from the 'Living Legends' set. Card #6 - Patrick Roy.

I like the looks of this set. The black and white image of the player manages to stand out in this design. A bit of a questionable checklist for this set but I imagine that rights have a major role to play in that so not a big deal.

The second insert card is from the 'Lancers' set. This set seems to honour the more offensive minded players in the league with powerful shots. I pulled card #6 - Teemu Selanne #131/250.

This set for me was met with a big "Meh.". The design itself makes the card feel cluttered and crowded. Looking at the checklist this could have easily been a a 10-card set rather than 25. The reuse of the same photo from the front of the card on the back does no favours for this card either. Not my favorite of the bunch.

As much as I was indifferent to the 'Lancers' set, I am a big fan of the 'Regal Achievement' insert set. I managed card #1 - Patrick Kane #229/499.

Everything about the design of this card works. It is appealing to look at and even though the photo reuse on the back still happens it is blended into the design of the card much better than the previous example. The checklist for this set is much, much stronger as well. This is a set that I would consider chasing.

Unfortunately my joy is short-lived. When I saw this set on the sell sheets and Panini's 'Sneek Peeks' on their website I got excited and was looking forward to seeing it in-hand. What was potentially another winning insert fell flat. I pulled an 'In Harms Way' insert card #2 - Pekka Rinne #266/299.

My disappointment with this set stems totally from the fact that I built up in my own mind what I thought this design was going to be. Seeing the colour image surrounded by the dark frame I was expecting an insert set reminiscent of Upper Deck's Masterpieces collection. Goalie cards are truly some of the best photos in any sports release and when done right they can be made to look spectacular. Using the near ice level perspective of these photos in this set, recessed into a replica frame would have made this set a must have.

Now we get to the meat of the box. The four hits that are guaranteed to be at least 2 autos and 2 relics. Included amongst these cards is the other half of the "main set", the 'Rookie Silhouettes Signature Prime Materials' and the 'Rookie Royalty Signatures'. In watching several breaks online I have seen a few of the Silhouette cards pulled and these things are beautiful. The card features an over-sized swatch of material or patch tucked under a die-cut image of the player. Words simply do not do these cards justice. I saw a Brayden Schenn pulled from a pack and my jaw just dropped.

The relic and autograph insert sets have a couple variations on them as well.

Rookie Silhouettes is a 14-card on card autographed set featuring the top rookies of 2010-11.
**Prime Jerseys are #/99 and Patches #/25
Royal Lineage is a 25-card set featuring 3 players per card.
**Jerseys are #/100 or less, Prime Jerseys are #/50 or less and Patches are #/25 or less.
Heirs to the Throne is a 50-card set.
**Jerseys are #/250, Prime Patches are #/50 and Autographed/Jerseys are #/50

Rookie Royalty is a 25-card on card autographed set featuring the remaining standout rookies.
Coat of Arms is a 50-card set that appears to be a Patch only set with each card #/25.
Voices of the Game Signatures is a 15-card on card autographed set NOT serial #d
Rinkside Signatures is a massive 100-card on card autographed set #/100 or less.

I will start off right away by saying I was not lucky enough to pull a 'Rookie Silhouette' but what I did end up with made me extremely happy and defined the "fun factor" of this break. Being able to pull a hit per pack definitely ups the cost of a product but it also raises the excitement level too. With Crown Royale I think Panini did an excellent job packing value into a 4-pack box.

My first hit is a Jersey swatch from the 'Heirs to the Throne' set. Card #JSK - Jeff Skinner #193/250.

The second hit is one of the 'Rookie Royalty' autograph cards from the main set. Card #133 - Sergei Bobrovsky #205/499. You can never go wrong with on-card autographs. EVER!!

Hit number 3 is from the other set that I was extremely excited to see in-hand. When I first saw the design for these cards on the Panini website I had high hopes. About as high as I did for the 'In Harms Way' inserts. Thankfully this set did not disappoint in the least. The 100-card checklist makes it a HUGE challenge as does the varying number of each card. I have seen some numbered /50. The one I pulled was #053/100.

The final hit of the box is disappointing in only one facet, it is a sticker auto. Now, I understand why it is a sticker auto, simply there is no place in the card design for an autograph. No problem. However, being serial #'d out of 50 this should have been a much more exciting card to hit. A great player with a tonne of upside so do not think I am complaining in the least. I am simply just telling you how it felt to pull the card. Card #JT #21/50 is an Autograph/Jersey 'Heirs to the Throne' of John Tavares.

