Stale Gum

Yes, This Guy Is Real.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:27:00 +0000

In an attempt to gimmick away what little relevance their Bowman brand still had with collectors, Topps has included autographed inserts of over 20 Major League scouts in their just-released 2008 Bowman. But some collectors have had questions about this particular scout card.

This is an autograph of the mysterious "Bowman Scout." Who is this guy? Is he even real? Or do we have another Kazuo Uzuki? Or "Rip Master?"

First off, yes, The Bowman Scout is a real person. He is an actual scout for an American League team who has worked as a consultant for Topps since the early 90s. According to a 2006 interview with Beckett, The Scout (who wishes to remain anonymous) says he attends 300-400 baseball games a year, ranging from high school to the Big Leagues.

Among The Scout's greatest "discoveries:" Mike Piazza (1992 Bowman), Jorge Posada ('94), Matt Holliday ('99), Jose Reyes and Justin Morneau (2001).

And despite his work with Topps, he says he doesn't collect baseball cards.

So now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Why Didn't I Think of This Before?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:03:00 +0000

Or why didn't Topps or UD?

There ya go, Doc!

Topps: The Pilot Episode.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:12:00 +0000

(The scene, the boardroom. Jason and Randy are about to preside over their first board meeting as joint-CEOs of Topps.)

Jason: The first meeting of the Topps Board of Directors is now in session. Randy, do you want to....

Randy: ... take the roll? Sure thing little brother. Let me get out the sheet here and call everyone's....

Jason: ... names?

Randy: ... ummm, yeah. Mr. Eisner?

Michael: Here.

Randy: Mr. Berger?

Sy: Here.

Randy: Mr. Olbermann?

Keith: Present.

Randy: Mr. Ginter

Allen: Here.

Randy: And finally..., hey, ummm, Jason?

Jason: Yeah, Randy.

Randy: Who's this guy? (pointing to name on roster list)

Jason: Oh, that's the new guy. Louie!

Announcer: And now...Louie! The guy who comes in and says his catch phrase over and over again.

Louie: HEY EVERYBODY!

All: LOUIE!!!

Louie: Who's got something for me?

Sy: I do.

Louie: What is it?

Sy: A waxbox of 2008 Topps Co-Signers.

Louie: Topps Co-Signers?

Hey, I wanna dip my balls in it!

All: YAY!!!

Louie: Hey Olby, what you got there?

Keith: It's a 1977 Reggie Jackson Proof, what do you want with it?

Louie: What do I want with it?
I wanna dip my balls in it!

All: YAY!!!

Sy: Very infectious and amusing, this Louie character.

Louie: Who's got some Topps Finest?

Allen: I do!

Louie:
I would like to dip my balls in it!

All: YAY11!

Randy: How about some 1995 Topps D3 singles?

Louie:
I would like to dip my balls in it!

All: YAY!!!

Sy: Hey Louie... A Kazuo Uzuki gimmick card?

Louie: Aw hell, who gives a damn!
I wanna dip my balls in it!

All: YAY!!!

Allen: A dozen Topps Heritage short-prints?

Louie:
I wanna put 'em in top-loaders!

All: YAY-awwwwww

Louie?

Louie: You've heard it all before!

Allen: No we haven't.

Louie: You've heard it all before.

Jason and Randy: No! We haven't.

Louie: You've heard it all before!

All: Oh no we haven't!

Louie: I'm sorry, I can't say it.

All: (gradually increasing in volume) Louie! Louie! Louie! Louie! Louie! Louie! Louie! Louie!

Louie: HEY! EVERYBODY!!!!

All:
I WANNA DIP MY BALLS IN IT!

Vintage Video Box Break and Review: 1999 Skybox Metal Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:18:00 +0000

One retail box of 1999 Skybox Metal Universe (paid $18.95 + shipping from Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale *)
20 packs per box, six cards per pack (MSRP $2.39)

The Details

Base Set: 300 cards

Parallels: NONE (all are Hobby Only)

Inserts:
15 Neophytes (1:10)
15 Boyz with the Wood (1:30)
15 Planet Metal (1:60)
15 Diamond Soul (1:96)
10 Linchpins (1:576)

Autogamers: NONE (all are Hobby Only)

The Pulls

Part One

Part Two

Base Set: 116 of 300 (38.67%)

Inserts:
2 Neophytes: P. Konerko, M. Tejada
1 Boyz with the Wood: M. Piazza
1 Planet Metal: D. Erstad

1999 Skybox Metal Universe was a set that I never got around to collecting. But when I ripped a pack of this in my recent 20-for-$40 gimmick on APAD, I was hooked. I made it my mission to bust a waxbox. Unfortunately, all I could find on Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale was this 20-pack retail box.

