Mail Day (aka Forgotten Spoils of The NPN)

Today @UpperDeckSports surprised me by hiding out in my mailbox. I came home from work to find a brown padded envelope. The stamped return address on the envelope threw me off for a second because I have zero outstanding redemptions right now. However, once I tore into the package I pulled out this congratulatory letter;


Now, admittedly I rarely take advantage of most "no purchase necessary" offers when it comes to contests. I tend to find them too much of a hassle. I seem to recall being spurred on to try an NPN entry into a card company's release by reading another blogger's success story. As usual I threw in an entry and never gave it another thought until today.

Quite frankly, I had completely forgotten I had done it. In all fairness it WAS in 2010.

After reading the above letter I was a bit excited to see what card I had lucked into.

Autograph cards have become a bit more of an interest to me lately, much more so than relic cards. Every time I hit a show I thumb through the $1.00 boxes looking for interesting signatures or unique cards featuring unique subjects and their signatures. This card fits perfectly into that role.


I believe this is actually the second autograph I have of a figure skater. I never bought any of the 'World of Sports' release but the uniqueness of the autograph subjects in the product definitely sets it apart. The signature on this card is clean and legible and the little heart gives it a nice personal touch.

2012 'World of Sports' releases soon and I doubt it will get any of my hard earned dollars. However, I will definitely look over the autograph list and see what is available.

UD also included a base card of Dustin Coleman in my prize package.

I guess the lesson here is that for the actual amount of time an NPN entry takes it may not be such a bad thing when it pays off. Thanks again to Upper Deck for the cards and rest assured I will do just as the letter suggests, I will continue to check out your NPN's.

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,

My 2011 National Experience - TRISTAR/TNA

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........

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,

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

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,

Box Break - 2010 Panini Threads Football

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,

How I Spent My Spring Card Expo - Autograph Edition

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,