Monday, March 21, 2011

Card of the Week: 2010 Bowman Draft Stephen Strasburg RC Auto Variation #62/99

This card is my first and likely last foray into the world of Strasmania. I bought this card as redemption a few months ago in the hopes that the live card would be shortprinted. Sure enough, only 99 of the variation autos were produced, and demand spiked markedly after the announcement. I was thrilled when I heard the announcement, as I would be in possession of Strasburg's most rare rookies, but much less so when the card showed up in hand. Some people complained about the design of the card (including Strasburg's haircut) but that's really not what bothered me about this card. What bothered me is that card that came directly from Topps could show up in such crummy condition. Not only is the centering atrocious (70/30 on the front and 80/20 on the back) but the surface shows numerous dimples, scratches and other imperfections. I understand how a card can be damaged in the packing out process (not that I'm absolving Topps for their crappy QC) but a card that is sent directly to me...that's just inexcusable. I was hoping to save this card until Strasburg returned in September or next season but I was so disheartened by the condition of the card that I just sold it on eBay and used the profits to buy a nice Ken Griffey Jr. card (stay tuned for that) from Upper Deck. Thanks again Topps. This monopoly is working out well for everyone.

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