ONLINE MEGA BOX - PART 24

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PREFACE THESE EXTREME CHAOS POSTS ANYMORE. HERE'S SOME CARDS, SOME ARE NICE, OTHERS ARE STRANGE

2001 STUDIO ANDRUW JONES

CATEGORY - BRAVES, WANTLIST

2001 STUDIO LOOKS SO DAMN GOOD AND IT'S VERY HARD TO FIND. DONRUSS RE-ENTERED THE BASEBALL WORLD VERY TENTATIVELY AND THEIR FIRST FEW SETS FROM 2001 DIDN'T SEEM TO BE RECEIVED TERRIBLY WELL SO FINDING ANY OF THEM IS A CHORE NOWADAYS. THESE CARDS WERE ALSO TEN BUCKS FOR A SIX CARD PACK! I LIKE PICKING THESE OFF WHEN I CAN AND AM SUPER HAPPY WITH ANDRUW

2020-21 CHRONICLES PHOENIX ZACH LAVINE

CATEGORY - CHRONICLES

ANOTHER RANDOM CHRONICLES CARD TO FEED MY ADDICTION. ZACH LAVINE'S FORTUNES HAVE GONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF LY LAST PICKUP, SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER AS HIS BULLS ARE FLOPPING AND ZACH HIMSELF IS OUT FOR THE YEAR. THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES SOMETIMES

1992 IMPEL US OLYMPICARDS TERESA EDWARDS

CATEGORY - BULLDOGS

TERESA PLAYED COLLEGE BALL AT GEORGIA SO SHE GOES RIGHT IN THE BULLDOG BINDER. THIS IS HER SECOND CARD AS SHE HAD AN SI FOR KIDS CARD IN 91. HER ACTUAL INDUSTRY ACCEPTED ROOKIE CARD* WAS A DECADE LATER IN A WNBA SET. WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS ANYTHING DEALING WITH ROOKIE CARDS NOWADAYS

2021 TOPPS HOLIDAY JASON HEYWARD

CATEGORY - J-HEY

JASON HEYWARD CARDS ARE GETTING HARDER TO FIND NOW THAT HE'S IN THE PLATOON OUTFIELDER STAGE OF HIS CAREER BUT I STILL LOVE FINDING THEM WHEN I CAN. THIS EXTREMELY GOOFY LOOKING HOLIDAY THEMED CARD PUTS MY CARD COUNT UP BY ONE ON TCDB. I'M STILL IN THE TOP TEN OF LUNATICS WHO HAVE ADDED ALL THEIR JASON HEYWARD CARDS TO THE SITE, BUT I DOUBT I WILL EVER PASS ALL THE CUBS COLLECTORS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST

2008 UPPER DECK DOCUMENTARY GAME 69

CATEGORY - BRAVES

HEH HEH, NICE. THIS SET WAS TERRIBLE, IS TERRIBLE AND WILL ALWAYS BE TERRIBLE. EVEN AS A BRAVES COLLECTOR I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH A RECAP OF THE 2007 SEASON. IT STILL HAS SOME SURPRISES THOUGH, I FOUND SOMETHING INTERESTING ON THE BACK:

THIS GAME WAS THE MLB DEBUT OF CHARLIE MORTON WHO BEAT THE ANGELS IN AN INTERLEAGUE MATCHUP. SO DOES THAT MAKE THIS A CHARLIE MORTON ROOKIE CARD?? NO! HE HAD CARDS IN 2002 DRAFT PICK SETS. THIS IS JUST KINDA NEAT

2022-23 HOOPS JOHN COLLINS

CATEGORY - HAWKS

MOAR JOHN COLLINS CARDS. I'LL KEEP BUYING THEM! I DON'T CARE THAT HE'S A JAZZ NOW! I... MIGHT START ONLY GETTING SUPER SHINY INSERT COLLINS NOW THOUGH, I THINK I HAVE PLENTY OF BASE CARDS AT THIS POINT

