tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50451641858710638762024-03-13T13:30:51.980-04:00Dropped Third StrikeFlashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-14935759218289999792013-12-01T03:31:00.004-05:002013-12-01T12:12:46.672-05:00Twins sign Phil Hughes to 3 year dealThe news hit Rotoworld and all over twitter saying the Twins will indeed sign Phil Hughes, but not to the 2 year deal it was rumored. Instead, he will be with the Twinkies for 3 years (barring any trades). I'm excited for Phil. His last season in the Bronx was brutal to watch. I always rooted for him, things did indeed get rough but I stuck by him. Things just didn't go our way and I begrudgingly knew his time in the Bronx was up.<br />
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At least Hughes walked away with a ring in 2009 being the setup guy to the greatest closer to ever play the game. How many pitchers can say, "I was the guy that got it to Mo in the season where we won the World Series."<br />
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It's tough to see him go. I always wondered where he would end up and I feared the worst: Mets, Angels, or even *GASP* the Red Sox. But I do like the Twins organization, they have an amazing history and have put together some pretty good teams over the past few years. They've had their troubles but it seems like they're trying to get a team together that could give them a shot. They will be tied with the Dodgers as #2 on my list of favorite teams. I'm still waiting for Mattingly to get his ring as a manager. But I can still hope Hughes catches fire and helps his team to a WS of their own. <br />
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And who will I be rooting for when the Yanks play the Twins with Hughes on the mound? Well, I'll be rooting for an 8 inning no hitter for Hughes...but Yanks win off Perkins in the 9th.<br />
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Good luck Phil.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-90339538847789357302013-11-01T23:43:00.001-04:002013-11-01T23:43:59.860-04:00OHH HANG ON TO THE ROOF!<br />
It's amazing the memories baseball cards can bring back. <br />
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I got this card on eBay at a bit of a premium but it's fairly hard to find for a decent price and it's an on-card auto.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dC4ow0_wVwg/UnRxCHRTewI/AAAAAAAAFRE/GL3sup95xhk/s1600/mattingly162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dC4ow0_wVwg/UnRxCHRTewI/AAAAAAAAFRE/GL3sup95xhk/s400/mattingly162.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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And it led me to watch this again. I can watch this video over and over again...and I have.<br />
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Donnie comes up at the 40 second mark.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/e9woGxDYPLs" width="425"></iframe><br />
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Here is the youtube link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9woGxDYPLs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9woGxDYPLs</a><br />
<br />Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-3067101641743458662012-11-14T06:46:00.000-05:002012-11-14T06:46:42.500-05:00The inevitability of a player collectorWe hear it more often than not. "Baseball is a business." Unfortunately for us, players sticking with teams is an anomaly rather than the norm. Even at the twilight of a career players leave the team they've been with all their career. Look at Ichiro or Lance Berkman.<br />
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So it is another off-season and I live day to day in fear for Phil Hughes. He has a ton of talent and I don't believe he has reached his potential. His best years are ahead of him which makes him a huge commodity on the market. 2013 may be his last season with the Yankees if he isn't traded beforehand. I have a sneaky suspicion he will be traded and it could be as soon as this winter. He'll be 27 next year and will be one of the youngest starting pitchers to hit the market. He may not command a mega-deal but I do believe he could get a significant long term deal with a team.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keQ22KmO6Q4/UKN-_WpL66I/AAAAAAAACXY/8uynMXzyY_Q/s1600/Phil+Hughes+2009+Allen+Ginter+Red+Auto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keQ22KmO6Q4/UKN-_WpL66I/AAAAAAAACXY/8uynMXzyY_Q/s320/Phil+Hughes+2009+Allen+Ginter+Red+Auto.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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If he does get traded, I have no idea what to do going forward. I could continue to collect him whichever team he lands on. There are plenty of cards of him with the Yankees to chase so I could stick with that. I guess my fear is he will land with a team I despise like the Red Sox. Then what? <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlWo5Q-gJTk/UKOD5_5c0dI/AAAAAAAACXw/fi7pyeKLUK0/s1600/Phil+Hughes+2004+Fleer+Draft+Edition+Auto+400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlWo5Q-gJTk/UKOD5_5c0dI/AAAAAAAACXw/fi7pyeKLUK0/s320/Phil+Hughes+2004+Fleer+Draft+Edition+Auto+400.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Not sure where this path will go. I'd like to think I would follow Hughes wherever he went rooting for him to succeed even though I hope the team he's on goes down in flames. But I also have to come to terms with the fact that I may not look at him the same way again. What would it look like if he ended up back in the AL East but with Toronto or Baltimore, or worse the Red Sox. I would think Hughes would prefer to play on the West coast which may mean the Angels, ugh.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bR14fj13s0/UKOCbZhXiKI/AAAAAAAACXo/1CJndZSy23I/s1600/Phil+Hughes+2007+Sweet+Spot+Bat+Auto+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bR14fj13s0/UKOCbZhXiKI/AAAAAAAACXo/1CJndZSy23I/s320/Phil+Hughes+2007+Sweet+Spot+Bat+Auto+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Either way, I feel like time is running out. I've held my breath each off-season in the hopes the Yankees will keep rolling the dice with him. But again, "it's a business" so both sides have to want each other. So far the ball is in the Yankee's court on what they want to do. Come next November that may not be the case. For now I will continue to collect my favorite Yankee and root for him every 5th day. And hope by some miracle he continues a long career as a Yankee.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zDEA4oqpeE/UKOA9OqY-aI/AAAAAAAACXg/WJBsiPGlaWk/s1600/Phil+Hughes+2011+Triple+Threads+Auto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zDEA4oqpeE/UKOA9OqY-aI/AAAAAAAACXg/WJBsiPGlaWk/s320/Phil+Hughes+2011+Triple+Threads+Auto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-85043318027870466612012-09-21T20:52:00.000-04:002012-09-21T20:53:06.506-04:00VICTORY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6t4C3QN_phg/UF0LXu0uBmI/AAAAAAAACW8/4owygbdg5AE/s1600/mattingly_aqueous_test090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6t4C3QN_phg/UF0LXu0uBmI/AAAAAAAACW8/4owygbdg5AE/s400/mattingly_aqueous_test090.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div>
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This is a scan of my very own Aqueous Test Don Mattingly. One of the guys that bought the unopened packs pulled this card. I won it on eBay for HALF of what it had been going for. I'm beyond elated that this card is in my collection. I've been looking for this card for years!</div>
Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-39871684848297918522012-07-21T18:39:00.001-04:002012-07-21T18:42:20.010-04:00Almost got 'emOne of my favorite episodes of Batman the animated series was an episode called "Almost Got 'Em" (or something to that effect). The episode consists of most of Batman's villains sitting around the table telling their tale about how they "almost got" Batman. Well, I'd like to add my "almost got 'em" story to the mix.<br />
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I set up an eBay filter looking for the 1990 Donruss Aqueous Test Don Mattingly card. For those of you who are unaware of what this card is I will try to piece together some of the information I found of the cards. Pre-Google search, my knowledge of these cards consisted of Donruss made these cards as a test and they somehow left the factory and they shouldn't have.<br />
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Aqueous is actually a specific printing process, I found this definition on a blog (I think it's also on Wikipedia):<br />
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<em>An aqueous coating is a fast-drying, water-based, protective coating which is applied in-line on press to attain a selection of finishes more economical price than varnish.</em></div>
