Bunch O' Bowman Platinum (Shiny Goodness)

I won't say exactly how much money I've spent on the retail variety of 2010 Bowman Platinum but I've been well rewarded with plenty of shine and some on-card autos of up-and-coming stars. This is an extremely feast or famine product with some blasters containing absolutely nothing but base while other blasters produce an autograph and an auto/jersey. It's a fun break but the time to buy is now as Topps generally front loads blasters to build up buzz only to send out duds later on. I bought my brother a blaster for Christmas and he pulled a Jonathan Singleton autograph (the best in the set, selling for over $40 on eBay) and I didn't do too bad with my breaks either. Here's the goods:

J.P Arencibia RC Refractor #/999

Steven Hensley #25/99

Mike Trout Purple Refractor

Jake McGee Refractor Auto

Jiovanni Mier Blue Refractor #77/99

Bowman: A Colorful Cure for a Case of the Fridays

In an earlier post I said I wasn't going buy anymore 2010 Bowman Chrome but for just $8.99 those value packs are tough to say no to. I'm glad I caved--this one turned out pretty well:

Armando Rodriguez Green X-Fractor RC

Graham Stoneburner Green X-Fractor RC

Bryan Mitchell Purple Refractor RC #/899

Matt Davidson Green X-Fractor RC

Aroldis Chapman Purple Refractor #876/899

Thanks for the look! None of the cards are for trade right now.

Pack Attack: 2010 Bowman Chrome Valu-Pak

Against my better judgment I grabbed a value pack of 2010 Bowman Chrome (3 packs plus 3 green xfractors) and another lone pack for a look at the retail exclusive green xfractors. They look great, but the rest of the cards leave something to be desired. Out of four packs I didn't pull another refractor, even of a veteran, and the odds on this product are astronomical. With Stras-mania in a full-blown recession, this product is going to bottom out in a hurry. I think I'll stick to singles from here on out. Let me know if you see anything you like. Thanks!

Pack Attack: 2010 Topps Chrome Baseball Valupak

Pack Attack: 2010 Donruss Classics Hobby (x9)

I was out of town for work the other day and happened to find a small card shop in a strip mall. There wasn't a great selection of next wax (not a single baseball product I liked) but I couldn't resist a rare chance to open some hobby packs. After some deliberation, I settled on half a box of 2010 Donruss Classics Football. Here's what I pulled:

Mike Alstott Legends Timeless Tribute Gold #6/50: Alstott was one of my favorite players growing up; his combination of power and speed made him one of the few fullbacks in football who got more than a few carries a game. I always made sure to trade for him in franchise mode on Madden. Donruss/Panini has ruined the serial number, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy pulling something "limited" to less than 100.

Chad Ocho Cinco Dress Code Jersey #223/299: I still laugh every time I see the name Ocho Cinco on a football card, so I was delighted to pull a jersey card of ole number 85, even if Panini has no idea how to design a jersey card.

Tom Brady Sunday's Best Jersey #90/150: I know I'm supposed to hate Tom Brady because he's basically the Derek Jeter of football, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Hopefully I can trade this for a nice Mark Sanchez jersey card.

Overall Thoughts: I didn't do awful for 9 packs (I also pulled an Anthony McCoy RC #/999, and Eddie George Legend #/999 and a Antonio Gates Dress Code #/100) but I don't think I would consider buying classics again anytime soon. Panini has started to improve as a card manufacturer, but not to the level where I would invest in a whole box. Let me know if you are interested in any of the cards. Thanks for looking!

Pack Attack: 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition (x12)

I stopped by a small card shop while I was visiting some friends out of town last week. The store didn't have the greatest selection but the owner was very friendly and I was happy to spend some money on baseball cards at a place other than Target or Shopko. I cleaned out a box of 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition hoping to pull a Mike Stanton, Gordon Beckham or Buster Posey. While I didn't get any of the big names, I was happy to pull a couple of inserts and autographs. Here's what I pulled:

Andrew Liebel Gold Status Die-Cut #7/25: This is a phenomenal looking card in person; shiny, die-cut and a low serial number--who could ask for more? Okay, well maybe a good player would have been better. Liebel was a third round pick of the Blue Jays in 2008 but has struggled so far in the minors and is currently mired in Single A. I guess I'm just not meant to be a prospector...I want instant gratification. Blame the culture for that, it's not my fault.