Like in previous years, all the base cards have etched-foil fronts and are embossed -- hence, the name. The 1999 Metals have an industrial look and feel, with what look like riveted iron plating. Unfortunately, they only added the embossing to the top-half of the card, which if stacked, causes a noticeable lean.

To wit: These are all the base cards I ripped from this box. I like to call this "The Leaning Tower of 1999 Metal."

Among the subsets, there are 25 "Building Blocks" (prospects and rookies), 25 "M.L.P.D.s" -- which I still have no idea what it stands for -- and 15 "Caught on the Fly's." What makes the subsets great -- but in an unintentionally funny kind of way -- are their backs. The COTF's are "written" in the style of the Sporting News column of the same name. But it's the Building Blocks and M.L.P.D. backs that are notable. Notable in their hilarity.

In the late-90s, Fleer oriented all their Skybox brands to appeal to an "urban" audience. (They even hired Coolio to star in their print ads.) This marketing/pandering even went as far as the language used on backs of the cards.

Before I go any further I should note that in September 2001 I had a job interview at Fleer's headquarters in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. After spending nearly two hours at the Fleer office, I did not notice anyone outside the "middle-aged-white-guy/white-gal" demographic who was employed there. Please take this into consideration before reading the back of Adrian Beltre's Building Blocks card.

"Yo, Adrian, 20 years old, filling in for Bobby Bo' at third for the L.A. Dodgers ... not bad. We know that you almost nabbed the '97 FSL Triple Crown and were Mr. MVP. We can see your glove is phat already. But at 20? I guess that's why Zeile's in Texas and Konerko's in Cincy ... your move, Kid."

See what I mean?

The numbered-to-50 Precious Metal Gems and one-of-one Gem Master parallels were exclusive to Hobby, but all five non-parallel inserts were available in retail as well, albeit at slightly longer odds. Like the subsets, all the inserts are written in "Mount Laurel Ebonics." The fifteen card, 1:10/pack Neophytes are the designated "Hot Rookie" insert that was standard in most late-90s products. The fifteen card, 1:30 Boyz with the Wood (See, it's spelled with a "Z" at the end! It's gangsta!) are an equally formulaic "Power Hitters" insert. If these cards look a lot like those "Flapper" cards in this years Topps Opening Day, they should. The BwtW and the Opening Day Flappers were made by the company.

Planet Metal (1:60) is the standard issue die-cut insert and Diamond Soul (1:96) are lenticular (i.e. Sportflix) cards. In the era before the gamer, just about every Fleer set had one insert that was a genuinely tough pull. In 1999 Skybox Metal Universe, the 1:576/pack Linchpins -- which have a laser-cut cotter pin design in the background -- fit this bill.

The Bottom Line

For such a small box, (only 120 cards) I had some pretty good pulls. I only wish I had found a Hobby box though. I received almost 40% of the base set, two Neophytes inserts, a Mike Piazza Boyz with the Wood, and a one-per-third box Planet Metal of Darin Erstad.

Product Rating: 2 1/2 Gumsticks (out of five)

Techincal Difficulties.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:31:00 +0000

I promise, this is it. I'm going with the "Stale Gum of 2001" look.

Topps: The Sitcom.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:28:00 +0000

When ~~Mickey Buysner~~ Michael Eisner bought Topps last year and announced that it would "turn Topps into a media brand in the mold of Disney," some of us didn't know what to expect.

We now have some sort of an idea. As Scott Kelnhofer reported on this week's Sports Collector's Radio, the Topps will produce a web-based sitcom starring these guys....

The Sklar Brothers from Cheap Seats.

The plot? The Sklar's inherit a trading card company and appoint themselves CEO. Hilarity ensues! (So that's who came up with Kazuo Uzuki!)

More info as it develops.

We Have A Winnah!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:34:00 +0000

And now, the greatest set of the early-90s (according to Ben Henry)....