Overall I would have to say that Panini Crown Royale Hockey is a very enjoyable product to break. If you are a hit chaser then it has everything you could ask for, the chance at some beautiful cards that will definitely hold their value and the off chance at some true works of art that should be on every list when it comes time to talk card of the year.

There are a few minor elements that keep this set from being an out-of-the-park Homerun but for the $90-$110 price tag that this will set you back, they will not deter one bit your enjoyment of this product. Sticker autos vs. on-card is a debate that will rage long into the future. Expectations about design not being met is a fact of collecting. The goal of everyone involved is to produce the "perfect" set but rarely if ever is that achieved.

If you are a player collector or a hit chaser then Panini Crown Royale should be a product you bust. If you happen to hit one of the Silhouettes you will NOT be disappointed.

Finally, thanks again to Panini for providing me this box to review and stay tuned to the blog in the coming days as I will be working out some way to get these cards into your hands.

Playing us out, as always here at LFB2B, is our musical guests. This time the Detroit Cobras bring it home.

Cheers,

'Got 'em, Got 'em, Need 'em'

2011-03-13T10:33:00.002-04:00

Every single one of us at some time or another in our collecting career have uttered this classic phrase. Whether silently in our heads or out loud amongst a group of fellow collectors it is our mantra.

Authors Jon Waldman and Stephen Laroche have graced collectors with the latest addition to a growing number of titles regarding the Sportscard Collecting hobby. 'Got 'em, Got'em Need 'em : A Fan’s Guide to Collecting the Top 100 Sports Cards of All Time' is scheduled to be released in April of this year. The book is described as follows;

For over 100 years, kids of all ages have enjoyed the thrill of collecting sports cards. Whether it was souvenirs from their parents’ cigarette packs, pieces that came in bubble gum packages or the modern dazzlers, the simple formula of pictures and text on cardboard has been a part of North American society for over a century.

Now, take a look back at one of the most popular hobbies in history with Got ’Em Got ’Em, Need ’Em. Covering baseball, basketball, football, hockey, boxing and golf, this unique book offers a look at the greatest sports cards ever produced, including the players and personalities involved. Relive the days gone by with some of the industry’s most well-known experts as we count down the best from the business.

Plus, as a special bonus, take a look at the best innovations, the worst blunders and a special tribute to the hobby’s boom era in the 1990s.

If you plan on attending the 2011 Spring Toronto Sportcard & Memorabilia Expo make sure you are there on the Friday night, April 29th at 6pm. Jon and Stephen will be officially launching the book with a reading followed by a signing and a Q&A session. They will also be available to sign copies of the book on Saturday and Sunday at the ECW Press booth.

If you cannot make it to the show then follow this link to the ECW Press website where you can pre-order 'Got 'em, Got 'em, Need 'em'. Either way I have a feeling this book will be one that everyone will enjoy adding to their collection.

Cheers,

LIVE!!! - Ustream Box Breaks

2011-03-12T20:59:00.005-05:00

Feel like spending some time watching me bust a few boxes?

This is no 'Beckett Box Busters' and I am no Chris Olds but I figured, why not do what everyone else is doing, right?

Follow the link below on over to Ustream where I am busting a box of 2011 Topps Series 1 Baseball that I won from the generous folks at Topps and Card Corner club Radio. I am also busting a box of Panini 2010-11 Crown Royale Hockey. And, lastly a box that I picked up on a whim today, 1997-98 Donruss Studio Hockey.

Saturday Night Breaks

See you there.

Cheers,

Counting The Days - Vol. III

2011-03-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

Mail has been rather sparse the last while but there are a few packages that I am rushing home daily in hopes of being greeted by them at the door. Today was one of those days where there were 4 envelopes sitting on the kitchen table and they were that familiar yellow colour that collectors have grown to love.

Three of those envelopes helped knock off one of the counters on my sidebar over there to the right. Well done Topps!!!

Compared to the 2009 versions of the Red Hot Rookie cards released in Flagship Series 3/Updates & Highlights the 2010 version of these cards look much nicer. Unfortunately, if early reports are to be believed, Topps will not be doing RHR Redemption cards in 2011. Kind of disappointing but not a tragic loss.

Two of my redemptions were of the same player.......

