ONLINE DIMEBOX BLASTER - PART 8

 ANOTHER BIG MOJO HIT FROM THE BLASTER POPS UP HERE AND THEN CHAOS REIGNS. HAIL ERIS!

2022 BOWMAN RONALD ACUÑA JR.

CATEGORY - RONALD

IF I SEE A RONALD CARD FOR A BUCK AND I HAVE  BUCK IN MY POCKET, I BUY IT. I MAY NOT BUY ALL THE ACUÑAS BUT I'M COMING HOME WITH ONE OR THREE. A RONALD ACUÑA JR. CARD FOR ESSENTIALLY 15 CENTS? OH HELL YEAH GIMME THAT ALL DAY. HE AIN'T EASY TO SNAG ON THE SITE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS BUT I LUCKED OUT ON THIS ONE. IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET HARDER TO GET HIS CARDS AS HE'S ON PACE TO DO SOMETHING ABSURD LIKE A 40-80 YEAR. I MENTIONED BEFORE I ENDED UP BUYING A FEW CARDS TWICE ACCIDENTALY. THIS IS THE ONLY CARD I BOUGHT TWICE ON PURPOSE

2021 DONRUSS MIKE SOROKA

CATEGORY - BRAVES

MIKE IS STILL TRYING TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE BIGS AFTER HIS ACHILLES INJURY BUT ISN'T QUITE THERE YET, AT LEAST AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS. WHEN HE WAS HEALTHY HE WAS MURDER ON THE MOUND SO BEING CAUTIOUS WITH HIS RETURN IS PROBABLY FOR THE BEST ESPECIALLY WITH A DOUBLE DIGIT LEAD IN THE EAST. THIS DONRUSS DESIGN SEEMS TO BE RIFFING ON THE 1991 DESIGN. I DIG IT

2022 DIAMOND KINGS SATCHEL PAIGE

CATEGORY - PLAYER COLLECTION, SUPERSTAR

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SATCHEL PAIGE CARDS I HAVE BUT WHEN I SEE ONE I CAN AFFORD, I LIKE TO PICK THEM UP. HE SEEMS TO BE IN A LOT OF SETS EITHER AS A LEGENDS PLAYER OR INSERTS WHICH PLEASES ME. ACCORDING TO TCDB IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S HAD AT LEAST ONE CARD PER YEAR GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 1998. EXCELLENT

1993 TOPPS GREG MADDUX/ROGER CLEMENS ALL-STARS

CATEGORY - WANTLIST, BRAVES

I HAVE BOUGHT THIS CARD SEVERAL TIMES AND I THINK I MIGHT'VE BOUGHT IT AGAIN ON THIS SITE AT SOME POINT. I KNOW FOR A FACT I TRIED TO BUY IT A THIRD TIME BEFOE I CAUGHT MYSELF. I ALSO HAVE ONE IN DOGSHIT CONDITION I PICKED UP FROM THE FLEA MARKET. WHY SO MANY? WELL, BEST PITCHERS EVER FOR ONE THING, BUT ALSO THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST CARDS I NEED TO COMPLETE MY 1993 TOPPS SET. OR AT THE VERY LEAST IT'S ONE OF THE LAST CARDS ON MY WANTLIST. I REALLY REALLY NEED TO PUT THIS CARD WITH THE SET AND TAKE IT OFF THE LIST RIGHT NOW BUT I WON'T SO MAYBE EXPECT TO SEE THIS CARD AGAIN A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW 

1991 FLEER ULTRA BRUCE SMITH ALL-STARS

CATEGORY - INSERT

I LOVE GOOD LOOKING INSERT CARDS AND THIS FITS THE BILL. I WILL NEVER COLLECT THE 91 ULTRA FOOTBALL SET EVEN THOUGH IT'S PROBABLY MUCH CHEAPER NOW THAT FAVRE'S ROOKIE HAS LOST ITS SHINE A BIT. THE ALL-STAR INSERTS, I MIGHT THINK ABOUT. BRUCE SMITH IS A HELL OF A PLAYER TOO, HE OWNED IN TECMO BOWL

WAIT... I HAVE FAVRE'S ULTRA ROOKIE CARD. STILL DON'T WANNA BUILD THE SET

1987 FLEER STICKERS ASTROS AND MARINERS

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

I'M FOR REALS SERIOUS ABOUT COMPLETING ALL THESE FLEER STICKER SETS. IT AIN'T GONNA BE EASY AS THESE CARDS ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED TRASH AT MOST CARD SHOPS NOWADAYS BUT THERE'S ENOUGH OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN FIND THEM OCCASIONALLY. THE BIG PROBLEM IS KEEPING ALL THE SETS STRAIGHT IN YOUR HEAD. I GET 1987 AND 1988 CONFUSED ALL THE TIME. IT'S ALSO HARD TO REMEMBER WHICH CARDS YOU NEED OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD. MADDUX/CLEMENS? EASY. ASTROS/MARINERS? HARD. THIS IS THE THIRD CARD OF THE BATCH I ENDED UP BUYING TWICE. I HAVE SINCE STARTED TRACKING MY PURCHASES BETTER. BUT Y'ALL KNOW HOW IT IS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH DIME BOXES