Place Your Bets, Folks. Place Your Bets.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:11:00 +0000

FINAL UPDATED ODDS

Ben Henry's long slog through the early 1990s is almost over, and he's down to the Final ~~Four~~ ~~Three~~ Two. By my count, the only ~~four~~ ~~three~~ two card sets he's yet to rank are:

~~1990 Leaf~~
1990 Score
1991 Stadium Club
~~1992 Bowman~~

So what will it be? What set will Ben Henry choose as the number one card set of the early 1990s? Allow me to introduce my alter ego: Chrissy "The Greek."

1990 Score (3-2)
Coming from a guy who rated 1987 Topps as the best set of the 80s, it would be no surprise if Henry selects this set #1.

1991 Stadium Club (3-1)
The second choice on the board, 1991 Stadium Club is a set that would apply to Ben's aesthetic sensibilities.

1990 Leaf (9-1)
A true landmark set, but will that be enough to overtake '90 Score or '91 Stadium Club?

1992 Bowman (25-1)
Another benchmark product, '92 Bowman is a bit of a long shot. While many may consider this a value bet, "my sources" tell me 1992 Bowman has no chance.

The Stale Gum Box Break Archive.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:38:00 +0000

Over the years, I had thought I lost all my pre-blogger box breaks forever. Then I discovered something called the Internet Wayback Machine, which has been archiving other websites. So to whoever started up the Internet Wayback Machine, THANK YOU FOR SAVING EVERYTHING!

http://web.archive.org/web/20010801192515/stalegum.com/coll/coll.asp

If you have any spare time, check it out. See what this site looked like seven years ago (yes, that is supposed to look like 1987 Donruss), or see just how awful my writing skills were before I went back to college.

Vintage Video Box Break and Review: 1995 Select

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:19:00 +0000

One box of 1995 Select (Purchased from Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale* for $19.95 + shipping)
24 packs per box, 10 cards per pack.

*No endorsement implied.

The Details

Base Set: 250 cards (no short-prints)

Parallels
Artist Proof: 250 cards (1:24, limited to 475 copies)

Inserts
Can't Miss: 12 cards (1:24, limited to 9900)
Big Sticks: 12 cards (1:48, limited to 4950)
Sure Shots: 10 cards (1:90, limited to 3168)

Autogamers: NONE

Part One:

Part Two:

The Pulls

Base Set: 237 of 250 (94.80%)

Parallels
1 Artist Proof: Darren Lewis

Inserts
1 Can't Miss!: C. Floyd
1 Big Sticks: C. Ripken, Jr.

The Review

Ah, 1995 Select. The memories....

In the summer of '95 I had just arrived from basic training at my first duty station. I never lived outside the greater Philadelphia area before, so it took some time for me to adjust to my new life. Fortunately for me, there were two Hobby shops within walking distance of the base’s front gate; and about every-other month there was a card show at one of the many casino hotels that lined the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My cardboard addiction would be fully sated.

It was around the time I was first allowed to leave the base when Pinnacle Brands released 1995 Select baseball. The novelty behind Select was that only 4950 24-box cases would be made, and that each individual waxbox would be serial-numbered.

For those of you that have been out of The Hobby for a while, and/or don't remember what The Hobby was like in the mid-90s, the practice of card manufacturers announcing the production figures of specific products was The Hobby’s gimmick of the moment. Topps kicked it all off when it debuted Finest in 1993 with the statement that only 4000 cases would be made. Later that year, Donruss stated that would only make 6250 12-box cases of Leaf Update. Pinnacle got into the act by serial-numbering each one of the 1950 24-box cases of 1993 Select Rookie/Traded. The following year it spread to Donruss (17,500 cases of each series), Leaf Limited and Leaf Limited Rookies (60,000 and 30,000 serial-numbered waxboxes, respectively), and ’94 Select (4950 cases of each series).

So what’s the big deal, you ask? Plenty. Armed with these nuggets of information, as well as other variables like set size and stated insertion ratio, one could figure out exactly how many copies of each individual card (insert, parallel, and base) were in circulation with a simple pocket calculator. So although they were not serial-numbered, it didn't much effort to figure out that only 241 copies of 1993 Finest Refractor were issued. And using the same method, only 475 copies of each one-per-box 1995 Select Artist Proof parallel were printed.

A card limited to 475 copies doesn’t seem to be all that “scarce” – and by the standards of 2008, it’s not. But in the fin-de-siècle Hobby, a card limited to 475 was considered scarce, and the thought being guaranteed of such a card in each box was the main reason why Select flew off the shelves when it was released.

