BIRTHDAY BOOLSHEET BLASTER: PART 2 - METS

LIKE I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS POST, WELL OVER HALF THE BOX CONSISTED OF A BUNCH OF RANDOM STUFF THAT LOOKED LIKE REFUGEES FROM A FAIRFIELD REPACK CIRCA 2003 SORTED BY TEAMS. WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD TEAM LOTS THROUGHOUT THE BOX THE GEARS IN MY POSTER BRAIN STARTED GRINDING AND THAT'S WHY I AM TAKING HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS AND CROPPING AND UPLOADING AND WRITING ALL THIS MESS INSTEAD OF CHILLING OUT AND WATCHING A MOVIE BECAUSE I HAPPILY SORTED ALL THE JUNK IN THE BOX I GOT A WEEK AGO. STRICTLY SPEAKING I NEED ALMOST NONE OF THIS STUFF, BUT I FOUND A COUPLE INTERESTING THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR AS I SORT ALL THESE CARDS PLUS EACH TEAM LOT HAS A FEW COOL THINGS SPRINKLED IN AMONGST THE GARBAGE. ENOUGH STUFF TO SHOW OFF AT LEAST. THE FIRST TEAM TO POP UP IN THE BOX WAS THE NEW YORK METROPOLITANS

STARTING OFF WITH 1987 TOPPS WHICH MAY SEEM ODD BECAUSE I AM FAMOUSLY SICK AND TIRED OF 1987 TOPPS. I HAVE ALMOST TWO FULL MONSTER BOXES FULL OF 1987 TOPPS DOUBLES I'VE ACCIDENTALLY ACCUMULATED BECAUSE IT GETS THROWN IN EVERY SINGLE REPACK AND JUNK BOX AND I'M PRETTY SURE IT SEXUALLY REPRODUCES IN DARK BASEMENTS WHEN WE'RE NOT LOOKING. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT 1987 TOPPS, IT IS 1987 TOPPS TRADED. DESPITE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY THE SET DIRT CHEAP SEVERAL TIME I NEVER DID AND AS A RESULT I HAVE WELL UNDER HALF THE SET, AGAIN THROUGH RANDOM ACCUMULATION. LOOKING THROUGH ALL THESE TEAM SETS IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE IS MOST OF AN '87 TRADED SET IN HERE. PROBABLY NONE OF THE BIGGUNS LIKE MADDUX, REGGIE OR MCGRIFF, BUT I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE SET IS IN HERE WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE ALL THE STAR CARDS AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE SET NOW. I'M PUTTING A COUNTER ON ALL THESE POSTS TO SEE HOW CLOSE WE ACTUALLY GET. WE'LL START IT OFF WITH TWO METS (AND I NEED THE MCREYNOLDS!)

1987 TOPPS TRADED COUNT: 2/132

THE OTHER THING THAT WAS GLARINGLY OBVIOUS IS THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF 2002 TOPPS CARDS IN THIS BOX. LIKE SO OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS EVIDENT JUST LOOKING AT THE RAW CARDS IN THE BOX. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF ORANGE IN THERE. THIS IS SOMEWHAT UNFORTUNATE FOR ME AS 2002 TOPPS IS ONE OF THE FEW POST JUNK ERA SETS I'VE ACTUALLY COMPLETED. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE A FACTORY SET GOT BROKEN UP AND DUMPED BUT THERE'S WAY TOO MANY DOUBLES FOR THAT. I'M ALSO KEEPING A COUNT HERE TOO AS I'M INTERESTED SO SEE JUST HOW CLOSE WE GET. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING - ANY TRADED CARDS? NOPE, WHICH ALSO MEANS NO SHORT PRINTED TRADED CARDS SADLY

2002 TOPPS COUNT: 21/718

WE NEED AN AVERAGE OF A LITTLE OVER 23 CARDS PER TEAM FOR A COMPLETE SET SO STARTING OFF A LITTLE UNDER. ALOMAR IS THE ONLY STAR OF NOTE IN THE PILE SO I'M GUESSING THE OTHER GOOD CARDS ARE ALREADY IN THE STORE'S 50 CENT BOXES RIGHT NOW

NOW FOR THE "GOOD" CARDS. THE CRITERIA FOR BEING GOOD IS KIND OF SQUISHY. BASICALLY I WANT ENOUGH CARDS TO PAD OUT THE POST BUT NOT TOO MANY BECAUSE I GET SICK OF TYPING QUICKLY. A CARD FROM UPPER DECK VICTORY WOULD NOT NORMALLY MAKE THE CUT BUT I GRUDGINGLY ADMIT THAT ALOMAR WAS GOOD AT BASEBALL AND YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF TRADED BLURBS ON 21ST CENTURY CARDS

