QUARTER BOX CARNAGE

HUMBLADUMBLA DING DONG

ANOTHER POST, HOT DAMN. I MAY ACTUALLY STICK TO THIS WRITING THING THIS TIME, LAST TIME I MENTIONED I ABANDONED THE VINTAGE TABLE TO GO SCROUNGE AROUND THE DIME AND QUARTER BOXES. HERE I WILL SHOW OFF THE FRUITS OF MY SCROUNGERY. LIKE LAST TIME I'LL SHOW OFF FIVE BUXKS WORTH OF CARDS. WITH PERHAPS A LITTLE BONUS AT THE END

I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO RIP PACKS OF ALLEN & GINTER LIKE A CRAZED DEGENERATE BUT I STILL LOVE THE STUFF. ESPECIALLY THE GOOFY INSERT SETS, OR SHOULD I SAY ECLECTIC. LIKE THIS PRETTY BIRDIE HERE. THESE ARE THE FIRST 2021 GINTER INSERTS I'VE PICKED UP AND IT'S NICE TO GET A LITTLE TASTE AT LEAST. PARROTS ARE NICE BUT MY FAVORITE FULL SIZE GINTER INSERT FOR 2021 IS:

SHORKS! SHARKY SHARKY SHERKY SHARKS. I LOVE SHARKS THEY'RE BASICALLY MONSTERS EXCEPT THEY'RE FISH. EXCEPT THEY'RE NOT EVEN REALLY MONSTERS, THEY BARELY BOTHER HUMANS. WE DEFINITELY EAT WAY MORE OF THEM THEN THEY DO OF US. YOU'RE FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE HORRIBLED BY A HIPPO OR MASSACRED BY A MOOSE OR EVEN CILLED BY A COW. YOU PROBABLY WON'T EVEN SEE A SHARK UNLESS YOU GO TO THE OCEAN OR MAYBE AN AQUARIUM. THIS SHARK IS EVEN BLUE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLORS. HOORAY FOR SHARKS

THE OTHER GINTER INSERT CARD I FOUND WAS A TREE. LOOKING OVER THE CHECKLIST IT APPEARS THE FULL SIZED INSERTS FOR 2021 ARE THE MANDATORY BASEBALL ONES, TROPICAL BIRDS, BEAUTIFUL SHARKS, ENDANGERED ANIMALS AND TREES. I APPRECIATE THE NATURE THEME AND NEED TO TRACK DOWN ONE FROM THE RALLYING BACK SET, MAYBE THE WOLF. AND ALL THOSE LOVELY SHARKS OF COURSE

I HAVE FINALLY STARTED TRACKING MY PLAYER COLLECTIONS ON TCDB.COM AND AL IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYERS I ENTERED IN THE SITE. I APPARENTLY HAVE EIGHTY DIFFERENT HORFORD CARDS WHICH IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR #11 ON THEIR LEADERBOARDS. THIS MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AS 99.99% OF PEOPLE WHO COLLECT AL HORFORD CARDS HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT SPEND HOURS PLUGGING IN CARDS ON A WEBSITE BUT I DO FEEL GOOD KNOWING I AM IN THE TOP TIER OF MANIACS WHO ARE WILLING TO DO THIS. 

WHILE I OBVIOUSLY PREFER HORFORD CARDS IN A HAWKS UNI, I LIKE TO HAVE CARDS FOR EVERY TEAM A PLAYER IS WITH IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, DOMINIQUE WILKINS HAS EXACTLY ZERO CARDS WHERE HE IS IN AN ORLANDO MAGIC UNIFORM AND I'M HAVING SIMILAR DIFFICULTY TRACKING DOWN AL IN A THUNDER UNIFORM. I GOT PHILLY COVERED THOUGH

