Printing Plates 101

I've gotten this question a couple of times since I posted my Chipper Press Plate, so I'm going to go ahead and answer it.

I haven't actually seen any of them in person, but wouldn't it make sense that the plate would be reversed?

How do these things work?

- Mark's Ephemera

It seems intuitive that image on the plates should be backwards, right? We've all seen filmstrips in school about the wonders of Gutenberg and his movable type, and made potato art and used rubber stamps before. The writing and pictures on those things are all reversed, so wouldn't the press plates be reversed too? Only if the plate ever actually touched the card like those other devices do when they print. In most modern printing operations that's not the case. So, Mark (and Tunguska), here's how they work.

Most commercial printers nowadays use a technique called offset printing. Instead of the printing plate directly applying the ink to the paper, the plate transfers the ink to a rubber cylinder which in turn applies the ink to the paper. So instead of pressing the plate down on the paper to print the card, three cylinders roll along to do the printing. One cylinder has the print plates, one transfers the ink to the paper and a third pushes along the paper through the press. This method is the cheapest way to produce a large number of high quality images. The plate doesn't wear out as fast because it's not coming in contact with the paper and the rubber cylinder makes better contact with the paper than a metal cylinder ever would.

So why is the press plate not reversed? Well, it's true that when transferring the ink to the paper the image has to be reversed so it prints properly, but the image is reversed when the plate transfers the ink to the offset cylinder. If the image was reversed on the press plate it would he correct on the offset cylinder (I've misspelled cylinder 48 times while writing this post) and when the ink transferred to the paper it would be reversed again. This page has a semi-decent picture (well, for a Bigfoot sighting) of a plate in action. So know you know why those press plates don't have reversed images. Now, you would be perfectly reasonable in asking why the press plate you pulled out of that pack is flat instead of round, but I don't know so ask someone else. Not Thorzul either, because he's got his own Press Plate Puzzler he's chewing on.

Ok, since you slogged your way through my 3rd grade science report of the offset printing press the readers who made it this far get a treat:

MY FIRST (and only) PRESS PLATE I PULLED FROM A PACK EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE

Calm down folks, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Just be careful and don't look at the image straight on or its glory will melt your face like the Nazis who looked at the Ark in Indiana Jones - don't say I didn't warn ya...

Awww yeah. Yellow press plate of the back of a Minnesota Twins relievers Topps Total card. Now you know why I keep screaming for Total to come back. However, if there is a JC Romero super collector out there who is desperate for this thing I will trade it... but only for any other press plate card in existence. Seriously, any of them. You don't even have to tell me what it is, just send something and it's yours. You might even get away with passing off a Leaf Steel card with the sides filed down. Please?

Showin' off stuff from the card shop - The Elder One

Here's the oldest thing I picked up from the shop last Friday. At least I think it's the oldest. Pretty sure it is. 1940 Play Ball Eddie Joost:

Joost had a pretty nice career with the Reds, Braves, Red Sox and A's. He was a two time All-Star and won a World Series with the Reds in 1940 where he played in all seven games. This card has a "1939 Pennant" logo to honor the National League Champion Reds. I had wanted a card with that logo on it for a while and this one was sitting in the case for me. The price? three bucks because there's a crease in the middle of the card. Who cares about a crease in a 69 year old card? People born in 1940 got creases all over them and they're ok.

The back states that Joost was a brilliant fielder but not a great hitter. Back in the day you could play shortstop even if you couldn't hit a lick as long as you had a good glove. Once Eddie moved on to the A's, Connie Mack convinced him to start wearing eyeglasses. It worked, Eddie finally started hitting! His newly found good eye also allowed him to draw over 1000 walks for his career. Joost was the last manager of the Philadelphia A's as he was player/manager in 1954. I'm not sure if Eddie has a card of his time with the Braves in 1943 and 1945 as there were very few sets produced during war time. This isn't a bad card as a substitute if I ever get around to doing a "One card of every Brave player ever" collection.