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<em>This clear coating provides a high gloss surface which protects the surface from dirt, smudges, fingerprints and scratch. Aqueous coating improves postcards durability as they go through mail or inserted in pockets. It is also applied on brochures, catalog covers, flyers and other visual ads.</em></div>
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So that's the scientific definition. The story of the cards is that Donruss apparently made these cards as a test and I believe the majority of them were obtained when Donruss/Leaf went out of business by employees. I found a story <a href="http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=388545&STARTPAGE=2" target="_blank">here</a> of a guy who interacted with a former Donruss employee and bought a lot of boxes he had taken (legally I presume) when the company closed. The guy opened the boxes and he had a box of cello packed Donruss cards with the AQUEOUS TEST statement printed across the back. So these cards were packed but not released. His collection also included even rarer Blue and White Donruss cards which are another story in and of themselves. Apparently a very short subset of the 1990 Donruss set were printed with the AQUEOUS TEST text on the back. Something like 264 cards from the set, I believe. All continuous and included some Diamond King cards.<br />
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Fast forward to about 7 days ago and guess what shows up on eBay? <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-DONRUSS-AQUEOUS-TEST-DON-MATTINGLY-190-NRMT-/360473417777?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item53ede3d831#ht_3467wt_1165" target="_blank">Yep you guessed it.</a> For the first time in my 5 years scouring eBay I found one. So I watched the auction like a hawk. I was so excited I bought a one-month subscription to Beckett to get the price information on it. $100 hi value for that card. You gotta be joking. Talk about being out of touch with the market. See, to me this would be the end-all card to own. I contemplated ending my collecting career on this card because I couldn't do any better. I thought about the significance of the Aqueous Test cards in our generation of collecting. Right in the middle of the Junk Wax era there is a set that has a Honus Wagner type story. Those player collectors that know about these cards feverishly chase after them on eBay. Considering a George Brett card sold for $3500 (yes three THOUSAND five hundred dollars), should be evidence enough that these cards are a big deal to those who are collecting.<br />
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Anyhow, getting down to the last few minutes the card was a little over $200. I thought I may get lucky and on a Saturday morning people may have completely missed this rare card. At the final seconds I put in a bid a little over $1000. Yes, I was willing to fork over A GRAND for this card. Alas, it was not meant to be. One of the many Don Mattingly collectors swooped in and out bid me and spent a total of <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">$1,026.25 </span><span>for the card.</span><br />
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I was really depressed and partially relieved. I didn't have to shell over $1000 of my hard earned money for one single card. But then again, this amazing hard to find card was not mine. I had dreams of getting this holy grail slabbed and putting it in a safety deposit box. Holding onto it for years. Perhaps when I passed on my hypothetical children could put it up for auction and it would have the same type of excitement that old cards from the 1900's found in attics have now-a-days. <br />
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But it's not meant to be. I'll keep looking out for one on eBay. But I'm fairly certain I will never own that card. I sit here and think about the 1/1's, the autograph cards, prime relic cards I own and they all pale in comparison to this one Junk Wax era unintentional anomaly. <br />
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But I can still hope and daydream about the day when this would be mine....<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WDWQOSF6ag/UAsuwqSIafI/AAAAAAAACWc/Zk7KJbtttVA/s1600/Mattingly+Aqueous+Test.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WDWQOSF6ag/UAsuwqSIafI/AAAAAAAACWc/Zk7KJbtttVA/s320/Mattingly+Aqueous+Test.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
<br /> </div>Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-84261614779541100972011-09-10T16:42:00.009-04:002011-09-10T18:52:35.261-04:00Bucket List 3000 hits: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner<div><div>My next autograph is a player that is a bit more familiar to me. He spent a few years as a Yankee and helped them win their first World Series title since 1978. I have to say that Boggs may be one of the most interesting 3000 hitters. Boggs got his 3000th hit as a Devil Ray and at the time, he was the only hitter to get to 3000 hits with a home run. That is until this year when Derek Jeter changed that. But the spot where the HR ball hit is marked with a yellow seat in Tropicana Field. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 230px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650836856762580754" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-APtBCD2fmVg/TmvOLosEvxI/AAAAAAAAB1M/MixQGpUdE-4/s320/wade_boggs_auto.jpg" /></div><br /><br />So one of the most interesting stories with Boggs is his superstitious regiment. He would always eat chicken before a game. That's something I already knew but I later found out he took exactly 150 ground balls in practice, took batting pratice at 5:17 and ran sprints at 7:17. Before each at bat he would write the Hebrew word "Chai," which means life, in the dirt in the batter box. He is #1 on the list of most superstitious athelets on CBS Sport's web site.<br /><br />There's also that 60-70 beer story that Jeff Nelson told about Boggs. I found a transcript of an interview Jeff Nelson did with ESPN radio here: <a href="http://stevemasonsmog.typepad.com/710_espns_smog_steve_maso/2007/09/wade-boggs-can-.html">710 ESPN Steve Mason's Blog</a>. Not only do they talk to Jeff Nelson about it but they call Paul Sorrento and he confirms the story. Essentially, on a cross country trip like New York to LA or Seattle to Boston, Boggs begins drinking beer at the start of the day and drinks all way til the end of the day. This is a man that has a .328 career batting average, multiple gold gloves and silver slugger awards and is a Hall of Fame member.<br /><br />I was able to get a Wade Boggs auto for just under $20 which is a steal. His autos can go as high as $35 so he has a fairly affordable autograph. I'd say he's a must have for any personal collection. He is certainly one of the more interesting 3000 hit club members.</div>Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-42232572873178306322011-08-26T07:57:00.005-04:002011-08-26T08:20:07.633-04:00Bucket List 3000..er..4000 hit version (I'm Sorry)The all time hit leader with 4,256 hits, Mr. Pete Rose. One of the most infamous figures in baseball history. He's both famous and infamous for his deeds as a player and manager. Even now Pete Rose can stir up emotions in fans of the game. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame or is his ban from baseball justified?
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEsaukD3quk/TleKgw8T4DI/AAAAAAAAB1A/G5GoeNKyvmQ/s1600/RoseAuto%2528blog%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEsaukD3quk/TleKgw8T4DI/AAAAAAAAB1A/G5GoeNKyvmQ/s320/RoseAuto%2528blog%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645132953430515762" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Personally I think it'll take his passing and many many years before he gets elected. His 4000+ hits are an amazing feat and I'm not sure if it will ever be broken. Yes, I understand Jeter is supposed to break his record but I'm not sure if Jete has that many years left in him to pull off another 1100 hits. That's almost a good 6 years of 200 hits. So this is an amazing record in and of itself which gets next to no respect because of the man who holds it. Kinda like the Home Run record. I would definitely put Rose in the Hall before I ever consider Barry Bonds.
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<br />When Donruss dropped in 2008 this card would've easily commanded $400-500. But now that Donruss has essentially flooded the market with Rose autos and relics this card might get around $100. Pete Rose autos can be had for anywhere between $40 and $100 depending on the Donruss flavor and numbering.
