Set Collectors... Look out!

Many of the set collectors I have met through blogging have told me that they put some sets into binders while other sets go into boxes, or they put them all into binders since they only collect certain sets each year.

Now it appears Topps has called the set collector by making binders specifically for sets, designed just like (but not exactly like) the product box. While I like the idea, you may want to let your machine answer the call from Topps on this one. They look pretty cool, but.... do you really want to pay how much for a 3-ring binder? Not so much. Oh but wait! They come with 10 9-pocket sheets as a bonus.... Nope, still not biting. Maybe if it came with a BOX of 9-pocket sheets I would bit the bullet. Click below to see the price on insanity.

2011 Topps Heritage Binder

I guess they figure if you can afford a complete set, you can afford to put it into the "proper" binder. Or maybe you are OCD about your card storage (like me sometimes) then you will see this and order it just because it "belongs" in that binder. They are available from Topps eBay store and from Topps online store only.

2011 Topps Binder


Did anyone else know these existed? What do you guys think of this?

I can tell you this much, I won't be buying one unless they cut the price in half because these are more like a $6-$8 product. Plus, you can get 10 9-pocket sheets for a buck at a card shop so where is the "bonus", Topps?

One of the perks of working at Topps

Have you ever pulled a card and thought to yourself, who the heck is this?

Few people might have had this problem with 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter this year. And I am not talking about the card of Wawra or whatever his name is.

Topps released employee autographs in this set and are supposed to be extremely rare to pull. The only way to know you received one of these employee cards - besides having no idea who is on your card -  is by the greenish border. The regular autos have a red border.

Victoria Levan is one of the ten Topps employees who have a card in the set. She writes briefly on her blog about the card she is featured in and notes that there is a 1/1 with her soon-to-be-married name.

Even though the idea of getting a Topps employee card isn’t appealing, some have sold well on eBay. One completed listing has gone for $99. To me, that would be the only reason to actually get one of these cards. But maybe there are aspiring illustrators or designers out there who want to collect these cards just like little kids who want to grow up and be baseball players.

Right now, there are only two auctions on eBay with these cards. One guy has seven of the 10 employee cards and here is an auction of just one card.

Baseballcardpedia has provided a checklist of the cards here.

Jeter's new look?

Baseball Dad was kind enough to send me over some 2010 cards. Apparently, Derek Jeter got a new a look on the way from Ohio.

He even adds a little suspense.

I slowly pulled back because I didn't know what was in store. His hat seemed normal, his eyes are the same ... then, ohhhhhhhhh

Well, it's not so bad. I always did like a guy with facial hair. Jeter makes it work. ;)

Here are the rest of the cards good ol' Baseball Dad sent over. These have to be old since Jeter is sporting his old look in them.

Remember the craziness of this card?

I was alerted to this card's appearance on eBay from Blowout Cards's tweet this morning. The base card of the 2007 Topps Derek Jeter card with Mickey Mantle and George W. Bush created such a stir when the set was released.

People overpaid mightily for this card and then realized if they waited they could have it cheaply in just a few short weeks. That buzz created many problems on eBay from buyers having remorse afterward and sellers wanting to cash in on their prize.

I bought a hobby box of Topps before the prices sky rocketed to get this card. As a Jeter collector, it needed to be in my collection. I pulled the base and the red back from the hobby box, which made for fun times in my household. By that, I mean, my boyfriend didn't have to worry about me raging like a lunatic because I didn't get the card.

This card featured, however, is the platinum 1/1 version of the card that just popped onto eBay (auction link).

The seller is asking for $6,999 or best offer and it is up for roughly a month.

I'll be watching to see how this card will do and, no, I will not put in an offer. So far, there have been two offers on the card and both have been declined.

More Jeter madness

When Derek Jeter became the all-time Yankees hit leader, I was thrilled. I couldn't have been happier being the big Jeter lover that I am. However, I understood why non-Yankee fans wouldn't care about the accomplishment.

I couldn't care less if someone broke a Chicago Cubs record or a Detroit Tigers record. So why should anyone other than Yankee fans care about Jeter breaking the franchise record.

Apparently, Upper Deck thinks everyone should care and created a card to commemorate the feat.



This card was inserted into random packs of 2009 Upper Deck Series 2 and is numbered to /500.

The official name of the card is 2009 Upper Deck All-Time Hit King #SP3.

As of Tuesday night, six cards show in the completed listings as being sold for an average $30.71. The price went as high as $40, but have seemingly dropped to under $25 more recently.

Like the other day with the goofy Jeter gimmick in the Heritage High Series, I'm just not a fan.

a little tired of the Jeter gimmicks

Topps released a few gimmicks cards in the 2009 Topps Heritage High Series, and, after doing some search online, admitting it too.

There are six variations in the high-numbered Heritage, including a Derek Jeter card that has a Boston Red Sox logo on it.

Unless you want to start bleeding from your eyes, I suggest you stop reading this post as the photo of the Jeter card is at the bottom.

These cards are selling for close to $200 on eBay. There is no way to know just how short print these are, but from what I've read, it's super rare. In addition to the Jeter, there a Dustin Pedroia with a Yankees logo, Albert Pujols 1960 rookie design, Pedro Martinez black and white photo, Alex Rios black and white, and Neftali Feliz black and white. (Click on the links for eBay auctions of the cards)

This isn't the first time Topps has done the gimmicky thing and with Derek Jeter.

In 2007, the company created a Jeter card with a President George W. Bush photoshopped into the background. Initially, the card was selling like a regular Jeter card, but once word got out on this, the prices sky rocketed for this card.

Finally, when the world came back to reality, the card has settled into normal price ranges. It's not as short print as expected. I actually bought one of re-packed package for $5 that had 2007 Topps in there about a month ago. I got that card in it, which makes either the third or fourth one I have picked up.