Mail Day (aka drew comes threw aka Waiter, there's a relic in my serial)

A while ago drewscards contacted me about some 2010 Topps insert cards I had collecting dust and let me know they would be better appreciated in his neck of the woods. Happily I packed them away and got them off of my desk. A little while later a return package was in my mail box with a personalized "thank-you" letter and some much appreciated cardboard.

First thing out of the envelope was a handful of 2010 base cards that brought my want list that much closer to conclusion. Also included was my first Target "retro" variation of the 2010 set featuring a sorely missed Roy Halliday in all his AL ERA leader card goodness. These cards are really, really cool and if anyone else can help with my pursuit of Cubs and Jays please send me a note.


Next out of the envelope were two serial numbered cards. The first is from a set that I have seen several cards from but I believe this may be the very first one I own. From the Upper Deck 2008 Baseball Heroes set #'d/199 is a blue Alfonso Soriano 40-40 Club card. As I said, I have seen several cards from this set and I may just have to search out some packs or get lucky enough to find a box and break some for myself.


The second serial numbered card is from Upper Deck's 'A Piece of History' release. I have ripped several packs of this stuff and I am truly a fan of it. So much so that I jumped at the chance to get in on a 4-box break of the stuff on Thorzul's blog. Drew sent along a Vernon Wells numbered out of 25. The blue on this card is striking as well, especially with the marble frame of the picture.


Lastly, the card I was most happy with getting is one that I had lost out on a few times on eBay. It also finished off my relic collection of the Chicago Cubs from the '09 Allen & Ginter set. I received the Alfonso Soriano framed mini relic bat card.......


...to go along with Kosuke Fukudome's jersey......


....and Rich Harden's pants.


All I have left to get now is the plain white swatch variation of the Fukudome card.

Thanks again to drewscards for the trade, you have made this Cub fan very happy. I hope you complete the insert sets you are chasing and I am glad I could help out a fellow collector. This is what it is all about folks!!

Cheers,

Congrats Marianne!!!

Well that did not take any time at all.

Just over an hour ago I ripped some packs of 2010 Topps Baseball and pulled 1 redemption card. I vowed to hold onto that redemption card to celebrate Canada's next medal.

Well......................


.....this Canuck claimed this.......


...in the Ladies Short Track 500m finals.

In honor of that ACTUAL achievement by someone in shape I will do my part and claim this......


Drumroll please!!!..........................


Ugh!!....Sorry Marianne, looks like I wiped out in the first turn!!!

Congratulations to Marianne St.Gelais for adding to Canada's medal count and for doing your country proud!!


Cheers,

Topps + Me = A Budding Code-dependence Relationship

Having exhausted the first five 'Million Card Giveaway' redemption cards I pulled so far this year I found myself yearning to stop by my regular hobby spot for a refill. I eventually plan on grabbing a jumbo box to finish off my Series 1 chase and I have been doing quite well fighting the urge to grab more loose packs.

Doing quite well, that was, until today. Left work at my agreed upon quiting time for the first time in about 3 and a half months and so found myself making a quick stop for more of this........


10 packs and hopefully some more codes....mmmmmmm.....codes!!!!

Quick rip recap.

Pack #1 - Carlos Ruiz(122), Carlos Delgado(278), Pat Burrell(321), Tim Lincecum(80), Cardinals Team(232).......


SWEET!!...right off the hop....

....still not sold on the 'Legendary Lineage' cards Frank Robinson/Vladi(LL22), Topps Town Joe Mauer, Jeff Francoeur(184) and Pablo Sandoval(190).

Pack#2 - Gordon Beckham(115), Coco Crisp(182), Matt Lindstrom(276), Mat Latos(191), ERA Leaders (106), Adam Moore(33), Maternally Discarded Collectibles '71 Thurman Munson, Turkey Red David Wright(TR34), Topps Town Ichiro and Cesar Izturis(78)

Pack#3 - Wade David(162), Tim Hudson(142), Garrett Jones(99), Jhonny Peralta(287), Juan Pierre(268), Milton Bradley(306), Gold Parallel Houston Astros Team (38)......


Scott Olsen 'When They Were Young' - Notice on the back that Scott went to Crystal Lake High School. Wonder if he ever spent the summer here.......


....Topps Town Kevin Youkilis, Jayson Nix(180), Topps Attax Ad Card.

Starting to get itchy here Topps....need some more codes soon!!!!

Pack #4 - Garrett Mock(128), Jarrod Washburn(277), Michael Dunn(34), Asdrubal Cabrera(243), 'History of the Game' First All-Star Game......


This sub-set I like, along with its counter-part 'Tales of the Game', Turkey Red Evan Longoria(TR41), Topps Town Adam Jones, Fernando Martinez(218), Lance Berkman(245) and Jair Jurrjens(272).

Pack #5 - Alexei Ramirez(209), Brett Anderson(121), Cristian Guzman(21), Ian Desmond(196), Neil Walker(194), Jorge Posada(120), Gold Parallel Fernando Martinez(218), WTWY Justin Verlander, Topps Town Gold ManRam, Zach Duke(26) and Topps Attax.

Pack #6 - Josh Bard(63), Elvis Andrus(310), Chad Tracy(46), Tim Lincecum(9), Astros Team(38), Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie!......


.......Topps Town Adrian Gonzalez, Manny Ramirez(55), Madison Bumgarner(105) and Nyjer Morgan(152).