My three favorite teams this week

I can't even watch the game, it's killing me... I turned on the radio for a minute and Brian McCann popped up with the bases loaded, two outs and a 3-1 count. AND IT WAS ALL MY FAULT 'CAUSE I TURNED ON THE RADIO. Yes, this week shall be the death of me.

6 in 30 - 1983 Topps Binder

It's pretty damn hard to go through an entire 792 card set in 30 seconds. Dinged Corners granted me 30 extra seconds to go through my 1983 Topps set and I still didn't get through the whole thing. Good thing I had four of the cards in mind before I even opened the binder. Here are six cards from the 1983 Topps set that make me happy and as a bonus I spared you the Braves. Of course I might just post the team set one of these days, that was the 1982 National Leage West Champion roster you know...

Rollie Fingers

The first time I completed this set, this was the last card I needed. I couldn't find it anywhere and then my mom bought a rack pack for me to give to a friend for his birthday. Rollie right on the top. There was some, uh , substitution performed on the packs in that gift if I remember correctly. That kid ended up stealing me blind when I brought my cards to school that year though so don't feel sorry for him.

Billy Martin

This was a tough choice between Billy and Earl Weaver. Earl had the crazy hair and big grin, Billy had the shades/stache combo that made him look like a refugee from a '70s cop movie. The little tiny cross under the A bushed Billy over the top.

1982 Brewers

The Brewers went to the Series in '82, Robin Yount is a bad, bad man and holy schneikes look at Vokovich. Just look at him. Soak it all in.

BONUS: Personally checked checklist!

Jim Kaat Super Vet

This is a fantastic subset, it's too bad Topps only did it once. Wait, they did a Then & Now thing in 2001 or 2002 Topps Traded I think. What I'm sayin, is they need to do it again. I want a card with 1993 Chippah and 2010 Chippah in next year's base set. I picked eventual Hall-of-Famer Kitty Kaat for two reasons: Washington Senators and he was the only guy in the subset with a picture from the '50s if I'm not mistaken.

Rod Carew and his Headband

Not the first and not the last time I'll say this....

I GOT MORE ACTION THAN MY MAN JOHN WOO AND I GOT MAD HITS LIKE I WAS ROD CAREW

Tony Gwynn RC

Best rookie in the set, hands down. Also: one of the goofiest action shots evar on a rookie card. Ya got a nice view of Tony's bootie at least. Awwwwww yeaaaaah.

Now go vote in the poll over there and tell me what to do.

Chipper Jones Press Plate

Many thinks to Upper Deck for sending these press plates on to Wax Heaven and to Mario for blessing me with this one in exchange for some poetry judging duties.

This is my third press plate (I've gotten two from Mario so far) and I think it's fair to say I like this one best. It's really hard to beat a plate from the back of a Topps Total dual player card featuring JC Romero too. Set aside the fact that it's Chipper, and this card pretty much fills the only hole in my Chipper collection (well, I still need a certified auto, but I got an auto and that's enough) the most fantastic part about the card/plate is the fact that there are still splotches of magenta ink down on the bottom above the logo. Cool.
Mario isn't even close to done, check out this bit of jaw dropping rainbow action that he's giving away next. The contest is supposed to have a Halloween theme if I'm reading correctly. Maybe the plates can go to the person who has the best video pack rip in the style of Michael Jackson's Thriller?

Showin' off stuff from the card shop

Part one of several. I hit Atlanta Sports Cards on the way home from work last week and walked away with a lot of neet stuff for not a whole lot of dough. I completed my '83 Topps set for a start, as I'm sure you've heard by now. In the same dollar boxes where I found Cal, I also picked up a couple of Braves. At the time, I wasn't entirely certain that I didn't already have these cards but I got them anyway. they were just too cool to stay in the dollar box.

