Don't call it a comeback...

Greetings old and new friends.  Sooz wrote a post about what has been going on since our last posts and it was pretty spot on.  I got burnt out trying to post many times a day, write reviews and previews, etc.  Honestly, I have no intention of writing a preview ever again in my life.  I'd be willing to review a product, but no previews and checklist stuff.  Nope.

So in the last year I have been busy in school.  I went back and did a one year Bachelor of Nursing degree and now I can dress any wounds you get from sharp cardboard.  (No, I am not a naughty nurse.  No, I don't own a tiny 'nurse costume'.)  In that year and the previous year I stopped collecting for the most part.  I got bored with cards, specifically baseball cards and Topps.  They got lazy with products and I got bored, there was no excitement anymore when ripping packs.  Everything was the same year in and year out and I was tired of wasting money on it.

Luckily the name of the blog encompasses all cardboard because I have taken a liking to collecting hockey cards.  They are exciting to open and they have more design "wow" factor with inserts, autos and game used.  My PC is mainly Ryan McDonagh of the NY Rangers, and I pick up other Rangers here and there.  I actually started my own blog a while back and got bored real fast trying to write alone and with all of like 4 people who read it.  It felt more like a diary than a blog and that made me feel like a giant loser.  If you want to check out some of my PC you can go to A Girl Walks Into A Card Shop and check it out.  I may or may not get around to posting it here but it's out there.  I mainly collect McDonagh autographs, I don't even bother looking for base cards or SN cards.  If I saw them at a show I would probably pick them up but I have no interest in creating more spreadsheets and driving myself bananas collecting 40 color variations of a card anymore.

I just opened a blaster of hockey cards and scanned them and was also reminded that I hate scanning cards.  I will post that later or tomorrow.  I just wanted to say hello now that Sooz got your attention and got the ball rolling.  Maybe in the spring Sooz and I will do a card shop road trip, maybe if I get a passport we can play in Canada so I can get hockey cards and stalk my new pal Stephane Matteau (more on that another day).  See, I have a few stories.  Oh, plus we will have to discuss Robbie Cano at some point here.

Adios Contaminos.

Getting back to the basics

A Cardboard Problem has been dead for two years.

Marie and I started doing other things in our lives after becoming entrenched in the hobby blog community. Blogging took a back seat until we just completely stopped driving the car.

But two years can change perspectives.

I remember toward the end my run on A Cardboard Problem I was unhappy with the site. It changed from what it initially was supposed to be – two friends who enjoyed collecting.

Sure, we wrote about that but we started writing about previews and reviews of products. We looked for ways to monetize the blog. It felt more like a job than a way to express ourselves. I write about cards for a living now at Beckett. I enjoy the fact that I actually do get paid now to do previews and reviews.

However, there is something that’s happened. I keep asking myself: “What happened to the fun?”

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed going to card shows and hearing people ask “Hey, aren’t you Sooz from A Cardboard Problem?”

Marie and I had fun days when we chased cards. We drove around southern New Jersey and southeast Pennsylvania looking for new card shows and card shops. We actually became friendly with shop owners in Hammonton, N.J. (where the store has since turned into a mortgage lender). I found a really great shop in Central New Jersey all because we followed some addresses in the Yellow Pages.

In short, we had fun.

I want to get back to that place where collecting feels like more than work.

Of course, working for Beckett means it is my job, but writing on A Cardboard Problem feels like a way to start enjoying the hobby again. Not worrying about what autograph is in a product or if the latest checklist has been posted.

For our former readers who have stuck around – thank you.

For new readers that may stumble upon our blog – welcome and hope you enjoy your stay.

(By the way, the photo is of Marie and me at the final game at Yankee Stadium. Another adventure of ours.)

What steroid problem?

A day after Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 162 games is a good time to reflect on steroids that were prominent in baseball in the late 1990s and 2000s -- maybe even now.

