My Cardboard Mistress

Well, that sucks.

2012-02-28T06:50:00.000-05:00

Scott Sizemore tore his ACL in the first full-squad workout at spring training. He's out for the entire 2012 season. See the story on ESPN.

I feel really bad for Scott because he has already overcome a devastating broken ankle early in his career. He battled back from that to become an everyday player for the Tigers. Then, the Tigers bailed on him after less than a season and practically gave him away to the A's. He played well for the A's last year and was poised for an excellent season this year as their starting 3B. I hope he can recover well and not lose too much ground on where he's gotten to.

Having grown up with Scott and played baseball and volleyball with him and against him, I can tell you he is a very driven guy. He's a tremendous athlete and has a ton of character, so I know he will come back strong.

From a card standpoint, it'll be interesting to see what happens. His cards had been on a steady climb this offseason with his strong performance to end 2011 and his potential for this season. I would expect the competition for his cards to be considerably lower and will probably be a good time for me to improve and round out my collection.

I know I've said this several times before, but it's still really odd to see him on a baseball card. Awesome, but strange.

Half a fortnight after the fortnight of 2012 Topps

2012-02-26T17:01:00.001-05:00

It's been a week since I wrapped up my "fortnight" posts, so I should show off some more 2012 Topps. I picked up a rack pack and a retail pack this week. The retail pack would make a Braves fan proud, or jealous, really.

I can't imagine that Hudson hanging around too long. It's one of the more popular photos from the set and this one is the Target red parallel, that just looks absolutely sick on a braves card. These were definitely a cool pair of cards to pull from a pack I just tossed in the shopping cart.

As for the rack pack, the Yankees really dominated the show:

Really, 4 Yankees inserts? That's nuts. Of course, not all of the cards were Yankees.

That Howard is awesome. I'm sure it will end up in Dawgbones' pile, if he wants it.

I might have to grab a jumbo at the LCS to cap off my Series 1 experience.

One card in the rack pack did make me laugh:

My guess is that he was in the on-deck circle, and the coach called him back to the bench and sent in a pinch hitter. That's the only reason I can think of that the fans would be excited to see him.

eBay purchases for February

2012-02-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

I've picked up a number of cheap items this month, and utilized combined shipping to the maximum.

The first pickup began with a card that I had to buy. I'm not going to show you what it is, because I'm saving it for another post. But, since I knew I was getting it, no matter what, I figured it would be a great time to check out some combined options. I went nuts with this one seller and picked up the following:

He charged $3 for shipping, with no additional charge for multiple auctions. That's an awesome deal. All of these cards were under $2 (most were $0.99). I also won a Joe Mauer 2009 A&G relic ($1.79 before shipping) but the buyer was unable to find it. He refunded the price of the Mauer AND the total shipping cost. I was amazed. I'm a big fan of good customer service, and this seller is excellent. He apologized multiple times for the mixup, even before I realized the Mauer wasn't there. Check out this seller's stuff.

Another card I picked recently was this Jimmy Williams auto for $1.99 shipped.

I also got this Ernest Wilford auto for $1.26 shipped:

The final Hokie auto I grabbed was this awesome Kevin Jones Bowman Chrome:

I've already got a KJ auto, but I couldn't pass this up for $3.25 shipped.

I also made some great additions to my Scott Sizemore PC:

Black #14/50, Silver #1/25

You gotta love that the silver is #1/25.

2010 Topps Chrome Scott Sizemore RC Gold Refractor #25/50

I really need to pick up the Blue and Purple refractors now, since I have also the base, refractor, xfractor, and orange refractor.

I got all of these cards for less than a blaster. Granted, I had some shipping refunded on one of the orders, but still a damn good deal.

2009 Fathead Tradeables

2012-02-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

Ran across some of these at Big Lots recently. I need to go back and get some more, because these are awesome. I know Dawgbones has opened a few of these. He sent me the BJ Upton one once upon a time. Really $2.50 is an incredible price since it comes with 5 (4 player, 1 Team) vinyl fatheads that are like 5"x7". If you've never seen these, you're really missing out. They are much better than just stickers. Fatheads can be moved and restuck easily. I have a huge VT helmet Fathead in my VT room.

The players are cut from the background, so you only get the player when you stick it somewhere. The team logo on each one is also cut, so you can peel and stick it somewhere too.

Each pack has one full-size team logo, and I got the Royals:

All of these are for trade, just let me know.

My all-time favorite puzzle.

2012-02-23T17:01:00.001-05:00

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Nordevco

I've done this puzzle a thousand times, probably. It's 500 pieces (18"x24"), so it doesn't take too long, but is good for an afternoon. The cool thing is that it came with a key to what it shows:

I picked this puzzle up from a Bits and Pieces catalog a long time ago along with another baseball memorabilia puzzle, which I'll show some other time. You can still find this puzzle on the internet (on eBay and such), but typically not unopened. Bits and Pieces does have another awesome baseball puzzle available right now, though.

I haven't looked up much of this stuff on eBay, but I know you can find several copies of the 1934 Goudey Jim "Rip" Collins card (No. 15 in the puzzle).

Hopefully I'll one day have a card collecting room that in which I can frame and hang this puzzle. Until then, I'll just enjoy putting it together every few months.

Another picture for which I have no post.

2012-02-23T12:01:00.000-05:00

This was an early candidate for a new banner, but I don't particularly want her at the top of my blog.

Lego Minifigures Series 6

2012-02-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

This checklist didn't blow me away, but my favorites are the Alien, Statue of Liberty, Robot, and Leprechaun.

I actually came across Lego's Minifigure Bio site. According to that, I ended up with Sleepyhead:

'“Just five more minutes…”

Ya-a-a-awn! Is it really time to get up already? The Sleepyhead isn’t quite ready to face the morning yet. He was just having a totally awesome dream about adventuring in a magical world full of colorful knights with swords that shoot lightning…or was it the one about the time machine powered by historical hats?

Who can rise and shine when bed is so comfy and you’ve got your favorite teddy bear by your side? Don’t worry; the Sleepyhead will be up in a minute. Maybe he’ll just close his eyes and grab a quick nap first, though. After all, you can’t get through the day without plenty of rest! Zzzzz…'

I love that the bear looks just like Rupert:

Good night!

Lego Minifigures Series 5...again.

2012-02-21T17:01:00.000-05:00

After picking up one minifigure from Series 5, I couldn't find any anywhere. I was able to trade the Gladiator for the Boxer, so that made me happy. Still, I wanted more. While visiting my parents, I hit the Wal-Mart near their house and ended up finding some. I grabbed a Series 5 pack and a Series 6 pack (I'll save it for another post).

This time, I got the small clown:

He's got stubby legs that don't move. One of the more interesting ones from the series, at least.

I don't have a post for this.

2012-02-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

Alex Sith. Proof that not every joke turns out the way you want it.

These are some sweet unis.

2012-02-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

I don't follow VT baseball much, but I did see this picture on the school newspaper site:

Those are some awesome uniforms. I totally want a pair of those stirrups.

Dang, Dawgbones moves fast.

2012-02-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

So, a few weeks ago, I met Richard (aka Dawgbones) at our LCS, since I had some cards from a group break and a trade for him. He's the first blogger I've met in person.

Apparently I left an impression, because he presented me with a beautiful Diamond.

Now, Richard, I know I am awesome, but cards are my mistress. I can't just have my mistress adorning me with pretty things like that. My wife might get jealous and expect me to buy her some diamonds, and Spankee don't gots no money.

So, my answer is no, I will not blogomarry you. I am keeping the damn diamond though.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 14

2012-02-19T12:01:00.001-05:00

Hooray, we're finally there!

Today, I just want to recap the last 13 posts.

Day 1: My wife surprised me with a bunch of cards shortly after the release. I opened a hanger pack, a rack pack, and a handful of retail packs. They're still the only packs I have opened to this point. I wanted to stay away from new packs until the fortnight was over, to see if I still want to buy.

Day 2: Vertical cards. The photography has been a hot topic for this year, but I'm not sure why. I thought the photography was pretty good on average, with many unique shots. I do think Topps zooms in a bit too much on some action shots.

Day 3: Horizontal cards. More interesting photos, including the World Series subset. gotta love the seagulls.

Day 4: The store parallels. Red for Target, Blue for Wal-Mart and Purple(?) for Toys-R-Us. I just don't get it. I don't need to be reminded of where the card came from. I'd much rather have team color parallels, but I don't see that happening. That said, I certainly won't avoid collecting the parallels for my PC players.

Day 5: The Gold Parallels. I'm a fan.

Day 6: Gold Standard. It's the first insert set I highlighted, and the first one that looks Panini'ed. I like the foil medallion, but the cards are a little underwhelming.

Day 7: Golden Moments. I'm a fan of "Moments" cards. They put you in the game situations, which is always good. The design is Panini'ed, but not as bad as some. I tweaked it a little and thought it made it a little better, but the set isn't too bad.

Day 8: Golden Greats. C'mon Topps, you were almost there on this one. Get rid of the fade and make the medallion foil. That makes it a flagship-set-worthy insert.

Day 9: Golden Futures. I like them, though It's the "Golden" insert set with the least Gold, ironically.

Day 10: Timeless Talents. Boring and repetitive and boring and repetitive.

Day 11: Classic Walk-Offs. Ugh. Based on the comments, most people seem to agree that this insert was the biggest failure. The auto-patch variation is fantastic, but at 10 copies apiece, that doesn't fully justify the design.

Day 12: '87 Minis. Follow the worst insert set with the best. I'm a fan of these because the cards backs just felt right. They'll make good trade bait.

Day 13: Golden Giveaway. Topps is showing that the momentum of the Million Card Giveaway and the Diamond Giveaway can, in fact, die a slow death. There are far fewer real cards that can be redeemed, making most code cards just a dummy card.

Day 14: Hey, that's today.

My thoughts on the set as a whole:
I'm a low-budget collector, so I likely won't get to appreciate the auto/relic/patch/etc. designs in person. There are some great higher-end cards in the flagship set, but that isn't what it should be all about. The pin cards look great, as do the rings, and I like the blaster patches that I've seen.

The set doesn't blow me away, but I rarely expect the flagship set to do so. My PC players don't have a ton of cards in the set and insert sets, so I won't be buying a ton trying to find many. This set will still be like any other flagship set for me, though. I will continue to put retail packs and rack packs in my cart from time to time, to quench the thirst of opening packs.

I hope you enjoyed this fortnight of 2012 Topps. I may have to do the same with some other sets.

I do have one request. I desperately want 2 cards from 2012 Topps that I don't have yet. #'s 3 and 139. The first is for my Topps #3 collection. The second is the Scott Sizemore card. While I'm on Scott Sizemore, I also need his 2011 Topps Update card #111. I don't think 3 base cards is unreasonable. I have 2012 Topps to trade.

As for other happenings during this fortnight,
I surpassed 100 followers, 450 posts, 1,000 comments, and 50,000 pageviews. You guys left 26 comments on the first 11 posts, which I greatly appreciate. I'm currently on pace to surpass my record for most posts in one month. I owe my motivation to all of you who read this.

The purpose I have always had for this blog is for it to be a welcome diversion for both myself and anyone else who may need or want it. Right now, I need it more than ever. I have high hopes for the rest of this year, and plan to continue having "series" posts like this fortnight, the super bowl countdown, and the Christmas posts.

Thanks for reading!

Cards from Beardy...wait...what!?

2012-02-18T17:01:00.002-05:00

The whole Beardy situation was crazy. I was originally just going to explain the whole story in my typical inaniloquent prose. Instead, my good friend Will Smith urged me to rap about it.

Now this is a story all about how
A trade got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there
And tell you how these cards took so long to get here.

In west Blogadelphia, born and raised
In the card aisle is where I spent most of my days
Cardin out, maxin, relaxing all cool,
And all buying Bowman baseball like a crazy-ass fool,

When one bearded guy who was up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood.
I got in one lil fight and my mistress got scared
And said "You shouldn't ever trade with the facially haired"

I Begged and pleaded with him day after day,
But he never packed my cards and sent them on their way
He gave me a dis and he shoulda gotten a ticket
I wanted those cards but now I'd show him where to stick it

First class mail yo this is bad
It isn't that hard, it's getting kinda sad
Is this what the people with face hair are living like?
Hmm, I hope he's allright

But wait is he prissy, bourgeois and all that?
People say when he's trading he's a hell of a cool cat
I don't think so, but we'll see if it gets here
I sure am prepared for a package to tear.

