QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES - PART 3

THE THIRD OF THREE POSTS WHERE I SHOW OFF THE DESIGNS OF THE QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES SHINIES. ALL THESE I GOT MULTIPLE CARDS FOR EACH DESIGN AND MY FAVORITE DESIGN OF THE BUNCH IS HERE!

REMINDER ON THE GIMMICK FOR THESE POSTS. FOR EACH DESIGN I WILL ANSWER THESE THREE QUESTIONS: 

• 1) HAVE I EVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT?
• 2) WHAT ORIGINAL SET IS THIS RIPPING OFF?
• 3) IS THIS DESIGN WORTH A DAMN OR NOT?

MAGNITUDE DESIGN

1) I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT IN MY LIFE

2) IT'S ACETATE, BUT SINCE THIS ONE HAS NO HOLOFOIL IT DOESN'T REMIND ME OF TEK. IT REMINDS ME OF ODDBALL INSERT SETS IN EARLY 90S DRAFT PICK SETS. ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF SPORTSCLIX, REMEMBER THAT STUFF?

3) GONNA BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH THIS ONE, I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ACETATE CARD I DIDN'T LIKE BUT THE COMBINATION OF A REALLY CLEAN DESIGN WITH A RANDOM CLUMP OF DIRT AS A DESIGN ELEMENT BREAKS MY BRAIN. THIS ISN'T EVEN A PITCHER'S MOUND, IT'S JUST A DIRT PELLET, LIKE THE ONES YOU CAN BUY IN THE GARDENING SECTION TO GERMINATE SEEDS IN BEFORE SPRING PLANTING. IT'S UNIQUE FOR SURE, WHICH COUNTS FOR A LOT

THE BACK ISN'T QUITE AS BAD AS THE OTHER CLEAR CARD BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY COMICAL. WE STILL HAVE A FEW ROOKIE CARDS TO GO IN THIS PILE. I HADN'T HEARD OF NATE PEARSON UNTIL NOW BUT APPARENTLY HE WAS A TOP-10 PROSPECT A COUPLE YEARS AGO? THE BLOOM HAS FADED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE JAYS MIGHT MOVE HIM TO THE BULLPEN. GOOD LUCK NATE, THROW THAT BALL VIOLENTLY

THE OTHER CLEAR ROOK IS EVAN WHITE. EVAN WAS THE MARINERS' FIRST ROUNDER IN 2017, GOT A DECENT SIZED CONTRACT, THEN GOT HURT AND GOT HIS JOB STOLEN BY TY FRANCE. BOTH CLEAR DIRT CHUNK CARDS ARE LOOKING FOR A COMEBACK IN '23. I'M ROOTIN FOR YA EVAN, BOP SOME DINGERS

CRUSADE DESIGN

1) HELL YEAH! CRUSADE! ONE OF THE BEST INSERT SETS OF THE 90S! COMPLETELY ICONIC

2) THIS UUUUH DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THE 90S INSERTS. IT LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE 90S COLLECTOR'S EDGE FOOTBALL CARDS THAT HAD AN ARTHURIAN THEME FOR SOME REASON

3) I LIKE THE IDEA OF CRUSADE BUT WITHOUT HOLOFOIL AND BRIGHT COLORS THIS VERSION OF CRUSADE JUST LOOKS LIKE A THROWAWAY OPTIC INSERT SET

CONTINUING WITH THE AL ROOKIE CARD OF PLAYERS I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WE HAVE GARRETT CROCHET. GARRETT IS A LEFTY RELIEVER WHO WAS LIGHTS OUT IN 2021 AND MISSED 2022 WITH TOMMY JOHN SURGERY. BEGINNING TO THINK I SOMEHOW PREEMPTIVELY CURSED ALL THESE GUYS MONTHS BEFORE I EVEN BOUGHT THE CARDS

AAAAY! A BARVE! I KNOW WHO CRISTIAN PACHE IS, HE'S THE CENTERFIELDER OF THE FUTURE AS LONG AS DREW WATERS DOESN'T STEAL THE JOB FROM HIM. THEY ARE BOTH GONE NOW BUT THE BRAVES HAVE MONEY MIKE AND MATT OLSEN SO THINGS ARE ALL GOOD IN THE ATL. NOT SO GOOD IN OAKLAND AS CRISTIAN STILL HASN'T HIT ANYTHING