By the summer of ’95 it had been four months since I bought any cards, so I was stoked to rip into a box of Select. The 1994 version was (and still remains) one of my favorite card sets, and the ’95 version – with the exception of the new Artist Proofs, and the elimination of a second series – was virtually unchanged. The problem was for me was that very few of those 4950 cases made their way to Biloxi, Mississippi.

You know those two Hobby stores just outside the base I was talking about? One never bothered to order this product and the other....

I rarely bought any wax from that guy -- just singles. For some reason, regardless of the product, or the cost, most of his waxboxes cost $68 -- and that's what he wanted for a box of '95 Select. And so, I took a pass on 1995 Select.

As I mentioned on APAD, this is a product that I waited 13 years to bust, and I found a box for $19.95 at Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale. Was it worth the wait?

Let me put it this way, if you were to go back in time and speak to A1C Harris, I'm sure he'd be ecstatic with a waxbox that yielded 94.8% of the base set and a $75 Cal Ripken, Jr. insert. (According to the September 1995 issue of Beckett, a Big Sticks insert of a fresh-from-breaking-Lou-Gehrig’s-record Cal Ripken, Jr. booked for $75.) While it only books for $25 now, I’m still satisfied with my purchase.

The base set is 250 cards, and although there are no RCs, (there are two second-year A-Rods) it is a very nice looking, well designed card set. For the second consecutive year, all of the base cards -- with the exception of the "Select Rookie" and "Showtime" subsets -- are oriented horizontally and have two photos. All the usual suspects are here, along with a few players you may have forgotten about. (Where have you gone Jason Jacome?)

Like I mentioned, the hot insert in '95 Select was the one-per-box Artist Proofs. But there are three other inserts to chase after. In addition to the 1:48/pack Big Sticks of Cal Ripken, Jr., I pulled a Cliff Floyd Can’t Miss! Can’t Miss! was the designated one-per-box "super hot prospect" insert that was standard issue in most “premium” level products. While the 12-card checklist had some players who did miss, (i.e. Billy Ashley) what makes Can't Miss! special was the Dufex. I've always been a mark for the Dufex, and if there’s one thing I miss about Pinnacle Brands it’s these cards.

The other insert, which I did not receive a card from, was the 1:90/pack Sure Shots. Sure Shots were another Dufex-based set, this one starring ten of the top picks of the 1994 Draft. Unfortunately, with the exception of Paul Konerko, the draft class of '94 never distinguished itself, and these cards (including the Konerko) can be had cheap.

Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of five)

1995 Select is a Hobby time machine. It’s a throwback to a time in The Hobby when a $2/pack product was considered “premium” and when scarcity was measured in the hundreds and thousands. If you’ve got $20 burning a hole in your pocket, and can’t stand the thought of blowing it on two packs of Topps Co-Signers, pick up a box of 1995 Select.

This happened 25 years ago today.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:09:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lee Elia. (NSFW!)

Lee Elia always reminded me of "Red" from the Tube Bar tapes. (Very NSFW!)

Oh yeah, here's some cards.

2nd Impressions: 2008 Topps Series Two.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:25:00 +0000

Taking a second look at the sell sheet of Series Two Topps, a couple of items I never noticed before quickly piqued my interest.

ITEM #1) FIRST TIME! Every 36-pack HOBBY box contains 1 Autograph or Relic Card! ENHANCED CONTENT! Every 10-pack HTA box contains 1 Autograph and NOW 2 Relic Cards!

Topps announced this about a month ago, and I've been sitting on this for a while. So allow me to vent.

I don't mind pulling gamers. But is the lack of a gamer in each 2008 Topps Series One Hobby box (as Topps has claimed) the real reason why sales of Hobby boxes weren't as brisk as HTA boxes? HTA's have always sold well; long before Topps began stuffing them with autogamers. It's not all that hard to figure out why if you think about it.

A Hobby box has 360 cards which (you would think) should be enough for a full 330-card base set. But over 50 of those 360 cards are not base cards, (i.e. inserts, parallels, fake Japanese pitching "prospects," and the like) leaving Hobby boxes about 30 cards short of a full base set. On the other hand, a 500-card HTA box all but guarantees a full base set (not to mention a healthy stack of doubles, and a lot more inserts). When given the choice between one box type that delivers a full set and another that leaves you short, some collectors are willing to pay the extra $35-$40 for HTA.