Talking about it is no fun though. The best way to look at it is through pictures.

So, I send you off to another blog to check out an amusing, informing and sometimes cringing view of the "Super Sluggers" of baseball.

Dan Good Stuff has 25 top moments from this VHS tape that won't go away. Check it out and let me know what you think. 

Nominate your favorite blog for Best Blog of the Year

The blogging community really helped me enjoy collecting more when A Cardboard Problem first started. It was great meeting new collectors and trading with them.

It was also fantastic knowing that my collecting habit didn't make me weird. Honestly, it took some time for me to admit being a card collector for many years. The weird looks some people gave -- especially being a woman -- made me keep my hobby a secret except to my close friends and family.

Blogging, and those collectors I met through it, made me realize that this was OK because it was MY hobby. It was what I wanted to do and there were so many people out there I could share it with who liked the same things I did.

On that note, I want you to head over to Jaybarkerfans's Junk. He's holding a yearly blogging contest for you to vote for the best blog on the web. Go nominate a blog who you enjoy following. Even if they don't win, the bloggers will still know that you enjoy reading.

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to take a moment to say ... hello :)

Hope collecting has treated you well.

Hobby Box Break and Review: 2011 Bowman Sterling

As most of you know my interest in cards has more or less vanished recently for various reasons mentioned in a previous post. When I saw the box from Topps, that little feeling of excitement came back.... It was nice to know that it was still in there somewhere.

This year 2011 Bowman Sterling looked a little sharper out of the pack with the stealth stickers instead of those terrible silver ones, so that was an instant plus.... I shall wait for the day we see them on card... One day at a time, one day at a time...

Each box delivers 6 mini boxes, one pack per box with the following in each pack:

-1 rookie

-2 autographs

-1 game used

So as you can imagine this box does not come cheap, they retail for roughly $200 per box. If you like rookies and prospects, this is well worth the price of the box for the crazy number of hits you come away with.

Oh, I guess you want to see what was in the box? Fine.

The base cards

Refractors

Team USA game used cards and rookie game used cards.

Autographs (I feel so out of the loop reading these names. Then again I am not a prospector so I guess I shouldn't be upset if i don't know these dudes right off the bat.)

Now these guys are familiar. Hello, boys.

Joe Panik refractor auto /199 - This is the second autograph of Panik that I have pulled, which makes me think someone is trying to tell me to collect him.

Travis Harrison gold refractor auto /50

Team USA dual autograph /99 Hoby Milner and Andrew Mitchell (Hooray? I have no idea who these guys are but I'm hoping they are really good when they get to the majors.)

Box topper, dual game used of King Felix and Michael Pineda. I thought this card was pretty awesome before the Yankees traded for Pineda, so this is cooler now.

This product is absolutely loaded with hits and it a really great product- if you can afford it. The downside to liking a product packed with hits and not too many base cards is the price. I guess if you skipped the products that promise 1 hit per box and only picked up the higher end releases it would even out in the end? If i had money I would test that theory.

2011 Bowman Sterling Report Card:

Design: B+

The design is nice don't get me wrong, but I feel like it just looks recycled from other higher end products. I know continuity between years seems to be a thing with this type of product but when all the collectors are always saying they are looking for something new and fresh, well this isn't exactly the answer.

Value: A

Clearly if you collect veteran players you would not buy this type of product, but since it is marketed towards prospectors and rookie collectors it delivers big time. With 13 autographs and 7 game used cards you can't beat it for $200. You could hit one or two big cards in the box and easily justify the price point.

Quality: A

There were no centering issues with the cards in the box, everything was inside as promised. (And they did not smell like maple syrup.)

Overall: A-

It's really hard not to like a product that delivers 20 hits for $200. If you are someone who buys products to flip cards, I don't see how you could go wrong here. Heck, even if you do what I normally do (buy a box sell what you don't want a keep a couple), you could still stand to almost break even or completely break even. And if you don't break even.... well, that really wasn't the point of opening a product like this if you are a collector. You were looking for the high thrill of getting 2 or more hits per pack. Everyone wins here.