Well, uh, the dust settled and when I looked out
There was another cardless dude that was calling his name out
I aint trying for for any drama, hell, I just got here
I guess some crap happened and he just dissappeared.

I waited for a while, almost a year,
But then an email said "Beardy" and he was sincere,
If anything I can say this trade was rare,
But I thought naw forget it, it happens, be fair.

Mailman pulled up to the house in the middle of the day
And I ran to mailbox to end the delay.
I looked at my cards, they were finally there
Redemption for the man with the face full of hair.

That Generation Now #1 Refractor (#/500) goes great with my Chrome and White Refractor versions.

Awesome Black Diamond Wrapper Redemption cards. The Zim with the W hat is sweet.

I told you my Verlander collection is really taking off.

Finally, the pinnacle of the trade. A 2010 Topps Finest Gold Refractor #23/50 of David Wright. What a badass card.

The moral of this story is that shit happens. Sometimes, we have to drop everything to do what is right. Sometimes, we're given the opportunity to go back and make right on the little things we had to leave behind. As far as I'm concerned, this package was a happy ending to an unfortunate situation.

Thanks for the trade, Beardy, the cards are truly awesome!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 13

2012-02-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, lucky number 13. A number fraught with bad luck. Today is no different.

I did plan this out well and was able to save this post until the Golden Giveaway went live. So, I entered my code, and had this wonderful item bestowed upon me:

I'm going to display it with my favorite Jim Palmer picture:

Thanks, Topps. I'd been looking for a way to creepify this picture a little more.

Clear Cut Cards Come to My Mailbox

2012-02-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

It's always greatly appreciated when someone contacts me with a card they have for me. Jason of Clear Cut Cards did that recently, offering a 2008 Topps Highlights Relic of David Wright. We struck a deal to swap some duplicate David Wrights, and before I knew it, I had my new cards in hand.

That Cuddyer is one of the better National Chicle pictures I've seen.

I already had the bat version of this card, so I'm stoked to have the jersey version. Thanks for the trade, Jason!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 12

2012-02-17T12:01:00.000-05:00

Time for another analogy:

Classic Walk-Offs Insert : Bad : : '87 Minis Set : Good

My opinion on the entire insert collection in 2012 Topps is that they really saved their asses with this mini set. The others have some collectability to them, but this is the only set that seems fun to me. I might even say Topps could milk this one by having '88 minis next year, and continuing that trend.

When I first saw that Topps was producing this set, I was scared. With Lineage, I was excited, at first, when I saw the '75 Minis. I then wanted to vomit when I turned one over and saw that ugly-ass Lineage back.

When I first held one of these '87 Minis, it just felt right. I turned it over and saw the glorious back.

My only complaint would be that many of the team logos should be a little bigger (the Cubs logo should have no white space, since it is round). Outside of that, I think these are a big win for Topps, and I think they will be collected by many. I only want the David Wright one.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 11

2012-02-16T12:01:00.001-05:00

Home stretch, people. We're almost there.

What.

The.

F?

At least have the pictures in color. But really, this design is so terrible. This is easily the worst insert set as far as I'm concerned. The idea for a walk-off set is excellent and deserved way better execution than it got.

The card design looks like it is a crazily miscut piece of some way bigger picture. Too many diagonal lines for the sake of diagonal lines. What's with that big space to the right of the team logo. Why not have the 5 stripes there, too?

ArgGGGGaHHHgaAAHHHAHAHGAGGAHHAHA!!!!

Look, I've overcriticized many parts of 2012 Topps. Despite my suggestions for improvement on many of the inserts, I don't hate them. I just think they could have done a little better. This insert set? Nope. Hate it. Completely.

I played around with some other modifications to the card design to try to improve it, but I just gave up. There is no saving this one with my photoshopping skills. It needs a complete makeover.

"I'm gonna fix that last joke by taking out all the words and adding new ones."
-Mitch Hedberg

The smoothest trade ever.

2012-02-15T17:01:00.001-05:00

I recently completed a very easy trade. While reading through responses on one of Nachos Grande's posts about his group break, I saw some people saying they were Red Sox fans, but didn't have the money to shell out for a group break at the time. I hadn't traded Red Sox away in a while, so I clicked some names and was taken to some blogs. I came across Matt at DocHoloday, and saw some trade bait he had recently acquired. The timing was too perfect, as he had some great cards I wanted.

I left him a comment.
He sent me an email with an offer of cards for me.
I sent him an email with my offer of cards for him.
He sent me his address.
I sent him my address.

That's as smooth as it gets, baby. What a great transaction. He posted the cards I sent him. Now I'm posting the cards he sent me. First, he sent some set needs:

I love me some Gold Die Cuts.

He also hit up several of my PC players:

A nice manupatch:

Last but not least, another sweet Verlander pickup:

Hmm...Destination Stardom...can't disagree with the accuracy on that one.

Thanks, again, Matt, for the great easy trade!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 10

2012-02-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

Edgar Martinez : David Ortiz : : Stan Musial : Lance Berkman?

a) True.
b) False.
c) WTF?
d) b and c.

A2 Brute?

2012-02-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, coming up with the title of this post was tough enough. I have no witty remark to follow it with. These cards are from A2Wolverine of No Relics Pulled. Many moons ago, I sent him some cards.

He responded in a big way:

Awesome! My Verlander collection has been growing steadily even though his value has been going up. The Wright looks great with my Piedmont Blue Frame from the same set. I've also got the Brown (/75) version of the Sizemore, so this looks great with that.

Thanks for the awesome package, Dustin!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 9

2012-02-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

Previously, I've shown the Topps Panini inserts. Today I'm showing the Topps Upper Deck inserts:

I have very little problem with this insert set. Having a futures insert set makes some sense. I don't mind the design. I'm a fan of the black borders for an insert and team colors are always good. I think the back of the card is pretty underwhelming. I'd love to see a futures card that truly makes the case for the future. Show me his career stats and his projected stats for a 15-year career. Then, show me a player that those stats compare to.

I get the comparison to UD, but there would be one major difference if this was UD:

You can bet the team logo, the player number, the player position and the company logo would all be foil. Of course if it were post-2009 UD, it would look more like this:

It's ironic that people are complaining that Topps has a monopoly. They did their best to include multiple brands in their product.

2 Years Ago...

2012-02-13T16:52:00.001-05:00

...at 4:52 PM on February 13, 2010, we were pronounced "Man and Wife".

You can't have a cardboard mistress without first having a wife!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 8

2012-02-13T12:01:00.002-05:00

Again with the fade, Topps? Really? As far as fades go, on a scale of The Situation to Kenny "Sky" Walker,

Th Golden Greats fade has a badassness of 2.5/10.

Walker damn sure woulda made that medallion bling a little, too.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 7

2012-02-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

I figured I would lead with the picture this time. Let me highlight all of the things wrong with this card design:

I decided to do a quick mockup of an improved Golden Moments card:

First, get rid of that stupid fade. Then, move the home plate logo the middle of the space. Make the player picture a little larger. Get rid of the team name...you've highlighted the logo well enough. Make the tagline a little more prominent, after all, that's what the set is about. Center and enlarge the Golden Moments label on the end. It's ok to have a placeholder for a swatch, as long as you show some kind of concern for the card design when the swatch isn't there.

Some of you may be asking where the auto would go. It wouldn't. You don't have to have this be an auto set. I prefer the "moments" sets to be "moments" sets and the auto sets to be auto sets.

As far as the back of the cards...I'm not a big fan of them using "Granderson" first, then all of a sudden switching to "Curtis" at the end. Also, it's pronounced "ribbie", but still spelled RBI. You're not cool because you said ribbie.

That's half a fortnight down, folks.

Crinkly Cards and a Lego Boxer!

2012-02-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

Ted of the great blog, Crinkly Wrappers, struck a deal with me for a Lego Minifigure I posted recently. We traded minifigures, and also traded some cards. I'll show the cards first:

First, some Crinkly Uptons, of the BJ and Justin variety

Some Crinkly VT alumni:

And some Crinkly set needs:

Of course, you came here to see the Crinkly Lego man:

Badass. That's the one I wanted the most from the set. Thanks, Ted!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 6

2012-02-11T12:01:00.001-05:00

Sometime I really wonder how Topps goes about designing an insert set. For the Gold Standard subset, I'm pretty sure Topps called Panini and said, "Hey, we have this foil medallion stampy thingy and we need to turn it into an insert set."

Panini replied with, "Stamp the card, throw a background-free picture of someone on it, use a powerpoint background texture, leave a big blank spot for autographs and relics and whatever you do, don't call it 'Gold Standard' since we've already done a couple sets of that name."

Topps said, "Panini, you ignorant ass, we are Topps the Innovator of all things cards, so we will not stoop to your level. We will have backgrounds, but we will fade them into grayscale beyond recognition. We will not have a blank spot. No, we will instead have words that are so faded and opaque there is a pseudo-blank spot for autographs and relics. And...as a big ole 'SCREW YOU', we will call it Gold Standard."

Panini furiously responded with, "Dammit, we'd be pissed at you, but we can't tell your cards apart from ours to be able to form a proper argument. Harumph!."

And so ended the Gold War.

Why have a card of Ty Cobb in the 3,000 hit club when he set the...whaddaya callit...the Gold Standard...for hitting by being the first in the 4,000 hit club. I don't get it.

Huge Trade Part 2: The Allen and Ginter

2012-02-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here the second and final part of my trade post of cards from Steve (aka apba66and0). He sent me a ton of Allen and Ginter from several years, starting with 2007:

Then, we moved on to 2008:

Hickok, Dickens, and Spitz...there's a joke there, but I'm too lazy to think of it. Billy Mitchell agrees.

You have no idea how excited I was to get these retail checklists. They look great in the binder.

We skipped 2009 because I was good to go there, and that brought us to 2010:

More Retail Checklists!!! Yes!!!

Finally, we reached 2011:

Again, these are only a sampling of all the cards Steve sent my way. After all those A&G cards, I'm less than 60 cards away from completing 2008-2011 A&G. Last year, I bought a 2006 set w/ the Dick Perez sketch set, so I only need the 2007 set to be completely up to date on A&G. I plan on showing off the 2006 set soon in some recurring posts.

Thanks, again, Steve!!!

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 5

2012-02-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm guessing Topps felt pretty good about the sparkly Diamond Anniversary cards from 2011, and rightfully so. They were a breath of fresh air to the stagnant Topps Gold parallel. The Cognac, or Liquorfractor, versions were a little less fantastic, but still interesting. This year's progressions seems to be spot on. Topps completely bombarded us with the gold theme, but I think this year's gold parallels work well:

The name plates are a little squirrelly with the pattern going through them, but overall I like the cards. I'm guessing Bautista just mashed the hell out of the ball.

Huge Trade Part 1: The Everything but Allen and Ginter

2012-02-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

I recently was contacted by Steve (aka apba66and0) regarding a ton of cards he had from my want lists, including a load of Olympic cards. I didn't have much from his want lists, but he let me bribe him into trading for some assorted minis, A&G relics and Yankee Stadium Legacy inserts. When I say huge trade...

...I mean huge.

Today I'll show the non-A&G cards he sent. First, he hit some of my 2008 Upper Deck X needs:

The gold die cuts are always very appreciated since they are few and far between these days. The Ankiel actually finished my second page of the UDX trifecta set (base, die cut, die cut gold). 2 Pages down, 32 to go. He also hit a variety of my other lists:

Not shown is a 2008 APOH Dontrelle Willis I needed. I'm now down under 20 cards needed for the 2006 Fleer Tradition set. My want lists are slowly dwindling.

The big draw of this trade was the Olympic cards he had for me. I had posted the 32 packs I opened here, here, and here. Well, apparently Steve opened a ton of this stuff because not only did he help me finish off my second base set, he finished my Fun Cap/Pog needs. He could have stopped there, but then he sent me 11 of the Dufex Posters I needed:

On top of that, he also included 5 of the Torches I needed.