IT REALLY IS WILD THAT BASBALL CARDS MINED A SERIES OF WARS FROM THE 11TH TO 13TH CENTURY TO CREATE A POPULAR CARD DESIGN. CROWNS AND CROSSES AND BANNERS AND SHIELDS AND IT WORKS SOMEHOW

OVERDRIVE DESIGN

1) THIS HAS TO BE A STRAIGHT-UP INSERT SET. NO ONE'S DOING A FULL BLOWN VAPORWAVE SET, THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS. BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, RIDICULOUSNESS

2) NO, REALLY. COMPARE THIS CARD TO WIKIPEDIA'S DEFAULT IMAGE ON THEIR VAPORWAVE PAGE. THIS IS BASICALLY JUST A REMIX. THE DESIGNER WAS ABSOLUTELY LISTENING TO YOUTUBE MIXES WHEN THEY CREATED THIS THING

3) ARE YOU KIDDING? I FUCKING LOVE IT

I ALSO LOVE GETTING A VLADDY JR CARD. STARS FROM THE PAST FIVE YEARS ARE SCARCE AROUND HERE AND I APPRECIATE ALL I CAN GET. THIS CARD IS A LITTLE ODD AS THE LACK OF LOGOS AND THE COLOR PALETTE ON THE CARD MAKES IT LOOK LIKE JR. IS PLAYING FOR THE ANGELS INSTEAD OF THE BLUE JAYS. MAYBE HE'LL FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS SOME DAY

SHIIIIIINY VAPORWAAAAVE

HOLY CRAP THIS CARD LOOKS GOOD WITH THE HOLOS AND THE PATTERNS AND ALL THE STUFFS. AND JUAN SOTO TOO! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS GOT INTO A QUARTER BIN. MY GUESS IS SOMEONE RIPPED A BLASTER, TOOK THE HIT AND DUMPED THE REST. SOTO IS ANOTHER GUY I NEED MORE OF IN MY COLLECTION

SERIAL NUMBER'D! APPARENTLY THIS IS A HYPER PARALLEL. IT'S GETTING ME A LITTLE HYPER, THERE'S ONLY 25 CARDS IN THIS SET AND I'M HAVING THOUGHTS OF FILLING THREE PLASTIC SHEETS NOW

PHOENIX DESIGN

1) THIS CARD BAFFLED ME WHEN I FIRST GOT IT BUT SINCE THEN THE FOOTBALL PHOENIX SET WAS RELEASED AND I STARTED SEEING IT EVERYWHERE

2) OTHER THAN THE CONFUSING ABSTRACT BIRD LOGO AND DIAMOND MOTIF, IT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE MULTITUDE OF GENERIC HOLOFOIL WITH A BUNCHA LOTTA ANGLES SETS EXCEPT IT'S ON PRISM STOCK WITH NO ETCHING OR HIGHLIGHTS

3) IT'S A SET. THEY LOOK BETTER WHEN THE BORDERS ARE A BRIGHT COLOR AND THEY LOOK EVEN BETTER THAN THAT WHEN THEY ARE A HOLO PARALLEL

I DO HAVE A FEW MANNY MACHADO CARDS BUT THEY ARE MOSTLY IN AN ORIOLES UNI. MANNY'S GOING TO BE IN THAT BROWN JERSEY A LONG TIME IT SEEMS. GOOD FOR SAN DIEGO. THE BACK OF THIS CARD IS HILARIOUS, PANINI SEEMS TO BE INSINUATING THAT MANNY STINKS

ANOTHER JO ADELL ROOKIE CARD IN THE PILE. SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE BRIGHT COLORS ON THE BORDER? EVEN BROWN WOULD'VE LOOKED BETTER ON THE MANNY CARD

AND SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE HOLO CARDS? GOGGLING AT ANOTHER JUAN SOTO SHINY. EVERY ONE OF THESE SOTOS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE 'PRICED AS MARKED' $1 AND UP STAR BOX AT THE MAIN LCS, IT'S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO FIND GOODIES LIKE THIS AT A SMALLER SHOP 

CERTIFIED DESIGN

1) I REMEMBER SELECT CERTIFIED VERY WELL! THIS AIN'T IT. AND IT SURE AIN'T PINNACLE CERTIFIED. NAH, THIS IS SOME LEAF CERTIFIED MATERIALS STUFF RIGHT HERE

2) IT WASN'T DIRECTLY COPYING ANY OF THE BASEBALL SETS SO I LOOKED IT UP AND IT'S A BASEBALL VERSION OF THE 2021 FOOTBALL DESIGN.