2022 FINEST BRANDON CRAWFORD

CATEGORY - SHINY

THIS WAS THE FIRST 2022 FINEST CARD I HAD STUMBLED ACROSS AND I WANT AT LEAST A PAGE'S WORTH OF EVERY FINEST BASEBALL SET SO I GOT IT. DEPENDING ON WHEN THIS POST IS FINALLY POOSTED YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SEEN/WILL SEE VERY SOON QUITE A FEW MORE OF THESE THINGS

I ALSO FELT COMPELLED TO GIVE HOOPS BACKS AN APOLOGY FOR CALLING THEM VERY BORING WITH THEIR MONOCHROMATIC DESIGN SO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. THAT FINEST BACK BARELY HAS COLOR ON IT AND MOST OF IT IS CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED. NOT TO MENTION THE RATHER MINIMALIST BACKS OF 2024 TOPPS, A SET WHICH I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NONE OF AT TIME OF WRITING BUT WILL BE/HAS BEEN POSTED TO THE BLOG THE VERY NANOSECOND I GET MY GRUBBLY LITTLE HANDS ON A PACK

1995 TOPPS TRADED JEFF BAGWELL AT THE BREAK

CATEGORY - INSERT WANTLIST

I DID IT AGAIN. FOR THE LONGEST TIME I THOUGHT THESE CARDS WERE AN INSERT SET FROM 1996. IT'S NOT MY FAULT! LOOK AT THESE BACKS!

FANCY DESIGN! NUMBER 8! 1995 STAT LINE! 1995 COPYRIGHT DATE! BACK THEN SERIES ONE WAS RELEASED IN DECEMBER! IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE SOME ODDBALL INSERT SET THAT WAS RELEASED ONLY IN SPECIALLY MARKED WAL-MART VALUE PACKS OR SOME SHIT! NOPE, IT'S A SUBSET IN THE 1995 TRADED SET. THANKFULLY I HAVE ALMOST NO CARDS FROM THAT SET. WELL, UNTIL NOW AT LEAST, I THINK I'VE BOUGHT A HALF DOZEN OF THESE THINKING THEY WERE INSERTS

1996 STADIUM CLUB JEFF BAGWELL TEAM TSC

CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR, SHORT PRINT

I MENTIONED THESE EARLIER IN ONE OF MY 2024 BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA POSTS OF DUDES I CAN'T PASS UP WHEN I SEE THEM. BAGWELL KINDA IS ONE OF THOSE DUDES BUT IN A TIER LOWER THAN RICKEY, BARRY AND JUNIOR. BAGS IS IN THE FRANK THOMAS, GARY SHEFFIELD, LARRY WALKER TYPE TIER. THIS CARD IS ALSO A ONE-PER-PACK SHORT PRINT SO I'M DRAWN TO THEM LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME. THERE ARE 90 CARDS IN THAT SUBSET SO 

1992 SCORE NOLAN RYAN

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

RYAN ONCE AGAIN BEING ONE OF THE LAST CARDS I NEED FOR A SET. THIS CARD KNOCKS ME DOWN TO NEEDING ONLY FIVE CARDS FROM THE SECOND SERIES TO COMPLETE THE 92 SCORE SET. FOUR HALL OF FAMERS AND MIKE GARDINER. I'M 90% CERTAIN THE GARDENIER CARD WILL BE THE SET COMPLETER

UP NEXT: OMG AN ACTUAL THEMED POST

 *THE ONE WITH THE LITTLE RC SYMBOL ON COMC

FIRST CARD PURCHASE OF 2023

I FINALLY GOT TO THE FLEA MARKET THIS WEEKEND WITH A LITTLE CASH IN MY POCKET. THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE TRIP WAS THIS:

   

