Old School Breaks Group Break Bounty

I was lucky enough to participate in Old School Breaks' most recent group break that included eight hobby boxes from 2001-2004. For a very reasonable price I was able to nab all the Mariners and Reds from the boxes (in hopes of Griffeys of course) and came away with a great haul. The whole experience was quite fun as I felt like a kid on Christmas eve waiting for each box to be busted. Thanks for putting the break together John, I know it took a ton of work. Here's a gander at some of my favorite cards from the break:

2004 Donruss Studio Ichiro: I've always liked Studio and this is one of my favorite sets of the brand. The Seattle skyline looks great behind the skilled batsman simply known as "Ichiro".

2003 Studio Stars Ken Griffey Jr: Though it's difficult to tell from the scan this Griffey card is shaped like a driver's licence with the rounded corners. I'm planning on using this as my ID from now on; it should get me some great tables at restaurants--no more waiting with the common folk.

2002 Fleer Showcase Ichiro Avant Card: This might just be the coolest Ichiro card I've seen in a long time. Avant Cards were inserted one in 12 packs and feature a painting-like texture not unlike what would be seen a few years later in Playoff Portraits. A very nice addition to my ever growing Ichiro collection.

2002 Topps Gold Label Ken Griffey Jr: Topps Gold Label was one of those sets that I never opened much of, yet always enjoy when I get in a group break or a trade. The shine looks much better in person and I really like the photo of Junior they chose.

2003 Donruss Elite Randy Johnson Throwback Threads Game-Used Hat #72/250: This card alone made the break worthwhile for me. There have been very few hat cards produced and this particular one happens to feature one of my favorite Mariners. Best of all, the back of the card features the actual hat from which the swatches were taken, why don't card companies do that any more? I'm excited that Seattle is having the Big Unit throw out the first pitch in 2010, hopefully they can talk him out of retirement.

Thanks again for a fun group break John! Let me know if/when you're planning on having another and let me know what team/players you collect so I can send you a proper thank you.

Spoils of the Spoiled: 2007 Ultimate Collection

I just received my cards yesterday from the group break of 2007 Ultimate Collection over at Saints of the Cheap Seats, and I have got to say, they are some darn good looking cards. I was pretty fortunate with my break to pull an autograph and a patch from a product I couldn't otherwise afford. The whole experience was equal parts nerve wracking and fun, and I hope to join another one soon. Thanks again to Dan at SotCS for putting the whole thing together, I'm sure it took a substantial amount of work. Now, let's get to the goodies:

Matt Cain "America's Pastime" Autograph: This is a beautiful card of one of the game's rising pitching stars. Believe it or not, Cain is actually younger than teammate Tim Lincecum, and as of now, has not been caught with any "grass" on/in his uniform/car. While the autograph is on a sticker, the card is well designed around it, something I wish would be done with all sticker autos.

Jim Thome "America's Pastime" Game-Used Patch #30/50: In the words of that incredibly annoying guy from those Pizza Hut commercials, JACKPOT! I don't have many patch cards in my collection so I was thrilled to pull one of a future Hall-of-Famer. Thome has always been a class act, and is one of a few sluggers from this era that I consider to be legitimate. Although he is featured in his White Sox uniform, it looks like the swatch comes from a Cleveland Indians uniform. Regardless, this is one sweet card and certainly made the group break experience a winning one for me.

As much as I like both of these cards, I don't love them, and would be thrilled if they found a happy home. I will entertain trade offers for both cards, just send me an email to budbareither@gmail.com and we will try and work out a swap. Thanks again to Dan for putting this together, it was a blast.