The second (and probably most important) culprit are Blasters. More and more Topps collectors -- even those who would never be caught dead buying their cards retail -- are finding Blasters to be a viable option. Collectors who aren't able to invest either $100 for an HTA box, or even $60 for a Hobby box, find $20 Blasters more affordable. (The availability of Blasters, and Blaster-exclusive inserts doesn't hurt either.)

Topps' flagship product has always been a collector's set; a product where the main draw is, has been, and always will be, the base set. Yes, pulling an autograph or a gamer is nice; but base Topps has never about pulling autogamers. Topps has made HTA boxes and Blasters more attractive to the collector, at the expense of Hobby wax. The addition of a hit in each Hobby box will have little, if any, impact on series two Hobby box sales.

Item #2) NEW! Red Hot Rookie Program! Rookie redemption cards numbered 1-20 will be randomly inserted and guaranteed in every Topps Series 2 Hobby and HTA box.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Gimmicked "Rookies"? In FUCKING BASE LEVEL TOPPS? SURELY THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS?

Sadly, they are serious. (And don't call me Shirley. Ba-Dump-Bump.) Whether you like it or not, gimmicked "Rookies" are coming to base Topps. (Whether you want them or not, is immaterial.)

The scheme is similar to what Topps already has in Finest. Each randomly inserted redemption card will have a number, and Topps will announce over the remainder of the year -- stretching it out to maximize the effect -- what player each redemption card will be good for.

On the original sell-sheets for '08 Topps series two, there are no mentions of these gimmicked rookies so I'm guessing that they are a late addition. Hopefully this gimmick will be a one year aberration.

This happened 32 years ago today.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:41:00 +0000

And since this is a baseball card website, here ya go!

Shenanigans! Shenanigans! Shenanigans!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Hey look, it's a Tyrus Thomas 1/1 SuperFractor on eBay!

Hey look, it's a video of a guy holding a redemption for a Tyrus Thomas 1/1 SuperFractor!

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec. How can one person have a redemption card for a Tyrus Thomas 1/1 SuperFractor, and another person be selling THE SAME 1/1 CARD ON EBAY at the same time?

Topps, care to explain this, ahem, "discrepancy?"

UPDATE! MORE TOPPS SHENANIGANS!

It's Shenanigans, I Tell Ya! Shenanigans!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:39:00 +0000

So yesterday, I got this press release from Upper Deck touting this particular Daisuke Matsuzaka card.

According to the press release, this rookie card (their words) has been selling for as much as $970.

$970? For an autographed "rookie" card of Dice-K? And serial numbered to only 18 copies?

HOLY SHIT!

There's just one teensy-weensy problem.

This "2007" Upper Deck Premiere "rookie card" of Dice-K was issued.....

... in packs of the recently released 2008 Upper Deck Premiere.

In other words, Upper Deck is trying to pass off a card issued in April 2008, as a card from 2007.

In UD's defense, this card was supposed to be in last year's UD Premiere. (Not wanting to pack it out as a redemption, they pulled it and saved for this year.)

That still doesn't make it a 2007 card, and nor is it a "true" rookie.

It is what it is: an autographed second-year card of a pretty damn good pitcher.

Shenanigans!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:29:00 +0000

I hate to do this, but I'm calling shenanigans against Tuff Stuff.

Yesterday on their Bustin' Wax blog, Tuff Stuff posted a box break of Upper Deck's new Spectrum baseball, and they were shocked (SHOCKED!) that their box yielded seven game jersey's and four autographs.

You're only supposed to get two autographs and two gamers in a box.

Rut ro, Raggy!

While such "Hot Boxes" are not unusual for Spectrum (collector's are reporting that each 14-box case has one) what's unusual is how Tuff Stuff may have acquired this particular box.

Read the review a little closer, and you'll notice that price they "paid" for the box was "about $135 per box."

An interesting choice of words there, eh? "About" $135?

ABOUT?

That one little word leads me to assume that Tuff Stuff may not have paid for this box at all -- which may explain why they got a Hot Box.

Is this another case of "Upper Deck Card-Ola?" (i.e. Beckett-Gate?)