I SPOTTED THIS BOOK ON MY PREVIOUS TRIP TO THE FLEA MARKET WHEN I GOT THE BASEBALL IMMORTALS AND TONY HAWK ROOKIE AND SAVED MY PENNIES FOR TWO MONTHS TO GET THE CASH FOR IT. THIS WILL LIKELY GET IT'S OWN POST EVENTUALLY BUT THE SHORT VERSION IS THIS IS THE PREQUEL TO THAT GIGANTIC TOPPS COFFEE TABLE BOOK WITH PICTURES OF EVERY CARD FROM 1951-1985. AS SOMEONE WHO LOOOOVES PRE-WAR CARDS BUT IS MOSTLY PRICED OUT OF THE HOBBY AT THIS POINT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET A PHYSICAL OBJECT REPRESENTING ALL THESE CLASSIC CARD SETS. SURE, YOU CAN FIND EVERY IMAGE IN THIS BOOK ON THE INTERNET, BUT IT STILL HITS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU HAVE A GIGANTIC TOME OF CARDAGE IN FRONT OF YOU. ALSO UNLIKE THE TOPPS BOOK THE VAST MAJORITY OF IMAGES ARE FULL SIZED AND NOT SQUISHED DOWN TO POSTAGE STAMP SIZE (WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS)

I BASICALLY PAID FULL PRICE FOR THIS AND IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. I AM ALSO OFFICIALLY A 'REGULAR' AT THIS FLEA MARKET BOOTH NOW SO WAS ABLE TO SNAG A COUPLE DEALS TO GO ALONG WITH THE LUXURY ITEM. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MY HASTILY THROWN TOGETHER POST WITH ALL THE SETS I'M DOWN TO FIVE CARDS OR FEWER TO COMPLETE. THE PLAN WAS TO GET THIS BOOK AND THEN DIG THROUGH HIS STUFF TO FIND AS MANY CARDS OFF THAT LIST THAT I COULD. THAT PLAN WENT SIDEWAYS IMMEDIATELY AS THE SELLER TRIED TO SELL ME BOXES OF STUFF HE WANTED TO GET RID OF. HE KNOWS I WILL BUY HIS TRASH AND I GET OFFERED JUNK BOXES EVERY TIME NOW. LUCKILY, I QUICKLY FOUND SOME GOOD TRASH

OLD TIMERS BOX IN AN OLD TIMEY CARD BOX. THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT WILL GET IT'S OWN POST AND YOU WILL GET SOME BETTER PICTURES OF IT THEN. THE BOX EVEN HAS A TED WILLIAMS AUTOGRAPH ON IT, TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT JSA AUTHENTICATION AT THE LOCAL CARD SHOP AND ENJOY THEIR PEALS OF LAUGHTER. AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SMALL BOX FULL OF SLEEVED CARDS THAT DON'T QUITE FIT. HERE'S A BETTER PIC OF THE GOODS:

LARGE PILE OF EVEN MORE PACIFIC NOLAN CARDS, SMALL PILES OF PACIFIC LEGENDS AND SWELL BASEBALL GREAT CARDS, A NEAR SET OF THE 85 TOPPS ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDER BOX SET, SOME 1993 STUDIO CARDS, AND SOME RANDOM CONLON COLLECTION CARDS WHICH IS THE BIGGEST PILE OF THE BUNCH. HE WANTED FIFTEEN FOR THE BOX WHICH MADE ME HAVE TO DO SOME MENTAL CALCULATIONS. IS IT A BETTER DEAL TO BUY THE WHOLE THING, OR JUST PICK OUT THE CARDS I ACTUALLY WANT FOR A QUARTER? THE PACIFIC AND SWELL LEGENDS CARDS I DEFINITELY WANTED AND THERE WERE LIKELY SOME CONLON CARDS I NEEDED BUT THE REST I'M SURE I HAD ALREADY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BOX CAME HOME WITH ME AND WE'LL BREAK IT DOWN IF I GOT GOOD VALUE AT A LATER DATE