2008 Topps Heritage Brian McCann All Star SP

The original 1959 set had four Braves in the All-Star Subset, the Heritage version had but one. Even if I have it in my binder already, I can't pass up on a McCann short print.

2009 Allen & Ginter Chipper Jones Sketch Card

I'm almost positive someone sent me this card already, but a sketch of a slack-jawed Chipper watching a ball go Very Far had to come home with me. I enjoy Chipper cards where the text on the back mention Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray. Very nice company to keep right there. Oddly these were the only Braves to go home with me that day, other than one exception I'll discuss later. I think I'll show off the oldies next, what do you think? I can do oldies or some brand new stuff that's getting rave reviews around the blogoplex. Got 'em both cheap and am itching to show 'em off.

Goodwin Threes - Minis

Mini cards are by design a little smaller than regular cards so I bunched 'em up. The minis are just about the only reason I keep getting packs of this stuff anyway.

Bad Ass Men

So who is more macho? A Wild West showman or the greatest third baseman in the history of forever? My vote is with the guy in the powder blue polyester.

Kick Ass Women

Kristi Yamaguchi won the Gold Medal at Albertville while her teammates (a couple of folks named Kerrigan and Harding) were skating about causing serious drama. Now that's clutch. I'm not all that into poker so I'm not sure who Ms. Ng is, but you gotta like the royal flush.

A Band of Gypsies

Two mini cards in a pack = cool. Every pack like that also having a 20th Anniversary insert = not cool. Buying a pack and getting exactly one base card is a bit disheartening as well. Oh well, I can always cheer myself up with some Hendrix.

2009 American Heritage Heroes Wantlist

I have bought my last pack of this stuff. Probably. Please help me finish it before I buy more. Once I complete the set I have an interesting theory I want to test out. The only insert set I'm chasing at this time is the Space one, so all the other inserts are up for grabs. If you need an insert and have no Space cards I'll swap insert for insert as well.

If you are interested in a trade, please post a comment here and send me an e-mail with HERITAGE TRADE in the header. I will get back to you as soon as I have time, most likely on the weekend.

9 Bud Day

11 Thomas Jefferson
14 Claiborne Pell
18 Abraham Lincoln

21 Elizabeth Cady Stanton
24 Frank Robinson
26 Jackie Robinson
28 Emma Willard
29 Mother Jones
30 Samuel Gompers

36 Alexander Shaler
37 John Finn
38 Fire Fighter (?)

42 Wyatt Earp
49 David Lim
50 Justin Garner


57 American Red Cross
58 VFW
59 ASPCA
60 ACLU

61 Jonas Salk
62 Charles Drew
66 Robert Jarvik
67 Charles Mayo
68 Elizabeth Blackwell

73 Clara Barton

83 James Monroe
87 Silas Deane
88 Woodrow Wilson
90 Dean Acheson

92 Upton Sinclair

103 Lexington and Concord
105 Nathan Hale
108 Underground railroad
111 Seneca Falls
116 Dolittle Raid
118 Guadalcanal
120 Battle of the Bulge
124 March to Montgomery
125 Flight 93

Short prints and Inserts:

These are all ones I have. Other than the Space Program set, I'm only interested in having a type card from each at this time and I'll gladly swap these to someone who is actually trying to complete the set. So trade me your Spaceys!

Short Prints: (looking to keep one Lincoln and one Obama)
132 Abraham Lincoln
144 Barack Obama

Chrome: (looking to keep one of each subset)

C51 Civil Rights Movement #1710/1776
C79 Erin Brockovich #1537/1776
C98 Rachel Carson #1393/1776

Medal of Honor:
MOH1 Eugene Carr
MOH4 Orion Howe
MOH16 Mary Walker
MOH21 Isaiah Hayes
MOH23 Bernard Irwin
MOH30 Hiram Bearss
MOH34 Smedley Butler
MOH41 James Madison

MOH42 Floyd Bennett

Medal of Freedom:

MOF14 Charlton Heston
MOF24 Fred Rogers

Heroes of Sport:

HS1 Jackie Robinson
HS2 Babe Ruth
HS12 Roy Campanella
HS13 Dan Marino

HS22 Reggie Jackson

Heroes of Spaceflight:

HSF-5

HSF-7
HSF15 Gemini XI
HSF20 Apollo 9
HSF22 Apollo 11
HSF-25 Apollo 14

A Hero's Journey:

HJ8 Abe Lincoln
HJ13 Abe Lincoln

Relics:

none

Autographs:

AHARJ Robert Jarvik

Doubles - please take these off mah hands

4 Norman Shwartzkopf (a little dinged up)

8Col. Gordon Roberts

12 James Madison

17 Charles Weltner
25 Lucy Stone
31 Ben Franklin

34 Edward Croker

43 Serpico

47 J Edgar Hoover

53 Audubon Society

54 Navajo Code

72 Norman Borlaug
75 Helen Keller

76 Florence Kelly

77 Herbert Hoover

79 Erin Brockovich

81 Herry Truman
82 George Marshall

86 Dwight Eisenhower

89 John Quincy Adams

97 William Garrison
98 Rachael Carson

102 Paul Revere

104 Bunker Hill (2)

106 George Washington

114 Wright Bros.

115 Belleau Wood

119 D-Day (2)

121 Iwo Jima
122 Jackie Robinson

(Full checklist, if anyone's interested)

Legend:
Italics= trade pending
Strike=received in trade
Blue=held for pending trade

Yellow=gone in trade

Normal=available for trade

Large Bold Blinking Italic Red=Dayf's been drinking again

Even if you're not a football fan

...you have to like the epic pic on this 1997 Topps card of Cornelius Bennett and Jesse Tuggle upending Jerry Rice.

Jerry had the last laugh as the Niners pounded the Falcons that day 39-17. Jerry, as tradition required when playing the Falcons, scored a touchdown.

Set Completed - 1983 Topps

My 1983 Topps set is finally complete after 26 years. I found the last card for the set when I took a detour on the way home to Atlanta Sports Cards after a dreadful week. I was scrounging through the dollar box for old cards when I looked through the Orioles pile on a lark. There was Cal, swinging away. I really need to print out a cheat sheet of cards I need for the times I randomly show up at card shops. I found a ton of neat stuff there cheap. I'll show some of it off over the next week.

I want do do something cool to celebrate the completion of this set, but I'm not sure what to do. A 6 in 30 for the binder? Post the best card from every team? Scan and post a 9 card sheet every day for 88 days? Leave me some suggestions in the comments and I'll put a poll up on Monday.

I Believe in Space

I luuuuuurve this insert set. This Apollo 11 card is fantastic.

Bonus: the best use of autotune ever:



Ok, so it's the only good use of autotune ever. If you go to the YouTube page you can download the track.



Did I mention I like these cards?

Goodwin Threes - Argh, Politics

Like one per pack parallels that just make it harder to build your base set, politicians are one hobby gimmick that refuses to go away. I pulled the entire spectrum of elected figures in my handful of packs.

Abe Lincoln looking all bad-ass like a Bond villain with nukes going off in the background and a gold robot death eagle with laser talons to zap 007 with as James races off in a Bentley with some hot chick, pew pew pew! I'll get you James Bond! Muahahahaha!

Al Gore looking so ridiculously wooden that it seems like Upper Deck modeled the painting off of Robin Williams in Centennial Man or maybe Kryten from Red Dwarf or something. I saw a Teddy Roosevelt in this insert set on a blog somewhere and I end up with Robot Al. Meh.

Oh Mother Mary and Joseph I can't even bring myself to make fun of this wretched woman anymore and it's a freaking 20th Anniversary card to boot I must have drop kicked little baby kittens into a bonfire on the sabbath in a previous life to deserve this.
aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh
MAVERICKY

Sick of politicians? YOU BETCHA

The Weirdest pack I have EVER opened.