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<br />I pulled this 5/10 prime relic auto from a box of 2008 Donruss the first year I got back into the hobby. It was an amazing pull and I think I might have a video of it posted on this blog. So it cost like $80 or whatever a box cost back then. That was a very lucky pull for me. Not sure if I've pulled anything as good as that since.
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<br />"I'm sorry I bet on baseball", it still makes me chuckle.
<br />Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-2866273108741210552011-08-17T21:56:00.007-04:002011-08-18T01:13:05.587-04:00Bucket List the 3000 hit versionWith Derek Jeter's 3000th hit well behind us I've been a bit enamored with players in the 3000 hit club. So I decided to take a look at who was on the list: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3,000_hit_club">Wikipedia 3000 hit club</a>
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<br />So I figured it would be cool to own a few autographs from that list. I do have to say that most will be unobtainable like Cap Anson, Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb and Roberto Clemente. I'd have to find certified cut autos but they would be in the thousands. And I already have autos of some of the members so I've already started and didn't even notice.
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<br />So my first subject is a player I grew up watching. He was a long time Brewers player and I'm sure others remember him as one but I remember him from his days in Toronto and Minnesota. I remember him being one of the unsung post season heroes for Toronto. He won the 1993 World Series MVP batting .500
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O99WuowrWfI/TkyaD2YxdaI/AAAAAAAAB04/zJMAoVEPcXg/s1600/Bucket_list032_Paul_Molitor_3000.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O99WuowrWfI/TkyaD2YxdaI/AAAAAAAAB04/zJMAoVEPcXg/s320/Bucket_list032_Paul_Molitor_3000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642053824118093218" border="0" /></a>
<br />But his time in Minnesota was really special. 1996 was a great year for baseball, in my opinion anyway. That year Molitor hit his 3000th hit at Kauffman stadium in September. I remember him doing it because the highlight was shown on ESPN's Sportscenter and this was the first year we ever had cable. So I was able to watch a replay of his historic triple.
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<br />What makes Molitor stand out is that in fact he is the ONLY person to triple for his 3000th hit.
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<br />I'm a big fan of the 2005 Upper Deck Heroes cards. That's one of the few sets where you can get on card autos of some really amazing players. There was an eBay seller with a few Paul Molitor cards from that set and I opted for this one because it highlights his 3000th hit. I actually payed a little bit more than a #/20 blue version of one of the other heroes cards but I really wanted this one.
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<br />I paid $13.50 including shipping for this card which I think is a steal for such an iconic Hall of Famer. His autos tend to be closer to the $20 range so I got a really good deal on this card. I would definitely encourage collectors to seek out a Paul Molitor auto to add to their personal collection.
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<br />Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-56767310636008497332011-06-13T00:12:00.011-04:002011-07-09T16:50:02.840-04:00Bucket List Derek Jeter Rookie<div><div align="center">DEREK JETER HITS his 3000th hit!!</div><div align="center"> </div><div>He's called many names: Captain Clutch, Captain Intangible, Jete, Mr. November, and now he's Mr. 3000.</div><div> </div><div>Derek Jeter had an amazing day, July 9th 2011, going five for five. His second at bat yielding his 3000th hit, a Home Run to left field off David Price. He also drove in the winning run to help the Yankees win, the only thing he ever wants to do in this game.</div><div> </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkG75fC9WNY/TfWOQA4IRfI/AAAAAAAAB0A/JYnqe4Oiy7U/s1600/Jeter_rookie023.jpg" aiotitle=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 199px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617552515979036146" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkG75fC9WNY/TfWOQA4IRfI/AAAAAAAAB0A/JYnqe4Oiy7U/s320/Jeter_rookie023.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>This is probably his most sought after rookie card. The condition of the 1993 SP cards is very condition sensitive. Many of the cards have chipping or other issues that cards with this much foil have. That's why I opted to get a graded version. I figured this would be the best way to get the card in relatively good shape without trusting an auctioner's digital camera skills. This card cost me about $100 almost 3 months ago and I'm sure the price has gone up for graded versions. If you do have your heart set on one $100 is a deal for something in the 8 range.</div><div> </div><div>Congratulations to Derek Jeter who has given me so much to look forward to in my life as a Yankee fan. I graciously thank you for all you've given us Yankee fans.</div></div>Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-56574079899438628842011-05-24T20:23:00.007-04:002011-05-30T07:47:43.335-04:00Bucket List #6: A Legend Among LegendsI always liked Harmon Killebrew since I was a kid. Had really no idea who he was other than a player for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins that hit very well. Killebrew to me played the game the way it should be played and excelled through sheer talent and hard work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0o0KQJAzec/TdxNXO16YyI/AAAAAAAABzg/9zwWKuHK0U8/s1600/Killebrew_auto017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0o0KQJAzec/TdxNXO16YyI/AAAAAAAABzg/9zwWKuHK0U8/s320/Killebrew_auto017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610444297313346338" border="0" /></a><br />He scuffled his first few years in the big leagues. Until '59 when he got a chance to play 3rd base regularly. He started smacking home runs all over the place and became an overnight sensation. Yep, overnight after just 4 years with the Senators. His power was legendary but it was his humble and polite persona that outshone all that. "Killer" became one of those ironic nicknames like calling a large man "Tiny." It never fit his personality but it fit his swing. Harmon hit some towering home runs, one of which was estimated to travel 520 feet unobstructed and there's a red seat commemorating that blast in the Mall of America. Also a statue of a gold glove resides outside Target field exactly 520 feet from home plate. Just awesome.<br /><br />I could go on and on about Harmon. To say he has my utmost respect is putting it mildly. As a Yankee fan I'm constantly reminded how blown up every Yankee is and how if "so and so" played for the Yankees he'd be big too. To me Harmon didn't need any of that. His epic home runs and humbled personality fit perfectly for those Washington Senator/Minnesota Twins teams. I'm sure it brings great pride to have a legend like Killebrew be synonymous with the Twins organization.<br /><br />He has probably one of the best autographs out there. It's clean, easy to read and distinctive. I ran across a comment about Killebrew's autograph on an article. The commenter had heard a story that Killebrew took his autograph very seriously. He said "<span>When he saw young players scribbling illegible autographs, he would pull them aside and explain how important they were for the fans asking for them and encourage them to do them well. When mass-signing baseballs for charity auctions, he'd self-edit and throw out balls he didn't think were good enough. " <br /><br /></span>If you don't have a Killebrew auto I'd strongly urge picking one up. I was able to get the one above for less than $30 and I recently picked this 1999 Epic Signatures one after his passing for a little over $30.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f1acITan9ZQ/TdxNW08SjDI/AAAAAAAABzY/51EqwDXiDHo/s1600/1999%2BEpic%2BSignatures%2B-%2BHarmon%2BKillebrew.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f1acITan9ZQ/TdxNW08SjDI/AAAAAAAABzY/51EqwDXiDHo/s320/1999%2BEpic%2BSignatures%2B-%2BHarmon%2BKillebrew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610444290360773682" border="0" /></a><br />Killebrew is a true legend. I find it a little funny that for years it was thought that the MLB logo was based on Killebrew. I even believed it. But really is it hard to believe that the model for MLB the ICON for MLB should be anyone other than Harmon Killebrew?Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-41657894117240884062011-03-14T22:47:00.006-04:002011-03-14T23:23:58.859-04:002011 Topps Heritage Live at TargetWent to a local Target and found a bounty of Topps Heritage.<br /><br />There was a gravity feed box, a retail box, blasters and rack packs.<br /><br />All in all, I'd say I was actually disappointed. Where Topps 2011 wasn't that bad in retail, Heritage just can't hold a candle to what Hobby offers. I know people say "never buy retail" but there's an instant gratification itch retail<br /><br />1 Blaster results: 3 short prints, 2 inserts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMBqPYznJqE/TX7WYtX3wtI/AAAAAAAABxs/mprrYRCn6HA/s1600/2011_Heritage009.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMBqPYznJqE/TX7WYtX3wtI/AAAAAAAABxs/mprrYRCn6HA/s320/2011_Heritage009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584136307970917074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYeopXkaXnw/TX7XVLMmQeI/AAAAAAAABx0/zNiXt4o7980/s1600/2011_Heritage010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYeopXkaXnw/TX7XVLMmQeI/AAAAAAAABx0/zNiXt4o7980/s320/2011_Heritage010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584137346768847330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2 Rack packs: 2 inserts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqH06wK_v74/TX7YHhs-RrI/AAAAAAAABx8/t1cRTES7dsk/s1600/2011_Heritage011.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqH06wK_v74/TX7YHhs-RrI/AAAAAAAABx8/t1cRTES7dsk/s320/2011_Heritage011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584138211803678386" border="0" /></a><br />3 Retail box packs: 2 inserts (nice hair)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sKslXvK29dQ/TX7a7AKFMzI/AAAAAAAAByE/Mp3PtDcopSk/s1600/2011_Heritage012.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sKslXvK29dQ/TX7a7AKFMzI/AAAAAAAAByE/Mp3PtDcopSk/s320/2011_Heritage012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584141295175414578" border="0" /></a><br />3 Gravity Box packs: 1 relic, 1 chrome, 1 insert and creepy floating heads<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWYTCGxM658/TX7a7iMB0CI/AAAAAAAAByM/G3VjBnzEud0/s1600/2011_Heritage013.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWYTCGxM658/TX7a7iMB0CI/AAAAAAAAByM/G3VjBnzEud0/s320/2011_Heritage013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584141304310386722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No Hughes and no Mattingly, son of a. I'm kinda disappointed but then again, it's retail and you can't hit the jackpot every time. So this time, the house won big time. So go out find some and post your results. Odds are they will be WAY better than mine.<br /><br />If you pull Hughes or Mattingly and their chrome inserts let me know. I'm interested :)Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-6027448328055427452011-03-10T00:22:00.003-05:002011-03-10T00:40:03.761-05:00Collecting Bucket List #5 We're off to see the Wizard...The wonder wizard of Ozzie. I'm not going to talk about his career. I saw him play when I was a kid growing up and he was like that fun uncle playing baseball. All the kids love him and he was just really cool to watch and be around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyL7tI2auWA/TXhgcxqg5pI/AAAAAAAABxk/yOvySvBxmK4/s1600/Ozzie%2BSmith%2Bauto.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyL7tI2auWA/TXhgcxqg5pI/AAAAAAAABxk/yOvySvBxmK4/s320/Ozzie%2BSmith%2Bauto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582317785609987730" border="0" /></a><br />His autos don't cost that much surprisingly. I assumed there would be a bevy of Ozzie collectors out there driving up the prices but there aren't. I got this auto for just around $20. And others are available for around the same price.<br /><br /><br />But there is something I would like to discuss about this card and it's causing a dilemma with my bucket list. Do this, open that image up in a new browser and look at it full sized. Now follow from the dot that belongs to the "I" in Smith and go to the right til you see a slight blue line that looks like a piece of string. That's the end of the sticker. Yep this is a clear sticker auto. I had no idea the 2004 Fleer Ex autos were stickers and I bought this card because it had both a relic, auto and was a great price. I do have to say it's a very well done sticker auto. It's hard to see it through scans but in person it is noticeable.<br /><br />The problem is that I try very hard not to get sticker autos as my bucket list autos. The concept of my bucket list is for me to get cards that fit certain criteria. Now while sticker auto isn't a firm "NO" in my rules, I do have to say it is more *satisfying* as a collector to get an on card auto. As of right now I will keep this card because it fills a niche of an "Ozzie Smith" auto. It also goes above that by being an auto, relic, numbered card. But I still think an on card auto of Ozzie Smith will fit better with my collection. The jury is still out.<br /><br />What do you think? When looking for autos of your favorite players do you try to get the cheapest you can find regardless of sticker or not. Or do you tend to gravitate toward on card?Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-47178307558139899622011-03-06T17:33:00.005-05:002011-03-06T18:28:39.379-05:002010 Topps Chrome Wrapper Redemption resultsI had amassed four hobby boxes of 2010 Topps Chrome. I held onto them until about February 25th when I packaged them up (24 wrappers in each box) in a nice Amazon.com box to be sent for my redemption. Now I know the deadline was the 28th and I was cutting it close but I was hoping they meant POSTMARKED by the 28th.<br /><br />Luckily my redemption wrappers arrived Friday March 4th which was amazing turn around.<br /><br />Here are the results in the order I opened the packs:<br /><br />Pack 1: Babe Ruth, Jason Heyward, Tyler Colvin<br />Pack 2: Starlin Castro, Jackie Robinson, Stephen Strasburg<br />Pack 3: Austin Jackson, Ty Cobb, Mike Leake<br />Pack 4: Lou Gehrig, Mike Stanton, Carlos Santana (green refractors)<br /><br />The first three packs contained refractors as is stated on the back of the cards themselves. But the final pack were green refractors numbered to 599. Every 10th pack is a green fractor pack according to the Topps <a href="http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=352">website</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--BHsLpaLnnI/TXQObGYzS0I/AAAAAAAABxU/uXF3NGkpgAU/s1600/Topps_Wrapper_Redemption001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 279px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--BHsLpaLnnI/TXQObGYzS0I/AAAAAAAABxU/uXF3NGkpgAU/s320/Topps_Wrapper_Redemption001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581101696952781634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kqoQyZMeVjk/TXQOb0N4RII/AAAAAAAABxc/3uuEm3YCzTQ/s1600/Topps_Wrapper_Redemption002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 277px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kqoQyZMeVjk/TXQOb0N4RII/AAAAAAAABxc/3uuEm3YCzTQ/s320/Topps_Wrapper_Redemption002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581101709255001218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I really like this concept for a few reasons. For one, YOU GET CARDS! You take those unwanted pack wrappers and mail those suckers right back to Topps and magically they give you cards. Secondly, I think this lends to the possibility of Topps recycling the materials and reusing them in other packaging materials. Topps gets cheap material to reuse and it doesn't end up in a landfill, win-win.<br /><br />I do have a question though. While I'm sure this is a "while supplies last" offer. But what happens to all the unclaimed cards? Do they stay in the Topps vault? The wrapper redemption is probably not a new concept but I'm sure it's not a widely embraced concept. I'm sure there are people who threw away all their wrappers or only bought a few packs which wouldn't make for a complete 24. Will these cards show up in other products or maybe even on the Topps Card Giveaway (whatever name it has for each year)?<br /><br />Either way, I'm really happy with the redemption and I have one box of 24 Bowman Chrome wrappers I plan on turning in. Hope I get something good.