IF YOU'RE A BLOG-ONLY READER AND DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO MY ANTICS ON TWITTER, YOU MISSED WHEN I UNILATERALLY DECLARED THAT I WAS A LIFE-LONG PITTSBURGH STEELERS FAN AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PITTSBURGH STEELERS FAN. FALCONS?? WHAT'S A FALCON. WASN'T THAT A CAR BACK IN THE 70S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. HOWEVER. I BOUGHT THIS CARD BEFORE I MADE THE DECREE AND IT'S FINE THAT I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE 90S INSERTS ARE ALL AWESOME AND AMAZING. WHO WOULDN'T WANT A FINEST INSERT WHERE JAMAL ANDERSON IS LITERALLY ON FIRE. IF THIS WAS A REFRACTOR YOUR EYEBALLS WOULD MELT. ANYWAY, IF I DO EVER CATALOGUE ALL MY JAMAL CARDS ON TCDB I'LL PROBABLY HAVE LIKE 500 OF EM. UUUUHH MY JEROME BETTIS COLLECTION IS MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE, I SWEAR

SPEAKING! OF! REFRACTORS! PUT YO EYEBALLS BACK IN YO HEAD AND GAZE ON THIS BEAUTY. I DON'T EVEN HAVE WORDS, JUST EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS CARD IS FUCKING GORGEOUS

TRAVIS DEMERITTE WAS A BIG TIME BRAVES PROSPECT, THEN GOT TRADED, AND THEN WE GOT HIM BACK, AND THEN HE PLAYED OK FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THEN PEOPLE STARTED COMING BACK OFF THE INJURED LIST AND HE GOT SENT BACK TO GWINNETT. I ONLY HAD A BOWMAN CARD OF HIM AND WAS HAPPY TO FIND A CHROME ROOKIE. LOVE THE THROWBACK UNI ON THIS ONE. HE'S CURRENTLY A FREE AGENT AND MAY NOT COME BACK TO THE BRAVES BUT I'M GLAD HE GOT TO PLAY SOME GAMES IN THE BIGS WITH THE TEAM THIS YEAR

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE EXTREME HATRED SOME PEOPLE HAVE FOR JOSE ALTUVE. IF YOU'RE A YANKEE OR DODGER FAN, OK, SURE, HATE THE ASTROS. YOU'VE EARNED IT. BUT THE VITRIOL I SEE FOR ALTUVE OVER BUZZER BULLSHIT IS LUDICROUS. ON THE OTHER HAND I PICK UP SWEET JOSE CARDS FOR PENNIES ALL THE TIME. KEEP IT UP HATERS SO I CAN GET A NICE COLLECTION OF THE GREATEST ASTROS SECOND BASEMAN OF ALL TIME

I KNOW WHAT I SAID

OF. ALL. TIME.

ONE TIME, MANY YEARS AGO, THIS SELLER HAD A BUNCH OF TOPPS GOLD PARALLELS IN THE QUARTER BOXES INCLUDING STARS LIKE PUJOLS AND LIKE A DOPE I DIDN'T BUY THEM ALL AND THEY WERE LONG GONE THE NEXT SHOW I WENT TO. I NO LONGER MAKE THAT MISTAKE. I SEE A GOLD, I BUY A GOLD. AND 2015 GOLD CARDS LOOK FANTASTIC. I'VE GOT GOLD CARDS GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2001 WHEN THEY STARTED THE GIMMICK AND THERE IS NO FINDER GILDING ON A PARALLEL

2021 HOWEVER, WOOF.

THIS SHIT IS BRONZE

AIN'T NO GOLD HERE. NOT EVEN PYRITE. I LIKE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE CARD FROM EVERY YEAR IN SETS I COLLECT BUT MAYBE I DON'T NEED MORE OF THIS ONE

I ALREADY HAD THIS CARD AND EVERY SINGLE CORNER IS DINGED, BUT YOU DO NOT PASS UP DIE CUT 90S INSERTS EVER. FOR ANY REASON. EVEN IN PSA NEGATIVE 2 CONDITION THIS CARD IS BETTER LOOKING THAN ANYTHING THAT CAME OUT THIS DECADE. 90S SKYBOX METAL IS UNDEFEATED