That leaves me with only 5 posters and 6 torches for the set. I never thought I would get this close to the set. Now, I may end up finishing it within a lifetime.

Thanks, Steve. The A&G cards he sent will be posted tomorrow.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 4

2012-02-09T12:30:00.002-05:00

Wow, day 4 already? Time flies. Today, we arrive at our first "WTF, Topps?" moment.

For some reason, Topps continues to play the Wal-Mart vs. Target game this year by having red and blue border parallels of the base cards. I don't get it at all.

Sure, the red looks great for the Reds, Cardinals, Red Sox, and a handful of other teams. And maybe the blue looks good for the Royals, Dodgers, Blue Jays and a few other bad teams. But what about the Orioles, Tigers, Rays, White Sox, Pirates, Rockies, Padres, Giants, Mariners, and A's who have no connection whatsoever to those colors. It just doesn't make sense. I've asked this a few hundred times before, but have to ask again:

How F'ing hard is it to create a "Team Color" parallel? Take the team's primary color, and that is the parallel. Then, if you want to get...gasp...gamechanging...have a retail-only secondary color parallel numbered to the year.

How badass would it be to have base, primary, and secondary trios in 9 pocket pages for your team. The numbering on the secondary makes them slightly rarer, but still obtainable. Imagine blue borders for the Mets, with short printed orange borders. And Topps, they don't have to be those shimmery borders. They can be flat, that's ok. Just make them make sense.

Anyway, I got 3 of the red border cards. Let's see if they make sense.

No, Yes, No. The White Sox isn't awful, but the Giants definitely is. The Twins look nice. Now imagine if you could pair that with a Navy Blue parallel. Topps, this really isn't that hard. You have an exclusive license. Bring us more of the team feel than just the damn logo.
...and I'm not even a team collector.

Don't worry, this isn't the only "WTF, Topps?" moment. There will surely be more to come as we progress through this fortnight.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 3

2012-02-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I showed the vertical cards, now I'm showing the horizontal cards. The horizontal layout often gives you the opportunity to catch very unique moments, and this set was no exception. Here are my favorites from the cards I pulled:

Any plate at the plate where the helmet is in the air along with some dirt is a great card. The Chacin is just an interesting perspective that really gets you into the game. It also seems to be the card that best uses the space leftover on the right end of the surfboard nameplate. The Sandoval is especially unique because it's a scenario you don't get too many chances to capture, and it was captured well. The Reed Johnson card has shown up several times in the blogosphere, and for good reason. The timing with the seagulls is just too good.

A down spot for the horizontals this years is the repeated subset of League Leaders. I didn't scan any, but they have three players left to right. I think it's time to bag this layout for a year or two and do something fresh. I did like that Topps included both 2011 Leaders and All-Time Active leaders. I say scrap the current layout, and scrap the duos inserts from the past couple years and have a duo insert with the previous years leader and the active leader. It would kill two birds with one stone.

As far as I'm concerned, the big win in the horizontal base cards is the World Series subset:

Highlighting the different moments in the playoffs, and especially the World Series is a must in my opinion. The Topps flagship set should have some year-in-review quality to it, and these cards fit the bill. They work perfectly as horizontals, too, thanks to the World Series logo in the lower right corner.

That's it for the base cards. Now the fun can really start.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 2

2012-02-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

Today will likely be the most painless of the days. All I'm showing right now is the vertical base cards of note. I'm as guilty as anyone of not showing base cards in favor of the inserts, so I felt the need to return to the card roots. These were 6 of my favorite shots:

I'm a big fan when there are multiple pictures in similar situations, such as the pairs above. In a set of 330 cards (or 660 or 990 when you consider Series 2 and Update) it's tough to have good photography throughout. I'm glad 2012 Topps had several plays at the plate, plays at the wall, and player celebrations. I know many aren't a fan of Brian Wilson, but the top two cards are excellent because they are pure emotion.

I usually don't worry about the base card design too much, because it just seems nitpicky for a flagship set. It's not my favorite, but it's not horrendous.

I was pleased to pull two cards for my PC:

The David Wright card I would describe as boring but necessary. The shot itself isn't great, but what it means - he's watching a home run, presumably - is excellent. The Reynolds, however, is great all around. Anytime a ball is in mid-flight, the card has some level of excitement. Add to that the crowd in the background, and you've got a winner to me.

Of course, not all of the pictures, no matter how quirky, are particularly intriguing. Some are just a wee bit creepy.

I don't bite my lip when I tar my wood. Seems counterproductive and potentially dangerous.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: In Review

2012-02-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

You just can't make this stuff up.

In case you missed my post yesterday, let me give you the important details. Aside from a sick Ndamukong Suh relic, I also pulled two base cards for the Giants. Those two cards were the game winner for the Giants.  Who were the two Giants players:

Eli Manning and Mario Manningham.

Are you freaking kidding me?

So, the cards predicted the Giants in a back-and-forth close game, with Manning and Manningham coming through in the clutch.

I predicted the Patriots by just under a touchdown.

Cards win.

Just for a couple of notes on the game:

If Brady's receivers' hands don't fall off in, we may be talking about his 4th SB victory.

Brady's interception was a good idea. Gronkowski 1-on-1 against a linebacker all the way down field. I'm throwing it all day long. An interception is the least likely turnout. I know Gronk had a bum ankle, but I still like it.

I love that Bradshaw scored the touchdown. The game was not tied, the Giants were not winning. They were losing. Sitting back, running the clock and taking a field goal is loser football. I'm a VT fan, I'm well versed in field goals as loser football. You make a touchdown and take a more-than-a-field-goal lead. You trust your defense (THE reason you won your last Super Bowl and had a chance in this one) to make a stop. Yes, even against Tom Brady.

Now, on to Eli.

There is no doubting that he had an outstanding season, at times. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Any talk of Eli and Peyton in the same sentence should only be spoken by their parents when meeting new people. "We have two children, Peyton and Eli." That's it. Eli does have 2 rings. Peyton has 1. So what? Eli's first was thanks to defense and a miraculous bail-out catch on a terrible decision. His second was on an above-average performance with yet another very good defense. Rings are a team prize, not a player prize.  When talking about all-time QB's, Peyton has an argument for Top 5. Eli might have an argument for top 100, but I'm not really certain about that. Eli barely has an argument for Top 5 this year. It's amazing how much we forget when one brother sits a single season out, and the other wins a Super Bowl.

If Eli had not been a little baby, and he stayed with the Chargers after the draft, he would be a backup QB right now.  Mark Sanchez is on pace with Eli's career, but I seriously doubt the Jets are going to give him another 2-4 more years. Eli was bailed out by his defense winning a Super Bowl early in his career. That is the only reason the Giants stuck with him so long.

I heard some say that Eli may be HOF-bound now that he has 2 rings. Those people should have their speaking priveleges revoked.

Rant done.

I would like to note one player's performance that isn't being talked about as it should:

Jason Pierre-Paul

The man is a freak. I seriously feel like he is unstoppable whenever he feels like being unstoppable. If you haven't been watching him lately, you are missing out. I honestly think he has potential to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The rate at which he is progressing is astonishing. He played two years of high school football, two years of JuCo, one year of D1, and this is is second season in the NFL. His impact in the game last night was enormous.

I'm still amazed that the cards were right. As was A&G Nostradamus.

A Fortnight of 2012 Topps: Day 1

2012-02-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm doing it. 14 days, 14 posts, all 2012 Topps. It's going to be brutal, at times, and often underwhelming. My only hope is that it is comical in some ways, you know, to relieve the pain of seeing so much 2012 Topps.

The total damage: 6 Retail Packs, 1 Rack Pack, and 1 Hanger Pack.

Thats 6*12+72+36=180 cards.

I've got nothing funny to say today.

The pack design is simple but effective. However, it does look like Halladay just pooped a Golden Giveaway nugget on the rack pack.

And just like that, day 1 is in the books. See, that wasn't so bad.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!

2012-02-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's finally here. I am very excited, you might even say SPxcited. Don't worry, this means the bad jokes are over. It also means that today's product is 2010 SPx!

I wanted to end on a high note, so I picked two packs up at the LCS. I don't usually spring for anything in this price range, but the moment hit me, and I had to buy.

Pack 1:

I've got to give the Giants a +1 for Manningham. In three playoff games this year, he has 3 TDs, including a huge 4th-quarter grab against the 'Niners. Will that streak continue in the Super Bowl? With all the attention Nicks and Cruz will be getting, you gotta think there's a good chance. Dennis, the Manningham is the start of a new pile for you, but don't rush to fill a pile for me, becuase I don't know how much football I'll be opening for a while.

There was also a nice thick card in this pack...

yep, a dummy card. Oh well.

I should note that at this point, the Giants have pulled even with the Patriots at 15 points. We have one pack to go. To add a game analogy, Manningham just pulled in the game-tying catch late in the fourth quarter.

Pack 2:

No way. Eli did it again! Eli comes through in the clutch for the Giants as they win the Super Bowl as time expires. Final score, 16-15. Wow, that was fun. Go figure that Alex Smith makes another appearance in the countdown. Of course, Eli couldn't finish without his brother showing up.

This card also had one of those thick cards in it...only this one wasn't a dummy (per se).

#219/375

Well, that was a nice finish. At least it helps justify the cost of the packs.

So, the cards say that, in a game dominated early by the Pats, the Giants fight back, tie it late, and get the go-ahead as time expires. And, as much as it pains me to say it...Eli wins SBXLVI MVP.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 1 Day to go

2012-02-04T12:01:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday! Today is a good day to curl up and rest in anticipation! Speaking of curling, how about some Chrome!

Today's offering is a value pack of Topps Chrome. The funny part is that I forgot I had these until just the other day. I was getting a pen from my computer bag when I found them in one of the pockets. I'm not really sure when I bought them. I think I have a problem.

These Xfractors look great.

The goldness of the Baldwin threw me for a second when I could only see the edge...I was a little disappointed, to say the least.

Of course, everyone loves the Orangefractors:

+1 for the Patriots on pulling a Mallett and another +1 since it's a parallel!

The updated score:

Patriots 15

Giants 14

The Patriots steal the lead right back with only one post to go!

Before I start posting about 2012 Topps...

2012-02-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

...I just want to point out one positive note. There aren't many things that I'm super happy about in 2012 Topps. There is one thing I am happy about that I haven't seen anyone point out.

There isn't an entire set of reprints this year. That's right, we don't have to worry about pulling a reprint of a 2011 card in 2012. We don't have to worry about regular backs or original backs or cards of guys from the '20s on card designs from the '80s.

No longer do I have to get a 2009 Topps Rick Porcello reprint to replace the one my mom threw out since I am 40 years old and still live with my mom and she's too stupid to know that I love my 2009 Topps Rick Porcello because it has a book value of $2.50.

That makes me happy.

Oh yeah... Night Owl, of course this year is the surfboard set. I mean, Topps gave us waves in 2010. It's about damn time they gave us a board:

The way Braun is looking at that kid puts the PED in pedophile.

My wife bought be 6 retail packs and 1 hanger pack of 2012 Topps. I plan to have so many posts about them it'll make you sick...although the going theme seems to be that it only takes about one post to really make someone sick of 2012 Topps.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 2 Days to go

2012-02-03T12:01:00.002-05:00

So what will happen when the ball crosses the goal line in the Super Bowl? SCORE, of course.

2011 Score

This stuff was so easy to throw in the shopping cart. A buck a pack, or 5 bucks for a thick rackie...can't beat that. The price point and design and set size were all great on this set.

Altogether, I busted 8 retail packs and 1 jumbo rack pack.

The card design is very good with the team colors and layout. There's a little too much white space at the top and bottom, but still very cool. I'm no Matt Ryan fan, but I love those Falcon jerseys/helmets. I didn't scan them, but there was 1 Patriot and 2 Giants, so +1 and +2, respectively.

+1 for the Pats, +1 for the G-men

The rookies are nice as they have a good mix of combine/premiere/workout/draft photos. At least on the rookies the white space at the bottom is filled.

