BIRTHDAY BOOLSHEET BLASTER: PART 1 - THE FIRST PILE OF RANDOM CRAPOLA

 MY BIRTHDAY HAPPENED RECENTLY AND NO, I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT DAY IT IS BECAUSE I HATE BIRTHDAYS AND THEY USUALLY GO TERRIBLY, WHICH IT ABSOLUTELY DID THIS YEAR. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN ADVANCE TO EVERYONE WHO DOES LIKE THEM. I DON'T WANNA YUCK YOUR YUM - YOU GO HAVE LOTS OF FUN -  BUT THEY AIN'T MY THING. THIS YEAR I HAD A BUNCH OF ERRANDS KEEPING ME BUSY AND DISTRACTED FROM ALL THE STRESS AND ONE OF THEM HAPPENED TO BE DOWN THE STREET FROM CHAMPION SPORTS CARDS SO I THOUGHT I'D POP IN TO GIVE MYSELF A LITTLE TREAT. I HAD A PLAN: CHECK FOR EITHER A 1976 TOPPS HANK AARON OR 1988 TOPPS FOOTBALL BO JACKSON CARD IN THE CASES TO SEE IF THEY HAD ONE IN MY PRICE RANGE. FAILING THAT, SWITCH TO PLAN B AND GET ONE OF THE TEN DOLLAR JUNK BOXES WITH ABOUT 500 RANDOM BASE CARDS, A RELIC AND AN AUTOGRAPH INSTEAD. THEN PICK UP A DESPERATELY NEEDED 1600 COUNT BOX AND THE OBLIGATORY CHEAP RONALD ACUÑA AND TRAE YOUNG CARDS. BING BAM BOOM, OUT THE DOOR SUPER QUICK, GET STUFF I ACTUALLY NEED AND NOT SPEND ALL MY MONEYS. DID I DO THAT? HELL NO. I DECIDED TO GO TAKE A PEEK AT THE DIME BOX TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY GINTER CARDS IN THERE (THERE WERE NOT) AND THEN NOTICED THIS:

FIFTY CENT CARDS? A WHOLE BUNCH OF EM?? THAT'S A SUPER GREAT VALUE! I'D BE A FOOL NOT TO BUY THAT! EVEN THOUGH I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT NEED MORE DAMN JUNK IN MY HOUSE AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO WASTE. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

YEP, I BOUGHT ANOTHER BOX OF GARBAGE CRAP BULLSHIT CARDS. AND SPENT MORE MONEY THAN I HAD PLANNED. AND WASTED MORE TIME THAN I HAD PLANNED BECAUSE I WAS FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR ANYTHING ELSE GOOD TO GET INSTEAD OF THE BOX O CRAP I DO NOT NEED. DIDN'T FIND NOTHIN'. SAME WITH THE BOX! I POKED AROUND A BIT TO SEE IF THERE WAS A REALLY GOOD CARD IN THERE THAT WOULD JUSTIFY THE PURCHASE BUT DIDN'T REALLY FIND ANYTHING. IT WAS ALL A BUNCH OF GOOD ENOUGH STUFF AND THE IDEA OF CLEARANCE AISLE FIFTY-CENT CARDS FASCINATED ME, DID THEY CLEAR OUT THE REGGIE BOX? THE BRAVES BOX? WHAT GOODIES AWAITED ME IN THERE! CURIOSITY GOT THE BEST OF ME AND I BOUGHT THE BULLSHIT JUNK BLASTER AND HAD INSTANT REGRETS AS SOON AS I WALKED OUT THE DOOR. I NOW HAD NO MONEY AND A BIG PILE OF CARDS. A PILE OF CARDS THAT, UPON REVIEW, WERE PRETTY FUN. AND A RONALD PRIZM DIAMOND KING. I COULDN'T PASS THAT UP FOR A BUCK

