I've been waiting for this day to arrive since the middle of August. Thanksgiving Break is officially here... and that means I have nine days to recharge my batteries and relax.
It's also Saturday which means another This Week in Blogging post...
#1: Symbol of Courage
On Tuesday, Jim over at cards as i see them, showed of his latest addition to his mind-blowing hall of fame collection... which happened to be a beautiful Roy Campanella Topps Tribute game-used bat card.
On Tuesday, Jim over at cards as i see them, showed of his latest addition to his mind-blowing hall of fame collection... which happened to be a beautiful Roy Campanella Topps Tribute game-used bat card.
1959 Topps #550
In the post, he mentioned that he would have celebrated his 99th birthday this past Thursday. I figured I'd celebrate his special day by showing off this beautiful card that Commishbob gave me a few years ago. This was one of those cards I had wanted ever since the first time I saw it.
Happy belated birthday Campy!
#2: Kudos to Topps
I've been very critical of Topps the past few years, but it's only because I remember when they were the symbol of excellence and were my favorite baseball card company. These days they're the only baseball card company with MLB logos which stinks, because they can produce whatever they want and there are collectors out there who will end up buying it.
However today, I wanted to actually commend them for their Home Run Challenge inserts which allow collectors to collect cards and interact with the game by predicting when players will hit a home run. You can read about what happens if their prediction is correct by clicking here. The Lost Collector predicted Ronald Acuna would hit a home run on August 9th and won a nice card for his collection.
1997 Collector's Choice You Crash the Game #CG28
If I had pulled this card back in 1997, I would have had mixed feelings. I would have been excited since Griffey ended up hitting not one, but three home runs during that four game stretch. Unfortunately it was against my beloved A's.
This is the card that collectors received for redeeming their card.
#3: 1954 Bowman
1954 Bowman #21
Over the past few years, I've really grown to appreciate the 50's Bowman baseball sets. The Vic Wertz pictured above is the lone 1954 sitting in my vintage binder... although thanks to Daniel... I am watching a couple on eBay.
#4: A Super Rare Pull
Two days ago, Doug over at Sportscards From The Dollar Store showed of an insert he recently pulled from a pack of 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 hockey. This wasn't one of those ordinary run-of-the-mill inserts that are currently flooding the hobby. It was one of those super rare... 1:4000 packs... kind of pulls.
Congratulations Doug! And kudos to Upper Deck for creating an insert you'd actually jump for joy if you were lucky enough to pull it.
1993-94 Donruss Elite Series #10
I couldn't think of any hockey inserts sitting in my collection with those kind of pack odds, but had I pulled this Gretzky out of a pack of 1993-94 Donruss back in the day... I would have definitely been jumping for joy.
In case you're wondering... I didn't. I picked up this card back in 2015 at the Capitol Flea Market for $2.
#5: We're Only Human
Yesterday, Matt over at Run-Fore!-Kelloggs Baseball Cards shared a pair of mistakes he made on eBay recently. His were nowhere near as costly as the one I made back in 2014 when I purchased this card:
2013 Five Star Rainbow Foil #41
#6: One Thing Leads to Another
One of my favorite things about reading card blogs is learning new sports trivia. Yesterday over on John's Big League Baseball Blog I discovered that Bill Freehan had a .545 batting average back in 1961 while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. I've never really paid any attention to college baseball statistics or records, but his post inspired me to do some research.
2015 Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-PI
Did you know that Pete Incaviglia holds the record for the most home runs in NCAA history? He hit 100 while attending Oklahoma State from 1983 to 1985. According to this Bleacher Report article... it's highly unlikely anyone will break this record.
#7: Giving Thanks
Wrapping things up this week is an inspiring idea from Trevor over at Bump and Run Football Card Blog. He challenged fellow bloggers to write a small "afterword" at the end of your blog posts for the next seven days in which you'd share something you are thankful for. I love his idea and hope others will join in as well.