Cody Satterwhite Aspirations Parallel #46/150: Satterwhite was a second round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2008 and had a decent showing at Double-A last season, going 4-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 52 K's in 49 innings. I'm not really sure what the pattern for these die-cuts is but I know it's very heroine chic...or avant garde...or something.

Jacob Jefferies Rookie Auto #555/819: Jake Jefferies isn't exactly John Jaso Jr. (so many J's!!!) at this point in his minor league career. The Tampa Bay Rays former third round pick is hitting just .222 with no home runs and only 8 RBI's so far in 2010. I would be happy to send this one your way if you want it Mr. Troll.

Juan Francisco Rookie Auto #1487/1495: Francisco is a legitimate power prospect for the Cincinnati Reds coming off a season between Double-A and Triple-A in which he hit a combined .295-27 HR's-93 RBI's. He's only 22 (we think) so hopefully he pans out and these packs won't prove to be a total bust...not that it would ever stop me from buying more cards.

Pack Attack: 2009 Bowman Draft Picks (Retail Hit)

Although I've had pretty good luck with 2009 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects of the hobby variety it's retail counterpart has provided me nothing but heartache. I had sworn off the product altogether after pulling nothing of substance, but on a recent trip to Target I discovered just enough cash in my wallet for one pack, and went back to the well one last time hoping for a miracle. The box had about half of the packs remaining so I figured if there was anything inside at one time, it was long gone. I opened the pack in my car (not while driving) with zero expectations, so I was quite pleased when I saw this (in addition to a Mat Latos refractor):

Buster Posey Prospect Auto: The Giants' young catcher is tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A and this card is actually more valuable than most of the chrome rookie autos in the set. Although I don't buy cards to make money, it's nice to come out ahead once and a while. This baby is up on eBay as we speak to keep my habit alive.

Pack Attack: The Strangest Pack I Ever Opened

As I alluded to in my last post I used to spend the majority of my earnings as a teenager on 12 pack/$9.99 re-pack boxes from Target, Shopko or K-Mart. It's not much of a stretch to say that the cards from these boxes compose around 20-25% of my total collection--an amazing number when you consider that I haven't bought one in years (the quality has really gone downhill). I pulled quite a few hits from these boxes, including the Randy Johnson previously showcased, but I'm not quite sure what to call the strange card I pulled from one very unusual pack of 2003 Bowman Heritage.

The pack was supposed to contain eight cards total and it did contain eight Bowman Heritage cards (2 Roberto Clementes, Willy Mays, Jason Giambi, Sean Rodriguez RC, Arnie Munoz Signature Parallel, Brandon Webb RC and Eric Chavez). From a Bowman Heritage standpoint, I was pretty happy with this pack...problem is, it also contained one 2002 UD 40-Man Jorge Sosa.

It's not the first time I ever pulled an extra card in a pack, but it certainly was the first time I pulled an Upper Deck card from a Topps product. I've actually still got the cards in the original wrapped in a drawer, and although there is no way to prove this actually happened, it did make me a little wary about purchasing repackaged products.

Any else ever run into a situation like this?

One of these things is not like the others...

Pack Attack: 2008 Topps Chrome Retail (x22)

I stopped by the baseball card alcove in Shopko the other day and was greeted with a very friendly sight---a box full of half-price 2008 Topps Chrome! Being a sucker for anything shiny I grabbed all 22 packs and raced home top bust 'em open. While I didn't pull anything major like an autograph, I was very happy with my results overall, especially since there was a total of 33 inserts in the 22 packs. Here's what I got:

Notable Base Cards: Ichiro and Evan Longoria RC

Base Refractors (7): Matt Holliday, Aramis Ramirez, Bobby Crosby, Torii Hunter, Brian Bannister, Troy Glaus and Cole Hamels

Base X-Fractors (6): Fausto Carmona, Dice-K, Dustin Pedroia, Matt Kemp, Jo-Jo Reyes and Denard Span RC

Blue Refractors (5): Ryan Theriot RC, Clete Thomas RC, Hunter Pence, Hanley Ramirez and Eugenio Velez RC

Copper Refractors (3): Livan Hernandez #160/599, Joe Blanton #525/599 and Justin Verlander #599/599!!

