Clearance Cardboarding

No luck finding Topps (s2) or Bowman this week but i finally found some discounted blasters at Kmart. I have seen a few posts over the last few weeks, that other fellow bloggers have been finding them, so I was pretty happy when they final made it to upstate NY. My local Kmart had a bunch of 08 Timeline and one 09 Chrome, as well as two 07 SP Rookie blaster (not really sure if it was clearance since it was still $19.99). I went with the Timeline in hopes of the elusive Longoria SP.

Pack1

A Relic Card and Votto in cameo
funny how the Taveras says Rockies but show Astros
which was wise since the square is definitely not of Rockies descent

Pack 2

Barton SP variation
this style seems more rare than the die cuts
last blaster i didn't get any, but scored four die cuts
and this blaster i also got more die cuts

Pack 3

Longoria, Yeah, dup, Boo
die cut Nyjer Morgan

Pack 4

Pack 5

Pack 6

Pack 7

Pack 8

Pack 9

Pack 10

With a Relic card, three die cut cards and two other short prints, making this blaster more successful than the last one i found. Unfortunately, even though I liked my rip, i still seem to have buyers remorse. I think its because, all i really wanted, was one of the two Longoria cards i am missing. I hope to find someone to give these to but since no one wanted anything from the last blaster of timeline, i won't hold my breath. Now the real decision, should i try and buy another blaster or just breakdown and buy the Longoria cards I need?

Since this was a discounted blaster, I picked up two Longos off the bay to get a little closer to the twenty dollar budget

both serial numbered
i really like the blue
Longoria looks steamed

Thanks for checking out TWIC and have a most AWESOME weekend!!!

More on Chicle Art

Continuing with the theme of Chicle art

Many auctions have ended

Walter Johnson at $272 was the highest so far, and few are going for just over fifty dollars
other art pieces that went for over $200:
Honus Wagner $254
Dale Murphy $215.50
Han-Ram $204

Seeing others selling their art work for some nice money, is inspiring, maybe I will try and pick up the itch again and do some sports art. Here are some of my high school art works, they are done in ink-pointillism and are pretty old (about 17 years ago). Definitely showing some signs of age.

Can you guess who they are????

Own the Chicle Art

Topps Vault is selling off the actual art work done for the cards, very cool.

Here are some examples:

Carlos Pena, very nice from Don Higgins


Bumgarner looking all vintage


Zimmerman from Jeff Zachowski


Mike Kupka showing of Hanley

Why Topps, Why????

Do you tease me with such a great card?

So, this is a bit of a silly post, but while at Target recently I saw a 2008 Topps Heritage Pack in one of the value packs and it reminded me of my reaction when I realized that the Evan Longoria card they show on the wrappers and box, are vastly different from the actual card.

Here is an example:

Box


Actual Card

I remember buying three blasters before final scoring the Longoria card and man, was I thrown through a loop. I looked at my box and then the card, then the box, then the card. You get the point, I was dumbfounded. Then I hopped on the computer to see if I got a variant. Nope, I got the actual card, but I want the card that is on the box. Still do, so why Topps, why????

Now I think Topps used this pose in 09 Bowman but not the exact photo or angle as the box art, you be the judge.

09 Bowman


side by side comparison

Longoria Cardboarding

Back to the bay for some more Longoria additions (Sorry Troll, I can't help myself)

The first four were from rhetrick59, another ebayer that has a standard $2 shipping for as many cards as you want to buy from him. I was really against the Goudey 4-in one cards as it is the same photo of each base card, so really what's the point, but I found a blue version with Upton and CC along with Longoria and since I have been goo goo over blue, I decided to get one to cover all versions of that type of card. So with that 4-in one card, I do believe I completed all I want from Goudey 09. Then I added the O-Pee-Chee Preview card, A&G highlight and Bowman Chrome since I need them as well and shipping wasn't a factor. The Highlight is my favorite of the lot. Se Magnifique!

The bottom four and next photo were a lot of 14 Longoria cards without much of a description. There were three cards in the photo I was still missing (Unique Uni, Ticket to Stardom, and Pure Heat), so I figured for 2.50 and shipping I would take the chance and hope for some extra new cards. Well I scored three other new cards the 09 X die cut, the 2010 UD, and the 2009 Topps base. Yes, I was still missing the base of 09 Topps, but not anymore. Hi there, little gold trophy :) The rest are dups but just wanted to show most of the lot off.

and I also picked up a Chicle Rays Team Set from rhetrick59

So overall eleven new Longoria card and another Rays team set,
Go Rays!
Even with shipping I was just under 15 bucks, so I found a slightly off named commemorative patch auction that wasn't getting a lot of views and bidded on it and with shipping got it for under five dollars.

