Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cards From The Binder (Chapter 5)

From what I've read throughout the blogs, many (if not most) keep your cards in binders. I do not.
 
They are stored like this:
 
 

Now I know what you're thinking. "That's 1989 Upper Deck. That's a 660 card set. How does he keep it in such a tiny box?"

Alright, fine. You weren't thinking that. You were thinking, "That's 1989 Upper Deck. WHY ISN'T IT IN A BINDER?"

Space reasons really. If I kept all of the sets I've finished and all that I'm trying to finish in binders, I'd need another address just for my cards.

And yes, that small box means I don't have the entire set. Check my want list, and if you have some dupes you want to get rid of, contact me for a trade.

I do however, keep a few binders full of cards and these series of posts show the world (or thirty-some-odd people) exactly what is in them.

 
Back in the late 90's I used to work in a liquor store, and the rep for Canadian Club Whisky gave me this autographed Willie Stargell... 


...and Billy Williams card.


Another Signature Rookies auto. This time it's from Milos Guren. Numbered 873 out of 7,750. I did a quick search for info about him and came up with nothing.

However, as I researched to find out if Mr. Guren made the NHL, I found Amazon has the same card (numbered 6,764 out of 7,750 - not nearly as good as mine)...for $1.14!


Bringing up the rear regarding this post, is a Nate "Tiny" Archibald auto. He was one of my favorite Celtics when I was growing up, so I was quite excited when I pulled this card. Or should I say, quite excited when I pulled the redemption card saying I had to mail it in to get this card. Even though it worked out nice, I hate redemptions.

Thanks for reading, and "boo" to redemptions.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Trade With Nachos Grande

While spending an evening trying to catch up on my blog reading, I came across a post by Chris at Nachos Grande, that let it be known that he was one card away from completing his 1990 Topps baseball set.

Now my first thought was, "How can anybody not be finished with 1990 Topps?"

My second thought was, "I have that card! I probably have a dozen of that card!"

1990 Topps was right in the middle of my second foray into card collecting. Which means I have it all from that era, Leaf, Donruss, Upper Deck, Studio, Triple Play...if it was overproduced, I overcollected.

I even collected Pro Set Platinum (for all you football and hockey collectors out there). That's also when I collected most of my basketball cards as well.

I have monster boxes upon monster boxes of dupes from that era. I knew I had that card.

So to make a short story long, I contacted him and offered him the overproduced 1990 Topps Willie McGee and he graciously accepted.

So what did he send me?


A 2008 Upper Deck Goudey Noah Lowry. One more card closer to completing that set.

Now I only need....most of it.

Thanks Chris! We'll definitely have to do this again sometime.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

A Year Late, But Almost 4 Bucks Better

If you've been following my blog, then you know about the repack that I bought at Wal-Mart a few days ago. If you missed it, you can read about it here and here.

Well, not only did I get a repack, I also got a discounted rack pack of 2012 Bowman. So if you live near a Wal-Mart go take a look, because I also saw discounted rack packs of 2012 A&G as well as 2012 Topps Football among others.


If you can read the red sticker, you'll notice that it was 36% off, so instead of $9.48, it only cost me $5.98. Which is probably what it should be in the first place.

On the back of the rack pack it states:


This Pack Contains 33 Cards:
Three 10-card Bowman Baseball Card Packs
-Plus-
1 Bonus Pack of 3 Exclusive Purple Parallel Cards
 
 
So let's start with the 3 packs, saving the Exclusive Purple Parallel Cards for last.
 
Pack 1
 
153 - Elvis Andrus (Rangers)
11 - Brett Gardner (Yankees)
183 - James Loney (Dodgers)
 

BCP100 Chrome - Tommy Joseph (Giants)
BCP73 Chrome - Will Swanner (Rockies)
146 - Martin Prado (Braves) - Gold Parallel
BP80 - Matt Purke (Nationals)
BP39 - Mike Murray (Giants)
 
 
65 - Ben Revere (Twins)
198 - Brett Pill (Giants)
 
 Pack 2
 
 
114 - Adrian Gonzalez (Red Sox)
208 - Liam Hendriks (Twins)
143 - Dustin Ackley (Mariners)
BCP72 Chrome - Jabari Blash (Mariners)
BCP99 Chrome - Dante Bichette Jr. (Yankees)
55 - Geovany Soto (Cubs) - Gold Parallel
BP94 - Charlie Tilson (Cardinals)
 
 
BP108 - Carlos Martinez (Cardinals)
209 - Yu Darvish (Rangers)
142 - Ryan Vogelsong (Giants)
 
Pack 3
 
97 - Craig Kimbrel (Braves)
74 - Derek Holland (Rangers)
BCP76 Chrome - Ian Gac (Braves)
BCP16 Chrome - Jesus Galindo (Giants)
89 - Brian Wilson (Giants) Gold Parallel
 
 
BPA-MO - Mike Holt (Rangers) Auto
 
Well this is a nice surprise! I rarely get autos in packs.
 