Trading Card History Inserts (7): Jake Peavy '53 Topps, Alfonso Soriano '58 Hires Root Beer, Justin Upton '62 Topps, Hanley Ramirez '16 M101-4, Brandon Webb '27 W575-2, Troy Tulowitzki '52 Bowman and Ichiro Japanese Baseball Card

Mickey Mantle HR History (1): Homerun #480

Topps All-Rookie Team Insert (1): Manny Ramirez

Topps Heritage Chrome (2): Joey Votto RC #1415/1959 and Tadahito Iguchi #504/1959

Topps Heritage Chrome Refractor (1): Jason Bay #340/559

My favorites from the break have to be the Ichiro and Justin Verlander Copper Refractor #599/599. I was happy to pull an Evan Longoria RC even if it was just the base version. A bit surprised by the Topps Heritage Chrome cards but they were listed on the back of the pack so they must have been some sloppy seconds from Topps. Let me know if you wanted anything listed and we can work out a deal. Thanks for stopping by!

Pack Attack: 2010 Topps Retail (x3)

Well, I had hoped to break the initial Topps 2010 cards to the blogosphere, but living on the West Coast and working until 10 PM made that a wee bit difficult. I still grabbed a few packs at Target on my way home. Here's what I got:

Pack 1: Max Scherzer, Kevin Youkilis, Anthony Swarzak, Josh Butler RC, Andrew Bailey ROY, Brewers Franchise History, Rickey Henderson (The Cards Your Mom Threw Out), Bill Mazeroski (Tales of the Game), Tim Lincecum TT, Yunel Escobar, Mat Gamel, Magglio Ordonez

Pack 2: Jonathan Papelbon, Neftali Feliz, Adam LaRoche, Nate Schierholtz, Daniel Hudson RC, Ernie Banks (TCYMTO), Vladimir Guerrero TT, Edwin Encarnacion, Jayson Nix, John Lannan, Diamondbacks Franchise History

Pack 3: Adrian Beltre, Jon Niese, Bobby Jenks, Tommy Manzella RC, Michael Dunn RC, Justin Upton, Vladimir Guerrero (Peak Performers), David Wright (Red Back Insert), Joe Mauer TT, Andrew Bailey, Andruw Jones, Zach Duke

Adrian Beltre Base Card

Joe Mauer Topps Town

David Wright Target Exclusive Red Back

Bill Mazeroski Tales of the Game

Intial Thoughts: The design looks better than I initially thought it would, but it is no match for last year's brilliant base set. The inserts, though easily obtainable, are boring and really bland (besides the David Wright). I realize that everyone doesn't like shine, but these cards are just retreads of ideas that have been done a million times and don't really stand out. The ToppsTown are still an inconvenience but they are improved over 2009. I might not be the best judge of this set because I usually don't collect the flagship releases of companies. Perhaps it's because where I live is landlocked and I would have no use for a flagship. Don't think I will be buying too many more packs, though I would happily take Mariners from the set.

What are your initial reactions to 2010 Topps?

Pack Attack: 2009 Topps Mayo (Hot Pack)

I don't often stray from buying baseball cards (though this post and the last one don't bear that out), but when I saw some 2009 Topps Mayo Football singles selling on Ebay, I knew I had to grab a few packs. After all, the base cards are absolutely stunning and they feature the same framed relics that make Allen & Ginter such a hit. Topps Mayo is basically the A & G of football (except for the sticker autos), and who in the collecting world doesn't love Allen & Ginter?

I already bought a few loose packs of Mayo at Target and had some pretty good luck (a Steve Smith jersey and a Vince Young Harvard back #2/25), but I couldn't believe what happened when I picked up a "fat pack" for $4.99. I turned over the pack to take a look at the odds and was amazed when a big red H was staring back at me through the pack. That's right, a Harvard back numbered to 25 (odds 1 in 80 packs) was clearly right inside the fat pack. So, like any good collector, I raced to the nearest cash register, paid for it, and sprinted out to my car to open it up. As I ripped the pack open I was utterly amazed when not one but two, red Harvard back cards fell out, a B.J. Raji RC #10/25 and a Fred Taylor #9/25! Wow, if my simple math skills serve me correctly, the odds of pulling two Harvard backs in one pack are 1 in 6400! Granted these cards don't sell as well as their Bazooka back counterparts from A & G, but I was thrilled nonetheless. As a Packers fan the Raji RC was a great pull and Fred Taylor is a borderline Hall-of-Fame running back. Two awesome cards numbered to 25 from the same 5-dollar pack...I'll take that any day of the week.