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-80903545881210307482011-02-28T22:34:00.005-05:002011-03-10T09:37:02.564-05:00Collecting Bucket List #4 Paying Respect to "The Duke of Flatbush"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6XIxdlmh1KU/TWxpo7sWhPI/AAAAAAAABxM/x44CAPhMG7Y/s1600/Duke%2Bsnider%2Bauto.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6XIxdlmh1KU/TWxpo7sWhPI/AAAAAAAABxM/x44CAPhMG7Y/s320/Duke%2Bsnider%2Bauto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578950190344602866" border="0" /></a><br />If the Dodgers stayed in Brooklyn, I would be a Dodger fan today. I have no doubt about that even to this day. I would be complaining about the free spending Yankees and my underachieving Brooklyn Bums. When I think of "The Duke of Flatbush" I think about their 1955 win over the Yankees. It was the only time they ever beat the Yankees in the World Series, mind you. Even still, it was a great achievement for the Brooklyn team.<br /><br />Duke was part of a golden age for New York teams in the 50's. From 1949 til 1958 there was at least one New York team in the World Series. And the only thing that really breaks that streak is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Los Angeles</span> Dodgers winning in 1959. Duke was overshadowed by Mantle and Mays but his stats are right up there with the best of them. He was also overshadowed by his own teammates Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella but I always saw him as the glue that held that great 50's Dodger era together.<br /><br />Snider's autos are plentiful and unfortunately due to his recent passing have gone up to closer to $35 which is still a bargain for this Hall of Famer. I can't remember what I paid for this card because I bought it sometime last year but it couldn't have been too far beyond $20. And Duke Snider has a very smooth and easily read signature. I think this 1998 Donruss Signatures card is one of the best ones to get because of the great picture , on-card Signature and the signature's placement (not on the back of the card like <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/DUKE-SNIDER-1997-Donruss-Signature-AUTO-Autograph-2000-/260745562887?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item3cb5a58b07">this one</a>). <br /><br />When things settle down you may want to hunt around for an auto of this Dodger icon. I think he's a must-have for any collector.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-65542788663831793782011-02-22T22:23:00.004-05:002011-02-22T23:35:24.113-05:00Collecting Bucket List #3 Warrior come out and play-ee-yayI was very fortunate to be born at the tail end of the Yankees worst decade in their history. In 1992 the Yankees traded Roberto Kelly for the man we would come to know as "The Warrior," Paul O'Neill.<br /><br />He was a big part of "my" Yankees. He was there in 1993 with a team that featured Mattingly, Boggs, both Williams (Bernie and Gerald), Danny Tartabull and Paul Abbott threw is famous no-hitter. I really liked the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Yankees. Obviously 1996 was a changing of the guards so to speak. But O'Neill was there, much like myself, for a disappointing 1993 season. A 1994 season of amazing promise but foiled by MLB baseball players and owners. And the 1995 season which saw the first postseason with the new team alignment and Yankees as the first ever AL Wildcard winners. Then a golden age for the Yankees which saw them win 4 World Series in 5 years until that heartbreaking night in Arizona. The night we last saw O'Neill playing as a Yankee.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ov7194v8rrM/TWSA2n7tWtI/AAAAAAAABw8/k6-zLkJojoQ/s1600/Oneill_auto.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ov7194v8rrM/TWSA2n7tWtI/AAAAAAAABw8/k6-zLkJojoQ/s320/Oneill_auto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576723914512227026" border="0" /></a><br />There isn't much I can say about Paul O'Neill that most don't already know. He was passionate and pissed. He had this swing that he could just stroke the ball into the outfield for a base hit. His passion for the game earned him the "The Warrior" nickname from the Boss. He had that catch deep in the Atlanta outfield during the 1996 World Series in Game 5 that ended the game. He played in the clinching Game 4 of the 1999 World Series, hours after his father passed away.<br /><br />He's an important part of my baseball memories. I thought it would be fitting to get a reasonably priced auto of him as part of my bucket list. I found this great on-card auto for a little over $20. I was lucky because there really aren't many of his autos out on eBay and they tend to go for closer to $40 for the more basic autos (not short print or from high end product).<br /><br />So if you're in the market for one good luck, they're out there you just have to find them.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-51446176958976525132011-02-20T01:40:00.005-05:002011-02-20T01:54:45.317-05:00Topps 2011 The almost blaster from Target (9.99 box)My fiance picked me up this weird box from Target. The part that hangs on the rack is blurred but you can sorta see it. I actually thought it was a blaster until I read it. It has 72 cards in it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5CzX1Rtzw8/TWC4FW5q_RI/AAAAAAAABwM/RJehChfDHqs/s1600/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox114.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5CzX1Rtzw8/TWC4FW5q_RI/AAAAAAAABwM/RJehChfDHqs/s320/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575658740871003410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is what was inside. No packs just a cello wrapped stack of cards. I think the cards totaled out to 10 inserts and 62 base cards. I ended up needing 34 out of the 62 cards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_ZZHPHvSlY/TWC4FZJWllI/AAAAAAAABwU/_MGZ4MOWx24/s1600/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox115.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_ZZHPHvSlY/TWC4FZJWllI/AAAAAAAABwU/_MGZ4MOWx24/s320/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575658741473646162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The pack doesn't have any fancy inserts like autos, relics or original back 60 years of Topps. But you pretty much have one of every type of common insert. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HH_rrEJb0S4/TWC4FkcqlVI/AAAAAAAABwc/8J9V7GNrmTM/s1600/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox116.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HH_rrEJb0S4/TWC4FkcqlVI/AAAAAAAABwc/8J9V7GNrmTM/s320/2011%2BTarget%2B10dollar%2Bbox116.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575658744507438418" border="0" /></a>Although I do have a question. What the hell card is that David Ortiz? I've never seen it before. The number on it is THP-13 and it only has his name, team name and a blurb about him on the back. There's no subset name anywhere on the card.<br /><br />So what is this insert and what are the other ones in its set?<br /><br />Other than that this pack is really only good for someone looking to build the set on the cheap. I'd rather stick with a blaster and its guaranteed commemorative patch, throwback cards and chance for better inserts. Or rack packs if you're trying to keep things a little cheaper but still get some inserts on the side.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-65764309893335437882011-02-08T21:33:00.005-05:002011-02-08T22:14:10.949-05:00Upper Deck 2010 World's BIGGEST AUTO STICKER DUMP!!! WTF!I had no idea this is what Upper Deck had in mind when they were creating their World of Sports...<br /><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=2010+UPPER+DECK+WORLD+OF+SPORTS"><br /></a><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A1%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_nkw=2010+Upper+deck+World+of+sports&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=10&_sc=1">Upper Deck 2010 World of Sports</a><br /><br />Sticker auto upon sticker auto of cards with just names on it.<br /><br />I found this all out by finding this: <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-UPPER-DECK-WORLD-SPORTS-PHIL-HUGHES-AUTO-/170601111431?pt=US_UFC_Trading_Cards&hash=item27b89e5f87">Phil Hughes 2010 Upper Deck World of Sports</a><br /><br />SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!<br /><br />This is what Upper Deck is reduced to?! Couldn't they have found a better way around this? I'm just in disbelief. Some of my favorite cards in my personal collection are from Upper Deck. Phil Hughes and Mattingly autos and relic cards that look, well to steal one of their own product names, exquisite.