RHR-1 Carlos Santana (C), Cleveland Indians

The third card I received today was of a Philly......

RHR-7 Domonic Brown (OF)

Like I said, the design of these cards are the best of the last two years, and seeing as I have only been back collecting for two years, I have a pretty narrow frame of reference. These cards are a nice addition to a product that is usually a forgotten issue by the time it rolls around As well, this is a case where redemptions work. It is a nice fun feeling as a collector to be able to wait and watch as the "mystery" is revealed as to who your card will be, plus, coming home to an envelope in the mail is never a bad thing. If these are truly gone for 2011 I will miss them for sure.

As for the fate of these three cards, if there are any Indians or Phillies collectors out there that have a Starlin Castro that needs a home in Canada I would love to hear from you.

Until the next time we can eliminate a counter from the blog I leave you with the theme song of this segment.

Play it Goldfinger..........

Cheers,

Twitter Card Shop Challenge

2011-02-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

First and foremost let me state unequivocally that I in no way harbor any delusion that I am anywhere close to competing for top spot in the $10 Twitter Card Shop Challenge. The goal of which is pretty self-explanatory. Let's just say that I even ventured to TWO card shops looking to contend. I managed to spend $9.50 of my $10.00 budget but I think I may have one item disqualified.

Stop number one was the usual Not-so-LCS. I had to put in a few hours of work today and so naturally I thought a quick stop and $10.00 later I'd be at home.

Not so much.

I looked through 3 boxes of '50% Off' items but nothing that I or anyone else would have wanted. The closest I came was a Darren McFadden 'Absolute' relic for $3.50. Had it been auto'd I would have pulled the trigger.

Disappointed but undaunted I decided to scout out another card shop a little further down the road. This one is a Definitely-not-so-LCS and after my visit today will not become a regular anytime soon.

Enough yakking, on to what I did find.

I sifted through 2 4800-count boxes of $1 cards that were mostly Hockey and Basketball. To the store-owner's credit he did inform me off the top that he dealt in very little baseball but I was free to look. I found a grand total of FIVE cards!!!

As you may or may not know, on of the kinds of cards I collect are ones featuring players bunting the ball. I collect any and all kinds of them. It gives me something to do when boredom sets in with set building. Some of the harder cards to find, let alone even learn of their existence, are relic and insert cards that belong in my PSC. I found 3 that fit the bill in the $1 box.

The first one is from 2002 Upper Deck SweetSpot USA Jerseys Insert set. Card #USA-DM featuring Doug Mientkiewicz.

Card number 2 is from 2006 Bowman Draft Future's Game Prospects Relics Insert set. Card #FG20 features Trent Oeltjen drafted by the Minnesota Twins.

The third card in the bunting series is from the 2007 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Insert set. Card #CC-RF is a Rafael Furcal GU bat card.

The next two cards were purchase simply because I collect Cubs cards. No other reason, although the GU relic card does look pretty good with the jersey-shaped cut out window. The first card is from the 2008 Bowman Draft Prospects Jerseys Insert set. Card #BDPP82 is of Welington Castillo.

Cub number 2 is actually a former Cub now but I still like the looks of these 2009 Topps T-206 full size card autographs. I cannot help but feel had they been on-card they would get much more attention from The Hobby. My last $1 card from the five is Card #NFA-16 and it features all-around major-league curmudgeon Milton Bradley.

The last card making its entry into The Challenge was a throw-in from the store owner when I told him what I was buying the cards for. He let me pick a 6th card at no cost as long as I made it BIG. A choice of a card that could put me over the top. I decided to take his advice literally and went BIG.

I went 485 pounds BIG!!

I WENT GIANT!!!!!

Card #S-BS from 2010 Topps WWE Superstar Swatches insert set of Big Show.

Now, as I stated at the top I spent $9.50 of my $10.00 budget. The card selection just was not there. I tried and tried but everything I found just felt forced and upon further review had no rightful place in my collection. However, I did find something in this shop that DID complete a collection AND I had been searching for one for about a year.

I defer to the judges but with $4.50 I completed my 6-issue Batman series written by the great Kevin Smith.

All things considered an afternoon spent at card shops is never a bad way to spend the day. I added a few cards to my collection and that is never a bad thing. For some greater successes and to view the other entries in this impromptu challenge head on over to 'The 400 Level' and check out his loot, 'Cardboard Icons' came away with some nice stuff and Tweet Mr. Chris Olds to provide you a link to what he purchased for $10.00.