BRING BACK THE SC!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:24:00 +0000

One trend in The Hobby that has developed over the past few years has been the "The Whale." Whales are the kind of folks who aren't afraid to plunk down $500-$1000/week on products like UD Black and Topps Sterling, knowing full well that the cards they receive will never, ever, be worth what they paid for.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've never paid more than $10 for a pack of new cards. (I ripped a few packs of '96 Leaf Signature when they came out for the novelty of it. Pulled autographs of Frank Rodriguez and Dean Palmer, and promised I'd never be that foolish again.) Not to sound sanctimonious, but these kinds of products never appealed to me as a collector. I understand that there's a market for sets like this, but they're not for me.

With that said, the country faces economic uncertainty and with such uncertainty, often the first thing to go are luxury goods. Luxury goods, such as $100/pack card sets like UD Black and Topps Sterling.

And therein lies the problem. The Hobby has become too dependent on Whales and it's not good for any business to be dependent on one class of customer.

What The Hobby needs now are more down-market products. Now, by "down-market" I'm not saying more crap like Opening Day. Collector's will still crave quality products. But a quality products that are both affordable AND collectible.

What The Hobby doesn't need now are more gimmicks. We don't need autograph cards of forgotten hair-metal bands. We don't need fake cards of of fake "prospects." We don't need more cards of dead presidents and we don't need presidential candidates airbrushed onto cards of current players.

What The Hobby needs now, more than ever, is Stadium Club. Ryan of Trader Crack's has started a letter writing campaign bring back Stadium Club Baseball and I share many of his sentiments. But I believe it's important to distinguish what Stadium Club set to bring back.

Topps issued a product called "Stadium Club" in basketball this year; however, the product bore little resemblance to the Stadium Club we all knew and loved. It was just another indistinguishable one-hit-per-$15-pack.

What The Hobby needs is the REAL Stadium Club. A product like the 1996-99 era SC. A $3-$5/pack, 300-400 card, single series set with quality photography, a clean design, and NO gimmicks. (i.e. short-printed "rookies," three-per-box game jerseys, et al)

While it may be too late for 2008, I'd love to see The Mighty Stadium Club Baseball make its triumphant return in '09. Would you rather have another year of swill like Moments & Milestones, Co-Signers, or Topps 52; or would you rather have Stadium Club back?

Yeah, I thought so. Get off your ass and write Topps a letter demanding they bring back Stadium Club!

Yeah, I'm Still Here.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:05:00 +0000

I know. I haven't updated this site in eight days. I'm not dead, nor have I abandoned my pride and joy. (You can stop e-mailing me now!)

There is a good reason why I haven't updated this in over a week. You see, I recently stumbled across a grab bag of some of the worst waxpacks imaginable, and have been posting the pulls on APAD and YouTube. I like to think of it as an experiment in video baseball card gonzo journalism.

So go check 'em out, and tell me what you think of it. Meanwhile, I've got a few things I've got cooking for this site in the next few days.

Stay tuned!

1st Impressions: '08 Allen & Ginter

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Is 2008 the year Topps Allen & Ginter "jumps the shark?"

The sell sheets for '08 TA&G are out, and I have to say, I'm just not excited about Allen & Ginter anymore.

The design is virtually identical to last year.

The base set is the same size as last year.

And there are the usual framed autographs and gamers, that were in it last year.

And that's the problem. It's the same set as last year. Well, not entirely the same. There's some sort of "Ginter Code" thingamabob that no one will understand, much less care about. And there will be a cut signature card of "Church" of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard! (Hail Xenu!)

Don't get me wrong, I'll collect it, and I'll enjoy it.

But I really think Topps should seriously consider pulling the plug on A&G after this year -- or at least switch it up to another 19th Century set (i.e. Ramly, Fatima, et al).

h/t to Wax Heaven, who has the sell sheets.

What, you don't have a non-sports section?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:13:00 +0000

Question: Why are Donruss-Playoff press releases showing up on the Beckett Baseball website?

A Blast from UD's Past.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Here's that UD commercial from 1993 that Mario from Wax Heaven was talking about on Sports Collecting Radio.

Always Be Collecting: 99 Stinking Cents

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:39:00 +0000

What, no love for the Fleer?

THE METS GOT RICK ROLLED!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with baseball cards, but I'm proud to report that during the eighth inning of today's Mets home opener, this happened.

Video Box Break and Review: 2008 Topps Heritage (Hobby)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:28:00 +0000

Part one...

Part two...