1994 TOPPS BLACK GOLD CARLOS BAERGA

CATEGORY - INSERT

FOR SOME DAMN REASON I STILL HAVE NOT CATALOGUED ALL MY TOPPS INSERTS* EVEN THOUGH I WANT TO COMPLETE ALL OF THEM EVER. I HAVE A FEW WANTLISTED HERE AND THERE LIKE SOME OF THE VINTAGE ONES AND A FEW OF THE NEWER ONES BUT STUFF LIKE THIS THAT IS COMMON AS DIRT I'VE BEEN TOO LAZY TO PULL A CHECKLIST. AS A RESULT I END UP FINDING A CARD, GOING TO MY INSERT BOX, AND DIGGING AROUND TO SEE IF I HAVE THE CARD. THIS IS A PAIN IN THE JUNK BUT WILL I GET ORGANIZED TO MAKE THINGS EASIER ON MYSELF? NO! IT'S A MIRACLE I'M EVEN WRITING THESE POSTS INSTEAD OF GOOFING OFF. IF YOU THINK THAT'S BAD, I CAN'T EVEN FIND MY DONRUSS OR SCORE INSERTS RIGHT NOW**

1976 TOPPS COOKIE ROJAS

CATEGORY - PLAYER COLLECTION, COOKIE

C IS FOR COOKIE! IF YOU ORDER THE SITE CHRONOLOGICALLY, THE OLDEST STUFF ON THERE IS FROM 1982. BUT, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO DIG AROUND OLDER STUFF FROM THE 70S CAN BE FOUND. THERE'S EVEN ONE FROM 1973 TOPPS THAT I WOULD'VE BOUGHT ALREADY IF I DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE IT. THERE'S A BUNCH OF 1976 TOPPS CARDS ON THERE BUT I'M DOWN TO NEEDING ONLY FIVE MORE CARDS FOR THE SET. IF I HAD FOUND A 1976 AARON ON THE FREE CARD SITE YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD ME YELP FROM SEVERAL STATES AWAY. I DON'T LIKE TO BUY VINTAGE STUFF I ALREADY HAVE WHEN THERE'S SHINY NONSENSE LIKE THE REST OF THIS POST TO BUY. COOKIE ROJAS IS AN EXCEPTION. I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND

1989 FLEER JOSE CANSECO ALL-STAR

CATEGORY - INSERT

I THINK I MIGHT NEED THIS ONE? I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE AS I AM AS SLACK WITH MY FLEER INSERTS*** AS I AM WITH MY TOPPS INSERTS. SEE BRUCE SMITH ABOVE: NICE LOOKING INSERTS GO IN MY CART. TIME TO PULL OUT THE 89 FLEER BINDER AND SEE IF I GOOFED AGAIN

2006-07 IN THE GAME BETWEEN THE PIPES

ED BELFOUR 

CATEGORY - PLAYER COLLECTION

CHRIS CHELIOS IS MY FAVORITE HOCKEY PLAYER, BUT ED BELFOUR IS MY FAVORITE HOCKEY GOALIE. I HAVE A NICE LITTLE PLAYER COLLECTION OF EDDIE AND IT'S GROWING RAPIDLY THANKS TO CANADIAN CARDS. IN THE GAME WAS AN ODDBALL HOCKEY PROSPECT BRAND THAT DID AN ENTIRE SET DEDICATED TO GOALIES. I HAD FALLEN OFF HOCKEY CARDS PRECIPITOUSLY BY 2006 DUE TO THRASHERS DISASTERS AND THE MAIN STORE I FOUND COOL HOCKEY STUFF AT CLOSING DOWN SO I'M HAPPY TO FIND SOME NEAT STUFF I HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE

UP NEXT - MONSTERS, INSERTS AND A STAY AT THE HILTON

* SINCE WRITING THIS I GOT MY ACT TOGETHER AND GOT A LIST TOGETHER OF TOPPS INSERTS THROUGH 2009. I MAY EVANTUALLY GET CAUGHT UP TO THE CURRENT DAY

** I HAVE SINCE FOUND THESE. THEY WERE EXACTLY WHERE I THOUGHT THEY WERE

*** I HAVE FLEER AND FLEER ULTRA INSERTS COMPLETELY WANTLISTED. 1986-2007. SEE? I'M NOT AS INCOMPETENT AS I WRITE I AM

October Card Show - Doubles from the $2 box

I didn't realize that the Freedom Card Show was happening until I got an e-mail from BP sports literally the day before. As a result I was completely unprepared. Combine that with my perpetual state of being disorganized and I didn't even have my wantlists with me when I went. I am one of the few luddites left without a smartphone so no pulling up all the wantlists on my blog on the phone for me. I have to have scribbled up pieces of paper in a ratty red folder. But, like I said, I didn't even have that, I had to make do with some hand written pieces of notebook paper hastily scratched after pulling out the binders and doing a reality check. This, obviously caused some problems at the show with missing and miswritten lists. I managed to only pick up two doubles though, which is not too bad considering. Both are ones I don't really mind having and they were from the cheap $2 box at Uncle Dick's (remembered the name that time!) so it didn't cost me much. One was a complete accident, one was kinda on purpose. I'll show off the advertent, then the inadvertent.