I got one former Hokie:

No, Dawgbones, this isn't for trade.

The inserts are hit and miss, but I do like the simplicity. The second Suh is a glossy parallel. Speaking of Glossy, I got a few of those:

Lastly, there were 2 nice parallels:

Strangely, these actually came out of the same retail pack. The white space at the top makes a little more sense now.

Updating the score...heh heh......

Patriots 13

Giants 14

The Giants take the lead with only two posts to go!

All trade post, all the time

2012-02-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

I recently traded with Oscar of the All Trade Bait, All the Time blog.

He hit my PC collections with some nice stuff:

Love that Hometown Heroes card.

Thanks, Oscar!

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 3 Days to go

2012-02-02T12:01:00.000-05:00

What will the players be wearing when they hit the gridiron in the Super Bowl, you ask? Well, Gridiron Gear, of course.

Up for today, 2011 Gridiron Gear, with a twist. It's Hobby vs. Retail today.

3 Hobby Packs @ $7 apiece = $21

vs.

2 Retail Packs @ $3 apiece = $6

At first glance, you've got to be thinking, "hell, 3 Hobby packs HAS to win this one." We'll see:

Here's the Hobby edition:

a trio of base cards

a trio of RCs

Alex Smith Silver X #018/250

It's a real shame that the 'Niners didn't make the Super Bowl, Alex Smith would have been racking up points for them. I got one more serial numbered card, which was a little better:

Percy Harvin Gold X #002/100

That's it for the Hobby packs. Three packs, no hits, two serial numbered parallels.

On to the retail:

+1 for the G-men, +1 for the Pats

Now, the base cards may seem a little bit better, but in the two packs I bought, there were a couple of dupes:

Two packs and I got this many twins? ...in the same order, no less.

But, at least on of the pairs was this guy:

TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEBOWWWWWWWWW!!!

One rookie per pack, as well:

And I did manage one parallel:

Stephen Burton RC Silver O #171/250

So, your call:

Hobby: $21 for 19 base cards (no dupes), 3 RCs, 1 #/250, 1#/100
or
Retail: $6 for 17 base cards (4 dupes), 2 RCs, 1 #/250

Also, we have the updated score:

Patriots 11
Giants 11

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 4 Days to go

2012-02-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl will be filled with guys like Nate Solder, Henry Hynoski, Eli Manning and Tom Brady...

AKA

Rookies and Stars!!!

ahahaha...I'm so funny.

Wow...+2 for the Giants...and yuck a Matt Schaub turd.

At least there was a Hokie to counteract the nasty wahoo:

Wow, a +1 for the Nicks and another +1 since it's an insert.

Man, that Studio Rookies card is just begging for an autograph. That's a very Panini card. For more very Panini blank spots, see 2012 Topps Baseball inserts.

Just like that, the score is tied:

Patriots 10

Giants 10

How does this guy not have a card?

2012-01-31T17:01:00.002-05:00

Look, I have no attachment to snowboarding whatsoever. I've never been snowboarding and I've never watched it for any extended period of time.

The one thing I do know, though, is this guy is as dominant in his sport as anyone in any sport ever.

Sure, he's got a couple SI for Kids cards...but those aren't real. He also has some crazy short printed Olympic card, but that's not real either.

Topps needs to get him in Allen and Ginter ASAP.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 5 Days to go

2012-01-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

Oooohh, can you feel it...it's almost that day!

Makes me think of all my football heroes...Vick...the other Vick...that's all. Speaking of heroes:

+1 for Wes Welker. He's due for a big game. I believe Colin Cowherd predicted 11 catches...

Too bad somebody dropped a Chris Long and Matt Ryan turd in these packs.

Awesome...I'm totally going to collect the Joe Satriani and Jimi Hendrix rainbows. Wait...you didn't put Jimi Hendrix and Joe Satriani in the GUITAR HEROES set?!?!?! What the F***?!?!?! When you are making a list of Guitar Heroes, you simply write Jimi Hendrix and Joe Satriani, then, and only then, do you maybe add a couple more. Until Jimi and Satch are on the list, you simply have a list of Guitar Guys that Play Guitar, not Guitar Heroes. What a joke.

ahhh...saved by the beauty of these cards.

I guess I can't complain about the packs since I did get a hit...

...even if it is Brodie Croyle. I still don't understand how this guy was a third round pick.

With the Welker point, the score is now:

Patriots 10

Giants 6

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 6 Days to go

2012-01-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Less than a week!

Today's packs: 1 1/2 Retail packs of 2011 Prestige.

wait...how is it 1 1/2 you say?

Well, one is a ten-card retail pack, and the half is a 5-card Dollar Tree Pack

Speaking of Dollar Tree, did you know you can order things online in bulk from Dollar Tree? This came in handy for my wedding, as we had to do a lot of decorating with not alot of money.

Anyway, back to the cards:

Those are some hideous rookie cards.

No points, but I did score a Hokie:

Too bad the 'Niners aaren't in it anymore, I would have given them tons of points for a Hokie.

Score remains:

Patriots 9

Giants 6

LCS Trip Part 3 (of 3): Bargain Bin Finds

2012-01-29T17:01:00.000-05:00

While digging for Wolverines (and Hokies, of course) I came across two cards that had no business being in the bargain bins.

First, for all of 10 cents, I picked up this:

2008 Sage Hit Matt Flynn Make Ready Cyan #28/50

This guy's cards have gone up ever since his wicked performance in relief of Aaron Rodgers. I understand why this was in the bin, but it's a lucky find for me. I'm thinking trade or eBay.

The second card is just plain crazy for 50 cents:

2004 Press Pass Eli Manning Reflector #140/500

I'm no fan of Eli by any stretch, but I'm not stupid. I had a feeling this card would be a good pickup, but I had no idea it would have a book value of $30. There's one on COMC right now for $25 and one on eBay $30. One sold on eBay a week ago for a little over $10.

Question:

Sell on eBay the week before the Super Bowl, or gamble on a Giants win (with Eli as MVP) and sell the week after the Super Bowl?

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 7 Days to go

2012-01-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's Pro Bowl day...aren't you excited!

Let's worship the early days of football with a pack of 2011 Tristar Obak:

Carr was president of the NFL from 1921 to 1939. The NFL League MVPs received the Joe F. Carr Trophy from 1938-1946. A new trophy of the same name was given to the NFL POY from 1955-1978.

Bob Kalsu was a standout tackle for Oklahoma and was drafted by the Bills in 1968. He started for the Bills that year and was named Bills Rookie-of-the-Year. After that season, Kalsu entered the Army to fulfill his ROTC obligation. Kalso was killed in action in Vietnam on July 21, 1970 at the age of 25.

Henry Rutgers was a revolutionary war hero whose philanthropy helped create what we know as Rutgers University. In 1869, Rutgers and Princeton played the first ever intercollegiate football game, in which Rutgers won 6 "runs" to 4.

Johnny Lattner, a halfback for Notre Dame, won the 1953 Heisman Trophy and was drafted in the first round by the Steelers. He played one season before entering the Air Force. During a game of football there, he suffered a knee injury that prevented his return to the NFL.

And of course, my mini:

There's just plain too much to say about Lombardi. If you don't know who he is, why are you reading a post about football cards? I guess if there was a mini to get, it would be Lombardi. One fact I will state, is that Lombardi's first coaching job was for the New York Giants, so we'll give them +1.

In case I haven't mentioned it, all of the cards in all of these posts are available for trade if you are interested.

Current Score:

Patriots 9

Giants 6

LCS Trip Part 2 (of 3): Random Hokies

2012-01-28T17:01:00.000-05:00

I didn't originally intend to pick up anyHokies on this particular LCS trip, but while digging through the $0.10 and $0.50 boxes for Wolverines, I came across a few Hokies.

While flipping through some Packers searching for Charles Woodson, I came across a load of cool Antonio Freemans. The one in the lower right is so unbelievably shiny.

The card on the left was picked up because I didn't have any Tyronne Drakefords. The Vick is a nice VT uni card, so I had to pick that up. The Humes card is awesome, as he was one of the big players while I was at VT. He and Mike Imoh made an impressive 1-2 punch at RB. Yeah, so nothing off the charts crazy, but worth noting, anyway.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 8 Days to go

2012-01-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today's packs: 2 retail packs of 2011 Topps

The base cards were all boring, so I only scanned one:

and I only scanned it because of this:

Yep, I'm saying -1 for the Patriots for that one.

The inserts:

That'd be +2 to the Pats for the Stevan Ridley Bowman mini

current scoring?

Patriots 9

Giants 5

The Pats look to be pulling away.

LCS Trip Part 1 (of 3): More Olympic Cards!

2012-01-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

I recently hit up Jersey's, my LCBSTSSC (local comic books store that sells some cards) to pick up some random Wolverine's for Dennis, and ended up picking up a few odds and ends for myself.

First, I finally cleared out the rest of the Olympic cards, which I've posted about here and here. I purchase 5 the first time, 10 the second time, and 17 this time. That makes a grand total of 32 packs. Assuming they had one box, I bought 32 of the 36 packs. At $0.25 apiece, it was only 8 bucks.

I finished one complete base set, and have updated my want list with my needs for the second base set. Unfortunately, of the 17 new Pogs/Fun Caps I got, I only got 4 that I needed:

While checking eBay for these, I came across this crazy auction. I also picked up two more of the Dufex Poster cards:

These cards are so awesome in person. At 1:9 packs, I think, there should be 4 in a box, so it looks like I got all 4. They were also in 4 in-a-row with #'s 6-9. I was extremely thrilled to pull two of the Olympic Torch cards:

They aren't as nice as the posters, but they are twice as rare at around 1:20 packs. I'm glad I beat the odds, though I'm not sure I'll ever finish the set. I've updated my want lists for this set.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 9 Days to go

2012-01-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

We're down to single digits now, baby!

Todays packs: 2007 Bowman Retail

+1 for the Giants for hitting Eli!

...and the Pats jump right back with a +1 of their own.

Ahmad Bradshaw chrome RC...sounds like a +2 to me!

The current score:

Patriots: 7
Giants: 5

VinTage

2012-01-26T17:01:00.001-05:00

VinTage time!

While on COMC recently picking up cards for a bet settlement with Dennis of Too Many , I came across some Hokies that I desperately wanted to add to my collection. So, I picked up the 5 cards I wanted most for pretty darn cheap. The best thing: the newest one is 1986. Here they are, in order of newest to oldest.

1986 Topps #389 Bruce Smith RC

This was a must-have for a VT collector. THE RC of THE legendary Hokie.

1976 Topps #299 Don Strock RC

I love the picture on this. Strock, desptie being an excellent passer, is best known for being the coach at Florida International when they brawled with the University of Miami and had 16 players suspended.

We haven't gone back too far yet, as the college is still "Virginia Tech"

1962 Topps #82 Carroll Dale RC

That's more like it: "VPI". Dale is a member of the Packers HOF, and was on the winning teams of Super Bowls I and II.

1960 Topps #6 George Preas RC

Preas was drafted in 1955 by the Colts' with the 51st pick. In that same draft, the Steelers used the 102nd pick to take Johnny Unitas. Unitas was cut by the Steelers and later signed by the Colts. Preas spent several years blocking for Unitas.

1959 Topps #78 Buzz Nutter RC

With one of the great names in VT history, Buzz is right up there with George George. What's even better, is that his full name is Madison Monroe "Buzz" Nutter. Nutter was a center for the Colts, and helped block for Unitas along with Preas.

My VT collection lacked a certain depth of history until now. I feel like I have now done right by the Hokies by bringing in some VinTage. I'm currently working on a list of Hokies with cards, and with a plan to collect one card of every Hokie, and especially one RC of every Hokie that has one.

