What would you buy?

I know that we are all aware of the Strasburg Superfractor, but at the present moment it has 75 bids and is at $15,000. It has gone up 3 times since I looked earlier this evening.

I find this absolutely INSANE. I would really like to hear from some of the bidders if they stumble across this post. For this kind of money you can buy so many other things, like a 1952 Mantle, a car, down payment on a house, school tuition, etc.

Maybe there is someone out there that can explain the logic in plunking down $15,000 on this card. Though, I don't think it will make it make sense to me even if I had the money. Obviously the people that are bidding on this card have disposable cash or income that will afford them this card, and maybe because I don't have that kind of money laying around is why I don't understand this.

I collect one of the most expensive players in baseball, and even his rookie card doesn't come close to selling for this amount of money. Pujols is arguably the best player in MLB, and Pujols AUTOGRAPHED RC doesn't touch this.

What do you guys think of the price of this card? Would you ever consider spending this kind of cash on a card, prospect or PC related?

This is one of the most watched items on eBay right now so for anyone questioning the popularity of baseball card collecting or prospecting, you can rest assured this is not a dying breed of hobbies.

What Marie is going to do...

Dear Readers,

She may put her thumbs in her eyes if she has to shovel the driveway just one more time. She has been out there 4 times that she can remember, not including the last trip that was supposed to just be to flag down a plow to clear the 2 plus feet of snow that the town buried at the bottom of the driveway. She also got the joy of feeling like a kid submerged in snow... only this time it was to dig one side of my car out and clear the 2 wheels.

Marie is now going to take a shower and hibernate until baseball season. Good day.

Signed,

the crazy lady.

P.S. If she still has eyes, and is awake she will scan Heritage cards and post a break.

P.P.S. Storm almost halfway over and there is at least a foot of snow already.

The wonder of game used bat cards

I know this is going to sound really silly but how did they know to save old bats in the 1920's and 1930's? Were there people who could see into the future and say wow, we could shave these and put tiny pieces into the tobacco cards someday.

Furthermore, how many Babe Ruth bats could really still be around to be chopped and shaved to fit baseball cards? You know the Yankees probably have some and are not going to sell them cheaply only to be destroyed. Maybe his family sold some? I can't see that happening, then again for the money it could fetch who knows.

Check out this completed listing for a 2009 Topps Tribute Babe Ruth bat card. By the same token, are there a bunch of old uni's in a closet somewhere that they are punching irregular shapes out of to make these ugly cards? Here is a random "game-used" jersey card example.

Maybe I am just being cynical, or I am bored and need to be reading a book right now instead of pondering things but I really don't understand who thought to save these things. Maybe not who thought of it so much as how many were kept around and are available to be destroyed. Me personally, I would rather spend $500 bucks on a card with an autograph of a player or a signed whole jersey.

I would love to see the result of a carbon-14 dating on the wood used in some of these cards because it would be some sh*% if they came back to be like 20 or 30 year old wood.

I'm done now.

Topps can suck it in 2010

Thank you for responding to my letter about my missing jumbo patch serial numbered to 40 or less missing from my craptastic hobby box of 2009 Unique so quickly. I really do appreciate your computer generated letter of nothing that has nothing at all to do with the problem I had, nor does it rectify the situation in any capacity.

Oh, and I also want to thank you for replacing the JUMBO PATCH CARD /40 or less with a card that sucked as much as the rest of the box I wrote the letter complaining about. I guess your solution to customer service now that you have an exclusive with MLB in 2010 is to send the consumer whatever is laying around the office in the hopes that you will appease the lowly peon that purchased a box of junk for $120. Super.

Perhaps if I were a 12 year old child I wouldn't know better, or know the difference between JUMBO and itsy bitsy /275 but I am an adult and sadly I do. If I hadn't mentioned that the box was missing a JUMBO patch or that I collect a few different players, NONE of which are Joe Mauer then this card would have made sense. (For the record I like Joe Mauer alot.)

If you don't plan on delivering what is stated on the box, then why bother writing it? Furthermore if you are going to make me spend more money to send you a letter, 24 wrappers, and a UPC code to get the missing card, you could send the JUMBO patch card and not whatever you felt like.

Sincerly,

An angry customer.

P.S. If anyone else would like to add to this please by all means have a go at it. I may mail the whole thing to them.

Happy New Year

I had planned on starting the New Year off by being nicer... Well, that's a lie I didn't plan on starting the new year any differently than I started today or 4 weeks ago. I think resolutions are kind of lame for two reasons, 1. why do people need an excuse to do something good for themselves, and 2. doesn't a new year technically start on your birthday?

I hope everyone out there has a great night, and a great day tomorrow filled with sports and food or the gym (which is where I will be).

I have a doozie of a story for everyone about dear old Topps, and how for the new year they can suck it. =)

....until then..... drink up, be merry, and stay safe.

Happy New Year.

Marie's View: You wanna know how I really feel?

(Warning: This is a rant and me going bananas in no sort of logical thought process exists here. Just remember I warned you.)

This whole denial of licensing for Upper Deck has put the final nail in the coffin of collecting a variety of different cards. I was enraged when Donruss was taken out of the equation, but now all we have left is Topps? This is bullshi#%.

I don't give a sh$% that Topps was the innovator of the industry, or that they have been around the longest or any other crap reason someone wants to spew. They supposedly want to create this monopoly to engage the interests of young children and young adults again and move the hobby in that direction. I'm sorry, isn't that what they were supposed to be doing all along? Maybe it's MLB saying the hobby is moving in the wrong direction, and maybe they should stop and think about who is buying tickets to their games, buying the gear, etc. because it surely isn't a 9 year old.

I understand that the hobby is dominated by adult collectors, but realistically what kid has means to get to the hobby store (which nowadays could be 30 miles from home), and has an allowance that will afford them packs at $5 a shot for 4 cards in some cases. In the last few years the only movement the card companies have made to engage young children in collecting were putting out Opening Day and First Edition. Not for nothing, kids aren't stupid and they want to get the packs where they have a chance at pulling a jersey card or an autograph, not a pack where there is no gloss and a garbage design.

This has me so amped up, you guys have no idea. I understood the explanation for cutting Donruss years ago because of the oversaturation of autographs and what not but this makes no sense. While I would love a topless set of cards, I would much rather be able to buy a box of Goudey, Sweet Spot, or Goodwin (which I'm still exicted about even if it will only be around one year) yet now we are stuck with Topps. Oh and I guess Bowman and their stale design.

Without any competetion from other companies Topps can continue to produce mediocre base sets, reused designs, and the same BORING sets year in and year out with no worries of people buying Upper Deck or anything else. Great move MLB, bravo idiots. Maybe this will make Topps actually attempt to come up with new designs, or bring back some retro set that people liked from years and years ago like the Heritage.

I would love to see the first year sales report for Topps as the sole provider of baseball cards. Can't wait to see how many children buy Triple Threads and Sterling.