Sunday Question ... looking at 2011 Topps Series 1

Whenever you want to see the latest cards, the best place to always go us eBay. Not Target, not your local shop, but eBay because inevitably the cards always show up there a few days early than the release date.

I was at Target today – no 2011 Topps Series 1.

But they are on eBay.

There are too many auctions up yet, but I can't help but look at the diamond parallel cards. Just look!

I think I am kind of in love with them, however, you have to see the cards in person to get a better feel of them. But, for right now I think these diamond refractors are very nice. I know it's the 60th anniversary and that is why Topps is using these cards, but I wonder if they will keep them around after this year.

Likely it depends on the success of the card, but I think they are better than xfractors. I was never a fan of xfractors because sometimes you get that terrible line running through the card.

What do you think the cards so far?
Do you think diamond parallels should stick around?

Hobby Box Break and Review: 2010 Topps Supreme Football

The good folks over at Topps sent me a box of 2010 Topps Supreme Football to break and review. I normally do not collect or buy football so I thought this would be an interesting product to open. I really liked the box they came in... I like the fancy boxes cards can sometimes come in.

I decided to open the box live on UStream last night and you can view the video here, or you can just see the hits now. I am not that entertaining so you didn't miss much.

Each box of 2010 Topps Supreme Football yields one pack containing 4 cards and retails around $100. As one of Topps high end products the cards do not disappoint. The base cards are a thick heavy card stock and are all serial numbered. I really like the design of this set as well, the base red and gold are nice on the eyes, while the black and gold makes the /25 serial numbering easily distinguishable.

Take a look:

Dan Marino /200


Vernon Davis /200


Larry Fitzgerald /25


Golden Tate Quad relic /15 (with 4 of the same color jersey pieces...)

Here is what I think of the product:

Design: B+/A-

Overall I really like this design, it is sharp and crisp and the action shots on a plain background work for me. The reason I won't give it an A is because this isn't a big enough sample to be an effective judgement of the other relics. I don't like that the hit in the box is a plain blue jersey that appears to be the same piece through the two center panels. I am sure there are other relics out there with multi-color swatches, but this card should have had one being a very low serial numbered card.

Base cards and parallels: A

The colors on these cards are great, and for a high end product like this I would expect each card to be serial numbered. The base cards are a thicker card stock as I mentioned earlier.

Value: C-

This grade is solely based on this box. For me personally, if I had spent $100 on this box and pulled that jersey card as my hit I would have cried. However, had I pulled a Tebow auto, Brady auto, Manning auto or relic, or dual/quad auto etc. I would have thought it was well worth the money spent.

Quality: A

All of the cards in the pack were mint, no slight creases near the swatch panels, no dinged corners and no chips in the edges.

Overall grade: B

This is the type of product that you gamble on the hit, and there are products like this across all brands and sports. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but that is the risk involved so you can't go blaming Topps when you get a "dud" hit. Remember, your "dud" could be someone elses "mojo" hit.

What do you guys think of the design of the cards? Do you agree with me about the GU materials on the card or do you think that it's fine either way because you get 4 pieces?

Mail Day: Basketball Trade

I completed my first basketball card trade, or at least I think I did. (Please call me out if I didn't, Derek.) Some of you may know that I get a little absent minded when trying to multi-task and forget to mail things or write blogs I say I'm going to write, etc. I mean well, I swear.

I got an e-mail from Big D over at the blog, Hey That's Mine! regarding a bubble mailer he sent my way. It was a glorious piece of mail, the kind of bubble mailer I have never received before... It was full of basketball cards!! Oh and a special surprise that was freakin' awesome. Take a look at what Big D sent over:

Lamar Odom

Pau Gasol

Derek Fisher

Kobe Bryant

Andrew Bynum


Danilo Gallinari

2010 Topps Robinson Cano GU
I love bubble mailer days.

I also think I have Derek's pile of cards sitting on my desk at this very moment.... Check your e-mail, buddy.

Catching up on the news: Bradford 1/1 not packed out?

Just in case collectors didn't see the mess that brought up on Blowout and a few other blogs, I wanted to let collectors know about the story of the moment.

A collector on Blowout claimed he asked for replacement redemptions from Panini when the cards he wanted took too long.

Standard practice.

Panini allegedly sent him back the best card in the set – a 2010 Certified Sam Bradford Mirror Black 1/1 auto, which has already made its way on to ebay.

Sports Card File explained why something like this could potentially happen. Sports Cards Uncensored is NOT happy about this mess.

Remember, this is a story with no confirmation from Panini and no proof shown otherwise by the poster.

But if this is true, it definitely hurts collectors because while the probability of getting this card is very low, no one expected their chance to actually be zero percent. We all buy baseball boxes and cases hoping to get that one big hit (most of us anyway). When people buy lottery tickets, they get them in hopes they will defeat the odds.

Hopefully, Panini responds to this and explains what happened or deny the entire story. Either way, it puts a cloud over the company.

Party time

I just got wind of a pretty sweet contest for a TON of FREE boxes of cards over at the blog, All About Cards. They have put together a nice mix of all sports to give away to anyone who follows them more or less.

If you want free stuff, go check it out and read the ways you can get an entry into the drawing. If you win all the loot, you probably won't mind being snowed it next time...

2011 Topps Wrapper Redemption

This morning Topps announced that they will be doing a wrapper redemption program with the 2011 Topps hobby and jumbo wrappers.