THE BOX BREAKDOWN WAS VERY INTERESTING. THE FIFTY CENT CARDS TOOK UP ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE BOX AND THEY WERE ALL PURGED FROM THE "STARS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO WARRANT THEIR OWN DIVIDER" BOXES. THE ONES SORTED ALPHABETICALLY A-B, C, D-F, G, ETC. SO NO GRIFFEYS OR REGGIES OR TROUTS, BUT THERE WERE SOME SURPRISINGLY GOOD NAMES IN THERE. AS FOR THE LOOSE CARDS WITHOUT PENNY SLEEVES, THE MAJORITY OF THEM LOOKED LIKE THEY CAME FROM SOMEONE'S COLLECTION CIRCA 2003 WHERE THEY SORTED EVERYTHING INTO TEAMS. A LOT OF JUNK BUT EACH TEAM HAD A HANDFUL OF INTERESTING STUFF. THE REST OF THE BOX WAS FILLED OUT WITH SOME RANDOM WEIRDNESS RANGING FROM FAIRFIELD REPACK REJECTS, TO A BUNCH OF ODDBALL INSERTS, TO SOME RIPPED 1991 TOPPS PACKS THAT WERE INSTANTLY DISCARDED, TO THE MANDATORY BOWMAN FAILED PROSPECT DUMP. I HAD A LOT OF FUN SIFTING THROUGH IT, AND I'M GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF SUN SORTING IT ALL OUT AND I DECIDED TO SHARE THAT SORTING PROCESS WITH YOU ALL SINCE THE BOX CAME PRE-DIVIDED INTO NICE LITTLE BITE SIZED CHUNKS. YOU'LL GET ONE POST PER TEAM, ONE POST PER 50 CENT CARD REJECT LETTER (WITH SOME COMBINED IF THERE WEREN'T MANY CARDS), AND A HANDFUL OF POSTS FOR THE EXTRA FILLER. LET'S START WITH THE FIRST AND LARGEST PILE OF FILLER CARDS TO KICK THIS THING OFF

THAT'S 178 CARDS OF MESS. WITH NO GOOD WAY TO SEPARATE THEM OUT NICELY SO YOU GET ONE GINORMOUS POST. YOU WANNA KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM WERE ON ONE OF MY WANTLISTS? FOUR. LOL. SOME GOOD STUFF TO BE SURE BUT NOT MUCH FOR CARDS I ACTUALLY NEED

STARTING OFF WITH A COUPLE PACKS WORTH OF 2008 CHROME. OR A PACK AND A HALF? I DON'T REMEMBER IF THEY WERE THREE OR FOUR CARDS A PACK. I GOT BOTH SHINY CARDS OUT OF THE PACKS AT LEAST. CARLOS DELGADO IS UNDERRATED AND TORII HUNTER HAD A NICE RUN OF CARD PHOTOS IN THE LATE 00S. I DON'T REALLY COLLECT CHROME BUT THE BASE CARDS ARE EVERYWHERE IN DIME BOXES AND JUNK BLASTERS DUE TO CASES AND CASES GETTING RIPPED FOR THE AUTOGRAPHS 

UP NEXT IS A BUNCH OF CARDS FOR BASE SETS I HAVE WANTLISTS FOR INCLUDING ONE LONE 2004 LEAF SECOND EDITION CARD OF LANCE BERKMAN. DONRUSS DECIDED TO TURN EVERY RETAIL PACK OF LEAF INTO A PARALLEL BY PLASTERING THAT SECOND EDITION LOGO ON THE CARDS. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, MY LEAF SET HAS BOTH HOBBY AND RETAIL IN IT. I ALREADY GOT THIS ONE THOUGH

BIG PILE OF 2006 TOPPS AND ONE SINGLE 2008 BASE CARD. MY 2006 SET IS COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR THAT CARD, AND I ONLY NEED TWO 2008 CARDS SO MORE DOUBLES HERE. MAYBE THE LANGERHANS IS NEEDED FOR A TEAM SET