Wrapping things up this week is an inspiring idea from Trevor over at Bump and Run Football Card Blog. He challenged fellow bloggers to write a small "afterword" at the end of your blog posts for the next seven days in which you'd share something you are thankful for. I love his idea and hope others will join in as well.
Obviously there are plenty of things in my life that I am thankful for, but my parents will always be at the top of my list. Each of them played huge roles in my life and I wouldn't be the person I am today without their support and guidance. They will always be my heroes and personal role models. Thank you Mom and Dad.
Well that wraps up another This Week in Blogging post. Here are today's questions of the day:
What is something you love about Topps baseball cards?
Do you have any memorable mistakes you've made involving eBay purchases?
Do you follow college baseball? Any specific teams?
As always... I look forward to reading your responses... and any other comments related to this blog post.
Happy Saturday and sayonara!
19 comments:
I very much agree on You Crash The Game. I guess the biggest difference here is that YOU choose the game, while You Crash usually have you a select date range. I have very fond memories of You Crash The Game from growing up. I loved pulled those. They were pretty good looking, too!
First up: Happy Thanksgiving break!
I learned from that Griffey card that "Tater" has been in use for a very long time. I thought it was newer vernacular.
I think what I like about Topps is it's long, uninterrupted history. That's about it, though. Mistakes? I'm sure I've purchased a card I already had. I only follow MLB.
Be well and safe.
What do I like about Topps? No matter how much people bitch about them, their inventory demolishes that of every other company that has made cards. To this day, there is still something "less legitmate" about a non-Topps card when paired up with a Topps one.
P.S: What's a Thanksgiving break?
Well, enjoy your time off.
I think, with Topps, it's their longevity. Then now, the logos, as you mentioned.
I never thought I'd make TWiB post! I'm honored, and thanks for playing along with my challenge. It's meant to be beneficial for the writer more than anything.
Enjoy the break. Love that Campy....so sweet.
to the questions.
Topps: nowadays? just the vintage cards including the ugly ones.
Ebay: I'm sure I made some, but none come to mind.
College BB: not really, but I'll pay attention when UF is mentioned.
- I have a major affinity for the Topps sets from when I began collecting (specifically 89-93) and have enjoyed seeing some of those designs return via Archives. The 792-card set always felt reliable and thorough - particularly when Topps itself started to shrink the set size and make silly errors (such as multiple base cards for the same player in the same set).
- A long ways back, I bought several lots of cards of players that I no longer collect and also a few TTM autographs that may or may not actually be legit. That would be the closest thing to a "regretful" purchase, but I rarely bought anything costly, so none of those instances really bother me much.
- My only interest in college baseball is keeping updated on how the players that I coached in HS are faring. In addition to plenty of guys playing at smaller schools, there are also players from our program at Hartford, Quinnipiac, and Richmond, so I definitely hope for those teams to do well.
1 The thing I like about Topps Baseball is that they are always there,I have been collecting off/on since 1969 and every Feb/March (for better or worse)Topps flagship will always be there with a new years set.
1. I am down on Topps and new cards at the moment. Not sure what I like about them at the moment. Traditionally speaking, I like the base set, Allen and Ginter, along with the autographs in Archives.
2. Ebay mistake is tough. Not sure there is any one singular card that I have missed big on, but I think that cumulatively Delmon Young and B.J. Upton cost me a lot of money 10 to 15 years ago that I will never see again.
3. I follow NC State, UNC, and Duke. I keep up with the other ACC schools, and the players who appear on the USA Baseball teams.
I always enjoy these recaps. Great Gretzky card!