Pack Attack: 2009 Topps Chrome Retail Jumbo

Topps Chrome has been a mainstay of the hobby since its inception in 1996 and the set looks great again this year. One of the big additions to Topps Chrome as been autographed rookies, and even though I didn't pull one, I was very happy with my pack. Here's what I got:


Albert Pujols: The game's best player on a shiny card...who could ask for more? Will this be the season Pujols captures the Triple Crown?
Gordon Beckham (RC): This was the one card I was looking for in the set and needless to say I was thrilled to pull it out of my first pack. Beckham is having a breakout rookie season and his cards are all highly coveted. This card alone made the pack worthwhile.
Rocco Baldelli (X-Fractor): It looks more like a cube-fractor than an x-fractor and I hate the Boston Red Sox, but otherwise a great card!
Stephen Drew: My favorite of the three Drew brothers, but that's not saying much. He's a key member of the Diamondbacks young team.
Scott Lewis (RC): Don't the Indians have about a thousand young left-handers? Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers, etc. Let's hope Lewis turns out better than the rest.
Yovanni Gallardo: Gallardo has been a workhorse for my fantasy team all season, a solid pull.
Po Yu Lin (WBC): Kind of disappointed with these World Baseball Classic inserts. Who are these people? I would prefer another base card, but that's just me.

Pack Attack: Blast(s) From the Past

The only thing I love more than a couple of packs of Allen & Ginter (a sacrilegious statement, I know) is busting random 80's and 90's wax. After roughly 100 packs or so of A & G (I really wish I was exaggerating, you should see my room) it was time for something fresh, even if the packs were past their expiration date (unless they had been kept in a freezer). It's always great to buy old packs and pull cards of players that are now retired and/or players that rekindle some special memories from years past. Jose Guillen as a Pirate? Mike Mussina in an Orioles uniform? You won't find either of those in 2009 products, unless of course Topps is pulling out some more of its "beloved" gimmicks. Anywho, back to the crux of the matter. I bought a lot of 4 packs of eBay that included: 1983 Fleer, 1996 Sportflix, 1998 Bowman's Best and 1998 Topps Stars. I don't think I have ever opened any of these particular packs yet, so let's dig in and see what awaits!

1998 Bowman's Best (I'm not sure whether or not I want to pull an Atomic Refractor, aren't they a leading cause of lung cancer?):
Geoff Jenkins (RC)
Donnie Sadler (RC)
Mike Mussina
John Olerud
Brady Anderson
Mark Grudzielanek

1996 Sportsflix (I really thought these cards were the future of the industry, but alas, Sportsflix has gone the way of Sarah Palin's political career.):
Alex Ochoa (RC)
Ken Griffey Jr. (Checklist)
Jim Thome
Frank Thomas
Reggie Sanders

1998 Topps Stars (every card is serial-numbered...to #9799! Remember when cards numbered to 10,000 were hard to find? By howdy this pack makes me feel old.):
Mike Lansing (#7021/9799)
Curt Schilling (#5548/9799)
John Valentin (#404/9799)
Butch Husky GOLD (#1290/2299)
Jose Guillen SILVER (#1491/4399)
Javy Lopez (#2670/9799)

1983 Fleer Valu-Pak (look for Sandberg, Gwynn, Boggs Rookies, grainy pictures and poor centering.):
Dennis Martinez, Buck Martinez, Gary Carter/Bo Diaz "Base Stealer' Threat", Don Robinson, Larry McWilliams, Gary Lavelle, Dave Hostetler, Willie Stargell/Pete Rose "Fountain of Youth", Charlie Lea, Wallace Johnson, Gene Richards, Wayne Gross, Ben Oglivie/Reggie Jackson "Home Run Threats", Tom Niedenfuer, Dave Parker, Bobby Castillo, Gorman Thomas, Ben Hayes, Eddie Milner, Chris Speier, Bud Black, Hubie Brooks, Dickie Noles, Jody Davis, Steve Yeager, Jerry Turner, Pete Rose, Terry Harper

P.S. Sorry for the pictures. I don't have a scanner as of yet. Any ideas on where to pick one up on the cheap?