ONE 1991 SCORE TODD WORRELL CARD. I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE BLACK BORDERS IN 91 SCORE AT THE TIME. THEY'REJUST LIKE 1971 TOPPS! THIS SET WILL BE WORTH A LOT ONE DAY! THEY ARE NOT WORTH MUCH BUT THEY ARE EXACTLY LIKE THE 1971 SET IN THAT THE EDGES LOOK LIKE CRAP THIRTY YEARS LATER

2007 FLEER! THE FINAL FLEER EVER. IT'S A NICE LITTLE SET, GOOD DESIGN, FUN CARDBOARDY CARD STOCK. THIS IS CARD #1 IN THE SET BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE BACK YOU'LL SEE A GIANT 32 IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER BECAUSE FLEER HELPFULLY PUT THE PLAYER'S CARD NUMBER BACK THERE FOR MAXIMUM CONFUSION

A FEW 2008 UPPER DECK CARDS. THESE WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE BACK IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF CARD BLOGS. IT'S A NICE MEMORY. I GOT ALL THESE CARDS BECAUSE I BOUGHT TOO MANY PACKS BACK THEN

HERE WE GO, THE MANDATORY BOWMAN REJECTS. NO ONE LIKES BOWMAN, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE WHO OPEN BOXES UPON BOXES OF IT LOOKING FOR THAT LOTTERY TICKET. ALMOST ALL OF THESE ARE CHROME CARDS AND IT'S MOSTLY NO-NAMES EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE GUYS LIKE PAT BURRELL AND ROY OSWALT. THESE ARE GOING TO GET THROWN IN A MONSTER BOX WITH THE REST OF THE BOWMAN CRAP AND WILL MOST LIKELY BE CHUCKED IN A DUMPSTER WHEN I DIE

I DID GET A FEW REFRACTORS IN THERE. I CRAP ON CHROME AND BOWMAN AND ESPECIALLY BOWMAN CHROME BUT I DO LOVE MY SHINIES. TORII HUNTER MAKES ANOTHER APPEARANCE

IT'S TIME FOR INSERTS! I LIKE GETTING INSERTS IN BOXES OF CRAP. THIS WAS THE BIG REWARD FOR SPENDING SEVERAL DOLLARS ON A PACK OF CARDS AND NOW IT'S BEEN EXILED TO THE LAND OF MISFIT CARDS. HERE'S A CHROME INSERT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE MISSING FOURTH CARD IN ONE OF THOSE CHROME PACKS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE POST. ANYONE GOT A CLUE WHAT THE HELL THIS THING IS JUST FROM LOOKING AT THE FRONT? YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW IN A FEW PARAGRAPHS. NO SCROLLING AHEAD AND PEEKING NOW!

THIS 1960 ALL STAR ROOKIE TRIBUTE SET WAS IN 2008 TOPPS AND MAN, I WENT WILD FOR THIS SET. I TIED TO COLLECT 'EM ALL AND LIKE WITH EVERY OTHER SET I'VE EVER TRIED TO BUILD I GOT VERY CLOSE IN SERIES ONE, BARELY GOT HALF OF THEM IN SERIES TWO AND MIGHT HAVE A SMALL HANDFUL FROM UPDATE. THIS ONE'S FROM SERIES TWO AND YEP, I GOT IT ALREADY

ANOTHER 2008 INSERT, THIS ONE I MERELY ACCUMULATED. 'RELIVING THE PREVIOUS SEASON THROUGH BASEBALL CARDS' WAS A BIG THING IN 2008 FOR SOME REASON. I MIGHT HAVE CARED MORE IF THE BRAVES HADN'T SUCKED IN 2007

DICK PEREZ WAS ALSO A BIG THING IN 2008 AS TOPPS HAD HIM CREATE ART FOR A BUNCH OF THEIR CARDS INCLUDING THIS WAL-MART BLASTER EXCLUSIVE. I'M PRETTY SURE I HAVE THREE OF THIS MANNY CARD ALREADY, NOT SURE ABOUT JOSE. THIS IS A PRETTY NICE LITTLE SET BUT I'M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO COMPLETING IT DESPITE WASTING SO MUCH MONEY ON BLASTERS THAT YEAR

DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT? IT'S THE CHROME VERSION OF 2008'S TRADING CARD HISTORY SET. THAT PLAIN DESIGN ON THE FRONT WAS 1953 BOWMAN. IT COULD'VE BEEN 1989 BOWMAN IF TOPPS WAS BRAVE ENOUGH, BUT THEY WEREN'T. I ALSO TRIED TO COLLECT THE REGULAR TOPPS VERSION OF THIS SET BUT DIDN'T GET CLOSE. THE CHROME VERSION I'M NOT INTERESTED IN BUT I'LL THROW IT IN WITH THE REST OF MY CHROME INSERTS UNTIL I FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

THERE WERE A SHITLOAD OF CRAPPY UPPER DECK INSERTS AND I THINK THAT'S JUST FANTASTIC

NOT AN INSERT, BUT A SEMI-SHORTPRINTED SUBSET CARD FROM THE 2008 UD TIMELINE SET. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SET, IT'S BASICALLY AN ARCHIVES FOR UPPER DECK BEFORE ARCHIVES EVEN BECAME THAT KIND OF ARCHIVES. BOXES WERE CHEAP AS HELL BECAUSE EVERYONE HATED THIS SET SO MUCH AND I BOUGHT TWO OR THREE. I STILL AM NOT EVEN CLOSE TO COMPLETING THE SET, BUT SADLY I ALREADY HAVE THIS ENTIRE TOP PROSPECTS SUBSET SO RUSSELL'S A DOUBLE

EVERYONE MADE FUN OF UPPER DECK X BACK IN THE DAY AND RIGHTLY SO. THAT SET SUCKED AND HONESTLY MOST THINGS NAMED X REALLY SUCK. THESE XPONENTIAL INSERTS FROM 2008 DO NOT SUCK HOWEVER. THEY ARE XTREMELY SHINY AND I'VE ALWAYS REALLY LIKED THEM. IT'S A SHAME THEY WERE INSERTED INTO A DOGSHIT PRODUCT LIKE X BUT I STILL LOVE FINDING THEM. IT'S A 200 CARD SET BROKEN UP INTO 4 RARITIY TIERS AND LEVEL 4 IS ACTUALLY EASIER TO FIND THAN LEVELS 1-3 SO IT'S NOT A SET I WILL EVER EVEN CONTEMPLATE TRYING TO BUILD BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE A FEW BINDER SHEETS FULL OF THEM. HERE'S THREE LEVEL 1 CARDS OF 'MIGHT'VE BEEN STARS AT ONE POINT BUT NOT NOW' CARL CRAWFORD, COREY HART AND JASON BAY

AND THERE'S ALSO A COUPLE LEVEL 2 CARDS OF ERIK BEDARD AND BRIAN ROBERTS. YOU'LL SEE BRIAN IN A FUTURE POST. I THINK THE X2S ARE THE BEST LOOKING IN THE SET. ANOTHER ODDITY OF THESE CARDS IS THE FIRST THREE LEVELS ARE HORIZONTAL WHILE THE LAST 10 X4 CARDS ARE VERTIALLY ORIENTED

GOING BACK TO COLLECTOR'S CHOICE, UPPER DECK LOVED THEIR ONE-A-PACK INSERT SETS WITH MULTIPLE PARALLELS IN DIFFERENT COLORS AND STARQUEST WAS THEIR ENTRY FROM 2008. THESE ARE JUNK AND LOOK BAD AND THE FOIL DINGS EASILY AND I PROBABLY HAVE THREE SETS WORTH OF THE DAMN THINGS

OF COURSE THERE ARE COLOR PARALLELS AND THE UNCOMMON VERSION HAS A BRONZE TINT TO THEM. IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD WITH MAGGLIO'S TIGERS UNI

