Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Topps......Phoning it in (again)

Since Topps now has a monopoly on baseball cards, my collecting choices have really diminished.  I no longer have the opportunity to collect sets from Upper Deck, Fleer, and Donruss (listed in reverse order of their demise).

As it was, I was only collecting Topps flagship brand for the past several years.  I had given thought to collecting Heritage when it first came out, but the short prints killed that idea.  The same for Gypsy Queen, although I am putting together Yankee team sets from that and Opening Day (blue numbered version).  So what else could I collect?

I had been shying away from player collections due to the 1/1's etc.  But I started collections for Ron Guidry and Graig Nettles back in the late 70's (yes, I'm that old).  I kind of let them fall by the wayside, as my other collecting interests were keeping me busy.  But now that I'm down to one set a year, I've decided to re-ignite the player collections and add two additional players, Paul O'Neill and Tino Martinez.  Which leads me to the title of this post.

I've been buying some recent Paul O'Neill game used and autos.  I have an ebay search for his cards.  The other day I noticed something interesting.  Look,


2011 Tier one, now look

2011 Lineage 1975 mini, and once more

2011 Lineage regular issue.

While looking at my search results, I just happened to notice the similarities in these cards.  Upon closer inspection, it is the same picture, cropped differently for each card.  Now, I know some of the older collectors know of Topps chicanery.  But maybe some of the young ones don't.

So for you young'uns, look at this scan


These are the reprints that Topps issued several years ago.  Pretty obvious what's going on here, jumps right out at you. 1965 and 1968, 1966 and 1969.  It's kind of funny, because when I was putting this set together back in 199?, I thought I had 2 sets of the same cards.  Only when I placed the cards in the 9-pocket did I realize what was going on.

Monopoly in the 60's, monopoly now.  Phoning it in, it's easier than being creative.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ebay pick up and a list

Found some time for another post.  Just wanted to show my latest ebay purchase, nothing fancy, but I really like it.



The scan doesn't really do this justice.  The frame is a really nice shade of blue and it also has almost a metallic sparkle to it.  I will try to collect the entire Yankee team set of these.

I only bought one pack of GQ last year. I would have considered putting the set together except for the dreaded SP's.  As soon as I read that the set had SP's, it was out of consideration.  I should really be thanking Topps for saving me so much money over the last several years.

When Heritage was first produced, I considered it, until....  The same with GQ last and this year.  I've also stopped putting sets together for my kids, same reason.

Anyway, I bought a blaster and all the cards listed are for trade, check my lists for wants.  Happy hunting!


Auto - DELGADO, R.  (BRAVES)

MINI: REGULAR - 45  113 231 305 315 346
           GYPSY -  104
            BLACK  - 279
            STRAIGHT CUT - 43 239

FUTURE STARS - CK  EH  JH

GLOVE STORIES - BR

HALLMARK HEROES - EB BG* LG*

MOONSHOTS - AP

SLIDING STARS - CG

REGULAR CARDS - 4  9  19  24  38  46  47  64  81  109
               137 143 172 176 186 187 188 195 197 198
200 206 224 228 229 238 238x2 249 252x2
263x2 265 280x2 286 288(CJ)

* - DINGED


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Oh where oh where has my little snob gone...

Oh where, oh where can he be?

I didn't want to start a post with, "I've been a bad blogger."  I've seen too many of them lately.  Even though I have been a bad blogger.  Like most of us, I've been busy.  Mostly reading other people's blogs, but I've also been attending my son's little league games, and working horrendous hours, etc. etc.

Reading other people's blogs often gives me ideas for my own.  Or I will see a post and admonish myself for not writing basically the same post earlier.  This is one of those times.

Dayf over at Cardboard Junkie, recently wrote a post lamenting the fact, well maybe not lamenting, that he finished his 1970 Braves set, twice.  He recently acquired a card that he already had in his collection but didn't realize it.  I'm sure we've all done that from time to time, I know I have done it already, several times.

So, for the past few weeks, I've been updating my want lists.  You never really appreciate your want lists until you have to revise them.  Here is what a typical want list of mine looks like,





This list is for my 2006 Yankee team sets.  It's relatively straight forward.  Brand, card number, name or initials of player.  A black dot in front of the number means I have the card.  A X in front of the card means, even though the checklist stated the card was a Yankee, they are not pictured in a Yankee uniform.  This mostly occurs with game used cards.  One exception is 2006 Upper Deck #295, Miguel Cairo.  He is listed on Upper Deck's checklist as a Yankee, the front of the card says Yankees, but he is pictured in a Mets uniform.

The X in front of a game used card, usually signifies that the swatch on the card does not match the uniform that the player is pictured.  There is a lot of that in 2006 Upper Deck.

I keep these lists in a 3-ring binder for easy reference.  I also have the lists on line here.  Please check them out.  I'd like to complete some of these Yankee sets as well, as my regular set wants.  My regular set wantlists go straight to the website, no paper copies.

I usually compile my checklist information off the web.  Sometimes at the manufacturer's sites other times at
Baseballcardpedia or The Trading Card Database.  Sometimes even Ebay can be a help.  My biggest gripe with checklists from the manufacturer's is that they are often incomplete.  On the bottom, at the middle of the 2006 want list page are several Topps cards, added onto the list after the fact.  These are Wal-mart inserts that I don't think were ever listed on Topps webpage.  This is only one checklist related problem, not listing all the inserts from all the various retail markets.

The other checklist problem is listing what I call phantom cards.  On the 2006 Bazooka list, you will see under the Bazooka Rewind inserts, the name Thompson.  That's Kevin, not Bobby.   From the original checklist, that card of Kevin Thompson was listed.  I have never seen one, and I've had an Ebay daily search for that card for several years.  I don't believe that it exists.  Another 2006 Bazooka collector I spoke with thinks the same.

I know that checklists change or are subject to change.  But if you do change the checklist, up date your website.  No collector wants to see a repeat of the 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie.  For you younger collectors out there, here is the story.  In 1933, Goudey issued what is considered a landmark set, by today's and probably 1930"s standards.  The 1933 checklist included Lajoie, the problem was that the card was never issued in 1933.  What a great way to get people to buy your product (sarcasm meter at ultra high).  Tell them a particular card will be in the set, then, don't issue it, and don't tell anyone that you didn't issue it.  Here is an article that covers the history of the card and a little about Nap Lajoe, click me.  At least if you mailed Goudey a letter they would send you the card.  I wonder if this could be considered the first redemption card.

Monday, May 7, 2012

What type of collector are you?

This is just a quickie post.  I was updating my bookmarks, and stopped at this page. Sportscardblog. His current post deals with collector personalities.  There is a link to take a personality test. I took the test and the results, although interesting are not surprising.  It is a much better analysis than one of my earlier posts.  I heartily recommend it.  After you've completed it, come back and let me know your personality type.