Pack Attack: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Hobby Hot Packs (3)

Normally I'm not one to join the "hot pack" craze, you know those packs on eBay that are guaranteed to contain a hit--jersey, auto, etc. I frankly have no idea how these sellers can be certain there is something inside, maybe they just have the magic hand, or maybe it's something much more devious. Anyway, I finally fell prey to these hot packs when a lot of three 2009 Topps Allen and Ginter Hobby Packs showed up on the Bay. A & G is hands down my favorite product of the year, and since relics, autos and silk cards are the same size in the frames, I felt I had a decent shot at landing a big hit. Most times when a seller offers a pack with either an auto or relic, you can fairly safely assume that it will be a relic, but not with A & G. At the very least I reasoned, I would pull three jersey cards, some minis and a couple of cards to help complete my set. Did this prove to be a worthwhile gamble? I thought so, if only for the excitement inherent in each pack, but I will let you decide if these 3 hits were worth $30. The results below will just list the "hit" in each pack. Enjoy!

Pack 1: David Wright GU Batting Gloves--Wow! What a way to start! I pulled this out of the pack and was excited right away because it was David Wright, but a closer inspection showed just how special this card was. I noticed that the swatch looked a little different than a regular jersey, it had kind of a cross-hatch pattern and when I flipped the card over I found out it was a piece of Wright's batting gloves. I had no idea that there were batting glove relics in this set, and I am assuming that it is shortprinted because there are only a few on eBay in comparison to the normal Wright jersey cards. This turned out to be the best of the hits, and I certainly won't complain about it. My first game-used batting gloves, of a great player, in my favorite set--not bad at all.

Pack 2: BJ Upton GU Jersey Relic--A bit of a let down after the Wright hit, but this allowed me to complete the set of game used Upton jerseys from 2009, as I had earlier pulled a Justin Upton relic from a pack. BJ "Bartells & James" Upton has recovered nicely after a slow start and is helping to keep the Rays in the thick of the Wild Card hunt.

Pack 3: Jimmy Rollins GU Jersey Relic--A gray swatch of J-Roll's jersey. Not much else to say about it, other than I'm sorry if you drafted the 2007 MVP in the first round of your fantasy baseball draft...football season and redemption are right around the corner!

I sure enjoyed these hot packs and might gamble on them again if I wrangle up some extra frogskins. What do you think of this pack attack?

Pack Attack: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Retail (x2)

Topps Allen & Ginter has been one of my favorite products over the past few years and 2009 marks the first time I attempt to put the entire set together. After three hobby boxes I am still about 50 cards short so I have been picking up blasters and loose packs at Target and Shopko. Probably not the best idea, because retail packs only contain 4 base cards (+1 mini and 1 National Pride), but who can say no to A & G? Here are the results of my latest excursion to Shopko:

Pack 1:

Andrew Miller-63
Carlos Pena-264
John Danks-261

Brett Gardner mini-295

Rich Harden Game Used Pants Relic! Not a bad pull at all from a retail pack, as this relic even came from the relatively scarce Group A (1:250 packs). Harden possesses electric stuff but has been inconsistent for the Cubs this season despite staying healthy, making many wish for his injury prone days when Rich was nearly unhittable. He did have a solid start against the Reds today, pitching 6 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 8 to pick up the win, and his fantasy owners hope this means Harden is turning the corner. I'm not a Cubs or Harden fan so if you are interested, let me know and we can work out a trade.

Pack 2:

Delmon Young SP-318

Michael Cuddyer-86

Jair Jurjenns-271

Mark Buehrle (of perfect game fame)-42

Skandenberg National Heroes Mini-NH33 (1:12 packs)

Yadier Molina National Pride-NP74

Overall, not too shabby for a couple of retail packs. A few cards to add to my set and a game-used Rich Harden makes this a worthwhile trip to Shopko. More packs to come soon!