RARE STARQUEST CARDS ARE BLUE WHICH AGAIN GOES WELL WITH JAKE PEAVY'S UNI. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO THESE COLOR CHOICES, THE LOW-END FIRST EDITION PACKS HAD STARQUEST CARDS THAT WERE BRIGHT GREEN. LIKE SHAMROCK SHAKE RADIOACTIVE GREEN. REALLY REALLY GREEN

YOU DIDN'T THINK RARE WAS THE RAREST CARD DID YOU? OH NO, THE ONES WITH HOLOFOIL ARE SUPER RARE. GRADY SIZEMORE AND MICHAEL YOUNG GET THE SHINY TREATMENT. I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S AN ULTRA RARE VERSION TOO BUT IT'S LATE WHEN I'M WRITING THIS AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF FALLING INTO A STARQUEST RABBIT HOLE RIGHT NOW.

FINALLY SOMETHING NOT FROM 2008. THESE STAR ATTRACTIONS CARDS WERE INSERTED INTO 2006 UPPER DECK SERIES ONE AND UPDATE PACKS. I THINK THESE ARE FROM THE UPDATE SERIES BUT THERE'S NOTHING DIFFERENTIATING THE TWO SERIES AND THE NUMBERING IS THAT STUPID INITIALS METHOD EVERYONE INSISTED ON USING IN THE 00S SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW. THIS PILE WAS HUGE BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DOUBLES AND IN THE END I HAVE MAYBE A THIRD OF THE SET

BACK TO 2008 WITH A COUPLE FROM THE INSANE YANKEE STADIUM SET. THESE ARE NOT RARE AT ALL AS THEY WERE IN PRACTICALLY EVERY UPPER DECK PACK PRINTED THAT YEAR BUT WITH A CARD SET WITH ALMOST SEVEN THOUSAND CARDS GOOD LUCK FINDING A SPECIFIC CARD. MIZE AND MAAS ARE AN AMUSING PAIR OF YANKEES TO ME

THE REST ARE ALL A BIT RANDOM AND WE'LL START WITH WHAT MIGHT BE WHAT WAS INSIDE A SINGLE 2007 FLEER ULTRA PACK. FOUR BASE CARDS HEADLINED BY BILLY WAGNER, AN ULTRA ROOKE CARD OF HECTOR JIMENEZ AND TWO RBI KINGS INSERTS OF RICHIE SEXSON AND CARLOS LEE. I RECALL THESE PACKS ONLY HAVING 6 CARDS IN THEM BUT IT WAS NOT UNHEARD OF AN EXTRA INSERT SNEAKING INTO A PACK

A LONE STADIUM CLUB CARD OF MIKE MUSSINA SNUCK IN THE PILE SOMEHOW. 1992 IS THE ONLT YEAR I HAVE MADE A WANTLIST FOR STADIUM CLUB SINCE I'VE MANAGED TO ACCUMULATE ALMOST THE ENTIRE SET SOMEHOW BUT I ALREADY HAVE MOOSE. THIS IS A CARD I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IN THE 50 CENT CARDS BUT MUSSINA IS HONESTLY MUCH BETTER THAN MOST OF THE PLAYERS THAT WERE PURGED FROM THOSE BOXES

NOW WE HAVE ONE CARD EACH FROM THE 2007 AND 2008 UD MASTERPIECES SETS. BUCKY FUCKIN' DENT REPRESENTS '07 AND BRANDON WEBB IS FROM '08. THESE SETS ARE WONDERFUL AND I MANAGED TO COMPLETE BOTH BASE SETS WITH MUCH TROUBLE BACK IN THE DAY. THE 2007 SET IS COMPLETE COMPLETE, BUT 2008 ADDED 30 SHORT PRINTED CARDS IN ADDITION TO THE 90 CARD BASE SET JUST TO FUCK EVERYONE OVER. IT'S NOT SURPRISING THERE WAS NO 2009 UD MASTERPIECES SET AFTER THAT