MY OFFICIAL PARTY STANCE ON 2011 TOPPS LINEAGE IS THAT IT IS A GARBAGE SET AND A COMPLETE WASTE OF CARDBOARD. OFF THE RECORD HOWEVER I DO LIKE THE PLAYER SELECTION AND A FEW OF THE INSERTS AND PARALLELS. THIS CARD OF ATLANTA BRAVES SPRING TRAINING LEGEND FELIX HERNANDEZ SPECIFICALLY IS THE BEST RIP-OFF SET OF 1964 TOPPS STAND-UPS I'VE SEEN. THEY GOT THE COLORS RIGHT, THEY GOT THE NAME PLATE RIGHT, THE OMITTED THE INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO TEAR THE CARD TO BITS. A REALLY FINE VINTAGE RIP-OFF CARD. BUT IT REALLY BURNS MY ASS THAT LINEAGE DOES THIS STUFF MILES BETTER THAN THE NEW STUFF AND YOU WILL NEVER GET ME TO ADMIT IT'S A DECENT SET

A TIM DUNCAN ROOKIE SEASON DRAFT PICK CARD FOR ONLY A QUARTER??!??!?! WELL, YEAH. ZOOM IN ON THE CORNERS AND YOU'LL SEE WHY. BUT STILL!!!!! TIM DUNCAN ROOKIE SEASON DRAFT PICK CARD!!!!!!11

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO IS UNFORTUNATELY ALWAYS GOING TO BE STUCK AS MY 4TH OR 5TH FAVORITE HAWKS PLAYER BEHIND TRAE, NIQUE AND HORFORD BUT DAMN DO I LOVE DIKEMBE. IT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD COLLECTING HIM SINCE HIS HAWKS CARDS ARE VASTLY OUTNUMBERED BY HIS OTHER TEAMS BUT DAMN ALL HIS CARDS ARE FRIGGIN FANTASTIC. ESPECIALLY BATSHIT INSANE MID-90S FLEER INSERTS. OH MY LORD SOME DESIGNER AT FLEER JUST WENT TOTAL HAM IN MSPAINT WITH THIS ONE. TOTAL D IN-D'D

GOOD OL' WEIRDASS HERITAGE INSERTS, THE HIDDEN JOY OF EVERY QUARTER BOX. I PRETTY MUCH GAVE UP ON HERITAGE COMPLETELY AFTER THE 2013 SET OTHER THAN TRYING TO BUILD BRAVES TEAM SETS. BUT THEN EVERY YEAR I STUMBLE UPON AN UTTERLY ASTOUNDING FLASHBACK INSERT. REALLY, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO FIND AN OFFICIAL LICENCED TRADING CARD OF D.B MOTHERFUCKING COOPER ANYWHERE ELSE. POSSIBLY IN A COUPLE BOOTLEG ODDBALL TRUE CRIME SETS BUT NOT ONE THAT LOOKS THIS GOOD. CITIZEN KANE SLOW CLAP GIFS FOREVER FOR WHOEVER COMES UP WITH THE HERITAGE NEWS FLASHBACK SUBJECTS EVERY YEAR, SUPERLATIVE WORK MY FRIEND

SPEAKING OF POLARIZING HERITAGE TRADITIONS, I LOVE THE GIGANTIC 50TH ANNIVERSARY GOLD STAMP ON THE BUYBACKS. BACK WHEN I STILL BOUGHT BOXES I ALWAYS HOPED TO SEE THE SMALL BOX TOPPER PACK INSTEAD OF THE OVERSIZED ONE. THAT PEOPLE WOULD DUMP SUCH A TREASURE INTO A QUARTER BOX IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO ME BUT I APPRECIATE IT. THIS IS A PRETTY COOL CARD IN IT'S OWN RIGHT, THE LAST EVER TEAM CARD FOR THE WASHINGTON SENATORS