Keep an eye out for the next challenge laid down and join in. Its all in good fun.

Cheers,

As If Cards Were Not Enough

2011-02-18T18:45:00.001-05:00

Baseball card collecting is by definition an obsession. The pursuit of a 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" piece of cardboard for the purpose of filing it away with others of the like becomes a full blown necessity for some and a life-long quest for others. When you begin to add other items into the mix of this pursuit things start to get crazy.

On February 1st of this year Canada Post, in honour of Black History month, released two stamps commemorating the achieves of two outstanding members of the 'Order of Canada'. Carrie Best was a poet, author, journalist and activist amongst black Canadians who worked together with Viola Desmond to lobby the Canadian Government to repeal segregation laws in 1954.

The other honoree featured on stamp is the only Canadian to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ferguson Jenkins was born in Chatham, Ontario (about 2 hours from here) and his achievements as a Chicago Cub, Philadelphia Phillie, Texas Ranger and Boston Red Sock should come as no surprise to anyone.

I have managed to find only two First Day Covers in the three Postal Outlets that I have checked in the last week. The front of these are nicely designed with a picture of Ferguson in his Chicago Cubs uniform, a facsimile autograph and a very cool special postage cancellation from his hometown.

The stamp bears a more updated image of Ferguson along with his 'Order of Canada' medal. The back of the FDC features a brief write-up on not only his achievements in baseball but his achievements beyond the game as well. Also pictured on the back are his 1967, 1971 and 1975 Topps baseball cards.

I have purchased several books of these stamps and will be using them for the next little while when sending out packages to fellow bloggers and a the few eBay sales I have. I will continue to search for the FDCs because I plan to send them out to a few Cubs collectors that I have traded with in the past.

I have always been interested in stamps and First Day Covers that deal with Baseball. In fact, there was a stamp released last July by the USPS that I will be looking for a FDC at The National this year featuring Rube Foster.

Collecting FDCs is something that I had always tried to avoid because they are a complete genre unto themselves. Today may just be the beginning of a whole new obsession for me.

YAY!!!

Cheers,

Redemption Song - Vol II

2011-02-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

I never really had an "official" Vol.I of this post but I decided to launch this theme with a bang. No more than 5 redemptions were entered into the Topps website today.

I have been going full bore trying to organize what had become a disaster in my office. There were cards everywhere. Cards to be sorted, cards to be mailed, cards to filed, packs of cards to be opened and cards to have their fates decided.

Most of that work is complete. I think there are three or four piles left to go through. One of the pile of cards I waded through had been where I designated my "to be redeemed" pile. Knowing that had I not sat myself down and entered the codes, a few of these cards may have expired before the next time I saw them.

So, if you noticed, there are three more counters on the sidebar of the blog. The current record for length of time to fulfill belongs to Topps and has been chronicled here. The three newest counters also belong to Topps.

Counter #1 is for three 'Red Hot Rookie' redemption cards from 2010 Series 2 Baseball. 2 redemptions for card #1, which belongs to Carlos Santana and 1 redemption for card #7, which belongs to Domonic Brown.

If there are any kind souls out there who would want to trade me any of these for a Starlin Castro RHR, or an unredeemed #5 RHR you would make a Canadian Cub Fan veeeeeerrrrrryyyy happy, indeed!.

The next redemption was one that helped bring me oh-so-close to winning this year's 'Gint-A-Cuffs' challenge, but sadly, was not enough. It was definitely a fun addition to busting boxes of a great product and I am looking forward to this year's version.

Lastly, the third redemption card was one I was REAL happy to get from one of the group breaks I participated in over at 'Thorzul Will Rule'. He busted 2009 Topps Finest and 2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams. One team was picked and one team was randomized. The Dodgers were available and I took them in hopes of landing a Jackie Robinson, no dice. Luck had it that my randomized team was one I collect and the redemption I hit came from them.

I managed to load up on Dodgers and Dodger autos in the break so hopefully a Dodger fan is reading this and can offer them a good home.

Keep an eye on the sidebar and track the time it takes Topps to get me these wonderful pieces of cardboard. I am also giving Topps a bit of a break and not starting the counter until midnight tonight. Ain't I nice?

The clock is ticking.......

To help celebrate these redemptions I brought back a great clip from an earlier post. Make the people happy Robert.

Cheers,