Random card that isn't that random...

Well, it was random a few months ago. At the national I wanted to get my mitts on a 2011 Topps Heritage Dustin Ackley NSCC exclusive RC. As it turns out, I ended up with a Michael Pineda RC which disappointed me then and now I don't know how I feel about it.

When I got the card, I admit I didn't care much for it and really didn't give Pineda a second thought. I actually had planned on selling it on eBay, however like most cards I don't want and plan on selling it ended up in a box next to my desk.

The fact that the Yankees traded Jesus Montero for Pineda is a little bittersweet for Yankees fans. Many of us have been waiting and waiting to see this kid come up and get a look at what he can do. He was up for a short time when rosters expanded this season and showed that he isn't afraid of the New York pressure and can hit. So much for that. While it is very clear that the Yankees desperately need pitching with A.J. Burnett constantly needing therapy for his head and his arm, I think we will all wonder how he would have fit into the Yankees lineup. Luckily, with a team of aging veterans there will be plenty of people to fill the DH slot.

There are plenty of pissed off prospectors out there who were sitting on a boatload of Montero autographs and now will likely take a huge profit hit because he's no longer a Yankee. (My condolences, Wes.)

I don't plan on collecting Pineda other than if I pull a card of his, it will end up in my binder. I would still be willing to trade this one for someone I do collect. So if you have something I want, feel free to give me a shout.

If you want to have a little fun, take a look at current Pineda listings vs. completed ones on eBay.

Hobby Box Break and Review: 2011 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects

I know, I know... You have all already opened this and seen it. However, it took me forever to get to writing this review and to be able to scan anything to do so. My apologies. I will make this one short and sweet.

Getting right down to business, here are the goods that were in the box:

I skipped scanning the base cards because they are the same as the rest of the Bowman releases from this year. I did scan a base card of the Draft Picks because I love that they are not white this year. I think they look so much sharper with black borders, and I said the same thing last year with the wrapper redemption cards.

I scanned this card obviously because he is a Yankee, but he is also Joe Girardi's best friend. Girardi also has a son named Dante, named after Sr.

Base RC refractors:
First Year/USA refractors. I must say, there is something about the USA refractors that makes me want a whole set of the USA cards. Considering I still haven't finished the one set I tried building in 2009, I don't see me trying this but I'd like to.
Blue refractor. My absolute favorite color refractor out of all the colors that are used in any set, any year. They are just the nicest looking to me.
Blue parallel. Contrary to the blue refractor, these do nothing for me. They aren't that nice in this color. Love the goofy face in the photo though.
Joe Panik autograph. Something is telling me that I should hold onto this kid.

I am going to forgo the usual report card because I would score this just as I would Bowman Chrome or base Bowman with the exception of one area. I was somewhat happy about not having a bajillion different inserts in this box and just straight cards that were a part of the main two sets (and the parallels obviously). I would also sooner build a set of Draft Picks than any other prospect set solely based on the black borders.

Did anyone pull any Dante Bichette cards they would be willing to send me or trade me? I would like to build a small collection of his cards.

Happy New Year!

Well, it sure has been a while since we last posted something around here.

I can only speak for myself as for the reason we kind of fell off the map for a little while here. For me the lack of interesting products or any sort of variety of products, combined with the fact that I have no money to spend on any of it has helped to keep me from buying my usual random blasters that are "for the sake of the blog". I had been hoarding my money for Christmas gifts and things that were a higher priority. My computer had also been acting like a giant pain in the ass for weeks at a time. I had to get out the paddles and jump start it from the blue screen of death twice.

I did end up getting a new laptop so the internet access and blogging wouldn't be a problem anymore, however my printer/scanner decided it will not be compatible with new laptop. I expected nothing less than something to not cooperate, so no surprise there. I do have a review or two coming up that I need to put out there so you will be seeing my lovely commentary again very soon.

