Mail Day (aka MOAR PYE!!!!)

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

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

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)

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

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,