the set topps got right (seriously this time!)

I knew very little of the 2002 release of Topps T206. In fact, I knew next to nothing except that it existed. I knew I had a few Blue Jays cards that one of you may have sent over, and I had that stray Vladimir Guerrero sitting in my Topps box. I never knew of its scale of how on point the set is to the original. Until yesterday. As many of you know, I find the 2009 T206 set to be one of my favorite sets and I had stated my over the top liking for this set in this post. How wrong I was. Well, not fully as I still really like 2009. As I neared completion of the 2009 issue, I started to do some looking for the 2002 set on eBay. I found one that said it was the complete 456 card set. I thought it would be just right, even though in Beckett it said the full set was 525 due to the variants. Well the set came in yesterday and after looking through it, I began to see it was indeed the full 525 cards. Someone had painstakingly put together this set (including the 90 Team 206 subset cards from each of the three series), included all the variants, the three boxtoppers with the history of the 2002 issue written by Keith Olbermann, and even included the three paper checklists from the boxes. There were even 20 or so duplicates of the original T-206 reprints, including the six pictured above. This was the most complete set I could have ever asked for and totally didn't expect. What I paid for it was even more scary, as practically no one touched it and it ended at $16 (plus $11 for shipping). After picking through it and reading over the three boxtoppers, I realized that this set, not the 2009 set, was Topps' real love letter and tribute to the original 1909-11 issue. The two to three variants per superstar player, the reprints of the originals, the size of the individual series is even close to the original. The relics were not included here, but I have seen some of them online and on the checklist and they seem tremendous. Johnny Evers Jerseys, Honus Wagner bats, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, the list goes on of fantastic relics from 100 years ago. I believe this set has now taken over the top spot as my favorite modern set. Simply incredible that they went these lengths to preserve the legacy of one of the most famous and collected baseball card sets ever. Now my one question: where is the Topps that pieced together the ideas for this set? Because surely they aren't the same Topps we have around now.

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.

the set topps got right

While sorting through the box I purchased on Sunday of 2009 Topps T206, I noticed something. Something I felt was really right. I've seen plenty of original T206 cards (including the six I own), and I feel this 2009 issue really gets it done properly. The minis look spot on like the original set, and even the regular sized cards just look like a blown up mini (that is good). More importantly, I feel the pictures on the cards capture the look, feel and spirit of 1909. The washed out colors, some of the poses, the grittiness of some of the pictures. Many of the actions are even close to what was going on on the 1909's (see some of my close-to-1909-favorites above, with the Weaver is fantastically close to an original pose). While technically the set was issued from 1909 to 1911, I think what Topps may be doing is trying to recapture that ideal. Which means we may see another issue of 206 in 2011. Makes sense to me. T206 is one of the most collected, popular and sought after vintage sets ever. Why wouldn't Topps want to capitalize on that? I don't mind it when they get it right (see 2009), as opposed to just silly (see 2010). As I stated, I have seen many originals and even out of the six I own, three are wearing caps, three are not. Not all are capless. No idea why Topps did this but it makes the set much less desirable, at least for me. They also didn't have to change the layout, and while I don't hate the 2010 layout, its just not the same. Maybe they could have just called it series 2, made the set look the same, added new rookies and different pictures on those who were in series 1. Maybe that idea sucks, but it would capture the original more so. As for the thick bronze parallels, I don't really care for them and are kinda useless. The minis are all good though, even with the different backs. Anyway, enough of my rant here. I will continue to collect the 1909s when I can (and when cheap enough), and I will continue to collect the 2009 set until its finished. No 2010 though, the blaster and jumbo pack were enough.

random box purchase

I took a trip to the local shop today. He was having a wrestling event there with box breaks of the latest Topps WWE set, pizza, local wrestlers and some old WWE pay per views on the TV. It was pretty cool, but didn't end up with much during the break (the wrestlers were chosen at random to be fair), and I wanted to buy something. He had had this lone box of 2009 Topps T206 sitting on the shelf since before the first time I stepped in the shop (around May). Since I really don't like this years set and really liked last years, I decided to pick this up. Good thing I did because here is what came of it:

Yes, a Babe Ruth bat relic. My best hit ever. The silk Hanley was also a plus because I was only guaranteed the two other hits. The Koji auto is nice too, but weird because I have only two autos from this set and they are both Orioles. Hanley came in the second pack I opened, Koji was in the middle, and Ruth was the second to last pack in the box. Good box and I am definitely glad it had been passed over until now. I do believe I am going to try and finish this set off with the short prints, even though I hate short prints. Oh well.

droppin' plates

I still don't know how I feel about printing plates, but its Adam Lind and the price was right. This is the yellow 2010 206 plate. I'd like to complete the set of four, but that will never happen. I'll keep checking though.