2016 Topps Archives Update

Just thought I'd do a quick post and show off the cards that JediJeff from 2X3 Heroes sent to help me out with 2016 Archives. You can see what else I need here. I've got plenty of dupes myself so if you want to work out a trade, that's great!

Decision 2016

Is anybody else out there doing this set? I've bought a blaster and a bunch of packs but now I keep getting the same cards over and over again. This means I've got plenty of dupes and I'd like to finish it as soon as possible because I'm sure I won't see this again after the election is over. Comment on this post with your email (if I don't already have it) and we can trade wantlists. Thanks!

2016 Allen & Ginter

My wantlist for this set is up. You can see it here. Any help would be appreciated!

Return Of The Card Show

Card shows take the summer off in my area, so even though I am not a fan of the month of September, it does mean I can spend at least one Sunday a month at a card show. With my new job (actually I've been there a year now already) paying me significantly more than my previous job, it's allowed me to buy hobby boxes rather than the occasional blaster at WalMart or Target. Consequently, I've spent quite a bit more on cards this year.

Usually I will wait until repacks or discounted boxes to try to put together the Bowman set, but this year I've bought two hobby boxes and a few blasters...and still need a pretty fair amount to complete the base set, Bowman Prospects and Bowman Chrome Prospects. The first table I stopped at had plenty of each.

I ended up with three cards I needed from the base set, six from the Bowman Prospects set and twenty-six from the Bowman Chrome Prospects set.

I'm also working on the Allen & Ginter set, although I've yet to make a list. Unlike the Archives set of this year, the SP's are much easier to find, so this is actually going to be a first as I will consider the SPs as part of the set. I found a couple at this table that I was unsure if I had them or not, so I picked them up as well.

(Turns out the Gomes I already had, the D'Arnaud I didn't.)

I also picked up a couple of Red Sox Prospects. I spent three dollars total at this table.

The next table I went to had three of the Bowman cards I needed. It was seventy cents for the three (the Seager was fifty and the other two were ten cents apiece). I picked up three other cards from a dime box to send out in future trade packages to make it an even dollar. This also finished off the Bowman base set plus the Prospects set. You can find out what Chrome Prospects cards that I need here. If you've got them, I've probably got something you need in return.

The next table I went to was the dealer that I usually get all of the cool oddball cards from. He had a lot of movie and television show cards this time around and I wasn't really interested in what he had on his table. 

That was until I saw the stack of 1977 Hostess cards in top loaders. 

I asked how much, and he said a dollar each. It was more than I really wanted to pay, but they were players like George Brett and Robin Yount and they were all in good condition. He then brought out a bunch more that were loose and featured players like Rick Waits and Roger Metzger. These he told me were twenty-five cents each. So from the twenty-five cent stack I selected these:

He had about twenty or so in the dollar pile and I picked out ten of them.

All told, I spent fifteen dollars at this table on Hostess cards.

Next I stopped at my last table of the day. This dealer had some monster boxes filled with just Red Sox cards at ten cents each. The ranged from the early 1980's to 1991 and were in order by year and by brand. I flipped through them quickly and after the 1991 Topps cards were these beauties:

I think this is all of the Red Sox from the Desert Shield set that was supposed to be sent to troops in Saudia Arabia, but from what I understand a lot of cards didn't make it there.

From the same table I also picked up the 1985 Donruss Season Higlights, the 1987 Donruss Highlights and the 1990 Donruss Rookies sets. These three sets plus the Desert Shield cards cost me three dollars total.

But what's coming up was my biggest find of the day.

I'm still at the same table, but now I'm looking at the bins that are on the floor. There are four or five of them filled with mostly stuff you don't want (like boxes of Harry & The Hendersons). Everything was five dollars each. In the last bin I found what was (to me) the reason I go to card shows.

A complete set of 1982 Topps Baseball stickers!

A complete set of 1982 Topps Football stickers!

I have both of these sticker books and have been trying to complete them since 1982. 

But it gets better.  I was told by the dealer at the table that he would also do three for ten.

Sooooo....

I picked up another set of the 1982 Topps stickers. Which means if you are trying to complete this set yourself, I've got what you need. 

I Buy Stuff Like This So You Don't Have To (Chapter 2)

Strolling down the card aisle at WalMart I spotted this:

You've probably seen these...they boast 1 autograph card, 1 memorabilia card, 1 fat pack and 2 other packs for $14.99. Yes I know, this has "rip-off" written all over it. Let's see how bad the damage is.

First the fat pack:

Not only a fat pack...but a discounted fat pack...and from a set I've already finished. 2015 Topps is starting to become like 1989 Topps. It's everywhere.

Since I've already finished this set there wasn't anything that I needed. Even a few of the inserts were dupes.

Here's pack #1.

2016 Babe Ruth Collection...which is a set very similar to the Pete Rose one from a few years ago. And...another set that I've finished. I was disappointed in this set because I found it to be overpriced and simply blah. If you've never seen it here are scans of the front and back of one card.

Pack #2

2010 Topps Chrome.

Maybe eventually these packs will bend into the shape of a c for "chrome".

So the packs were duds too. All we have left to redeem this sorry experience is the memorabilia and autograph cards. Let's look at the memorabilia card first.

2007 Topps Turkey Red Nefi Perez bat card. He tested positive three times for drugs and was out of baseball at the end of 2007.

Just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

Now the autograph.

2006 Topps Co-Signers Anthony Lerew. Although he hasn't officially retired, he last played in the majors with the Kansas City Royals in 2010. His lifetime stats include a won/loss record of 1 - 7 with an ERA of 7.48.

Ugh.