It's amazing most guys never sniff a championship and Iguchi manages to get two rings in four seasons in the MLB...for two different teams, no less.
Friday, September 6, 2013
2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #231
It's amazing most guys never sniff a championship and Iguchi manages to get two rings in four seasons in the MLB...for two different teams, no less.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
5 Boxes of 2013 A&G: The Hits
I will be very interested to see where Topps takes the relic/auto design next year. From 2006-2012, each year had it's own unique border design that was found on all relics/autos from that year. This year, Topps went crazy with two relic frames, full-size relics, and auto frames.
First, here are the 5 full-size relics I pulled:
The design is ok. The swatches are bigger than the framed relics, but I still would have preferred them to be bigger. Something closer to this:
If Topps is going to reduce the number of framed relics, they need to make the regular relics stand apart from other sets. The full-size relics seem like a step toward combining A&G and Gypsy Queen, which doesn't really make me happy.
Anyway...moving on. Here are some of the relics with the first frame design:
I think these are the best looking frames by themselves, but when you add the card in there, the colors don't work for me. The Fielder bat was a nice surprise, since I hadn't noticed his name on the checklist.
Here are the relics I got in the second frame design:
A Gordon relic to go with the NNO mini and a Dufner relic to go with the red back mini.
I love the orange swatch. I'm a little disappointed by the Hudson since I already got it in a blaster. I knew that would end up happening, though. This frame design matches the cards a little better, but the design is too harsh and rigid. I took the design of the first frame and modified the color to something closer to the second, and I was pretty happy with the outcome:
That would have been nicer than both of the designs, in my opinion.
Finally, we get to the autos. My biggest hit fell in my Gint-A-Cuffs box in the form of a Mike McCarthy auto. I did still manage two more autos from my other 5 boxes. Unfortunately, they weren't the greatest.
Two less-than-stellar players with less-than stellar signatures. At least they're young and have some potential. As far as the auto frame design, it's just too washed out. Where's the pop, Topps?
Well, that does it for my A&G break. Hopefully I'll be able to afford this again next year.
First, here are the 5 full-size relics I pulled:
The design is ok. The swatches are bigger than the framed relics, but I still would have preferred them to be bigger. Something closer to this:
If Topps is going to reduce the number of framed relics, they need to make the regular relics stand apart from other sets. The full-size relics seem like a step toward combining A&G and Gypsy Queen, which doesn't really make me happy.
Anyway...moving on. Here are some of the relics with the first frame design:
I think these are the best looking frames by themselves, but when you add the card in there, the colors don't work for me. The Fielder bat was a nice surprise, since I hadn't noticed his name on the checklist.
Here are the relics I got in the second frame design:
A Gordon relic to go with the NNO mini and a Dufner relic to go with the red back mini.
I love the orange swatch. I'm a little disappointed by the Hudson since I already got it in a blaster. I knew that would end up happening, though. This frame design matches the cards a little better, but the design is too harsh and rigid. I took the design of the first frame and modified the color to something closer to the second, and I was pretty happy with the outcome:
That would have been nicer than both of the designs, in my opinion.
Finally, we get to the autos. My biggest hit fell in my Gint-A-Cuffs box in the form of a Mike McCarthy auto. I did still manage two more autos from my other 5 boxes. Unfortunately, they weren't the greatest.
Two less-than-stellar players with less-than stellar signatures. At least they're young and have some potential. As far as the auto frame design, it's just too washed out. Where's the pop, Topps?
Well, that does it for my A&G break. Hopefully I'll be able to afford this again next year.
2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #230
6 seasons with the Pirates followed by 8 seasons with the Cubs. Ouch.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
5 Boxes of 2013 A&G: Mini Parallels
Time for some non-insert minis! You know, there's a couple different kinds:
Mini
Mini SP
Mini A&G Back
Mini A&G Back SP
Mini Black Border
Mini Black Border SP
Mini No Number /50
Mini Red Bats Back Hand #'ed /25
In all my A&G purchases, I did get at least one of each of those. My Black Border SPs came in my retail purchase and my Gint-A-Cuffs box, so I won't be showing them here. Also, I forgot to scan the back of the No Number and the Red Back, because I'm dumb. While I scanned them both twice, I failed to turn them over, because, like I said, I'm dumb. Anyway, here are some base minis:
I got 2 SP minis in each box:
I also got a bunch of A&G back minis. I would actually like if A&G got rid of the regular minis and just had an A&G back set. It's a parallel of the base set, so we really don't need teeny tiny words.
