Target's bargain packs

Over the last few months the selection of the bargain packs at Target has pretty much sucked. They have really only had 2007 Fleer Ultra/2007 Upper Deck. This week, I saw an unopened box in the aisle and took it upon myself to peek inside. I hit the bargain jackpot. There were 2008 Heritage, 2008 Stadium Club, and 2005 UD All Star Classics... Yes, I picked the 2005 junk.

Why did I pick that? Well, for one I don't think I had ever opened a pack of them before and couldn't even remember what they might look like. The other reason is that as far as Heritage and Stadium Club go, I don't think anything I want would be inside a retail leftover that has been searched. For $1.59 per pack, I had a good time opening these packs and the fact that there was a Pujols in each of the first two packs really made my day. I'm pretty sure I may only have a card or two from this set from people sending me stuff, so this was a win for me.

I scanned a bunch of the cards, and while there were no game used cards (odds on pack said 1:12, however they didn't have 12), I got plenty of cards, some inserts, and some old school player cards. I like the All-Star Futures cards and most of those will make their way into my binders.

Here are the scans, you know, to make the blog look nicey nice...

Welcome home, Albert.






A card from when The Kid could stay away for 9 innings. Gong.
No pack purchases are ever complete unless this guy shows up.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter (and if you don't you should), know that there were TONS of discounted blasters at my local K-Mart so stay tuned for that little slice of junk heaven.

I finally went back

Today I made my way back over to K-Mart, the site of the last heist of bargain items. Today they had 2 boxes of 2008 UD Masterpieces for $10.99, a bunch of UD Series 2 USA edition for $10.99, 3 UD X for $9.99, and one UD Series 1 & 2 Combo box for $10.99. As far as rack packs go they had 3 UD Combo packs for $1.99, and plenty of 08 UD Rookie edition rack packs for $1.99, and 08 UD Series 2 were $2.99 per rack pack. The same blisters of 08 Spectrum and 08 POH were also available.

As far as 2009 products go, they had blister packs of UD Series 1, Topps Series 1, Spectrum, and loose packs of Topps Attax. I grabbed a couple of Attax packs because they were 99 cents and would scratch the itch at the cheapest cost. I didn't get anything worth passing along here so thank God they were 99 cents.

I wanted to open a blaster but I'm pretty sure Sooz and I will end up at the card show in White Plains this weekend so I would rather save my $10 to spend there on admission and parking. I like the show, and I could use some supplies for mailing out eBay items, as well as a binder for my PC. A couple of cards would be fun also. I am thinking about bringing some autograph cards with me to try and trade in for Cano or Lind auto's if by some miracle I come across an Adam Lind auto.

Any local people going to the show?

A visit to the card shop

Well, it is sort of a card shop. There is only one store left near me with hobby products and it is mostly a toy store, and a place to buy and trade Magic cards for kids (and some adults). They sell supplies at a higher price, comic books, wrestling figures, and a small section dedicated to sports cards. I'm reluctant to give the name of the place, but I scanned the wrapper so you can decide on looking there yourself. The store is a complete and utter rip-off.

I've seen the owner/manager in Target buying an entire shopping cart full of the newest toys leaving the shelves bare, only to drive them up the road and double the price. I understand they are looking to make money, but at the expense of who? Small children who want to get the newest toys from new movies or tv shows? So really you are putting the hurt on parents who may not have the extra income to spend double to get their child a toy.

I think I have mentioned this store before for their 50% box of packs. I went up there to buy a 2 row box for my GU/AU cards, and to pick up a case or two for my Lind cards. Since I can't help but rummaging through that box, that was my first stop. It looked like pretty much the same packs since the last time I was there so I walked away and went to the supplies. On my way I checked out their hobby box prices, I only looked at 2009 Goudey ($103.99!!), 2009 Finest ($106.99, not terrible), and 2009 Piece of History ($89.99). Hobby packs of Goudey were $5.99, and a mini box of Finest was $56.99. As much as I want to open some Goudey, I can wait for retail and spend half as much. They were charging $2.99 for a thick (180pt.) snap case, or I could get a 15 ct. hinge case for 55 cents. I got 2 hinge cases for 55 cents each and they will serve the same purpose. I looked for a magazine toploader for my Opening Day program, but they didn't have any. I needed a binder, saw they were $6.99 each and thought that I would come back for that another day or pick up one for $5 at the White Plains show next time it's around.

Here is where the plot thickens a wee bit. I asked the kid behind the counter if he could get me a 2 row storage box since they don't leave them out, he said sure. While he was in the back, I went back to the bargain box. There they were, packs I have never opened before- 1994 Bowman's Best. Best part, they were $1.50 each! Good thing I am too cheap to buy a binder there because now I can buy useless packs! I grabbed a couple and started to the counter when something else caught my eye.

I saw a gold Yankee card, looked down and saw $24.99 and THEN read "Chase Wright". It was a 2007 SP Rookie Edition Chase Wright. I wonder if you get to meet him after buying it for that price so even he can kick your ass. Then on the next shelf was an odd Goudey advertising panel of Jeter, Ruth, and Griffey, Jr. for $9.99, which I assumed was a rip-off since almost everything else in the store was. I figured I would find out what it is, and find a price online to see if it is worth going back to pick up for Sooz. There is only one on eBay, and it seems to be a promotional Upper Deck item. Price of $9.99 seems fair so I will go back Wednesday and pick one up for Sooz. I don't understand why they used the 2007 cards, but who I am I to say what looks stupid.

I ripped my packs and here are the better cards:

It's Your Fault

No, really it is. To the people who mentioned bargain packs or shopping to me in the comments yesterday, and you shall remain nameless I went and bought packs. Though it's really only half your faults because I still had my $4.00 left today from not spending it yesterday.

