There's no way in hell I'd ever pay $200 for a box or tin of cards. As much as I love buying cards and getting an awesome pull, I just cannot pull the trigger on shit like that.
Last year I bought a pack of 2007 SPx for $20. I had never purchased a pack of SPx before, so I figured why not try it once. One Dennis Sarfate autograph later, I wanted my money back. I can't imagine getting that feeling knowing I just spent 10x as much on a box of Exquisite.
The hype for Exquisite at the National card show was mayhem. Between that and Allen and Ginter just coming out, that's all the dealers talked about. So as many of them were breaking case upon case of Exquisite, I'd just watch and see these great looking cards being pulled. And nobody pulled anything solid that day.
Now, I want to finally get some Exquisite. I just got my paycheck and can easily buy some of the holy grail of sports cards. With that said, I'm going straight to Ebay. As a Cleveland Indians fan first and foremost, I'm going to try and find Tribe cards.
Within the first few minutes, I've seen a ton of cut signatures listed, and sitting around $30. For all the hype these kind of cards get after being pulled, as the owner selling it, I'd be kinda pissed that I'm only getting back $30 in return. Then again, I'm not the seller so I couldn't careless. One cool cut signature I did see was Earl Averill, former Tribe great and one of the few who has his number retired with us.
I've got two cards I am going to be bidding on later today. One is a dual signature of Jeremy Sowers and Paul Maholm. The second card is a tri-patch featuring Hafner, Martinez, and Sizemore. Never seen this card before, and it'd add another great card to my already large Sizemore collection. Hopefully I'll be able to win the auction.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
3 All Star Selections, 1 MVP Vote Later.....
and a solid 18 years of service in the Majors, Attic Insulation brings you the best lefty specialist ever, Dan Plesac. Sure he retired in 2003, but he's so awesome he should be talked about as much as ESPN talks about Pacman Jones.
In 1,064 games, Plesac pitched 1,072.0 IP with a career ERA at 3.64. His final W-L was 65 wins and 71 losses, but any respectable baseball fan knows that wins and losses mean jack shit. How about his 158 career saves (58th all time), 1,041 K's (392nd all time!), or his best stat, he got one hit, in 15 career AB's!
Plesac is the leader of the lefty specialist craze (don't tell me otherwise, you're wrong) and should be in the Hall Of Fame. I'm a huge fan of his, for really no reason other than he's awesome (and probably the best Croatian to ever play in the Majors).
To my knowledge I have at least two Plesac cards, and am going to get every Plesac card ever made (I'd guess ~100?) along with his really rare Starting Line-Up figure.
Best part, I even have a screen-name based on Plesac. So Dan if you ever read this, you're the fucking man, and should be in the Hall.
Fuk-u got the wrong redemption card
From Beckett.com
Topps on Friday announced that Cubs standout rookie Kosuke Fukudome is the player redeemable for the 2008 Topps Finest Baseball Rookie Card Redemption #3.
Throughout the 2008 season, Topps will announce the subjects for the 10-card Rookie Redemption set. Each Master Box of Topps Finest includes one Rookie Redemption. The cards will be printed and shipped to collectors after Aug. 30, 2008.
Stay tuned to Beckett.com for future Rookie Redemption unveilings.
* #1 Johnny Cueto, Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
* #2 Jay Bruce, Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds
* #3 Kosuke Fukudome, Outfielder, Chicago Cubs
I wasn't really expecting Kosuke to be number 3 at all. After the Jay Bruce hype I for sure thought that they'd have another player be the third redemption; which would save Kosuke for around August and September when the Cubbies started to sniff a playoff berth.
With all the bullshit spewed out by Topps and UD so far this season with Kosuke, perhaps Topps realized that they needed a true Kosuke rookie card. Since the announcement I've seen two Ebay listings for his redemption card, one going for nearly 25 while the other is sitting at $18.50. Not Jay Bruce status yet, but I'm sure he'll eclipse the Great White Hope from Cincy soon enough.
I'm still holding my Number 5 Redemption Card, hoping and praying it's Clayton rather than some stupid Red Sox player who I won't want.
Wahooooooo
I just listened to two different voicemail messages about the same topic:
All 7,000 of my Cleveland Indians cards are currently sitting back home at my house.*
Since work doesn't like to give me hours anymore, my card purchasing (along with blogging) has slowed down considerably. But this is all going to change over the next few days as I go home to get the huge amount of Tribe cards.
As for the cards themselves, they've already had quite a trip. Between packing nearly 7,000 cards and making their adventure throughout this country, apparently it's quite a toll. When the cards arrived at our local branch, supposedly one of the boxes ripped really bad, and cards spilled everywhere. Luckily for me, my family knows nearly all the mailmen so they helped pack up the box and hand delivered them for me.
Hopefully with all the upcoming Tribe card blog posts, the real Indians will start to play some good baseball and maybe (probably not) try to contend for at least a glimmer of playoff hope.
All 7,000 of my Cleveland Indians cards are currently sitting back home at my house.*
Since work doesn't like to give me hours anymore, my card purchasing (along with blogging) has slowed down considerably. But this is all going to change over the next few days as I go home to get the huge amount of Tribe cards.
