Card of the Week: 2004 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Super Patch Name Plate SP/15

I won this beauty in a hotly contested auction on eBay last week and couldn't wait to show it off. There's quite a few nice Griffey patches on eBay, but the majority of them are set at ridiculously high Buy It Nows, so I wasn't about to let this one get away when it came up for auction. The super patches from 2004 Upper Deck fell at 1:7,500 packs and this particular card is short printed to just 15 copies. Needless to say, it will be a centerpiece of my Griffey collection for a long time, and is a card that I hope to one day pass on to Bud Jr. Thanks for looking!

Stay tuned for another great Griffey pick-up coming soon!

Card of the Week: 2008 UD Heroes Ken Griffey Jr. Jersey Logo Patch #24/25 (Shamwow!!)

Trying to say anything about this card is worthless. It's beyond description...but feel free to tell me how cool it is.

Box Break: 2003 Flair Hobby (Reds Hot)

I bought this box about a month ago with my Gint-a-Cuffs entry and after seeing the results from that break, it's not hard to believe that this one was slightly better. Despite the fact that 2003 Flair is nearly devoid of anything other than "hits" it's a fun and affordable break that I would highly recommend. Here's the loot:

Mike Piazza Diamond Cuts Jersey: This is the second Mike Piazza jersey card I've pulled from a box of Flair, and yes, it still looks like he's smelling a fart in the picture. I used to like Piazza in the late-90's before he returned a TTM request with a bent card. Never again Mike, never again.

Pat Burrell Diamond Cuts Jersey: Is there any player who is more just there than Pat Burrell. He's not bad, he's not good and no one seems to care much about him either way. Would a Phillies fan even want this card? Let me know...


Adam Dunn/Austin Kearns Dual Power Tools Bat #175/200: I wish a Reds' fan had purchased this box, especially for this hit and the next one in line. I've always like Adam Dunn, and he's incredibly consistent, but Austin Kearns doesn't do much for me (especially since he's with the Yankees now). Not a bad card though; bat slices are always nice.

Austin Kearns Wave of the Future Patch #8/100: Alright, I just mentioned that I don't much care for Austin Kearns, but I do really like this card. This beauty is only the second patch card I've ever pulled from a pack and it looks great in person. I would prefer to keep it, but if a Reds' fan would rather have it, shoot me an email.

Vladimir Guerrero Jumbo Sweet Swatch Jersey #44/46: The curse is broken! Alright, it wasn't really a curse, but both the previous boxes of Flair I opened contained Pedro Martinez jumbo jersey swatches numbered to 10,000. Although I was hoping for a jumbo patch, a low numbered card of one of the game's best sluggers (and the Mariners' most hated rivals) isn't a bad consolation prize.

Overall Thoughts: Cheap. Fun. Action packed. End o' story.

Retail Topps Football Continues to Play the "Hits"

I don't buy football or basketball cards often but occasionally I get tired of whatever baseball offerings are at my local retailers and I try and branch out to other sports (even hockey when I'm really desperate). I read on the Blowout Cards forums that Topps Sterling retail had been providing some pretty nice hits (especially for retail) so I thought I would try my luck with a few packs. I didn't get much of note out of the first few but the last pack yielded the beauty you see on the left: a Juaquin Iglesias 3-color patch autograph RC #322/350. I realize he's not a star (he didn't even play a game last season) but gosh that's a pretty card. It's probably the nicest looking patch I've ever pulled from a pack (not difficult considering that I've only pulled two) and I think I'll hang onto it and see if Iglesias breaks out next season; he was a very good receiver at Oklahoma. Sometimes trying new things pays off...it sure did this time.

If there are any Chicago fans interested in this card you can e-mail me to work out a deal. I'd like it to find a good home rather than selling it on fleabay.

Card of the Week: 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ken Griffey Jr. Jersey Patch #93/99

The first game-used patch in my Ken Griffey Jr. collection, this beauty comes from 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection and features a nice three-color swatch. In my opinion, '03 Ultimate Collection has some of the best memorabilia card designs of the decade, with large swatches and a clean format that accentuates the game-used jersey or patch. This three-color patch likely comes from Griffey's nameplate or possibly the Reds logo but looks great either way and is numbered just #93/99. One of the centerpieces of my Griffey collection, I hope to be able to add a Mariners patch card to display alongside this someday, but they aren't cheap or easy to find. I'll keep you updated as the hunt to collect every piece of Junior's memorabilia continues...