Supernatural cards - Let the hunt begin

I enjoy non-sports cards.

I like non-sports cards of television shows I watch.

I love non-sports cards of my FAVORITE show.

Several years ago, Inkworks made a couple of Supernatural cards. I picked up some over the years, but at the time of their release, I wasn’t into non-sports cards so I didn’t get them as they came out. Then Inkworks went out of business. When Cryptozoic announced it was making Supernaturalcards, I was getting in on the ground floor.

At the time of the announcement, I wanted to buy a case. However, as the date got closer, a few names were taken off the autograph list – most notably the two main stars.

Well, my itch to buy a case diminished, but the hunt wasn’t going to end. While at the White Plains card show this weekend, I picked up a box for a good price for a new release. Supernatural Seasons 1-3 was a standard set from Cryptozoic. The base set features 72 cards highlighting the biggest moments from the first three seasons.

I enjoyed going through the cards, looking at all the moments that made me fall in love with the show.

It was also a reminder of all the characters that are no longer on the show for various reasons. Many of my favorite characters appeared on these cards.

Each box also comes with one autograph and one wardrobe card.

I let out an audible groan when I saw my autograph card. I was eventually going to own this card, but I didn’t want it to be my pull. I would have much rather have gotten this card on eBay and pulled a different person that had a greater impact. OK, let me re-phrase I wanted a Jeffrey Dean Morgan autograph and nothing else. So, I was probably going to be disappointed regardless.

However, my wardrobe card got a “yippee” from me. On the short list of wardrobe cards I wanted, this was definitely in the top three. A Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) wardrobe card – one of the two main stars. If I was not going to get an autograph of the brothers because they weren’t in the set, I am happy that I was able to at least get a wardrobe card.

The neat thing about the card is I’m pretty sure the relic is from the shirt Sam is wearing in the picture – crazy concept.

The inserts weren’t my favorite – or chase cards as they are called in the non-sports world. They used the same pictures from the base with just a different back. This may be because of image rights and Cryptozoic was given only certain images they could use (this is just me speculating), but I would have liked to have seen different pics on these cards.

My favorite card is probably the Shadowbox Character Bio card. I pulled Bela, which ain’t bad. I enjoyed her character as I thought she was nice foil for the boys.

The other chase cards included Winchester Brothers and Locations.

There were also foil board parallels of these cards. I haven’t figured out if I plan to chase the entire parallel set because I am not entirely sure what is available yet. The two foilboards cards above were noticeable and one was numbered to 25. They were of the chase cards and not the base set.

However, look at these cards – one is a parallel. Which one?

The one numbered on the back to /25 because that was the only way I noticed it. I thought it was a double and as I was looking at the backs, I saw the serial number on one. After holding it in the light eight different ways, I finally saw a bit of a rainbow sheen. It’s not a well-done parallel.

Having said all that – let the chase begin.

Join in the weekly #CardChat

Social media has changed the way many of us collect. Twitter and Facebook have become outlets for trading and talking about our hobby.

Every Monday on Twitter, I hold a chat called … #CardChat (it’s clever!)

Topics have ranged from pictures on cards, high-end cards, memorabilia, autographs, the National, and so much more. We have probably had about 20 or so Card Chats this year.

The chat takes place every Monday at 3 p.m. ET. It’s been a lot of fun and there are lively discussions.

One of the neat things about #CardChat is seeing the differences in opinions between the collectors. Not everyone collects or wants the same things. When I did the #CardChat on set collecting, some liked short-prints while others did not. Some wanted huge 700-card offerings and others wanted just the best of the best in the set.

So join in #CardChat every Monday on Twitter. It helps if you follow me on there to see the questions @yanxchick.

Below I included highlights from last week’s sessions where we talked about high-end cards.

A big, hearty THANK YOU

When I started this blog in 2007 (what?!), it was simply a place to talk about trading cards. Marie and I had each other to discuss cards and show each other our new goodies, but the writer in me wanted to do a bit more.

Since then, so many things have changed:
- I’ve changed jobs three times.
- I have more gray hair.
- I moved back to New York.
- I gained three more nieces.
- I got married.

That is just the short list.

The crazy thing about A Cardboard Problem is that I would likely wouldn’t have the job now if this blog wasn’t created. I wrote about cards on this site for several years. Then, I got an opportunity to do freelance pieces for Beckett and eventually became an editor there. Four months ago, I landed at Topps, and having experience in the card industry certainly helped.

Through the blog I also have meant and traded with so many great collectors. It renewed my love for collecting because I didn’t feel as though Marie and I were in a collecting vacuum. There were still thousands of collectors and many of you came to visit our little blog about two women who love cardboard.

I was completely humbled after my wedding. Besides marrying someone who is a card collector (who’s luckier than me?), I received gifts in the mail that were arranged by Stale Gum (government names kept out to protect the innocent) where more than a dozen people gave to buy Dan and me a gift.

For those that didn’t know, we got a toaster oven and a blender. I have already made some frothy adult beverages with the blender and they were delicious.

I am deeply touched by the gift. In all my wildest imaginations, I never thought that a little card blog would turn into a place where I would meet great friends. Even if we have never met and simply chat on Twitter all day or simply comment on each other’s blogs, I know I have truly made great friends that go far beyond our hobby. I didn’t list the names, but you will be getting a special thank you card in the mail that may just include a real trading card of the newlyweds.

Thank you so very much.