It really does exist!

Cat Osterman has a huge following in the hobby. So what happens when you combine Osterman and rare autographed set?

Many collectors clamoring after one card.

She initially had an autograph redemptions available in 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter. But, apparently, collectors were told they weren't going to get their autographs redeemed and those holding the cards were given replacements.

Check out this thread over Freedom Cardboard where one member has a red auto from A&G on hand. At this point, it literally might be the only Osterman red-ink auto from Ginter that made it out to the public.

It's just amazing collectors are told this card will not exist and are given replacements, but then it pops up magically on eBay.

What's going to happen? Who knows, but I will keep you updated.

After reading the thread at FCB, what do you think happened with this cards?

etopps Cashing in....

I received this e-mail earlier and was kind of annoyed.

eTopps is proud to honor the late and great Ted Kennedy in a special Allen & Ginter tribute card.
This card will be available next Monday August 31st at 4EST along with UFC offerings.

Not sure if they are doing this as an actual tribute or trying to strike while the iron is hot so to speak. This is a crappy way to try and make a buck. Give this family and the people he served a chance to grieve, then come up with a "tribute".

Marie's Gint-A-Pology

OK, so I caved.

There I said it, phew. I swore up and down, left and right that I would not buy a single pack of 2009 Allen & Ginter as a result of the previous years sucking royally (in my opinion). Part of what I never liked about these cards was the design was so bland and color-less, in addition to getting cards of Ferris Wheels.



Then the other day in Target I saw a random rack pack of 09 A&G, it was slightly opened for some reason and it was the only one. I figured if I were going to give in, going for a $5 trial pack wasn't terrible. I opened the pack while walking to the car, something else I never do. I was rather surprised at the cards design once I had them in my hands. I won't lie, I haven't really paid much attention to the scans on other blogs when reading them just from my own prior disgust with the design. So my apologies for cracking jokes and busting chops for the addiction, it isn't as terrible as years past. I won't throw anymore stones, promise.

Well, I got one card I will be keeping the rest are for trade if anyone needs them. The only card I will be keeping is the Tulo card for reasons I have not yet figured out. Here is the pack breakdown:

307 Hunter Pence
237 Trap Shooting Champion (stupid waste of a card)
247 Jeff Clement
197 Jhonny (dumb spelling) Peralta
10 Chone (what) Figgins
79 Subatomic Particle (another stupid card)
55 Alex Rios
115 Ryan Doumit
170 Lance Berkman
48 Troy Tulowitzki


National Pride Ryan Dempster

Mini Regular 322 Chris Volstad

Will I end up buying more of these? Perhaps, but with the card show coming up in a week or so I will probably just get what is left out of this set that I need that weekend.

I finally got it

It took many months of patience and bidding attempts on eBay but I finally got my 2009 Topps Heritage Albert Pujols C10 Chrome Refractor. Amen. Thanks to Amy for trading that and a bunch of YSL cards for the 1954 Bowman Burgess card.



Now for another card that I can cross off the want list that I never even put on there because I'm lazy. Dan over atSaints of the Cheap Seats was kind enough to send along a Career Best game used (so they say) bat card of Robbie Cano, which may complete the game used portion of Cano cards from 2009 Topps for me, I will have to check. I hope I can find something he might like, though I do think I have a little something to e-mail him about shortly.



My last piece of mail was from eBay, and was quite the bargain. eBay sponsors an "eBay bucks" program that is offered to select members, it may be open to everyone now I'm not sure and I accumulated $3.82 or something like that. I found the 2009 Allen & Ginter N43 Albert Pujols for $4.95 free shipping as a buy-it-now and pounced on it. The card cost me $1.13 total, and I couldn't be happier because the rest can be used to be some other thing I don't need on eBay.



Now onto big business... Does anyone have any Pujols from 2009 Allen & Ginter that they would want to trade me? I already have the mini, and mini black border as well as the N43. Let me know.

2009 Allen & Ginter mailday

I went to the post office to finally mail out all the trades I owe people, some I still owe more cards I think, and found bubble mailers in my mailbox. My favorite kind of day-eBay deliveries. I picked up the first and so far only 2009 Allen & Ginter cards I own on eBay the other night and they arrived very quickly. It was a 2 card lot that I won for a somewhat pricey $6.23, however I figure if I try and buy these at the show in August it will cost me more. I also will not say that when I was in Target last night the 6 blasters of 2009 Allen & Ginter on the shelf tempted me. I was even holding one despite my stance on banning opening this product for fear of ferris wheels and beavers. I ended up with my usual and moved on, which you'll hear about later.



Then the next envelope was another eBay gem. It was from the 2009 Lgendary Cuts, another set that I own zero cards from so far. I would like to open some packs of this, but it's just too much money and I can get the cards I want at the show instead. I got this one for $4.50 and thought it is a white jersey swatch, I really like the design on the card. It does resemble a stamp, but something about it just strikes me the right way.

The final piece in my mailbox is a card that I have been waiting for since I first saw it. Dan from Grand Cards sent himself on a mission to find me this card and he came through. Me and Dan are best trading buddies lately. This card made my day, not that the others didn't but I have been waiting for a while to get my mitts on it. A 2009 Goodwin Preview Albert Pujols.

If anyone has any 2009 Icons of my guys, or Legendary Cuts please let me know.

2009 Allen & Ginter

It seems as though most of the blogosphere was eagerly awaiting their pre-ordered boxes of 2009 Allen & Ginter. I can't really understand it anymore, and that says alot because I am a big fan of vintage reprint sets like Heritage, Goudey, and in case you didn't see O-Pee-Chee (which I have a post to write later about a blaster of that).

Every year I end up buying Ginter, and every year I end up bored and disappointed. I have more than enough Ferris Wheel and Groundhog cards to last me a lifetime. The only cards I am interested in, in the set I won't get in a pack, blaster, or box so there is no reason to bother. Past years I have been suckered into it, and this year I just can't see buying a set that has looked the exact same since it has hit the stores. We all see that I will generally buy one of everything, usually more than one, but this doesn't do it for me.

I will still take the burden of Pujols cards off your hands (and Cano, Lind, Martin, etc.) but I just won't have any from this set to trade. I will end up trading for the guys I want or picking them up at the show in White Plains in August.

I can hear you all gasping from here, sorry...