ANOTHER GOOFY SET THAT JUST ISN'T DONE ANYMORE IS 2009 A PIECE OF HISTORY. ONE OF MANY BASEBALL PLAYER PLUS VAGUELY PATRIOTIC NON-SPORTS SUBJECTS HYBRID SETS RELEASED THAT DECADE, THIS ONE WAS NOT SUPER WELL RECEIVED AS I REMEMBER. THERE'S PROBABLY AN OLD POST OF MINE WHERE I'M GUSHING OVER IT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DIG BUT I DON'T RECOMMEND IT. HERE WE HAVE THE EARTH AND A FLAG. AND A PINK FLAG AT THAT. NEEDLESS COLOR PARALLELS ARE SOMETHING THAT IS STILL DONE TODAY UNFORTUNATELY  

AN HONEST TO GOODNESS GOUDEY SHORT PRINT GOT INTO THE BOX TOO! THIS 2008 CARD MIMICKED 1933 SPORT KINGS BUT A DIFFERENT PRODUCT WAS CALLING ITSELF SPORTKINGS AT THE TIME SO CYNTHIA BECAME ROYALTY. WHILE THERE'S A TON OF SHORT PRINTS IN THE SET AND SOME SHORT PRINTS ARE SHORTER PRINTERED THAN OTHERS I FEEL LIKE COOPER HERE WAS ACTUALLY DOUBLE PRINTED AS I ALREADY HAVE THREE OF THIS CARD I PULLED FROM PACKS AND NOW HERE'S A FOURTH

CLOSING OUT THE PILE IS A HEALTHY STACK OF 2009 ALLEN & GINTER. A SET I COMPLETED MANY YEARS AGO, LOL

THE STACK INCLUDED FOUR OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSERT CARDS. ANOTHER SET I COMPLETED YEARS AGO LOL

THERE WERE FOUR SHORT PRINTS IN THERE THOUGH WHICH IS VERY NICE TO HAVE. THEY AIN'T WORTH NOTHIN, BUT STILL NICE 

WE'LL CLOSE THE POST OUT WITH STEVE WEIBE, THE KING OF KONG. I ALREADY HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT THIS CARD IS GREAT AND IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE ONE

OH SHIT I FORGOT TO SHOW OFF THE FOUR CARDS FROM THIS MASSIVE PILE THAT I ACTUALLY NEEDED FROM MY WANTLISTS

I HAVE THE 2006 SET (MOSTLY) COMPLETE BUT THE UPDATE SET IS ANOTHER THING ALTOGETHER. I CAN ADD CESAR IZTURIS, RONNIE BELLIARD AND MARCUS THAMES TO THE TOPPS BOX NOW. WHILE I KNEW I HAD MANNY, JOSE REYES IS A SECOND SERIES CARD THAT I DID NOT PREVIOUSLY HAVE. KNOCKING OFF A CARD FROM AN INSERT WANTLIST IS GREAT!

THE NEXT - DEAR GOD HOW MANY IS IT, FORTY SOMETHING POSTS? OH BOY WHAT AM I GETTING INTO HERE. ANYWAY, THE NEXT RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF POSTS INVOLVES PILES OF WAY LESS CARDS EXCEPT FOR THE FINAL BATCH, WHICH IS GONNA BE A DOOZY. I'LL BE ALTERNATING TEAM POSTS AND FIFTY CENT REJECT POSTS WITH THE OCCASIONAL RANDOM CHAOS POST. I'LL PROBABLY KNOCK THEM OUT RELATIVELY QUICKLY AS I REALLY WANT TO GET THIS STUFF SORTED AND PUT AWAY SO I CAN STUFF MY OWN REJECT CARDS INTO A SHOEBOX AND USE THE MONSTER BOX FOR OTHER STUFF. UP NEXT THE FIRST TEAM SHALL BE:

THE METS