Now that we are at the bottom of the page, go back and check out the card designs. The '59 is just wild, and almost seems like the big brother of 1971-72 Topps Basketball. The '60 design is very clean, and seems to be the big brother of the '76 design on the Strock RC. I'm a fan of the football shape for the name plate. The '86 design is just crazy, with its football field background and hint of '88 Topps Baseball. I intentionally skipped over the '62 design to save it for last. It is an incredibly awesome design. Any brief thoughts of trying to collect that set get squashed immediately by these select few cards:

#17 Mike Ditka RC
#90 Fran Tarkenton RC
#1 Johnny Unitas
#28 Jim Brown
#36 Ernie Davis RC
#63 Bart Starr

You could get those six on COMC for a little over $700...not exactly in my price range. Or, you could just grab a complete set for $850 on eBay.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 10 Days to go

2012-01-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Well, since I did college yesterday...how about some more college!

This time we're going with a full blaster of 2009 Sage Hit High Series

The great part is that I'm guaranteed two autos.

No points, but a consolation point for the Packers since BJ Raji is doing the squatting discount double check.

One weird thing I noticed while scanning these, is that the Sanchez card has a different logo on the back than all of the other cards in the set:

His card has the Collegiate Blah Blah logo while the rest have the Sage logo. Strange. Anyway,

Have I mentioned lately how ugly 2009 Sage Hit is?
That said, I'm close to a set, I may have to put a want list together.

Like Score, Sage Hit does glossy parallels, which are shiny ugly.

I also picked up one WVU card for my officemate:

But, you didn't come here to see the base cards, you came here for the big slamma jamma mojo hitz.

My two autos:

Nothing special, but the Mendenhall cracks me up. Allow me to zoom in for you:

There's nothing quite like that moment when you realize you are running the wrong way.

Ok, who can beat my caption?

btw, the score is still Patriots 6, Giants 2.

No, Justin, you didn't.

2012-01-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

I appreciate the charity, but I can afford toilet paper just fine, thank you very much.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 11 Days to go

2012-01-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

Up for today are 4 packs of 2010 Press Pass.

Since they are college, no points will be awarded, unless there is something good from a player that is currently on the Giants or Patriots.

Ok, a blue parallel of Aaron Hernandez is just too good. +1 for the Patriots.

Current Score:

Patriots 6
Giants 2

'ZOmg!

2012-01-24T17:01:00.001-05:00

This card found my mailbox thanks to Sam from the Daily Dimwit. It goes well with the one that Plaschke sent me a few months ago. This one has a red swatch, the Plaschke one has a gold swatch, and as far as I know, there is one other version with a black swatch. Does anyone have that one?

Same also gave me a couple BJs...heh heh...ahem...

Sam, your cards should be out soon. <---I seem to say that alot these day...man...I'm getting slow.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 12 Days to go

2012-01-24T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today, we'll go with the other 2005 pack I picked up in Roanoke.

2005 Bowman

Yet another Alex Smith. Oh well.

That's one hell of a WR trio, right there.

+1 for the Giants. Best card here is the Marion Barber RC

Vincent Jackson Bronze RC, nice.

No Pats, so the score is:

Patriots 5

Giants 2

TMG/TMM puts me in a state of perpetual IOU.

2012-01-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

Dennis of Too Many Verlanders (nee Grandersons), and better yet, Too Many Manninghams (which I think should be Too Many Hennes), recently sent me some cards of comfort. He was comforting me for the Sugar Bowl loss that my Hokies faced at the hands of his Wolverines. We had a little bet going on the game...$10 in COMC cards...that he won, and he will receive as soon as I get them packaged.

In the meantime, he decided to start a trade and send cards to me as a little gauze for my wounds. Well, being the savvy Blowout Forums guy that he is, he came up with a stack of cards that have me in a permanent state of owing. I've got some stuff to send him in a trade, but I think it'll take more than one package to birng us even.

When I got his package, two chunks fell out, the first was a selection of cards for my want lists and PC lists:

Ok, I would have been ecstatic with that. Dennis, however, was not through. He included a couple of Sizemore Siggies:

I already had both of them, but was more than happy to take them off his hands. Strangely, the Bowman Refractor Auto I had before was #244/500, and this one is #344/500. Anyone seen #044,#144, and #444?

What happened next was way beyond my expectactions. My expectation was for maybe a card or two of former Hokies. The first call to fall out was this:

2008 Score Select Inscriptions Xavier Adibi Autograph #105/375

Awesome. It'll go nicely with the Adibi auto he sent me a while back. The next few cards were also awesome. He went LeBron on me, because he sent me not one,

2007 Playoff Contenders David Clowney Rookie Ticket Autograph

Not two,

2007 SP Authentic David Clowney Rookie Authentics Signatures #0144/1199

Not three,

2007 Upper Deck Trilogy David Clowney Autograph #003/113

but four David Clowney Autos!

2007 SP Authentic David Clowney Sign of the Times Autograph

Unbelievable. There couldn't possibly be any more cards, could there? Oh yes, there were more. This time, he hit one of my all-time favorite Hokies from my time at VT: Eddie Royal.

2008 Upper Deck Icons Eddie Royal Rookie Brilliance Jersey #012/199

I've run out of things to say about this trade. It was too incredible. And I'm not done...I'll let the rest of the scans speak for theirselves:

2008 Threads Eddie Royal Rookie Collection Jersey #406/500

2009 Playoff Prestige Eddie Royal Preferred Jersey #006/100

2008 SPx Eddie Royal Rookie Materials Star and Position Dual Jersey #117/149

2008 SPx Eddie Royal Rookie Materials AFC/NFC Dual Jersey #92/99

Needless to say, I was exhausted after this package. My wife was, too, as I repeatedly said, "Holy S***! Check this out!"

Dennis, I should hopefully be getting your package out soon. Thanks, again, I'm floored.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 13 Days to go

2012-01-23T12:01:00.000-05:00

...and we're down to just the Patriots and Giants, as I predicted. The cards, however, predicted the opposite. Oh well. The score is currently Patriots 4, Giants 1.

Today's pack:

2005 Topps Draft Picks and Prospects hobby pack

Go figure, the Niners are out of it, and I show a pack with Alex Smith on the cover. I picked this pack up, along with a pack of 2005 Bowman, while visiting my wife's dad in Roanoke. The card shop there is pretty old school, even down to the prices. However, the prices in 2005 weren't too huge on these, yet, because Aaron Rodgers hadn't exploded yet. So, these were some of the only somewhat reason packs in the store at $5. Besides, I went there to buy something interesting, and this fit the bill.

This competition has become the Tom Brady show, which may happen in the big game. +1 for the Pats. My rookie for the pack:

Many of you may recognize him from Gameday this year, and might not realize that he was an incredible college player. Pollack was an absolute beast and a player I thought would have a long, productive NFL career. An unfortunate injury ended his career way too early. You may remember his "no he didn't just do that" play:

Fortunately, Pollack has done well with ESPN, and should be around for quite a while. +1 for Super Bowl broadcasting crew.

My shiny card in the pack:

Not bad, but it's no Aaron Rodgers RC.

Patriots 5
Giants 1

and the Giants 1 came from a wrapper, not even a card.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 14 Days to go

2012-01-22T12:01:00.001-05:00

Two weeks until the Super Bowl and we will lose 2 teams today. Personally, I think the Patriots win easily and the Giants win barely.

What do the cards say?

Today's Pack: 2011 Topps Gridiron Legends

+1 for the 49ers pack!

+1 for the Patriots thanks to Tom Brady. +1 to the Niners for Kaepernick, AND +1 for the insert.

Well, that changes things.

Patriots 4
Ravens 5
Giants 1
49ers 3

So, according to the cards, the Ravens will win a close one despite a late try by the Pats. The 49ers will overcome an early deficit for a fourth quarter blowout. So, my predictions and the cards' predictions were opposites. We'll see!

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 15 Days to go

2012-01-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Pack: 1 Rack Pack of 2011 Topps Prime

The pack is a shutout, but the Patriots get +1 for the Vereen RC

Ray Lewis is taking over this competition. +1

Nice thick retail bronze/copper parallel, though it doesn't score any points.

Patriots 3
Ravens 5
Giants 1
49ers 0

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 16 Days to go

2012-01-20T12:01:00.001-05:00

Today's packs:

4 Retail Packs of 2009 UD Icons:

Oooh, bonus point for the Giants for having Eli on the pack.

+1 for Welker, +1 for Heap

More base cards, no points.

Foil parallels, no points.

Kablam. Ray Lewis says +1 for Ravens AND +1 for an insert.

Patriots 2
Ravens 4
Giants 1
49ers 0

A Minute to Win It...er...Them.

2012-01-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes things work out. Sometimes they work out so well and so fast, that it really doesn't sink in for a while. Sometimes, that happens on eBay.

Every now and then, I do a search on eBay for Scott Sizemore to see what's ending soon. When I did that the other day, the soonest item was a 2010 Topps 206 Framed Mini Auto. I already have one, but it was unbid at $0.99 plus $2.50 shipping, and only a minute remaining. I decided that I should check the seller's other items ending soon to see if maybe he had other stuff I could get with combined shipping. Well, when I saw his listings, I immediately caught a Kevin Jones RC Auto Jersey unbid with 1 minute left. I bid immediately on that and bid on the Sizemore auto. I then returned to his listings to find an Eddie Royal Patch card with one $0.99 bid. I plugged in a reasonable bid with under 10 seconds remaining, confirmed it, and immediately won the auction. In less than a minute, I won three cards from one seller, 2 for $0.99, and the Royal patch only cost me $1.25. Total with shipping: $6.73. I was surprised the Royal patch was so low. His listings were decent, but the pictures were a little fuzzy, so I think I was the beneficiary of that. Anyway, here are the cards:

These cards are awesome, so I really don't mind that it is a dupe.

This is actually my first Jones jersey, even though he has a freaking ton of them out there.

No way should this card have been that cheap given that, when I bought it, the Broncos were still in the playoffs.

This was easily one of my most satisfying eBay experiences ever.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 17 Days to go

2012-01-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today's offering, 2008 Absolute Memorabilia Retail Pack:

Score 1 for the Ravens!

Any Jags collectors out there? Why is the Serial Number off center?

Patriots 1
Ravens 1
Giants 0
49ers 0

The biggest bubble mailer I've ever gotten.

2012-01-18T17:01:00.000-05:00

Steve, aka NY Hitman 23 of Sports 'n More Trading Cards recently contacted with some Hokies for trade. He said he had a cool Jim Druckenmiller Auto, an Ed Wang Auto, and a graded Kevin Jones RC. He later emailed me and said he found a few items from my want list to include. The package arrived yesterday, and it was in the biggest bubble mailer I have ever seen:

That's it next to a standard size deck of Harry Potter Uno cards, and a box of Mike and Ike Jolly Joes. The package was thick as heck, too. I opened it only to reveal what looked like an entire roll of bubble wrap. I unwound the bubble wrap, and guess what it revealed...

That's right, a nested bubble mailer. Confused? Don't be. There was something else in the bubble wrap. The Jim Druckenmiller Auto he sent is a 1997 Leaf Signature 8x10, justifying the gigantic bubble mailer.

AWESOME! Inside the inner bubble mailer was a collection of cards, including the Wang Auto he promised:

I already had this card, but once you go Wang, it becomes yo thang...am I right...anyone? He also sent a graded Kevin Jones RC, something else that I have acquired recently. This one, though, is his 2004 Topps Chrome RC, and is graded 9 by Beckett. It will go nicely with the other graded RC I linked to above.

If the Strasburg Superfractor is a 9 for centering, this should easily be 9.5. Oh well.

Now we get to the "few" items he found from my want lists. Some cards to fill holes in my 2008 UD Heroes set, very nice:

A couple of 2008 Masterpieces short prints, which are always greatly appreciated:

Even better, the last two cards I needed for my 2007 Masterpieces set:

That was more than enough cards from my want lists to make me happy, but being the sneaky guy he is, Steve didn't stop there.

Ok, I think that takes us past "a few items from your want list".

Yeah, we're definitely past that point now.

Ok, Steve, you win. Well played, sir. I already had the Wright, courtesy of BA Benny in my first ever trade. The only thing is, my orginial version has neither a pinstripe nor dirt stain. Again, let me say AWESOME! Speaking of BA Benny, whatever happend to him. I have piles of Mets that have been backing up for a while now.

Anyway, Steve, you totally scored a win in my book. Thanks! A package for you will be going out very soon. I even reused the inner bubble mailer for it. Hopefully you will not be dissappointed.