I have seen some go as high as eight dollars and as low as three and then add shipping to those, and I think I got an okay deal. Just FYI, Topps has started commemorative patches in Bowman 2010.

Thanks for checking out my player collection additions for This Week in Cardboarding. Hope to find some Bowman or at least Topps series two somewhere for next week. Wish me luck!

Rays Cardz

Some Rays additions courtesy of JD's Wild Cardz

If you don't know yet, he is trying to collect a page and only a page of certain types of cards. This lead him to inquiry about 09 Chrome Xfractors since they are a retail exclusive thing and I pretty much only buy retail. He wondered if I had any that I could send his way, which I did and I did. The coolest part of the trade was when he called me the "Blaster Master", which is an awesome name and I wish I thought of it. What a great name for a blog :) Much better than my current one.

First up, a complete Rays SP Authentic Team Set - the Longoria was new to me, and maybe Shields, Sweeet!

Five T206 Rays Cards (Longoria is the one not shown), Price and Sonnestine were new to me

Lastly a complete Rays Team Set of Topps Unique with a bonus Red version of Shields, all but Upton and Longo were new, most excellent!

i messed with the levels to show off the names on the side
only draw back is enhances the dust particles also

Very nice cards and I appreciated the additions to my collection

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!

BIG D GOT GAME!!!

I would like one of these

Big D did this for the Collective Troll

if you want your own personalized

Awesomely Amazing Custom Card

Head over to

and add a comment
before Sunday

Thank You BaseballCardPedia.com

From their Topps 2010 Series Two Checklist

Evan Longoria has Nine cards

1. Base #354
2. Gold /2010
   
3. Black /59
   
4. Platinum /1
   
5. Printing Plate (4)
6. Silk #S-140
   
7. Topps 2020 #T10
   
8. 4th of July Commemorative Hat Logo #MHR-206
9. Peak Performer Dual Relic #PPDR-WL (with Wright)

I will probably only get the Base, Gold and 2020 cards but want to try for the silk since I have never owned a silk card and maybe the Hat.

also
BJ Upton has Thirteen Cards

1. Base #555
2. Gold
3. Black
4. Platinum
5. Printing Plates
6. Silk #S-171
7. Legendary Lineage #LL-55 Rickey Henderson/B.J. Upton
8. Toppstown #TTT39 B.J. Upton
9. Peak Performer #PP-89 B.J. Upton
10. Turkey #TR80 B.J. Upton
11. 4th of July Commemorative Hat Logo #MHR-209 B.J. Upton
12. Peak Performer Dual Relic #PPDR-UU B.J. Upton/Justin Upton
13. Legendary Lineage Dual Relic #LLR-HU Ricky Henderson/B.J. Upton

BaseballCardPedia.com is becoming a really great resource, good work, and thank you.

Sketch your own Topps Card

These will be in Series Two Topps as extra cards in packs

The Beckett Blog explains this way better than I could. I just wanted to post this because I am interested in trying it out. So, if you get one or even a few of these cards and you don't want them, I will gladly take them off your hands.

Back in the Day

Like I mention previously I deemed the A's my favorite team back when I was a kid, mainly because Florida had yet to get a team. It was really cool checking the paper everyday with a purpose, instead of just reading all the box scores with the attitude of I wonder who did well today. It seemed like everyday McGwire had another homer and to see how the A's did, really made being a baseball fan a lot more fun. The A's had a nice mix of veterans and up and coming young players. So in the off-season between 87 and 88 I decided that I was going to get a rookie card of all the players of my favorite team. I do believe this activity took over a year and ran into 1989.

Lets start in the infield

First Base

I had the standard 87 Topps card but wanted showed off something a little different.

Second Base

Hubbard wasn't a favorite of mine I preferred Mike Gallego and Tony Phillips, but I enjoyed getting the older cards since I had so few.

Third Base

Carney was a favorite of mine, he had his distinct stance and was a great hitter.

Did you know Lansford was the highest paid Athletic in 1988 at 1.3million dollars?

Shortstop

Walt made three million dollars his last season playing in 2000 and made just over 19 million dollars in his career. That is freaking amazing considering he only hit 25 homers his whole career and batted .260.
*facts courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

Super Utility Man

Moving to the outfield

Leftfield

I know Rickey didn't come over till 89 but I don't have a memory of anyone else at this position.

"If my uniform doesn't get dirty, I haven't done anything in the baseball game." - Rickey Henderson

Centerfield

Hendu had a great 88 .304 24 HRs and 94 RBIs, random fact Hendu was a 1st round pick in 1977.