The Pulls

Paid $69

Chiptopper: 1 J. Pierre, B. Molina, D. Murphy Advertising Panel

Base Set: 154 of 500 (30.8%)

short set: 146 of 425
Short Prints: 8 of 75 (1:3)

Black Backs: 25 (one-per-pack)

Parallels:
3 Chromes: T. Hunter, R. Oswalt, J. Francis (1:8, numbered to 1959)
1 Chrome Refractor: E. Byrnes (1:29, numbered to 559)

Inserts:
2 New Age Performers: D. Wright, J. Peavy (1:15)
2 Then & Now: E. Mathews & A-Rod, D. Drysdale & J. Peavy (1:15)
1 Baseball Flashbacks: O. Cepeda (1:12)
2 News Flashbacks: Dalai Lama, Hawaii (1:12)

Autogamers:
1 Clubhouse Collection: T. Hunter jersey (1:24)

Box Break and Review: 1995 Upper Deck Series One (Hobby)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Harris) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:57:00 +0000

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a box break from last year that I never got around to posting. Until now, that is.

One box of 1995 Upper Deck Series One Hobby (Paid $35)
36 packs per box, 12 cards per pack

The Details

Base Set: 225 cards (no short-prints)

Parallels: NONE

Inserts:
Special Edition: 135 cards*
Special Edition Gold: 135 cards (1:35*)
Hobby Predictors: 20 cards (1:30)
Steal of a Deal: 15 cards (1:34)
Checklists: five cards (1:17)

*Stated odds of finding either a Special Edition or a Special Edition Gold: one-per-pack.

Autogamers: NONE

The Pulls

Base Set: 208 of 225 (92.44%)
166 Doubles
18 Triples

Inserts:
35 Special Editions
1 Special Edition Gold: K. Foster
1 Hobby Predictor: A. Gonzalez
1 Steal of a Deal: D. Eckersley
2 Checklists: K. Rogers, G. Maddux

The Review

One word can best describe 1995 Upper Deck baseball: simple. Considering what came before, and what was about to come, the '95 UDs were extremely minimalist. Just a full-bleed photo, the player's name and team (in very small type), a UD logo, and that's it. Not exactly the harbinger on the "foil-stamp the shit out of everything" fronts that was to come in the late-90s.

'95 was the first year that the UD flagship did NOT open up with the Star Rookies. Instead, they were shifted to the back end of the first series, and merged with a second batch of SRs that opened up Series Two. (A third-year Derek Jeter and a second-year A-Rod both make cameos in the SR subset.) In their place, the Top Prospects open up the set. The was the final year for the TPs, and the only one of note is a third-year card of Nomar Garciaparra. There are also second-year cards of such Hobby flameouts Ruben Rivera, Paul Wilson, and true "Rookie Cards" are of Karim Garcia, Raul Casanova, and Nolan Ryan's son Reid Ryan. Another notable base card is of Michael Jordan being interviewed by a already-on-his-seventh-Budweiser-looking Harry Caray.

There are two differences between the hobby and retail version of '95 UD, and one of which is the one-per-pack insert. In retail packs, you get one Electric Diamond card per pack -- which is a traditional one-per-pack parallel. Hobby packs though, came with their own one-per-pack insert: The Special Editions. The SEs were unique, in that they are a pretty comprehensive set onto itself. At 270 cards (135 in each series), it remains one of the largest non-parallel insert sets every produced, and remains a challenging set to try to complete -- even a dozen years later.

The other difference between hobby and retail has to do with the Predictor inserts. The Predictors were interactive game cards that could be redeemed if the player shown won an award of some sort. The idea for on the interactive insert wasn't new -- 1994 Leaf had the popular MVP Contenders inserts -- but with the effects of a devastating strike still lingering, and with the overall "copycat" mentality of mid-90s era The Hobby, card companies were trying anything and everything they could to drum up sales. There are 40 Hobby Predictors in all (20 American Leaguers in the first series, and 20 National Leaguers in the second), and 60 Retail Predictors (30 AL and 30 NL).

Rounding out the set are the 15 Steal of a Deal inserts, and five checklists -- which, as was the custom of the time, were seeded into packs as inserts.

Technically, there are no autogamers; however, there was a wrapper redemption offer good for for one of 8000 serial-numbered autographed Roger Clemens jumbo cards. This offer has long since expired.

The Bottom Line

Collation was typical for a mid-90s Upper Deck product. It yielded 92% of the base set, and a healthy stack of tradeable doubles. The inserts ran as advertised.

Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of 5)

No one will ever confuse 1995 Upper Deck with 1989 UD. But with that said, it's nice looking, fun, and affordable.