I ALSO CAME HOME WITH THIS HANES HER WAY SHOEBOX HALF FILLED WITH ACTUAL CRAP PLUS A COOL DAVE HENDERSON MINOR LEAGUE CARD. THIS WAS ABOUT THREE QUARTERS JUNKWAX BASKETBALL WHICH IS FINE, BUT MOST OF THAT WAS BEAT UP 1990  HOOPS. DUDE HAD BEEN TRYING TO SELL ME THIS BOX FOR MAYBE A YEAR AND WHILE I WAS INTERESTED, IT WAS A TERRIBLE DEAL AT FIVE BUCKS AND HE USUALLY WANTED SOMETHING LIKE TWENTY FOR IT. AFTER A QUICK LOOK THROUGH IT LOOKS LIKE I NEEDED MAYBE A DOZEN OR SO BASKETBALL CARDS OUT OF HERE BUT IT WAS A HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT TO SEE THAT ALL THREE 2000-01 TOPPS CARDS IN THE BOX WERE ONES I ALREADY HAD. THAT HENDU CARD ROCKS THOUGH AND IS GOING TO END UP IN A PROMINENT PLACE IN A FUTURE COOL CARD BINDER

I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM TO AGREE ON A ULYSSES S. GRANT FOR THE BOOK AND BOXES, WHICH I BROKE DOWN IN MY MIND AS FULL PRICE FOR THE BOOK, TEN BUX FOR THE OLD TIMERS, AND THE SHOEBOX JUNK FOR FREE. I FELT THIS WAS EXCELLENT VALUE FOR EACH ITEM. THIS WAS ALL WORKED OUT WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES HOWEVER, AND I STILL WANTED TO DIG THROUGH A BUNCH OF CARDS TO KILL THE AFTERNOON SO I ASKED IF I COULD THROW IN A COUPLE MORE CHEAPO CARDS AS WELL AND THESE TERMS WERE ACCEPTABLE. HERE'S WHAT I FOUND THROUGH DIGGING:

1992 TOPPS CAL RIPKEN JR.

AM NOW DOWN TO ONE SINGLE CARD TO COMPLETE MY 1992 TOPPS SET. NOT COUNTING THE WHOLE-ASS FACTORY SET I'VE HAD FOR DECADES. THIS IS LEGIT A GREAT CARD AND I'M NOT SURE HOW IT ELUDED ME FOR SO LONG. ACTUALLY, I DO KNOW, IT'S A LEGIT GREAT CARD THAT NO ONE IS THROWING IN A JUNK BOX AND I DON'T GO OUT OF MY WAY TO BUY RIPKEN CARDS

1990 DONRUSS RICKEY HENDERSON

I KNOW I HAVE THIS FUCKIN' CARD SOMEWHERE, IF NOT SEVERAL, BUT IT'S THE LAST CARD REMAINING ON MY WANTLIST SO I HAD TO GET IT. I COLLECT RICKEYS THOUGH SO EVEN IF IT ULTIMATELY IS A DOUBLE I'M FINE WITH HAVING ANOTHER OF THEM. SO NOW TECHNICALLY MY 1990 DONRUSS SET IS COMPLETE BUT NOW I HAVE TO ACTUALLY DRAG IT OUT, PUT THIS CARD IN, AND SEE JUST HOW MANY OTHER CARDS ARE REALLY MISSING. AND THEN I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DID WITH THEM BECAUSE I AM 1000% CERTAIN THEY ARE SOMEWHERE IN MY HOUSE. HONESTLY I PROBABLY HAVE THREE COMPLETE SETS OF THIS NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK GETTING JUST THE ONE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE. I STILL HAVENT DONE IT FOUR DAYS LATER AND I'M HONESTLY DREADING IT A BIT

1995 STADIUM CLUB RICKEY HENDERSON RING LEADERS INSERT

SO BY NOW I HAD FOUND THE AGREED-UPON COUPLE EXTRA CARDS BUT THIS GORGEOUS MONSTROSITY SHOWED UP IN THE RICKEY HENDERSON BOX AND I COULDN'T PASS IT UP. THESE ARE A ONE PER BOX INSERT FROM 95 STADIUM CLUB. THEY ARE NOT EXACLY RARE, BUT THEY'RE NOT EASY EITHER. I WAS WILLING TO COUGH UP A COUPLE MORE BUCKS FOR THIS ONE, BUT THE DUDE ALREADY HAD MY MONEY AND WAS FINE WITH THROWING IT IN THE DEAL. I ALSO FOUND A RICKEY DENNY'S HOLOGRAM CARD IN THE BOX BUT LEFT IT ONCE I SAW THIS ONE. THIS IS HOW THINGS USUALLY GO ON MY FLEA MARKET RUNS, THERE IS ALWAYS ONE MORE THING I WANT THAT I LEAVE BEHIND FOR NEXT TIME