Since we are doing a case break of 2011 Topps Series 1 Jumbo, we will be eligible to get 6 5 card packs. The cards in the pack we redeem will be randomized to the teams with no hits. For a list of teams still available please click on the link on the sidebar.

Here is the information from Topps:

TOPPS ANNOUNCES SERIES 1 WRAPPER REDEMPTION

To launch and celebrate the 60^th Anniversary of Topps Baseball Cards, the company is pleased to announce a special Hobby-Exclusive Wrapper Redemption Program for 2011 Topps Baseball Series 1. (image attached)

Collectors sending Topps 36 Hobby wrappers or 10 HTA Jumbo wrappers of 2011 Topps Series 1 will receive a special 5-card pack of 60^th Anniversary Black Diamond cards (collect all 60!).

In addition, Topps is seeding 34 different on-card Autograph cards (#’d to 60), featuring subjects from the original 1952 Topps set, into these 5-card packs.

Collectors should send wrappers to:

PO BOX 2008

Duryea, PA 18642

ATTN: Topps Baseball Series 1 Promotion

*Collectors are encouraged to group their wrappers and send in 1 package.

*Promotion ends August 1, 2011.

Why hello eBay!

I have been on a nice looooong break from eBay, and lately have been feeling a little spicy and kind of bored so I picked up another new card. I am figuring that if I only pick up a card or two here and there on occasion and they are cards that I really like, it might not be so bad.

Fact: I have earned more eBay bucks in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last 4 months.

I kind of stole this card on eBay. The seller listed it as a BIN with a price lower than the BIN for the same card /199. I didn't even think twice to pull the trigger here.

2010 Bowman Platinum Robinson Cano auto

This has been the only one /50 that I have seen on eBay so it was a no brainer. I got the card and was pleasantly surprised that there was no missing fabric in the swatch area. I also liked the signature on this one as well.

So now I have 2 autos from this set, and I don't even have a base card. Sweet. Did anyone open Platinum that might want to send any Cano's or Pujols cards my way? You know you want to help me out. =)

Sunday Question

Plain and simple: Who are you taking in today's games? Well, perhaps it isn't that simple.

You could be rooting for one team in each game but not necessarily think they will win (ahem, Jets). I'm hoping to see the Bears and the Jets, but I have a feeling it will be a Bears and Steelers Super Bowl.

Packers v. Bears

Jets v. Steelers

Sometimes I wonder why...

Did you ever look at your PC and wonder why you collect a certain player? Every time I look for something on eBay lately, I promise you it's never Adam Lind. It's not so much that I'm over collecting him (though I might be), but that the remaining cards I want of him are stupidly overpriced.

My buddy Dan from the card shop somehow ended up with two of Lind's 2010 Topps Updates & Highlights auto's and left one for me at the shop. I think he sympathizes with my stupidity in continuing this collection, and that is definitely because he also collects Lind. I bet if I asked him why he continues to do so, I'd be entertained by the answer at the very least.


I love the card, and the fact that I have super cool friends who like giving me presents because I'm super awesome.

So now I will share a few cards here that I really want, but for like 1/10th of the price. Honestly, I would LOVE to know how sellers can list Adam Lind autographs for more than $5.00 simply based on his performance last season (or lack thereof).

Adam Lind 2007 Chrome red refractor (I will give you that it is an auction, but come on.)

Adam Lind 2007 Chrome white refractor auto

Adam Lind 2010 Triple Threads auto /50

Adam Lind 2009 Icons auto /99

Adam Lind 2007 Bowman's Best /50 This card has been on eBay for over a year, the price has not budged in that year either...

This last one, I want someone to explain to me why this person bothered wasting their time scanning and listing the card.

Adam Lind 2007 Sweet Spot auto

And there have been two offers! That's might be even funnier than someone listing this card.

Hellooooo Bryce ...

2010 Bowman Sterling was released this week. While this is a product for high-end collectors, there was one card in particular I think that a few collectors would find interesting.

The Bryce Harper Topps  60th Anniversary autograph.

It's Topps 60th birthday this year and the company will have autographs from different players wishing them a very happy diamond anniversary seeded throughout the product this year.

The first Harper autograph has appeared on eBay.

I honestly thought it would go for more money and I figured it would have been snatched up right now.

There is one card up for auction and already past half of what the first card's asking price.

What do you think this card will sell for?

I wonder if I could get a personalized auto from a player saying Happy Birthday.

My first 2011 baseball card

Social media has become another avenue for card collectors to share stories, complain about products and make trades.

But as so many of us have found in the blogosphere, some people are just nice enough to send something over because they know you are going to enjoy it a lot more than they will. That's part of what makes collecting so much. You meet people who are willing to take the mounds of Pittsburgh Pirates cards off of your hands.

On Twitter, @DymoSports had a short-lived (and, really, I think it was rigged) contest looking for a Derek Jeter fan. I chimed in. I won. It was that simple. He sent me a huge 2011 Derek Jeter promo card.

The picture was taken next to my laptop just so you can see the size of the card. It fits in an 8x10 top loader. (My laptop has Freedom Cardboard up, in case you were wondering)

I received this card before Christmas but just got around to posting it. Now, Jumpman Jeter will sit with me on my desk while I work. :)

Thanks @DymoSports