3) I KINDA LIKE IT, IT'S NICELY SHINY AND CAPTURES THE VIBE OF THE EARLY 00S LEAF SETS AND ACTUALLY DOES IT BETTER THAN SOME OF THEM. IT HELPS THAT SLAMMIN' SAMMY SOSA WAS ACTUALLY IN ALL THOSE SETS

 

PETE ALONSO IS ALSO IN THE SUBSET OF RECENT STARS I AIN'T GOT CARDS OF UNTIL NOW. THIS CARD LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT BORING LEGACY MESS FROM A COUPLE POSTS AGO

SPEAKING OF BORING, THE CARD BACK. AT LEAST THER CERTIFIED LOGO LOOKS NICE. LIKE THE LOGO ON THE FRONT OF AN ECONOMY CAR

JAVY BAEZ, UGH, MOAR METS. OR TIGERS NOW I GUESS. 2016 WAS A LONG TIME AGO, WASN'T IT

ONE LAST PARALLEL CARD OF MARK MCGWIRE. THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DESCRIBE HOW GOOD THIS RED PARALLEL CARD LOOKS  WITH MARK IN HIS CARDS UNI. IT'S A GOOD THING HE AIN'T AN A ON THIS CARD OR IT'D LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS TIME. JUST FINDING OUT NOW THAT THERE IS A PETE ROSE CERTIFIED CARD, WHICH IS A PRETTY BALLSY MOVE FROM PANINI

OBSIDIAN DESIGN

1) YES. THIS IS YET ANOTHER OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR A PACK OF A HANDFUL OF CARDS PRODUCTS. I REMEMBER THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS FUCKING GORGEOUS

2) MOST OF THE OBSIDIAN SETS HAVE A BLACK BACKGROUND WITH AN INTRICATE DESIGN WITH A THOUSAND HOLO FOIL LINES GOING EVERYWHERE. I GUESS THIS IS THE 2021 VERSION, OR AT LEAST THE 2021 CHRONICLES VERSION IF IT DOESN'T COPY THE BIG BOY SPENDYPANTS VERSION

3) THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE PANINI DESIGN, PERIOD. I'VE PICKED UP A COUPLE OTHER SINGLE CARDS OF PLAYERS I LIKE HERE AND THERE WHEN I CAN FIND THEM AND IF THERE'S ANY OF THESE DESIGNS I'D REALLY LIKE TO BUILD THE SET, IT'S THIS ONE. OF COURSE IT'S A SIXTY CARD SET WITH A TON OF STARS IN IT, BUT I GOT 1/15TH OF IT SO FAR! LET'S GOOOOOO

LAST ROOKIE. DANIEL LYNCH. FINALLY, A ROOKIE CARD OF SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A DISASTEROUS 2021. HE JUST PLAYED ON THE ROYALS. LEFTIES WILL ALWAYS HAVE A JOB IN THIS LEAGUE, HE'LL PROBABLY STILL BE STARTING SOMEWHERE IN 2036

MOAR BAEZ. I GUESS HE WAS STILL WITH THE CUBS IN '21?? I DUNNO MAN I'M JUST ENJOYING THE HYPNOTIC SHIIIINY

GLEYBER TORRES IS AN INTERESTING ONE. SUPER HOT ROOKIE IN 2018, GOT HIS OWN TARGET EXCLUSIVE INSERT SET IN 2019, BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SECOND BASE AND SHORT, AND NOW MIGHT GET REPLACED BY THE NEW HOTNESS ANTHONY VOLPE. WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING UP THERE IN NEW YORK?