Dale Murphy rookie card for two dollars. TWO DOLLARS. How can you sell a Murph rookie for two freaking dollars?! I pined for this card for YEARS when I was a kid. Years I say! It always had a $35-$50 price tag on it so I slowly sulked over to the bargain boxes while my dream card remained imprisoned in its glass case. Now I got it for two bucks. My 14 year old self is dancing right now.

But wait there's more! Bonus abstract artwork of a red Gumby scratching his head in the upper corner! Or maybe that's a 9. Still! Extra artistic augmentation! I already have one of these for my team set, now I have a second for my '77 Topps set. Or, who knows? I may becone a Rick Cerone SuperCollector. Stranger things have happened.

At Uncle Dick's I hit the '53s hard. Came up with a very nice little haul too. Five cards were found for the set. On my hastily scribbled list was card #109. This Alvin Dark card right here. I looked at this card quizzically when I saw it on my list. Surely I had Alvin Dark already? There's no way I don't have this card already. But... it's on the list. I just went through the binder last night and did a reality check on what cards I needed. There's #109! Right there! I have pretty much memorized all the cards in this set between the 1991 '53 Archives set and the placeholders I printed out for my set. So I got Alvin for $2. A 1953 Topps card for the price of a retail back ain't bad at all.

I got home, opened the binder, went to Alvin's page.. and there was Mr. Dark staring at me. Yep, I already had Alvin. Yogi I didn't have. Card #104. My 4s kinda look like 9s when I write. This is why I type my wantlists. Oh well. Time to make a trade bait post maybe?

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

Yet Another Masterpieces Blaster

This one was supposed to be used for a video, but after doing a pack rip on the webcam, I'm moved videos to the back burner. They are time consuming, low quality and right now I don't really know how to edit them or frame them properly. Once I have a little more free time I might try again. Blasters must be ripped, however. This is the third one I've opened, so at this point I'm just looking to pick up a few cards I actually need.

Pack 1:
23 Jim Thome
86 Carl Crawford
49 Harmon Killebrew
21 Derrek Lee

Not off to a great start as I have all four already. Killer seems to share my disgust.

Pack 2:
65 Jorge Posada
105 Tom Seaver SP
51 Justin Morneau
37 Hanley Ramirez

UGH. the one SP in the box and I already have it. I've only got three short prints in the first place, I don't need doubles.

Pack 3:
57 Pedro Martinez
29 Troy Tulowitzki
YSL4481 Rick Cerone
9 Brooks Robinson
30 Matt Holliday

This is quickly turning into a disaster. 0 for three on packs so far.

Pack 4:
15 David Ortiz
1 Brandon Webb
72 Bill Mazeroski
58 Ian Kennedy

Oh thank heaven for Maz. Halfway through the box and I've pulled exactly one card I need.

Pack 5:
36 Miguel Cabrera
8 Jim Palmer
44 James Loney
25 Joe Morgan

O-fered again. That's the risk you take trying to build a set through wax.

Pack 6:
78 Barry Zito
38 Lance Berkman
11 Carl Yastrzemski
74 Luke Hochevar

Woooo! My luck has changed! The Berkman and Yaz cards are both needed plus the Hochevar replaces one that was damaged out of a pack. Can the luck continue?

Pack 7:
24 Adam Dunn
87 Michael Young
YSL4456 Reggie Jackson
4 Chipper Jones
46 Robin Yount

Thats what I'm talking about, two more for the set in Dunn and Young. Chipper is always appreciated and I love Reggie. Pack of the box right here unless something crazy comes out of the last pack.

Pack 8:
17 Manny Ramirez
59 Jay Bruce
32 Justin Verlander
18 Alfonso Soriano

All four needed for the set! WOOOOOHOOOOOOO! This box finished off strong.

Lies, damn lies and statistics:

Base cards: 31
Short Prints: 1
Inserts: 0
YSL: 2
Cards I actually needed: 9
Holes left in my set: 15

Ok, so this was not the best box I've ever ripped. Most everything was a double including the SP, and I didn't even get a lousy framed card. There is a silver lining though, I now have over thirty doubles to dangle as trade bait. I'll have a trading post up later this afternoon for anyone needing a few to complete your set.