Holy Heritage jackpot

Today I went on a big of a wild goose chase looking for some 2010 Bowman since there are so many cards I want from that set (read: so many = ONE). I try Target #1, they were opening new shipment boxes (for once, I didn't have to open them myself) and the kid let me look inside... They sent them 2009 Bowman rack packs. Yawn. Next.

Target #2 had the same stale crap that they always do, without a trace of Series 2 just like Target #1. Now, I'm getting antsy and just keep going around the mall. I try Sports Authority just for the hell of it, and nothing. Then I go to Modells. This is where my story becomes a story.

They had no Bowman or Series 2 packs or blasters but they had a blaster of Series 1 Topps which I almost debated but then didn't care. There were a ton of Heritage packs all neatly in the gravity box. But do I want more Heritage? No, but I needed something to make it all stop. I grab about 6 or 7 packs, realized I really don't want that many and went to put back all but 2 when I noticed something really weird. One of the packs looked like it had 20 cards inside. Curious, right? I thought so, too. So I obviously buy that pack and pick one other and get on line.

The picture is taken from the non-gum side of both packs just to clarify that.

I get home after doing what I really went out to do (which coincidentally had nothing to do with Bowman, blasters, packs, or Modells) and finally get to open the packs. I opened the thicker one first because I wanted to see how many extra cards I got, and I was hoping they botched and gave me some nice chrome cards or a refractor or 2. They botched alright. I saw the side view and was giddy thinking they were extra chrome... Take a look...



Let's take a bit of a closer look at how ridiculously great for me the distribution was in this small sampling of Heritage retail packs. I will refrain from saying anything about two cards being dinged on the back as a result of hitting the Heritage jackpot.





Yes, I am serious. There were FOUR stamp cards /50 in ONE pack. Gadzooks! I also got the Matt Holliday chrome card, and a Tim Lincecum short print.

I need to save some of this luck to pull a Pujols auto one of these days. I don't know what is going on lately, but I have had a hot hand picking packs which works for many of you since most of it ends up as trade bait.

Eat that 2010 Bowman.

Black Friday & Blasters

The alarm went off at 2:50am, I hit the snooze button twice then got out of my warm bed to head for the mall. I had only been asleep for about 2 hours so you can call that a nap. I was in the mall parking lot by 3:20am with my first cup of coffee, waiting for my friend to meet me. Some stores were open when we got there (why I have no idea), but we were there for our free annual JC Penney snow globe of which I haven't even opened yet. They opened at 4am, and thus kicked off the Black Friday debacle for us.

Our schedule was done by the hour according to which stores opened at what times. JCP at 4, Modells/Old Navy at 5, Target at 6, Gamestop at 7. Target had a line from one side of the mall halfway to the other outside, and when they opened the doors the line was no more. So I ran. I ran like the wind to the back of the store to get my brother a video game. I made it there in like a minute, literally and asked for the game and it was SOLD OUT. REALLY?! That sucked. But I got all my DVD sales.

OK, enough girly shop talk. Now onto Modells....

Modells had coupons for 33% off any licensed sports apparel for one item and 33% off any licensed novelty item. I found a Stadium Club blaster (!), although $25 I figured I was taking a chance on a Pujols auto and rewarding my valiant early bird efforts. Well, the manager did the same. He gave me the 33% off the blaster, and I only ended up paying like $16. Hooray! I also picked up 2 blister packs of SP Authentic in Modells.

Then to BC Sports... I grabbed 2 packs of Timeline's thanks to my brothers debit card. I run an errand or two for him, and he rewards his older sister with cardboard. Awesome.

12 noon: Target #2 -- Another blaster of Stadium Club was found, as well as many blasters of Timeline, which by the way are only $14.99 if you can find them in Target. Well, long story short, the Stadium Club box didn't scan, and I ended up with that one for $14.99. Yay for me, not for mom who gets to pay and put those into my stocking which now will hold nothing else, and thats fine by me.

I spent a good 9 hours shopping on 2 hours of sleep, got a bunch of presents on a small budget and did pretty ok. I didn't spend much (of my own money) on myself, I helped my mom get some things on sale so she didn't have to spend extra money, too. I'm not usually a shopper for things other than baseball cards and coffee, but Black Friday is the best. And when you get sales on baseball cards, it makes getting out of bed at 3am worth it.

Stay tuned for pack breaks... I need to refuel and perhaps wash the nap off my face before playing.

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.