Okay, Topps, I am getting the shakes here......why don't you like me??!!!??

Pack #7 - Freddy Sanchez(133), Shairon Martis(193), RBI Leaders(233), Mike Gonzalez(174), 2000 Topps Randy Johnson SP original back, 'History of the Game' Babe Ruth HR Record, Topps Town CC Sabathia, Craig Counsell(53), Rich Harden(144) and Tim Wakefield(208).

Before I finish the last three packs I just want to interject here that I feel I have opened enough of this stuff to say that this may be the first time that Topps has failed to include a single card of a player attempting to bunt. I will continue to search but this could be a bit of a disappointing set for me this year and no additions to my PC.

Pack #8 - Frank Francisco(139), Adrian Beltre(189), Jon Niese(249), Josh Butler(163), Red Sox Franchise History(288), My first variant of 2010.......


....St.Louis Cardinals Rogers Hornsby(90). Nice!! 'History of the Game' First Televised World Series, Topps Town Justin Upton, Austin Kearns(291) and Brandon Phillips(165).

Only two packs are left.....come on codes!!!!!

Pack #9 - Victor Martinez(30), Jason Marquis(82), Zack Greinke(155), Adrian Gonzalez(75), 'Tales of the Game' Jeter's "flip" (Really?!? This belongs here? Ask anyone in 10 years if they remember it), 'Legenday Lineage' Yaz/Youk(LL29), Topps Town Miguel Cabrera, Juan Uribe(239), Brian McCann(320) and Jason Kubel(313).

Pack #10 - Nationals Franchise History(282), Tommy Hanson(20), Cesar Ramos(98), Cubs Team Card(328), 'History of the Game' First Night game, Turkey Red Mark Teixeira(TR40), Topps Town Gold Adam Dunn, Bobby Crosby(257), Detroit Tigers Team Card(201) and Jeff Niemann(158).

Well, 10 packs down and only the one redemption. Not bad but not great. I think I am going to try and see if I can hold out better than dayf. It will be hard, this is addictive. I will hold on to this card until the next Canadian medal at the Winter Olympics and redeem it in celebration.

GO CANADA!!!!

Cheers,

My 1/200,000th Of A Million

After all was said and done today the Redemption that everyone was waiting for went off without not having any hitches.

What is there truly to say? I liken it to that one day every year when wedding dresses go on sale for next to nothing. With everyone trying to push through the eye of a needle there are those who are bound to get trampled.

Topps got what they needed for the press junket Cal Jr. and Topps execs will be doing tomorrow on the "news" channels. So many eager collectors wanting to partake in this promotion brought their website to a standstill several time. Anticipation was so high that for hours before the launch of the promotion the website experienced XXX number of hits per minute. Blah,blah,blah....spin,spin,spin.

All that matters is that for the entire season this is going to be a great promotion. There will be monthly fuzzy feelgood stories of collectors getting that "gem" that they lost when they were a kid. Topps will ride this, as they should for the money they spent to become "exclusive", all the way to the PR bank. Everything will seem right in the hobby and collecting will have been saved for another generation by Topps. Muaah!!

Bloggers everywhere, yours truly included, will regularly update "hits" they redeem or sarcastically cheer the tonnes of "junk wax" inevitable with this type of promotion. All the while secretly enjoying themselves and clandestinely actually having fun without betraying their well crafted cynical/curmudgeonly veneer exterior.

So, thank you Topps for injecting some fun into collecting this year. Even if we have to drag ourselves kicking and screaming into it. We do so with a wink and a nod.

Here is a screenie of my 1/200,000th of Topps' million.


Feel free to leave a comment with your "hits" or "misses". Stay tuned for more of mine...........

Cheers,

Topps Million Card Giveaway.....make that 999,999

I decided to be geek and stay up until the clock rolled over to 12:00AM on February 15th. I wanted to be one of the first through the portal to which Topps is apparently going to try and repair the decimated relationship I have with my mother because she discarded some long ignored wood pulp and ink.


With trusty code card in hand (TCM-9/Mike Schmidt) I waited.....and waited........and waited......checked out A Cardboard Problem.....and waited.......hit F5.....and waited some more.

I scanned the card I was going to redeem, thought that might add some "pop" to the post. Give the text some life with the colour. Besides, its Mike Schmidt, who could not want to see another pic of Mike Schmidt at 12:05AM?

All kidding aside, my guess is that this promotion will get going around 3 or 4:00 AM EST when it is actually February 15th across the country.

I have pulled 5 of these redemption cards from loose packs so far and I am genuinely alright with this promotion. I understand the cynical point of view that 90% of what will be GIVEN away is ridiculous "junk" and most people will label this promotion as a "fail".

However, I look at the promotion this way. Topps is not forcing me to participate, they are simply letting me choose to. Topps are not forcing me to take these cards once redeemed, they are letting me if I want to. (**of course the "nominal shipping charge" is a complete slap in the face, but, once again Topps is not forcing me to do any of this**)

In the end collecting is all about having fun and I am sure most, if not all, of us will come up with some kind of passive-aggressive way to enjoy the hell out of this promotion. In fact, the first person who redeems a code for a Bip Roberts card, send me a screenshot, your favorite team and your address. I will mail out something to you that will ease the pain.

See, this will DEFINITELY be fun......thank you Topps.

Oh, by the way, my first redemption of the program was..........

[insert text here] - **I'm tired....need sleep and dayf just freaked me out with this post**

Cheers,