Despite the lack of blogging, I have still spoken to many of you either online or through text messages which has been great. I enjoy speaking to the friends I have made through the blog so that has helped keep me in the loop with things.

But for those of you who I have been out of touch with or have never met, the consensus on why many of you guys are not interested in cards or have blogged less and less has been a very consistent answer. "No money and/or no interest in the products coming out." While it is nice not to feel alone, I'm not sure all of us going through this at the same time is good. Good for our wallets, yes.... Good for Topps, not so much. Not sure there are many people right now who can drop $150 on a box of cards that contain only autographs of players who are around 1-3 years away from being in the majors. But, we will save that for my next post.

OK, I think I have jammed enough random information into this post for now.

I hope that everyone had a great holiday season with their family and friends, and I am looking forward to getting my cardboard on in 2012 (providing a find a way out of the funk). Cheers.

Hobby Box Break and Review: 2011 Topps Tier One

When 2011 Topps Tier One was first introduced into the product line I thought it sounded exciting. It appeared to mirror some of the designs of products that are no longer being produced by other companies but were popular amongst collectors. Then when the product finally hit the streets it seemed to anger and disappoint many collectors. I must admit that made me all the more curious to see the cards in person and see what a hobby box had to offer.

While a product like this is hard to give a good review based on one box (there is only one pack), I will give it my best attempt (i.e. hiding my disappointment). The product offers one pack per box with 7 cards per pack, including 2 autographs and one game used card guaranteed. This is a hobby only product with a retail price around $100 per box at the release date and now they are currently about $75, which seems more reasonable based on this box.

The base cards are numbered /799, while the inserts range from being numbered /199 - /25, and the autographs and game used cards vary in the same fashion. The cards that I pulled are below. Am I excited about the base cards? Not at all.

The base cards are boring to me, with the exception that Topps actually went ahead and embossed the lettering on the cards which makes it a little nicer for the price point of the product but... the cards are printed on what basically feels like the decoy cards from the packs that we all used to pad better cards with in the mail.

The design appears to have been created to be simple and attractive. One out of two ain't bad.






The parallels look nicer than the base cards. Notice how the halo highlights how off-center the card really is...


I like the game used card, but I wish they would have laid off the gold a little bit around the Mets logo. Just a trim of it around the home plate outline would have been nice, but this is overkill on gaudy gold.


Rookie autograph- Brandon Guyer

Serial numbered? Check. Slightly raised lettering? Check. On card auto? Check. Design? No check. This doesn't feel like it fits in the scheme of things with the cards that I have looked up on eBay. This design just fails me in every way.


Pablo Sandoval on card autograph, picture appears to have been taken from a game in Heaven.


While this box was to serve the purpose of a review for the collectors and readers out there, it still grinds my gears that this product ended up turning out this way. The card stock is terrible, the design is so-so, but the bright side is that it seems to be moving in the right direction as far as working on making higher end sets that are more like the products we all loved from that company whose name rhymes with tupper neck.

I am going to skip the typical report card type of review here because I don't think it's fair to base it on one box when there is only one pack. If you want my honest opinion, if you haven't seen these cards in person and are a player collector who enjoys breaking wax- buy singles and wait for 2012 products. I don't see this product being up there with Triple Threads, Sterling, or the likes of those cards.

If you want a lower high end product to break for Christmas, this may be fun only because you get 3 hits for $75 and may be able to score one cheaper on a best offer on eBay.

Before you think I am totally throwing this product under a bus, there are plenty of nice cards you could pull on eBay. You need to check out these out, they are amazing I promise.

Hank Aaron jumbo Prodigious patch

Triple autograph with Aaron, Heyward, and McCann

Willie McCovey jumbo Prodigious patch

Sandy Koufax gold auto /25