FINAL CARD OF THE BUNCH IS YET ANOTHER JUAN SOTO. AARGH THESE CARDS LOOK SO DAMN GOOD. LIKE JUAN'S PELVIS IS EMINATING A SHOCKWAVE THAT IS ALTERING THE FABRIC OF REALITY. LAST PERSON TO DO THAT WAS ELVIS

BACKS ARE CRUMMY BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN THE FRONTS ARE SO GOOD. CAN YA BELIEVE SOTO IS ONLY 24 YEARS OLD? HE AND RONALD ARE GOING TO BE WINNING MVPS FOR A WHILE

KINDA SUCKS I FINALLY FIND A PANINI SET I LOVE RIGHT WHEN PANINI BASEBALL DROPS DEAD. THESE QUARTER BOX CARDS MAY HAVE GOTTEN ME TO PICK UP A 2022 PACK. WILL YOU SEE THOSE TOO? HELL YEAH YOU WILL. I'LL PROBABLY BE PICKING THESE OUT OF MORE CHEAPO BOXES TOO IF I FIND THEM. MY FINAL JUDGEMENT UPON THESE SETS:

BOO: LEGACY, PINNACLE, TIMELESS TREASURES

SNORE: ELITE, XR, GOLD STANDARD

AIIGHT: CHRONICLES BASE, CLEAR VISION, PHOENIX

INTERESTING: BLACK, TITANIUM, MAGNITUDE

PRETTY GOOD: TITAN, CRUSADE, CHRONICLES

YAY: ZENITH, OVERDRIVE, OBSIDIAN 

THE CRAZIEST THING ABOUT THIS IS IF I WANTED A TYPE CARD FOR EVERY DESIGN, I STILL NEED EIGHT MORE CARDS! TIME TO HIT SOME MORE QUARTER BOXES I GUESS

QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES - PART 1

I FOUND THE BIG PILE OF 2021 PANINI CHRONICLES CARDS I FOUND IN THE QUARTER BOX AT MY SECONDARY CARD SHOP LAST SUMMER AND SCANNED THEM SO I CAN SHOW THEM OFF. I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF CHRONICLES WHEN THEY FIRST CAME OUT BECAUSE THE BASE CARDS WERE GARBAGEY LOOKING BUT I HAVE SINCE BECOME A FAN AFTER PICKING UP A BUNCH OF EM CHEAP. I GOT ABOUT TEN BUCKS WORTH FOR A TOTAL OF 31 CARDS OVER 18 DESIGNS. THAT'S TOO MANY FOR ONE POST SO I BROKE IT UP INTO THREE POSTS OF SIX DESIGNS EACH. FOR EACH DESIGN I WILL ANSWER THESE THREE QUESTIONS: 

• 1) HAVE I EVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT?
• 2) WHAT ORIGINAL SET IS THIS RIPPING OFF?
• 3) IS THIS DESIGN WORTH A DAMN OR NOT?

ALL RIGHTY, LET'S GO

CHRONICLES BASE DESIGN

1) YES, I HAVE HEARD OF CHRONICLES

2) IT'S NOT RIPPING ANYTHING OFF I CAN THINK OF, BUT THERE IS A BIT OF A 1994 UPPER DECK VIBE GOING ON HERE

3) IT AIN'T THE BEST LOOKING CARD, BUT IT'S NOT TERRIBLE EITHER. NOT LIKE THE 2017 BASE DESIGN WITH A TINY PHOTO AND A BUNCHA TEXT. THAT ONE PUT ME OFF THE WHOLE PRODUCT FOR YEARS

THE BACK IS AS BLAND AS THE FRONT IN THAT BLANDNESS THAT ONLY PANINI CAN PROVIDE. IS LUIS ROBERT STILL GOOD? I KNOW AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE NEW CAN'T MISS PROSPECTS HAVE SURPASSED HIM BUT WASN'T SURE IF HE WAS BAD NOW OR JUST HOBBY BAD. ALSO: FOR SOME REASON ALL THE BASE CARDS SHOW THE SET AS CHRONICLES LEGACY BASEBALL WHICH IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING, AS WE SHALL SEE:

LEGACY DESIGN

1) DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS, IT LOOKS LIKE A HIGH-ROLLER GAMBLING PRODUCT THO. EXTRA THICK AND GLOSSY

2) NO IDEA IF THIS IS COPYING A PREVIOUS LEGACY SET OR WHAT

3) THE DESIGN IS OK. THE LEGACY LOGO HAS AN ART DECO KINDA FEEL AND THE BORDERS ARE SUFFICIENTLY FANCY BUT IT MIGHT LOOK BETTER IF THE BORDERS WEREN'T WHITE. MAKE 'EM MARBLED OR RICH MAHOGANY AND IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A RICHY RICH LEGACY CARD

YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE THE SET NAME MATCHES THE ONE ON THE BACK OF THE BASE CARD. IF THIS WEREN'T THE CARD I SCANNED AFTER THE BASE CARD I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN NOTICED. I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE BACKS AS THEY ARE ALL JUST A SLIGHT VARIATION ON THE FRONTS. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY LAZY WHEN PANINI DOES IT AND COMPLETELY CHARMING WHEN TOPPS FLAGSHIP DOES IT. YES, I AM A HYPOCRITEBUT AT LEAST TOPPS HAS STATS. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MY FIRST PETE ALONSO CARD? NOT A METS FAN OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE AT LEAST A COUPLE CARDS OF BIG FAT SUPERSTARS

PINNACLE DESIGN

1) HELL YEAH PINNACLE!

2) THIS LOOKS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE 2013 PINNACLE SET THAT FLOPPED LIKE THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK A WHOLE LOT LIKE ANYTHING I RECOGNIZE

3) THIS WHOLE DESIGN CONFUSES ME AND THE MORE I LOOK AT IT THE MORE IT MAKES ME ANGRY. WHY DID PINNACLE BECOME THE SET OF DIAGONALS. WHAT IS UP WITH THE SLASHIES ON THE TOP RIGHT. WHY DOES THE BOTTOM LEFT LOOK LIKE A FANCY CLOTH ZIP-UP BINDER. WHY CAN'T PANINI FIGURE OUT THAT CLASSIC PINNACLE IS BLACK BORDERS OR A SHITLOAD OF GOLD FOIL, NOT SLASHY BINDERS. I WANT TO LIKE PINNACLE BUT I CAN'T WITH THIS

BACK LOOKS BETTER THAN THE FRONT AT LEAST. I LOOKED THIS GUY UP AND HE'S APPARENTLY OUT OF THE LEAGUE AT 24? SO MUCH FOR THAT RC LOGO

TIMELESS TREASURES DESIGN

1) WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? IT AIN'T HIGH-END OR AT LEAST I HOPE NOT

2) THIS LOOKS VERY ODD AND REMINDS ME OF MIX OF A WEIRD ONE-OFF LEAF SET FROM THE 00S COMBINED WITH UPPER DECK ARTIFACTS

3) I DON'T LIKE THIS ONE. TOO MUCH NONSENSE SURROUNDING A SMALL PHOTO REMINDS ME OF TERRIBLE SETS FROM DAYS GONE BY

STILL NOT USED TO GEORGE SPRINGER ON THE BLUE JAYS. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE IN MY RAPIDLY DEGENERATING MIND FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE AND TORONTO IS EXCLUSIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH VLAD JR. AND DAVE STEIB AT THIS POINT. I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE DESIGN AS ONCE AGAIN THE BACK IS BASICALLY THE FRONT

ZENITH DESIGN

1) FUCK YEAH ZENITH! I LOVE ZENITH, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME THEY COMPLETELY REVAMPED IT AND MADE IT A GIMMICKY RIP CARD. OK SO MAYBE I LIKE THAT ONE A WHOLE LOT. BUT I DON'T LOVE IT

2) THIS IS REHASHING A ZENITH FOOTBALL DESIGN FROM THE 90S. I HAD TO LOOK IT UP BUT IT'S 1997

3) THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC ON BASEBALL CARDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CIRCLE DESIGN BEING HOLOFOIL INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL GOLD. I REALLY REALLY LIKE THIS ONE

THE BACKS AREN'T GREAT BUT THE ORIGINALS HAD A WEIRD CHART THING FOR THE STATS THAT ONLY WORKED WITH QUARTERBACKS AND RECEIVERS. SO POINTS TO THE BASEBALL VERSION FOR DUMPING THAT BUT THE FOOTBALL SET AT LEAST HAD A DIFFERENT PHOTO ON THE BACK. NORMALLY I'D SAY IT WAS A DRAW BUT THE FACT THAT PANINI HAD THE BALLS TO USE YELICH GETTING BOOED AT WRIGHLY AS HIS HIGHLIGHT IS WORTH SOME EXTRA CREDIT 

ELITE DESIGN

1) I KNOW I'M AN OLD FART STILL LIVING IN THE PAST CENTURY DOES NOT SCREAM 'ELITE' TO ME. ELITE SETS I KNOW WERE FOILBOARD AND THE ONLY ONES AS OVERDESIGNED AS THIS ONE WITH HOLOFOIL WERE ALSO INSERTS, NUMBERED TO TEN THOUSAND AND YOU HAD TO RIP FORTY CASES OF 1992 DONRUSS TO EVEN HAVE A CHANCE AT ONE. I HEAR 'PANINI' REALLY FUCKING LOUDLY THOUGH 