I know I wasn't going to do full pack rip posts anymore but this one... well it just has to be experienced all at once. This was my introduction to 2009 Tristar Obak.

#85 Jackie Mitchell

Cool! An old timey minor league player with... contrails in the background?? Odd but nifty. This baby faced feller looks scrappy. I've never heard of Jackie Mitchell, so let's check the back.

Dude! The dude's not a dude! Duuuuuude!. Jackie freaking struck out Ruth and Gehrig when she was SEVENTEEN. Page two of that article adds more evidence to my theory that Kenesaw Mountain Landis is a colossal dick. Great first card to pull for a set. Things should bode well after this... shouldn't they?

#72 Lena Blackburne

Lena is portrayed by a young George C. Scott on this card. If you don't know who this guy is, take a game used MLB baseball and look at it closely. See the stuff on it? That's his mud. He's responsible for non-shiny baseballs. You can get your own dirt if you want. I'm surprised a relic card hasn't been made out of this stuff yet.

#65 Nick Lachey Mini

Let's just move on...

#88 Patrick T. Powers

This fat old robber baron looking dude was the first president of a minor league. If you thought this was the furthest away from an actual minor league player card in a minor league set, you ain't seen nothin' yet...

#81 Elias Howe

The guy who invented the Sewing Machine. No, seriously. His contribution to minor league baseball? "The advances in sewing helped lead to the mass production of baseball uniforms." Because without him. baseball would have been played stark nekkid, like ancient Greek Olympians. Which is actually a VERY good thing. Because for every Jeter or Zito heartthrob, there's a couple dozen CC Sabathias and David Wells and John Kruks and Ray Kings out there.


Aaaaand a security device, because obviously everyone would want to steal this pack. I'm sure some of you out there are absolutely horrified that a pack of 2009 Minor League baseball cards had exactly ONE GUY who was born after World War One* in the entire pack, and he was married to Jessica Simpson. Before you give up on Obak altogether, let me say that I picked up a couple more packs and did much better. Hall of Famers and legit prospects and stuff. Including this mini card:

Gene Conley, the only guy who has ever on a championship in two sports. One of those championships was with the Milwaukee Braves and I've wanted one of these cards since I first saw Mario's review with a Conley auto. This mini totally made my week when I pulled it, so don't be afraid of the Obak strangeness.

Goodwin Threes - Legends

Three legends, three classic moments...

1989 NBA Playoffs - The Shot

1969-1970 Stanley Cup - The Goal

2004 World Series - Manny completely losing his mind out in left field and still winning the MVP

One more one more year

I've done this post before.

Bobby Cox signed a one year extension to manage the Braves in 2010 today.

He also announced he will be retiring at the end of the 2010 season.

Of course he's not going anywhere as he will be a paid consultant of the Braves through at least 2015.

I've been saying for years, Bobby will no longer be the Braves' manager when Bobby decides he is no longer the Braves' manager. I'm still not entirely convinced he'll go through with it after next season. I still got a little teared up when I heard it on the radio though.

Goodwin Threes - Logos

One of the things I like most about this set are the quirky logos that pop up randomly. I almost swooned when I saw Brian McCann's card with a Milwaukee Braves Indian logo on the card. Don't tell anyone, but I think the Mr. Met logo rocks.

Meet the Mets, meet the Mets, step right up and beat the Mets...

Two rookies in the whole set and I got me the good one.

ARRRRR MATEY! Time to crank up the ol' MSPaint!

Goodwin Threes

Since Goodwin Champions is the third tobacco card retro product to hit this year after A&G and Obak, I'm going to post a few of the ones I got in related groups of three. Mainly because I'm working overtime most of the week and there's not a lot of writing to these posts. First up: the doubles. Ya buy a handful of packs with 4 cards each and ya still get doubles. Oh well. Enjoy...

Good Doubles:

GREAT Doubles:

Kill Me Now