LAST THREE CARDS PLUCKED FROM THE BOXES WERE SOME 2020 TOPPS UPDATE TURKEY RED INSERTS. WHEN TOPPS ORIGINALLY PUT OUT THEIR FIRST TURKEY RED SET IN 2005 I FLIPPED MY LID OVER IT. I LOVED THE ARTWORK, I LOVED THE WEIRD TEXTURE ON THE CARDS, I DIDN'T LOVE THE SHORT PRINTS THAT MUCH AND THE PARALLELS EVEN LESS, BUT I LOVED IT. THEN THEY CONTINUED THE SET IN 2006 AND I STILL LOVED IT. THEN THEY SWITCHED THINGS UP IN 2007 WITH THE BOXING DESIGN AND DICK PEREZ ART AND I WAS VERY CONFUSED. AND SORTA LOVED IT. AND THEN IT BECAME INSERTS AND THE LOVING FEELING WAS GONE. AND WASN'T IT AN ONLINE EXLUSIVE FOR A WHILE?? UGH. BUT THERE WAS A TON OF THESE UPDATE CARDS IN THE BOXES AND THEY LOOKED REALLY GOOD SO I PICKED MY FAVORITE THREE FROM THE PILE TO ROUND THINGS OUT TO AN EVEN FIVE BUCKS. SANTO WAS MY FIRST PICK, LOOK HOW PRETTY THAT CARD IS

THURMAN WAS ANOTHER NO-BRAINER. THESE THINGS ARE GORGEOUS! GOT-DAMN! THESE ALSO SEEM TO ME TO BE ACTUAL ARTWORK INSTEAD OF AN ALGORITHM ALTHOUGH LORD KNOWS AI ART HAS BECOME AN ACTUAL THING SUDDENLY. IF IT IS CREATED BY AN ACTUAL HUMAN BEING, I'M NOT SURE I'VE EVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE ARTIST ANYWHERE

AND FINALLY PUDGE. FISK HAS BEEN A FAVORITE SINCE I WAS A KID AND THIS SHOULD BE HANGING IN THE LOUVRE. A GREAT CAP TO FINISH OFF A FIVE DOLLAR PILE OF QUARTER CARDS. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? DID I DO BETTER HERE OR AT THE VINTAGE TABLE WITH MY FIVE BUCKS? THESE WERE SOME REALLY HARD CHOICES TOO, I ABANDONED A LOT OF CARDS I WANTED IN A BOX TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF LIMITED TO A FIVER. IT WAS A DAMN GOOD BOX TOO, LOTS OF VARIETY, NEW STUFF, OLD STUFF, EVERY SPORT, A TON OF MID-90S BASKETBALL INSERTS I REALLY WANTED. I WISHED I COULD TAKE HOME THE WHOLE BOX

SO... THE THING ABOUT CARD SHOWS...

IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK

ESPECIALLY WITH A SELLER YOU'VE BOUGHT STUFF FROM FOR YEARS

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, AND IT'S A LITTLE UNORTHODOX, JUST GO FOR IT

IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK

FOLKS,,,

I BOUGHT THE QUARTER BOX

IT WAS A DAMN GOOD BOX. WAS SORTING IT FOR WEEKS, STILL HAVEN'T FULLY GOTTEN EVERYTHING WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. AND NO I'M NOT WRITING A POST ABOUT IT, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CARDS AND I WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE TO START. YOU MIGHT SEE SOME STUFF OUT OF IT EVENTUALLY BUT RIGHT NOW I HAVE PLENTY OF CARDS TO WRITE ABOUT. SOME THINGS DON'T NEED TO BE CONTENT FOR THE INTERWEBS, IT'S PERFECTLY FINE IF THEY ARE JUST ENJOYED