After I worked out, I went to the rip-off card store around here to grab some packs. They have a box with packs that are half price, so I like to rummage and see which ones are marked for less than the rest of the same packs and buy those. I grabbed 3 packs of 2001 Victory because they were $1 (marked $2), then found a pack of 2003 Topps Series 2 Jumbo marked $2.99 instead of $4.99 like the rest and took those for $1.50, and while flipping the rest I saw one 2003 Topps Chrome Series 2 marked $1.99 instead of $3.99 like the rest, and finished the day with that $1 pack. I spent a whole $5.50 plus tax.

I opened the Chrome pack first, and it sucked as far as I'm concerned. Sooz will beg to differ because this is what she got for my $1:


The rest of the cards in that pack were Quentin McCracken, Eric Brynes, and Felipe Lopez.

The 3 Victory packs weren't great, but they scratched the itch. I scanned a couple of the better cards for the blog, the rest are too many to list (and most of you would not care, trust me).






Now for those of you who are still with me, here is where I thank the people who tempted me to look for sale packs of cards.

The 2003 Topps Series 2 Jumbo pack for $1.50....


That was enough for me. That card made my whole trip worthwhile. I did get about 12 team picture cards (snooze), and some others I scanned for your viewing enjoyment.




They also had some 2002 or 2003 Topps Gallery packs marked $4.99, but I couldn't see them really being worth $2.50 a pack. Maybe I'm just cheap. There were 2002 SP Authentic marked $5.99, and I couldn't bring myself to spend $3 a pack on those either. I would have liked to have bought a couple of those, but I'm happy with Cole.

Target and the Lack of Products

I hate this time of year. This is the time of the year where you are sick of everything that has been out, yet there is nothing coming out for a while. What makes this worse is that Target has nothing, what am I going to do with a blaster of UD Documentary? Nothing, that's what.

I took a nice break from venturing out to Target for several reasons, like being broke from eBay and temperatures below freezing. I made my first trip in tonight after about a week, and there was nothing. Not sure if I would have bought anything, but it would have been nice to have an option. There aren't even any bargain packs.

Normally, I love to grab a bunch of the bargain packs at $1.59 each and just have some fun. I haven't seen any in this Target in months, yet the one up the road always has them lately, but I always seem to get there when all that is left is 2007 Upper Deck Series 1, and that is not any fun. I am hoping they get some of these in soon with maybe some '03-'05 packs for some old school fun (and of course Albert).

Is anyone else noticing no products in their local Targets? Mine has been the worst since the Stadium Club fun, and even before and during that they had nothing else.

I did find all my Mickey Mantle MMS cards and I am going to update my want list in case someone has any to fill in. I did get a comment from Grand Cards about helping me out which I appreciate. I will check your list to mine and shoot you an e-mail.

Want list was updated today.

2008 UD Baseball Heroes Pack...

I was in a bad mood and went out for a little retail therapy. My first stop was Target, but all I got there were 2 packs of 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights for $1.59 a pack. I got a couple of first year cards, and a Gold Dan Johnson Prospect card /2005. I bought them because I am on a Russell Martin kick and that was his rookie year. I decided to wander down to Sports Authority despite them being grossly overpriced, and found nothing.
Next was the jackpot stop, Modells. There was only one box of cards in the whole store, and it was on the counter. I have "x-ray" vision, and knew which pack had the game used card in it, and only bought that one pack. With my Yankees season ticket holder discount card, the pack cost me $1.86, and it was the best spent buck eighty six ever. I have never pulled an Albert Pujols game used jersey card before, and today was my first one. That instantly put me in a better mood. It took me until this year to pull both a Pujols and a Jeter game used card. Hooray!
Next order of business will be the case of 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces that are due to arrive at my door on the 10th. Hopefully we end up with some great stuff, we will post the break next week depending on Sooz's schedule with work.
I went through a bunch of cards this week and put up some Dodgers and Rays cards if anyone is looking for those guys. Plenty of play-off players available in our store, and if you don't see what you need, please ask.

1989 Bowman Gem...

Shoprite got 75 cents from me, and I got a Mint Robin Ventura Rookie....

My mom even gave it a whirl with a $1.00 pack of 95 Score Summit, and landed a Dion Sanders (!), Kirby Puckett (RIP), Tom Glavine, and some insert of Julian Tavarez who was just as scary looking then as he is now.

Stay tuned for the Card Show blog from the show we went to yesterday. It was fun, and I got a good trade in... at least I think so, I'm happy with it.

The Wonder That Is Target

Most people go to Target to get Blasters or new retail packs, I go to Target looking for the bargain packs. Those are the packs that are a year or more old, sitting in a box on the bottom shelf somewhere. A few days ago I grabbed 10 2007 UD Goudey packs, and 10 2006 Topps Heritage packs. In the Goudey, I got Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken Jr. Heads Up cards, and an Ichiro, Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, and someone else I can't remember Short Prints. In the Heritage, I pulled a Barry Zito Pieces of Greatness Jersey Card, Signs of Greatness Kevin Whelan auto, and a Signs of Greatness redemption card for John Drennan (?). The redemption is good til December, and I am hoping they send me someone else because they ran out of that guy.

Since I am good at wasting money, I went back to Target because there were 10 packs of 2007 Topps Heritage left and I bought those. This was fun also, I got a couple of SP's I didn't have, one rainbow foil SP, and a Pieces of Greatness Jeff Franceour bat card.

Not bad for $1.59 per pack. The first trip cost $17 bucks, and I got far more than you get in most blasters.

I have some scans, I have to put them into a webpage to put them in here. Will be up later tonight, hopefully.