2) I DID DOME DIGGING ONLINE AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH A CARBON COPY OF OF THE 2020-21 BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL ELITE DESIGNS

3) I'M OK WITH THIS, BACK IN THE 90S COMPANIES WITH MULTIPLE SPORTS LICENSES ALL RECYCLED THEIR DESIGNS BETWEEN THE SPORTS TO SOME EXTENT. I GOT NO PROBLEM WITH CHRONICLES HOUSING BASEBALL'S VERSION OF 2021 ELITE

THE BACK SUCKS BUT THEY SUCK IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS THE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL BACKS EXCEPT IN THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A TEAM LOGO. SOME PRODUCTS JUST HAVE SHITTY BACKS, OR IN THIS CASE, AN ENTIRE PRODUCT LINE WHEN IT COMES TO PANINI. I DON'T LIKE THESE CARDS BECAUSE OF THE BACK, BUT BECAUSE THE FRONTS ARE VERY SHINY AND DAZZLE MY MAGPIE BRAIN. I ALSO NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE A HEARTY FUCK YOU TO TONY LARUSSA FOR TRAINWRECKING YERMIN MERCEDES' WHOLE-ASS CAREER. MISERABLE OLD DRUNK RUINING BASEBALL

A MIXED BAG IN THIS POST, THE ONLY SET I'D ACIVELY ATTEMPT TO COLLECT IS ZENITH. THE BEST IS YET TO COME HOWEVER, ALONG WITH SOME WORSE* AND A LITTLE BIT OF BEWILDERING. IT'S ALL INTERESTING THOUGH, AT LEAST TO ME. INTERESTING ENOUGH TO CRAP OUT THREE POSTS ABOUT IT!

*NOT WORST, THAT'S TIMELESS TREASURES. I FEEL THE NEED TO CLARIFY THIS AS THE MEANING OF WORSE HAS SHIFTED IN RECENT YEARS TO ACTUALLY MEAN WORST. BUT LANGUAGE IS ALWAYS EVOLVING AND WHO AM I TO IMPEDE ITS PROGRESS. MAYBE ONE OF THESE SETS COMING UP IS ACTUALLY THE WORSE

Wooo Stickahs

Pack 4. First Brave!* J-Hey! Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigoooosh!

Scan got a little crooked 'cause I got a little excited.

And, per agreement, more ponies acting inappropriately.



*Freddie Freeman in the sticker album doesn't count

Sticker Sticker Stuck

Good News: Stickers have been ripped, scanned and properly documented for efficient posting.

Here's pack 3:

Bad News: These posts are still kinda boring. Here's ponies acting inappropriately in lieu of interesting content.

The weirdest thing in my collection

LOOK AT THIS WEIRD PERSON!

He made his own stamps! You can't make your own stamps that is illegal! he did it tho back in a long time ago in Philadelphia. Ben Franklin is from Philadelphia and he invented stamps so maybe he was a friend and Ben said it was ok. The guy's name was Blood! so maybe Ben was just like this guy is strange I better let him do what he wants I'll just go to France and flirt with  girls while this guy runs the post office hehe! I guess this costed a penny because is says PENNY POST rithg there on top above that weird looking face of whis why would you put that face on a stamp? i would tell the etcher guy to make me look good not all creepy but back then they had mutton chops and big eyebrows were fashionalbe so maybe he looked the secksay back in 1850? ?

I don't even want to know what a Kockersperger is. 

Here is the stamp in my Harris Independance United States Postage Stamp Album (the one up there in the titel!) I put it in it's own page because it is so cool and SO WEIRD. I still have the bottom of the page where i bought it it was five dollars!!!! The catalog number is 15218.

No one have a stamp like this but I do!!!

Bewildered

I was scouring the draft folder for something quick to post because I'm busybusybusy and have no time to write anything up tonight and I found this:




Somehow this made sense in January when I first uploaded the scan. I honestly have no idea why I combined a 1992 Bowman Rafael Belliard and Gord's greatest hit in the same post. I'm not sure I want to know. If anyone has any plausible theories, I'd be happy to hear them 'cause quite frankly I'm worried about myself now.