Topps is my go-to, but I don't exclude any brands. Not exactly an ebay mistake, but as you warned, the more alcohol consumed, the more generous the bidding - hahaha! Love your Campenella card. Enjoy your break and Thanksgiving. Nice tribute to your mom and dad.
the lost collector - congratulations on your ability to predict the future ;D
peter k. steinberg - yesterday was the first time i even noticed those pink markings were words and i only noticed it when i was cropping the scan (the card was blown up on my computer screen). this whole time i just thought it was part of the design.
night owl - i admit that i complain a lot about them... but if there is only one company who can hold the mlb license, i'm glad it's them. can't have that 70 years streak being broken. thanksgiving break? just think back to when you were in school and you had an entire week off to do nothing but sort cards
elliptical man - longevity and logos are a powerful combination
trevor p - i believe it. i showed my homeroom class this youtube video about how showing gratitude actually has the ability to make the individual saying thank you happier. thanks for the awesome suggestion.
johnnys trading spot - although i do really love my 80's topps sets... i agree the vintage topps baseball cards are pretty cool too.
mike - the whole multiple base cards for the same players is one of those mind boggling things that i wonder whether or not is intentional. i'm glad the questionable signatures don't bother you. i traded for a hank aaron autograph that is totally forged that still bothers me to this day. that's pretty cool that some of your high school players are playing at the college level. are any playing professionally?
sg488 - yeah... they have quite the legacy. as i mentioned earlier... if there is only one company that can have the mlb license... i'm glad it's topps.
the snorting bull - you've got delmon young and bj upton. i've got devin setoguchi and kurt suzuki. the good news is for every one of those guys... there's usually others that balance things out for us. as for college teams, i used to follow unc... but pretty much only tarheel basketball
sport card collectors - thanks. yeah... it's one of my favorite hockey cards in the collection.
cincicuse bill - it's a good thing that i only drink a few times a year ;D
I'm thankful for the sheer history of Topps. Given they've been around for almost 70 years now, there will always be cards I've never seen before, stones left to turn.
Can't think of any notable Ebay mistakes. I did once bid on a card I wound up pulling from a pack a couple days later, but I got outbid so it didn't really matter. Also, I could never get into college baseball -- I'm basically apathetic towards college sports in general.
I struggle with Topps baseball given they are the only license holder. Not sure I’m very inspired by them. When I was in college I followed the Wichita State Shockers. Legit team!
nick - i've purchased some cards for set builds before and ended up pulling them in packs later. i'm a little indifferent to college sports as well. i think for me, it's because sjsu doesn't really shine in any of the major sports
sumomenkoman - i remember in the late 80's and early 90's they were always in the college world series.
I've taken to calling Topps, and Flagship in particular, the card of record. A way of showing for 70 years now who played the game. That legacy is absolutely wonderful and most of my frustration with the company now comes from the fact that they don't seem to respect or value it.
When I first started ebaying I got confused by a listing that showed multiple cards but was only actually listing one. So I ended up over-spending AND buying something I didn't want, I sent it out in a trade package though and got some cool stuff in return so all's well hat ends well.
And college baseball. I try and follow Stanford but it's not the easiest thing to do from the opposite coast. I also follow Princeton out here but they redid their bullpens a couple years ago and now you can't see the field from the stands. Really really stupid and frustrating.
The only college team I really keep tabs on is the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The college is a short drive from me, so I've attended a few games over the years and saw some future Major Leaguers. Unfortunately, since they won the College World Series a few years ago, they've upped their prices and made attending games a lot more expensive!
Enjoy your time off, you and all of the teachers really deserve it!
"that's pretty cool that some of your high school players are playing at the college level. are any playing professionally?"
We have not had any players from our HS get drafted, to the best of my knowledge. The only player from my hometown who played professionally was Matt Merullo, whose father Lenny coaches with me and whose grandfather Len was on the 1945 NL champion Cubs. Matt played Little League here, but did not attend high school in town. Of the three players that we have in D-1 right now, I could see either of the two pitchers potentially getting drafted in a very late round, although each has already had injuries. The outfielder has great tools and I think that he is similar talent-wise/production-wise to other local players who have been drafted.
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