Available for Trade (3/14/2010) Cards I Need (12.10.2010)

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Sometimes parallels just get in the way

You ever get a parallel and scream NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I was organizing my 2008 Timeline base set and then I ran across this Randy Johnson card.



I apparently had no idea this was a parallel and put it with the rest of the base cards. I completely missed the gold numbers stamped neatly across the Big Unit's....well, you know. And obviously because it's a short print I don't have a double to replace it.

Phrases like, "Aww man!" "COME ON!" "Son of a...." are uttered.

But is that the proper response for a getting a parallel? Shouldn't it be "ooohh, an 83 of 100, yay!" But not when you're trying to build a freakin' set! I had this very same problem with 2008 Heroes. It seemed like I was getting parallel cards for all of the cards I needed for the base set. And I got them frequently. If it wasn't for me buying the rest of the cards I needed from Sportlots, I'd still be looking for Troy Glaus who I had 2 black parallels and one red.

Let's face it. Parallels sometimes just get in the way and have no business in a set. It's cute but to be perfectly honest, the parallels in Timeline are utterly unnecessary. I can understand the gold parallel for the non-short print base cards. But parallel numbering for cards that are already short printed? STUPID STUPID STUPID!

This is yet another way Upper Deck screwed up a set which could've had potential if it was configured properly.

NEW RULE FOR THE HOBBY: If you put a parallel of a card in a box, put at least one base version of the paralleled version. Hell, to make things simple, just put them in the same pack back to back. That way you can ensure the collector has both versions so they can feel special about it. "I'm a big boy, I got both the parallel and the base card!"

frickin' ridiculous

Here's my own cartoon in the style of Cardboard Junkie.

4 comments:

Nachos Grande said...

I couldn't agree with you more. It's extra frustrating when you get a parallel version of the LAST card you need instead of the base card (as has happened with me and Upper Deck Baseball Heroes).

Nachos Grande said...

I've got a list of my extras from Timeline posted on my blog if you are trying to make this set. Maybe we can work out a deal - I have my need list posted as well.

Scott C. said...

Topps Chrome is terrible for this reason. I loved the Chromes and decided I'd try the set. But every pack has at least one parallel, and despite a hobby box and at least 4 blasters I'm still about 60-70 cards short of a base set. Refractors, Xfractors and colored refractors (and that's not even including the insert cards and all of their parallels), its just too much. Despite how much I like the chromes, I may not collect that product next year for the sheer impossibility of finishing it.

William Regenthal said...

It was for that reason that I wasn't too happy about the red letter 2007 Topps or the gold foil 2008 topps...