Football Card Super Bowl Countdown: 18 Days to go

2012-01-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've got a ton of football packs piled up, so I might as well get them out before the Super Bowl. I'll even keep track of how many cards of each team in the playoffs there are, just to see who the cardboard gods think will win.

First, a pack of 2011 Panini Rookies and Stars Longevity

These scans suck. Welker opens up the scoring with 1 point for the Patriots.

Poor Packers fans...you woulda hadda point...

And the Steelers woulda hadda point, and maybe a bonus point for a serial numbered card.
Too bad they lost to the Denver Tebows.

Day 1 of the countdown is in the bag, and the Pats are winning 1 to 0 to 0 to 0.

More Olympic cards!

2012-01-15T17:01:00.000-05:00

I finally got to the LCS and picked up 10 more 1996 Olympics card packs. I don't know why I didn't just buy the rest of them, but I'm sure I will at some point. At $0.25, they don't exactly break the bank.

The upper left card looks like a 3-D magic eye thing. As for the upper right, when was the last time you saw a card that was just the shadow of someone?

Didn't do too well on the pogs. I got three dupes in the packs, and one of the non-dupes I had from the last set of packs. I at least landed one of the Olympic posters:

These cards are fantastic in person.

I finally put together my want list for these, though I know it's a slim chance anyone will have them. The Posters and Torches are probably not even realistic to complete anyway, but it's worth a shot.

Juuust a bit right on the money.

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Kyle of JABO's Blog recently sent me a stack of cards. It was a very old school trade as it was all base cards and inserts. No big mojo hits or anything crazy. Just good old-fashioned card stacks. I was amazed at the number of cards he sent that I needed. He hit on several of my wants.

I've been dying to pickup that Sizemore refractor. It goes well with my base, xfractor and orangefractor.

Some set needs are always appreciated, especially the Gold Die Cut.

That was a really fun package to open. Kyle, thanks a ton, your cards will hopefully be going out soon.

2009 Press Pass Football Blaster Break

2012-01-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

In trying to extend the college football season just a little but longer, I purchased a discounted blaster of 2009 Press Pass football. I've said it before, but it's really a shame that the NCAA gave UD an exclusive license. Press Pass football has been a great set for several years, and featured some of the best on-card autos. The latest Press Pass football pretty much sucked.

The card design on these is excellent, and I love the college logos. The photography isn't half bad either...just check out that sweet Chase Coffman. My detective work tells me that Coffman played at Missouri from 2005-2008. Narrowing that down to teams that wear red pants with white hips, white jerseys with red stripes, and white helmets, I came up with the Illinois St. Redbirds. Sure enough, when I wen to the Missouri football site and searched that game's photo album, I came up with the same picture. #21 Jason Tate, had 4 tackles in the game, none of which were featured on this card. Further investigation reveals that Coffman has a knack for hurdling defenders.

I've always though college football lended itself well to card backs. The players usually only have 2-4 years of stats, so they don't overfill the space.

More base cards:

One subset (of the 105-card base set) is All-Americans:

I like the decision to go all-horizontal for these. Next on the subset list is the Trophy Club:

And Coffman makes a second appearance. There are a couple of other subsets that I didn't get any cards of. The last subset is the Power Picks short print cards (101-105)

These cards a pretty shiny in person. There is a Banner Seasons insert set, as well:

These are shiny, too, but aren't my favorite design. Each pack has a retail blue parallel:

I pulled one blue parallel for my officemate who went to WVU:

It doesn't get much better than that for blue parallels. Of course, any Hokie would be better, even if blue and maroon look horrendous together.

A nice blue Macho for the collection.

I didn't hit any autos or relics, but I did get a nice reflector parallel:

That dude was nasty in college. He hasn't reached his full potential in the pros, yet, but he has incredible upside.

I wish I could remember where I picked up this blaster, because I want to buy the other ones they had, now.

Lego Minifigures Series 5

2012-01-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

I came across some of these just after Christmas at Wal-Mart and had to pick one up. I haven't been able to find any lately, so I'm glad I did pick one up. The checklist has some pretty cool ones:

I especially like the Boxer. I would have been happy with 1,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,15, or 16. So there was a 62.5% chance I would be happy.

So, which one did I get...

...

...

...

Blah. That would probably be my least favorite of all possible. If this was Gypsy Queen, I got the DeJesus auto. Bummer. Now you know why I was unhappy to not find any more of these.

For a Wahoo, he sure has a lot of cool Hokie stuff.

2012-01-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

I'm talking about Kevin of The ~~Mojo~~ Kevin ~~Beard~~ Kevin blog. I love that they still have the banner up saying "three cardboard heads are better than one", especially since it's just Kevin these days. I know UVAers have big heads, but it's still just a single head.

Anyway, I sent him a Tebow full of Tebows, with a side order of Tebow. Actually it was a package with a Hrbek jersey card, a Chester Taylor jersey card, and a single cool blue Tebow. But really, Tebow is all that matters these days. He automatically usurps the presence of other cards, thus creating a Tebow of Tebows with a side order of Tebows. TEBOW.

Kevin sent me some Kevins. Don't worry, I'm not going on another Tebow-style fill-in-every-word-with-"Kevin" deal like above. He actually sent me two Kevin Jones cards. First, a 2004 Fleer Tradition RC Crystal #39/75:

Apparently Fleer believes that Crystal=foil. He also sent me the base version of the card, but not just any base version, the PSA 10 Gem Mt version:

Don't worry Kevin, this PSA 10 isn't strange to me. Possibly the coolest thing in the package, though, was this:

I have no idea why he had a 1995 VT schedule, but he did, and I'm glad. The 1995 season was a very important one in VT history. Here are the results:

vs. BC - L 14-20

vs. Cincy - L 0-16

At this point, somebody lit a fire under the squad and they decided to go nuts:

vs. #17 Miami - W 13-7

at Pittsburgh - W 26-16

at Navy - W 14-0

vs. Akron - W 77-27

at Rutgers - W 45-17

at West Virginia - W 27-0

vs. #20 Syracuse - W 31-7

vs. Temple (at RFK) - W 38-16

at #13 UVA - W 36-29

Sugar Bowl

vs. #9 Texas - W 28-10

The 1995 season is important in VT history because it was the point the VT arrived. Many people are familiar with the 1999 season when Vick led them to the Nat'l Championship game, but don't realize that the beginning of the run was the 1995 season. VT had started to get noticed in '93 and '94, but it was the big win against Texas in the Sugar Bowl that sparked the program.

I should also note that the picture on the front of the schedule is pretty awesome with Bryan Still about to make the catch.

Thanks, Kevin!

Reviewing the Results: You could name them...er...most of them.

2012-01-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

The results are in for the Sporcle quiz of 2011 Topps releases.

As of 9:00 AM on 1/10/2012, the quiz results are:

In total, the quiz was taken 45 times, including a few times by myself. The 2 perfect scores were both mine. One was from testing when I first made the quiz and one was from this morning. I'm assuming anything below 7-9 was from people who gave up early or stumbled upon the quiz without my direction.

As far as the comments I received, Ryan G. did the best with 21/22, or 95%. He missed Topps Attax, as did many people, which somewhat surprised me. The worst performers got 7 wrong, or 15/22=68%. First was Josh D., who "wouldn't say he 'missed' them, Bob", and was bailed out by his wife yelling "Allen and Ginter". Next was Nachos Grande, which somewhat surprised me since he is a fairly prolific card opener. I'm willing to bet he didn't miss Allen and Ginter, though. Last was Eric L., who had flashbacks to high school after receiving a 68%.

As far as the individual products go, here is the breakdown:

No surprise as Flagship was king. I'm not sure how someone missed it, since you only have to type "Topps" to get it. Oh well. Chrome at #2 was no surprise, either. Bowman coming in at 3 was a little surprise, just because I would have expected some people to forget that Bowman is a Topps product. The rest of the left column was filled out with products that were the most popular this year. I thought more people would get Opening Day. What follows is a sad commentary on Topps high end products. Tier 1 and Tribute barely capped the 50% threshold, while Marquee and Sterling fell below. I have no trouble understanding Pro Debut being low, as minor league cards aren't a large market. The two big shockers for me, though, were Stickers and Finest. There were a number of posts and breaks of Finest, and the stickers rocked the collecting world. I guess stickers aren't technically cards, but close enough, man. In my opinion, Finest could go away. The name itself carries the weight of expectations, and it falls sadly short. Finest, now, is really just Chrome with cropped out backgrounds. The least-guessed product was Heritage Minors, which seemingly came and went in less than a week. Don't get me wrong, I though it was a very good product. I think people are just a little too prospected-out by Bowman to have a minor league set any more expensive than Pro Debut.

Thanks for participating, everyone. Something like this would be good for Topps to see what sets are memorable, and what sets fall short.

2011 A&G in a trade? Ah, it's been a while.

2012-01-08T17:01:00.000-05:00

It seems like making trades involving 2011 A&G came to a screeching halt a couple moths ago. I was working steady toward my set and then it just stopped. Fortunately I traded recently with Chris of Nachos Grande. He is the A&G king, so I knew I'd be making progress. He sent me a load of Hometown Heroes:

Including my favorite:

Having attended Hickory High with Dave and his brothers, I'm very happy to finally get this card. As far as I'm concerned, this is a very underrated insert set. In fact, I think all of the one-per-pack inserts in A&G history are underrated (well, maybe except for the This Date in History, which I understood, but wasn't blown away by). The Dick Perez sketches in the early years were nice. As a retro set, Topps did well to make some cards feel like "retro precursors". For example, the Dick Perez sketches are like retro-styled of Diamond King precursors that never existed. Anyone follow what I'm trying to say? In 2008 there were the US States cards. I like that they were nice and thick. The only downside was that they didn't do all 50 states. In 2009, the National Pride set was very nice. 2010 was the TDIH year, followed by these Hometown Heroes in 2011. The Hometown Heroes are like a retro version of Bowman International.

In addition to the HH cards, Nachos also sent cards I had claimed from his Trade Stack series, as well as his Topps Lineage trade bait.

Thanks, Chris, I hope you enjoy the cards I sent!

Easing the pain with a Hokie trade post

2012-01-07T17:01:00.002-05:00

The Hokie football season has come to an end and, overall, it was an excellent year. We went 11-3 with a sophomore in his first season at quarterback. His progression through the year was fun to watch. For VT to take the step to elite/contender, though, we really need some changes in offensive playcalling. I think the Michigan game was promising from a defensive standpoint given the youth and injuries we had this year. However, our offensive plan failed to convert red zone trips into touchdowns, a problem that has plagued us for several years. The Frank Beamer football plan is successful because it focuses on controlling the game with a lead. While unexciting at times, Beamer has earned his due as an excellent coach. The problem now, though, is that we are facing tougher competition, so the need to get the lead early is becoming increasingly important. Still, I make sure to keep myself aware of how lucky I am to have a team that wins so many games each year. The frustrations come and go, but overall, VT is a very successful program.

One thing that sets us aside is what we get out of our players. We don't have the national recruiting profile of the elite schools. No matter what we do, and how bad FSU and Miami do, they will always out-recruit us. As a result, we're forced to make up for that by coaching athletes into positions and being versatile with the players we have. It would be amazing to see what our coaching staff could do with a Top 10 recruiting class.

For years, VT has shown that it is a legit Top-25 and often Top-15 or Top-10 capable team. If we can increase our talent level just a little (especially on the offensive line, which is especially difficult for us to recruit elite talent) and make some offensive changes, I think we could put ourselves in a position to consistently compete in BCS games, and open up the possibility of an undefeated season.

Ok, back to cards.