YOU WILL BE SEEING EVERY SINGLE PACIFIC CARD WITH SHINY FOIL ON IT THOUGH. THIS 1999 PRISM CARD IS SUPER EXTRA SHINY. IT'S ALSO ANOTHER CLEVELAND MIDDLE INFIELDER TO THE METS CONNECTION. HEY WAIT, THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT! NO FRANCISCO LINDOR CARDS IN THE BOX THAT I CAN RECALL

YES! I LOVE THE ODDBALL CARDS. THIS CARD IS FROM LONG JOHN SILVERS BUT THERE IS NARY A FISH ANYWHERE ON THE CARD. JUST A STARLINE LOGO ON THE FRONT AND A COCA-COLA AD ON THE BACK. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY LONG JOHN WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS BUT I LOVE THIS SET AND DIDN'T HAVE THE STRAWMAN

1983 TOPPS HUBIE BROOKS DEFINITELY MAKES THE GOOD CARD CUT. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST OF THE TOPPS SETS I COMPLETED SO HUBIE'S A DUPLICATE. BUT THINKING IN FAIRFIELD REPACK TERMS, AN 83 TOPPS CARD IS BASICALLY A HIT. I WILL NEVER NOT LIKE GETTING A CARD FROM THIS SET

1990 UPPER DECK IS ALSO COMPLETE BUT A DOCTOR K ART CHECKLIST KICKS ASS

SPEAKING OF FAVORITE SETS, 1995 LEAF IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE LEAF SET THANKS TO THE HOLOGRAPHIC FOIL TEAM NAME AND INSET PHOTO. THE BACK LOOKS GREAT TOO AND IT HAS ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST EASILY READABLE CARD NUMBERS OF THE DECADE. I UNFORTUNATELY HAVE THIS ONE ALREADY BUT IT'S STILL WORTH SHOWING OFF

NOT SURE I'VE SEEN A CARD WITH TIMO'S FULL NAME ON IT BEFORE. FLEER PREMIUM WAS A PREMIUM SET MOSTLY BECAUSE IT ACTED FANCY AND NOT BECAUSE IT COSTS $500 FOR THREE CARDS LIKE NOWADAYS. I GUESS IT WAS SLIGHTLY CLASSIER THAN MOST SETS DUE TO THE CHIPPY BLACK BORDERS AND SPOT FOIL BACKGROUNDS THAT SCRATCH EASILY

MINOR LEAGUE CARDS IN THE 80S AND 90S WENT ON THIS WILD ROLLERCOASTER FROM CHEAP TEAM SETS TO CHEAP LEAGUE SETS TO CHEAP DRAFT SETS TO NOT-SO-CHEAP SETS WITH AUTOGRAPHS AND BELLS AND WHISTLES THEN EVERYTHING CRASHED AND BURNED AND WE ENDED UP WITH STUFF LIKE THIS. THE "GRAPHIC DESIGN IS MY PASSION" OF MINOR LEAGUE SETS I SEE THIS JUNK EVERYWHERE AND IT'S SO BAD. AIRBRUSHED UNIS AND DREADFUL DESIGNS THAT ONLY SERVE AS AUTOGRAPH RECEPTACLES. AND THEY HAD THE COLOSSAL NERVE TO USE MONEY AS A DESIGN ELEMENT! TOTAL TRASH SET. THIS EARL SNYDER CARD ALWAYS CONFUSED ME TOO BECAUSE WITH ALL THE LOGOS PURGED HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S IN A BRAVES UNI

AND HERE'S ALL THE REST. THE PLAN WAS TO PUT THE REST OF THE COMMONS IN A PILE AND THEN JUST SHOW OFF THE ONES I NEEDED BUT... I DON'T NEED ANY OF THESE. WELL, TECHNICALLY MAYBE THE TRIPLE PLAY OR FAN CLUB CARD BUT I DON'T HAVE THE DESIRE TO CHECK ON THOSE. OH WELL, AT LEAST I HAVE MY FIRST PILE OF DOUBLES OUT OF THE WAY. UP NEXT IS A PILE OF FIFTY CENT REJECTS, THERE'S WAY MORE SHINIER STUFF TO SHOW OFF IN THAT POST