One of my A&G backs was an SP:
I got 13 black border minis. 5 of them were of Cincinnati Reds. Crazy.
So, that brings us to the no-number mini which is limited to 50, even though they don't bother with numbering it.
Decent player, so no complaints here. I did notice a lot of Royals as I was opening the boxes.
Now for the Red Back #/25...and it's hand-numbered...
Newly crowned PGA Champion Jason Dufner. The only downside is that he has two cards in the set, so there are really 50 of them. That's how you end up with these two auctions: #20/25 and #20/25.
Still, it's a nice card to get, and the timing couldn't be much better. I enjoyed seeing this card as I was sorting my boxes while watching him win the PGA. It's sure as hell better than the Greg Gumbel red back I got last year.
Mini
Mini SP
Mini A&G Back
Mini A&G Back SP
Mini Black Border
Mini Black Border SP
Mini No Number /50
Mini Red Bats Back Hand #'ed /25
In all my A&G purchases, I did get at least one of each of those. My Black Border SPs came in my retail purchase and my Gint-A-Cuffs box, so I won't be showing them here. Also, I forgot to scan the back of the No Number and the Red Back, because I'm dumb. While I scanned them both twice, I failed to turn them over, because, like I said, I'm dumb. Anyway, here are some base minis:
 |
| A mini BJ is better than no BJ at all. |
I also got a bunch of A&G back minis. I would actually like if A&G got rid of the regular minis and just had an A&G back set. It's a parallel of the base set, so we really don't need teeny tiny words.
One of my A&G backs was an SP:
I got 13 black border minis. 5 of them were of Cincinnati Reds. Crazy.
So, that brings us to the no-number mini which is limited to 50, even though they don't bother with numbering it.
Decent player, so no complaints here. I did notice a lot of Royals as I was opening the boxes.
Now for the Red Back #/25...and it's hand-numbered...
Still, it's a nice card to get, and the timing couldn't be much better. I enjoyed seeing this card as I was sorting my boxes while watching him win the PGA. It's sure as hell better than the Greg Gumbel red back I got last year.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
5 Boxes of 2013 A&G: Mini Inserts
It's just weird that it's September and I'm posting A&G.
I split all the minis into two posts: inserts and parallels. Like the full-size inserts, there are several mini inserts to be had. It seems like the insertion of them was a little more random this year, with some sets showing up in some boxes, but not in others. I actually like that. It adds some variety to things.
I'm not collecting any of these sets, so I don't really have strong feelings either way. I think most of them are pretty cool.
The First Americans and Famous Finds may be my favorites...though that may just be because I didn't get many.
I did manage to get two surprises. I got one each of the unannounced mini inserts: People on Bicycles and All in a Day's Work:
I find it funny that I got a tricycle for the People on "Bicycles". It's also funny that I got a kid on a bicycle on the other card. I think both of these are pretty nice. The People on Bicycles really seems like it could have been an original A&G card set.
I split all the minis into two posts: inserts and parallels. Like the full-size inserts, there are several mini inserts to be had. It seems like the insertion of them was a little more random this year, with some sets showing up in some boxes, but not in others. I actually like that. It adds some variety to things.
I'm not collecting any of these sets, so I don't really have strong feelings either way. I think most of them are pretty cool.
The First Americans and Famous Finds may be my favorites...though that may just be because I didn't get many.
I did manage to get two surprises. I got one each of the unannounced mini inserts: People on Bicycles and All in a Day's Work:
I find it funny that I got a tricycle for the People on "Bicycles". It's also funny that I got a kid on a bicycle on the other card. I think both of these are pretty nice. The People on Bicycles really seems like it could have been an original A&G card set.
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