A while back, I posted my winnings from Thorzul's NCAA Sweet Spot group break. Among the cards I received for my ACC bid were Miami Hurricanes autos of Allen Bailey (Base Auto) and Leonard Hankerson (Sweet Spot Helmet Variation Auto). I attempted to sell the Hankerson, but only received one offer, which I refused. Hankerson had just come off a 100+ yard performance, so I was hoping to get a little more out of it. Unfortunately, he then suffered a season-ending injury, which hurt card prices. Lucky for me, I happened to be following The Card Hobbyist's Box Break of 2011 Panini Threads. In the last post, he showed off an awesome dual patch card featuring Mark Ingram and VT's Ryan Williams. Knowing that Patrick is a fan of Miami (almost as bad as a UVA fan, only without the tie) I immediately contacted him to arrange a trade. I think we both made out well with some nice cards. Here is the dual patch #43/50:

Both patches are very nice. Hopefully Ryan can come back from his knee injury and pick up where he left off. I know I'm biased, but this kid is a special player. He's got that rare combination of power, speed, and balance. I can't tell you how many runs he kept alive after the first and second hits.

Patrick also threw in a healthy stack of cards, especially Hokies:

As usual, this is the part where I tell Dawgbones to look away.

Those 1950 Bowman minis are a great insert set.

Thanks, again, Patrick. I hope you enjoy your cards!

2011 Topps Releases: Can you name them?

2012-01-06T12:01:00.001-05:00

Check out my Sporcle quiz and see if you can get them all:

http://www.sporcle.com/games/spankee/topps-baseball-releases

I created the thing and I still struggle to get them all.

I should warn you though: If you have never been to Sporcle, be ready to waste some serious time there. There are an incredible number of quizzes in a broad range of topics. It's very addictive.

After you are done blowing 2 hours at work on Sporcle because of me, feel free to come back and comment on how you did.

Go Hokies!!!

2012-01-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is that saddest day of the year. That's the day that Hokie football is done for another season. Fortunately, that means today is VT's bowl game.

For those of you not in the know, VT plays Michigan in the Sugar Bowl. To learn more about Michigan, I googled Wolverines.

According to wikipedia, they have potent anal scent glands and prey on coyote and wolf pups.

Hopefully Dennis doesn't find this coyote pup too intimidating, as he may have to prey on it.

Well, I think that's about all I need to know.

Michigan fans apparently feel the need to make their quarterback relevant by comparing him to Vick. Don't get me wrong, Denard is an excellent runner; he is faster than Vick. That is where it ends. Vick did everything else associated with football far better than Denard Robinson. Vick would often throw the ball to his receivers. Denard often throws the ball, and occasionally his receivers pulled off miracles to beat the defensive backs that Denard was throwing to.

It will be interesting to see how Denard handles being the second-fastest player on the field tonight. Michigan will have their hands full with David Wilson. If our offense line shows up at all (unlike against Clemson this year) Wilson should have a good day.

The X-factor in this game, though, is Logan Thomas. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back from the Clemson loss and how much he has learned in the past month. He is a great QB, especially for a sophomore, and his size (6'6" 254), could cause problems for Michigan.

Anyway, I've been away from the blog for a while now, and away from e-mail as well. I took some time off between Christmas and New Year's to relax. While taking that time off, I also dove into a long-overdue house project.

My wife an I took a couple of days and turned this room:

into this:

It was great to finally get all of my VT stuff out of the boxes and onto the walls. Some other views:

Hopefully I'll get the chance this year to go through and highlight each piece of the VT room as there are a lot of great items.

I had to get this room done in time for the Sugar Bowl.

GO HOKIES!!!

New pickups before the new year.

2011-12-30T17:01:00.000-05:00

I picked up 3 much needed Topps #3 cards on Sportlots., recently. The list is slowly dwindling, though a couple biggies remain.

My first Scott Sizemore as an A.

Some other Scotties that I somehow didn't have.

Some cards of Hokies that I've been dying to get cards of.

Gotta love Sportlots.

Winnings from the Card Hobbyist

2011-12-29T17:01:00.001-05:00

I was recently one of the winners from The Card Hobbyist's Contest. He sent me this sweet Limas Sweed Jersey:

I remember winning the Heisman with Sweed back in NCAA Football 2005. Good times, college. After a great career at Texas, he played a couple seasons with the Steelers. He never really got in the flow and ended up getting injured, which has essentailly knocked him out of the NFL.

I dig the card, though. The stripe looks pretty sweet.

Also in the package were two former Hokies:

A sweet Chris Ellis (dude ws a beast at VT) and the Hokie GOAT Bruce Smith (in maybe the strangest pose ever).

Thanks, Patrick...despite your affinity for Miami Hurricanes, you seem like a nice guy!

A graded card that just didn't pan out.

2011-12-28T17:01:00.001-05:00

I got this a long time ago in one of those "1 Graded Rookie Card and 3 NFL Packs" deals at Target, I believe.

This card came to mind when Kevin at the Mojo Beard mentioned weird graded cards. He showed off a Kevin Jones RC and said is was inexcusable. But, I guess that goes to show you that there is someone somewhere who would love to have that card. I would love a PSA 10 Kevin Jones (hint hint nudge nudge). It would be a nice, unique piece of my Hokie collection. As for a really funny graded card, see what I sent Kevin recently. That Puckett is money.

So, my next question is this: Who in the hell out there wants a Beckett 9 Vince Young Score RC?

2011: My Cardboard Mistress' Year in Review

2011-12-27T17:01:00.001-05:00

This has been my first full year in the land of the wild blogalopes, and it has been quite a ride. I really didn't think I would stick with it way back when I got started in the summer of 2010. But, as many people have noted, the generosity and comaraderie among the bloggers and readers is reason enough to keep posting. I've been amazed at how my collection has expanded this year, thanks to all of the blogger trades.

This year was easily my most prolific from a box purchasing standpoint. I sold some cards to swing three boxes of 2011 Allen and Ginter, including one for Gint-a-Cuffs III. I also used some bonus money to buy 2 boxes of 2008 A&G and 2 boxes of 2008 A Piece of History. I can't forget the box of 2005 UD All-Star Classics, either, as that was a solid break. My father-in-law also gave me boxes on holidays, including 2008 Masterpieces, 2009 APOH, and 2 boxes of 2008 APOH.

As with any good "year in review", it's good to look at what we expected for the year. Going back to my first 2011 post, I had a list of 11 things to expect:

1. Cardmas - I held up my end on this, showing off the cards I got for Christmas. Hopefully I'll have that opportunity again, this year.
2. Trade bait - eh, didn't really ever show a big list of trade bait, but I still showed off several cards, so it's not a complete failure. I still have a bunch of cards that no one knows I have that are probably really tradeable.
3. Banner update - I definitely did this one. My explanation is here.
4. Space Shots pack break - Done, took way too long, but done.
5. Random sports related item posts - Ouch. Fail. I have a plethora of items for this, but just never got around to it.
6. Antique tools - I did two of these posts, here and here. Not as many as I hoped, especially since they were well-received, but it was a start.
7. Tons of random packs - Check. I even turned 200+ of them into a group break.
8. Contests - One for my Blogobirthday, which was won by The Diamond King. One for July 4th, won by dominicfdny. Then of course, was my massive Bracket Contest. That thing was an absolute beast, with a few different winners.
9. New want lists - I've done pretty well at this, actually.
10*. Eating better, exercising, saving money - and all that other crap I fail to do every year. - Of all things on the list, I figured this was the most likely to fail. For the better part of the year, I did fail miserably. The money thing was more of circumstance than frivolity, as we had a few unfortunate events compound to blow up the bills. Overall, we did cut back spending-wise. As far as eating better and excercising, I did neither until October, when I reached my highest weight in my life. However, I started P90X (more on this in the new year) and have made incredible strides in my health and fitness. This was probably my biggest success on this list, and easily the one I'm most proud of.
11. Listening to the audience - I listened, I guess.

I'll give myself a 9 out of 11, good for 82%, or a B-. I'll take it. I'm no Night Owl, and I have to accept that.

As for collection additions, I've boosted every aspect of my personal collections, from VT Hokie autos to Topps #3's. I finally added my first Michael Cuddyer auto, and boy is it a beaut.

Also in my list of firsts: participating in a group break. I tested the waters with BA Benny's epic group break, then sucked in Daily Dimwits break, then killed it in his next break, then failed in Thorzul's baseball break, then killed it again in his football break.

I then had the bright idea to host a group break. 2500+ cards later, I think I'll hold off for a while. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast, and a lot of people got a lot of cards, but it was a lot of work.

One of my goals for this blog is to be a presence in the hobby blogging world and to contribute something to the card collecting world. In 2010, my biggest contribution was this:

It is the illustrative embodiment of a collecting mentality. I knew that when I entered the blogosphere, I needed something earth-shattering to kickstart my blog. My Shepard Fairey-esque rendering of Jefferson Burdick ended up being just that. Within a day of posting, it was featured on Cardboard Junkie and Stale Gum. Those are two of the heavy hitters, so that was just the exposure I needed. The picture has become my alias, synonymous with "Spankee" and "My Cardboard Mistress".

This year, I didn't really have one innovation that stood out. This year, my contributions were a little more subtle. The first was the Gint-A-Cuffs banner. I had a little fun with it, and fortunately it turned out well. The second contribution is the drunken box break. Not my proudest moment, but it's the thought that counts. The third is the BoxBreaker spreadsheet. It had its bugs and wasn't widely used, but I have since refined it, as well as created programs to where I can easily create them for other products. I also plan to integrate Gint-A-Cuffs scoring before next year.

All of this leads me to my most important contribution: The Liquorfractor. Never underestimate the reader. I made one small mention that the cognac parallels should be called liquorfractors. The response was amazing. For the second straight year, Dayf was key in helping me get my contribution out there. That's why he is one of the best. Of course, the best interpretation was by Punk Rock Paint. Two of my four contributions involve liquor. That's a win in my book.

The highlight of the year for me, though, was pulling the Joe DiMaggio Yankee Stadium Legacy Jersey Relic. It was an awesome card that unfortunately I had to sell. It wasn't all sad, though. I used the money from selling it to buy a faucet for my bathroom renovation, the P90X DVD set, and a complete set of 2006 Allen & Ginter, among other things.

All in all it was a great year with My Cardboard Mistress. Thanks to everyone who helped make it possible. I'll try not to post too much unreadable crap in 2012.

A Christmas Vick...

2011-12-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know, mentioning Michael Vick around Christmas is a little iffy, but trust me, it fits. My wife and I were at my parents' house helping them decorate the tree when a familiar box was pulled out. It was the box for my Michael Vick Hallmark Ornament, from the Falcons years. The box was empty because I had taken the ornament to college. After the dogfighting trial, I jokingly tied a noose around it and hung it from the fridge. Yeah, I know...you can't mention a noose because Vick is black and it would be a surefire way to be labeled a racist. It was more a creation of idle minds in college as my roommate was trying to learn how to tie a noose, and finally learned right around the time I brought the ornament from home. Anyway, the story has a happy ending: at some point, the ornament was knocked off the fridge and the leg broke off.

Don't you love how you can't mention a noose with Vick since he is black, but you can mention breaking his leg because he killed dogs! But, I'll keep the social commentary to a minimum. After all, I am a fan of Vick's comeback. I'll briefly describe my mentality with this tidbit: You have to take the bad with the good, and don't ever be afraid to laugh.

Back to the ornament. When I saw the ornament box, it kind of made me sad that I don't have the ornament anymore. In a fortunate turn of events, there was a card in the box:

It's a hair smaller than 2.5"x3.5", but it's close enough. I've added it to my VT binder.

Speaking of laughs, how hilarious is this eBay listing.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T17:01:00.002-05:00

Hopefully your day is full of green and red.

Somehow, I haven't been able to get the /75 versions for reasonable prices, despite getting the /50s for cheap. Weird.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Early Christmas presents: the final trade post of 2011

2011-12-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

Gotta acknowledge the trade cards I've received in the past couple of days before the hustle and bustle of Christmas celebrations and New Year's parties.

First, Derek of Tomahawk Chopping sent me a couple cards as a thank you for the group break:

Macho Harris is a stud. I got so little GQ this year, that I'm really happy to get that BJ (teeheehee)

Next up, Rhubarb Runner sent me a bunch of Colorado Rockies.

Wait...what? Ok, so Michael Cuddyer was a Twin for all of these cards, but he's a Rockie now.

I went through the process of figuring out that Cuddyer just signed his 2004 Topps card for a fan before coming across this post. Oh well.