<br /><br />It breaks my heart to see them this way. I sort of feel like they're that underhanded guy with a jacket full of fake Rolexes trying to bait you in. But then I feel sorry for them for being beaten into submission by Topps....into creating this, this GARBAGE: <a aiotitle="Crappy three auto card" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/UD-WORLD-SPORTS-MMA-UFC-3X-AUTO-BRAZIL-NOGUEIRA-50-/220736918286?pt=US_UFC_Trading_Cards&hash=item3364f2130e">Crappy three auto card</a><br /><br /><a href="http://nooooooooooooooo.com/">Epic Fail Upper Deck, epic fail</a>Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-4944387349797763512011-02-04T07:56:00.007-05:002011-02-04T21:36:48.975-05:00Collecting Bucket List #2<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andy Pettitte Auto</span></span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUv39nF2bwI/AAAAAAAABwE/2nd54kCM1BA/s1600/1996%2B-%2BLeaf%2BAuto%2B-%2BAndy%2BPettitte.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUv39nF2bwI/AAAAAAAABwE/2nd54kCM1BA/s400/1996%2B-%2BLeaf%2BAuto%2B-%2BAndy%2BPettitte.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569818002011352834" border="0" /></a><br />It seems that the end of a player's career or life wakes up collectors. I guess it's like that whole "an artist doesn't sell their work until the person dies." I didn't wait for Pettitte's announcement to retire before I purchased the above card. But I got it for a completely different reason.<br /><br />I had a "bucket list" idea to collect an auto for every 2009 Yankee team member. I have to say I have most of them but Hideki Matsui will be the only player I will never get an auto for. His auto cards are just way too expensive.<br /><br />But now that I think back, I'm really glad I bought this card because I would be scrambling on eBay trying to find one that doesn't have the price jacked up. <br /><br />It never dawned on me until today how important Pettitte was to the many successful postseason runs. When you think of Yankee starting pitchers from 1995 to 2010, Andy Pettitte is #1. Period. Out of his 16 year career, he missed the post season 3 times. He holds many post season records mainly because of the frequency that he was able to compete. But Andy did have many amazing moments in the post season and I can honestly say I don't think the Yankees could've won any of the 5 without him.<br /><br />He may not have the Hall of Face credentials or what-have-you, but as a Yankee fan he is a living legend. Which is why he is apart of my collecting bucket list.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-58872012404399048162011-01-31T21:05:00.010-05:002011-02-01T00:07:40.445-05:002011 TOPPS LIVE AT TARGET!!!! (Final)Bought 4 loose packs, 2 rack packs and a blaster. Updates coming....<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdstImijrI/AAAAAAAABvA/TGjn50kLxsA/s1600/100_1150.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdstImijrI/AAAAAAAABvA/TGjn50kLxsA/s320/100_1150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568538986925952690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />BASE and TOPPS TOWN (loose packs):<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdzYivl5lI/AAAAAAAABvI/tH5N1bLM_pk/s1600/Topps%2B2011002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdzYivl5lI/AAAAAAAABvI/tH5N1bLM_pk/s320/Topps%2B2011002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568546329747383890" border="0" /></a><br />INSERTS (from loose packs):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdru6HcmKI/AAAAAAAABu4/Bahz07YUDH8/s1600/Topps%2B2011001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 271px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUdru6HcmKI/AAAAAAAABu4/Bahz07YUDH8/s320/Topps%2B2011001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537917885552802" border="0" /></a><br />INSERTS and some Base (from rack packs):<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd3_pX80SI/AAAAAAAABvY/gbijFrxgBQc/s1600/Topps%2B2011003.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 280px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd3_pX80SI/AAAAAAAABvY/gbijFrxgBQc/s320/Topps%2B2011003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568551399588679970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd3XrDmLEI/AAAAAAAABvQ/Jpfd4G3GCXA/s1600/Topps%2B2011004.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd3XrDmLEI/AAAAAAAABvQ/Jpfd4G3GCXA/s320/Topps%2B2011004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568550712845413442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />INSERTS & Throwbacks (Blaster)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd6wzK4I7I/AAAAAAAABvg/2K4fbB8yqLA/s1600/Topps%2B2011005.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd6wzK4I7I/AAAAAAAABvg/2K4fbB8yqLA/s320/Topps%2B2011005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568554443055047602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd9xYyxtWI/AAAAAAAABvo/_rSJPHksV40/s1600/Topps%2B2011006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd9xYyxtWI/AAAAAAAABvo/_rSJPHksV40/s320/Topps%2B2011006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568557751689393506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd-7UmM86I/AAAAAAAABvw/YW8GcCmoCUU/s1600/Topps%2B2011007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUd-7UmM86I/AAAAAAAABvw/YW8GcCmoCUU/s320/Topps%2B2011007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568559021873230754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well there you have it. The blaster had the only diamond giveaway card. It also had two throwback packs and the only original back 60th years of Topps card (Roy Campanella). I think the rack packs with the security strips have those blue 60th anniversary cards. Topps town cards look WAY cooler than I've ever seen. I assume the way cooler stuff is in Hobby. Notice I didn't get any gold cards. All I got were the diamond parallels and Target is supposed to have something called a Red Diamond as their exclusive.<br /><br />Anyhow, this signifies the start of collecting season. Have fun and good luck out there.<br /><br />...I call any Mattingly's you pull!<br /><br />NOTE: Some of the 60 Years of Topps cards are "Lost Cards." The Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford insert cards from the rack packs are "Lost Cards" but the Stan Musial underneath that is just a 60th Anniversary card. There's nothing special beyond "THE LOST CARDS" phrase and the card number as 60YOTLC-# on the back.<br /><br />NOTE2: Got a bunch of damaged base cards in the rack packs so buyer beware.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-53717313248127433492011-01-29T23:05:00.009-05:002011-05-13T13:23:51.605-04:00Collecting Bucket List #1I'm sure most are familiar with a bucket list and what that concept entails. And I'm sure most have put together a collecting bucket list whether they realize it or not. You know, collecting certain cards based on a criteria you deem as important. I'm not going to dig into what that criteria should or could be. That just doesn't seem right to tell someone else what they should be collecting. What I will do is share some of my bucket list.<br /><br />It's unfortunate that the subject of the first card I choose to talk about recently passed. When I think of this guy the first phrase that comes to my mind is "the Feller that pitches for the Cleveland Indians." I always wanted to get a Bob Feller auto since my buddy William talked about getting a ball from his museum. But I'm not a hardware kind of guy. I don't care for autographed balls, pictures, bats or gloves. I like getting Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer, or Donruss autos that came from wax packs. I don't know what it is about those cards but I feel like getting a good autograph is on the same level as getting their rookie card.<br /><br />The good thing about Bob Feller's autographs are that they're very affordable. You can get a decent auto in the range of $20 to $35. Which I think is pretty good considering it's a card signed personally by a player and that card is seated possibly one per box.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUTpq3T4pBI/AAAAAAAABuk/4WxfIZOEtZs/s1600/Bob%2BFeller%2B-%2BGreats%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGame.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUTpq3T4pBI/AAAAAAAABuk/4WxfIZOEtZs/s320/Bob%2BFeller%2B-%2BGreats%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGame.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567831961947907090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUTprPENGwI/AAAAAAAABus/Wg4YONeoiW8/s1600/Bob%2BFeller%2B-%2BGreats%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGame%2B%2528back%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TUTprPENGwI/AAAAAAAABus/Wg4YONeoiW8/s320/Bob%2BFeller%2B-%2BGreats%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGame%2B%2528back%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567831968324590338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I really like the auto on this card and how clean the card itself is. The Greats of the Game sets are awesome sets to look to when trying to find veteran autographs.<br /><br />I can list tons of reasons why Bob Feller but the fact remains he was an iconic pitcher during that era and I feel had a huge impact on the league during his playing years. He's a player everyone knows about. You may not know all of his accomplishments like the classic trivia question "Who is the only person to throw a no hitter on opening day?" Or him being the first person to volunteer for military duty immediately after Pearl Harbor and his 4 years serving in the Navy.<br /><br />But most everybody knows that Feller that pitches for the Cleveland Indians. I'm happy to have this card in my collection and part of my bucket list.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-58079728522508100982010-09-27T19:07:00.004-04:002010-09-27T19:35:04.130-04:00YSL two down, two to go...I've been able to track down two of the YSL jersey cards I've needed on eBay. The Elston Howard has shown up a lot more than it had in the past. But I have to say "Sweet Lou" has certainly eluded me. I dropped a lot more money on him than I ever expected while I got a really good deal on the Howard (which also included another Howard jersey card from 2008 SP Legendary Cuts.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TKEkUNySvOI/AAAAAAAABto/eZXTGi3BCbk/s1600/YSL_JRSY001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TKEkUNySvOI/AAAAAAAABto/eZXTGi3BCbk/s320/YSL_JRSY001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521734547849526498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So that leaves me with two Yankee Stadium Legacy jersey cards: Joe Pepitone and.....<br /><br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/08-NEW-YORK-YANKEE-LEGACY-BABE-RUTH-JERSEY-YSM-BR-RARE-/130435382221?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item1e5e8dfbcd">the Sultan of Swat, the Colossus of Clout the Great Bambino....<br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/08-NEW-YORK-YANKEE-LEGACY-BABE-RUTH-JERSEY-YSM-BR-RARE-/130435382221?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item1e5e8dfbcd">BABE RUTH!!!</a></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">That auction is already over $160 with 6 days left. While it would be nice to knock out the hardest card to get from that set, I don't think I can drop $200-400 on a relic card.<br /><br />So I'll try to concentrate my efforts on Joe Pepitone. I've seen him show up on eBay a few times but I think he might be rarer than Lou Piniella.<br /><br />This has been a real treasure hunt but it's difficult not owning the most expensive piece in the collection. Still, I'm sure I'll own it one of these days. Til then I'll just have to concentrate on the next to last card.<br /></div></div>Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-44902211914191323852010-07-24T08:13:00.006-04:002010-07-24T16:14:54.523-04:00Allen & Ginter 2010 Extravaganza (3 hobby box hits)I tried real hard not to get involved in the Allen & Ginter hoopla this year. Last year's product was an extreme disappointment in my opinion. My girlfriend was not impressed with last year's product which left me with an uncompleted 2009 set. She loved 2008 which led to her buying retail packs and blasters as well as a hobby box or two from me which led to a complete set and us lending a hand to bloggers' short print wantlists.<br /><br />But the addition of Strasburg had me intrigued and the new design won me over. I think it's the blue and the "Allen & Ginter's Topps" logo at the bottom of each card.<br /><br />Without further ado the hits:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEscyq_4kQI/AAAAAAAABs8/L1j2adsYXfI/s1600/2010AllenGinter003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEscyq_4kQI/AAAAAAAABs8/L1j2adsYXfI/s200/2010AllenGinter003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497519426997096706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY8-9GbgI/AAAAAAAABss/rLfy8DLoRNM/s1600/2010AllenGinter005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY8-9GbgI/AAAAAAAABss/rLfy8DLoRNM/s200/2010AllenGinter005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497515206106312194" border="0" /></a><br />I'm a big fan of the Lords of Olympus cards. I might attempt to collect them.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEscyH3lE1I/AAAAAAAABs0/hIAHd61ZfjI/s1600/2010AllenGinter004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEscyH3lE1I/AAAAAAAABs0/hIAHd61ZfjI/s200/2010AllenGinter004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497519417567023954" border="0" /></a><br />The black border Hudson card above has a nasty gash across the front of it. And I ended up with a double of the Biggest Whale card.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY7gP9MEI/AAAAAAAABsc/BuRbQJrwaUo/s1600/2010AllenGinter010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 183px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY7gP9MEI/AAAAAAAABsc/BuRbQJrwaUo/s200/2010AllenGinter010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497515180684030018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY6pHeylI/AAAAAAAABsM/tPHEiD3Qsz4/s1600/2010AllenGinter012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 93px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY6pHeylI/AAAAAAAABsM/tPHEiD3Qsz4/s200/2010AllenGinter012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497515165884533330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY8Uoxh0I/AAAAAAAABsk/AWR9G_6342Y/s1600/2010AllenGinter007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY8Uoxh0I/AAAAAAAABsk/AWR9G_6342Y/s200/2010AllenGinter007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497515194746767170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY7EzwQ7I/AAAAAAAABsU/3kjz7YFZV9c/s1600/2010AllenGinter009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 88px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/TEsY7EzwQ7I/AAAAAAAABsU/3kjz7YFZV9c/s200/2010AllenGinter009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497515173317985202" border="0" /></a><br />The Duensing auto is damaged in the back. It seems like something went wrong with the plastic being applied to the back of the card and it warped. It caused the gash mentioned above on the hudson card. Not sure who to contact about that. I threw all the wrappers away but I still have all three boxes I opened.<br /><br />There you have it 3 hobby boxes, about 6 hobby packs, 3 or 4 blasters and some retail packs. <br /><br />My wantlist is updated with the cards I need. I haven't posted my doubles but I'll be doing that soon. I have quite a few short print doubles.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-70929063914253352752010-04-21T23:06:00.006-04:002010-04-22T00:21:45.090-04:00Need 4 Cards to Complete Yankee Stadium Legacy.......the relic set.<br /><br />I've severely slowed down on my Yankee Stadium Legacy pursuit. But I've been actively pursuing the Yankee Stadium Legacy relic cards. And I only need four cards:<br /><br />Babe Ruth<br />Elston Howard<br /><span id="gvYankeeChecklist_ctl03_lblPlayerName">Joe Pepitone</span><br /><span id="gvYankeeChecklist_ctl05_lblPlayerName">Lou Piniella<br /><br />That means exactly what you were thinking, I actually own these two cards:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S8_BbzUbaNI/AAAAAAAABpM/M7QfQHbRs7c/s1600/YSL_LG001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S8_BbzUbaNI/AAAAAAAABpM/M7QfQHbRs7c/s320/YSL_LG001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462797556400220370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S8_BcHsq3MI/AAAAAAAABpU/lUgp-2AkmtY/s1600/YSL_JoeD_relic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S8_BcHsq3MI/AAAAAAAABpU/lUgp-2AkmtY/s320/YSL_JoeD_relic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462797561870605506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They weren't cheap by any means and it stung pretty bad to get them. But I knew if I didn't get them when I had the chance it would bother me. I started collecting this set from a Don Mattingly and then a very cheap Reggie Jackson and Jorge Posada. It grew from there until it got to a point where I wanted all the cards except the Ruth, DiMaggio and Gehrig. That's just for the simple fact that these cards would be hard to find and if I did find them they would be extraordinarily expensive.