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A post about baseball cards!

Well I managed to make it through a small rough patch intact. While the slow work period isn't over, it is not as bad as I had thought it might be. Leaving me a little room to grab some packs. I headed over to the local card shop and wanted to try something a little different. I went with 2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom. You know, they look like this:

While the base set isn't all that spectacular, the hobby box does promise three hits. I got two out of the seven packs I picked up (I picked up one 2011 Heritage too, netted me one short print I needed):

The Braun is an actual ticket plus a jersey piece. Obviously the Tulo is an auto jersey. The Tulo makes a great addition to my new found want to collect him. He will be the only active non Blue Jay that I collect. He has a very promising start to his career and I'm sure he will only get better in time. I don't feel compelled to buy too much more of this set with the base set being kinda boring (2009 wasn't Topps best year for card designs...yeesh) but I am happy with these two cards.

I do still need Heritage and still have a stack waiting for someone with a needs list. Lemme know!

a box, a plate and a tease

Another trip to the local shop but this time I had an agenda. The owner has a Facebook page where he gives a shout out to all the big hits that are pulled at the shop (he scans them, posts them and talks about who pulled it, with permission of course). He bought a few vintage cards yesterday and promptly posted them up for all to see. One definitely caught my eye and I knew I had to have it. The card is at the end of this post but only the back. I will reveal the front tomorrow. BUT. Before we get to that, lets see what was in the Icons box I picked up (told you I was crazy for this set).

Another seven hit box. The Wang auto is numbered 1/2. Crowe auto is 489/600, and Martis is numbered 020/600 (I have this one already, numbered 019/600). The Boggs jersey is cool and the Hall is ok. The Yogi letter is sweet too but the Daniel Negreanu is just rubbish. This is the second "celebrity lettermen" I've stumbled across and is the only real problem to this set. Just rubbish. The Jays plate obviously didn't come from this, it came from 2010 Topps series 2. It was pulled by a customer of his, she had no use for it, so he traded for it and it came to me.

Now the big reveal. v
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This makes number 12 for me on the T-206 front. Remember one of my collecting goals was to finish that 15 card page in my binder. This gets me one step closer to that goal. This card is also a big addition to my collection. You'll get to find out tomorrow after the Random Pack Monday post. Until then...

2009 icons boxes (dodger edition)

Like the madman I am, I picked up two boxes of 2009 Upper Deck Icons last night. I think I plan to try and finish this set. The 1-100 base set, the 101-130 serial numbered rookies and the 131-160 auto rookies. So if you have anything from this set, please let me know as I will trade heavy for stuff I don't have. Now. Onto the boxes. I will show the second box I got first because the first box I opened was that good, it made me buy a (not as exciting) second box.

Box #2:

Now, there isn't anything wrong with it. The Bo baby blue relic and the auto'd Ian Kinsler (03/10) make this box. The Ford letter doesn't hurt either. I already have the Jepsen auto so it is on it's way to an Angel collector.

Box #1:

This was the good one. The best part? The Kemp auto and the Newcombe auto (#'d 1/4) came in the same pack. Yes, THE SAME PACK. Icons is notorious for its multiple hit packs. The same things happened when I got the box with the Molitor in it, one pack had two hits. The Kaline letter is awesome too. Admittedly, I'm not a Dodger fan so I really didn't know about Newcombe. After reading up on him, I instantly fell in love with this card. First ever Cy Young recipient (in 1956, which back then was given to only one player from the entire league). MVP in '56, and NL Rookie of the Year in 1949. Part of the legendary 1955 Dodger team. His career ended in 1960 due to his alcoholism. Once clean in 1967, he aided other people get clean (such as another Dodger great, Maury Wills), and has done so since. A great ball player and an even greater human being in general with all his help to those who need it.

bustin a box on a rainy sunday

2009 Upper Deck Icons is the box today. I've actually busted maybe three of these now, including this one. Its a great set with some good pulls. Here are what the base cards look like:

Nice looking set. 100 card short set and they have 30 rookies that are serial numbered and tougher to pull (numbered 101-130). Then those 30 rookies have an autographed parallel (numbered 131-160). Each box will net you three hits (usually two jerseys and an auto) and two of the numbered manu-letters, called 'lettermen'. These can range from young players to immortal letter men for retired players to celebrity lettermen. Here are my five 'guaranteed' hits:

Nothing too fancy really, both the Wang and Kershaw are numbered to 30 each. The Jepsen auto (which is my second auto of him by the way) is numbered 007/600. Well, that box would have been kind of a letdown if it weren't for my two extra hits:

A Tulo auto and a Paul Molitor immortal lettermen auto numbered 2/4. For some reason Paul's letters spell out 'ignitor'. Maybe a Twins fan could clear that up for me? Anyway I presume there are 4 of each letter made and auto'd, making the full print run 28 cards total. That's how the lettermen are numbered. They only made four 't' cards but the full run according to Beckett is 28 cards (7 numbers in 'ignitor' times 4 of each card). Weird, yes. The Tulo is numbered 120/199. This box is probably the second best box I've ever busted (the first being the 2009 T206 when I pulled the Ruth bat relic), and maybe I'll even do another. I just can't get enough of this set.

2009 o-pee-chee

While out finishing up my Christmas shopping, I stopped by the other card shop. The one I don't usually frequent. This one has more Yankees/Red Sox/Mets sporting goods than cards. Its been there for quite some time, as I went there in the mid 90's. I saw some of these 2009 UD O-Pee-Chee blasters for ten bucks, so I picked one up. I like this set a lot, very colorful with a great mix of action and posed shots as seen above. The set has a black bordered parallel, which come one per pack. There is also a mini black bordered set too, which seem more difficult to come by because I only got one. I also really like the team checklist cards (see Dodgers card above), which show really nice wide angle stadium shots. The blaster also yielded a seriously colorful triple relic of boring white swatches but of three pretty decent players. I like the set enough to consider completing it but it may have to wait a while during the 1954 project.

I mentioned going to a show today but I didn't end up making it due to it seeming like it wasn't going to be held. Usually this show is on the third Thursday of the month at a local VFW. The show is also listed on a show calendar I found online and it wasn't listed under the months of December and January but is for February. I may just have to wait until then for some more 54 goodness (but hopefully not).

almost complete

I almost completed this base set. I got my two boxes from Blowout Cards today (at an awesome price by the way, if you need some of this set, get 'em now while they're cheap), and I sorted them all out and found that I need 7 cards to finish. I have 19 of the short prints so far. Those won't be easy, if you have some for trade please let me know. The final seven cards I need are: 1, 13, 30, 31, 38, 59, 219. Roy Halladay is card 219, I can't believe I don't have him (I have the bronze thick-o card though). I would like to complete a mini set, with no preference to the backs. In spirit of the original T206, I would like a complete 300 card mini set with varying backs. Kind of a 'Frankenset' if you will, like some of you guys do (which is a really awesome idea by the way), but only for 2009 T206. I don't have a wantlist for that yet, as I don't have all that many. So any minis would be gladly traded for. If anyone has seen those seven cards, let me know, and also let me know if you need some base cards to complete your set, I have a bunch.