BP68 - Jeff Malm (Rays)
 
 
BP93 - Brandon Jacobs (Red Sox)
159 - David Ortiz (Red Sox)
 
Two Red Sox in a row!!
 
185 - Jason Werth (Nationals)
 
 
Now it's time for the "3 Exclusive Purple Parallel Cards!"
 
 
BP33 - Matthew West (Rangers)
 
 
BP20 - Robby Price (Rays)
 
 
BP31 - Nick Maronde (Angels)
 
If I was a Giants or Rangers team collector, I'd probably be singing the praises of Bowman. I got a fair amount of Red Sox too, and I was happy to get the Jacobs card because I don't have one of him yet. So yeah, it was worth the six bucks for me.


Saturday, April 27, 2013

2013 Topps Mailday

I spent about a year reading other peoples blogs before I started to do one of my own. One of the things I enjoyed most is the trading that went on between all of the bloggers. When I first started blogging a couple of months ago, I initiatied all of the contact, but lately bloggers have been contacting me to trade.

So when I got an email from Bryan at Golden Rainbow Cards offering me some of his 2013 Topps dupes, we immediately set up a trade. I sent him a bunch of Braves and he got me this closer to completing my 2013 Topps set.




 

 
I'm now down to needing only 26 cards to complete Series 1! Check my want list here, and if you have some I need, let's set up a trade!

Thanks Bryan for helping me out!

Friday, April 26, 2013

More From The Super Value Pack

Yesterday I blogged about the first half of the 100 cards from the "Super Value Pack" that I bought at Wal-Mart. You can read about it here.



Here's the second half.


Let's start with 10 1991 Upper Deck cards.


Then there was some 1988 Topps.

Ok, there was a lot of 1988 Topps.

21 cards worth.


8 from 1994 Donruss.


Another one from 1993 Upper Deck SP. (That makes 11 total.)


2 from 1993 Upper Deck.

Now we move on to some older cards.


5 from 1983 Topps. I've already completed this set, but can always use upgrades.


A single 1982 Topps.


And finally, an oddly cut 1978 Topps Bill Lee.

My thoughts on the repack?

I probably won't buy another one. I like my repacks to be a bunch of different years and manufacturers, not stacks of 10 (or 21!) cards from the same set. There wasn't much variety in it because of that. Also, most of the groups of cards were almost sequential (in fact the 10 cards from 1991 Upper Deck were sequential).

It still was fun to open however.

They always are.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Not Just Any Old Repack...It's A Super Value Pack!

I went to Wal-Mart to get dog food and made a stop at the baseball card aisle....or I went to Wal-Mart to get baseball cards and made a stop at the dog food aisle...well it doesn't matter, what's important is that my dog gets to eat tonight and I get to open cards tonight.

I hadn't bought any cards there for a while, because I wasn't interested in anything they had to offer. There's still been a lot of football left there, but not a lot of baseball. So I've been going to Target and card shows lately.

Today however, there was a lot of new stuff. Not new issues, but a lot of discounted stuff. I did pick up some 2012 Bowman, which I'll write about in a later post, but I also saw this:


I don't remember ever seeing these kind of repacks before at Wal-Mart. I'm sure they were there at some point, but I just glossed over them. I know I have never bought one of these "Super Value Packs" before. It also says "Fantastic Value", "Collect Your Favorite Stars", and " Championship Collection" on the wrapper as well. The company that puts this out is MJ Holding Company, LLC.

Let's see how much of a "Championship Collection" this is. We'll start with the first 50 cards from the top of the pack.


First card in the pack....1986 Topps Steve Bedrosian. One of the few sets I have actually completed.

One of the differences from this kind of repack than others is that the cards from the same set are grouped together. After the Steve Bedrosian, there were 9 more '86 Topps cards after it.


Next up, 10 cards from 1992 Fleer Ultra.


Well this was completely....expected. 1989 Donruss. Believe it or not, I have not completed this set and just finished putting together my want list today. Let's see if any are here....


I did need this one. The other 8 I didn't need.


Also included were 10 1993 Topps Series 2, all Marlins and Rockies. I didn't need any of them.

 
 And we'll end the first half of this repack with 10 cards from 1993 Upper Deck SP.
 
So far I'm one card short, as I've only gotten 49 cards.
 
Next post...the remaining (51?) cards!