As for the cards themselves, they've already had quite a trip. Between packing nearly 7,000 cards and making their adventure throughout this country, apparently it's quite a toll. When the cards arrived at our local branch, supposedly one of the boxes ripped really bad, and cards spilled everywhere. Luckily for me, my family knows nearly all the mailmen so they helped pack up the box and hand delivered them for me.
Hopefully with all the upcoming Tribe card blog posts, the real Indians will start to play some good baseball and maybe (probably not) try to contend for at least a glimmer of playoff hope.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What?!
As I'm perusing Ebay, I decide to see what's newly listed for MLB Showdown. Nothing really worth note as I have most of what's listed, but I always keep hope that there will be a lot of super rare promos I need to finish my sets (2002 DCI promos).
I decide to check the NFL Showdown listings as well. Nothing new either.
So I go to the most pathetic sports card game ever made by Wizards, NBA Showdown. This set was put out a year too early in my opinion. Had it been the 03/04 season, I think it would have had some staying power much like any other cards made from that year for one reason only, Lebron James.
Usually for NBA Showdown's listing it's chock full of the old NBA Showdown games that were made for Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. Sprinkled in, you'll find around 4-5 Starter Decks featuring Tracy McGrady on the front. Over the past month or two, there have been listings for lots of 5 packs a piece, usually starting at $0.99. Whoever lists those should just keep them all together and sell by box, they'd make far more money.
I was shocked today though once I saw this listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NBA-Showdown-Card-Game-Set_W0QQitemZ250260039126QQihZ015QQcategoryZ646QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I don't even know where to begin. It's not even a full set. Hell, half of what's missing are rares! Tracy McGrady himself, the coverboy of the whole thing, IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LOT!
All for the low low price of $299.99. Oh yeah, since it's not from the US tack on $30.00 for shipping. I'd love to meet the buyer and seller of this item. A little over a year ago, I bought nearly 500 NBA Showdown cards for about $30, included were nearly 75% of the common set, at least 2 of all strategy card, about 15 rares, and everything to learn how to play the game!
NBA Showdown is a great card game that flows smooth, doesn't take long, and has plenty of strategy to tide over even the most competitive gamer. However, I don't think this game is worth nearly $350 dollars.
I'll probably blog about each of the Showdown Sports in the next coming week.
I decide to check the NFL Showdown listings as well. Nothing new either.
So I go to the most pathetic sports card game ever made by Wizards, NBA Showdown. This set was put out a year too early in my opinion. Had it been the 03/04 season, I think it would have had some staying power much like any other cards made from that year for one reason only, Lebron James.
Usually for NBA Showdown's listing it's chock full of the old NBA Showdown games that were made for Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. Sprinkled in, you'll find around 4-5 Starter Decks featuring Tracy McGrady on the front. Over the past month or two, there have been listings for lots of 5 packs a piece, usually starting at $0.99. Whoever lists those should just keep them all together and sell by box, they'd make far more money.
I was shocked today though once I saw this listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NBA-Showdown-Card-Game-Set_W0QQitemZ250260039126QQihZ015QQcategoryZ646QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I don't even know where to begin. It's not even a full set. Hell, half of what's missing are rares! Tracy McGrady himself, the coverboy of the whole thing, IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LOT!
All for the low low price of $299.99. Oh yeah, since it's not from the US tack on $30.00 for shipping. I'd love to meet the buyer and seller of this item. A little over a year ago, I bought nearly 500 NBA Showdown cards for about $30, included were nearly 75% of the common set, at least 2 of all strategy card, about 15 rares, and everything to learn how to play the game!
NBA Showdown is a great card game that flows smooth, doesn't take long, and has plenty of strategy to tide over even the most competitive gamer. However, I don't think this game is worth nearly $350 dollars.
I'll probably blog about each of the Showdown Sports in the next coming week.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Back!
I'm back from Chicago. This trip marked the first time I was ever on the Southside for a baseball game. Saw the Sox take on the Rockies. Comiskey isn't really that exciting and not memorable at all. My dad and I had fantastic seats, but the stadium is pretty bland. Sox won 5-4 (I think) and the highlight was that we both bought Albert Belle T-Shirts for $5!
I didn't get a chance to visit any card stores, unlike last year when I visited a place called Legends Sportscards, which had a wide array of product, along with a lot of cool old memorabilia pieces throughout Chicago's sporting past.
My main hype lately has been all about Upper Deck Legendary Cuts. After seeing some of the cards online, I'm with a few other bloggers when I think this set really has not much going for it. The checklist isn't anything too special, and the only amazing pulls are the cut auto's of guys like Babe Ruth and company. So basically, these cards will never be able to be had by the common collector. Hell, I went on Ebay and saw a "Master Set" sitting at under $200. Poor guy is selling it hoping to recoup some cash after he dropped a bucketload on 3 cases (!!!).
