If Anything Can Bring Me Back, It's The Good Ol' Red, White, And Blue

Well, it has officially been close to (if not more than) two months since my last post. In it, I mentioned that I had a death in the family that sent me into a tailspin and I needed some time to get my sh*t back together and become a productive member of society again. Somehow, I accidentally deleted that post. I'm not sure when/how I did that.

I guess now is the time that I get going again. Though I haven't been blogging, I have still been collecting. I've mentioned in a few posts that I have been participating in some group breaks with a particular breaker. During my sabbatical, I participated in a few more breaks, mostly for Panini's Stars and Stripes product. This set is focused on the various Team USA baseball squads.

Why this product, you ask? Well, Steven Gingery is in the set. Who is Gingery, you ask? Gingery is the ace of the Texas Tech baseball team...at least he was entering this season, but he tore a ligament in his elbow and had to have Tommy John surgery early in the season.

Regardless, Gingery went in the fourth round to the Cardinals in the 2018 MLB Draft. I'm hoping he shows up in the Bowman Draft product later this year.

Anyway, let's get to some cards. Some cards are packed up, so I only have a few to share.

This is the base auto in the set. Though there are a few players that feature a sticker auto, most are on-card - including Gingery.

However, the dreaded sticker auto makes an appearance on these Silhouette relic/autos. To make matters worse, the signature goes off the sticker. Oh well, such is life, am I right?

This is perhaps my favorite card from the breaks I have participated in. It's numbered to 25, and all of the patches are awesome!

I will be all-in on next years Stars and Stripes, as well. A friend of mine - who I met in the card shop in Lubbock - will almost certainly be in the product. Josh Jung (pronounced like "Young") is Tech's starting third baseman. He was selected to play on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer, as soon as Tech is finished at the College World Series (hopefully winning their last game!). Josh is predicted to be a first-round pick in next year's draft, also. Regardless of how things play out, it's been cool to have him as a friend, and I am beyond happy for him and all of his successes!

2017 Elite Extra Edition

My LCS had box of 2017 Elite Extra Edition for sale for a really good price. Though I'm not normally a Panini guy, I decided to give it a try. The box came with eight guaranteed hits, at least six of which were autos.

This is a base auto from the set. It's an on-card auto. Most of the autos in the set are on-card, though there are still a number of sticker autos.

There are also auto parallels. This is a diecut "Status" parallel featuring Detroit's Alex Faedo, numbered to 75.

The box contained a number of parallels, also. Unlike Topps, these parallels really pop.

Some parallels are diecut, like this one. 

My box had two relics. The first was this one:

This jumbo Future Threads relic features a jersey swatch from Rhys Hoskins, numbered to 99.

My last relic was this:

A jumbo patch auto of Ynmanol Marinez, now a member of the Miami Marlins organization. It's a nice patch and a low number. The only problem I have is the sticker auto. But hey, it does no good to complain now. 

I enjoyed this break. Having seven autos in my box (though not all are shown here) was pretty awesome. I also really enjoy the parallels. As I mentioned above, they really pop and stand out from what Topps would consider a parallel. 

I Dabbled in 2018 Topps Series 1

When 2018 Series 1 was released, I was figuratively dying to open something new. Because of the ridiculous prices of 2017 products, I didn't really open that much (other than my standard Heritage, Gypsy Queen, and Allen & Ginter). It left me wanting. 

I decided to buy a couple jumbo packs from my LCS and a couple of blasters from Wally World. Let's just say that I didn't snag anything really exciting. 

Topps has really stretched the definition of "relic" recently by creating and including "manufactured" relics. It seems that one "hit" in every jumbo hobby box is some kind of manufactured medallion. Case in point:

This is the Chris Sale All Star Game medallion. I really don't understand the purpose. I know that medallions have been featured in past products, as well. The "First Home Run" medallion immediately comes to mind. I think Topps would do better to consider these an insert rather than a hit, as this would probably leave the consumer feeling less cheated. 