<br /><br />Well, I did find them and the prices were hard to swallow but not enough to turn me away. I was able to pick up the DiMaggio on eBay. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend but then again, I didn't know when I would see one again and would totally regret not picking it up. I picked the Gehrig up at a card show in Raleigh, NC the day before Easter. A guy had it and was asking quite a bit of money but I knew that this would be one of the few chances I would ever get to obtain this card. The card show didn't have anything I wanted other than a few singles for my Heritage sets. So I went for it.<br /><br />And now I only need four more cards. I might have to pass on the Ruth. I'm pretty sure it'll go for an insane amount of money and I just don't think I can do that one. But the other three I think are feasible. The Piniella has been especially hard to come by but a couple have cropped up on eBay and I hope I can grab one for a reasonable amount. The Pepitone is about as rare as the Piniella, not sure when I'll be able to get ahold of one. Might end up overpaying for that one just because. I'm holding out on the Elston Howard because that's one of the more common ones but sellers are trying to sell it high. I don't expect to spend more than $20 for one and even that's pushing it in my eyes.<br /><br />As for the rest of the YSL set, I have 1583 YSL cards which has me as 18th overall on the OwnTheLegacy site. If you have YSL cards feel free to email me, I'm open to trade.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-79896583305177379892010-04-20T21:22:00.006-04:002010-04-21T11:06:30.712-04:00A Very Important Phil Hughes AutoI've recently picked up what I would consider the cornerstone of my Phil Hughes collection. Actually this may be the cornerstone of my entire non-Mattingly collection. It's an on-card auto of one very well known Phil Hughes and some other guy. Never heard of this guy but I think he might go far.<br /><br />But seriously, I've seen this card two times on eBay and I've been in the market for a Derek Jeter auto. I figured I would only have one Jeter auto in my collection so I wanted an on-card auto. The Jeter card I was interested in was this <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-Ultimate-Derek-Jeter-Career-Highlight-AUTO-d-40-/170474913370?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Baseball&hash=item27b118be5a">one</a> which commemorated his passing Gehrig as the all time hits leader in the old Yankee Stadium.<br /><br />But I found this gem and I <span style="font-style: italic;">HAD </span>to have it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S85TkmmvLhI/AAAAAAAABos/S0C8nc7R0ck/s1600/Hughes_Jeter_Auto002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S85TkmmvLhI/AAAAAAAABos/S0C8nc7R0ck/s320/Hughes_Jeter_Auto002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462395286350409234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S85Tk-X0WJI/AAAAAAAABo0/4uDgz3DwRqk/s1600/Hughes_Jeter_Auto003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S85Tk-X0WJI/AAAAAAAABo0/4uDgz3DwRqk/s320/Hughes_Jeter_Auto003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462395292730284178" border="0" /></a><br />The back should read "HOLY S@#$! YOU PULLED A FLIPPIN' DEREK JETER AUTO. YOU LUCKY BASTARD!" because that's how I would've felt if I pulled this.<br /><br />I hope Topps is reading this because this is what a cool on-card auto looks like.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045164185871063876.post-76973722406107914652010-03-14T13:35:00.008-04:002010-03-31T21:56:53.409-04:002010 Topps Jumbo Box x 2 (Player Collector WIN!)I busted two boxes of Topps 2010 Jumbo many weeks ago.<br /><br />I was able to complete Series 1 with the help of the crap ton of retail I had bought weeks prior to busting these boxes. I almost have a second set if anyone is interested in doubles.<br /><br />Everyone has seen the base and we all know what that looks like. I wanted to post some of the highlights of the pull and one very special card.<br /><br />My gold card pulls read like an offseason award list:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S50sV9xZDNI/AAAAAAAABnA/5nV_0sID9rI/s1600-h/topps2010_001a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 131px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S50sV9xZDNI/AAAAAAAABnA/5nV_0sID9rI/s320/topps2010_001a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448559880058768594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S50sWYn3hLI/AAAAAAAABnI/1Sy2UpwGEjk/s1600-h/topps2010_002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S50sWYn3hLI/AAAAAAAABnI/1Sy2UpwGEjk/s320/topps2010_002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448559887266579634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My short prints are Cy Young and Hank Greenberg.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6CaEwwsI/AAAAAAAABoA/RACKaDzftC4/s1600/topps2010_002a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6CaEwwsI/AAAAAAAABoA/RACKaDzftC4/s320/topps2010_002a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454978492941779650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My Relic and Auto cards are Ortiz (relic/auto), Weeks and Ripken (which has been traded away). Not too happy about getting a Red Sox player as my relic auto and there was some damage at the bottom edge of the card that I found later. Seriously fellas? When are we going to get insert cards that don't have these major flaws? Guess I'm asking too much.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6C_X8EfI/AAAAAAAABoI/gib0Q5fKC9s/s1600/topps2010_003a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 130px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6C_X8EfI/AAAAAAAABoI/gib0Q5fKC9s/s320/topps2010_003a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454978502954324466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are the hat cards. I was hoping for the Maris or any other Yankee but these aren't too bad. The Verlander Detroit D looks pretty cool though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6QsopL4I/AAAAAAAABoQ/Ld7_r_O2Tg4/s1600/topps2010_003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6QsopL4I/AAAAAAAABoQ/Ld7_r_O2Tg4/s320/topps2010_003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454978738442284930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now THIS is more like it. Yankee gold cards. I have to admit that William from foulbunt pulled the Yankee Team and Yankee history gold cards. But I pulled the Jorge gold.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6Rbr-6_I/AAAAAAAABoY/RsZRpE2rY_s/s1600/topps2010_004a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 77px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6Rbr-6_I/AAAAAAAABoY/RsZRpE2rY_s/s320/topps2010_004a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454978751072758770" border="0" /></a><br />Then I pulled something that play collectors usually dream of when they open a box. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to pull a Yankee AUTO!!!<br /><br />Ladies and Gentlemen, your #5 Starter for the New York Yankees.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Phil Hughes!!!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6R-up3KI/AAAAAAAABog/N_zoANobRYM/s1600/topps2010_004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hOrq1ea3s-M/S7P6R-up3KI/AAAAAAAABog/N_zoANobRYM/s320/topps2010_004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454978760479202466" border="0" /></a>I was thrilled with my box breaks. I figured this is the average. The Hughes auto is a common auto and you can probably get it for less than $10 on eBay. I didn't get any art cards, printing plates or silk cards. But still, I'll take a Yankee auto of a player I collect any day. Despite the Ortiz card, I think this box break was successful.<br /><br />By the way, I have plenty of doubles so if you need something let me know.Flashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10712540737714498502noreply@blogger.com1