Lastly, some cards of the smaller persuasion. What an awesome package.

The last trade package came in a Christmas card from Colbey of Cardboard Collections (hooray for alliteration). Inside were these:

And there was one card that I absolutely love:

Just look at the Die Cut edge. That is fan-freakin-tastic. I showed this card to my wife (which usually doesn't get the reaction I hope for) and she said, "oh, is that supposed to be like his career going up in flames?" Oh well.

Thanks, Derek, David, and Colbey!

Cardmas Carols Riddle #10

2011-12-24T12:01:00.001-05:00

How this works: The image shown represents a cardmas carol. A cardmas carol shares the name of a christmas carol, but may be slightly modified.

For example: If I show a card that has David Ortiz kissing Santa Claus, the answer would be "I Saw Papi Kissing Santa Claus". If I show two cards of Jay Bell and George Bell, and they are both silver, the answer would be "Silver Bells". Get it, got it, good.

This is the last one. Play at the Plate, feel free to jack this image for your blog. It turned out better than I thought it would.

On the Twelfth Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

12 WTF Packs,

11 Circus Circles,
10 Filthy Falcons,
9 Football Flurries,
8 Diamond Doubles,
7 Tebows Tebowing,
6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

Why not finish strong with a bunch of random crap.

Topps X Files Season 2, The Mask, 2009 Donruss Americana, 1990 UD Looney Tunes (x2), 1990 Action Packed All Madden Team, 1991 All World CFL (x3), 2010 UD Soccer (x3).

Never watched The X-Files. These cards don't make me regret that decision.

Jim Carrey in the Mask: fantastic. These cards: no fantastic. They somewhat have the feel of photos taken with a late '80s camera by your uncle at Christmas.

I got excited at first, because I thought the guy in the middle of the top row was Hootie. It was not.

I understood these when I was a kid. I terribly confused, now.

These cards are so weird. They aren't just one square piece of cardboard. They're like rounded-edge cardboard folded on top of itself. At least Aikman was good.

These are a prime example of facial expressions gone right and wrong. The first is a great action shot of goalie concentration. I love it. The second is of a guy who appears to be having a "happy moment" down below. I'm glad this is a horizontal card.

Ah, the super draft. It's like a draft, only super, and with scarves.

...and the only redeeming quality of these cards: women. Marta was the FIFA POY 2006-2010. That's insane.

Hey, Warren Moon, I know that name. I'm guessing Reggie Barnes didn't make the NFL because his helmet was too small. The real draw of this set is Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. They went nuts for this guy.

Well, after that Casey Kotchman relic on the 11th Day of Christmas, I told you it was going downhill. I think we have reached the bottom. But hey, at least it's almost Christmas!

Cardmas Carols Riddle #9

2011-12-23T12:01:00.000-05:00

On the Eleventh Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

11 Circus Circles,

10 Filthy Falcons,
9 Football Flurries,
8 Diamond Doubles,
7 Tebows Tebowing,
6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

I happened upon a blaster of 2008 Topps Series 2 at K-Mart. As a matter of fact, I happen upon several. They were all of the 5 packs plus some bonus rookie card pack variety. They were originally $10, but marked down to $5.99. I noticed that one looked different. It was actually a full-fledged $20 blaster with 10 packs and a relic. A trip to the scanny thing revealed that it was in fact, also marked $5.99. Score one for the home team. Unlike the Bowman football on the 10th day of Cardmas, I'm including the relic in the pack count, bringing it to 11.

As for the Circus Circles part, you'll need to see here. Night Owl has spoken, and so it shall be.

Yeah, that's right. The only base cards I scanned were managers. I'm a rebel.
Before ToppsTown was an annoying insert that counted against the cards-per-pack, it was simply a filler card. However, Topps put premier technology into these. You see, they expired February 1, 2009, and apparently Topps printed them with time-sensitive disappearing ink.

Creative.

Wow, Russ Martin, Mickey Mantle, and some Presidents. Yep, this is definitely a 2000s Topps product.

That's a sweet looking David Wright, but I already had a couple of them. Anyone notice how Carl Crawford cards were fun to pull until he went to the Red Sox. Now it's just sad.

And the big hit of the blaster...

wait for it...

it's coming...

WHOMP whomp. Sorry. Everyone that gets a huge hit makes you wait for it with a ton of ellipses (for you dumb people, those would be three-dots-es). I figured I would do it for a very underwhelming hit. Any Casey Kotchman collectors out there? Anyone? Bueller? (tell me that isn't one of the most over used blog phrases. The "Question? Anyone? Bueller?" format is a goto phrasing, kinda like when players that f*** s*** up say, "it is what it is". )

Casey Kotchman on the 11 Day of Cardmas? Man, this thing is going downhill in a hurry.

Cardmas Carols Riddle #8

2011-12-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

How this works: The image shown represents a cardmas carol. A cardmas carol shares the name of a christmas carol, but may be slightly modified.

For example: If I show a card that has David Ortiz kissing Santa Claus, the answer would be "I Saw Papi Kissing Santa Claus". If I show two cards of Jay Bell and George Bell, and they are both silver, the answer would be "Silver Bells". Get it, got it, good.

On the Tenth Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-21T17:01:00.002-05:00

10 Filthy Falcons,

9 Football Flurries,
8 Diamond Doubles,
7 Tebows Tebowing,
6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

It pains me to post Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan is the first non-UVA player on my list of hated football players (behind every player to ever play at UVA, of course). Why do I hate him so bad? I was in the freezing rain when he scored 2 touchdowns in 2 minutes to come from behind against VT. He then went to to Falcons, who I had just abandoned after the Vick mess and the subsequent releasing of Alge Crumpler, Warrick Dunn, and DeAngelo Hall. Even more, he is incredibly likeable and talented. Yuck.

Oh well. These 10 packs (3 retail, 7 blaster) of Bowman should be good to me since 2008 was a good year for VT rookies.

The base veterans are red.

The base RCs are blue. The Mendenhall is a decent RC.

Jordy Nelson is a beast, but apparently he is underestimated because he is white. Reggie Corner should be the name of every cornerback in the league.

The base coach cards are green. Dude just got canned.

Gold cards are thicker, which makes me happy when scanning. The press together perfectly.

Chrome cards do not press together well. They curl and shift and suck.

2008 Bowman Blue Jaymar Johnson #500/500 eBay 1/1 Last one made Vikings Cardinals

...at least that's how it would be listed on eBay these days. Gotta admit, the 500/500 numbering looks pretty sweet. That's my first last-of-the-print-run card.

The blaster also had a rookie relic card. I was hoping for Eddie Royal, but it was not to be:

Devin Thomas, currently on the Giants, has 1 reception this year.

Hooray, no Matt Ryans!!! ....and, I got some Hokies:

Cardmas Carols Riddle #7

2011-12-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

On the Ninth Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-20T17:01:00.000-05:00

9 Football Flurries,

8 Diamond Doubles,
7 Tebows Tebowing,
6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

2011 Press Pass, 2011 Rising Rookies, 2011 UD, 2009 SP (x2), 2009 Chrome, 2011 Platinum (x2), 2009 SP Threads.

Cammy Cam Cam!!!

Torrey Smith has done quite well this year. I still don't understand what the Vikings were thinking when they drafted Ponder. He was mediocre in college and didn't have much upside other than he's a smart kid.

Not really impressed with these cards. That's probably why I only bought one pack.

This insert is pretty cool, though.

I've had this pack for several months now, and I still don't know if I like any of the cards.

Nothing crazy good, but a couple of WVU alums for my mentor.

A Lendale White National Chicle and a Tom Brady Xfractor are pretty nice for a single pack.

How scary-huge are Calvin Johnson's hands? You can barely tell there's a football in there.

Each pack had an xfractor, which are really nice looking. Kerrigan has been tearing it up this year.

The best card in all the packs is a die cut Reggie Wayne, though the scan sucks. Reggie desperately needs Peyton to come back.

Cardmas Carols Riddle #6

2011-12-20T12:01:00.001-05:00

On the Eighth Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

8 Diamond Doubles,

7 Tebows Tebowing,
6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

Double Doses of 2010 Upper Deck, 2008 Upper Deck X, 2009 Topps Update Hobby, and 2003 Topps Series 2 Hobby.

They sure didn't want a whole lot of Weaver in that picture.

Wade Davis hot pack! Finally! Just kidding. That's probably the least boring Portraits insert I've seen.

I don't know why, but I keep buying UDX. I'm at the point where the chances of hitting my want list are so slim, that I'm really just dumping dough down the drain (say that 5 times fast). That Red Ruffing YSL card is pretty interesting. Apparently the Yankees hit a grand slam, scored a touchdown and made a two-point conversion, while the Browns could only muster a touchdown and a two-RBI double. The Browns were so ashamed that they became the Ravens. Eventually someone said, "screw that and screw the Yankees!" and recreated the Browns. Don't you just love sports history.

I'm glad Johnny knelt down to be in the picture. It's good to know that somebody knows how to frame a picture, after the catastrophe of Jered Weaver above. Also of note: Swishers haircut + Damon's no facial hair + whatever the hell they are doing = Topps failure.

Wait, Topps packs with no inserts? Man, these must be vintage. These were literally the best 6 cards in the two packs. I've bought a whopping 4 packs of 2003 Topps in my lifetime, and I have two of the Olerud Gold Glove. I'm ok with that. Olerud is a stud and that card is sweet. That Tim Spooneybarger looked like a Josh Johnson when I first saw it, only it's a little more druggy.

And just like that, we're 2/3 of the way through the song. I hope you've been singing along.

Cardmas Carols Riddle #5

2011-12-19T12:01:00.001-05:00

How this works: The image shown represents a cardmas carol. A cardmas carol shares the name of a christmas carol, but may be slightly modified.

For example: If I show a card that has David Ortiz kissing Santa Claus, the answer would be "I Saw Papi Kissing Santa Claus". If I show two cards of Jay Bell and George Bell, and they are both silver, the answer would be "Silver Bells". Get it, got it, good.

I might argue that my airburshing on a '90 Fleer is as good as Fleers.

On the Seventh Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave To Me...

2011-12-18T17:01:00.001-05:00

7 Tebows Tebowing,

6 Drafty Crabtrees,
5 Colored Rings,
4 Hopping Hoopsters,
3 Boring Bowmans,
2 Chromey Footballs,
And A Value Pack of Topps Chrome.

7 packs of 2010 Press Pass. To be fair, the two red ones are Sam Bradford. But, who cares about him, Tebow is the only football entity that matters. Yes, entity. He is beyond a player. At least, that's how it seems these days.

No Tebows. Boo.

TEBOW!!! Look at him there all sexy like. Te-licious. How bad is the Big East? So bad that they had to choose Danario Alexander of Missouri for the All-Big East team. At least, that's what Press Pass would have you think. For those of you who are boring lifeless souls that don't follow college football, the joke is that Missouri is not in the Big East. There, you made me kill the fun for everyone else because you don't watch college football...thanks, much appreciated.

Banner Season inserts. Let's do a little sanity check.

Jahvid Best's Banner Season, according to the back, was in his sophomore year. He ran for 1500+ yards, ok. What banner did he raise? 2008 Emerald Bowl Champion. Awesome, let's design all insert sets around a random previous season where the team won the Emerald Bowl.

As for Ryan Mathews, they at least chose the most recent year, 2009, and highlighted his 1800 yards, which is impressive. What banner did he raise? Runner-up in the New Mexico Bowl. Sweet. But, tell me this...where do they hang the banner? Last time I checked, outdoor college football stadiums don't have rafters. Weird.

Each pack has a blue foil parallel, where all the silver foil has been made blue, hence blue foil parallel.

TEBOWGASM!!! I got the blue parallels of the base, Heisman, and Maxwell cards. And he's wearing the blue jersey in each one. Holy Teblue! What are the chances!!!

I Tebowed in my car when I saw these. Total book value (aka irrelevant arbitrary number) of the blues: $18 That's insane.

Everything is for trade...especially the ~~mancrushes~~ Tebows. I've seen a lot of people say that they're collecting Tebow, so I doubt these will stay long.

Cardmas Carols Riddle #4

2011-12-18T12:01:00.000-05:00