Not to be outdone, each retail blaster also comes with a manufactured relic:

Whereas the medallion correctly identifies itself as such, this card labels itself as a "Players Weekend Logo Patch Card" (italics added for emphasis). This seems to be made of PVC or plastic; it isn't remotely close to being a patch. Again, the consumer gets the short end of the stick.

However, there are cards that feature genuine relics. For example:

Here, we have a plain gray swatch from a jersey. Unlike the previous two relics, this one actually has a direct relation to player on the card, as noted with the "Game-Used Memorabilia" designation on the front. However, in classic Topps fashion, the reverse-side of the card throws us a curveball (pun intended): "The memorabilia contained on this card is not from any specific game, event, or season." Well that kind of puts a damper on the game-used memorabilia notation on the front, doesn't it? Topps tells us it is game used on one side, the refuses to acknowledge that it is game-used on the reverse. Okay then.

Okay, okay...enough complaining. One thing Topps did do right this year was to dial back the photo variations of the cards. Unlike 2017 Update, which had what seems like hundreds of variations, 2018 S1 featured only batting practice photo variations (SP) and an extremely limited amount of player celebration variations (SSP). I pulled two of the BP variations (one retail, one hobby).

First up was this Yoenis Cespedes. I've always liked Yo, but it seemed like after his initial trade from Oakland, he kind of fell of the earth (in terms of coverage). 

The second variation I pulled was this Manny "soon-to-be-Money" Machado. When he hits the free agent market this winter, he will land a massive contract. Then, everyone will know him as "Money" Machado. Take it to the bank! I love the card and the hoodie, but I've never liked that particular style of Oakleys, even when I played. Regardless, still a nice card.

So there you have it, my dabble in Series 1. What are your thoughts on "manufactured" relic cards? As consumers, have we created an over-demand for "hits" that brought us to this place? Thunderdome!

Fuji, My Man!!!

Back in September, I pulled a Clayton Kershaw relic from '17 Heritage High Number. Fuji, the blogosphere's resident wise man, left a comment saying he would be happy to relieve me of the Kersh. I was happy to send it his way. 

Fast forward a month or so. I received a bubble mailer from way out west from one Mr. Fuji. I was not prepared for the awesomeness that was inside.

First, a disclaimer: in my haste, I failed to scan all of the cards - I only scanned those that needed images on the Trading Card Database (more on this in a later post). However, these cards were awesome and I'm happy to share them!

First up:

A sweet Tier One relic from Michael Young! I really love Tier One. I've always wanted to purchase a box to see what kind of luck I would have with it, but I just can't bring myself to pay that much. So when someone sends me a Tier One relic, it goes without saying that I get a little excited!

The second card I scanned was even better, if you can believe that:

Michael Young auto from UD Ovation Spotlight Signatures! What? An auto! Fuji, you really outdid yourself! I was and still am at a loss for words on this package.

As I mentioned, there was even more in the package, I was just a dope and forgot to scan all of them. Fuji, I really can't thank you enough! I'm on the hunt for cards to send in a return package!

My Foray Into 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League

Or is it Minor Leagues? Not sure. Either way, I bought two boxes.

Last year, I purchased four boxes and was a card short of a complete base set. I also supposedly won something in the "Make Your Pro Debut" contest, but I never received my prize. Shocker - Topps fails to follow through. Oh well.

This year, the two boxes covered my entire base set. I have no need for any base cards, though I am still in need of some short prints. You can see what I need here. If you have any of those, lemme know!

Now on to what you came here for: to find out what my box had in it. First up, some parallels:

This ERA Leaders card is of the blue parallel variety and is numbered to 99. I'll be honest - I've never heard of any of these guys.

Next up, green parallels numbered to 99. I've never heard of Sanchez, but I've definitely heard of Daulton Jefferies. He was a first round pick for the A's in 2016 and played in Stockton (A ball) this season. I don't believe he made it to Double A, but if he gets there this year, I will most likely see him play - the Double A squad is based in Midland, about an hour and a half from me. I try to go once every couple of weeks, if possible. 