Since I didn't buy a box of Legendary Cuts, I might buy a box of Allen and Ginter (or two), or perhaps start my hockey collection back up once Be A Player comes out. What do you people suggest (all 2 of you who read the blog)?
I didn't get a chance to visit any card stores, unlike last year when I visited a place called Legends Sportscards, which had a wide array of product, along with a lot of cool old memorabilia pieces throughout Chicago's sporting past.
My main hype lately has been all about Upper Deck Legendary Cuts. After seeing some of the cards online, I'm with a few other bloggers when I think this set really has not much going for it. The checklist isn't anything too special, and the only amazing pulls are the cut auto's of guys like Babe Ruth and company. So basically, these cards will never be able to be had by the common collector. Hell, I went on Ebay and saw a "Master Set" sitting at under $200. Poor guy is selling it hoping to recoup some cash after he dropped a bucketload on 3 cases (!!!).
Since I didn't buy a box of Legendary Cuts, I might buy a box of Allen and Ginter (or two), or perhaps start my hockey collection back up once Be A Player comes out. What do you people suggest (all 2 of you who read the blog)?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
MLB Showdown
Back in 2000, my dad took me to a card show. Usually I loved to go to card shows with him because he'd show me all the great old time players, former Tribe players and how bad they were, or just buy boxes of cheap wax and break them open with me when we got home.
However, my interest in sports was dwindling. I still played them all the time, attended Tribe games all the time, and even opened some packs here and there, but the main priority I had at this show was simple:
Pokemon cards.
I was crazy for those stupid things. Even though I was at a show where millions of cards were, I wanted to collect and "battle" with cards of animals that looked like they just came from the Chernobyl plant. My dad would (I think) reluctantly drive me to Toys'R'Us every Wednesday so I could play in the league and get promo cards.
One Wednesday, everything changed when I walked into a game called "MLB Showdown". It was a new card game made by the same people who make Pokemon (Wizards Of The Coast). I love baseball, so I picked up a starter set and 3 packs.
My Pokemon adventure was done the moment I got home. I cracked open the starter, and my dad was interested to see what I bought. The first pack gave me my first foil, Kenny Lofton. My father and I played a few games that night, and I decided I was going to see if some of my friends wanted to convert from Pokemon to MLB Showdown.
Over the course of the six years that Wizards made Showdown, I never stopped collecting, and now have nearly 15,000 cards. Most of the cards have little to no value and couldn't be given away, but I like them because it reminds me of all the time I spent late summer nights watching a late MLB Game or Baseball Tonight while constructing decks and deciding between putting in Todd Van Poppel or Scott Sauerbeck. In the end both of those players were in my bullpen.
In 2006, Wizards stopped making the game due to lack of interest and the fact that the MLBPA wanted way more money for a new contract with Wizards.
I (along with Jim) still buy MLB Showdown, but it's getting much harder now because no place carries a product that is 3 years out or print coupled with the fact that it really didn't sell all too well.
I like to thank MLB Showdown for getting me back into baseball cards. Had I not found those cards and bought them, I'd probably be playing World of Warcraft in my parent's basement eating Dorito's and 3 day old Taco Bell. At least to me, I'd much rather own 15 Darren Oliver cards as opposed to playing World of Warcraft.
However, my interest in sports was dwindling. I still played them all the time, attended Tribe games all the time, and even opened some packs here and there, but the main priority I had at this show was simple:
Pokemon cards.
I was crazy for those stupid things. Even though I was at a show where millions of cards were, I wanted to collect and "battle" with cards of animals that looked like they just came from the Chernobyl plant. My dad would (I think) reluctantly drive me to Toys'R'Us every Wednesday so I could play in the league and get promo cards.
One Wednesday, everything changed when I walked into a game called "MLB Showdown". It was a new card game made by the same people who make Pokemon (Wizards Of The Coast). I love baseball, so I picked up a starter set and 3 packs.
My Pokemon adventure was done the moment I got home. I cracked open the starter, and my dad was interested to see what I bought. The first pack gave me my first foil, Kenny Lofton. My father and I played a few games that night, and I decided I was going to see if some of my friends wanted to convert from Pokemon to MLB Showdown.
Over the course of the six years that Wizards made Showdown, I never stopped collecting, and now have nearly 15,000 cards. Most of the cards have little to no value and couldn't be given away, but I like them because it reminds me of all the time I spent late summer nights watching a late MLB Game or Baseball Tonight while constructing decks and deciding between putting in Todd Van Poppel or Scott Sauerbeck. In the end both of those players were in my bullpen.
In 2006, Wizards stopped making the game due to lack of interest and the fact that the MLBPA wanted way more money for a new contract with Wizards.
I (along with Jim) still buy MLB Showdown, but it's getting much harder now because no place carries a product that is 3 years out or print coupled with the fact that it really didn't sell all too well.
I like to thank MLB Showdown for getting me back into baseball cards. Had I not found those cards and bought them, I'd probably be playing World of Warcraft in my parent's basement eating Dorito's and 3 day old Taco Bell. At least to me, I'd much rather own 15 Darren Oliver cards as opposed to playing World of Warcraft.
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