Rightfield

Catching

The things you learn doing something like this, is amazing, at age 34 Terry hit 35 homers and had his only 100 RBI season. Before that 1987 was his best year with 16 homers .284 and 56 RBIs at the age of 25. I wonder if he experiment with anything that year? His highest salary was 4.2 million in 95 and 96 and he made 25 mill over his career.
*more facts courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

On to the Pitchers

My favorite card I acquired was Eck's rookie card, it introduced me to the 1976 card design. One that I like very much, even to this day and it is just a great card over all. With him going into the wind up, even though I'm sure it is a pose, it is unique enough that I don't care. The card is a little off center, but I got it for like two dollars and it wasn't like the internet was available back then to shop around.

Then the rotation

The thing I remember most about Stewart was how intimidating he was. He had the I'm going to kill you face. Stewart started a streak of four 20 win seasons in 87 but did you know he had 14 complete games in 88. Dave had a career high 22 wins in 1990 but was out done by Welch who had 27 wins and earned the Cy Young Award that year.

Unfortunately, I never got a 1980 Rickey Henderson, so that is a 2010 CMT, and the players that cards are MIA are Mike Gallego, Luis Polonia, Storm Davis, and Rick Honeycutt, I know I have them, just not sure where they are.

* All facts and quotes not specified are courtesy of Baseball Almanac, they have a page dedicated to the 88 A's - very cool

My First Vintage Card

When I first started collecting, way back in forth grade, I didn't really have a clue about baseball, baseball cards or anything really. Lucky for me, some friends that I shared the same class with, were really into baseball. They taught me all about card collecting and baseball, usually during lunch time. I never played little league because I was to busy playing soccer, so while they played baseball in leagues I waited till summertime. It was the only time I played baseball, if you can call it that because we never had nine on either side. So we often played pickle, and the best way to play pickle was on a slip 'n slide. It was a blast, definitely one of my favorite childhood memories. As for collecting, they all loved the Braves and Dale Murphy, I for some reason gravitated to Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson. I think it was because they were established players that were already great and they both had great nicknames. Charlie Hustle was a player that played hard, was a great hitter, and who had won a few championships. Mr. October was the guy who swang for the fences every at bat, had some attitude, and also won a lot. I was young what did I know. Although I had a few cards of each from opening packs in the mid-eighties, the first vintage card I got came from the card store in the mall and was this beauty.

I still remember looking in the glass case and picking it out between a few other 70s cards of Reggie. I loved it so much I eventually saved up for this. One of the other cards in the case.

Because there were no MLB teams in Florida at the time, I do believe these two cards are what lead me to being a fan of the Athletics, along with the Bash Brothers coming along. Still to this day I like their name, the Athletics or A's, its unique and quintessential to a sports team, the elephant logo on the sleeve was a design I liked, and I love their colors. The bold colors of green and yellow are a welcome contrast to all other teams.

Chicle Cardboarding

I finally found some Chicle at a Target that was near a store my wife wanted to go to, made it all worth it for me. This week I was jones to rip some new product, with Bowman and Chicle still eluding me, I actually went to two card stores this week and neither had Chicle or Bowman. One I knew didn't carry any new product, so not so shocking, but one had 85 Fleer (wax and cello) and the other had 85 Donruss. Maybe another week, I was on a mission. So one blaster of Chicle found and ripped:

Pack 1

WOW! I really like these
the Sandberg is awesome

Pack 2

two old timers and a rookie
nice

Pack 3

Roy a Chicle back
Really like the Hanley, well done Mike Kupka

Pack 4

V Mart is by Dave Hobrecht, I really like how he shades
very unique
but I must say the Werth above is done much better

Pack 5

Great collation with Sisler starting it off
and Ichiro ending it
that can't be a coincidence

Pack 6

BJ Upton - Go RAYS!
Dice K
Venable is Bazooka back

Pack 7

That Seaver needs a little more TLC
something scares about that card
I really like the Pedroia
it is drawn by Chris Felix
he also drew the Rizzuto below

Pack 8

a batch of old timers
good fun

I really like these, not going to go crazy for them, but i may pick up another blaster or some more packs. Really shocked that there are not any sketch cards of these, I figured this was the perfect marketing tool to promote sketch cards and make them more popular. There is only one being posted on ebay and it is from the artist, apparently he got his own card back - Jackie Robinson.

I got two SP cards with Ryno and Stoner, and two variant backs with Hallady and Venable, and over all a very fun rip. Some nice additions to my player collections and I really like the cards overall. I have sorted them by artist. Fan of Chris Felix who I mentioned earlier and Jeff Zachowski (the Dye above as well as Zimmerman and Christy Mathewson) really like his style - Not a fan of Paul Lempa responsible for Seaver, Stoner, Crowe, Eddie Matthews.

Thanks for checking out This Week in Cardboarding.