1993 UPPER DECK DAVE WINFIELD SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

ANOTHER GUY I COLLECT ON AN INSERT FOR A SET I COLLECT. WHILE I THINK I HAVE FINALLY COMPLETED THE 1993 UPPER DECK BASE SET, I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN COMPLETING THE INSERT SETS. I HAVE A FEW INSERT SETS KNOCKED OUT, BUT THE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS SET IS LEGIT SCARCE AS THEY WERE ONLY INSERTED IN SPECIAL SERIES TWO BOXES. I COME ACROSS THEM VERY RARELY AND WHEN I SEE 'EM I GET 'EM. THIS ONE HAS A GREAT BIG DOINK ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER BUT THAT DON'T MATTER TO ME NONE. I AM A LITTLE SAD THIS HIGHLIGHT IS FOR THE BLUE JAYS WORLD SERIES WIN, BUT THERE ARE ALSO FRANCISCO CABRERA AND BIP ROBERTS CARDS FROM THIS SET FOR ME TO CHASE

I FEEL LIKE THE FIRST PURCHASE OF THE YEAR WAS WORTH THE WAIT AND HONESTLY JANUARY SUCKED SO HARD I'M OK WITH HIBERNATING THROUGH IT. THIS IS BEING POSTED ON 2023 TOPPS RELEASE DAY AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU OUT THERE RIPPING HOBBY BOXES AND RAIDING TARGET FOR BLASTERS HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS I DID WITH THESE CARDS. I WON'T BE JOINING YOU AS I'M BROKE AS HELL NOW

How Upper Deck Can Thrive in 2010 - Part 2

So how the heck is Upper Deck going to sell cards without an MLB license anyway?

Ok, I've thrown out the obvious Retro idea already and I still have no clue how they can ceep their bease Upper Deck set together without it looking like garbage. It doesn't mean I'm out of ideas on how UD can make a splash in 2010. And with all good ideas, there's a little bit of borrowing involved.

Upper Deck has a license with the Players' Union so they can print up as many cards of Major League players as their heart desires. But they can't show any logos or the Laywers Shall Feast. Now how do you put together a good card set featuring players but where logos are not necessary. Something distinctive and attractive and unique in the market. I can think of a brand of cards that did that. A brand from loong loong time ago. This brand:

Upper Deck: STEAL STUDIO.

Donruss sure ain't doing anything with it. Hell, I don't think the ham-fisted designers over at Playoffnini could even pull off a set like Studio anymore. It's the perfect concept for cards that has to focus on people and not embroidered uniform adornments.

See? A couple of logos snuck through there, but you could kick 'em out and noone would notice. Of course, some Studio sets have logos as a central theme but Upper Deck doesn't need to steal mimic borrow pay homage to the exect design of one of those Studio sets, they can just use the concept of a well done artsy set that focuses on the player. Upper Deck hasn't had much luck borrowing designs lately anyway.

Upper Deck doesn't really need to steal the concept anyway, they had a pretty good set in '07 and '08 that was kind of artsy fartsy. Masterpieces, maybe you've heard of it? Turn it into a base set from of, ahem, studio portrait cards and then add in a subset/SP/insert set of art cards like the good 'ol Masterpieces we love so well and Upper Deck might just have a winner there. It's not like they haven't done this before...

Remember the Iooss Collection?

Perhaps the V.J Lovero showcase?

Upper Deck can do the exact same thing for a 2010 set. Hire a big shot photographer or even a bunch of 'em and feature their logoless photographs in a set. I hear Annie Leibovitz is looking to make some quick cash....

Note - I haven't had any time to check all the other blogs out there lately so if anyone else proposed this.... HAHA!!! I JUST STOLE IT!!! See how easy that is, Upper Deck?