Topps Card Numbers - 1951-1954

I will be going on a bit of a vintage kick in the next couple of weeks and I'm going to start it off with something slightly bizarre. A review of the card numbering from every single Topps base set. This is what the internet is for folks, overly detailed accounts of obscure minutia of interest to maybe two or three people. I'll make those people happy, and that's what counts. I've had a mild obsession with poorly designed card numbers for a whole now, but this post by Night Owl spurred me to take action. One of the big flaws in the 2009 Topps set is the tiny, unreadable card numbers. Instead of writing a tirade about the lousy number design (black numbers on dark blue??) I'm just going to show off all the number designs from Topps to show you all how it used to be done and let you judge for yourselves. Let's begin at the beginning, shall we?

1951 Topps

This is the only Topps set to have the card number on the front, rather than the back. Of course it was an oddball card game, so it wouldn't work too well to have the number on the back as you'd be playing with a marked deck.

Considering the unorthodox layout for today's standards, The number is fairly easy to read and has the added bonus including the total number of cards in the set, helpful information for the 1951 era set completer. The placing is a bit awkward though, numbering the bottom right of the card isn't terribly optimal when you're sorting through cards. There's only fifty-two in the set and the cards are smaller than normal so it's not that bad. Considering they didn't release their first 'real' set until a year later, Topps did ok on this one.

1952 Topps

Everyone should be well familiar with this number, Topps has only used the design about two dozen times in the past decade. Topps began a remarkably consistent run of excallent numbering design in the fifties with their inaugural set. The number is put right in the middle of a baseball. Simple, good looking and best of all very readable. The black number on the white ball inside a red background has great contrast and you don't need to squint to know what card this is. It looks best on the cards with white card stock, but is still readable on the other variations.

The number still pops out on the all-black backed cards as you can see. Best of all, it is located in the top left corner of the card. This is my favorite place for the number as it's easy to see when you are sorting through a large pile of cards. Hold the cards in both hands, slide the top card a bit with your right thumb, and there's your number. This works great for right handed people, do lefties find it easier to sort when the number is on the right side? I would guess so, but I'm not sure there's an orthodox method for shuffling through cards. I know one thing though - I hate when the number is on the bottom of the card or in the middle. It screws my shuffling all up.

Here's an example of the number on a card with the gray stock. As you can see it doesn't pop out quite as much as on the white stock but it's still very readable.

1953 Topps

This is in my opinion the greatest card number of all time. The number is huge. The baseball it resides in is almost an inch in size. Legally blind people can make out these numbers if they squint a bit. I also love the rad font they used for TOPPS.

Again, the number is on the top left corner of the card. Unlike this year's set, Topps usually put the number in this spot. I think the number is one of the reasons why I love the '53 set so much. I have a history of abysmal eyesight in my family, and once I become blind as a bat I'll still be able to enjoy the backs of these cards.

1954 Topps

Once again, we have the baseball. It's smaller than the '53 set, but still has the TOPPS logo above the number. It's not as eye-popping as the previous two sets, but the red number and green stitches have some great contrast. There's one big problem I have with this set though. On the sheets the '54s were printed on, the cards were aligned like this:

This is how they did the color bleeding off the top. This was a neat idea, but the back of the sheet looked like this:

Obviously these two cards were probably never neighbors on a sheet, but you get the point. To make it easier to print and look good if slightly miscut, the green stat portion of the card also lined up. I assume that the neighboring cards were flipped as well so there would be alternating bands of green and white on the back of the sheets. Again, a neat way to incorporate full bleed color on the cards but when you put the set together in sheets it looks like this:

I will admit right now that I have a little OCD streak in me. I kind of have to have it a bit to be so concerned with card numbers. I don't have it full blown like Jack Nicholson is As Good As It Gets or anything, but stuff like this drives me absolutely nuts. As a result, I've never likes this set as much as I probably should have. The set si gorgeous, but when you are trying to sort a few and half the cards are upside down... well, someone out there will understand. Once I'm finished with this I'm going to put up a poll of the best and worst card numbers. I'll pick the best and worst example from each post and you guys can vote on them at the end. My picks for this round:

Best - 1953 Topps
Worst - 1954 Topps

If you vehemently disagree, speak up in the comments or forever hold your peace.

Up soon - 1955-1959 Topps.