Airbrushed Awfulness: 1983 Topps Traded Neil Allen


I don't know which is more disturbing...the awfulness of this airbrush job, or the fact it took me over 25 years to realize that this wasn't his real uniform.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Minor League Want List

Here is the list of what I need for the various Minor League Baseball sets.
If you don't see something listed, I either don't have any or haven't figured out what I need yet.
This list will be updated constantly as I sort my collection. Thanks for checking!

Updated 06/19/2023

1991 Line Drive AAA

650 - 648, 645, 640, 639, 637, 634, 632, 630 - 627, 625, 622, 620 - 617, 615, 612 - 607, 605, 602, 599, 595, 591, 590, 587, 586, 582, 580, 577 - 573, 570, 566, 565, 561, 558 - 555, 550, 547, 545- 543, 541, 540, 537, 535 - 533, 531, 530, 527, 524 - 521, 519, 515, 513, 512, 508, 506, 504, 499, 491, 487, 481, 480, 477, 475, 462, 460, 457, 456, 449, 448, 445, 442, 439 - 437, 434, 433, 429 - 427, 425, 422, 421, 418, 415, 414, 411, 410, 408 - 405, 403, 400, 398 - 393, 390, 387, 385 - 382, 380, 377, 375, 372, 370, 366, 363 - 360, 357, 356, 353 - 351, 348, 346, 345, 341, 338, 337, 335, 331, 328 - 325, 323, 322, 319, 316, 311, 310, 308 - 305, 303, 298, 295, 292, 291, 288, 285, 282, 281, 278, 276, 274, 270, 268, 266, 265, 263, 261, 255 - 253, 251, 250, 245, 240, 238 - 236, 232, 231, 228 - 225, 223 - 221, 216, 213 - 211, 206, 203, 201, 199, 196, 194, 192, 190 - 187, 184, 182, 179, 176 - 174, 170, 169, 166, 164, 160, 159, 156, 153, 151, 147, 145, 142, 141, 139, 138, 135, 134, 132 - 130, 124, 121, 117, 114, 111, 110, 107, 104, 101, 100, 95, 91, 90, 87, 86, 83, 80, 79, 77, 75 - 73, 67, 61, 57, 51, 49, 43, 41, 40, 33, 32, 30, 28, 26, 20, 18 - 15, 12, 11, 8 - 6, 2

1992 Classic Draft Picks

Complete!

1992 Upper Deck Minors

325 - 323, 321, 320, 317 - 310, 304 - 298, 295 - 289, 286 - 283, 279 - 267, 265 - 259, 257 - 253, 249 - 246, 244 - 238, 234, 231 - 228, 226 - 220, 217 - 214, 210, 208 - 206, 201 - 183, 180, 176 - 165, 163, 161 - 158, 156, 154, 152 - 146, 143, 142, 140, 138, 137, 134 - 129, 127 - 124, 122, 121, 116 - 112, 110 - 107, 105, 103, 100 - 96, 94, 90 - 84, 82, 80 - 75, 73, 71 - 65, 63 - 47, 45 - 40, 37 - 35, 33 - 24, 21, 18, 14 - 7, 5 -2

1992 - 93 Fleer Excel

248, 247, 245 - 242, 239, 238, 234, 232, 229, 226, 225, 219, 217, 215, 212, 210, 209, 207, 201, 199 - 197, 193 - 191, 188, 174, 172, 171, 164, 160, 156, 154, 153, 151, 149, 148, 146, 142, 139 - 133, 130, 127, 126, 124, 122, 121, 119, 118, 115, 111, 108, 107, 104, 100 - 97, 95, 90 - 88, 86, 85, 82, 80, 75, 73, 70, 69, 67, 63, 61, 60, 58, 51, 50, 48, 46, 44, 42, 40, 35, 33 - 31, 28, 25, 21, 20, 18, 16, 14, 9, 6, 5, 3 - 1

1993 Classic Best

299 - 297, 294, 291, 284, 283, 276, 270, 266, 254, 245, 242, 239, 238, 236, 235, 227, 225, 220, 219, 208, 199, 197, 190, 189, 187, 181, 180, 178, 176 - 174, 170, 153, 145, 138, 123, 118, 116, 114, 112, 111, 99, 91, 84, 78, 77, 59, 51, 46, 44, 43, 39, 37, 32, 10, 7, 4, 2, 1

2008 Tristar Projections

401 - 385, 383 - 380, 378, 375, 374, 370, 368 - 358, 356, 355, 353 - 340, 338, 336 -334, 330 - 326, 324, 322, 321, 319 - 317, 314, 312 - 308, 306, 305, 303, 301, 299, 297, 296, 294, 292 - 289, 287 - 285, 282 - 276, 274, 272 - 261, 259, 257, 255, 254, 251 - 246, 244 - 236, 233 - 230, 228 - 224, 222 - 220, 218, 215, 211 - 206, 204 - 202, 195, 194, 183, 181, 178, 174, 173, 153, 141, 132, 125, 117, 114, 104, 103, 76, 73, 60, 59, 57, 53, 52, 45, 44, 40, 37, 31, 24, 22 - 19, 7