I also pulled a couple of white parallels:

Starting to sound like a broken record, but I have never heard of Dunning. Ortiz, on the other hand, I am very aware of. He was the Rangers first round pick in 2014. He worked his way up to Double A Frisco in 2016 before getting traded to Milwaukee in exchange for Jonathan Lucroy. Yet another trade that didn't really pan out for us (not Lucroy's fault, though). I was really looking forward to Ortiz as a solid number three in our rotation of the future; however, what hurt the most about that trade was sending Lewis Brinson away, also. 

After the parallels, I pulled two relics:

The first, a base plain white swatch from Brent Honeywell...

The second, a green parallel numbered to 99 with a red swatch from Rafael Devers. Not a bad hit - better than a plain white or gray swatch any day of the week.

Lastly, each box came with an on-card auto. My two auto's were:

P.J. Conlon and...

Andrew Stevenson. 

As I've mentioned before, never heard of either one.

Even though I have never heard of most of these guys, I still really enjoyed the break. Most everything is available for trade, though I think I am going to hold on to the Ortiz white parallel, the Devers relic, and maybe the autos (but that's not a solid "keep" yet). Lemme know if you're interested!

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**This entry has been sitting in my post folder, unfinished, for more than a month. The end of the semester really kicked my butt. Please watch for posts in the coming days covering some eBay purchases and, more importantly, packages from fellow bloggers! I hope everyone is well!

Another Meaningful Materials Post

I mentioned that I had another Meaningful Materials relic from 2017 Museum Collection on the way. After yet another USPS SNAFU, I finally received it:

Jurickson Profar is featured this time, with a sweet patch. I don't know whether to call this a three-color patch with gray swatch - OR - a four-color patch. It's definitely a patch on gray jersey material...but I'm not an expert and I've seen Twitter battles over less. So call what you want, and I will call it awesome. 

Profar, on the other hand, is not awesome. He may be the most infuriating player the Rangers have had in a while. He was called up for the first time in 2013, where he was widely labeled as the "number one prospect in all of baseball." Two things: I really hate prospect rankings, as I think it puts undue pressure on the kid; and second, this just goes to show how useless prospect rankings really are. Profar has never delivered in the big leagues in a manner even remotely close to what was expected of him. He was looking good this spring until the WBC game where he was picked off first after seemingly forgetting that he was playing baseball. Then he does well. He was called up last week to fill in for Elvis Andrus (who was on paternity leave) and has played pretty well. I don't know what to think anymore. 

Anyway, keep an eye out for future posts about these Meaningful Material relics, as I am sure this won't be the last time I get one! I hope everyone is well!

A Quick eBay Mailday

Another quick post. I would apologize, but you probably prefer the short and sweet posts. I can't say that I blame you. Earlier, I mentioned how much I really like the 2017 Topps Museum Collection Meaningful Material relics. I managed to snag another:

The relic isn't an awesome patch like the Hamels relic was, but it  isn't a plain white swatch, either. I'm thinking that this probably came from the sleeve of the Rangers' alternate red jerseys. They piping would certainly fit with that.

I have at least one more on the way, so this isn't the last time you will hear about these cards!

I hope everyone is well!

It's Been Awhile...So Here Are Some Recent eBay Pickups

I feel like a broken record saying this, but I've been gone awhile and haven't posted since the end of May. That being said, I feel the need to break the postless streak. So let's look at what I have picked up on eBay during the past month or so.

First up, I finally broke down and grabbed a couple cards I have been wanting for a while:

First up is this Buddy Bell card from the 1982 Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars set. I also snagged this card from the same set:

Al Oliver! I love the Kellogg's sets. I've thought about trying to put together the entire line, but I keep postponing that idea. We'll see if I take the jump one day. But back to the cards - I really love the now "vintage" T on the hat. I wouldn't be upset if I never saw the bubble font used on the jerseys, though.

I also purchased a card from a recent set:

This meaningful material relic of Cole Hamels comes from the 2017 Museum Collection set. I gotta say, I really like this set. Sadly, a box runs about $200...and I do not have that kind of cash. No worries though, I can pick up cards like this one, which set me back a whopping $8, shipping included. 

That's it for now, but I promise that I am working on having more posts ready for you to read soon!