Some high-end Chicle cards popping up on eBay

2010 National Chicle has been out for a couple of days now and it seems many have taken a mulligan. When the first pictured came out on the set, there were tons of boos and hisses.

Since, I haven't had any product in hand, I have no opinion, but I still love looking on eBay.

There have been some really cool cards to pop up online.

Lou Gehrig 1/1 red umbrella
Dual autograph of Evan Longoria and Gordan Beckham (I really like this card)
Babe Ruth bat relic
Derek Jeter red umbrella 1/1 (I do not like this portrait)
Ty Cobb artist's proof box topper
Stan Musial auto

He's the next big star, don't ya know?

Robinson Cano has been on a year this year. He's hitting .390 with six homers and 15 RBIs (but RBIs don't mean anything any more, right?). That's not the only place Cano is showing signs of life.

His cards are moving on the market on well and that makes Marie a very unhappy girl. She has snatched up plenty of his cards over the year. Cano is one of the players she seeks, but now it looks like there are so many others who want to grab up the Yankees second baseman.

I purchased a Cano on-card autograph over two Christmases ago. I bought this card for Marie, but turned out she already had it. I purchased this 2005 Topps Total autograph for less than $8 at the time.

Now, completed listings for this card average close to $20. I'm going to watch this card to see where it is going to go during the year. Cano could become this season's star in the baseball card world, and the pinstripes don't hurt his status either.

Here are some other Cano cards that are shooting up hot lists.

1. 2003 Bowman Heritage RC auto
2. 2003 Bowman Originals auto /79 RC
3. 2003 Bowman Chrome RC
4. 2003 Topps Pristine refractors
5. 2010 World Champion autograph

It's official: Topps has football back

You don't have to our word for it anymore. Topps officially announced today it was back in the football game and released a photo today to show what the newest product will look like.

Our sources were correct when we wrote about this on Tuesday.

This is good news for card collectors when it looked as though they would be left with just one card company creating football product. However, Topps is back in the game and will likely produce some of regular football sets such as the flagship set, Bowman and Topps Chrome.

David Wright has a new trainer

Well, Sooz was right about Wright doing something different. He has all the right moves thanks to the "Situation" and his rigorous training routine.



Ohh this cracked me up.

What has changed since the Mets starting winning?

Is David Wright the change?

Or Jason Bay finally going yard?

The New York Mets are on a six-game winning streak and one thing has coincides with the NL East team's upswing.

This guy:

Ike Davis is another one of these guys that has 156 cards on the market and yet not a single official rookie card. Topps announced earlier this year that its second rookie redemption in Finest will be Ike Davis. Since joining the Mets nine days ago, Davis is hitting .333 (9-for27) with a homer and five RBIs.

Sometimes it doesn't take a powerful swing to change a team around. Little times it's just the change in dynamic that can spark a team. The Mets are hot at the right time. They face the struggling Phillies this weekend in an exciting early season match up.

Even though Davis doesn't have a "RC" there are still some very nice cards of his on the market.

1. 2008 Bowman Chrome auto(pictured).

2. 2008 Playoff Contenders auto

3. 2008 Elite Extra Edition auto

4. 2010 Finest Redemption #2

5. Any 2008 Bowman Chrome refractor

2010 Baseball National Chicle live on eBay

From the preview photos, collectors (me, included) had strong opinions about 2010 Baseball National Chicle. Wednesday is the official release, but as always a few cards have leaked on to eBay.

Debard Span auto

Elvis Andrus jersey


This one seller is the only one that has posted cards at the time I did a search. But there are other sellers out there that are already selling singles based on the checklists.

Do you trust these kinds of sellers? I know everyone wants to be first with the cards. You can sell cards for a good price and quickly if you are among the first on eBay with them, but are we even sure they have the cards in hand?

Anyone thinking about picking up this product?

Did Topps get football back?

Remember way back to November 2009 when it was announced that Topps and football were no longer friends?

Well, at the time the NFL Players Association announced it was not renewing Topps for 2010, but apparently things have changed over the last few weeks. It won't just be Panini (who is going a great job with the NFL draft picks).

Topps is bringing back football. Look for 2010 Bowman Chrome to hit the shelves later this year, according to Gilmore and his post on Freedom Cardboard.

Topps recently posted a job on Monster and many also believe the job has to do with the fact that they are getting football back. This is big news since many of the sports were going with exclusives. However, with Upper Deck's recent financial troubles, the door is open for many of the sports they have deals with.

This should be great news to football collectors. Football fans did enjoy Topps especially Bowman Chrome.

The last football we saw from Topps with 2009 Platinum and 2009 Unique way back in January.

I know we don't talk a lot about football around here, but what do you think about this news and what is your favorite football card?

Yankees visit White House today and talk a little shit

In a tradition that when athletes win a championship or gold medal of some sort, they get to visit the White House and meet with the President of the U.S. Today, the Yankees did it. (Side note: Four Yankees have met with three different Presidents).

Yankees assistant GM was standing next to Pres., Obama with the World Series trophy and told him: "Hold it, you may not get another chance."

Obama: And you wonder why the other teams don't root for them.

Ah, good point.

eTopps Release 4/26-5/3

This week seems like a good selection from eTopps with three new major league cards.

Ike Davis RC



Roy Halladay



Brian Matusz



They should be available around 1pm EST.

Sunday Question: Do the card companies owe you something?

Twitter has been around for a couple of years now but hasn't really been as popular as it has been for the last year in my opinion. With the whole Twitter wave it seems to have given many people a way to communicate with fellow bloggers that you probably wouldn't be sitting on AIM or G-chat talking to all day.