2022 Topps Heritage Minors 

199, 198, 196, 193 - 191, 188, 186, 179, 177, 176, 173, 172, 169, 168, 160, 158, 157, 155, 153, 148, 145, 138 - 135, 133, 132, 130, 129, 125, 115, 112, 110 - 108, 105, 103, 100, 92, 91, 88, 84, 82, 78, 72, 71, 69, 67 - 65, 60, 57, 50, 44, 42, 36 - 33, 30 - 28, 26, 25, 21 - 19, 16, 13, 10, 8, 4, 3



Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Weekend Card Show

For the first time since I started writing this blog, I actually attended a card show. It had been a few months since I had been to one, so I was quite anxious and looking forward to it.

One of the reason I was excited about this months show was that because I started blogging....

I NOW HAVE SOME LISTS!

You can't trade with other bloggers unless they know what you need. So over the past few months I've put together a few lists of cards that I need. Armed with this new information, I made my way to the show.

The show was about 20 minutes from my house, but when I got there it was typical of most shows that I had been to in the past few years.

The dealers outnumbered the customers.

I would have liked to see more people there, but it also meant there was no one else at the tables I was interested in.

I went from table to table looking for cards from my wantlists. I didn't buy any packs, boxes or supplies....just single cards. I was there for a good hour and only stopped when I reached my budget, and ended up with 148 cards.

So let's start with what I purchased the most of...2012 Gypsy Queen.


I knocked 56 cards of my want list at the first table I stopped at...and I got them for less than the price of two packs.


This next card would be what you youngsters call a "fail". Strangely enough, I saw very little 2013 Topps. I don't need very many cards fom this set and I was hoping to finish it off at the show. The only card I could find that was on my list was the Bryce Harper card that you see above.

There were two disturbing things about this card:

1.) It was the most expensive card I purchased that day.
2.) It was also a card I already had.

FAIL.

I also bought a lot of random Red Sox for sets that I am collecting. I don't have lists made for the majority of them, but I knew I didn't have these cards.


2011 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Garin Cecchini


2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Ryan Khoury


2007 Topps Heritage David Ortiz


2007 Bowman Heritage Curt Schilling
2007 Bowman Heritage J.D. Drew


2008 Upper Deck Piece of History David Ortiz


2010 Topps Jeremy Hermida


2003 Granstand Jorge De La Rosa


1980 O-Pee-Chee Dennis Eckersley. I got this because I don't have any of these and it was cheap. You can't tell from the front that it is the Canadian version, so I scanned the back as well.


I took 3 years of french in junior high and high school. About all I can say now in french is that I don't speak french.


1975 Topps Rick Burleson


1973 Topps Luis Tiant


...and the oldest card I got, a 1970 Topps Mike Andrews.


I also knocked 32 cards off of my 2012 Topps Series II wantlist.


Since I've been unintentionally collecting the 1984 Topps Purina set due to repacks, I picked up a Pedro Guerrero, Fred Lynn and Dan Quisenberry.


I also picked up 11 1981 Donruss. They were mostly Red Sox, as well as the future President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics.

Now the majority of the rest of these cards were found in....a dime box.

Yes, I have now experienced the wonders of the dime box.

I've been reading about these "dime boxes" for quite some time at Nick's outstanding blog "Dime Boxes - The Low End Baseball Card Collector's Journey". Now I didn't know if dime boxes were real, or if they were just regional but I was surprised to see several at this show. Who knows, they may have been there all the time.

One of the dealers even only charged you a dollar if you bought 20 cards from one his dime boxes. So I guess I also found the elusive "nickel box".

This guy though, had a lot of miscut cards. Way too many in my opinion. I even checked a perfectly centered one with a miscut one while he wasn't looking just in case they were trimmed instead of miscut. The reason I did that was because when I purchased my Collector's Cache Box a few weeks ago, I found a decent amount of miscut cards in it. I checked the "miscut" 1977 Ross Grimsley that I got from that box about a week ago, and found out it was actually trimmed, not miscut. You can read the posts here, here and here.

However, the two cards from his dime box lined up, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. I ended up buying a bunch of his non-miscut cards from his "nickel box".

(The scans do however make some of the cards look miscut.)


I picked out 4 1979 Topps.


19 cards from my favorite set, 1978 Topps.


5 from 1977 Topps...


....and 5 from 1976 Topps.

So there you have it...148 cards. I didn't even make it to all of the tables because I had already spent my budget.

So how much did it cost for all of this?

18 bucks.

Thanks, Nick. I am now an official dime box convert.