Personally, I think Twitter is a great means of communication on so many levels. You can hear what is going on at games through the sports writers, peek in on celebrities and sports figures that you like (despite that you may question who exactly is doing the tweeting). Sometimes there is an off chance that one of the people you follow will write back, which makes it that much more fun when someone like Jillian Michaels writes you back when you weren't even trying to illicit a response (hooray for me).

But... then you have the people that use Twitter to complain and bitch about the hobby all day long like the card companies owe them something. I love that Topps and Upper Deck (what's left of them) are on there trying to communicate and really listen to what collectors want but they aren't on there to listen to grievances all day. I read the same people OVER and OVER again question Topps as to why some bozo prospect or their favorite player is not in their sets, or why they haven't been privvy to sell sheets and release dates. Then they also need a full explanation as to why it is that way.

I get that not having a certain player in a set is frustrating and you collect a player because you like them. However, no one owes you an explanation. Cano didn't have a chrome card in Heritage this year, boohoo. One less card for me to track down. Sometimes when your players aren't in ONE set it's almost like a break to not have to go find it. Then they whammy you on another set like Finest where I have what, 5 versions of Pujols, Lind, and Cano (and if I'm feeling saucy) Russ Martin to track down?

My point in all this is that I would like to know if there are people out there that think that with Topps and UD being on Twitter that they are there to hear your complaints day in and day out? Do you think that since they are there that you can constantly ask them to explain to you why certain things were done certain ways, or do you think that it's their business and that they work there and you don't for a reason?

eBay Idiot of the week

Well, this one made me laugh out loud literally. It made me laugh for two reasons, one I have a metal card similar to this but it's a copper/gold looking one of a Topps card and two, who is the hell would pay for this?

This whole free listings thing on eBay is going to provide me with lots of idiots who decide that they are going to list a few real things since the other 100 crappy things were free.

Congrats dude, you are the Idiot of the Week. On the bright side, you can earn $200 in eBay bucks...

Photos from Trenton Thunder

I went to a Trenton Thunder game last night for Joba Chamberlain bobblehead night. Because I was asked several times yesterday when I said I was going to the game, yes, I went by myself. I enjoy baseball and have no problem sitting there, keeping score and just enjoying the night.

I also wanted the bobblehead.

These were the only people writing down the lineup.

Panini striking when hot

Panini figured out a way to capitalize right away the on the NFL Draft. The NFL Draft has become a television event just as much as anything else. It isn't just football people waiting for picks, but fans from every team across this country has followed the draft over the last two days.

Admittedly, I don't collect football cards, but I like what Panini did here.

The company posted pictures of their news card, which are the first for the player. FIRST!

As collectors, who doesn't want the first? This is a Sam Bradford card for 2010 Prestige.

Are they the best looking cards? No, but they hold a specific purpose and Panini did that. They are grabbing hold of the NFL interest while it's there instead of waiting until the preseason begins, when fans begin to get interested again.

Panini made several of these card images available on their Facebook page, along with cards that aren't sharp looking.

Panini had a cutout in each card of the draftees and inserted a plastic helmet on each card. This way they aren't committed to any one team and can make these cards with the players way ahead of time. For a first go-around, I think this is a great job by Panini.

Hmmm, maybe they could make MLB cards ....

P.S. I like how some eBay members are already using these pics in their auctions.

Does THIS make ARod a punk?

Undoubtedly, Alex Rodriguez is a polarizing figure. He's smug, used PEDs, dated pretty hot women and flaunted them on his arm and has purple lips.

However, he's still a damn good player.

In yesterday's loss to Oakland, ARod ran the bases after Robinson Cano popped up in foul territory. On the way back to first base from third, he ran over the pitcher's mound, stepping on the rubber. The pitcher was NOT on the mound. But the A's pitcher Dallas Braden took exception to this and barked at ARod to 'get off his mound' during the game.

Braden didn't let it go and ranted to the media about the situation calling it an unwritten-rule, one I have yet to hear someone say they have heard before.

Here's Braden's rant.

ARod mostly laughed it off and said: ""He just told me to get off his mound. That was a little surprising. I’ve never quite heard that - especially from a guy that has a handful of wins in his career."

Clearly, ARod takes a dig at Braden with the last piece of his comment.

Braden also said ARod should look at his captain and he might learn something.

I read this exchange last night and thought ARod didn't do anything wrong here. He didn't skewer the kid as Braden clearly tried to do with ARod. Additionally, I've never heard of this 'rule' and neither has any other person I've read heard about it including former players.

Many have said they wouldn't have done it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.

If there are unwritten rules here, what about the one where young kids shut their mouth? Ted Williams was a piece of shit, but do you think any player with 50 career starts would tell Williams to get off my mound?

Braden sounds more like an 80-year-old man yelling at the neighborhood kids than a 26-year-old.

I'm also sick of the ARod and Jeter comparisons. Jeter is a class act. He will probably never do something that is going to embarass himself, his family or the Yankee organization. Clearly, the same will never be said for ARod.

I just don't think this is a situation that does that.

It's at the point where people dislike ARod so much, his autos
autos can be found pretty cheap comparatively to where they were just 3-4 years ago. They certainly don't like in the Derek Jeter
and Albert Pujols category.

Cards 229 and 230 in the Kouz collection

I've dipped back into the basket of bubble mailers to pull out these two cards, which came in the same package.


2010 Upper Deck baseball and auto cards.

I would like to think these are going to be the last Upper Deck baseball cards I ever buy, but that's not true. There are still so many cards I need to get to complete my collections, including that Heroes rainbow (which I am sure I have more cards of somewhere).

The base card almost makes him look like he's with the A's already.

Despite the shady business practices of Upper Deck, I will miss them. I enjoyed the competition they created in the industry and do hope to see them again in the baseball arena.